The Story Behind Cleo Can Tie A Bow by Sybrina Durant

Cleo Can Tie A Bow

By Sybrina Durant

Hello! I’m Sybrina Durant – Author of the “Learn To Tie With The Rabbit and The Fox” series of books. Years ago, I wrote “Learn To Tie A Tie With The Rabbit And The Fox”. The inspiration for that book came when, in the

1990’s, I had a need to learn to tie a necktie.  There were no books or songs available for that task at that time, so as I am want to do, I created a song, then a video and then a book which I also translated into Spanish and Tagalog.

Several  similarly themed books came after that one over the years but this “tie a bow” book just didn’t want to make itself known to me until recently. Nearly 30 years after I published the first book, this story, “Cleo Can Tie A Bow”, finally presented itself to me. I hope you’re going to love it.

Like many authors these days, I am also an entrepreneur. “Why entrepreneur?” you might ask. The simple answer has to do with the promotion and marketing process that comes after each book has been published. When you are a self-published author, you are forced to realize that a lot of work goes into getting your book into the public eye. And if you don’t do it, quite possibly, no one will ever know your book even exists.

I am always thinking of different ways to market my books.  For instance, with “Cleo Can Tie A Bow”, several promotional avenues presented themselves to me.  Cleo is a young girl who loves bows. She learns how to tie them by remembering a story about a helpful fox aiding a long-eared rabbit in her desire to keep her ears from dragging across the ground.

While researching bows on different social media outlets, I realized that bows are a phenomenon of sorts. They are everywhere, on every product imaginable.  It appears that girls really do love them! So, being an Amazon associate, I decided to create an online store called the “Girls Love Bows Gift Shop” on my blog (Sybrina’s Book Blog); to maybe sell a few bow-themed products and most importantly; to help promote my latest book about a girl who loves bows.

Upon further research regarding rabbit and fox books, I was stunned to discover about 50 books revolving around rabbits and foxes. So…I also created another online store called The Rabbit and The Fox Book Store.

Since learning to tie bows and other kinds of knots are essential to accomplishing certain feats of manual dexterity, I decided to include knotting books and games in The Rabbit and The Fox Book Store, as well.

Of course, the links to all of those products are constantly being promoted through my social media pages on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I use a service called Postfity to automatically schedule those posts. What a lifesaver. I can spend a few hours on a Saturday to schedule a month’s worth of posts.

I’m always looking for new, plus tried and true methods, of leading readers to my books.  That’s one of the reasons I am on this tour and I’ve got to say, I really appreciate The Story Behind The Book giving up some of their valuable blog space to help an independent author entrepreneur out. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

If anyone reading this has any other book promotion and marketing ideas, please share them in the comments.  I’d love to know how you do it.

Cleo can tie a bow. She learned what she knows from a rabbit and a fox. They can teach your child how to tie a bow, too. This fun picture book is intended to be a family bonding parent-child activity. It’s a great way to learn to tie shoe laces.

PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | IndieBound

Sybrina Durant is the author of The Rabbit and The Fox Learn To Tie Series of Books which include Learn To Tie A Neck Tie With The Rabbit and the Fox in English, Spanish and Tagalog; Ned Can Knot A Neck Tie; Nellie Can Knot A Neck Scarf and the newest addition, Cleo Can Tie  A Bow. She also the author of The Blue Unicorn Series of books and has an online book store which features, unicorns, rabbits, foxes, and how to tie books plus gift items related to those things plus lots of bow-themed gifts.

CONNECT WITH SYBRINA: Website | Facebook | Twitter 

The Story Behind Captain Clive's Dreamworld by Jon Bossoff

 

Captain Clive's Dreamworld

By Jon Bossoff

A few summer’s ago, I had a terrifying and traumatic experience: I went to Disneyworld with my family. Don’t get me wrong—my kids and wife loved the place. But it wasn’t for me. There was just too much happiness, too many smiles, you know? We also spent time in this little town called

Celebration, which is just outside of the theme park. It was initially developed as some sort of utopian company town. In fact, back in the day, they were even going to place it inside a climate-controlled dome. That didn’t come to fruition, but today it still feels like a Stepford Wives town, with perfect streets and perfect paths and perfect lawns. And so I started thinking: what would have happen to a town like this if Disneyworld ever collapsed? That initial mumbling in my bread, eventually led to Captain Clive’s Dreamworld, a nightmarish little novel.  

