Category: poetry

Delays, Delays, Delays: Not My Choice!
My Thoughts · poetry · Self-publishing · Writing

Delays, Delays, Delays: Not My Choice!

Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment
Allow for Delays

Delays have hampered the release of my new poetry book, Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry. The reasons vary: publishing issues and the effects of the dog attack.

Dog Attack Causes Delays

Today is three months since that vicious dog attack that has altered my life and caused the delay of the release of this book. First, I hurt too much to work at all on this book. Then my life filled up with doctor’s appointments and just trying to get everything figured out with the wound. During the early weeks of this trauma, my thoughts and concentration suffered with the pain and the horror!

Recently, the nerve damage pain in my foot and ankle and now my leg has overtaken my life. So, the orthopedic doctor prescribed gabapentin for the nerve pain, causing me to feel fuzzy and have trouble thinking clearly. All of this affected the way I handled the specifics of self-publishing which now has caused further delays.

Publishing Issues

I originally planned to release this book in August. At first, I received the book cover on June 26 and gave them a page count for the book but didn’t get back to them until September 5. Then I changed the page count and needed them to adjust it. I also had neglected to get them the book description and my biography. So more delays!

I received the book description on July 16, timely enough. Because of a planned family get-together in Colorado, I neglected to look closely at the book description and forgot I hadn’t. Then on July 21, my life changed with the dog attack.

The cover company, 100covers.com, has been a dream to work with. Patiently, they have let me alter the requirements so far.

As I waited for the paperback cover, I wondered about the delay. On October 12, 2024, I emailed them because I had been waiting to release the paperback but hadn’t received the final cover. Today I got an email from them saying they sent me the covers on October 2, 2024—see the effect of the gabapentin. I couldn’t believe it I missed it, delaying another two weeks.

So, this afternoon, I checked the paperback cover and found two mistakes in the book description and my biography. I just emailed them to see if we can correct the mistakes that are my fault! Yikes!

I’ll let you know. What’s so frustrating for me about this—early in April when this four-book poetry book series became a reality, in my over-performing mindset, I thought about publishing maybe two or three of these books this year. Yes, I realized quickly that was far-fetched, but taking all this time to just publish one goes against my work ethics!

As I lamented to Lin, my husband, today about the delays, he reassured and said, “So, if you don’t release it until November, what difference is it?” His relaxed attitude helps me as I labor over these delays.

Update on Chapbook and Title

Last week, I shared about my chapbook I’m creating and offered some possible titles. Well, after my book coaching session this last week, I threw those titles out because they had nothing to do with the topics of the poems I write about in this chapbook. My book coach reminded me of four ways to title a nonfiction book. One of them was using the title of a poem from the book. I did that with Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir and my new poetry book I’m getting ready to release, Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry.

So, here’s the new title and the cover I created. I need your opinion on the difference choice of fonts.

#1

Book cover - delays

#2

Book cover - delays

Please help me out! Make a comment in the Comments section on which number you like or email me at larada@icloud.com but respond!

Finally,

Self-publishing a book has so many moving parts. Add the insanity that the dog attack had on me and my abilities and it equals delays, delays, delays!

Podcasts & My Interviews

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

This Tumbleweed Landed audiobook cover

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Let Me Tell You a Story audiobook cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir audiobook cover

A Lead Magnet—What’s That? And Why Is It Important?
Book Promotion · My Thoughts · poetry · Writing

A Lead Magnet—What’s That? And Why Is It Important?

Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment
Marketing strategies - lead magnet

A lead magnet in the book marketing industry plays a key role, but what is it? And why is it important? I’m creating one for my four-book poetry series.

