Events

Author Joanne Lewis

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Author Joanne Lewis joins Soul Attitude Press

New to us, we are pleased to announce that we have contributed to author Joanne Lewis’s latest offering, Sleeping Cupid on Amazon, with interior formatting. Joanne has been writing and publishing her work for some time now, and we welcome the opportunity to serve her. Please check out her website and  Amazon author page.

Author Joanne Lewis

Sleeping Cupid is the second installment in her Michelangelo and Me series, with two new books due out later this year. Here’s a picture of the cover of her latest:

Author Joanne Lewis: Sleeping Cupid cover

We welcome her and wish her the best in her writing endeavors, and in life. We are here to serve you, the author, or writer on the journey of your dream.

Art Walk – Cold and Friendly

Can something be cold and friendly at the same time? The answer is yes! The Gulfport Art Walk, held this past Friday, (Feb 5), was a great success for authors Bria Burton and John Rehg (aka J Gerard Michaels and Grandpa Tic).

The walk brought out a lot of people, and the location, right by the corner of 31st Ave S, proved ideal. The local astronomy club set up on the very corner, and if they had more time the two authors would have taken looks at real stars.

Instead, they settled for all the interesting people that passed by, stopped to chat, and even bought some books. It’s difficult to predict how one will do, and with the temperatures hovering just over 50, the night delivered on its promise of being cold.

The saving grace, for most of the night? The wind kept silent until the final hour or so, allowing the authors and assistant to manage without freezing up for most of the time. When the wind picked up, it worked intermittently as a gentle breeze. Unfortunately, at 50 degrees, any breeze, gentle or not, magnifies the cold!

Self Publish for FREE on Amazon

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Self Publish for FREE on Amazon

I hadn’t mentioned when the new book became available on Amazon, but it is now, and you can find it here. With the deals going on now, you might be able to get a healthy discount!

Self Publish for FREE (the cover, once again!)

The purpose of this book is to give the reader the ability to use software they have never seen before, without the daunting prospect of having to learn it on their own. Self Publish for FREE walks you through both Scribus and GIMP, step by step, to produce the files necessary to build a book on CreateSpace. Short on hype and long on learning, this book has a singular focus: to help you get your files ready to upload.

There are many websites that can help, many tools that others offer. But if you’re the true do-it-yourselfer who wants full control, then this is the book for you.

Upcoming Signing Event

Maybe you know someone who wants to create a printed book. Or maybe you can wait, because you want an autographed copy of Self Publish for FREE along with some face time. If so, you can pick up a signed copy for 25% off list price at the Gulfport Art Walk on Saturday, December 19th, 2015. (And we’ll pay the tax for you!)

John Rehg will be there signing Self Publish for FREE and others he’ll have for sale in time for Christmas, including ones for children, for zombie fans, for those who like humor, and for prayer and reflection. There’s something for everyone in the family!

Thanks

At this time of year we give thanks for all the authors who have trusted us with their work, for all the readers who have supported them, and for being able to share our knowledge with those we’ve come in contact with, one way or another.

Thank you all!

Self Publish for FREE Available

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Self Publish for FREE is now available

John Rehg has released a new book, Self Publish for FREE, available on CreateSpace now (here) and Amazon next week. For those who want to create a book but thought publishing it was either too difficult or too expensive, here’s your answer!

Here’s the cover:

Self Publish for FREE

The first in a planned series, John walks you through, step by step, to master the software (that is free) that can get you in print on CreateSpace.

Instructions are included for a word processor (LibreOffice), a layout program (Scribus), and a graphics program (GIMP), all available for free download and use on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.

You can actually create a book at no cost! (Except for the price of this one, and the price of buying yours once it’s created.)

We’ll continue to post helpful hints on this website, and encourage you to visit the forums of those programs to benefit even more. But if you want to save time and hunting for tutorials, get a copy of Self Publish for FREE.

Book Signing Saturday Nov 7, 2015

Tampa Bay Book Fair is this Saturday at Park Station in Pinellas Park. We’ll have several authors there and we’ll be there, too, signing books and talking about writing and publishing. Park Station is located on Park Blvd. between 58th and 59th streets. Parking behind the building as well as farther back at the senior center.