 My first several novels all had derelict settings, from the slaughterhouse town in The Disassembled Man, to the post-industrial wasteland of Factory Town, to the horrifying mountain shacks of Corrosion. But, in many ways, the setting of Captain Clive’s Dreamworld is the most terrifying of all. Because there’s something disconcerting about this juxtaposition of lovely houses and beautiful parks and smiling faces with the darkness beneath. I always loved the opening of David Lynch’s movie, Blue Velvet. You have this pristine town with well-maintained houses and gardens, lovely flowers—everything is so colorful and cheerful. And then a man collapses, has a heart attack, and we get a close-up of the grass where there are insects crawling through the dirt. The beauty is only an illusion, the American dream is only an illusion. That’s what I wanted Captain Clive’s Dreamworld to depict. The vast gulf between that American Dream and our collective failures.   

The style of this novel is expressionistic, even surreal. I wanted my protagonist, a hired deputy named Sam Hardy, to be not some all-knowing and ethical lawman, but a deeply flawed and bewildered outsider. And so he is. He begins investigating the town of Angels and Hope, begins investigating the machinations of the amusement park, and he discovers the secrets the town has buried. Unfortunately, the town soon discovers the secrets that he has buried.   

 About the Book

After becoming the suspect in the murder of a young prostitute, Deputy Sam Hardy is “vanished” to a temporary post as the sole police officer in Angels and Hope, an idyllic town located in the middle of the desert, miles from any other sign of life. Hardy soon learns that Angels and Hope was constructed as a company town to support a magnificent amusement park – one to rival Disneyland – known as Captain Clive’s Dreamworld. When he arrives, however, Hardy notices some strange happenings. The park is essentially empty of customers. None of the townsfolk ever seem to sleep. And girls seem to be going missing with no plausible explanation.

As Hardy begins investigating, his own past is drawn into question by the people in town, and he finds himself becoming more and more isolated. Soon his phone line mysteriously goes dead. His car’s tires get slashed. And he is being watched constantly by neighbors. The truth – about the town and himself – will lead him to understand that there’s no such thing as a clean escape.

Straddling the line between genre fiction and something more bizarre, Captain Clive’s Dreamworld is a terrifying vision of the collapse of the American mythos.

Praise

“Captain Clive’s Dreamworld winds its way through an eerie, Lynchian landscape, populated by Stepford citizenry, cursed lives, and all the bleak sensibilities of the most dire Cormac McCarthy tale. Bassoff’s latest is a must read for fans of the genre, or any reader who prefers their fiction with a sense of the off-kilter. Highly recommended!”

-Ronald Malfi, author of Bone White

“Jon Bassoff’s nightmarish bizarro novel Captain Clive’s Dreamworld reads like an extended episode of The Twilight Zone mixed with Twin Peaks mixed with Dante’s Inferno. Unremittingly dark, this roman noir is a trenchant attack on the empty promises of capitalism…a hopeless rebuke of the bright plastic flesh built around the broken, crumbling skeleton of the American Dream.”

-Jeffrey Thomas, author of Boneland

“Jon Bassoff mines an imaginative seam that remains unexplored by any other writer I know working today. I wish I knew his secret, but I’ll settle for reading Captain Clive’s Dreamworld.”

-Tony Black, author of Summoning the Dead

“Captain Clive’s Dreamworld is a masterfully rendered, very disturbing cautionary tale of pathological consumerism and nostalgia for a mid-century America that never was. Jon Bassoff’s vision is relentless and unsparing, his prose like a bone saw laying bare the corruption and perversion lurking beneath society’s superficial pieties.”

-Roger Smith, author of Dust Devils

“In Captain Clive’s Dreamworld, Jon Bassoff has created a haunting, suspenseful masterpiece that straddles the line between mystery and horror with expert skill.”

-S.A. Cosby, award-winning author of Blacktop Wasteland

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/32O0X5R

About the Author

Jon Bassoff was born in 1974 in New York City and currently lives with his family in a ghost town somewhere in Colorado. His mountain gothic novel, Corrosion, has been translated in French and German and was nominated for the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere, France’s biggest crime fiction award. Two of his novels, The Drive-Thru Crematorium and The Disassembled Man, have been adapted for the big screen with Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild; Once Upon a Time in America) attached to star in The Disassembled Man. For his day job, Bassoff teaches high school English where he is known by students and faculty alike as the deranged writer guy. He is a connoisseur of tequila, hot sauces, psychobilly music, and flea-bag motels.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: http://www.jonbassoff.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jonbassoff

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jon.bassoff 

The Story Behind Cruising the Mississippi by Al & Sunny Lockwood

 Now that we've retired, my husband and I travel as much as we can -- to Europe, South America, Denmark. And yet, we'd never taken a river cruise. Until we discovered by chance, that there were river cruises along the

mighty Mississippi.

