TALES TO READ IN A HAMMOCK by Robyn P Murray

Today is the launch of my new book this time a small anthology of short stories. Tales to Read in a Hammock available in paperback and Kindle.
It it s joint launch with a fellow scribe from the book club I belong to Mangere Bridge Writers Group - Peter Rankin is a writer of Crime Thrillers.
I am looking forward to a fun evening and of course lots of interest in my book and writing.

To Blog or not to Blog that is the question!  Life gets busy doesn't it?  What is the best way to market one's books and maybe oneself?  Tweet? Facebook? Blog? or a little of all.  I found that it is important to use whatever opportunity presents itself to say - 'I'm a writer, of....whatever genre you are writing' and if asked a question follow up without being pushy.  You soon know when people switch off.  I have been lucky that I have a had a number of 'front page' interviews over the year in local papers the most recent was when The Royal NZ Institute for the Blind chose my first Childrens' Illustrated Book Roger the Rooster of Ambury Park Farm to transcribe into accessable formats for sight impaired children throughout New Zealand.  I was thrilled and got a wonderful piece written about me and my books, which transcribed into sales!
Choose your market, follow up, contribute and donate books to local fundraisers.
I have had a collection of short stories set over 100 years called The Park Bench I am very keen to publish, but I have been interrupted by 'life' at present so to keep myself writing, am editing stories written over the years and when ready very soon I plan, will publish them on Create Space first.  Also checking out Create Space it looks like I can get some of my other Children's stories illustrated and prepared for Print on Demand and Amazon.  Just do it. Is the catch cry.  What a difference as I have said before, a year makes.  Decide you are going to follow your dream to make your goal happen; then do it.

What a Difference a Year Makes

One year ago my first Children's Book Roger the Rooster of Ambury Park Farm was launched and over the year I independently published another story The Spirit of Cameron of Ambury Park Farm and uploaded some short stories to Amazon/Kindle.  I am in the middle of completing a collection of Short Stories entitled The Park Bench and working on a novel.  Exciting times, I enjoy the feedback from my children's stories am very keen to have them available for iPad or Kindle.
The challenge at present is learning  new Technology which appears to change daily.  I am enjoying this time of my life it proves one is never too late to follow a dream.

New Zealand's Drought

I have spent the weekend travelling down the middle of the North Island and witnessed the sad evidence of drought on the country.  Dry paddocks, no green fields, rivers almost disappeared.   Driving past the beautiful enormous lake Taupo, one of the deepest and largest in the World I believe is an experience.  Seeing the majestic Ruapehu, Tongariro, Ngarauruhoe alongside the Desert Road is breathtaking.  New Zealand is a beautiful country - looking forward to breaking of the drought and blessed rain falling to give us green grass and flowing rivers again.

Marketing and Sales of books

This has been an amazing experience meeting people, reading to children and getting their feedback.
Earlier this week I spent a few hours at Monte Cecelia Primary School, reading to the younger children and talking with the older children about the joy of writing and being an author.  A beautiful little school set in a wonderful park and soon to celebrate their centennial.
I am getting enquiries and sales from my website which is very pleasing.  I hope you enjoy the 2nd part of my short story LEAVING DANNY.  I look forward to reading any comments.

March 2013 Blog update.

The silence from my Blog has been deafening!  I have been busy marketing and selling my two Illustrated Children's Books, Roger the Rooster of Ambury Park Farm and THE SPIRIT OF CAMERON OF AMBURY PARK FARM.  I also uploaded The Girl who was Found in A Seagull's Nest to Amazon/Kindle with some satisfying reviews.
I do enjoy the process of writing and having my work read and enjoyed.  Becoming rich and more famous will be a bonus!

THE PARK BENCH - A Collection of Short Stories by Robyn P Murray

The title for a collection of short stories centred around a Park Bench which was fashioned 100 years ago and  people down the years who have sat on the bench to have a breather from the stresses life and what happens next!  I am completing the final stories, editing them and deciding whether I upload them to Amazon or find one of the other myriad of publishing methods to send my stories out into the Universe!

Now to add Chapter Two to my story LEAVING DANNY which was published first in HER BUSINESS AND LIFESTYLE Magazine and read on air both on FM radio in 2011 and Radio NZ in 2013.  If you have enjoyed reading about Maureen's life changing decision do leave a comment.

