Award-Winning Vintage French Perfumes

So today I have a great guest post from author Jan Moran, I hope you all enjoy this post.  I am very excited to share it with you and its to celebrate her amazing new book Scent of Triumph. 

Blog Post for Ali’s Bookshelf

Award-Winning Vintage French Perfumes

By Jan Moran

I’m so honored to be taking over Ali’s blog for the day! And I’m happy to share my novel, Scent of Triumph, a suspenseful historical saga about a young French perfumer.

This is the last stop on my blog tour, and I’ve really enjoyed sharing insights from my writing, as well as beloved vintage perfumes. Why perfumes? Because in Scent of Triumph, the protagonist, Danielle Bretancourt, comes from a long line of perfumers. Perfumery is her profession and her passion, so vintage perfumes are prominent in the story.

Scent of Triumph takes places during the 1940s, with World War II as a backdrop. Today I’m featuring a duo of historic perfumes from two important perfume Houses: Guerlain and Dior. From 1925, Guerlain’s Shalimar was heralded as the first “Oriental” perfume, a blend of flowers with essential oils that originated in Asia. It was created just after World War I. In 1947, Miss Dior debuted as World War II ended. Though two decades apart, both perfume compositions reflect joy and jubilation in the return to peace.

Day in the Life of author Schledia Benefield

Day in the Life of author Schledia Benefield

Thanks, Ali, for inviting me to share what a day in my life is all about. My days vary due to my job at the middle school, as well as where I’m at in the writing process, so I will share a typical workday in the midst of writing a novel. FAIR WARNING…my days are kind of boring, but they are busy!

While I’m working on a project, I wake up between four and four-thirty a.m. Most days, my husband makes the coffee and wakes me up to a nice, hot cup, but if he happens to be running behind on getting ready for work, I make the coffee and bring him a cup. I sit down at my laptop with my coffee in hand and quickly re-read the previous chapter I had written and go over the chapter summary for the chapter I intend to start that day. 

Author Tips from Author Sydney Logan

So today I have a great author feature for you from author Sydney Logan.  I am very excited about this post and hope you all enjoy it!! 

Writing Tips for New Authors

Guest Post by Sydney Logan

I have written several of these “writing advice for authors” posts since releasing my debut novel in September 2012. With each new post, I’ve tried to find new ideas to share. This isn’t difficult, because I’m constantly researching and trying different things, all in hopes of writing the best story and marketing it to the masses.

The most amazing (and admittedly frustrating) discovery I’ve made is that there is no perfect recipe for writing and promoting a book. What works for one author may not work for another. I know authors (like me) who like to cross-promote with other authors. I know others who believe the secret to their success is a faithful Twitter following. I also know many writers who hardly promote at all and still become bestselling authors.

Here are a few things that I have found useful when it comes to writing and marketing:

Have a Plan – I’m not an outliner, but I do have a general plan when I sit down to write. I found this character chart which has helped me in the past. It makes me really think about my characters’ traits (both physical and emotional). This chart is very thorough and I don’t fill-in every blank, but I wanted to share it with you because it can be useful in keeping you and your characters on track. It was designed by author Tricia Goyer and can be found on her website at http://www.triciagoyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/CharacterSheet1.pdf
What’s in a Name? – I have a love/hate relationship with naming my characters. Because both my novels are set in Appalachia, I try to choose names (first and last) that are representative of the region. I use old high school yearbooks and newspaper articles. I also use online sites like Baby Name Genie (www.babynamegenie.com) to help me choose the perfect name.
Writing is a Business – This has been my biggest eye-opener. I thought signing a contract with a publisher would mean that I could write my books and someone else would handle the marketing side of things. Wrong. As the author, you are expected to do the majority of your own marketing and promotion. This, obviously, cuts into valuable writing time. Which brings me to . . .
Finding a Balance – You have to budget your time. Assign so many minutes/hours per week to promoting your work, and try to stick to it. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself doing more tweeting than writing, and that will ensure that you miss your upcoming deadline.
Social Media - I love social media, but there are only so many hours in the day. One piece of advice I received was to pick two or three social media sites and really focus on them. For me, keeping a steady presence on my blog, Facebook, and Twitter has helped me build an audience and keeps me connected to readers.
Make Friends – There are a lot of independent authors out there, and many of them would be happy to connect with you to help you cross-promote. I belong to a wonderful group called Author2Author. We’re a group of authors who help each other by hosting each other on our blogs, promoting each other’s giveaways, and offering advice when needed.

These are just a few of the things that have worked for me. There is no secret formula. There is no “right” way. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and try not to be disappointed when they don’t work. Find what works for you.


Thank you so much Sydney for giving us some great tips and for being on the blog today.   

Sydney Logan is an Amazon bestselling author and holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the transition from bookworm to author. Sydney has a very unhealthy obsession with music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. She is also the author of two short stories: “Mistletoe Magic,” available exclusively on Amazon Kindle, and “Stupid Cupid,” which is featured in the Romantic Interludes compilation. When she isn't reading or writing, she enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her front porch at her home in East Tennessee with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat. Her second novel, Mountain Charm, will be released July 4, 2013.

Author Feature: Day in the Life of Dianne Gardner

So today I have a great author feature to share with you, Day in the Life of Author Dianne Gardner.  Enjoy

A day in the life

I try to keep my days simple. It’s an odd feeling, this desire to just stay home and write. I seem to be basing my entire day’s activity around those precious moments I can sit at the computer and pound on the keys, pouring my heart into the story I’m writing.

At this time in our life, my husband is home from work due to an accident. It’s a temporary disability and he expects to return back to his job this summer. We’ve had to make some adjustments with his being home. One of them, of course is the amount of time I spend at the computer. But we’re getting used to being around each other constantly. It’s probably been harder on him. As much as I love being social, I love being a hermit more. So my husband having to live with a hermit has to be hard on him!

Review: If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

Review: If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

IN A GLANCE: Could not put this book down. It's that good!

Title: If He Had Been With Me
Author: Laura Nowlin
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Format: Ebook ARC
Pages:  336 pages
ISBN #: 1402277822

If he had been with me, he wouldn't have died. Throughout their whole childhood, Finn and Autumn were inseparable—they finished each other's sentences, they knew just what to say when the other person was hurting. But one incident in middle school puts them in separate social worlds come high school, and Autumn has been happily dating James for the last 2 years. But she's always wondered what if... The night she's about to get the answer is also one of terrible tragedy.