Shenandoah Waterfalls and Recharging the Muse

Rose River Falls

Sometimes a writer needs to recharge her muse. So last Thursday, we loaded the car with camping gear and drove up to Shenandoah National Park for a long weekend getaway. One of our favorite places to unwind.

We did a bit of walking. The first day out, we hiked the Rose River Loop trail. For most of the trail, we enjoyed the pleasant sound of running water along the river, cascades, and falls.

Upper Section of the South River Falls

While camping at Lewis Mountain we heard an interesting presentation from Ranger Mike on the origins of the campground and met several thru-hikers making the trek along the AT from Georgia to Maine. Wish I had that kind of stamina.

On the second day of hiking we traveled along the South River Falls trail, stopping at the oberservation point to take this photo of the upper section of the 83' waterfalls, returning to our car via the South River fire road. We were exhausted when we reached the parking lot, but it was a good kind of tired.

How do you reenergize?


Now that we're home, I'm back on virtual tour with Just Beyond the Garden Gate. Here is where I'll be for the rest of the month.

06/11/13 Romance Junkies - Guest Post

06/12/13 Nancy Lee Badger’s Blog - Guest Post

06/13/13 Books ‘a la Mode - Interview
06/14/13 Star Crossed Romance - Guest Post
06/18/13 Anne Lange's Blog - Guest Post and Recipe

06/19/13 House Millar - Interview

06/21/13 Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas – Soulful quotes by Renee Vincent
06/23/13 Dawn Marie Hamilton Writes - Full Moon Book Giveaway

06/24/13 Fresh Fiction - Guest Post

06/27/13 Melissa Limoges's Blog - Guest Post

I'll also be visiting the Firebirds blog on June 26th as a 2013 Golden Heart® Finalist.

~Dawn Marie

Virtual Book Tours

There are service providers who schedule blog tours for authors for a fee. A couple that come to mind are Black Lion Virtual Book Tours and Goddess Fish Promotions.

An author must carefully decide what they can afford to spend on marketing. And which avenues best suit their needs. Sending out requests and scheduling blog dates is time consuming, but mostly free. The cost is in the time away from writing the next book.

For the upcoming releases of Just Beyond the Garden Gate and Just Once in a Verra Blue Moon, I’ve opted to schedule my own tours—late May/June and late August/September. I plan to visit the sites of several author friends and several book blogs. Lead-time is critical. Book bloggers’ calendars fill fast.

 

 

Just Beyond the Garden Gate Virtual Book Tour:

05/21/13  Jenn Nixon’s Blog - Teaser Tuesday
05/22/13  Babette James’s Blog - Guest Post
05/23/13  Vintage Vonnie - Guest Post
05/28/13  Dey For Love - Blurb & Excerpt
05/29/13  Across the Plain of ShiningBooks - Interview
06/05/13  Faeries, Dragons and Spaceships - Guest Post
06/11/13  Romance Junkies - Guest Post
06/12/13  Nancy Lee Badger’s Blog - Guest Post
06/13/13  Books ‘a la Mode - Guest Post
06/19/13  House Millar - Interview

06/21/13  Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas – Soulful quotes by Renee Vincent
06/24/13  Fresh Fiction - Guest Post
06/27/13  Insert Clever Quip Here - Guest Post & Review

I hope to add more guest appearances, so visit Dawn Marie Hamilton Writes for an up-to-date list of tour stops.

BTW: I should mention, there will be giveaways along the route. J

Have you ever set up a virtual book tour or followed a favorite author’s tour?

~Dawn Marie

Blog Tour or Bust!

     Most published authors have done some kind of blog tour, myself included. It usually takes a lot of work, contacting various bloggers and fellow authors to see if they have room to host you, and then writing your posts and hoping that someone shows up to read them. It's something of a crap shoot, honestly.
     I'm not saying I've discovered the magic answer. But, I am trying something different. I decided this time around to have someone handle the tour for me. In other words, I contracted with someone to arrange for me to hit a certain number of spots, which also include several reviews. The key for me was the reviews. If I can pick up several reviews from this tour, then I will consider it money well spent. Even if it doesn't pan out, it's been a learning experience and that's positive as well.
     For this tour, I hooked up with Innovative Online Book Tours. They've been fantastic so far, very responsive and very proactive. It's been a pleasure working with Vickie and Shauni,
     Although I have a really busy schedule (see below), it turned out to be a mix of interview, blog posts, and just excerpts and blurbs. In other words, I did not have to write a gazillion guest blog posts or give away tons of books at every stop.
     I'm hopeful that this blog tour will lead to more sales. It's what every author hopes for. I won't know for a few months if this investment was worth it, but I'm crossing my fingers that it is. Just looking at the list of promo places makes me giddy with the possibilities. ( :
    And today, I just saw my first review and it's a total thumbs up!!! From bodicerippers the reviewer had this to say:

Shadow Visions is the second book in the Shadow Warriors series by Gabriella Hewitt. It is a wonderful original story that is refreshing to read. Ixa is spunky and funny, while Manuel is sexy and stern. A nice easy read that wraps up the story flawlessly. If you are looking for a book that has a story unlike any you have read but still gives you the happily ever after that we all want and love, this is the book for you.

     If you want to check out the blog tour for my second Shadow Warrior novella SHADOW VISIONS, you can join me at any of these blog stops:

Click here for the links:

May 6th I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!
May 7th A Soul Unsung
May 8th Killer Fiction
May 10th Ramblings of an Amateur Writer
May 11th Simply Ali
May 16th Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
May 18th Tea and Book Guest Blog
May 21st I Just Wanna Site Here and Read
May 25th Books Reviewed by Bunny
May 25th Sapphyria’s Steamy Book Reviews
May 29th Wonderland Reviews
May 29th Reviews by Molly
May 31st Adventures of a Frugal Mom
May 31st Good Choice Reading

JUNE
June 5th Journey with Words
June 5th Understanding Shae’s Story
June 7th Ramblings from this Chick
June 7th Reviews by Molly Guest Blog
June 11th Storm Goddess Book Reviews
June 11th Wickedly Bookish
June 13th Miraculous
June 13th Fictional Candy
June 13th Adventures of a Frugal Mom
June 16th A Soul Unsung
June 16th Indie Writers Review
June 16th Wickedly Bookish