J.K. Rowling Is Self-Publishing Through New Website

Amazing as this sounds, it's true. J.K. Rowling announced yesterday in a press release and a YouTube video on her new innovative website to be launched in October 2011. It's called Pottermore.com.

J.K. Rowling has developed an on-line experience to hearld Harry into the digital age. Armed with new writing material, the website will feature a way to interact with the characters/places/objects found in the Harry Potter books. It will soon include an Ebook Store that will sell the series in ebook format. It is in partnership with Sony and her publishing partner, Scholastic.

What makes this such a phenomenal milestone in self-publishing is that Rowling's publishers get a percentage for assisting in marketing and promotions. She's calling the shots now, especially since she owns her digital rights. She is also bypassing big on-line retailers such as Amazon.com, to sell directly from an on-line ebook shop on her website.

What does this all mean? First, I'm stunned. I knew self-publishing was starting a new age, but now that an author as big as J.K. Rowling has started to take advantage of publishing herself, keeping her digital rights, and launching a site like this. There. That stunned moment again.

For children's authors, it might mean a lot. She has changed the face of children's publishing and created a series in which she broke and created rules. Now she's out to create a new publishing platform, shaping a future generation by reaching out through technology. I love the possibilities of what she can do with her site; the building of a Harry Potter world on-line, feedback from her readers, that creative control so often enjoyed in self-publishing and doing things yourself.

I wish her the best, and await to see what will happen next in the publishing world. Look out, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Free Libraries: A Thing of the Past?

I was reading my local newspaper through its website. I don’t think I’ve actually read the paper in several years. Most of my news comes to me through the Internet, the Daily Show, or the Colbert Report. I found out about Osama bin Laden’s death through the Internet. Facebook seems to have news travel faster than the mass media.

The article I found mentioned my local county libraries charging out of district fees to non-residences. Yes, the library card as a free prospect was going to be turned into an $80 charge if I didn’t live in the right city. I don’t according to the newspaper website.

Luckily, I don’t use the county libraries as much as the city library. Kind to think of it, I’ve been getting most of my books from either Amazon or book exchange websites like Paperbackswap.com. Agreed, I pay for postage, shipping and or the cost of the book. But these all save me time. The library, if it is free, does save money. But I’m sure if the county is starting to charge fees, the similarly broke cities will follow suit. So I began to wonder, is the Free Library System going to be a thing of the past?

I have wonderful memories of my local library. My first lessons of responsibility came from my first library card. If I lost a book, I had to pay for it with my allowance. As I got older, I used the free aspect of the library to get free movie rentals. If you were patient, the library could save you a lot of money if you were on a student budget. I even remember being absolutely devastated when my local library closed after the 1989 California Bay Area Quake. Two weeks without videos and library books, oh the horror.

Now, video stores are empty with lease signs posted on the doors. Of course, I haven’t walked into a video store since 2005. I’ve been using Netflicks or On-Demand movie rental. Or I even go and see the movie when it is first released.

As far as books, I did make a promise to myself this year to go and start using my local library branch more often. I did, for a while. But then Amazon, with it’s tempting “no waiting list” for my favorite authors, links me to click to charge my latest awaited book. It's just too easy and fast. I think my patience is less while I'm older. Or it just goes to other places, and I have less tolerance for waiting for library books to come in. Maybe I just like the convenience of the Internet. I didn't have it in the early 90s when I was a college student.

Then I discovered Paperbackswap.com. Here was a way to get older books from other readers, and send out a lot of my paperbacks from the shelves. I knew they’d get a good home since they were going to people that requested them. Yes, it can take awhile to get a book. But at least you know it’s coming from someone that enjoyed it, and when done, you can pass it along.

So, maybe I have just outgrown the library. If I want a book fast and it’s my favorite author, I’m willing to pay for it and support the author at the same time. Plus, I’ve discovered a lot of Indie Authors that you won’t find in most libraries. Amazon has far more available than most libraries could ever hope to have. And I’ve found that the libraries just don’t take any old books either. Most of my old books end up at Goodwill. But then, that could be just my local system. It may vary in other areas.

