Author Archives: Debra McArthur

Countdown to launch!

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The Book Launch Party for A Voice for Kanzas is just two weeks away!

Saturday, February 25, 2012, 3 pm – 6 pm

Park University (8700 NW River Park Drive, Parkville, MO)

McCoy Meetin’ House (Here is a link to a map of the campus; the Meetin’ House is #6 [near the flags] on the map)

Come for food and fun; the movie trailer on the big screen; reading from the story (gulp!), and more. Books will be available for purchase.

Please let me know if you plan to come, so we will have plenty of food and books available: debra[AT]debramcarthur[dot]com

Happy Birthday, Kansas!

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Exactly 151 years ago this weekend, Kansas gained her statehood after more than six years of struggle over the issue of slavery. Through years of oppression by the proslavery “Bogus Legislation,” the unsteady leadership of six governors in six years, and bloody violence between proslavery and free state forces, the citizens of Kansas persevered in their desire to create a free state constitution for Kansas. Although the citizens of Kansas approved the Wyandotte Constitution in October 1859, the largest hurdle remained: approval of Congress. In April 1860, the House of Representatives passed the bill granting statehood to Kansas. The Senate, however, dominated by the proslavery Southern states, refused to vote on the bill before the Congressional session ended in June of 1860. On January 21, 1861, the bill was at last scheduled for voting in the Senate. But before the discussion began that day, senators from the South resigned their seats because their states had seceded from the Union. After they left the hall, the vote was called, and the bill passed. President Buchanan signed the bill on January 29, 1861, making Kansas a state.

Busy-ness!

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Ever since the book trailer went up last weekend, I’ve been busy with more and more things to tend to as I move closer to the release of A Voice for Kanzas. It’s exciting…and a bit overwhelming at times.

Here are a few of the tasks I’ve been working on this week:

  1. Finishing the press kit (it’s being uploaded now)
  2. Writing discussion questions for teachers and/or book clubs to use (I’ll send these to Lynn at Kane Miller for her to post on the KM website).
  3. Requesting to have my new website (this one) posted on Missouri Writes for Kids
  4. Sending news about the book’s release to MO-SCBWI for their newsletter
  5. Preparing information for TWO bloggers who will feature me on upcoming posts
  6. Preparing for the Apocalypsies’ “blog hop/scavenger hunt” that begins tomorrow and getting all the information posted on my home page
  7. Having some wonderful journals made to use for prizes for the blog hop and for contests on my own web page
  8. PLANNING MY LAUNCH PARTY!!! I have just a few more details to confirm before I begin announcing it and sending out invitations.

On top of all this, I’ve been asked to do a school visit in a few weeks, and I’ve been asked to write an article for the MO-SCBWI newsletter!

Review copies of the book and press releases have gone out. Now I just have to avoid nail-biting as I wait for the first reviews to appear. There is still much to do, but I’m loving every minute of it!

Contest Alert!

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On your mark…Get set…     for the YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes!! It all begins on Monday, January 16. The start line is the Apocalypsies blog page, and the race will take you (in several legs) through websites of more than 50 debut authors and their fabulous upcoming new books! And yeah, some awesome prizes are to be had!

Trailer fun!

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I’ve been trying not to be too impatient–really, I have! Ken Spurgeon and his crew took lots and lots of digital footage (if “footage” applies to digital movie-making, which it probably doesn’t). I know it was a really big job to edit it all, line up the transitions between shots, find the right music and add it in, record and then add the voice-over, etc. And it was the holidays–Thanksgiving, Christmas, and also New Year’s all fell in the weeks after the trailer shoot.  On top of all that, my editor (Kira Lynn) and the publicist (Lynn Kelley) have also been ready to begin promoting A Voice for Kanzas, and both planned to use the trailer in their efforts. We were running up against a bit of a time crunch to get it ready for an upcoming presentation Kira will do this week for Kane Miller’s sales reps, so I was thrilled when Ken let me know he had the final version ready.

After a few technical issues with the first uploaded version, Ken was able to put the finished trailer on YouTube, and we were off and running! First, I embedded the video (Really! HTML and everything!) on the home page of this website. Then I put it on my Goodreads author page. Then I added the link to my status updates on my regular Facebook page and also on my Facebook author page. A few friends reposted it. Lots of friends “liked” it. I announced it to my Apocalypsies buddies. I emailed friends who might not have seen it yet. I posted on my local writers’ list serves. Then Ken asked if he could send out a message to friends of Lone Chimney and also post it on the Lone Chimney Facebook page. I said, “Yes, please do!”

