Caddy Rowland's Blog: Writer of Fiction, Painter of Life and Energy, page 28

When you say that your book is ready for publishing, that should mean that it has been fully edited.  Fully edited does not mean you used spellcheck and so it is ready to go.  Either hire a professional editor, or if you can't yet afford that, make darn sure that you do a thorough job yourself.

Spellcheck should be used, but it does not catch wrong words that are spelled correctly.  It is also poor at grammar and punctuation.  I find William Strunk's "The Elements of Style" a very valuable tool.  Use it frequently.  Also, if you are going to edit yourself, you must understand the proper use of a comma, semi-colon, etc.  If you don't, research it on the Internet; and refer to your research frequently.

You should have gone through your book line by line several times. You should have looked for spelling errors, wrong words, grammar, punctuation, and story flow. Does the structure sing?  Did you read the book aloud?

Once you are sure, really sure, it is professionally ready you can begin formatting for Kindle and Nook.  Some people use Smashwords to publish.  Others publish directly to Kindle and Nook, etc.  I write my books in a word.doc and have had no issues when publishing directly to Kindle and NOOK. 

In order to have the same pain free experience, you MUST follow their directions carefully.  The directions are not difficult, but missing a step can cause problems.  Once you have followed the steps and downloaded, you will get a test view of your book.  Do NOT assume the book is fine just because the first few pages look fine.  Go through each page in the test Kindle or NOOK that appears on your screen.  Then, and only then, should you accept it.

If later on you find that something needs to be changed, you can download a corrected copy.  That also is easy, but don't rely on that and simply download the first time without making sure it is the best it can be.  Every reader deserves the best you can give them.

If you struggle along the way, there are forums at both Kindle (Amazon) and NOOK Pubit (B&N) for asking questions.  I have never asked a question at Pubit, as the download went quickly.  I did ask a few for Kindle, because that was the first time and place I had ever formatted for publishing.  If you are polite and to the point, people will be very helpful there.

You can also format to Createspace.com for a print on demand paperback.  This is more difficult, but I got through it and have an absolutely beautiful book as a result.  I am almost totally right brained and succeeded, so trust me, anyone can do this.  It takes patience and persistence, but you will get it done. 

Make sure that you format with a COPY of your book for this in case you mess it up.  That way you still have the original.  Again, there is a forum to help you with questions.  They were lifesavers for me.  The first thing they did was send me a download of a L-O-N-G .pdf on how to get your book ready.  At first it overwhelmed me, but when I actually read it most questions were answered.  Those that weren't were quickly addressed in the forum.  Again, be nice.  They don't "owe" you help.  You will find they quickly do help, though, if you treat them like you would like to be treated.

Before you know it, you will have an e-book published and a paperback ready to print each time someone orders it.  Good luck.  You can do it!  I promise!

I am so excited!  Today is an impromptu painting session at an artist friend of mine's studio and I am going!  Yes, I know I am trying to get Gastien Part 2: From Dream to Destiny published by December 1st.  And, yes, I know there is still a lot of work to be done.

But, I have not painted in over a month!  My soul is crying out for the release...I desperately need to be makin' love to the color!  I already smell the paints, feel the brush in my hand.  That painting that is less than half done shivers in anticipation.  Is this the day that its water finally comes alive?  Will we get closer to the finished stage?  Or will it be forsaken for a new love, a fling with something fresh and young?

Only time will tell.  In about four hours I will be mixing the colors for....who knows?  The only thing I do know if that Gastien was right.  For me, it definitely IS all about the color!


Take the time to feed your soul.  Do what it needs you to do to feel complete. You will find that it energizes you to do the other things in life.  Yeah, I absolutely love writing.  I am fortunate that I have two loves.  The one that feeds my soul, however, is painting.  Gastien and I have that in common.  We need that brush in hand to feel completely whole.

Have you discovered what does that for you?  If so, schedule some time for it now!  If not, schedule some time to think about it.  Find what speaks to you, heals you, makes you feel alive.  Then go for it.  Your soul will thank you for it.

Now, I am off to load things up for the session.  Happy, happy, happy...

If you came to this blog hoping to see a post giving you all of the reasons that you should be against gay marraige, you are going to be greatly disappointed.  It strikes me as odd, though, that the phrase"being concerned" about gay marriage seems to only be used by those that are bigoted, moralistic, self-righteous people who seem to feel that God has chosen them to play Him.  Or Her.  Or Whatever.

How convenient that they don't seem to notice the Bible telling them that they should not judge.  Nor do they notice that the good book mentions to love your neighbor.  Oh, wait.  Maybe they do!  Is that why those people are so afraid a gay or lesbain couple might move in next to them?  OMG...they would have to love them!  (Since they take the word so literally, one has to assume that the only people you "have" to love are "neighbors"...right?

