Joan Reeves's Profile

Joan Reeves

78 Followers
17 Blog Followers
21 Blog Reviews

Following: 67
Following Blogs: 16

Latest Activity

Personalized URL for Amazon Author Page

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Feb 7, 2012, 5:09 am
If you are an indie author publishing with Amazon, here's how to get your Amazon Author page URL with your name, not just a string of letters and numbers. (This article previously appeared on Writing Hacks, my subscription newsletter for writers. Subscribe today if you'd like articles like this as s...
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Prolong Hard Drive Life

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Feb 6, 2012, 4:25 am
This Monday, I'd like to remind you of something that will help prolong the life of your hard drive--that piece of hard equipment that operates your PC. Hard Drive Health A hard drive, aka hard disk drive, is the device that writes data, that is, stores data on rotating plates with magnetic surfaces...
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Super Bowl 46

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Feb 5, 2012, 12:10 pm
Albert Einstein once said: "A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?" Of course, Mr. Einstein died before the Super Bowl was invented. I'm sure if he'd lived to see the first gridiron "king of the hill" battle, he might have changed bowl of fruit to Supe...
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7 Steps To Writing Success

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Feb 4, 2012, 5:00 am
Here's some great advice from 7 writers. The advice was good when each first uttered it, and it's still good today. (This article previously appeared on Writing Hacks, my subscription newsletter for writers. Subscribe today if you'd like articles like this as soon as they are published.) 1. Be profe...
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Review: The Ninth Step by Sissel

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Feb 3, 2012, 8:46 pm
Move over, Jodi Picoult, Barbara Delinsky, et al. There's a new women's fiction author in town, and her name is Barbara Taylor Sissel! I've had a copy of The Ninth Step since it first came out. I read it quickly because I couldn't put it down, but I didn't get a review posted until recently. Fate in...
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10 Tips For Press Release Success

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Feb 2, 2012, 9:24 pm
Are press releases still effective? I think so. Get a media directory or do online research to find newspapers, radio stations, and television stations, if you aim high, in your target area. Many take email press releases now. Some still take only hard copy, but those are easy to write too. Install ...
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10 Commandments For Writers Online

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Feb 1, 2012, 11:36 am
For all of you who are trying to carve out a career as a writer, here's a little advice that might smooth the way and remove some of the stress. 1. Don't kill the messenger. When someone offers a report or just negative comments about a publisher or about self-publishing authors or about any of the ...
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Truth About Goal Setting

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 31, 2012, 3:41 am
Since it's the last day of January, I would be remiss if I didn't talk about goals for the New Year. (This article previously appeared on Writing Hacks, my subscription newsletter for writers. Subscribe today if you'd like articles like this as soon as they are published.) Do you set goals? I do, bu...
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Enforced Vacation

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 29, 2012, 6:49 am
Earl Wilson said: "A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking." In a way, that quotation describes my last two weeks. I had to take a vacation because I could no longer taken what I'd been taking, i.e., working through injuries. Hand injuries and the severely cut...
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Chess Is Child's Play

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 25, 2012, 5:17 am
My Guest Star today is Laura Sherman who wrote Chess Is Child’s Play with Bill Kilpatrick. This book teaches any parent, of any skill level, to teach any child, of any age, to play chess. That's rather amazing. You parents out there, make a note to get this book when it's released in April. In Her...
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URL Tips For Authors

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 23, 2012, 5:58 am
(This article previously appeared on Writing Hacks, my subscription newsletter for writers. Subscribe today if you'd like articles like this as soon as they are published.) Apple Bookstore To search for your books in the Apple Bookstore: http://itunes.apple.com/us/genre/books/id38?mt=11 Once there, ...
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3 Reviews: 3 Examples of Romance

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 19, 2012, 1:14 pm
My 2 days offline turned into a week offline. Today, I'm playing a limited game of Catch-Up, that oh, so, popular game which I seem to play on a near-daily basis. Here are 3 romance novels--each uniquely different from each other. Texan Undercover by Anne Marie NovarkIf you like romance with the aut...
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Define Your Hero

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 18, 2012, 5:50 am
This morning we're chatting with award-winning romance author Nina Pierce. Nina grew up in a house full of readers so becoming enamored with books was only natural. In her early teens, she discovered romance stories and fell hopelessly in love with knights in shining armor and the damsels who sav...
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Be A Better Blogger: Slant