We'd never taken a European river cruise because they seemed too expensive, and their itineraries included daily hikes that took hours and required more stamina than we thought we could muster.

 

But a river cruise within the USA that included hop-on hop-off bus tours at each stop sounded too good to be true. And we signed up for a Christmas Markets cruise in mid-December.

 

From our first night in New Orleans with dozens of Santas roaming the streets, and a fabulous jazz concert at Preservation Hall, we knew this would be a trip worth writing about.

 

We've written other travel memoirs. But this one was different because it's based at home, in the USA. We learned so much interesting history and visited so many places along the river that we just knew this trip would make a great American travel memoir.

 

And the paddle boat itself was an experience well worth sharing, with it's picturesque theater, historic furnishings, and steam calliope. It was like traveling back in time on a vessel exuding the glories of a bygone era.

 

After writing the manuscript, running it past a few beta readers, and having it lightly edited, I researched online for reputable publishers who would work with indie authors. I read more than one positive newspaper article about Gatekeeper Press. And then I went to the Alliance of Indie Authors to see what they had to say about Gatekeeper Press, and they recommended the publisher. I contacted Gatekeeper Press, hired the firm to do a full edit of the manuscript, design the cover and inside, format it for paperback and ebook publication, and publish and distribute the paperback edition. I published the ebook through Amazon's KDP program.

 

Cruising the Mississippi launched in October 2018 and has sold to readers all over the world. We've received emails from readers as far away as South Africa, telling us they registered for a Mississippi River cruise after reading our book. That's the kind of mail we love to get.

About the Book

If you love travel, beauty, history, fabulous food, and genuine old-fashioned fun, you’ll love this amazing paddle wheel adventure along the mighty Mississippi River.

From a vibrant New Orleans’ Jazz concert at famous Preservation Hall, to the largest plantation mansion on the Mississippi (Nottoway Plantation), to eye-opening Civil War battlegrounds, this lively travel memoir brings American history and Southern culture to life.

The paddlewheeler itself is an enchanting antebellum masterpiece. Period furnishings. Tiffany lamps. An authentic steam calliope. And a huge front porch with comfy rocking chairs where you can relax and enjoy the natural wonder of America’s greatest waterway.

Riverside cities offer their own unique attractions, steeped in history and plantation grandeur.

In this warm and personal travel memoir you’ll learn things about America you never knew before.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/38UATK0

About the Authors

Al and Sunny Lockwood have traveled by foot, car, rail, air and cruise ship.  They’ve camped in national parks, hiked mountain trails, photographed springtime flowers in Death Valley and wintry surf along the rugged beaches of Northern California.

They’ve watched July 4th fireworks over Lake Tahoe, explored New Mexico’s Taos Pueblo and ridden the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad through forests ablaze with autumn colors.

They’ve ridden the amazing Falkirk Wheel in Scotland, the Flam Railway in Norway and Ushuaia’s train at the end of the world.

They’ve photographed Gibraltare’s Barbary apes and Gentoo Penguins frolicking in the surf on Falkland Island beaches.

From North Carolina’s Outer Banks to New Orleans’ Bourbon Street and Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, Al and Sunny love to wander and wonder and enjoy.

Everywhere they go, they capture unforgettable moments with their cameras and notebooks, moments to share with their readers. Their work has been published in magazines and newspapers.  It has been recognized with awards from the National Federation of Press Women, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, Seven Sisters Book Awards, and The Independent Author Network Book Awards.

“We write to encourage others to travel, to take a break from their ordinary routine and discover the many rewards of traveling with your eyes wide open,” Sunny said. “Go somewhere new, even if it’s only in the next county. And have fun exploring the sites, the sounds and flavors of the place. You’ll be amazed at how much fun you’ll have.”

Al added, “We also write to share the wonder of our own travels. To help you feel what it’s like to be on a cruise ship, or wandering the back alleys of Venice, Italy. We hope our books give readers a real sense of our travel adventures.”