You SHOULD be concerned about gay marraige.  Very concerned. The reason?  Because there is a group of people that are doing their best to make sure that a very basic freedom is taken from us.  It is not a freedom that government gives us.  It is a freedom being human gives us.  That freedom is the freedom to love the way that nature wires us.  If two men, or two women, love each other how does that hurt you? 

Gays and lesbians are not somehow different than straights, other than the gender that they are sexually attracted to.  They don't throw orgies in their homes any more than straight people do.  They don't "recruit" children...any more than straight child molesters do.  They don't do anything different, except for how they make love.  And isn't what goes on between two consenting adults in their home quite franky no one else's business?

Note that I said two consenting adults.  The moralistic group that opposes gay rights always seems to say "Next, we will except sex with a child, or an animal...where does it stop?"  Ummm, are they brain dead?  It stops when one of the two parties is not able to give consent.  There is a hell of a big difference between a nine year old and a thirty year old, a sheepdog and a human.  That is like saying if we allow people to live in houses, soon they will want to live in outhouses.  Come on, use some sense!

Gay people go to work, to church, to shop, to movies, out to eat...I would even bet that long term gay and lesbian couples at times only have infrequent sex...just like long term straight couples.  They are not sex maniacs.  They are normal, real people.

Why is this even an issue?  Are we as a people so small minded, so insecure, that we have to find a group to single out and pick on to make ourselves feel superior?  We are supposed to be different from animals because we can reason, and we have emotions.  What happened to empathy, to acceptance, to true decency...not some paper mache decency based on a twisted opinion of what is right and what is wrong?

Yes, you should be concerned about gay marraige.  If you aren't, a large group of our friends and relatives will continue to live as "less thans"...and that is something we need to all be concerned about. Are you secure enough about who you are that you can put this discrimination where it belongs...in past history?

Happy Halloween dear friends!  Tonight is the night of all things creepy and crawly; all things slimy and sneaky.  While I was getting ready to write book 3 of The Gastien Series, I naturallystarted thinking about Halloween, since it IS October 31st.  Then I started thinking about being really scared.

I don't mean real life tragedy and trials.  I mean good ol' fashioned, scare the snot out of you horror books or movies.  Mine is The Shining,  by Stephen King; hands down. I am talking about the book.  I did not find the movie at all scary. When the book came out  in 1977, I was a young married woman of 21.

I spent a lot of time working on my tan that summer, on a silver foil mat, spraying myself with water; I was covered in baby oil with iodine. Talk about scary! Dermatologists shiver when they hear those words.  Anyway, I started reading The Shining and could not put it down.  What a fabulous, absolutely frightening book!


I woke up one night and had to go to the bathroom so badly that I thought I was going to wet the bed.  I had been in the middle of a nightmare.  I am sure it was because of the book. Not able to move, I called my husband's name until he woke up.  I made him escort me to the bathroom and wait there with me!

He looked at me sitting there and all of a sudden he was scared.  There I was, both legs shaking so badly that I looked like I was doing some kind of strange dance!  He said my face was stark white.  He kept asking if I was ok.  When I finally stood and looked in the mirror, I noticed that he was right.  I looked like I had whiteface on.  Mimes had more color.

Early in the morning, I broke out in hives.  They were all over my body and about twelve inches long.  It took a couple of doctor visits and some strong steroids to get them under control.

I have not read the book again.  I would like to, just to see what scared me so badly...but I am afraid. Very afraid.  The Shining definitely spooked me.  What was your book or movie that frightened you the most?

Anyway, enjoy the night tonight.  Lots of little monsters out there looking for treats.  Dissapoints me that a lot of them no longer are taught to say thank you. Oh, and if you hear "redrum, redrum" outside your door?  Word of advice.  Don't open it.

I published my first book last August for Kindle and NOOK; then published it for paperback in September.  If not for my friends (my amis, as Gastien would call them), I probably would not be published.  For sure, I would not have had as many sales.


Friends are amazing.  They will support you, promote you, and listen to your successes and defeats.  They probably sometimes want to stuff a thick towel in your mouth, or block your access to Facebook at times, but they stand by you anyway.

Ten of my friends were beta readers for me.  To my surprise, they have asked to continue.  Bless their hearts!  I must be doing something right (or write?) with my novels because they say they can't wait to beta read the next one.

When my book was live they, along with many other friends, facebooked to their friends, joined my fanpage, promoted me on books sites.  They have bent over backwards, encouraging every step that I take.