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 16, 2012, 9:53 am
Saturday, January 14, I had the pleasure of speaking to the West Houston Romance Writers of America Chapter. These talented writers leave me in awe. My topic was Blogging with a Q&A at the end about Blogging and Indie Publishing. Sometime this year, I'll compile all my posts about blogging into an e...
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2 Days Offline

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 12, 2012, 10:51 am
I'm forced offline for at least 2 days. Yesterday, I cut my finger (on my previously injured right hand) so I again spent time in the ER because it would not stop bleeding. You see my right hand is still weak and a bit clumsy which explains the cut I guess. Bottom line? I shouldn't try to act like a...
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When the Words Won't Sling

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 11, 2012, 6:17 am
I'm delighted to welcome Lois Winston, author of the critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, to SlingWords. The series, Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, is published by Midnight Ink. Today's your lucky day because you can pick up a copy of the first book in this series, As...
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Moving

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 8, 2012, 4:34 pm
I guess my theme today is moving since that's what we've been doing all weekend. Packing up our daughter's "stuff" that's stored at our Hill Country home so the large pieces can be picked up next weekend. We loaded up 2 vehicles with smaller items and took them home. Once there we realized we needed...
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Weddings Are Work

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 7, 2012, 4:18 pm
How come it's so much work when one of your kids plans to marry? We've been working on this wedding and merger of our darling daughter's life and her darling young man's life since last July when he proposed. Pardon My French The wedding is not until March, but that doesn't mean we have idle time be...
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Myth of the Muse

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 6, 2012, 12:37 pm
All the hoopla about my French deal has settled down a bit so back to business today. Let's talk about something that always tickles my funny bone: the Muse. I had someone tell me, after I'd started selling well with my ebooks, that they craft memorable fiction rather than "crank it out" the way I d...
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BIG News: French World Rights Sale

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Jan 4, 2012, 9:12 am
Since my countersigned contract arrived, I can finally announce my big news about selling French World Rights for Print and Ebook on the 3 books you see pictured here to Bragelonne, a noted French publisher of paranormal fiction. I know you're saying, "But, Joan, you don't write paranormal." You're ...
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What I've Learned About Reviews

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Nov 3, 2011, 9:37 am
I belong to the "better to laugh than to cry" school of thought when it comes to reader reviews. If you are a writer with a published book--whether trad print pub or indie pub--then you have some experience with reviews. As soon as you pull those daggers out of your respective backs, leave a comment...
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Finding Your Voice

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Nov 2, 2011, 4:24 am
This morning I'm pleased to welcome Susan Lute, author of the women's fiction title The London Affair. Susan is one of the trio of women authors behind See Jane Publish. I met Susan when she interviewed me for See Jane Publish. Now, let's sit down with a cup of coffee and see what kind of advice Sus...
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Read Me! Love Me! Thrill Me!

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Nov 1, 2011, 4:55 am
As writers, we know what thrills us when it comes to writing and reading. Of course, much of what thrills us is connected to our writing lives. Yet, we are also people with real lives--or at least we try to be. Sometimes what thrills us is a small moment in real life, completely unconnected to writ...
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Different Books; Different Word Counts

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 31, 2011, 8:51 am
... 50,000--110,000 Epic Novel: 110,000+ words Juvenile Fiction Middle Grade: 25,000--40,000 Young Adult (YA): 45,000--80,000 ... du jour. The same is true for Mainstream, Thrillers, just about all Commercial fiction, and Literary novels although these have been decreasing a bit in word length over...
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Happiness Amidst Life's Lemons

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 30, 2011, 4:56 am
Wendy Ryan said, "The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." Another way of saying that is a poster I have from when I was a newlywed. Big picture of a lemon. Below that was written: "When Life hands you a lemon, learn how to make lemonade." Bevera...
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Thief of Souls by Cynthia Wicklund

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 29, 2011, 4:34 am
Thief of SoulsThe cover of this book attracted me because it's, frankly, hot enough to singe your fingertips. Great cover to entice readers so feel enticed. Thief of Souls is worth it, and it's on sale. If you decry the sameness in paranormal and romance, this is the book for which you've been waiti...
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Friday Free Love & Giveaway

