Blog Tour
Guest Post & Giveaway
It's NOT Just a Dog!
by Pam Torres
Blurb:
School's out for the summer and straight-talking Madison and her friend Cooper have big plans for the summer: working at the kennel, training service dogs and creating a dog-walking business—besides writing her dog-blog. Her stepdad has agreed to make Lilly, Madison's foster puppy, a permanent member of the Morgan family, and Madison wants to make the adoption special.
When an injured dog is abandoned, Madison's determined to discover the truth about the orphaned dog. To crack this crime she'll have to sneak around some shady characters. It'll be tricky since her dad isn't happy about her animal detective activities. Her promise not to get into trouble won't be easy. Madison convinces Cooper to strike out on their own, but Lilly is dognapped and Madison finds herself locked in a shed with no way out. She regrets her crime-fighting obsession and realizes her snooping has endangered everyone she cares about. Cooper rallies an unlikely group of rescuers to bust her out.
In the end Madison learns she can depend on her friends and her stepfather. And when it comes to people and dogs, relationships are never simple, and a dog is never—JUST a dog!
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Guest Post:
What Self-Publishing Means To Me
by Pam Torres
by Pam Torres
As self-publishing gains popularity, there are those that still
doubt what the effects on the publishing industry will be in the long
run. I’m not as concerned about that. What will be, will be. Evidence in
other industries that are still evolving into this digital age shows
the number-one benefit for everyone is access and diversity in the
voices we hear. That alone, to me, is a big reason to celebrate. See
Bowker's "Self-Publishing Report.”
Surprisingly,
there are still many that are holding out, speaking negatively about
those that choose to publish independently and refusing to open their
minds to these new voices. Quality seems to be the biggest complaint. I
find it ironic that in a free-market economy that publishing has been
dominated by a few big names, managing much of what people see and hear.
These issues I’ll leave to the debaters and economists. I’m more
focused on what self-publishing means to me.
The benefits
that I have experienced and continue to find with my choice to publish
independently far outweigh the negative noise from nay-sayers:
Diversity:
“Of 3,200 children’s books published in 2013, just ninety-three were
about black people, according to a study by the Cooperative Children’s
Book Center at the University of Wisconsin.” —The NY Times
This is about “gatekeepers,” those who make the choices about what we
read and what gets published. Their choices are often biased by their
own inability to connect with characters different from themselves. See
The Guardian. We
need alternative voices, our children need to hear alternative voices.
This is probably the single most powerful reason I believe in
self-publishing.
Timing:
I am over fifty years old, and self-publishing has given me the
opportunity to see my work published in book form sooner. The reality is
you can sell your book to an agent, or even a publisher, only to have
your work squashed or held back for years.
Control: I have had the opportunity
to work with illustrators, collaborate with wonderful editors and work
hand in hand with talented people to create the vision I have for my
books. I love the feeling of creating a piece of art from vision to
reality.
Price:
I choose what price I set. I don’t have a large publishing house
dictating what my books sell for. That freedom allows me to offer deals
and giveaways and allow my titles to be read by more people. See
Courtney Milan’s article, “Know What Your Rights Are Worth.” Setting my own prices affords me the opportunity to use my books as a fundraiser.
Money:
It hasn't been possible to evaluate this aspect until recently. Numbers
are now emerging that show that independent authors are seeing higher
incomes than their traditional counterparts. See The 7K report. For me and Project Madison it means I have the freedom to make more money for the cause of animals and their care.
Pace: Let’s
face it, building a body of work and an audience takes time.
Self-publishing digitally and POD creates a longevity that authors
didn’t have before. I can methodically build my “brand,” learning what
works and what doesn’t without worrying that my window to find readers
is closing. I’ve always been a long-distance runner—pace is where it’s
at.
I
believe in self-publishing as a philosophical and moral ideal. In
looking back through history, it has been the stifling or censoring of
voices that have impeded our ability as human beings to evolve into a
society based on respect, honesty and love. Many scientific discoveries
were hidden for years before coming to the forefront and furthering our
understanding of the world around us. I say open the floodgates; the
more voices, the more points of view, the closer we get to the truth of
things.