Plus, for those hard to find/out of print titles the on-line book exchanges seem to be working. It isn’t free, since you do have to pay postage. But it is more of a recycle program, reusing books and clearing space in your home, so you have more books to read. Plus, a lot of rural areas far from libraries have postal service. This can make it easier than making a trip into the local town library. Or if there is a small town library, the selection isn't as big as on-line.

Lastly, with cities around the country looking for ways to add to their budgets, programs such as libraries will most likely start having fees. Since one library has started in my area, I’m sure more will follow. If you use the library a lot, it will still be worth it. Of course, that's only if the fee is reasonable.

I do hope they allow students to have the free card still. That is when I used the library the most, as a struggling student both in high school and college. Any break at that time in your life is well worth it. And if my fee helps kids and college students to use library services, so be it. But then, I’m already paying income, property, and sales taxes. I already know that nothing is really for free.

**Local Newspaper: San Jose Mercury News article on $80 fee for County Libraries
*More free clip art available at school-clipart.com.

Dreaming Big for 2011

Everyone tries to think of that perfect resolution at the end of the year. Some use it to make changes for themselves. Some people think of what they wish to improve in their lives. I propose that this year, think of a resolution for something big, really big. Dream as big as you can. If you think it, write it, then maybe, someday this year, it will happen. It's the ultimate of positive thinking. Besides, with a New Year starting, anything can be possible. This reminds me of times when I was younger, kid like in the thinking, that anything is possible. I want to believe that again. So, here it goes. I'm dreaming big, anything is possible. Here are my Dream Big Resolutions for 2011:

1) To have my book series, esp. the first book "The Lost Secret of Fairies" mentioned in Oprah's Book Club.

2) To have "The Lost Secret of Fairies" picked up for it's movie rights, including the other books for possible sequels.

3) To have dinner with Robert Downey, Jr.

Ok, I did say to dream big. If you want to join in the fun, enter in the comments section what your Big Resolution is for 2011. Best Wishes for 2011 everyone! Happy New Year!

Played in Some Leaves Lately?

At this time of year, there are leaves everywhere. I found myself walking to the mailbox crunching through maple leaves. The cars have started creating a trail through them on the roadway. The fresh rain from yesterday has plastered many different colors and designs to the sidewalk. It is a natural masterpiece of art at my feet. The smell of wet rain and damp leaves remind me of something. I cannot put my finger on it. I keep walking.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. The dry, wet leaves of autumn are calling up a memory. The thought comes to me as the smells assault my nose. I used to play in these things. I used to build big piles of leaves on my lawn and hurl them in the air. They'd get stuck in my hair, and I remember the smell.

I breathed in the memory. I was 10 again. I crawl in the pile and throw up the middle with an explosion of crisp brown and orange crackling leaves. A car goes by and I'm instantly back to being an adult. The autumn spell is broken.

When did the playing stop? Is it that I don't have time? I'm busy being an adult, working and doing chores. Is it that I don't have a lawn anymore? I have condo association lawns now that are raked with lawn blowers.

Or maybe, I've just been there, done that. I've built a lot of piles. Do I really need to build another one, get leaf bits in all kinds of parts that might be hard to clean later? Or is it that I just did it for the smell and the feeling of just throwing them about? It was fun, and I had time after my homework to rake them up on a fall weekday. Now I don't have much time except for work, work at home, and work some more.

I sniff. I smell the leaves. I remember. Besides, they're plastered to the sidewalk and I don't want to ruin the pattern that the rain created. Maybe it's nice to let the leaves be, and smell them.

The Season For Good Ghost Stories

Halloween is the season for a good ghost story. I've been remembering the days of sitting around a campfire telling tales of ghost hitchhikers and mysterious experiences. How many of you have heard about the guy that picks up a hitchhiker near a cemetery, only to have them disappear from the back seat when reaching the destination? Or the girl with the red ribbon around her neck that doesn't reveal why it can't be removed until her husband finally pushes for an answer?

