FREE Kindle Book -- Free Ebook Today!

My book REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD is FREE on Kindle today, November 10, 2012. This is my fourth free KDP Select day, so time is running out. I get just one more free day after this, so this is your chance to get my book for free. Do it now before my special ends.

I'm realizing in retrospect that scheduling my last free day to be on Election Day in the US wasn't the wisest idea. Most people weren't online looking for books; they were checking out election results. But it's now the weekend and reading a good ebook is the perfect way to relax. So why not download mine and get your mind off of your troubles for a couple of hours?

Like I said, time is running out, so get BAND GEEK for free while you can! Head over to REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD on Amazon!

REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD: The Tale Behind The Title

When it came to choosing my book's title, REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD, a lot of thought was put into it. I wanted something that's catchy, shocking -- and captures the dark comedy tones of my story.

This wasn't my novel's original title. It was actually called WHO'S ON FIRST?, alluding to the fight between Melinda and Kathy for first chair flute. However, when my former agent took me on, she immediately told me to nix that title, explaining that it was too vague and too reminiscent of Abbott and Costello's famed "Who's On First?" bit (I was kind of going for a play on that, but I understood what she was saying). Instead, she suggested that I make my title music-related. I suggested a straight-to-the-point FIRST CHAIR, but she again said that it was too vague and advised me to incorporate the revenge aspect. I brainstormed ideas and eventually came up with REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD. My agent loved it! So did many of the editors to whom she sent my manuscript. Though they all disagreed on which parts of my story they liked and disliked, they all got a kick out of the intriguing title.

One of the criticisms I recently received is that the title gives away too much of the story, but I don't think that this is the case. It tells the gist of the tale -- you know that a band geek is going to do something awful in the name of revenge, but you don't know why or how, or if there will be consequences. I mean, take the popular movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre. You know that people will die and you know how they'll be killed, but you don't know the details -- and that's what makes you want to tune in.

Being a journalist, I like to think of my title as being kind of like a headline in a newspaper. It's the lead-in that teases an idea, but doesn't give the entire story away. It's the very first part of a story -- even before you read the first line -- that gets you excited and draws you in. A header like, "Crazy Mom Goes On Rampage In Supermarket" technically tells you exactly what happened, but definitely grabs your attention and makes you want to find out WHY and HOW it happened.

Besides, revenge is only part of my story. There is also romance, friendship, music among other things; it's just that for the title's sake, highlighting the revenge aspect made the most sense to me.

So I'm sticking with my title -- and am confident that others will want to "get revenge," as well.

Please read and review REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD, FREE on Kindle, today, November 10.

Movie Review -- And Why I Chose To Be A Writer Instead Of A Musician

My husband and I saw a wonderful movie last night called A Late Quartet. It stars some fabulous actors, including Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and takes viewers into the lives of four musicians who play in a popular chamber group. The foursome, who've been together for 25 years, are devastated when their cellist (Walken) announces that he has Parkinson's Disease -- and their lives are suddenly turned upside-down and inside out.

I enjoyed the movie because the music was a big focus; there's even a fight over first chair, which I took as a shout-out! But what I really loved was how the story explored the messy dynamics between the quartet members. These musicians had been together for so long, they'd become family -- and as in many families, you had intense fights and heartbreaking betrayals. The final scene was so powerful, it made my eyes tear (and I rarely cry during movies), and the movie audience clapped with approval during the credits. I highly recommend seeing it regardless if you're a musician yourself.

After, my husband and I went to dinner and Jon questioned why I never became a professional musician in the traditional sense, meaning why didn't I join an orchestra or a chamber group? The simple answer: I just didn't want to. Though I was a very competitive flutist in high school, I didn't LIKE being competitive. I usually did well, but it was stressful. I often got up at 4:30 a.m. to get in some practice before school (my parents were early risers so this wasn't an issue) and lost sleep over auditions. If I didn't get a good score or make a particular orchestra, I'd be in tears. I felt almost trapped by being a skilled player because so much was expected of me and I wasn't playing music because I liked it. I just liked being good at it.

The times I did have fun performing were in jazz band and musical pit orchestra, where I played sax. These weren't very competitive groups so I could just relax and enjoy myself. As a group, we worked hard, but there was no fighting over chairs or fighting for a score from judges.

In college, I lightened up a great deal and remembered why I loved to play the flute so much. I wasn't a music major, so it no longer bothered me if I wasn't first chair. At that point, I stopped caring if I was even a part of the first section. I just wanted to play and have a good time. I still practiced a lot, but it was more for myself. I learned how to play clarinet and was proud to be one of the few "triplers" in school.

Still, while I participated in plenty of ensembles, I had no interest in taking "serious" music classes like composition or music theory. During my junior year, my jazz band instructor insisted on giving me private lessons where he taught me some theory and honestly, I hated it. I much preferred playing music as a hobby and wanted to give more time to writing for the local newspaper. He was a teacher whom I respected, but his lessons made me quit the jazz band for a semester because I needed to get away from him.

When I was in grad school, I tried out for a local orchestra and the conductor turned me down because he thought that me not being a music major meant that I wasn't a serious performer. I was angry at the time, but looking back, he was right. I wasn't. I was serious about becoming a journalist. I didn't want to practice flute for six hours a day and then spend hours in rehearsals. Playing the flute for an hour or two in band was enough for me.

These days, I do consider myself to be "professional" because I'm skilled enough that I make some money from playing the flute. I performed with a band for several years, taught at camps and gave private lessons, play at weddings and even put out a CD. But I mainly think of music as a hobby. I know that if I put in more time, I could be a lot better than I am, but I'm happy where I'm at. It fits into my life nicely along with my writing and jewelry making.

