FREE short story, FREE collection of six stories, EXCLUSIVE preview of new book

Check out the August edition of the Candace Carrabus Books newsletter. Sign up on the website to  receive links to download Cold Backed, a short prequel to On the Buckle, and Out of Darkness, a collection of six fantasy and mystical fiction stories by me and five other authors. You'll be able to download these freebies in any format you need.

In addition, you get an exclusive peek at the first chapter of my new book, Run Out, the sequel to On the Buckle, AND see my vision for Viola Parker and Robert Malcolm, the stars of the Dream Horse Mysteries.

Inside Info from Three Self-published Authors

Like to know what self-published authors really think of self-publishing?

Our own Candace Carrabus and two others reveal their honest opinions in a brief interview from the post Inside Info: Three Self-published Authors, Three Questions. Hop on over to The Write Helper and get the info firsthand! And while you're there, check out my other articles on self-publishing.

Happy creating!

Amy

Last Minute Gifts for Writers? Got You Covered!

Check out Amy's post about gifts for authors over at her blog, The Write Helper.

Who Doesn't Like a Free Read?

Sign up for the Candace Carrabus Books newsletter and you'll get a new free short story or book excerpt in your inbox each month. You'll get stories by Candace Carrabus and others. Some you'll like, some you won't, but you will meet new authors and perhaps find your new favorite.

Get on the list now to read Gwyneth's Christmas by Nicky Charles. 

Next week, you'll receive Round 1 of Cold Backed, a new Dream Horse Mystery short exclusive to newsletter subscribers.

Trash or Dream--You Decide

"Should I throw this out?" a woman asked me, clutching her manuscript pages.

The encounter took place at a writer's retreat where I taught a class a couple of weeks ago. During my class "Fixing the Broken Story," I offered to look over any pages the participants had doubts about, and this woman took me up on it. After the edit, red pen marks dotted the half dozen pages, though I'd given a positive comment when I could. The disappointment on her face confirmed she'd expected glowing reviews, and I wanted to oblige, but false praise wouldn't have helped her.

"Don't do that," I said--and meant it. I went on to explain that if she were willing to learn the craft, apply techniques, and take constructive feedback, she'd grow as a writer.

The truth of the matter is without the "if" part of the equation, her chances are slim. But with some literary elbow grease and a sincere desire to learn, I believe all things are possible. Call me an optimist, but I've seen it happen enough times to make a believer out of me.

I left her with one final piece of advice: "Don't give up on your dream!"

And I meant that, too.

Unleash Your Inner Voice

The Scribes' Tribe will be at the Wentzville Octoberfest hosting a writing demonstration on the Community Club Stage on Saturday, October 8, from 11:30 - 12:30, and we need you to be there to unleash your inner voice!

So how does that work, you may be wondering? You'll take a first sentence writing prompt and write your masterpiece with encouragement and assistance from our friendly Scribes' Tribe members. Afterward we've also got door prizes to inspire you to take your writing to the next level.

The Wentzville Octoberfest has many other art demonstrations scheduled throughout the 2-day event, plus fine art for sale and wine tasting. Local food trucks and multiple music stages will be located in the Village Center area alongside the Historic Society's caboose.

Stop by and celebrate the fall season with art, music, good food, and wine. The Wentzville Octoberfest hours are:

October 8, 2016

11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

October 9, 2016

11 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

See you there!

The joy of being SELF-published

Back in September, I posted some of the things I love about being a published author—a SELF-published author. It's hard work but rewarding. The good news? I'm the boss of me. The bad news? I'm the boss of me. I'm the author, formatter, publisher, marketing and publicity director, website manager, research assistant...the list really does go on. At times, I wish I could afford to farm out just about everything except the writing. I wish I had a big publisher behind me to mind all those little details that turn my hair grayer than it already is.

However, one of the best parts of being self published is I get to choose. I choose when to publish, what platforms to use, what the prices are, and when to have a sale—which is the joy I'm sharing with you today.

I've had a great year. No, I'm not quitting my day job anytime soon, so by some standards, not such a great year. But I do love what I do, so even when the money barely pays the cable bill, I'm thankful.

To celebrate, all my ebooks are on sale for 99 cents through the end of the year. And The Man, The Dog, His Owner & Her Lover is FREE! Forever. That's right. It will always be free from now on. I'll post about the reasons for this in the future.

For now, you can find more info about all my titles as well as all the links you need to purchase them at the Books page of my website.

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Happy Reading! Happy Holidays!
And best wishes for a fabulous 2016.

Candace