Lead Magnet Explained

“For authors marketing their books, giveaways (which we shall refer to as ‘lead magnets,’ for reasons that will become clear) work on multiple levels. They will:

  • Make readers more aware of your work and your ‘brand’;
  • Operate on the psychological principle of reciprocity — people innately wish to “pay you back” when you give them something for free; and
  • Give you access to their contact details.”

https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/how-to-create-an-irresistible-lead-magnet-to-market-your-book

Lead Magnet for My New Poetry Series

As I have listened to my book coach, Derek Doepker, and book coaching group, I realized I needed a lead magnet for my new poetry series. In the book industry, the lead magnet is usually is an e-book.

At first, I was going to make Book #1 of this series (the one I’m about ready to release) the lead magnet and have it FREE to entice poetry readers to join my email list. But another poet in our book coaching group gave me an idea—she created a chapbook as her lead magnet.

So what’s a Chapbook?

A chapbook is “a small book containing ballads, poems, tales, or tracts.”

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chapbook

A chapbook’s size varies, but usually isn’t more than forty pages.

“From where would this chapbook come?” I wondered one day as this idea took root and sprouted. I have enough poetry I’ve written and more for the three other books in this series. Could I grab some from those three books not finalized yet? I needed a theme—something to organize this chapbook around!

Then it hit me! As an English teacher, I taught a poetry unit each year and wanted to grow as writer/teacher. So in 2002 & 2003, I attended poetry classes put on by Continuing Education, affiliated with University of New Mexico. These classes stretched me as a teacher/writer and ultimately as a poet later.

What a great theme! The teacher becomes the student! So, I sat in those six weeks classes and at time wondered—what was I doing! I had never been a poet who wrote rhyming poetry or formatted poetry. These classes focused on formats and forms. I had embraced Free Verse as my poetry of choice for writing. In this class, I felt challenged, stretched and wondered about my creations. The teacher encouraged me; my fellow students did, too, so it was an affirming experience. That’s why I wanted to feature them in this chapbook.

Help Me Select My Chapbook Title

Because you support my writing, I want you to have a part of the selection process for the title to my chapbook. Remember, it’s a short chapbook featuring poetry I wrote for two poetry classes I took.

Here’s the title possibilities:

  1. Two Poetry Classes, One Lesson: A Teacher’s Poetic Enlightenment
  2. Two Poetry Classes, One Insight: A Teacher’s Journey to Poetic Enlightenment
  3. Chalk Dust and Stanzas: Lessons from Both Sides of the Desk
  4. Chalk Dust and Stanzas: Lesson from the Other Side of the Desk

Help me decide! I like all of these choices. Make a comment in the Comments section and identify which title you like the best by the number.

Finally,

this chapbook will be the lead magnet for my four-book poetry series and will be permanently FREE on Amazon as an e-book. I will let you know when it’s available—probably next week or so!

Historical Fiction & Family Saga Book Giveaway!

This giveaway expires October 9, so jump on it today!

https://booksweeps.com/giveaway/historical-fiction-family-sagas-giveaway

Podcasts & My Interviews

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

This Tumbleweed Landed audiobook cover

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Let Me Tell You a Story audiobook cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir audiobook cover

The Progress of My New Poetry Book: It’s Moving Along!
My Thoughts · poetry

The Progress of My New Poetry Book: It’s Moving Along!

Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment
Progress

The progress of my new poetry book has been slow it seems. The dog attack set me back tremendously, but I’m pushing forward! I see daylight today!

E-book Cover Progress

The e-book cover is finalized and I love it! In reality, it has been done since June 26, 2024, but needless to say, my writing life has been diverted for the last ten weeks. I worked with a cover company, 100Covers.com, who created my last two book covers. From the information they requested, they created an inspiring cover. I’ll give you a hint! I collect feathers and have for years, and I didn’t mention that to them. Right now, I have a huge stack of turkey feathers on my buffet in my house in Branson, Colorado my brother saved for me! I just need to clean them up!

Paperback Cover Progress

The paperback cover requires more information because it needs the page count, the color of interior paper, and the book description, a short author bio and an author picture for the back. When I originally worked with 100 Covers in June, I had one page count, but after thinking about it for the last couple months, I changed my mind, and 100 Covers has patiently worked with me and accepted my change. What an amazing company to work with!

