May 3, 2013

The Encinitas Street Fair was a great opportunity to get my book out for the public to see. Though I didn’t sell any books at the event I gave away some bookmarks, business cards, and other free stuff! I am on the lookout for a bookstore that carries local authors. If any of you know of a place, let me know. Happy Reading!

Encinitas Street Fair - April 28, 2013

The Encinitas Street Fair in California is another way for me to open my book up to new readers. If you have already bought my book, feel free to come by and say hi. If you bought my book online, I would be happy to personally sign it. I will have in the Read Local Section of the fair, at I Street and the 101. Hope to see you there!

April 26, 2013

Hi Readers,

I have great news! If you are interested in purchasing my book from Blurb.com they are having a special sale right now through May 2, that’s next Thursday! Here's how: just use the code SHARING10 at Blurb Bookstore's checkout and get $10 off a book. If you or someone you know is interested, don’t wait any longer. Follow the link in the right panel of my blog and check out my book. Enjoy! And Happy Friday!

April 1, 2013

Hi All! Hope you are doing well! I have been busy working on the third book as well as continuing to work full-time and train/ride my two horses! Whew! God is good! I am enjoying a great time in my life!

What makes a good story? That depends on who you ask. A young child might say a story with lots of pictures. The pictures need to have bright colors to draw their eye! Someone else might say that the cover is what grabs them, if they pick up the book and don’t see what they are looking for in the cover, they will put it back and not even read the summary.

What makes a good story? First, you need to know who your audience is. I am targeting 11-16 year old people who are looking for a little mystery and adventure. My covers include a few intriguing elements from the book that will grab the attention of the audience.

I ask my editors what they think of the cover, what grabs their attention, what might stick out and actually detract from my purpose? These are all things that go into writing, finalizing, and publishing a great story.

What are some things you think of that might be helpful to other writers out there? All thoughts are encouraged!

Happy Easter!

February 26, 2013

I was encouraged yesterday by one of my soon-to-be readers. I had mentioned my book to his 9 year old and she said she couldn't wait to read it! She loves to read! Well, the next day I saw her, yesterday. I mentioned the book again and she jumped up very excited! Stories like this encourage me to continue with my writing. I love it!

February 17, 2013

I was reading in the book of Exodus and was struck by the fact that even after the miracle of the plagues that only touched Egypt and even after the crossing of the Red Sea, the people of Israel didn't trust God to see them through to safety. 

It is the same with us now. We have a hard time trusting God with every aspect of our lives. We think that our little situations don't warrant prayer, but the fact is that God wants us to talk to Him about all our situations, not just the big ones.

I want to remember God has a plan for my life. I look forward to what he will do!

January 14, 2013

Hi Readers!
I received some great encouragement this past weekend from one of my readers. This young lady is super excited about my books and loves the adventures. It is fun to hear from my readers. Please leave a comment on this blog and I'll read them. You might even see your Comment on the online blog. Thank you for the encouragement, readers! Keep it coming! ~Shari Lynn Brown

December 23, 2012

As I get ready for the Christmas season, I am amazed by God's gift to us. That day many years ago, Jesus came from His perfect home above to be a Savior to a fallen world. A Savior to a world who didn't know Him. He came to give life, by dying on this planet and by doing so, sharing His love for all man-kind. His amazing gift is for all the people of this fallen world. Have you accepted the free gift?

December 3, 2012

I just received an email form Blurb.com where I self-published my first two "Mystery of M" books. If you are interested in saving $10 on your online purchase, enter "GIVE10" at checkout to receive the discount. This offer is only valid through December 12th. Thank you and happy reading! ~Shari

November 3, 2012

I have been reading in the book of James recently and a thought struck me. James is writing to the twelve tribes that are scattered among the nations. James 1:6 says, “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” At times it might feel like you are being tossed around as a wave in the sea, are you asking and truly setting aside doubts? God does have a plan and a purpose for your life.

I think most of the time it is hard to give our lives over to someone we not only can’t see, but one we can’t touch. However, we must remember that God does want a relationship with us. He wants us to love Him because we want to love Him, not just because we are created and made by Him. God gave his creation free will because true love is something given freely because it can’t be held back. True love is God’s gift to us and our gift back to God.  

October 23, 2012

I am participating in the National Authors Day in November. See below for information:

National Authors Day

When: November 3, 2012 @ 9:30 am – 3:00 pm
Where: Oceanside Public Library
              330 N Coast Hwy
              Oceanside, CA 92054
Cost: FREE

October 23, 2012

I was eating a bowl of grapes the other day, a bowl of delicious green and ruby red grapes. From my exact position, with the bowl to my left, I could not see all the grapes in the bowl. I thought I could see them all until I turned the bowl to get a different perspective. Isn’t that the way it is with life sometimes? Looking from one perspective or angle, the situation seems hopeless, but if seen from a different angle it might not look so bad. Glass is half full, not half empty! What situations have you been in that look better from a different perspective?

October 11, 2012

I opened my computer this afternoon to work on my second mystery book, The Mystery of Millions. However, I didn't get past opening my Mac laptop. My screen was green. Lime green and I couldn't read the document I had left open. Oh no!!! My graphic card chose today to malfunction! I went online and was able to sign-up for a Genius Bar appointment for 7:45 pm this evening. Whew! I took my computer i

n and sure enough, it is most likely the graphic card. However, my graphic card is connected to the main frame (I think that's what the man said), so I have to send it away to get fixed. The man at the Genius Bar said it would be anywhere from 3-5 days! *Sigh!* I am on hold on my book until I get my computer back. All the information is backed up, so I will be able to start from where I left off. It is kind of a bummer! I don't get to work on my book this weekend! I guess God has another plan for my weekend! :-) Also, the man at the Genius Bar said they ship the computer by UPS. UPS is closed on Saturday and Sunday, so I am blessed that the graphic card went out today. It can be shipped out tomorrow and then fixed over the weekend. I will have the computer back, hopefully Monday or Tuesday.

September 18, 2012

We did a free-write in my English class the other day and I learned a lot. So many times we have to get something finished, so we can’t just take the time to write whatever comes to mind. However, it is helpful to do a free-write especially when you are working on a story and come up against a roadblock. Sometimes if you just let your mind go you will think of something you can use in your story. In my class the teacher gave us a prompt and we were supposed to keep our pencils (and pens) moving for five minutes. At the end of five minutes the teacher asked if any of us had stayed on the same topic or if we had gone off on a tangent. Most people had gone off on a tangent. Interesting!

July 30, 2012

I recently bought my ISBN number and barcode for my first book! I am so excited to see what doors open up! One of the next steps I want to take is to talk to the lady at Barnes & Noble about getting my book on the Nook. I talked with her a while ago when I met her at the Escondido Library Book Expo, but I needed to get the ISBN number before I could get my book on Nook. Maybe I’ll be able to talk to her this weekend!

My second book is well on its way and I’m still on track to get it published by December! Yay!