Last to Die Author Kate Brady gives us great advice for new authors…

“It doesn’t seem to matter where an author is on the road to publication—conceiving a plot, editing a manuscript, finding an agent, publicizing a release—authors routinely seek advice from other authors about how to progress in the field.  I always find myself a bit daunted to be in the position of “advisor” because there’s an assumption that I know something others don’t or that there is a particular path that will lead to success.  Believe me, neither is true!  I’m no expert on how to “make it.”  And there are as many avenues to a successful career in writing as there are writers.  

So, understand that my “Tips for a New Author” are simply my own beliefs on the matter.  Still, here they are:

• Stay true to yourself, both in content and process.

You know what you want to write.  You have a preference for certain traits in a hero or villain, you like a certain degree of descriptive narrative or a particular rhythm to dialogue.  You have your own comfort level for how graphic sex or violence may become and you know what compels you in story lines and characterizations.  Cling to the essential qualities of what you love in a novel, even when you hear another author condemn them or when your critique group guides you away from them. 

You also know how you want to write.  You know if outlining works for you or if it’s important to correct spelling errors as you go.  You know if you work best by writing long and then editing down, or by writing sparse and then beefing it up.  You know if music in the background inspires or distracts, if early morning silence with coffee or late night noise with David Letterman produces more pages.  It’s fine to try different processes.  But in the end, no matter what a certain how-to book tells you or what your writing partner is doing, you have to honor the process that works for you.

• But don’t be an idiot.

You know what you want to write and how you want to write it, but if you are getting the same critiques over and over again from people who actually know what they’re talking about, try not to turn a deaf ear.  This doesn’t have to be conceived as selling out or being untrue to yourself.  It can just as easily be conceived as expanding your repertoire, your skills, and your modus operandus.  Your writing will probably be the better for it.  And rather than selling out, you may just sell.

• Finish the book. 

Starting a book (or two or ten) doesn’t matter.  Finishing does.  

• Send it in.

After years of hoarding books under my bed and on my computer, I finally noticed that there was one thing—and maybe only one—that all published authors have in common:  They sent their manuscripts out. 

• Get an agent.

An editor’s job starts with the manuscript.  If you don’t have an agent, the odds of an editor seeing your manuscript are miniscule.  Yes, there are a few stories out there about a gem being pulled from the slush pile or a writer getting an editor from a contest.  But so far as I can tell, these are akin to stories about people being struck by lightning or winning the lottery.  If you like those odds, then try going straight to an editor.  But I suggest an agent.

• Keep reading.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in your own work and think there isn’t time for reading other people’s books.  But no matter how close that deadline is, the fact remains:  The more you read, the more you will write.  Reading a lot, especially in the genre you are writing, will speed you up, not slow you down—at least, that’s my experience.  So keep reading! 

• Keep at it and good luck!”

The Winner will receive …

Their own copy of Last to Die by Kate Brady

HERE’S HOW TO ENTER  (Must be completed to be chosen)

1) What is your favorite book genre?  You receive five entries for this portion.  Please enter your response 5  times for credit.

After that, here are other ways to enter: (Please, make sure that you submit extra comments if you do these.)

 Extra Entrees

2)  Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following:  “I just entered the Last to Die Book Giveaway via @bootcampmommy” Leave a separate comment for the Tweet with the ID number. 1 entry perTweet – 5 Tweet Max

3) ”Like”  Coupon Scribbles on Facebook.  Leave a separate comment telling me you ‘Like” it. 1 entry.

4)  Share about this giveaway with your own blog readers.  Remember to leave me a separate comment sharing the link to your post.  2 entries

You can earn up to 13 entries. Leave a separate comment for each additional action you have taken (leave comment, share on Twitter, Facebook Fan, etc).

Entry is open to the U.S. and Canada through 9:00 pm EST on Tueday, September 21st, 2010. Winners will be chosen and contacted by email. If you’re the winner, you’ll have 48 hours to respond or an alternate will be chosen.

Disclaimer: Last to Die is sponsoring this giveaway. I was under no obligation to review it or to write a positive review.  The opinion written in my review is my own.

A ruthless killer hides in plain sight, someone no one believes is capable of murder. Within a week, six women will be murdered, all punished for their dark pasts. Detective Dani Cole is determined to track down this serial killer whose victims include a young woman she pulled out of a life of crime. Her investigation leads her to a photography foundation and the renowned photographer Mitch Sheridan, a man she fell in love with years ago but has tried to forget. Dani and Mitch are instantly attracted to each other again, though their troubled pasts keep them from getting too close. Together, through the course of the investigation, they unearth a dark chain of deception that leads to a killer who is closer than they think.

