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This is the print cover and also the new face of the e-book. It's very 60's, GoGo. psychedelic, wouldn't you say? I love it, and mostly, I am just relieved that the process is moving forward. When I thought about novel writing, I imagined the Jack Kerouac method. I thought I'd stay up for five days of furious writing, send the manuscript off into the universe and become reluctantly famous, a' la Kerouac! Jack couldn't have hacked it in the indie publishing world. After the days of researching until your vision is blurry, months of writing even when the muse is not with you, and the seemingly endless process of editing and editing and editing and editing, you have a manuscript. And that's when you really have to roll up your sleeves. Covers, formatting, proofing. The physical (and virtual) part of creating a book is challenging, but the real work comes in learning to promote your book. You have to be your own graphic designer, ad company, agent, marketing team, pr person, and secretary. It would be easier to get a medical degree than to publish and campaign your own book. Kerouac would have packed away the typewriter and headed for electrician school. The self-publishing game is only for the most determined and diligent among us. Chutzpah. That's the word I'm looking for. You have to have chutzpah. 

I like being hands on and learning news skills (sounds like I'd be perfect for electrician school) so I'm in heaven. For years, I've thought about going into some field of public relations. Building people up, celebrating them - I flipping love that! I just didn't know that the person I'd be representing would be me. (To tell you the truth my client is kind of hard to work with. A bit of a diva.) 

Since Kerouac isn't around for me to take on as a client, I'd be happy to help any of you indie-publishing authors or someday-writers with whatever I can. E-mail me if you need suggestions, encouragement, ideas or just want to vent about the book industry. (And if you want to sing my praises, I never get tired of praises!) I know publishing a hard game to play, and we human beings have to stick together!

[email protected]


 
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When things get silent around here, it means that big things are cooking. Uncork the champagne! It's time for a few announcements in the Henrysphere!

* A pro-edit version of The Homeschoolers: The Ballad of Squirtina will be available within the next two days. The kinks are out, people. The sky is the limit!

* And now that a very skilled editor has gotten her mitts on my manuscript, it's time for print publication! At last! Within the next two days, you'll be able to purchase print copies on Amazon and eventually from distributors across the globe. Buy a few and stuff some stockings this holiday season!

* A spectacular blog tour is in the works! I'm planning all kinds of goodies, surprises and fun stuff for this tour, along with my wonderful blog tour organizer, Holly. These bloggers and their readers are in for the full Henry Circle experience! And here's the tour banner. Pretty, isn't it?


* To celebrate all these happenings, !!!!!!!!!!Wednesday will be the start of a week long price drop in the Kindle version ofThe Homeschoolers!!!!!!!!!!

* And Ricky and all The Homeschoolers are about to make a much awaited re-appearance in a raucously, funny new story, "A Very Ricky Sunday." It's complete and about to roll out onto your e-readers!

* That's just what I can reveal. You won't believe all the amazing things cooking for your old Henry here. I'll tell you all as soon as I can!  Now, go have a good week!

 
10 Quotes About Not Growing Up
     Being a young adult writer, I get to experience the thrills and pitfalls of youth all over again through my characters. The reasons I chose this genre was for the unabashed enthusiasm of adolescence; the titillation of those first loves, first kisses, first heartbreaks and all that hope and confidence about the future. The teen years are the most exciting in a person's life because of the constant changes and tidal wave of new experiences. It's dizzying and delicious, or as Aristotle puts it, "The young are permanently in a state resembling intoxication." Yes, and isn't fantastic?

     Back when I was rocking mall bangs and hypercolor shirts, I vowed that I would never lose the sparkle and energy of the youthful mind. Goodness knows I've come close to growing cold and numb during the more trying times, but somehow I always emerge with passion and great expectations. I plan on staying young for at least another fifty years. Here's some advice on how to Stay Gold, Ponyboy.

1.) "Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind. You are as old as your doubt, your fear, your despair. The way to keep young is to keep your faith young. Keep your self-confidence young. Keep your hope young." - Luella I. Phean

2.) "Why do we have to grow up? I know more adults who have the children's approach to life. They're people who don't give a hang what the Joneses do. You see them at Disneyland every time you go there. They are not afraid to be delighted with simple pleasures, and they have a degree of contentment with what life has brought - sometimes it isn't much either." - Walt Disney

3.) "You're never too old to grow younger." - Mae West

4.) "The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of childhood into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm." - Aldous Huxley

5.) "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young." - Henry Ford

6.) "We are always the same age inside." - Gertrude Stein

7.) Growing old is unavoidable, but never growing up is possible. I believe you can retain certain things from your childhood if you protect them- certain traits, certain places where you don't let the world go." - Johnny Depp

8.) "If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up. Not now!" - J.M. Barrie

9.) "In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play".  - Friedrich Nietzsche

10.) "My childhood may be over, but that doesn't mean playtime is.  ~Ron Olson
 
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I only recently discovered the wonder that is Fiverr. You can get an abundance of goods and services for $5. Some are just good deals on graphics design or social promotion. Some are delightfully bizarre, (Guys singing happy birthday in a Micheal Jackson voice, girls jiggling their boobs with your message on their chests) I wanted to see what kind of graphic design work you could get for fives singles, and look! My new back to school ad for The Homeschoolers is amazing! For you writers out there, Fiverr has press release writers, editors, article writers and even book cover designers. And did I mention it's only five dollars? Just hang around and see all the great and weird promotional ideas that I commission from the fiverr stars, it's going to be fun!