Pam
Torres was born in Logan, Utah and did most of her growing up in
Prairie Village, Kansas. Besides playing Dorothy during tornado weather
and digging Peter Pan-like underground forts she also played piano and
ran cross-country. She started her family early, and had five energetic
and creative children, and returned to school when the last one was
four. She has fond memories of reading and playing with her children in
between hefty amounts of volunteering at church and their schools.
Several of her favorite memories are doing writers’ workshop, updating
the art docent program, recruiting volunteers, working as the parent
liaison for the curriculum team, publishing articles in the newsletter
and directing a very popular after-school art club.
Writing was the one constant in her life through all the struggles of single parenthood, stepparent issues and bringing a large family together. She continued to write her brains out in hopes of writing full-time one day. After five years in sales, she quit her well-paying job to write. Her supportive husband is her biggest cheerleader and she frequently acknowledges that she couldn’t have done it without him.
The Project Madison Series is her debut middle-grade series. She organized Project Madison around its release and is donating 10% of her proceeds to the ASPCA®, animal shelters and other programs to benefit homeless or abused animals.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Prize Packages
About The Author: Pam Torres
Writing was the one constant in her life through all the struggles of single parenthood, stepparent issues and bringing a large family together. She continued to write her brains out in hopes of writing full-time one day. After five years in sales, she quit her well-paying job to write. Her supportive husband is her biggest cheerleader and she frequently acknowledges that she couldn’t have done it without him.
The Project Madison Series is her debut middle-grade series. She organized Project Madison around its release and is donating 10% of her proceeds to the ASPCA®, animal shelters and other programs to benefit homeless or abused animals.
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a Rafflecopter giveaway
Prize Packages
- Grand Prize- Set of illustrations signed by the illustrators, set of bookmarks, official Netta recipe card with biscuit mold, full set of magnets, set of stickers, signed hard copies of both books in the series, and a dream catcher.
- First Prize- 3 illustrations signed by the illustrators, bookmarks, official Netta recipe card with biscuit mold, full set of magnets, set of stickers, hard copies of both books in the series.
- Second Prize- 2 illustrations signed by the illustrators, bookmarks, official Netta recipe card with biscuit mold, full set of magnets, set of stickers, signed hard copies of both books in the series.
- Third Prize- 2 illustrations signed by the illustrators, official Netta recipe card with biscuit mold, bookmarks, magnets, stickers, signed hard copies of both books in the series.
- Swag Packages- One 5x7 signed illustration, bookmarks, magnets, stickers, an ebook in the format of your choice.
More chances to win…
- Facebook Page Contests- During the month of June the Project Madison Facebook Fan Page will be conducting contests and giveaways, so be sure to check there frequently for a chance to win some great prizes.
- Attention Teachers and Parents: Anyone who emails (torres dot pam3 at gmail dot com) a JPG of a tween holding my book, a student or relative will receive a personalized letter from Madison and signed by Lilly dog. In addition, they will also be entered into a special drawing for an entire classroom to receive copies of the book and a visit from the author. (Sorry, this is for Washington State Teachers only.) One entry per child, per picture. Be sure to include your school name, teachers name and contact information.
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Social Media Links
You can find It’s NOT Just A Dog! at the online stores below:
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June Blog Tour Schedule and Links
Week One7- Indigo Quill
Week Two13- Susan Kaye Quinn
Week Three17- The Owl’s Skull18- Literary Rambles
Week Four27- Reads 4 Tweens
Week FiveJuly 1st- Buried In Books
2 comments:
Thanks for having me Shannon! I appreciate being able to share my book and my guest post with your readers. I'd love to answer any questions or talk about self-publishing, if any of your readers would like to discuss it further. Don't forget to stop by my blog for you chance to win the giveaway!
Who doesn't love a story about dogs! And service dog, no less. Many congrats to Pam. Thrilled for her.
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