Checking in with Author Rose Chandler Johnson

  

Join me today with my guest, Rose Chandler Johnson, who has a new novel out. New novels are always exciting for readers. This one has a lake, something I'm quite fond of. And romance, and it's Southern. Those three are always enticing combinations.

". . . a tender story of healing and finding a place to belong. This sweet Southern romance doesn't disappoint."  ~ Liz Talley

More about this novel . . .

Robin Lancaster, a twenty-six-year-old former kindergarten teacher, has her summer and her life all figured out. She’s ready to be on her own, writing and illustrating her children’s stories at her family’s beloved lake house. Once there, she intends to rekindle a romance with Caleb Jackson, the area’s top hunting and fishing guide, and bag him for herself.

Complications arise from the start when Robin finds out her mother has rented the lake house to a man they know nothing about.

Matthew McLaughlin, forty-year-old widowed university professor and author from California, shows up at Pine Lake in crisis. A sabbatical might be his only hope to save much more than his career. He needs a place of refuge. Sharing the lake house with a lighthearted young woman and her dog is the last thing on his mind.

Caleb Jackson has his own plans. He’s used to things going his way, but a man staying in Robin’s house presents unforeseen challenges. When paths unavoidably tangle for these three, hearts are on the line.

 

More about Rose . . .

Rose Chandler Johnson is known for her heartwarming, inspirational writing. In addition to works of fiction, Rose has written an award-winning devotional: God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea: Experiencing God in the Midst of Everyday Moments. Connect with her on her blog, 

Facebook, or Twitter @rechanjo.

Selling Books Like A Client Advisor

Selling Books Like a Client Advisor

By Alice J. Wisler


My husband Carl makes a tasty beef stroganoff, cleans the kitchen after cooking, is an attentive listener, and when asked, will give his opinion. He also sells used cars. Of course, you would expect that the company where he's employed - BMW - would come up with a classy name for its used car salesmen. They are known as client advisors. And the cars aren't called used; they are pre-owned. During his first weeks at BMW, Carl still had a lot to learn about each feature of the cars in stock, but even so, he was praised. His ability to engage with customers was appealing to the management. He'd also sold a number of cars, and one of his clients invited both of us to his annual Christmas party.

As authors with books, we can learn from client advisors. True, what each of us really wants is to sell is a 328i or a romance novel. But the manner in which we do our selling is key to staying credible and authentic in a society that is filled with irritating sales folk. Plenty of authors push their paperbacks as though they are better than immortality. This can be exhausting for the customer. The real question to ponder is, do you care about your readership? Does it show?

The other day I read a post on a business blog, promoting a particular author. This blogger was impressed with the author for the way in which he responded to email messages. "He is quick to write back, unlike typical authors." I read between the lines: Unlike most authors, who either don't respond, or take forever to do so, this author cares. Write to him. You won't be wasting your time.

I know one thing: I don't want to be that author who neglects her audience. I want to be like the salesman at Lowe's, who claims, "In the fourteen years that I've been a salesman, I've always made it a point to meet my customers' needs first. It's not about selling what I want them to buy, but finding out what meets and suits their needs." His customers even followed him when he transferred to another store in town.

In a similar fashion, my sister-in-law, a massage therapist, asks her newsletter subscribers for their advice. "Tell me how I can make your experience better," she writes. She wants her readers to lead enhanced lives, offering details about workshops she's attended that have helped with her mental and physical health. She's looking at the whole person, not just that they get their muscles taken care of by her.

In their book, The Heart of Marketing: Love Your Customers and They Will Love You Back, authors Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski are more interested in creating a relationship than closing a sale. They use the soft-sale approach to marketing products and services as opposed to the bottom-line driven method. Much recognition has been given to them as they lead others in this heart-inspired style of doing business.

As you market your books, don't be so focused on the sale, but on the buyer. Naturally, you want him to buy a book or two (how about ten?), but there is more to life than your book. You can tell him how helpful the book is with its tips on collecting butterflies or growing petunias. Or for a novel, you can tell of its merit due to reviews you've receivedóhow others have found it enjoyable. But if you are vain, prideful, or snotty, you can turn customers off. Listen to those who come to your book signings. Engage in their thoughts and comments about what makes them tick. Let it be about them, and they will remember how good you made them feel. Follow this rule of the heart and watch your readership grow.

You, too, can become a caring client advisor!

[This article was first published in the July 07, 2010 issue of WritersWeekly.]

~ Alice J. Wisler loves it when her husband cooks dinner so that she has more time to create characters for her Southern novels. While she feels everyone would benefit from reading about Ducee and her pineapple chutney-making rituals (RAIN SONG), bandana-wearing Jonas and his swinging wrench (HOW SWEET IT IS), and Aunt Sheerly's enthusiasm for winning the Kitty Hawk song competition (HATTERAS GIRL), her children remind her that there is more to life than her novels published by Bethany House. However, she's sure they wouldn't mind if you ventured to her website to read more, sign up for her newsletter, or comment on her blog: http://www.alicewisler.com

Still Life in Shadows Pre-Labor Day Special Deal

Friends, something in the air has made me decide to offer a free pack of postcards with envelopes to all who purchase an autographed copy of Still Life in Shadows from me by September 2! This offer is good for all of my faithful newsletter, Literary Lyrics, subscribers, and to all who follow me at my blog. If you get my newsletter or follow me here, then you are welcome to take part of this deal. Choose a pack of cards from the selection below. These cards are great to send to friends with ample room to write your own message on the back.