Interior Design

I use the Mac app, Vellum, to lay out the interior of the book. I’ve used it for years and love it. In my confusion over the last month or so, I had labeled a page “Table of Contents,” but I had not selected the correct content page. When I finished my book a couple weeks ago, I generated the .pdf copy and it produced no Table of Contents. The program automatically creates the Table of Contents.

So, I contacted the tech support from Vellum and had several emails back and forth about the problem. I even sent the Vellum file to the tech support. They couldn’t figure it out!

One day this last week, I looked at my Hair on Fire file and saw the difference in the item name and realized what I had done! So, I solved it and let the tech support know! Now it produces the Table of Contents perfectly!

KDP Keywords

Last night, I used another amazing app I have in my repertoire of writer’s tools—Publisher Rocket—to research the keywords and categories I will use when listing my new poetry book with KDP.

When an author lists a book on KDP (Amazon’s self-publishing site), you have to provide seven keywords or phrases. Each keyword can have as many as 50 words in it though, so you have to be wise how you list your keywords. I respect David Chesson at kindlepreneur.com and his findings because he has made my life so much easier with Publisher Rocket.

Here’s an article on his site about keywords I found helpful!

7 Kindle Keywords: Use All 50 Characters or Not?

KDP Categories

Amazon has thousands of categories and sub-categories, so the author’s job of find the ones that match your book is daunting. Amazon allows the author to place a book into three categories; however, you can have different categories for your paperback and your e-book.

Again, Publisher Rocket helped me identify which categories match my book the best and which have more possibilities for success for my book.

During the research for the keywords and categories, I created a spreadsheet to capture the information gathered. I’m excited about the results from my research for both the keywords and categories for my paperback. I have to finish the research for my e-book categories.

Finally,

I’ve tried to work on this book project this whole year but I got sidetracked with my wound. I see progress today! I look forward to a successful book launch in the next couple weeks, and as we speak, I’m organizing my poetry for book #2, #3 and #4 in this series!

DOG ATTACK UPDATE:

Last week, I had three appointments. On Monday, I continued my work with a therapist to deal with the trauma of the dog attack. I’m facing EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). I will keep you updated on the outcome of this type of therapy.

On Wednesday, I returned to the Wound Clinic for my weekly appointment. The wound is healing and shrinking. I don’t have to wear a compression sock all the time now—only when I’m up on my feet a lot. Also, I don’t have to return to the Wound Clinic for two weeks; however, Lin has to change the dressing twice a week. He changed it this afternoon and does such a conscientious job!

Also on Wednesday, I had two MRI tests: one of my foot and the other of my ankle. I will get the result of the tests this Thursday at my orthopedic doctor appointment. I hope the tests have some explanation for the severe pain I have in my foot and ankle.

eBook & Paperback Sweepstakes!

(2) Winners of eBook "Gift Baskets" of ALL ebooks
Other Winners of individual ebooks or paperbacks (randomly selected)

Podcasts & My Interviews

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

This Tumbleweed Landed audiobook cover

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Let Me Tell You a Story audiobook cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir audiobook cover

Write Poetry About a Dog Attack? Really?
My Thoughts · poetry

Write Poetry About a Dog Attack? Really?

Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment
Poetry book, leaf & latte - write

Write poetry about a dog attack? I’ve written poetry on every topic possible. And yes, I have written poetry about the dog attack.

Today is eight weeks—two months since that horrible mauling. I’ve been robbed of my normal life and living. No dancing, dancing, dancing! Finally, we planned to go to Rendezvous in the Rockies square and round dance festival next weekend. No way! No Driving to my meetings, getting groceries or just going shopping. Driving to Branson twice to visit my brother and enjoy our family ranch—NO! NO DANCING, DANCING, DANCING FOR 2 MONTHS! I’ve never done that my whole life. My 1st poetry book in a four-book series was supposed to be out a month or so ago!