Come out and join the fun, and you can preview a proof copy of the self publishing book. We’re not sure yet where we’ll be, but will tweet our location once we find out. (Follow @JohnRehg for the update.)

This event will be filled with local authors, and there are supposed to be food and beer trucks on site. The event takes place from 2pm – 8pm. Pick up some Holiday gifts early!

 

Zombieween Free Download

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Zombieween is Available

J Gerard Michaels’ Cord Wheaton Saga is back with episode 17: Zombieween with a FREE download. After taking the summer off, the detective returns in the continuing saga of the run up to the apocalypse. Or is it? Will he stop it? Can he stop it? Here’s the cover:

Zombieween cover

This episode also introduces a new character, named for a real person (signed up in September), and follows our detective as he works to make Halloween safe for St. Petersburg. This begins book 4 of the series. The cover is also made possible by the use of someone’s photo that Michaels thought appropriate for the holiday, following a tradition (though the photographer was not aware of this) of offering to use others’ artwork for covers of the episodes or books.

FREE Download this weekend!

Michaels is offering Zombieween as a free download on Kindle this weekend. You can get the ebook here. This continues his practice of offering the episodes free at or near their release date.

If you haven’t caught up with all the previous episodes, check out his author’s page (this title will be added soon) here.

Upcoming Event

In just over a week, you can meet Michaels in person at the Tampa Bay Book Fair event being held at Park Station in Pinellas Park (one of the venues).He’ll be there along with several other authors who have published under our name: Bria Burton and Tic Rawghers.

Date and Time: Saturday, Nov 7, 2015 from 2-8pm.

Location: Park Station, 5851 Park Blvd, Pinellas Park.

This event will feature local authors, panel discussions, readings, etc. It should be a fun time and gives you the chance to meet area writers. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet a current best seller or a future John Grisham or Michael Connelly. (Okay, 2 of my favorite authors in the mystery/crime genre.)

Art Walk Success

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Art Walk Success!

When you read those words, I imagine you’re thinking, “Wow, they sold a lot of books.” That’s how most people measure success, I think. They measure it by money.

And although it was our best Art Walk event in those terms, that’s not what I mean when I say it was a success. To me, what was important was meeting all those people who stopped by our booth to talk. Whether it was dogs and cats, zombies, old men, or Sci-Fi history, we shared a great deal in discussions with so many people.

That, to me, made it a success. So much so, that I couldn’t wait to post my impression of the night. It started out hot, but Bria had a cheap tablecloth we hung up behind us that blocked the sun. And even though it was hot, there was a nice breeze coming off the bay that helped keep us somewhat cool.

Once the sun dropped out of sight, the cool night air refreshed us. It was a beautiful night – more of an October or November night to me – made even better by the friends who stopped by, and others who took the time to say hi and chat about anything.

New Zombie Signups

We also had several people sign up to be in an upcoming Cord Wheaton episode. J Gerard Michaels will be in touch with them to decide how he will craft them into the story. We are expecting a release date of early next year, or maybe even late this year!

Prometheus a Hit

The anthology – historical science fiction – was a big hit, and Bria was occupied quite a bit talking about the book, and selling them quickly. It also gave her an opportunity to try out some new technology, with great success.

The night flew by so fast, we forgot to eat. What a difference from some of the other nights, where we would easily go pick up food at a local restaurant, unconcerned that we would miss someone stopping by.

So, thank you to all those who came out to say hello and support us. We had a great time!

Meet the Authors

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Meet the Authors in Gulfport

Several of our authors will be signing books at the Gulfport Art Walk this Saturday, September 19, from 6pm – 10pm. Included will be Bria Burton and John Rehg (who writes as Grandpa Tic and J Gerard Michaels). Bria will be introducing a new print edition of the compilation The Prometheus Saga, previously available in Kindle format, in which she’s a contributing author.

In Print Yourself

Have you ever wanted to be in a story? Either as yourself or as a character? You can sign up to be in the next Cord Wheaton episode, written by JG Michaels. Publication is targeted for February of 2016.

Or, have you always wanted to publish your own book? We’ll be glad to show you how it can be done for very little money (even free if you’re willing to do it yourself).