The Story Behind Banewind by M.B. Chapman

I have always been a fantasy nerd at heart! Growing up, I found myself engrossed in anything that had to do with magic, wizards, dragons, or complex story lore. From novels to video games, my childhood—like so

many others—was dedicated to the enthralling stories of Harry Potter, Twilight, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Hunger Games. If my nose wasn’t buried deep into the pages of a good book, you’d probably find me playing The Legend of Zelda, World of Warcraft, Pokémon, or a myriad of other adventures that proved to be a dazzling and addictive escape from reality. It was happiness. It was rewarding. And it was an integral part of what made me who I am today.

Early on in my life, I also discovered my love and admiration for writing. Even before I was properly educated in language arts, I would spend countless hours drawing whimsical tales, spinning the stories in my mind and rehashing them to anyone who would listen. Imagination is a parallel of reality, the bridge between the fantastic and the objective world, a way to express yourself and deepen the bond of existence. To me, creating stories was one of the most remarkable things someone could accomplish, and I strived to achieve that for myself. But not only for me. I did it because I had a voice, and I wanted to share it with the world. So, several years ago, I set out on writing a novel that encompassed everything I loved about fantasy. I wanted to write a story that was gripping—filled with adventure, romance, and magic. I wanted to create a landscape of characters that were relatable, with emotional depth and complexity to them. I wanted to create a world with its own lore, its own identity, and its own story to tell. I wanted to bring imagination to life. And thus, Banewind was born.

It was crucial to create a story that fell into the young adult fantasy genre, as this is what I believe to be one of the most important parts of literature out there. Young adults, teens, and children are the future of writing—they are the dream makers and pivotal to our societal world. Providing material to fuel the imaginative mind is a powerful tool, and I knew this is where my talents best fell. I created Genevieve DeWinter, the story’s main protagonist and first-person narrator, to give an anchor people can relate to. She is smart, strong, and kind. She is independent, yet she appreciates the values of love and friendship. Banewind is a series that will delve into many different issues people face in life, all while providing intricate, deep tales that are woven in the realms of magic and the extraordinary. There are moments of triumph, and there are moments of loss. There are times of new life and hope, and there are times of death and grief. But most importantly, there is the always evolving pure imagination that will keep the readers immersed and feel as though they are right there in the story themselves. Whether it’s walking with Genevieve as she learns about the history of her family or helping her get to safety as she navigates the perils of the Dark Lady and the Voidweaver army, the story will be embedded into the readers’ hearts and minds, and the fantasy will live on eternally in the pages.

And so, to all the readers out there, I wish you nothing but the best. Take care, enjoy, and remember to dream forever.

Warm regards,

M.B. Chapman

About the Book

Almost two weeks ago I was just a normal girl getting ready to start my senior year of high school, deciding where I wanted my life to go. And now?
 
I’ve kissed a boy. I’ve been to another world. I’ve seen death.
 
And I don’t know what my life’s become.

Banewind tells the spellbinding story of 18-year-old Genevieve DeWinter, a typical high school girl who finds herself entangled in the throes of adventure, romance, and survival after discovering the existence of a group of magical beings known as Formulists and their co-existing world, Banewind.

With the arrival of several mages in her hometown of Parma, Ohio, Genevieve soon learns that these extraordinary secrets are rooted deep within her family’s history when it is revealed her deceased mother was a heroic warrior in a long lineage of female protectors called the Holy Guardian. Now, a vengeful group of Formulists known as the Voidweavers have returned and set their sights on Genevieve, believing she might be the next Holy Guardian and the key to awakening their fallen leader, the Void King, who had been destroyed by Genevieve’s mother when she sacrificed herself a decade earlier to save Banewind and all of humanity from an unthinkable evil.

With the help of new allies, Genevieve must fight to stay alive as she unravels the mystery and danger that have shattered the stability of the life she once knew before the Voidweavers succeed in shadowing the world in chaos and darkness once again.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/36O4Ust

Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3kLolHj

 Kobo books: https://bit.ly/36QgZx5

About the Author

 

Matt Chapman grew up outside of Cleveland and now lives in St. Louis, Missouri where he is completing his residency in Psychiatric medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a graduate of Creighton University School of Medicine where he obtained his MD and a graduate of Saint Louis University where he majored in Biology.

Matt has had a passion for writing and reading since childhood and continues to find time for these interests among his other pursuits, including medical education and leadership studies. He is currently working on his next novel in The Banewind Series.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://www.lightmessages.com/mb-chapman

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mbchapman90

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/banewind_series

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mbchapman90/