The book is fast paced and you absolutely can’t put it down.  The book traveled with me everywhere.  Every spare moment was spent reading and if you have a family you know what that means.  I read late at night, while I was getting an oil change in my car, etc.  I love criminal stories where you have to catch them.  You will also like the character Detective Dani Cole.  And I won’t give too much of it away but even the detective becomes a target.

I received a sample of this product to review at no charge but my opinions are not influenced in any way by this fact. They are my own.

Wags has a free good deals this week.  Here are the best of them…

Zegerid OTC – Sale Price $10.  Use the $3 off coupon printable here and also receive a $10 Mail in Rebate at the register making the final price BETTER THAN FREE.

Carmex Skin Care Lotion – Sale Price $4.99.  Receive $4 back in Register Rewards making the final price 99 cents.

Ecotrin – Sale Price $4.99.  Use the $1 off coupon from the Walgreens Coupon Booklet and match it with the $2 off coupon printable here making the final price $1.99

It’s time to head to CVS this week and pick up on some good match ups…

Dentyne, Stride or Trident – Sale Price 99 cents.  Use the $1 off/2 printable coupon here and also receive 99 cents back  in ECB making the final price TWO FREE.

Schick Hydro Razor – Sale Price $8.97.  Use the $5 off coupon from the 8/8 inserts and also receive $4 back in ECB’s making the final price FREE.

Lindsay Olives – Sale Price $1.  Use the $1/2 coupon from the 4/18 inserts making the final price 50 cents each

Do your kids come home hungry?  Mine do.  I want them to have something light so we don’t have a problem at dinner time    Check out this ebook that has 27 recipes.  You could do one each school day and not repeat for over a month. It’s free!

There will be no coupons this week.  Sometimes the holiday weekend means that there will be no inserts.  I’m not sure why that is because a lot of people buy the paper during the holidays.  It’s a good thing that we still have our internet printables

Here are your links.  Make sure to get in there and print out your September coupons. Some of them have a cutoff so it’s better to print early in the month than to wait.

Load your Kroger Plus card by going here for Cellfire and selecting the coupons you want.  What’s the advantage?  Loading up your Plus Card allows you to save money from the card and then you can match those savings with the coupons you are taking to the store anyway.  The result? Lots of good savings. 

You can also go to RedPlum and Coupons.com and print out even more coupons to take to the grocery store.  Go here and here to check them out.

Want to find freebies?  Go here and click through all of the freebies that I have listed.

We had some great giveaways this week.  Our winners were

Penguins DVD – Kristen E

Kiwi Shoe Care Kit – Laurie M

Only The Good Spy Young Gift Pack – Cheryl F

SafetyTat – Heather R
Thanks to all who entered.  We still have a ton of giveaways going now.  Click Here to Enter them.

It’s here!!!!  I was excited to see the UPS man.  The box was huge.  So I decided to put them together by category, Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner-Dessert.  The UPS guy was here earlier enough so that I could start today.  Yay!

There are many different types of food, actually more than what I thought.  I’m trying the Women’s Basic this time.  So I did pretty well with the water today.  I had 48 ounces which is awesome for me.  If I have 8 ounces each day I’m doing pretty good.  I basically just have water in my coffee or tea, lol.

After reading over the program I found that there is a lot of food.  I actually just thought about the breakfast,lunch, dinner and dessert but you eat other foods with it.  Depending on which you are eating you may have a protein, vegetable or a dairy.  There is a long list so you can change it up or go with your favorites.  I love the fact that there is a long list of items.  It also tells you how much of it you can have.  That makes it easy.  So when you put that together with the food it’s tons to eat.  I actually felt full after breakfast, lunch, dinner.  I felt that I really didn’t need the snack but I ate it anyway.  Everything works together.  Here is dinner….

I will say that my dessert wasn’t necessarily filling.  But I’m also used to having a few cookies or brownies during that time.  It’s a mind change that I will hopefully be working on during the next several weeks.  I obviously cannot lose weight doing what I was doing before.

Nutrisystem is sponsoring me for the next three months. I will be blogging, Facebooking and Twittering my progress on a weekly basis.

Start Date September 3rd 2010

Disclosure: All products have been supplied by Nutrisystem as part of their Nutrisystem15 program. Views expressed here are my own.

I have always loved makeup.  I don’t always take the time to apply it but when I need to step out with a fresh face I want to know that it is there.  Makeup can be pricey so of course I look to coupons to help soften the blow a bit.  Here are this week’s great coupons from RedPlum.