Of course, my website address is printed on my bookmarks and postcards, so that may also guide those who might be interested in the book to the trailer. And I’ll use the trailer when I do personal appearances (if it’s appropriate) and I’m sure I’ll run it at my book launch party.

And I have to express my thanks again to Ken and the Lone Chimney crew, as well as to all the wonderful actors who came out to help with the trailer.

Maybe my trailer won’t go “viral,” but it won’t be for lack of effort! If you haven’t seen it yet, please take a look–I put it right at the top of the home page!

Do you have other ideas for ways to use a book trailer? If so, please let me know!

Welcome, 2012!

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Yes, it’s finally here–my debut year! And while I’m waiting breathlessly for the book trailer to be ready (just a few more days, I’m told), I can’t help but be excited about all I have to look forward to in 2012.

Of course, these are things I’m looking forward to, but maybe some are things you will be excited about, too:

First off, that amazing book trailer! I’ve seen a rough cut, and it looks great. I’ll post it here, on Facebook, on Goodreads, and anywhere else I can think of, so stay tuned for that.

I’m expecting to find a box of brand-spanking new books on my porch one of these days. And yes, I’ll post that photo on Facebook, too!

A group of 58 Apocalypsies (including me) are planning a blog scavenger hunt in a couple of weeks. Your online clicks will take you to lots of sites to see previews of our books, and there will be prizes! The game begins on 1/16/2012, and you’ll find the details at the Apocalypsies website.

I’m still planning my book launch party, and it’s going to be lots of fun! In fact, it may be too much fun to be contained in just one launch party. More details on that soon.

I am already scheduled for some personal appearances to talk about A Voice for Kanzas, including a kids’ lit fest, a club meeting, and some school visits.

I hope you have many things that you are looking forward to in the coming year, and maybe even a few on the list above.

Here’s to 2012–cheers!

Ironing out the Press Kit

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I’ve been working on this element of my promotional package for a while now. In addition to Susan Raab’s book, a friend sent me a link to a website with instructions, so I’ve been trying to follow that as well.

The first component of the PK was images. The website advised both an author photo and cover art. It also suggested having three images sizes (large, medium, and thumbnail) of each. I’m not sure if that’s really necessary, since most people have access to software that will easily shrink larger, high-res images to smaller ones, but I did it anyway.

The second piece of the PK puzzle was my author bio. Again, the website suggested short (50 words or so), medium (approx. 150 words), and long (as long as I wanted it to be–mine is about a page, single-spaced).

Susan Raab suggests a Q&A document in the press kit. This is a kind of interview with questions like “What led you to write this book?” etc. Of course, I get questions like this from people who know me all the time. Also, author and blogger Cynthia Leitich Smith has issued a very generous invitation for the Apocalypsies to submit answers to some questions, and she will put these on her blog near the release date of our books. She gave us many questions, so that we could choose just a few to answer for her. I used some of her questions in my Q&A page, along with others of my own. The purpose of this piece is to give some information to media outlets (newspapers, radio, TV) who might be thinking of featuring me.

The other component in the PK is an actual Press Release. Raab gives a good example of one, but I think it is too early for me to really put this together. Lynn is in charge of marketing at Kane Miller, and I know she will put together a press release when we are near the book’s release date. Raab says the press release should also have some excerpts to reviews, and of course it’s still too early for that.

So most of the things I need for the PK are ready. My only hurdle is figuring out how to upload the folder to my website. Luckily, my son can help me with this part! It’s not there yet, folks, but keep watching. Soon, you’ll see another tab on my site marked Press Kit.

Plugging into Goodreads

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If you haven’t yet discovered Goodreads, you should! It’s a sort of social networking site for people who love to read. I set up an account last spring, after hearing my Apocalypsies pals gushing about it. I immediately added books to my “read,” “to read,” and “currently reading” lists. I posted ratings of some books I’ve read. I added a few reviews of books I’d read recently. Beyond that, I didn’t get too involved with it.