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 28, 2011, 3:17 pm
I stayed up way too late last night watching Game 6 of the World Series so I'm tired today and feeling as if I'm slogging through Cajun Country marshland. Probably got gators and crocs in the marsh too. "Look at those snappers!" First person to respond in Comments with the source of that quotation w...
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Truth About Writing

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 27, 2011, 11:34 pm
I've been writing hard today. Writing. Rewriting. Researching. Write 10 words, delete 9. Writing is very much like the old cliche, one step forward, two steps back. I've been getting a lot of emails, very nice and friendly, but they all want to know when Old Enough To Know Better is going to be publ...
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Meet Jenny Gardiner

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 26, 2011, 5:34 am
This morning, we're having coffee with Jenny Gardiner, author of the award-winning novel Sleeping with Ward Cleaver which is the book that led me to discovering her some time ago. In addition to being published in some prestigious periodicals, Jenny also has several books published: Winging It: A Me...
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Help Authors Protect Copyright

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 25, 2011, 6:07 am
Today, I'm making a plea to everyone to notify your elected officials that you support an author's right to earn a living from his or her writing. It's easy. There's nothing to compose. You just click the link, fill out the form with your name and address and email. The website automatically directs...
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Houston's BBQ, Normangee, Texas

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 24, 2011, 5:30 am
My husband and I enjoy small towns from their boasting signs at the city limits to the quaint eateries one finds. We often drive through the little town of Normangee, Texas, home of a great little diner called Houston's BBQ. Normangee (pronounced with a soft G) has about 793 citizens. This tiny litt...
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Focus

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 23, 2011, 9:12 pm
When the family went home this weekend, I stayed up here at Rancho Reeves. I told my husband that I wasn't coming home until I had this next book ready to publish. Bless his heart! He understood. That man of mine endures a lot just being married to me. I certainly wouldn't want to be married to an a...
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Madisonville Mushroom Festival

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 22, 2011, 6:40 pm
Yes, you heard it hear first. There's a new coronary specialty on the food festival circuit: Bacon Donut Cheeseburgers. Mike, our soon-o-be son-in-law, actually bought one. He insisted we all take a bite. I took a miniscule bite and promptly spit it out. He at it! I can't believe it. He ate this rat...
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Rounding Up Random News

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 21, 2011, 11:52 pm
I'm late blogging today. I decided to stay up at my house in the Hill Country until I finish writing this book so I had to pack all my writing "stuff" to take with me this weekend. Fortunately, I have internet up here although it's the slowest high-speed internet I've ever seen. So I'll be hanging o...
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Note on Story Maps by Daniel Calvisi

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 20, 2011, 5:52 am
I wanted to add something about Story Maps by Daniel Calvisi, the book I reviewed over the weekend. Someone raised this point so I thought I would clarify. Please don't think the book is composed only of structural templates. It's not, and I don't want anyone to not buy the book because they have th...
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From Print Bestsellers To Ebooks

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 19, 2011, 5:21 am
This morning my Guest Star is Bestselling Print romance author Elaine Raco Chase. Elaine has made the transition from print bestseller to ebook author/publisher. You may have noticed her Framed Cover designs on Amazon, Nook, and the other digital publishing retailers. Each book cover looks like a fr...
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How Long Is A Novel?

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 18, 2011, 11:11 am
Most writers I know go by word count when they're writing. They have a target in mind that a novel must be in order to be considered a novel. Of course, most of the writers I know have a background in print, not ebooks. I'll take a guess and say that ebook-only writers do the same. However, I've com...
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Internet Floater: The Buzzard, The Bat, The Bumblebee

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 17, 2011, 11:45 am
You know how dead bodies pop up in a river on a crime show on TV? That's kind of how an Internet Floater pops up--just when you think it's dead and gone. This one, courtesy of my friend Perry, is a good one though. Thought-provoking as well as amusing. Good way to start a Monday. The Buzzard, The Ba...
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Baseball: TX Rangers Prove Something

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 16, 2011, 9:21 am
This has been the best weekend. Larry and I put the top down on our fun car and drove up to the Hill Country. Perfect rag top weather. Music on Top Down setting which meant loud so we could sing along to some of our favorites on my CD mixes. Perfect Food Stopped by Houston's BBQ in Normangee, Texas,...
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Review: Story Maps by Daniel Calvisi

