Book videos are expensive, but they are also beneficial. They can help spread the word about your book in a way a tweet or a Facebook post can't because today's society is visual. Millions of viewers watch videos every day, and you increase the chances that people will learn about your book with a high-quality video. 

Before you begin putting your first video together, there are some things you should know and some things to avoid. That's what this first post is about. We'll get into the actual creation in upcoming posts. 

1. Don't use red text on a black background. It looks amateurish, and it's difficult to read. It's best to avoid colored text unless your book is a children's book or is about humor. Stick to black and white which is much more professional. 
2. You don't need an expensive video editor to create a high quality video. Windows Movie Maker or iMovie will work just fine.
3.  There are free video editors online that will allow you to make a video; however, most of them will brand your videos with their logo unless you pay for the removal of the branding.
4.  You can still make a great video even without video clips. Images work fine if you use them properly. 
5.  You cannot use songs from your favorite artist in a video that is going to be used to promote your book. That is copyright infringement and can get you in a lot of trouble.
6.  You cannot use clips from movies, television shows, or plays in your video. I have seen some videos that have used scenes from popular television shows, and although the videos are quite good, it is also copyright infringement. And both the video creator and the author can be sued.  Before you ask, yes, I've seen the music videos, too, that fans put together to celebrate their favorite onscreen couples. The difference is they are not creating the videos for profit. Your book video is to help sell your book, and you cannot imply celebrity endorsement or use a celebrity's image, likeness, or clips of their work to promote your book. 
7.  There is such a thing as too much detail. Using the entire book description in the body of your video is, most likely, too much information. A video should be all about the visual aspect, not the reading aspect. 
8.  You can create a book video for little to no money, but if you do have some to spend, you can make an even better one. 

Next week, I'll go over what you need to get started and where you can find what you need. Until then, why not go to Youtube and take a look at the different book videos to get an idea of what you do and don't like? 

I mentioned on the front page of my site that I'm working on a contemporary romance novel (among others), and since I'm a few chapters in, I thought I'd share a quick peek. I hope you'll let me know what you think! 

I usually keep two or three books handy so I can choose whichever one I feel like reading each evening. Right now, I'm reading two non-fiction and one fiction. 

​I picked this book up when I visited the Creation Museum in Kentucky last month. It's an engrossing look at how racism is against everything the Bible teaches. And it offers scientific and historical proof that we are all of one blood. I'm only into Chapter Two, but it's an engrossing book. 

A truly unique book, this offers ways to help you achieve your dreams and goals in business. It really is a creative business planner, taking you through the steps to build the business you've being dreaming about. 

I've actually read through this book once, but I didn't feel like I got everything the first time around so I'm giving it another read-through, focusing more on the chapters that are more beneficial to me and what I need. But it's definitely worth a read to all of you entrepreneurs. 

I'm only into Chapter Two of this book, but I love it. What a way with words Rachel Aaron has.  Julius has to be one of the funniest protagonists I've ever read!

​Though it's billed as urban fantasy, I think anyone that enjoys reading about dragons will like this book. This is book one, and there are several more books in the Heartstrikers series so I'm looking forward to reading them all. 

So here's my reading list this month. What's yours? 

If you're a subscriber to Funds for Writers, you already know that Hope gives heartfelt advice to writers and seeks out the best talent to offer creative tips and ways to improve both your writing and your wallet. This compilation pulls from the articles written over the years, offering non-subscribers an inside look at some of the absolute best wisdom while reminding subscribers why Funds for Writers is a necessary read each week. 

What Hope offers is more than just a pat on the back for writers. It's information that writers need if they want to make it in this business. Do yourself a favor and buy the book and subscribe to Funds for Writers. Your career is worth the price.

It's hard to believe we're at the midway point for 2017! I'm looking back over my goals for the year to see how many I've achieved and where I've slipped. I'm counting my blessings even while a few foul balls have come my way. (We all have some of those!) Overall, it's been a good six months. Take a look!

• I finished writing a pilot screenplay in March, and it's being submitted to studios now. 
• I've had at least 100,000 views a month on Movie Pilot since the beginning of the year and reached one million views in March, way before my targeted date.
• I'm in the process of setting up an Etsy shop to sell hand-painted wooden signs. 
• I recently took a trip (in June) to see the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter, both of which were fabulous!
• I've continued my goal of writing every day as I have since 2012. 
• I did have to have a root canal. Ugh.
• I finished writing one book and published another.
• I've spent more time with my friends in the past six months than I did all last year!
• I got tile put down in my dining room which really excited me because it was carpeted. Yuck!
• I bought new living room furniture (coffee table and end tables only). It was a spur of the moment decision, but I love the way it turned out. 
• I lost a friend who was only 31 in January, and I don't know that I will ever stop missing her. :-( 
• I joined an online dating site. Okay, I wasn't going to admit to that one, but I thought, why not? This is a recent adventure so I'll keep you posted. 