If you're looking for a good story or two to tell your friends, here are some of the ones I remember best to share. They are some of the good classic ghost stories I remember from back in my day as a kid. Maybe you can share them with your family.

I think one of the spookiest ghost stories is an interactive story that has to be experienced. There are many a slumber party where this was tried. Often, my friends and I scared ourselves in the process. It begins with the legend that if you look in a mirror in complete darkness and say the words "Bloody Mary" three times, the ghost of some murdered girl with a bloody face is suppose to appear.

Did her face ever appear when my friends, giggling wildly, gazed into the bathroom mirror? Um, no. But just the legend and trying it seems to be a good spook, especially at this time of year. Who can say? Maybe it's actually worked for others, but never me.

Another good story I've heard a few times is the hitchhiking ghost. Mostly it's told around camp fires or in the dark at a slumber party by flashlight. If you want to make it extra spooky, make the setting be more near your current location. Somewhere nearby locations are great for the pick-up point of the ghost.

The legendary story goes like this: A lone driver goes past a spooky location in the middle of the night. They see a hitchhiker, and feel sorry for them. A description of the hiker like dripping wet in dry weather or looking especially white on a warm night could be a good addition to build suspense.

The driver picks up the mysterious hitchhiker. A lot of the time as they talk, it is revealed that some clue, their name or what they were doing is revealed. Next, upon arrival, the hitchhiker has disappeared. The driver, thinking they got out without seeing, goes to the door to check on them. The people in the house are shocked to hear the name of the hitchhiker. The mysterious rider usually has the name of someone who died earlier. Boo.

Lastly, here's a great spooky story that has so many variations, you could add your own twist to it. A young girl marries a man. She always wears a red ribbon around her neck. Her husband is always curious about the ribbon, and continuously asks her to take it off. She tells him no. There can be several times through their life that he tries. Sometimes they are newly weds where he asks all week. Sometimes he asks her whole life and asks when she's an old lady. You can always add your own twist. In the end, she gives in and takes off the ribbon. When she does, her head rolls off her shoulders onto the floor. Boo.

Hopefully, this will be a great way to get your ghost stories going during this time of year. Always if someone has heard the story before, let them know it's a new version or your own version. You could surprise them, or maybe they can add to the story. Enjoy yourself, and have a fantastic, spooky Halloween! Happy Halloween to all my readers and boo!

Link to the Tiffany Turner Website to try out your own Spooky Writing Project.

A New Journey in Research

You never know where research will take you. Well, at least this is what I've found out while researching my books. I love to go to different places and find out about legends and myths. There is adventure in exploring an area and using the description as some setting in your book. This is the joy of writing and researching. They seem to go hand and hand, and they are a very creative, fun step in the writing process.

I recently got back from an adventure in London. I wanted to return to the British Museum book room that had a range of information on things in the museum. I learned the book room had been closed and all the books moved to the British Library in another part of London.


So, off I went to investigate. I am proud to announce I'm the new proud owner of a British Library card. The librarian got excited when she learned I was an author researching my third book. And I must say, I did find some interesting legends and myths on dwarves and dragons, which I'm focusing in on the third book. Plus, a changeling will play a pivotal part. So, I researched as much as I could on that.

The third book is turning into an adventure that will involve dwarves. So, I was thinking I needed more than just information about legends. I wanted some hands on experience of something that is closely associated with dwarves, mines.

The next logical step would be to find a mine. Luckily, I live in California, and it is famous for the Gold Rush and the many mines in Gold Country, the Sierra Mountain foothills where much of the gold was panned and mined during the Gold Rush. On July 24, 2010, I headed onto Route 49, the highway that connects many of the gold rush boomtowns. And yes, found myself a gold mine.