In high school, I didn't really care about the music; it was more about being the best -- or one of the best -- at something. I now play BECAUSE I love music and the flute, and I'm much, much happier.

For more musical stories, please read and review my novel REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD. FREE on Kindle today, November 10!

Get My FREE Kindle Book Today!

Right now, on November 6 only, REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD is FREE on Kindle! So please head over to check it out! This offer is only for today.

The more copies that are downloaded, the higher my rank is pushed up, so please help me out. I'd LOVE to have at least 1000 copies downloaded today. It only takes two seconds to do so -- and you get a free book to enjoy. You're the winner in this scenario!

Of course, please take the time to actually read BAND GEEK once you've downloaded it. You won't be disappointed.

So today is the time to head over to Amazon and check out REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD -- for free!

FREE Kindle Book TOMORROW!

Great news! I've decided to use another one of my KDP Select FREE days. So for tomorow, November 6, 2012, only -- get my Young Adult novel REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD for FREE!

Of course, if you download my book, please take the time to actually read it and then review it. So far, it's getting great reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads.

BAND GEEK has a little of everything: romance, drama, family relationships, a memorable coming-of-age story... and it's extremely fast-paced. Check it out while commuting to work on the train, or while you're relaxing between classes.

So head to my Amazon page tomorrow for another FREE giveaway -- and enjoy reading REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD!

Join Me On My Virtual Book Tour!

It's the first day of my book tour for REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD! Sorry I haven't posted as much as I'd promised; Hurricane Sandy did some damage on my family's home and we're still in California due to canceled flights. Needless to say, my mind has been elsewhere. But I'm trying to get back into gear (especially since I'm not sure if I'll have Internet or power when we return to New York)so let's get this thing started!

Today, my tour begins at the prime hosting site Virtual Book Cafe. Head over to this link and you can sign up to win that grand prize giveaway that I previously wrote about: one winner selected will get a free copy of BAND GEEK, a free autographed FLUTE PATH CD and a free pair of handmade G clef music earrings. Meanwhile, I'll also be giving away more free copies of my book. So head over there or to their Facebook page and sign up. All you need to do is click and add your name; it's that easy.

Tomorrow, my tour heads to Cindy Vine's Blog, where I'll be writing a guest post. Make sure you follow me there and check it out!

Meanwhile, please read and review REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD, now only 99 cents!

Free Kindle Books! Special Giveaway!

Just two more days until my Virtual Book Tour for BAND GEEK takes off! As I said earlier, I will be doing interviews and guest blog posts. I'll also be offering some exciting giveaways and freebies for readers!

In addition to giving away several free copies of my Kindle book, one GRAND PRIZE winner from the tour will get a very special triple treat: a FREE book, a FREE pair of handmade earrings and a FREE autographed copy of my jazz flute CD! Here is some more information on each prize.

A FREE copy of REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD (sent by me as a Kindle gift)

My ebook follows the story of Melinda, a shy high school flute player who loses her seat in band to popular girl Kathy. Mel teams up with cute trumpet player Josh and they plot to take down Kathy. Along the way, Mel and Josh fall in love, but Melinda begins to question Josh's behavior -- and is forced to grow up as she deals with some tough decisions.

So far, BAND GEEK is getting rave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads! Many are saying that though it's a high school story, readers of all ages will enjoy it. I describe it as a dark comedy, a la Heathers or Welcome To The Dollhouse or Election. There's drama, friendship, romance, suspense; all in all, it's a very fast-paced read. This will be a chance to get a copy for FREE!

My jazz CD FLUTE PATH

In my book, Melinda loves to play the flute. I also play in real life and this is an example of my work. This CD was a true challenge for me to put together. I composed all of the songs, taking inspiration from jazz greats like Dave Brubeck. I then played both the flute AND piano parts (I hired a drummer and guitarist). Many ask how I played both and the answer is simple: I first recorded the piano section and then played flute over it. I didn't play both instruments at the same time! Still, piano is not my best instrument; I describe myself as being conversational on piano and fluent on flute. So it was interesting to get my piano playing up to a level where it sounded good enough to record.

FREE pair of handmade Treble Clef earrings!

When I'm not writing or making music, I run my two jewelry businesses Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations. All of my pieces are handmade by me and these earrings are no exception. They're made from 20 gauge silver plated copper wire, which I twisted into a G-clef. On the ends hang Swarovski crystal hearts. The winner will get to choose which color heart he or she wants. I make earrings in many designs, but wanted to go with a musical theme in honor of BAND GEEK.

So there you have it. These are the three items that I'll be giving away to ONE grand prize winner on my book tour. So keep checking in on this blog for updates and that day's tour location. And make sure to read and review REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD!

Publishing With KDP Select

After much thought, I've decided to enroll BAND GEEK in Kindle Direct Publishing's KDP Select program. Yes, you have to sell your ebook exclusively with them, but that contract is for only 90 days. Plus, you get five days during that period when you can sell your book for free.

Before making this decision, I read many articles from authors about their experience and most have been happy with the program. Many have seen sales take off after doing a freebie promotion. That said, I'm offering my first freebie promotion tomorrow. It's run for one day, Sunday, October 21. So make sure you check out BAND GEEK because I'm literally giving it away!

As I've said before, I'm not in this business for the money. I'll be happy if I can make a few thousand a year from writing. I'm really not expecting to get rich (though if I do, that will be very nice!). But I would like to get my work out there, have people read my words and be entertained. If doing a promotion like this helps with that then it will be worth losing some cash.

Please read and review my novel (for FREE on October 21!) REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.