I would be nowhere in regard to the publishing world without my friends, and I owe them unending gratitude. Thank you, every single one of you.  Thank you, from the tips of my toes to the top of my storytelling, blonde head.  You are absolutely the best amis a person could ever hope to have.


Speaking of friends, there is another author talking about her friends on another blog that I will be blogging for every few months.  Stop by and say hi to them at : www.thepopculturedivas.com.  They are new friends of mine, and I can't wait to see the results of us helping each other.
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The Beatles were right.  I get by with a little (or in my case a LOT) help from my friends!

The whole world has gone crazy over being in love.  Most songs you hear have lyrics about it.  Most books and movies have at least some love scenes.  Is this the same thing as love?

Being in love and loving are two completely different things.  I read somewhere that being in love is all about how the other person makes you feel.  Loving, on the other hand, is all about what you can do for the other person. In love is selfish.  Loving is selfless.

Real love between two people has little to do with sex, romance, or thrills.  Real love is when the two of you can sit together and becide which bills don't get paid and not fight.  It is holding back the hair of the person you love while they puke.  Real love is seeing the other for the ahole that they sometimes are, and liking them anyway.

In a relationship, you are extremely lucky if you have both.  For anything to last long term, and be happy, you need real love, but it is even better if you have both.  People don't get how "in love" works, though. That is why it is so rare that people stay together.  Most marry because they are in love.  When that ebbs, the people move on, looking once again for that thrilling feeling, not understanding that those feelings can't be there all of the time.  The chemicals released by those feelings would kill you if they were always there.  It is a scientific fact.

However, that does not mean that when it takes a break it won't come back.  Any long term, happy couple will tell you that there are times (sometimes months or years) when the thrills seems to leave, but contentment is present.  Then, the sexual excitement comes roaring back (sometimes, again, for months or a few years) only to ebb again.  If we were always feeling like honeymooners, nothing would get done but lovemaking!

It is too bad that pop culture only worships the thrill.  The thrill is so wonderful that it really does not need any advertisment at all.  Once you feel it, you get it.  No song needs to tell you about it. But real love?  That is what should be sung about, written about, celebrated.

When someone loves another to put aside their needs for awhile to help that other person achieve theirs, when one gives up family, friends, and moves for another's job or emotional needs; when one helps another face death...that is truly what we should worship!

How wonderful to be truly loved; how much more wonderful to truly love someone!

Why is it that being fat is both something to make fun of and something to avoid mentioning when describing a friend or family member?  Ever noticed that?  It really puzzles me.

In this world of hyper political correctness, it seems to still be fine to make fun of fat people.  You hear jokes and derisive comments all of the time.  People use the excuse that it is fine, because fat people either have no discipline or no concern about health.  Wouldn't they lose weight if those things were not true?

Fat people do care about their health as much as other people.  What about those who smoke or drink?  How about those with multiple sex partners?  Eat red meat or sugar?  Don't those people care about their health?  Don't they have the discipline to only eat sprouts and drink water? (Although, I do remember a food poisoning outbreaks from-gasp-sprouts...) Or, is it fine to be unhealthy as long as you look as perfect as possible?

Fat people that you don't know personally can't win.  If they eat a salad in public, people think "Who are you trying to kid?"  If they eat a burger and fries, or dessert, people think "What a pig!  Why don't you go on a diet?"
It is so easy to judge others.

I remember walking out of a movie where Kathy Bates had appeared nude. I overheard a young woman loudly say "What is wrong with Bates that she would let people see her naked?  Who wants to look at that ugly body!"  I turned around and noticed that this young woman had one of the biggest noses I had ever seen.  Gosh.  Who wants to look at that?  The audacity of that young woman going out in public!  Of course, I don't really mean that she should. But, really, if that young woman is so concerned with perfection, why doesn't she fix her nose?  Or maybe, just maybe, we should get over people not looking perfect.  Just a thought.


On the other side of the coin is the fact that people avoid-at all costs- calling someone they love fat.  "Oh, no, you aren't FAT..."   If you are fat and say it without remorse, they immediately say  "Don't talk so negative about yourself!"  Why is being fat and knowing it-saying it-negative? 

It is fine to say "You are thin."  "You are tall."  "You are young."  But for some reason, fat is not a valid thing to be.  People, being fat is not a crime, nor is it something bad about someone.  Just because someone is fat does not mean they are a child molester!  Yet, people shun saying the word like it is.
Even stores hesitate to use "fat" or "large" for clothing sizes.  "Women" or "Queen" or "Plus".  Hmmm.  So all women wear those sizes?  Only royalty?  And plus?  Do the slacks have an extra leg?  Can't the stores  say "Large" or "Fat"?