A Grateful Heart Dances Option #1

OR

Songs from Heaven Option #2 "Who will remember those who no longer sing on earth? We, who hear their songs from Heaven."

Simply pay $16.99---nope, I've reduced it for an even better deal---ONLY $12.99 with PayPal by selecting from the menu button which option you want----#1 or #2.

A set of your choice of cards and an autographed copy of Still Life in Shadows will be sent to you!


Offer only good in the USA and only good until September 2. You can also mail a check to: 201 Monticello Avenue, Durham, NC 27707

Email with any questions: info@alicewisler.com

PAYPAL

Still Life in Shadows

With A Grateful Heart cards $12.99 USD With Songs from Heaven cards $12.99 USD

Still Life in Shadows has arrived!

Oh, happy day! My fifth novel, Still Life in Shadows, has made her debut! First, what a great cover! Next, I love breathing in the printed pages.

To celebrate this novel's entry into the literary world, I am giving away a few items. Want to join in the giveaway? All you have to do is join me on my Facebook Author Page, click LIKE and then proceed to the discussion that is going on. It's simple! Just answer the discussion question: Have you ever run away from home? What did you take with you?

Why do I ask this question? It does pertain to my novel. Gideon Miller ran away from his Amish home in Carlisle, Pennsylvania to Twin Branches, North Carolina. He carried one duffle bag. Now he helps other Amish youth relocate to English life in the modern world.

As a child, I often threatened to run away from home. Once I packed my red suitcase with the pink interior and set out to run. Of course, I was probably mad at my parents for something they'd done that I felt was unjust. I didn't get far. I think I sat on my suitcase about a block from our house for a bit and then got hungry, and walked home.

Head over to my Author Page and join us! Once you leave a comment there, you have entered the contest. I'm giving away the following and winners will be randomly picked by August 15th. Have fun!

GIVEAWAYS:

1. A pack of Songs From Heaven postcards
2. Two "Memories Warmed by the Heart" magnet
3. A pack of A Grateful Heart Dances postcards
4. Down the Cereal Aisle cookbook

Still Life in Shadows---a novel without a bonnet

I heard about your new novel. And judging by the cover that has a buggy on it, I bet I know where it takes place. Lancaster, Pennsylvania? Holmes County, Ohio? Yes, I'm concluding that your next novel must be an Amish tale. The plain life?


Actually, Still Life in Shadows is not an Amish story. Gideon Miller has left the Old Order lifestyle. Although it's been fifteen years since he ran away from home the night of his cousin's wedding in East Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he still eats apple butter. He isn't sure about his faith. Or his father. He helps dissatisfied Amish youth relocate to the "English" life.


Perhaps, Still Life in Shadows is more Amish than I thought.

I started out with an agenda. I was a bit put off by the love for Amish lore. Come on, why all this simple farm life idealism? You do know that not all Amish are happy. They have issues and troubles and face family turmoil.


But then Gideon Miller took over. After all, this is his story, not mine. Gideon is a thirty-year-old trying to make life in Twin Branches, North Carolina, work for him.


All is going well with his job as a mechanic at the auto shop, until his younger brother Moriah comes to town. Moriah is good-looking and has a way with the ladies . . .


Told from Gideon's point of view, and thirteen-year-old Kiki's (an autistic girl who lives with her older sister), Still Life in Shadows is a story of belonging. It's also a story about forgiving---especially yourself.


Here's an excerpt from the novel:


Kiki was not only good at holding her breath, but she could also read upside down pretty well. The name on the file was hers. She bet that if she looked inside, it would have in large, mean letters: Retard.


But she was not a retard, she was autistic. That’s what Dr. Conner said. And it wasn’t bad to be autistic. That’s what he told her whenever she shouted how she hated being this way. Being autistic just meant she was unique. The key was learning how to adapt to her uniqueness and make it work in a complex world. Complex.


Suddenly Kiki wanted to ask the principal if he knew what that word meant. She looked across the desk at him as he continued burrowing through her file.


But before she had a chance to speak, he asked, “Did you get into trouble at your school in Asheville?”


She wanted to say, “No way!” but she knew that was a lie. In fact, in all her thirteen years, she couldn’t recall ever not being in trouble. But she wouldn’t tell him that. She opened her mouth to say something—she wasn’t sure what would come out. But just then the door scraped open and in walked the man from the auto shop, wearing his work clothes and smelling of the identical aftershave her social studies teacher wore.


