Good Morning!

Good morning to all! I have been busy this past week with Easter, training and taking an afternoon trip to see our new investment...a small herd of alpacas. We will be bringing them home by mid-June, as 4H will be finished for the year. It gives us just over a month to build a pen for the males, as the females will be getting the barn and corral. My daughter and I are very excited...pictures will most definitely be posted when our herd comes home!

That aside, I purchased a new gardening book yesterday. I know I most likely don't need another, but I couldn't resist. It is The Canadian Illustrated Guide to Green Gardening by Reader's Digest. There is a hardcover issue available, but the one I bought is a binder format; pages lay flat to make it easier to stay on the page you need. I bought my copy at Coles Bookstore. It has over three thousand color illustrations and photos, and is divided into sections so it is easy to find what you are looking for. It is over five hundred pages packed full of information, from soil to plants to trees and shrubs. A recommended purchase for anyone who is a gardener as well as anyone just learning about gardening. In all honesty it would most likely benefit the new gardener more than those of us who are veterans, but anyone will find it helpful.

For those who enjoy gardening and wish to profit from it, I do have some suggestions in my book Success...It Can Be Yours! which is available on Lulu. There is also a button at the upper left on this page which will take you straight to it. Along with my writing and alpacas, my goal is to open a U-Pick for a few weeks each summer. I may not get it all in place for this gardening season, but my personal goal is within the next two years. It will all tie in together if all goes as planned.

I also still have several bundles of fat quarters available (see Buy Now button to the right). I am hoping I can liquidate as many of these as possible within the next couple of weeks, as they would be much better in the hands of someone who can use them. It will take me twenty years to make use of them; that's how many there are. I will toss in an extra fat quarter for anyone who orders from this Blog post...please make note of it on the order form. If you order two bundles, you will receive two extra fat quarters. Thank you!

Along with the arrival of our alpacas, I will be learning to process their fiber. As time goes on, I will also have alpaca fiber items for sale. I am contemplating buying a spinning wheel so I can make my own yarn; if it works for me I will have the yarn and products made from it available. I will be posting pictures as time goes on and I learn more about the fiber and the animals.

Wishing you all a good weekend, and may the weather co-operate so we can all get some yard and garden cleanup done!

A Sunny Day!

We are blessed with another sunny morning...the question is, will it last throughout the day? We have had a cooler than usual spring, and we are all ready for some heat. I am anxious to get my garden cleaned up and planted, but the soil is too soggy and cold to do either.

I have been busy working on my book, as well as writing instructions for crocheted items. This little task is contracted, so I am unable to post where they will be going at the moment. I'm sure once they have been submitted and approved I will be able to link to the site. I am excited about it, but it has really made me think about what I am doing. Crochet comes natural to me, as I have been doing it since I was nine. What I haven't done much however, is write out instructions. It is a learning experience for me...my only hope is they are detailed enough to be followed by a beginner.

I have recently joined Book Blogs (see widget on the right of this blog), a site for those who write, read or love books. I think it will be a good way to learn more about promoting my book (Lulu link on the left), as well as expanding my reading horizons. The site will also help me gain more viewers and followers on my blog.

I have also set up a Facebook Page to keep my fans updated on new articles, book progress and pages of interest. I feel the more exposure I have the better. I am enjoying the benefits of working from home, and have my eye on a piece of property I would absolutely love to buy. I am hopeful my book sales and freelance income will allow me to do that. The hours are long and sometimes spread throughout the day, but that's what I love about it. I am free to go out and visit my animals when I hit a roadblock, then can come back in and carry on with a new perspective on my projects.

Book Review: Where Do Recyclable Materials Go? by Sabbithry Persad

I have been given the opportunity to review Where Do Recyclable Materials Go? by Sabbithry Persad. It is a very informative book and is based on a neat little story adventure. A girl named Tiana and her family go out looking for their dog Bubbles. Bubbles has followed the recycling truck to the depot, and there Tiana and her family are able to go on a tour of the facility. They learn what happens to the materials once they are in the depot.

It is a book that should be in schools and libraries everywhere. It is the first in a series called the "Garbology Kids", which concentrates on recycling. There are questions at the back of the book as well as recycling ideas. It is a must read for everyone!

Book Review - Writing Nonfiction: Turning Thoughts Into Books

As I embark on writing my second book, I am learning some tricks from the experts. My first book was written without any guidance, but turned out well just the same. It was a learning process for me, and I learned I needed to know more about being an author.

Writing Nonfiction: Turning Thoughts Into Books by Dan Poynter

I purchased this book so I could get a better grasp on the book writing and marketing industry. As I was wanting to read it immediately, I purchased the ebook from Lulu; it is also available on Amazon and the Para Publishing site, which is Dan Poynter's own website. It is also available in print on both sites.

Dan Poynter is very thorough in his information in the book. He talks about organizing a binder to hold all materials related to your book, and provides a link where you can download a "write by number" if you will. I am using this system for my new book, and it is working very well. He goes on to stress writing non-fiction is better for the beginner. The easiest is to write what you know. I agree with him on this point completely.

He explains how offering a mini seminar is much more beneficial and profitable than just a book signing. People want to learn; and if you can teach or show them how to do something you have explained in your book they will remember it always. In addition, they will suggest your book to family and friends...word of mouth advertising is the best of all. Don't forget to include and order form in the back of your book. Dan explains the reasoning behind this as well.

Dan lists the Seven Principles of Financial Success when writing and marketing your book. One of them is selling information is bigger business than selling products. There is a lot of truth to this, as the majority of households have books on how to do many things. It is also easier than ever to publish your book, and this gives you access to sales much quicker.

He lists resources throughout the book, and for anyone purchasing a copy of the ebook, the links will take you directly to that site provided you have an active internet connection. It is a very good way to have all of the relative information at your fingertips. I would suggest a paper copy as well, as sometimes reading it on a device is not possible. It would be the perfect addition to your binder along with your Book Writing Template which is available on the Para Publishing Site. It is several pages to print, but is worth the ink and paper.

For anyone even thinking about writing a book I recommend you purchase a copy of this book. Along with the points I have made, it also explains the writing, publishing and marketing aspects as well. As an author, you are your own best marketer. You will be glad you invested the few dollars...it will save you from making mistakes and will yield greater profits and recognition in the end. I only wish I had known about it before my first book. But as the saying goes, better late than never!

Good luck!