Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Shopping, Advent, Tiny Tidbits, Winners Announced

Advent Candles representing hope, love, joy, and peace
Photo by J.Q. Rose

Welcome to the J.Q. Rose blog. I hope you had a wonderful USA Thanksgiving--eating plenty of turkey and enjoying friends and family get-togethers. Football? Shopping? Games? How do you spend the day? 

Traditionally the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday and then a weekend of Small Business shopping and of course Cyber Monday. What a way to star the shopping season. 

On Sunday, December 29, 2015, followers of Christ open the season of Advent, a time to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ on Christmas Day, December 25. This special season in the Christian church includes prayer, devotions, joy, and anticipation during the four Sundays prior to Christmas, the birthday of Jesus.  During each Sunday of the Advent season, we focus on one of the four virtues Jesus brings us: Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. A candle is lighted so all four candles are glowing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day when the white candle in the center representing Jesus Christ is lit.

The tradition of observing Advent was first begun during the time of the Protestant reformer Martin Luther. Through the ages, the symbols have changed. Some denominations believe the first candle represents expectation, and the next three represent hope, joy, and purity. Although there are different interpretations as to the meaning of the candles, they are all a reminder of our call to aspire to live as followers of Jesus. 

Does your family observe Advent by lighting candles at home or church? The Advent wreath is a beautiful reminder of what Christmas is all about. In the midst of the shopping and the busy-ness of the season, take time to remember the candles and the reason for the season.

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Tiny Tidbits for Life and Writing

• Do you know the traditional flower of Christmas, the poinsettia,

  

  Poinsettia plant
  Photo by J.Q. Rose

  is not the red or colored leaves, but rather the small flowers in the center of the leaves? Take it from a former florist, you want to purchase a poinsettia that has buds or just beginning to open flowers for a fresh poinsettia plant that will last all season.
• If you are planning to donate to a charity this year, check for information on the charity at the Charity Navigator to make a wise decision for your donation.

This Week:

Deadly Undertaking
Available at all major online booksellers.

I am excited to learn that my mystery, Deadly Undertaking, was selected by Kobo to be included in the Kobo Cyber Monday promotion. 

I also received notice Deadly Undertaking has been chosen in the Overdrive Holiday Spectacular. Overdrive will be recommending this e-book, among many others, to libraries. 

Wednesday, December 2--Insecure Writers Support Blog Hop. Join lots of authors to discuss their insecurities. Fun and interesting way to meet new authors and make friends.

Congratulations to the Winners in the Deadly Undertaking Book Blog Tour!

Heather Brainerd, Susan Bernhardt, and Loni Townsend!

And to those who didn't win a prize, but left a comment or visited one of my hosts. I appreciate your participation and support. Please be sure to Follow the J.Q. Rose by email because I don't send newsletters every month or badger you with emails. If you do leave your email address in the box above, you will be updated on the blog posts here. And there WILL be more opportunities to win prizes too! Thank you!!

Say Thank You, Book Marketing, PowerPoint Presentations, Marla and Carla Show, YouTube

Thanksgiving Time
Photo by J.Q. Rose

Thanksgiving week, meal preparation, cleaning, Black Friday sales, friends and family. This frenzy of responsibilities may get in the way of the true spirit of Thanksgiving. So right this minute, please take a deep breath and spend a few minutes reflecting on all the blessings you enjoy. Be positive. We are enriched by big things and little things woven together in our life's tapestry. Whisper a thank you for each one of yours.

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If you've been reading my blog since this past summer, you probably get it that I am on a crusade to figure out the secret to book marketing. I am determined to be ready to launch my next book(s) with a flourish and continue to sell them.  I have the first draft of my mystery completed and I have chosen a name. You know how titles go. Very fluid. At this moment it is Deadly Undertaking: A Funeral Home Mystery. Not sure if I like the sub-title. I need something catchier. The mystery takes place in a funeral home, so I want to let readers giggle at the play on words.

