Want to Host a Tremolo Virtual Book Tour?

Good morning friends and writers!

Now that Tremolo: cry of the loon is out, I'm seeking candidates to host my Virtual Book Tour, or Blog Tour during the months of January and February, 2008.

What's a Virtual Book Tour, you might ask? Well, it's basically a succession of reviews and/or interviews or articles posted by a reader during a specific time period. Remember Beryl Singleton Bissell's Blog Tour? For ten weeks, friends/readers/reviewers hosted Beryl's book, The Scent of God. It was so much fun, and I was honored to be a small part of it. (see a sample, here.)

What does "hosting" mean? (I know, it can all be very confusing!) A Blog Tour host usually reads the book, writes a review and/or interview questions, and posts the resultant said review/interview on their blog. Don't have a blog? Not a problem. You can simply post an article on Gather, and that is a lovely alternative!

(why am I inserting photos in here of leaves and trees?? Sorry, I can't help myself. But Gus LeGarde, the hero in LeGarde Mysteries, lives here, so I guess it's a good excuse!)

If you think you'd like to: 1) Read Tremolo  2) Write a review or 3) Formulate some interview questions for me, then contact me through Gather mail with "Tremolo Tour" in the subject line so I don't miss your note. Or, email me at aaron . lazar @yahoo.com (minus the spaces.)

If you're accepted as a Virtual Book Tour Host (I have only eight slots, but am willing to expand it if it makes sense), I will send you a free copy of Tremolo. If you've already purchased it, you'll receive another copy to give away or save. ;o) We'll choose a week that works for you. And the formula above is not cast in stone - you might choose to do a live chat, or simply write about the book, or feature some other clever way to help spread the word about Tremolo. You send me the interview questions in advance of the tour, and I'll return the answers to you in time for you to post them during your week.

Suggestions for reviews: Write a bit about the story and your reaction to it. But don't reveal key secrets, such as the identity of the lady in mourning, or who the villain is, or what happens to poor Sharon Adamski, the missing girl. This sounds pretty obvious, but sometimes folks don't realize they've revealed too much. They call these "story spoilers," and we don't want to spoil the story for anyone, of course!

Sound easy? It is! It does take a little time, but it's also a good way for you to get more traffic to your site or home page on Gather, since I'll write a weekly article directing folks to your blog/article, and folks often follow the tour from blog to blog. It's great for networking, too!

 (Letchworth State Park, along trail #20)

Usually there are comments that come with your posting/blog entry, and I will visit to answer all of them during the week. That's why I chose a week for each event - to give time for the free exchange of comments!

You don't have to be a writer or official reviewer to do this - I welcome enthusiastic readers!

Okay, enough already. I hope you are tolerating my efforts to reach out to readers. Phew. It's a crazy time. Barely enough time to breathe. And I haven't written in For Keeps (my twelfth book, current WIP) for over a week. I got up at 3:00 AM to write this, since I have to get the van inspected at 7:30 and want to sneak in a hike with my daughter before starting the wild weekend chores, like delivering chairs for our caning business and mowing that very shaggy lawn. Lots to do!

I hope you read some of the featured pieces today. There's a lovely short story by Carol R, entitled, "Stones in Her Pockets," that I loved. Check it out, and the other great works that have come in today. ;o)

Take care, my friends. And for those of you who love to write, remember to write like the wind!

Aaron