To the right you will find links to two book trailers for my new book, The Declaration of Independence from A to Z. The first one I put together, and the second one was created by the illustrator of the book, Layne Johnson. Enjoy!

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This weekend I spent a few hours on Saturday on the remake of one of my book promos. The audio on the original was poor, so I took the original monologue but used a different background. This week I will edit the video and add titles so it can be used as a promotional piece.

Sometimes things need to be redone. An article needs to be reworded or a character needs to be redeveloped. Whatever the case, we should not balk too much when we have to take a second try at something. I think it encourages creativity and flexibility.

What have you had to redo lately?

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It’s a good thing I like to research. I never realized that much of my writing (perhaps 60% or more) involves research of some sort. Whether it’s looking up facts about early American history, shipping trade along the California coast, or confirming Bible passages, I’m constantly taking time off from writing to look up details.

But that’s okay. I want my stories to be accurate, and I love adding tidbits of information that will make my work interesting to my readers.

Currently I’m working on developing my school visit program. I’ve already scoured the library for books and I’ve electronically visited the digital collections of the Library of Congress to find those wonderful snippets that will make my visit a memorable one. I even have a family member in Virginia checking on some facts when she visits Colonial Williamsburg.

Research is an important aspect of writing. I hope you’re taking the time to get “in the details.”

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Do you ever think about how one thing leads to another? If I hadn’t offered to help my friend improve her writing, I wouldn’t have been bitten by the writing bug. And if I hadn’t been written by the writing bug at that time, I wouldn’t be having a book coming out next month. One domino drops, and a whole sequence starts moving.

I may have had a little domino effect today. If I hadn’t taken time to make a phone call about a non-writing matter this morning, the person I called would have never known I was a writer. And if that person didn’t know I was a writer, I may not have an opportunity for a possible event regarding my book.

We never know where our steps will take us, but if we never step out and move in a direction, we’ll never know what potentials are waiting for us.

Where are your dominos leading you?

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