After I created my reader account, I noticed that many of my Apoc friends were listed as “Goodreads Author.”  Susan Raab discusses this in her book, and I wanted to also be listed that way. A few weeks ago, I was approved as a Goodreads Author. They sent me an email notification, along with a pretty exhaustive list of “dos and don’ts,” and a link to a page with suggestions and details of how to get started. I have to admit it was a bit overwhelming.

My notification also arrived the week I was heading out to Wichita to film the trailer. After that was Thanksgiving, then the end of the school term, with all the extra papers to grade. “Goodreads Author Page” has been on my to-do list now for almost a month. Now that the semester is finished, I’m finally getting around to it.

Goodreads does a great job of providing information to help authors get started. The site is pretty easy to navigate, even for me. I was a little frustrated when my photo appeared in thumbnail form, but not on my profile page, but I eventually figured that out. The thing that stumped me though was the “widget” option. I had seen the widget on Kimberly Sabatini’s blog, and I wanted one! I also wanted to add the “Add to Goodreads” button to appear next to my book cover on my site. Goodreads has all the information about how to do this, but the minute I saw HTML code that had to be uploaded I panicked. Luckily my son is fluent in HTML, so he managed to get the widgets loaded for me.

I’m excited to get more involved in Goodreads, both as a reader and as an author. I’ve been able to add a feed from my blog to my author page, and I’ll also be able to add events, contests, and reviews when those things come around. My next step is to add my Apocalypsie pals as friends and find out who else I know in the Goodreads world.

Thinking of 2012

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Thanksgiving brings many opportunities to reflect on our blessings. Of course I’m thankful for family and friends. I’m also thankful for my fellow writers who have encouraged me along the way as I’ve progressed in my writing career over the last ten years or so. I’m thankful to have found the right home for my first novel, and I’m looking forward to the year ahead when my book will finally be released.

Thanksgiving also brings thoughts of the Christmas season ahead. Like many people, I’m making a list (and checking it twice) of all the things I need to do in the next few weeks to make the season bright for family and friends.

Beyond that, I’m thinking of January and the release of A Voice for Kanzas. Kira Lynn, my editor, emailed one last question last week about the manuscript as they were preparing to send it to the printer. In just a few weeks the book will be printed and ready to send out into the world. A few of my fellow Apocalypsies are beginning to post reviews of their books. The very thought is both exhilarating and terrifying. Tonight I finally addressed postcards to local libraries and historical sites to let them know I’ll be available for Kansas Day talks.

2012. A new chapter of my life and my writing career. I hope you are looking forward to the possibilities of the new year as well.

Bringing a story to life

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Asaf Muhammad was just twelve years old when Saddam Hussein's troops invaded his Kurdish village at the end of Operation Desert Storm. He went with his family into Turkey, where they received help at a Coalition refugee camp. According to Asaf, "The Americans saved our lives."

Filming the book trailer was an incredible experience!

Ken Spurgeon arranged for us to use the Old Cowtown Museum site in Wichita as our setting. We had a sunny, cool, and windy November day–perfect for our needs. About three dozen historical reenactors (all volunteers) came out to help. Ken found three young actors to play the parts of the main character Lucy Thomkins, her brother Joseph, and runaway slave Phoebe. Some veterans of other Lone Chimney productions played the roles of Lucy’s parents and some menacing Border Ruffians. Others strolled the boardwalk of our pioneer town as residents of Lawrence. Mostly, I tried to stay out of the way and let the professional filmmakers handle it, but I was able to help set up some scenes to help recreate some details from the story.

When we climbed the stairs in the Cowtown drug store to film the scene of Lucy writing in her poetry journal, I had an overwhelming feeling of deja vu. The upstairs of that building was almost exactly as I had imagined the upper floor of the Thomkins General Store. When young Anna Spencer sat down at the desk by the window, I nearly cried with joy. It was an amazing moment. Now, whenever I am asked to read from the story, I know I will visualize Anna as Lucy.

Near the end of the day, one of the actors approached me, introduced himself, and said, “Thanks for letting us come out to play.” I could only respond, “Thank you for coming out to play!”

I feel extremely fortunate to have found Lone Chimney Films. I am so grateful for all the actors and crew who came out on a November day to help bring A Voice for Kanzas to life. I know Ken has many hours ahead to review all that raw footage, choose just the right bits and camera angles, create transitions and add the voiceover parts to produce a film less than two minutes long. I appreciate his enthusiasm for the project.