The whole country wants to be fat free.  How about instead we start concentrating of being judgment free?  How would that work for a change?
The next time each of us wants to judge somebody, how about if we remember that old saying: "When you point your finger at someone, just remember that there are 3 fingers on your hand pointing back at you."   How's that for a big, fat reminder that you aren't perfect either?  If we were, we would all look alike.

Good heavens!  Last night I researched the various newspapers of towns I have lived in.  I want to send a press release about Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream. I was shocked to find out how man newspapers still require you to send a FAX for a press release.


Huh???  A what??? I will first have to dig my fax out from under a couple of years of dust.  Does anyone even send a fax anymore?  Then, I will have to search until I find the instruction book that came with it, let's see, twenty years ago.  I can't remember how to even use the blasted thing anymore.

Seriously, they are still mired in the Ice Age. Just like the dinosaurs, they are destined to die, unless they quickly get a clue and stagger into the twenty-first century.  A fax.  Still laughing...


They have websites, for goodness sakes.  They even have email addresses.  Still, they want press releases to be sent by fax.  I wonder, do they also still use those old printing presses where you lay each letter for every word in each line, too?


I simply can't believe they are that out of touch with reality.  I will call a couple of them later today, to ask if they possibly have an email where the press release can be sent.  If not, I may have my 3rd book out before I figure out how to run that blast from the past (my fax) again. 

Go figure.  And here I was wondering if a museum might want mine...

Help! Due to all of the technology available to us, Dave and I are now prisoners in our own home.  Seriously, it has become a challenge to even watch tv anymore. 

We have two large screen tv's that are hooked up to DirecTV, one in the basement and one upstairs.  We can record two things at once upstairs, but none downstairs...unless we get another DVR.  Then, of coure, we can only watch what is recorded downstairs, downstairs!  Often we sit down (upstairs) only to find out that we cannot watch a program that we were looking forward to because-guess what-two programs are recording.  When that happens, you can only watch something already recorded.

To futher confuse things, we have programs set up to record, but they don't.  That is because they get moved around by the networks and now conflict with two others that are scheduled to record.  Dummy...why can't you make recording tv shows your top priorty?  Seriously, it would be a full time job to keep track of all of this.

We have two remotes to operate the tv and home theatre/surrond sound.  Plus another for the Blu Ray, and another for the old DVD...and yet another that we have to do something or other with in order to watch a DVD on blu ray (or dvd for that matter).  My head is ready to explode!  Then someone comes along and says there is a "universal" remote.  Except, it isn't.  There is always a glitch.  Always.  So, back you are again...with more than one remote.

That does not take into consideration what buttons we need to push to listen to music on the radio, and on the cd player.  I can't even begin to contemplate how one would go about recording a movie using the blu ray.  Can you?  Should I care?

We have so many movie channels it makes your head spin, but no time to watch any movies.  Yet, we hesitate to cancel, because it seems like a good idea to be able to watch movies at home and save the high cost of movie tickets.

By the time I browse through the guide online (because Lord knows they can't send you a tv guide that you can actually make notes on and do some planning) and try to see what is up for the future, I give up in frustration.  How does one keep track of all of those channels without taking, say, a week of vacation to look at future showings, set up recordings, and make sure there are no conflicts that might make the DVR regurgitate the one you wanted most?

I have to assume that it is not important to figure out how to record directly on the blu ray, since we have DVR and 110 million movie channels we don't use.

And, that is only the confusion with our tvs!

Now that I write novels as an indie, self promotion is important.  All of the online technology adds to my brain overload. Every day (several times a day)I need to facebook, twitter, kindleboard, check 100 fanpages of book sites, ask for reviews, blog, find new selling outlets, check three emails.  Oh yeah...I first have to finish editing my second book and writing my third.  That, at least, is not confusing.  Just wait until I need to format again, though.  :)  Why do I think I will remember from the first book?  Truly, I should know better...

My brain is screaming, I need to go.  I can hear a bottle of cabrinet calling. Opening that, at least, is simple. Most of the time.

I try not to talk about my book, Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream in my daily blogs.  That would get old fast, I know.  However, today Gastien is  featured as the revolving book on Love Romance Novels and I am hoping to get as many people seeing it as possible.

Here are the links: http://therevolvingbook.com/  At this link you can read more about it.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Love-Romance-Novels/116201821797600#!/pages/Love-Romance-Novels/116201821797600 Here you can answer the weekly question or make comments.

Thank you for any interest you have in this.  I promise I won't constantly promote my book in my blogs.  Have a great weekend!