The Art Walk is a nice way to spend a night, with plenty of restaurants to choose from for dinner, and a variety of vendors on both sides of the street. Please stop by and say hello if you can make it.

Future Events

The rest of the year you’ll find us at various places throughout the Tampa Bay area, including The 5K Zombie Run and the Tampa Bay Book Fair. We look forward to enjoying the people at all these events, and will mention them in more detail in the near future.

As they say, “Stay Tuned!”

Self Publishing Secrets Revealed

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FWA Presentation Reveals Self Publishing Secrets

An attentive audience at last night’s FWA meeting (Thursday, 8/13) listened and questioned John Rehg as he revealed some self publishing secrets, including how to publish a book for free.

John Rehg at FWA meeting
Secrets of Self Publishing for free revealed by author and publisher John Rehg.

Not everyone may be a DIY publishing author, but if they are, John showed them how simple it was to do it for a reduced cost, or even free. Free including any software you needed to produce your book and your cover.

A handout of a page from his upcoming book, Self Publish for Free, A Step-by-Step Guide, due out this fall, was distributed. It listed the software available (both free and commercial) that authors who want to control the layout of their books can use. Due to high attendance the supply ran out.

So, here we will offer it as a free download (currently page 2 in the book), for those who weren’t able to get it, or who couldn’t attend the meeting.

John stated the purpose of the book is to help those who want to do it themselves by reducing the learning curve of new software. It will offer a step-by-step approach, so once one downloads and installs the software, (available on PC, Mac, and Linux) they can immediately use it.

This book combines lessons learned from many places on the web. It will reduce an author’s search for the right tutorial if he or she is producing a simple book. More complicated DIY offerings may come in the future.

Self Publishing Gifts

One area John believes is under appreciated is giving books as gifts. By publishing for free, this becomes an excellent avenue to provide Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, or gifts for any occasion.

These gifts would not only include memoirs, but also stories of travel, email collections, etc. As he said, ‘The sky’s the limit when it comes to what you want to produce.’ You’re only limited by your imagination.

You can download the sample page offered at the meeting here SeflPub4Freepage2preview, (Will open as a pdf file which you can save.)

Or from the DIY Publishing Tips page here. (If you want to get on the mailing list.)

Finally, a big thanks to Bria and the FWA for inviting me to talk with the group. It’s always an honor and a privilege for me to share with others what I’ve learned as an author and publisher.

Summer Event – Publish Yourself

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Summer event: Writers Group Meeting – AUG 13 – 6pm

I will be speaking at the FWA August meeting on Self-Publishing on a Budget.  This is my second summer event, the first one passing quietly on July 3 at the Gulfport Art Walk.

More details of the talk are on the FWA St. Pete website. I began working on a do-it-yourself guide early this year, but with some distractions that have occurred, it is not finished. (Family visits, gardening – enjoyable distractions, but ones that kept me from writing as much as I wanted.)

I will also be asking those in attendance to share what they are looking for. I’d like to provide as much meaningful information as possible. Being able to meet with writers working toward their finished book is a real joy. Pointing them in the right direction to get the most satisfaction from their efforts means the most to me.

I hope you can join me for a lively discussion on getting into print.

So long, Dear Friend

It was with great sadness that I learned of my friend Sunny Fader’s passing from this life. She was a great friend and mentor, one who I didn’t get to talk to enough, but who was a great help in my starting this business, and in encouraging me during the early years when I led the local FWA group. I still have a link to her blog, It’s great reading, if you have the time. She was a world traveler and screen writer, a teacher, and a wonderful spirit.

Another writer friend has posted a short tribute Jackie’s tribute to Sunny. If you don’t see it, it’s in her May archives.

Give those you love a hug today.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

Summer Event Questions (technoargia on openclipart.org)
by technoargia on openclipart.org

When I think of my own journey to publication and recall the long hours of work I put in, learning new software or struggling with old, I think of those things that would have helped me the most during that time. That’s why I’m writing a guide to help someone reduce the learning curve if they want to do it themselves. (It reminds me of my ‘I can do that!’ attitude even in the face of almost insurmountable odds.)