 
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Last chance to get The Homeschoolers: Ballad of Squirtina for free. This is my final free promotion for the book so I hope you get a chance to grab it for nada.  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008RH0R2Y


And my blogger blog has been commandeered by Ricky. (Say it ain't so! Can he even read?) http://henrycircle.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-word-from-ricky.html

And in personal news, I am now on the NY Times best sellers list, and I made my first million. I have been picked up by a major publishing company. I'm an overnight sensation! No.. that didn't happen. I sent out press releases that went to spam folders. Ads nobody viewed. Joined forums full of other writers trying to push their own books. Got suspended on twitter for following too many people. When will I give up? I have only been promoting for 2 weeks, but I've already set a "give up" date for my book. I will quit on the 22nd of... NEVER! lol. 


Grab onto to my coattails, my lovelies because Henry is heading straight for the top. I know I'll see all my talented hard-working readers right at the summit! We'll never quit on our dreams! Now, pep talk done. Have a great week!!!!!!!
 
I just released my first young adult novel. The Homeschoolers, on Amazon kindle (yes, that was a little self-promo there), and I'm having to learn how to promote my ebook in a very competitive setting.  All the online articles give the same pretty obvious advice. Have giveaways on goodreads, promote yourself on Amazon Author Central, start a blog, tag your blog posts and book with keywords, tweet. And now, a few of the ideas I have come up with or others have suggested to me.

* Become an Amazon associate so you can create an ad on your website/blog for your book. See mine over there to the right?

* Find other authors on Author Central, goodreads, writersnet, etc to join a promo group with you. If I tell you to read my novel because it's great, you probably won't listen, but have someone else talk you up and your book will get some notice. Have them review you on their websites.

*Pin your book on Pinterest and have all your obligated friends/families/associates do the same.

*Make flyers and put them up at local coffee shops/churches/libraries/bulletin boards.

*Have a giveaway on your blog or a popular blog and do a giveaway of an Amazon card or a gift card from another book retailer. Have entrants answer questions about your book's sample chapters or why they would read your book. Advertise the giveaway on Sweeps Advantage, Prizey and Cashnet Sweeps.

*Make promo items with your title and name on them (cups, pens, hats, lanyards, magnets,tshirts,etc) and distribute the freebies in the goodie bags for walk/runs (find them on runningintheusa.com).

*Set a promo day when your book will be cheaper or free, and send a mass email out to bloggers and book reviewers informing them of this monumental event.


Those are just a few of my ideas. If you have any more, feel free to add your two cents in the comments. Suggestions and opinions are always welcome here! I'll add more tips and tricks as I learn them myself! Good luck, my fellow writers! 
 
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I change book covers like I change nail polish. Today, I'm feeling pink. As much as I loved the prior cover, I opted for something simpler this time around. Like it?

And tomorrow is a new promotion day, but it's not lasting long so get The Homeschoolers while it's free. Once I get all famous, the price is libel to get jacked up. This way you can say you were introduced to Henry Circle's work way back when she wasn't anything but a novice, giving her book away on Amazon! 
I guarantee that you will get more than one or two chuckles out of this novel. If you aren't one of the lucky ones that get in on the promotion, I suggest you put your $2.99 on the line. Laughter adds years to your life. and laugh, you will! Consider it a personal investment! 

Thanks for stopping by today And please, take the time time to send a few kind words my way on the review page for Amazon. Your Henry would sure appreciate it. Hope you're having a good day. I'm sending much love and good thoughts your way.  -Henry

 
I've had a few questions about whose hands are on the cover. Not mine! I have sad, chewed up nails and, sprouting hang nails everywhere. And hands that manage to be chapped and flaky, despite the fact that I rarely dip a finger in dish water. My sister was kind enough to be my model. She even shaved her knuckles for me!  I'm lucky to have such a swell kid sister!

I wanted The Homeschoolers book cover to convey the youthfulness and quirkiness of the characters and various elements of the plot. I was a doodle queen in high school so I thought I'd put a little of the old magic on my book. I was pleased with the doodly, girly and less than polished appearance of the art work. Look at the cover again after reading The Homeschoolers. Can't you just see Christina drawing out the page
 
Well over 200 ebooks have been downloaded in the last couple of days, and I just want to say, thank you for giving The Homeschoolers your time and attention. It means so much to me that you'll get to know Christina, Sunny, David, Ricky and Kip. I hope you love them as much as I do.
Your Friend,
Henry Circle
 
Yes. Henry Circle is a pen name. My real name is Bertha Fuffenbutter. Just kidding! Henry is indeed an alias. I chose to use a nom de plume because, for one thing, I have a terribly common name. Same thing with my maiden name. There are already several authors with my name and even middle initial. Using my real name would just make a confusing mess. And, they are kind of romantic and whimsical. I'll admit it. Primary reason for having a pen name: Despite being the mouth of the South, I have shy moments. Sometimes, I'm downright insecure. No one believes that since I'm the loudest person in any room, and I'm known to toot my own horn a bit. Toot toot. But the truth is, often when I see a person I know in a grocery store, I'll hide from them before they spot me. I have the occasional anti-social moment. I grew up in a small town where everyone knows your name and your business. It has it's perks, but anonymity is the best. I love being another nameless face in a city. The great thing about a pen name is getting to chose when you want to own up to your body of work or when you want to be quiet about it. You never know, I might want to turn The Homeschoolers into erotica. That would be wrong on so many levels, but I have the freedom to do that without worry of finding a horse head on my doorstep thanks to "Henry Circle". So where did the name come from? Why a boy's name? It was an easy choice. Henry Circle was my childhood imaginary friend. You can only see him and enter his world by spinning around really fast in a circle. My mother calls me "Henry" to this day.