The Sutter Gold Mine is located off of the old Route 49 which leads through the old boomtowns. Complete with red construction hat, I was driven on a miners' transport truck 200 ft. underground. There was a chance to walk around and look at the white quartz. Veins of the quartz contain the gold. It is mined and processed as gold ore. The walls were testimonies to the hard working miners that had blasted out the tunnels I traversed.

Unfortunately, the price of gold dropped to around $200 an ounce, and the mine closed in the early 90s. Of course, now the price of gold is around $1,000 an ounce. Talk of reopening the mine has been going on for 10 years. However since it's closure, it's being used to give tourists going through the area a look at a real gold mine, both modern and historical.

When you write a story that often includes crystals, a good exploring research trip wouldn't be complete without discovering a new kind of crystal. I walked into the On Purpose Higher Awareness Book Store in Sutter Creek, and found a fabulous new crystal stone to inspire me for my next book. It's called Septarian or "Dragon Stone". It's a type of fossil stone that includes clay sediment wrapped with ancient shells that formed together with calcite crystal. I leave the beautifully polished stone on my nightstand to inspire me as I write.

This is why I love researching for my books. You have to bring a little of real life into fantasy to make it believable. To go and experience your settings and base them on real adventures breathes life into writing. Writing from experience is the best way to drive writing, and of course, it makes the research an enjoyable part of the writing process.

Writing Exercise:
What can you research and write about?
Post comments and ideas below, and I can share them in a future blog.

Summer Reading: Important for Children of Any Age

Not often do I go on the day job soap box, but as a teacher I know how important it is to keep your children reading during the summer. So many school budgets have been cut that summer school is becoming a luxury. As it is, only the really low and needy kids will make it into summer school these days. But all children need to practice their reading during the summer. They lose important skills they learned during the school year if they don't.

So here is a list of some things to consider from a 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade experienced teacher to help you navigate where to start in your child's reading needs:

1) Let them read for enjoyment.
A lot of parents try to force books on kids which tends to turn them off. Of course, sometimes it's hard for a child to find what they like. This is actually part of the reading process, and trying lots of different kinds of reading is a skill they practice in school. Take them to the library and let them explore. Try not to limit.

These days there are a lot of different kinds of books to try. New classics have come out since you were a kid. The "Wimpy" kid series, lots of fantasy, graphic novels are some of the new popular areas that were absent 20 years ago. Let your kid "Go for It" and explore. You might discover some new fabulous novels as well.

2) Reading anything is good.
A lot of kids don't find they enjoy books. But they might enjoy gaming magazines, code books, Highlights for Kids, or other reading enjoyment. Even the internet has vast amounts of reading to explore. Reading has changed it's venue, and even Ereaders to phones have reading opportunities. Trying lots of different things is key. The summer can be a wonderful time to explore all these vast storage areas of new reading.

3) Practice makes perfect.
Kids are not perfect readers, and need practice. It's called Independent Reading, and it's the third prong of reading development. Kids need to read on their own for enjoyment. The summer is a time to really practice and make this third area of reading development key. The more reading children do, the better they will get.

4) Setting up a reading time is helpful.
Kids need routines. Just a basic time for Independent Reading time is a wonderful structure to get kids to practice. It can be chosen by the child or structured into their regular day. 20 minutes seems to be a good starting amount, but can be increased 5 min. each year. I wouldn't go over 30 minutes during the summer unless your child wants to. Reading Time shouldn't be torture, but for enjoyment. And if your child starts to want to read longer than the set time, brilliant. They should start to choose more reading time on their own so it doesn't become a punishment.

In the end, your child should start to be able to enjoy reading whether it's on the internet, with a book, on the Ereader or even a magazine. Reading should be for fun, and the more practice your child has at that, the more they will want to read.


Tiffany Turner is working on her third book "The Lost Secret of Dragonfire". Her first and second books, "The Lost Secret of Fairies" and "The Lost Secret of the Green Man" are available on Amazon.com in paperback or Kindle Editions. She teaches during the school year in a California Elementary school, and has 13 years teaching experience.