The evening went on and there was a sudden realisation by the three people in the home Maureen had created, that there was no smell of dinner being prepared and no noise from the kitchen as usual.  In fact, there were no lights on.  No one had got up switch them on, waiting to be called to dinner, just sitting watching whatever was on TV.
"Hey, where's Mum?" said Bryan, "I'm hungry and I need my kit to out to Karate."  "I didn't hear her come in," said Vanessa.  "I need my costume.  It's the dress rehearsal for the play tonight."
"Well, why aren't you getting them ready?" said Danny.  He has a moment of frisson thinking where Maureen was and then angrily said, "She is probably helping them out at that stupid office."
"But she would have phoned," said Vanessa.  They all looked at each other with a feeling of unease.  But nobody phoned her office to see if she had left for the evening.
A taxi drew up an hour later.  Maureen opened the door and strode confidently inside.  Three accusing faces glared at her.  "We haven't had our dinner," - "I need my costume/kit," said the kids in unison.  "It's not good enough Maureen," said Danny.  "I am supposed to be meeting some sales managers from out of town to discuss strategy for the next quarter."
"Oh dear," said Maureen, "what a pity! Don't you mean you are going down to the pub, Danny?
There is plenty of bread in the freezer and eggs on the bench.  You could have made something for yourselves.  Bryan and Vanessa, did you get your Karate uniform and costumes out for me last weekend?  As usual, you both always leave everything for me to sort at the last minute.  It is not my fault if they are not ready."
"Anyway I've eaten.  I'm going upstairs to have a long hot soak in the bath, then I will hop into bed - in the spare room Danny - I want to read my library book and I know how annoyed you get when the light is still on."
For once the whining stopped.  Shocked, nobody could think of anything to say.  Maureen said authoritatively to her family, "Tomorrow I will have breakfast ready at nine and I want you all at the table.  It is Saturday morning so you don't have to rush off to work or school.  I have something important I want to tell you about some decisions I have made.  Don't be late.  Life as we know it is about to change!"
Turning, without waiting for a reply, Maureen climbed the stairs.
Three mouths dropped and they gazed after Maureen in disbelief.
The bathroom door firmly closed and they heard the sound of bathwater running, the smell of bath salts drifting down the stairs, and the unusual sound of Maureen - singing.
Later, snuggling down in the spare bed, hot water bottles at her feet and back, a tray of tea on the bedside table, library book at hand and Wilbur the black cat snuggled under her arm. Maureen thought of the events of the past few hours and how her life had changed forever.  She wasn't quite sure what she was going to say tomorrow morning, but she knew that her life was going to change for the better and she hoped her family would come to think the same, eventually.
That silly sod on the bicycle will have no idea how he saved my life by cutting in front of the bus, almost causing an accident.  She grinned to herself, sighed happily, picked up her book and began to read.
The beginning.........by Robyn P Murray Copyright 2011

Short Stories by Robyn P Murray

My website is almost ready thanks to expert assistance from Helen!  My next goal is to begin placing pages from some of my Short Stories soon to be available on ebooks, as a collection.  I will put several pages of the stories on for a month and then the final pages the following month.  I will be very happy to receive feedback and comments on how you enjoy them.  They are a wide variety of tales and I hope everyone enjoys reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. 
Now to decide which story to begin the Collection!
Happy Reading.

Childrens' Illustrated Stories set in New Zealand

Childrens' Illustrated Stories - success - I have now published two beautifully illustrated children's books and am thrilled with the feedback and response to both of them.  The journey to learn about self publishing has been interesting, I have made mistakes, learned from them and feel proud of the results.  I have been marketing and selling the books myself and reading the stories at Primary schools and early childhood education centres.  Now I am progressing with setting up my website and using social media to promote and market my books which include short stories.  To be successful I recognise the importance of promoting my work to a wider audience.

Bringing to life a Children's Book is more than writing the story.  When Roger The Rooster of Ambury Park Farm came to life as I walked in the beautiful working farm in Mangere Bridge, Auckland New Zealand I never imagined the journey would be such a learning process.  The Illustrator has completed the art work, the photographers have completed transferring the pictures to transfer to the printed page and now the printers are doing the layout.  I am excited that the promised Children's picture book for age 2 - 5 (and older) will soon be in my hands and out into the world.  I am looking forward to the next stage of the journey.

The Journey....

It is extraordinary the steps required from dreaming about an idea for a story, to putting it on paper. Editing it, finding just the right illustrator, then photographer to lift every feather and detail to printed page.  What size and quality of paper?  Which publisher to chose, promote or find a book distributor?  Colours, format, soft or hard cover?  How many to print on the first run?  How many to sell before expenses are recouped?  Daunting - not a bit of it.  Challenging, of course but I can see that after talking and thinking about publishing some of my work for most of my life - it now is happening.  Interesting journey, next step is putting together a dummy book to see where the pictures and text will go and how to make it most attractive for little people to want to read and read again. The journey continues.....Robyn Murray