Mary C. Ryan Words for Young Readers

EBOOKS!

A mix of reality and science fiction, The Secret in The West Woods pits two unlikely heroes against a force who is out to capture fame and fortune at the expense of a defenseless creature. Get this for your Kindle, iPod, or iPad from Amazon.com for only $1.99.

This chapter book is sure to bit a hit with young readers, especially boys involved with hockey, as they find out whether Jeremy is successful in getting the new skates he knows will make him the star of the team. From Amazon.com for only $.99.

Seventh grader Ray Brennan has a lot on his plate. A major trumpet solo in the school jazz band’s spring concert is in serious jeopardy, things aren’t going well at home, and to top it off, there’s the question of who’s been watching him. Add a mysterious girl who nobody seems to know and a best friend who’s no help at all, and Ray wonders if things can get any worse. As it turns out, they can. Ray eventually learns that help can come from very unexpected sources, but that it’s not always easy accepting it. Available as a $3.99 download on your computer and for Kindle, iBook, Nook, Sony Reader and other readers.
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132164

MY FRIEND, O'CONNELL

Just in time for the opening of major league baseball season 2013! They say you gotta have heart, and O'Connell shows that he does.
Watch for the complete O'Connell series as ebooks, coming in 2013.

HIGH HOPES

I'm finally getting out of the winter doldrums. Everything is blooming in shades of pink and green and white. Mother Nature has a wonderful way of refreshing one's soul. So I thought I'd do a little refreshing of my own and took out some of my writings with an eye toward submitting them. I managed about six queries and submissions and already have two rejections. They weren't bad rejections, however, so I take heart that the next time will be the charm. That's a big part of the writer's life--hope!
I'm also working on a new novel--no title, no solid plot as yet, but every day seems to bring more revelation. Did you know that thinking is considered Work for a writer? Yes, even when you're doing other things like washing the family car, walking the dog or even on hold on your cell phone. I once heard someone tell about being at dinner with the famous Andrew Lloyd Webber when suddenly he just seemed as if he was a million miles away. I know that feeling. An idea just goes floating by and you better grab it, no matter what's going on.

     Still Ready for Spring

    I don't know what the holdup is, but we're still freezing here! I'll be back when the weatherman decides to be cooperative and fix it so my fingers don't freeze on the keyboard! Meanwhile, take a look at the new O'Connell story and at least you'll feel in tune with the season.

             Ready for Spring
    This is the time of year I start watching for sprouts in the garden and in the woods behind the house. The crocus are often the first to appear, or maybe the skunk cabbage down by the creek. Already, the newspapers are heralding the yearly pancake breakfasts, which means that the sap is a'risin'.
    Winter hasn't been too horrific--yet. I guess there's still time. We did escape south for ten days to go on a cruise with some old friends. We did a little snorkeling, kayaking, and learning about Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras. It was pretty interesting. The next day, we had the neat experience of going down 110 ft. onto a coral reef off the Yucatan in a small submersible. I loved looking out the window at all the colorful fish and coral and even waved at a group of SCUBA divers, as if we were in a bus driving by a streetcorner!
    Is it spring where you are yet? What signs do you see? Are you starting any seeds in preparation for a garden? Last year, I tried growing spaghetti squash. I think I would have done better if it weren't for our resident groundhog, who decided that little green plants were the yummiest thing ever. I managed to foil him with some netting, but the slow start meant that there wasn't much action on the vines. This year, I will prevail.
    I also joined a new writer's group and am working on an intermediate book. What it's about and where it's going are things to be determined later. This is probably the least I've known about a work in progress ever. But I have confidence that the magic of writing will occur. I just have to keep plugging away.
    If you're a writer, what are you working on?

2012: IN REVIEW

     As it goes, 2012 was a pretty good year. At the moment, I'm still on the right side of the grass, I recently passed all my medical checkups, and I managed to get some books out there. I started the year with a resolution to take some time for myself and I did a good job with that. I had to say no a lot, but I survived and so did everyone I said it to, I guess. I did some traveling--Florida, Wisconsin, Washington State, New York and Virginia. The absolute best part was the wedding of our granddaughter. We had all 28 of our family in church for the beautiful ceremony. Second best was losing nearly 20 lbs. My knees don't hurt so much, my back either. It cost me a few bucks to replace some of the stuff hanging in my closet, but it was overdue anyway. One of my resolutions for 2013 is to keep it off!
     Top on my list, though, is to do a better job of marketing my books. If you've been published recently, you know that it's not your father's book promotion any more. Twitter, Facebook, web sites, blogs and the like have necessitated new ways of presenting you and your books to the public.    The good news for readers is that books are getting cheaper and cheaper--at least if you go the digital route. I currently do a lot of reading on my MP3 player, downloading audio books from the library. But there's still nothing like holding a bunch of real pages in your hand and let's hope that never goes away. I don't think it will.
     Have a wonderful 2013--and remember to make someone happy. BUY A BOOK! If not mine, then someone else's. You'll be all the better for it.

Visit my blogs at www.entropyplaza.blogspot.com or www.thegrannyapple.com