What one thing would help you get over the hump? Let me know, and I’ll share some ideas on how to conquer your mountains at this summer event with the FWA.

 

 

 

Spring FREE!

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Spring FREE download weekend!

Spring FREE is our celebration of Spring. Kind of hot in Florida, but the nights are cool. We are offering 2 free ebook downloads this weekend, March 21-22, 2015, to celebrate the new season. What are they?

Grandpa Tic makes you another offer!

Tic Rawghers is giving away I Didn’t Run Today and My Body Thanked Me, FREE all weekend, because he’s so happy he finally has a paperback out, and he’ll be signing it at The 5K Color Run, in Tampa, on 3/21. This should be a fun event, and it has reached capacity.

I Didn't Run Today ebook

And Why not Zombies?

j gerard michaels joins Grandpa for the Spring FREE weekend, offering the first episode of Book 2 (Zombie Menace), Spring Brain. And why not? It’s Spring, and this episode takes place during Spring Break. He will also be signing his books at the same event, though he’s taking a back seat to Grandpa.

Spring Brain on Kindle

Coming Attractions

What’s coming up in the future from Soul Attitude Press? We’re working on a how-to book that will guide you step-by-step to publishing your own book! What? Where’d our profits go? Well, we realize there are people of all stripes; those that want to do it themselves, those that need a little hand-holding, and those that want a lot of support. We fit in the middle of those 3 levels, helping get you published quickly and easily, yet not overwhelming you with choices and add-ons.

We’ll be working with some other publishers to guide you to good ones that offer more than we do, but we’d also like to help out those who just want to do it on their own.

We’ll also have several authors at the Gulfport Art Walk on the third Saturday in June, 2015. We’ll have more on that later. We’ve seen success at the first Friday Art Walks, and hope to experience the same thing on this other day of the month. As the date gets closer, we’ll spring some more details on you, and hope you can come out and say hello, and maybe pick up a good read.

FREE Downloads Weekend!

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Free Downloads Weekend Celebrates The 5K Zombie Run

This weekend we are celebrating our participation in the 5K Zombie Run taking place in Largo, FL, with some free downloads of Kindle ebooks. Of course, with this being a zombie run, author j gerard michaels has several promotions going. He’s offering a free download of 1 episode from every book (3 in all) of The Cord Wheaton Saga. They are: Zombie Raid, episode 6 from book 1, Zombie Origins, (there are 7 episodes in all in the book), Spring Brain, episode 8 and the first one of book 2, Zombie Menace, and Run Zombie Run, episode 14 from book 3, Zombie State, his most recent compilation just released this month.

Book Signing and free giveaways

j gerard michaels will be at the 5K Zombie Run in Largo signing copies of all 3 of his books, giving away some freebies to go along with them, and available to chat about what’s coming next. If you’d like to get yourself into the book, that’s always a possibility. The series is based in Florida, and the hero, Cord Wheaton, is a detective in the St. Petersburg Police Department. Most of the locations are real. The roads are real (except for a few in north Florida), and some of the people are real, as they’ve given permission to be included in the book.

author j gerard michaels
author j gerard michaels
Additional Book Promotions!

To stay in the spirit of the 5k Zombie Run (which is to have fun), jg michaels is offering promotions on the first 2 books, Zombie Origins (book 1), and Zombie Menace (book 2). What’s the deal? Beginning Monday, Mar 2, book 1 is discounted to $1.99 (ebook). On Wednesday, Mar 4, the price goes up to $2.99, and on Friday, it returns to its normal price (3.99).

Beginning Wednesday, Mar 4, book 2 is on sale for $1.99 until Friday, Mar 4, when it returns to its normal price (2.99).

Grandpa gets in on the Action

Grandpa Tic Rawghers supports the 5k Zombie Run, too. He’s offering a free download of his I Didn’t Run Today and My Body Thanked Me short. Tic is proud of his first print book being published, You Can’t Change Me!, and will offer that at the run as well, along with some freebies.

Tic Rawghers picture
Grandpa Tic Rawghers

So we hope you can get out there this weekend, and if not, maybe the following Friday in Gulfport, FL for the Art Walk. And as always, thank you for your support!