After all this time, it’s not over! The wound is still open and needs dressing. The nerve damage in my foot and ankle rages on. I’m having to adjust to taking Gabapentin again which makes me feel foggy! I took it for the neuralgia after shingles—I hate how I feel on it!

The one positive is the unbelievable support I’ve received from family and friends. I appreciate it more than you know. My niece and her family sent me a beautiful fleece blanket and shower steamers! I’m anxious to try the shower steamers because I’ve never heard of them.

Me with my new blanket - write

Haikus Since the Attack

Haiku - write

Usually, I write multiple haikus often in response to my online meditation, but I haven’t been able to attend as regularly as I like. I have three journals full of those inspired haikus.

Here’s a some I have written since the dog attack:

August 12, 2024

Gratitude saves me.

It keeps my eyes on the prize.

The prize is my God!

August 19, 2024

Is “walk in beauty”

In my future? Will I limp?

With God’s help, I won’t!

September 2, 2024

I danced in a cast

From my ankle to my thigh.

But I was 15!

Am I resilient?

Will this dog attack define?

I will come back strong!

September 6, 2024 – I led the international online meditation and chose a reading, “Transform It or Transmit It” from Father Richard Rohr’s devotional book, just this. He talks about “sacred wounds” which resonated with me with my wound. Could my God make it sacred? My haiku response:

Sacred wounds still hurt.

But Jesus helps transform them.

  1. I give them to Him!
  2. Make me willing, please!

(Remember the importance of the third line! So I provide an option here!)

The choice is mine now.

Negative, bitter or not?

I chose Jesus’ way.

Embrace your body!

God’s miraculous artwork.

Healing flows in me.

Sacred wounds abound.

With God’s help, I’ve transformed them.

Help me transform this!

Poetry, haiku, life’s experiences provide a rich source for topics for me. However, this is one I didn’t want to write about.

When Mom died, my poetry dried up for six weeks—I had nothing to say. Then at six weeks, the poetry flooded my notebooks about everything I had experienced. The same thing has happened with this tragedy except for my haikus shared here. The first six weeks, I cried and cried and focused on healing.

Then a couple weeks, I grabbed a journal and wrote my first poem about the experience, so know there’s more poetry coming about this experience.

Here’s possible topics:

  • The initial mauling
    • The owner’s reaction when he lifted my pant leg and saw the wound
    • My first reaction when I saw the wound
  • My brother’s response when he first saw my wound
  • My brother’s loving care when he drove me the 50 miles to Trinidad to the ER
  • The ER experience and the caring staff there
  • Lin’s first experience of seeing my wound
  • Walking with a cane
  • My visits to my primary care doctor when I returned home and her response
  • My visits to the Wound Clinic
    • Doing everything wrong for three weeks
    • Couldn’t stand watching what the nurse did
  • Showering with a cast cover
  • My visit to Urgent Care with fear of a blood clot or an obsess
  • The Wound Clinic nurse specialist testing for an infection and then the high-powered antibiotic
  • My reaction to the antibiotic
    • Burning toes
  • Hosting Hot August Nights and not getting to dance to my favorite caller and cuer
  • My adjusted schedule
  • Trouble sleeping
    • Toes, ankle and foot hurt
    • Wound hurt
  • Postponing the release of my next book, Was It a Dream?

As you can see, there is a lot of poetry percolating inside of me with this dog attack. I will take my time to focus on this, and I will share them with you when it’s appropriate!

Finally

This whole episode has broken my heart, but I will survive! I’m a survivor! And to write poetry will save my life, once again!

Podcasts & My Interviews

Audiobooks Sale – Last Week – August 15 – 31 – 25% Off:

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

This Tumbleweed Landed audiobook cover

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Let Me Tell You a Story audiobook cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir audiobook cover