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 15, 2011, 4:34 pm
Why am I, a novelist, recommending Story Maps: How to Write a Great Screenplay by Daniel P. Calvisi to other novelists? Sometimes, stepping outside one's own writing arena and exploring how other writers accomplish their storytelling may help one understand an element that is difficult. One may gain...
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Daniel P. Calvisi: Blogging With the Big Boys

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 14, 2011, 5:47 am
... happened to be searching for the keyword "shawshank structure!" It's ... example, my detailed analysis of The Dark Knight garnered me twenty ... compared Revenge of the Nerds to The Beastmaster. Guess which one ... , like Rocky or Raiders of the Lost Ark. My 10-page ... posts that are ric...
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3 Writing Rules for Real Authors

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 13, 2011, 5:28 am
Beginning writers get a lot of advice from every direction. Here are 3 aphorisms to memorize. Let them guide you in your career. 1. A "real" author pursuing print publication does NOT pay to get published or to get literary agent representation. The publisher pays the author with an advance against ...
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From Romance to Zombies--With Love!

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 12, 2011, 4:59 am
Good morning, world! I'm happy to welcome Bella Street, author of the series, Apocalypse Babes, as my guest star today. After reading her book The Z Word, I tracked her down and asked her if she'd guest blog and talk about writing in such diverse genres. (My review of The Z Word last week.) Bella's ...
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Alter Language Or Not?

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 11, 2011, 5:44 am
If you're an indie author, chances are that you are selling to an international market. Amazon just expanded our reach by welcoming France to the Kindle family and gave all of us authors a tab to click to view our French sales. With Kindle, you can sell English language editions here in the U.S., th...
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EZ App: Menu Uninstall

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 10, 2011, 5:52 am
Here's an app that's going to make your life much easier. Menu Uninstall by LeizerSoftware. When you find that you have a program on your computer that you just don't need, do you immediately click on the Control Panel and Uninstall it? Nope? Me either. Uninstalling takes time, and I'm always noting...
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Reading Pretensions

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 9, 2011, 6:26 am
I was reading the latest edition of Shelf Awareness this weekend. In case you don't subscribe, Shelf Awareness publishes a free newsletter about books with lots of reviews and excerpts. As a reader, I like to see what's coming out from the print publishers even though the newsletter is really aimed ...
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Review: Apocalypse Babes by Bella Street

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 8, 2011, 5:45 am
The Z Word is Book 1 of Apocalypse Babes by Bella Street. Want a good example of the importance of a good title or a series title? This is it. Bella Street created one of the best series titles I've seen in a while when she dubbed her 6 book series Apocalypse Babes. I bought the first book, The Z Wo...
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Round Up: Today's News

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 7, 2011, 10:04 am
Wow! Lots of things going on this morning. Kindle France is online. My Sales Report has added kindle.fr to the drop-down tab showing distributors. French publishing is very conservative and book prices are generally set in stone with little variation so this is a major cultural step for outside book...
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3 Writing Events

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 6, 2011, 6:53 am
Today, I've got 3 events that will interest writers--beginning to published. 1. Judge a Book By Its Cover Contest 2011, sponsored by Houston Bay Area RWA, is now open for entries. This contest is open to self-published authors, and you will be able to give credit where credit's due --to the cover ar...
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Indie Publishing Lesson

Joan Reeves posted an article on Sling Words - Oct 5, 2011, 5:02 am
This morning I'm having virtual coffee with Regency author Cheryl Bolen. You've probably seen her books on Kindle and Nook. They're the ones whose covers look like elegant classical paintings from the Regency era, like the one shown here. Recently, Cheryl had a heart-stopping experience with indie p...
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About Me

This year, with the phenomenal success of my ebooks, I've made some changes to my writing career. I'm phasing out the freelance writing and concentrating all my energy on my ebooks.

Since my current 5 ebooks, all fun, romantic comedies, and my nonfiction ebook WRITTEN WISDOM are all on the Kindle Bestseller Lists, changing my career focus makes sense.

I'm blogging about this ebook success on SlingWords so if you're interested in becoming an indie author of ebooks, check out my blog posts.

I don't visit Blogged very often, but I do appreciate all who take the time to FOLLOW me and my blog SlingWords, as well as taking the time to review my blog.

Best Wishes,
Joan Reeves

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