And that's my wrap-up for now. There are a few things I left out for personal reasons, but, as you can see, the ups and downs are there. I try to remain focused on the positive because I believe I'm on this earth for a reason as are all of us!

This is a completed manuscript that I haven't sent out yet. Thought I'd share the first part of Chapter One with you 

Chapter One (Part 1)
  
"A tornado warning is now in effect for Charleston County, Berkeley County, and parts of Dorchester County. At approximately 6:45 p.m...."

Nicole switched off the television and gathered her purse and coat from the top of her desk in the back room of her antique shop. She didn’t want to be alone here during a storm. It didn’t feel safe. Few places did. A twenty minute drive would take her home with its tall wrought-iron gates and solid brick structure.

Her cell phone rang. Probably Katya calling to check on her. Her best friend for the past eight years, the woman knew close to everything about her, including the phobias that rendered her semi-functional.

"Hi, Kat. I'm heading out now."

"It doesn't look too bad on this side of town. Want to come hang out there?" Happily married with two small children, Kat had opened her doors more than once to Nicole when one of her fears had kicked in.

"No, I think it'll pass." As she clicked the lock into place securing her antique shop, a chill ran down her spin. A sense of deja vu passed over her.

A severe storm had taken away her security nine years ago, giving her best friend's boyfriend the distraction he'd needed to get close to her. To trap her inside the small office building which held her law practice.  And…

"Are you sure?" Worry coated Kat's voice. "Jim doesn't mind. He's draped over the sofa watching baseball. An occasional curse word gets thrown in when the satellite fades out from the wind."

"I thought you said it wasn't bad over there." Nicole made it to her car in record time, the swish of the palm trees rubbing her nerves. She climbed behind the wheel of her comfortable sedan with every bell and whistle she could get for security purposes and punched the ignition button. The doors locked automatically.

"I said it didn't look too bad, and I wasn't lying. A burst of wind every now and then isn't bad." Kat huffed out a breath. "Come on over. I've got stroganoff ready, and the little ones will be in bed within the hour. We could have a glass of wine, chat, and try to tune out Jim's salty language together."

Nicole smiled at the picture her friend painted. She did love spending time with Kat's family. They'd become her own, providing her that familial tie she didn't have through any blood relatives. Caving in, she turned her car in the opposite direction of home. "Okay, but once the storm dies down, I need to get home. I have to be at the shop early tomorrow to get ready for Saturday's sale."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll set out another plate."

Her hands white-knuckling the steering wheel, Nicole said goodbye to her friend and focused on the road. Overhead, the sky had darkened to an ominous gray with streaks of green. Palms slickened with sweat, she tried to remain focused on the road, to ignore the warning signs.

Heart thundering in her chest, she pressed the accelerator and, using her thumb, turned on the radio, expecting the soothing sounds of classical music. Instead, an ominous voice shared the unwelcome news that a funnel cloud had been spotted near Kat's neighborhood.

Panic threatening to choke her, Nicole punched another button to direct dial Kat from her car's Bluetooth. "Kat, a funnel cloud's just been spotted right around the corner from you."

"I know. The warning just interrupted the baseball game. We're taking precautions. Maybe it's best if you do go home and batten down the hatches. I'll call you as soon as this passes." Kat paused before adding in a firm tone. "And it will pass."

With her friend's reassurances ringing in her ears, Nicole took the first exit to backtrack toward home, her body shaking with each mile.

By the time she reached her house, tears coursed down her cheeks, and her hands shook so badly she could barely press the button on the garage opener.

"Get a hold of yourself, Nicole. Nothing is going to happen. You're safe."

The self-talk helped a little, but it was only when she was inside and had bolted all the locks in place that she managed to draw a deep breath. But she couldn't stop herself from turning on the TV to watch the path of the storm.

Storms paralyzed her. And years of therapy hadn't eased any of the crushing anxiety that overwhelmed her with each weather warning.

​Hours later, after the storm had moved on, Nicole she pushed herself up off the couch and stumbled down the hallway to her bedroom, one hand covering the scar that bisected her abdominal cavity.  Though the night had fallen quiet, she wouldn’t sleep. The bad weather could return, and she had to stay on guard even though her attacker had died nine years ago.  

