Old Age Ain’t for Sissies!
Vic Deveaux’s glory days as a winning jockey have ended, but
he refuses to accept that pile of horse hockey!
When the West family asks Vic to take an easier position at their
Thoroughbred farm, Westwood, he becomes enraged and teams up with two greedy
stable hands in a scheme to kidnap the youngest son, Shane.
Things turn ugly when Vic discovers that his new-found friends
have murder on their minds. Suddenly Vic finds himself between a rock and a
hard place. He has betrayed his good friend, Eric West, but will he participate
in his son’s murder as well?
Not content to sit at home and wait for her men to bring her
brother home, Kate West convinces homicide detective, Carl Lugowski, to check
out a hunch at an old
abandoned mansion. Soon they’re trapped in a hornet’s
nest of a notorious biker gang.
Oh yeah, Vic’s deception has placed the West family in more
danger than they know what to do with!
CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT!
by Cindy McDonald
The research and months and months (possibly years) that you have spent in front of that computer screen typing, rewriting, tweaking, thinking, and yes, banging your head on the desk has finally paid off! Your manuscript is finished—off to the editor—and now is available for the public to enjoy. Whew! You did it! It’s time to sit back, relax and … and what? Celebrate!
Yep
that’s what I said: celebrate. C’mon
don’t just sit there waiting for the amazon sales to roll in, because that’s a
slow moving train, my friend. Think about it—you’ve worked hard. Writing a book
is tough, not to mention it is an accomplishment that many contemplate, talk
about, but never seem to attempt. You
are a published author (traditional
or indie—it makes no difference) so assemble your friends and family and find a
way to make the occasion special.
When
I published the first book of my Unbridled Series, Deadly.Com, in September of
2011 I was thrilled, but the enthusiasm soon fell to a hush after the
congratulations from friends and family died down. I did not place Deadly.Com
on a book/blog tour and the reviews were few and far between—even as we speak.
Hmmm, that was way too much effort for all the silence.
When
I was a professional dance teacher I spent months and months prepping my
dancers for the spring show, at the end there was applause and a reception—lots
of fanfare and gratification. The publishing of Deadly.com was dead
quiet—crickets. Ouch! So I made a
decision right then and there that the second book of my Unbridled Series, Hot Coco,
would receive more bang.
In
June of 2012 Hot Coco released—I registered for a book/blog tour and I set a
date for a wine tasting party at my Thoroughbred farm to launch my
accomplishment. I sent invitations with a picture of the cover of Hot Coco to
my friends. Keeping the group small and intimate, I invited only twenty.
Everyone was excited. Most of my friends had never been to a wine tasting or a
book launch party. They were intrigued—very good.
On
the invitation they were instructed to bring a bottle of wine and a hors d’oeuvres to share. I am most fortunate that I have a friend,
Dave, who is very educated in the history, and the process of making and tasting
wines. He served as our wine steward—this is definitely not a requirement, but
very nice to have.
As
the guests arrived, Dave gathered the wine from each guest to cover it with a
brown paper bag, tag it with a number, and then register the wine on a sheet.
We placed the white wines on the dining room table along with small decorative
bowls filled with oyster crackers to cleanse their pallets in between tastings.
The red wines were placed on the table on our covered deck. Keeping the red and
white wines separated is best, if it is possible.
We
were blessed with a perfect evening. A soft summer breeze blew through the deck
that looks out over our paddocks, where my husband had left some of the
Thoroughbreds to graze. I was so please because my publishing manager, Lauren
Carr, drove all the way from her home in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia to attend.
Once all the wines were collected and bagged and placed on the proper tables, I
gathered my friends on the deck and did a short reading from Hot Coco. As an
added bonus Ms. Carr read a short passage from her latest novel as well.
Afterward,
Dave explained how the wine tasting worked: fill your glass with a small amount
of wine, swirl it around in the glass to examine the color and clarity of the
wine. Smell it. What do you smell? Citrus? Oak? Fruits? What else? Finally
taste. He encouraged the guests to eat in between tasting and to drink the wine
with food to see how they enhance the flavors. What food did you enjoy with
what wine? They wandered from the kitchen where the hors d’ oeuvres were set up
on the bar into the dining room, and to the deck. There was a lot of laughter,
eating, and tasting. I found great joy in watching my friends enjoying the
event.
Dave
was in his glory all evening answering questions and educating my friends about
wines. At the end of the evening we voted on the favorite wine. The guest who
brought said wine won a bottle of Coco Vino—a chocolate wine that I had
purchased from a winery in Jeanette, Pennsylvania—very apropos for Hot Coco.
Everyone
had a blast; they all encouraged me to have another for my next book. I was so
pleased and rejoiced in the fact that Hot Coco had a proper kick-off, and I
that I had celebrated my accomplishment—no crickets. Hooray!
The
third book in my Unbridled Series, Dangerous Deception, released on November 1st—I
am considering a murder mystery
party—it’s all about the fun, the joy, the accomplishment, and sharing it all
with your friends and family. You’ve worked hard to write your story. You had
the courage that so many do not possess to expose that work to the public and
say: Here is what I have written. Read
it, judge it, and review it, because I believe in it. Even if you go to
your favorite restaurant for a quiet dinner with your special
someone—commemorate the moment—you’ve earned it, and you certainly deserve it.
Cindy’s
books are available in print and ebook on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and
where all fine books are sold. The books
of the Unbridled Series are available for review upon request: cindys.mcdonald@gmail.com.
Cindy’s
networks: www.cindymcwriter.com
twitter
handle: @cindymcdonald7
Congrats on the new release, Cindy! And what a fun idea to have a launch party for new book. I may have to do that next time around:-) This new book sounds great! Great post!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on yet another great book, Cindy! You're right! After all that hard work, it is time to celebrate! You've earned it.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Lauren
Thanks Kim and Lauren. It always feels good to finish and have some fun afterward. Hope you have wonderful holidays!
ReplyDelete