I  am compiling the writing tips series into an e-book for publication this winter, and I am going to work on Gardener Ted (myDH) to see if he will help me with a series on gardening. I know there are tons of mysteries, books for writers, and gardening books. That's why I have to figure out how to make these standout.

D'vorah Lansky's Book Marketing Challenge opened my eyes to all the possibilities for book marketing. So little by little I am trying to learn a few tricks to get readers' attention. At this point I am learning how to make a PowerPoint presentation into a webinar. 

So I checked out how to work with this amazing program and discovered all kinds of videos about it. If you're interested in the video, here's the link:

Powerpoint 2010 Crash Course

Do you have any idea how much information is on YouTube? If you think of a topic, I bet there will be a video about it.

I have also discovered the Carla and Marla Show on YouTube. I have to clue you in on this show. Carla King, the queen of teaching indie authors with her Self-Publishing Boot Camp, and Marla Miller, a traditionally published veteran author, team up to offer tips and insight on writing and publishing. They are ordinary women who do not put on airs. They present their show on Google+ Hangouts on Air as if they are just conversing at their kitchen table together over coffee. Delightful and real. Take a break and watch some of their shows.

Here's one of their shows with the topic of Book Marketing--

The Marla and Carla Show Episode #5 Book Marketing: 

Find & Engage Your Audience

More Videos: The Marla and Carla Show
Website: Carla King 
Video: Marla Miller Literary Salon: Learning Prose from the PROS 

No Guest Post on Thanksgiving Day.
Come back next Thursday, December 4, when author Marsha R. West shares her writing tips.
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 Mysteries bundled together with authors Conda Douglas, Heather Fraser Brainerd, David Fraser, and Sara Jayne Townsend, and myself in a four mystery e-book set releasing from our publisher, MuseItUp Publishing. 

You can pre-order now and get the special Black Friday price-- $1.99 for ALL FOUR BOOKS. Price goes up on December 2. For more information and the buy link, go toMuseItUp Publishing. 

Also available at amazon and major online booksellers.

Come Ye Thankful People, Come--Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo courtesy of Fremont United Methodist Church, Michigan

Come Ye Thankful People, Come

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;

all is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.

God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;

come to God's own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

Words by Henry Alford, 1844

Music by George  J. Elvey, 1858

Stores Open on Thanksgiving, This Week

Carved Wooden Turkey Statue--Turkeyville, Michigan (near Marshall)
Photo taken by J.Q. Rose

Gobble, gobble, gobble,--that's what we'll be doing this week...Gobbling up all the good food on Thanksgiving Day! But as my daughter, the health coach says, "Don't gobble till you wobble." LOL

I think you can have some of everything just don't eat everything of everything!

Are you hitting the sales ON Thanksgiving Day? For some reason people are up in arms about the retailers being open on the holiday. Have they forgotten about all the other folks who work for us on T-Day? For years, restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, hospitals, nursing homes, police stations, fire departments, and more have been "manned" for those hours. In a perfect world none of us would work on this special holiday, but then, we do need folks who help us travel and care for the sick no matter if it is a holiday or not. 

If you do need to use the services of these special workers,  won't you say a heartfelt "thank you" to them? It will make their day very special!!

From ideal wellness.org

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This Week:

Photo courtesy of Fremont United Methodist Church, Michigan

Thursday, November 28--Thanksgiving Day USA 

Whether you celebrate at home with family and/or friends or go out to the restaurant for your turkey dinner, take a minute to be thankful for all your blessings. As our minister pointed out today, there is a whole industry in the USA trying to make you think you NEED things to make you happy or "to keep up with the Joneses ." Thanksgiving is the day to remind yourself of what you do have, and I bet you'll discover it isn't all the "things" for which you are most thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 29--On the Girls Succeed Blog--Trailblazer: Fearless Flyer, Elinor Smith's Daring Dive Under the Bridges of New York by Carol Simon Levin  

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!!

Warm Wishes for a 

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!