So I wrote a post last year, sharing 9 things about me. A lot can happen in a year so I wanted to share 9 more things you don't know about me, probably because they happened last year or I just haven't shared them yet. 

1. I have been known to binge watch the same show (that I love) two or three times in a row to make sure I didn't miss anything.  
2. I have a heart monitor implant because I have an irregular heartbeat. 
3. I create music videos about my favorite television or movie couples when I have the time. I've been doing this since 2008, and it gives my brain a break from all the writing. 
4. I wrote my first full-length novel at 18.
5. I've just started participating in a project called Pass the Purse which involves filling gently used purses with items women can use. The purses are then given out to homeless women in my area.
6. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I've kept three houseplants alive for the last four months. Usually, they die within the first month. 
7. I will be attending my first ever fan convention in November. (It's like Comic-Con but smaller.)
8. I panic if my checking account gets below a certain number. 
9. I cannot stop myself from buying pens and journals. My collection is strong. 

A really great friend of mine, who is also an author, prompted me last week to submit one of my books to Kindle Scout. I have been waiting to decide what to do with Outliving Her Past for a couple of months, and when she emailed me, I took it as a sign and entered! 

The nomination period runs for thirty days and will end on May 12th, which, incidentally, is the day before my birthday! This is the kind of present I would love! 

I was reading a Dear Abby post today about a woman who'd been conversing with a man online for a few months. She knew the time was getting closer to meet, and she was concerned the man might not like what he saw because she was overweight and had some dental issues. Abby reminded her that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and advised her to deal with her weight and dental issues if they were affecting her self-esteem. 

Of course, after reading this, I started to think about why we think we have to measure up to someone else's beauty standards. We've all looked at the popular magazines that feature glamorous models and perfectly-toned women with flawless makeup, and we feel like we're lacking. Honestly, I used to feel that way myself, but the older I get, the more I realize that beauty on the outside doesn't matter if there's isn't any on the inside. 

To me, beauty is the person who'll stand by your side no matter what, the smile you get from a complete stranger when you feel like your world is upside down. Beauty is the hand holding yours, the person applauding you for your accomplishments, and the words of encouragement when you're about to step outside your comfort zone. 

Beauty is the voice on the other end of the line when you just feel like chatting, the arms wrapped around you to let you know you are supported, and the kiss on the cheek to say goodnight. It's shared laughter and adventures, exchanging secrets, that sense of urgency to share an important part of your day, and the voice of reason when you're out on the ledge. 

Beauty isn't how many dimples a person has or the blindingly-white teeth. Yes, we can all appreciate an attractive person, but the interior is far more important because that's the beauty that will last a lifetime. 

​

I was born in 1968 which, now, seems like a very long time ago. I have now lived 17, 841 days. Now it really seems like a long time.

In less than 56 days, I'll turn 49, and it's made me reflect on how different things are now than when I grew up in the seventies and eighties. 

I lived in a time where technology was a telephone, a color television, and, if you were lucky, a microwave which we didn't have at all. I never had a microwave until I was in my twenties, and I didn't have cable TV until I was in my late twenties. 

I still remember having to pay for long distance on a landline, stopping to use a payphone when I was on a long trip, needing cash to buy practically everything because you could only use your ATM card to extract cash .

When I was born, gas was $0.34 per gallon. Where I live now, gas is $2.04 a gallon. The average cost of a new car was less than $3,000. A new car in 2017 is easily over $14,000, most even higher than that. The hourly wage was $1.60 an hour, and when I was able to work when I was sixteen, the hourly wage was $3.35. 

In 1968, you could buy a new house for less than $15,000. Where I live today, it's not easy to find a house for less than $80,000, and those usually aren't in the best neighborhoods. 

I didn't get a car when I turned sixteen or even when I graduated from high school. My first car I bought myself when I was twenty. Before that, I took the bus, walked, or rode with friends, but then taking the bus and walking was a lot safer than it is now. 

In my teens, everyone knew everyone in the neighborhood, and the neighbors had no problem with ratting you out to your parents if you skipped school. Ask me how I know. The parents all watched out for one another's kids. Most nights and even weekends, we were home because movies and going out to eat were luxuries that didn't happen very often.

We had to find free ways to entertain ourselves, and that's what drew me to reading. I could check the books out from the library and read a dozen in one weekend. I still miss having that kind of time. 

What do you remember about your childhood? What do you miss?