“This is Mr. Miller.” The VP motioned the newcomer toward the chair by Kiki and then closed the door.


Look forward to Still Life in Shadows, coming in August from River North.

An invitation

And so, in one week, my fourth inspirational novel will arrive! A Wedding Invitation has a little of everything from Elvis to missing cats to sorrow to joy. It is based roughly on my seventeen months in a remote refugee camp in Bataan, Philippines where I taught English to southeast Asian children.

I invite each of you to pick up a copy. A Wedding Invitation is about wanting to belong, to be accepted, and the beauty that comes when we are.

Here is a review from Library Review Journal:
Samantha Bravencourt has just returned home to Virginia after teaching English at a refugee camp in the Philippines. When she travels to North Carolina to attend the wedding of an old college friend, Samantha runs into an old flame, Carson, who broke her heart. She also meets a young refugee, Lien, who asks for Samantha and Carson’s help in locating her mother. The search reveals long-buried secrets that cause Samantha to examine her own past so she can move forward. VERDICT Romance and drama meet in this latest by Wisler (Hatteras Girl), who does a wonderful job conveying Southern charm. Readers who enjoy the works of Susan May Warren and Tamara Leigh will also appreciate this.

And the times they are a changin'

I write to inspire.

Lately, with our changing markets, I need some inspiration.

I set out on this publishing venture with high hopes and a smile in my heart. My first novel, Rain Song, came out in October 2008. Offered only as a trade paperback for $13.99, sales did well. A new author, first novel, a small publishing house and yet Rain Song sold 25,000 copies within 18 months of publication.

I was not on Facebook then. I didn't have a Facebook Fan Club Page. Tweeter had not been created. I was not a member of the American Christian Fiction Writer. My website needed a make-over. I did not attend writers' conferences. In fact, I did not really know but one inspirational fiction author on a personal level.

But I arranged book events at bookstores, and marketed my novel and the next one---How Sweet It Is--when it arrived on bookshelves the following spring. I sent out newsletters and emails and slipped promotional postcards into everyone's hands. I blogged. My publicist was impressed with my efforts.

Now things are changing. Seems it doesn't matter about that number of 25,000 or that it is now at 28,500. Rain Song is going out of print. Immediately.

So is How Sweet It Is.

Oh, they will still be available in e-book format. People won't be able to dog-ear the pages, or underline sections with a pen, but they can download my novels onto their electronic devices.

When discussing sales at Penguin, Penguin Group CEO John Makinson said, ". . . We all recognize that the ebook is a fundamentally more profitable book with cost benefits for consumer, author and publisher alike."

My husband is not a CEO, but he's told me what Makinson stresses. Yet, I still wonder how the author benefits more with e-book sales over trade paperbacks? E-books cost less, yes, and authors get a higher royalty rate, but it all balances out that I get nearly the same amount whether it be 18 or 20 percent from a print book sale of $13.99 or 25 percent from an e-book sale of $9.99.

Are print books dying? Are e-books here to stay?

For five months, paperback How Sweet It Is has been in the TOP 100 categories on Amazon for Christian Fiction and Christian Romance. The novel ranges from #40 to #90 on these charts. I used to keep track of where it stood, now I realize that doesn't seem to matter. Paperback How Sweet It Is is not selling enough to make room for it anymore in the warehouse.

The times are changin' and I'm not liking it.

I need a good cup of inspiration.

One of the recipes in the upcoming novel, Hatteras Girl

This recipe is from my upcoming novel, Hatteras Girl. Hatteras Girl takes place on the Outer Banks of NC, home to all things Southern.

L. J.’s Cornbread with Bacon

1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of white corn meal
1/4 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
3 eggs
1 cup of sour cream
1 can of creamed-style corn
1 cup of crumbed bacon, fried
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Then add eggs, sour cream, and corn. Lightly blend and add bacon. Bake in a greased 13-inch pan at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Don’t overcook! (L. J. will tell you that if you do, it just won't taste as good.)

How Sweet It Is in now avaiable in Dutch!

Rain Song---Regenlied---was published
in Dutch by Kok in the winter of 2008,
shortly after it came out in English in
October 2008.

Now How Sweet It Is---De Zoete Inval---is
in Dutch as well!

And as you can see, the cover remains the
same.

Hatteras Girl

My third novel, Hatteras Girl, will be released by Bethany House in October. The cover has been completed and I'm excited.

So what is the novel about? Read on.

There are two things that journalist Jackie Donavan dreams about--marriage and owning a bed and breakfast in Nags Head, NC.

But why is the bed and breakfast she desires deteriorating, and why won't her relatives behave so that she can go out with the handsome realtor? Filled with quirky friends and relatives that help and hinder Jackie to and from her goals, Hatteras Girl, is about uncovering the truth while finding the way to your dreams.

Rain Song reviewed

It's always a bit like Christmas when an author finds her novel has received a good review. So, head on over to Grace Thorson's blog and read about pineapple chutney, Pretty Fishy, and quirky Southern relatives. That's right; Rain Song!