Thanks for joining me on the 2012 MARA-thon! This includes a national blog tour, as well as a physical book tour through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California. During the entire MARA-thon, please be sure to download your FREE prequel short story, When Whales Watch at www.MaraPurl.com/downloads. As of January 1, you’ll be able to find purchase links for all e-readers here: When Whales Watch.
This is posted from the road during my All-Indie-Bookstore book tour titled MAPPING THE JOURNEY OF YOUR HEART. Revisit the entire tour at any time by visiting www.MaraPurl.com/calendar where you’ll see event details, links to the bookstores, and soon, photo archives. To thank my blog hosts, I created the Double Blog Tour which includes “blog-backs” like this one. The Blog Tour will be archived at https://marapurl.com/fall-blog-tour-schedule.
The title of this wonderful book blog is so unusual, it deserves a note of introduction. Author-blogger Chris Lewis—when he and his wife discovered they were going to be the proud parents of a second daughter—had that special foreknowledge that sometimes settles like a mischievous angel. The Lewis family legend has it that Chris’s wife—as a librarian, a book afficionada herself—said, “You know you’re about to the dad of a second daughter, so you’ll be a dad of divas.” Sure enough, the catchy name of his blog was born shortly before diva number two. Since I’m one of two daughters to an omnivorous reader-dad myself, I can relate to Chris’s perspective.
Chris actually has two blogs. He developed DadOfDivas.com to capture the experience of being a new father. He’s created a community of young men who are experiencing this chapter of life. In addition, Chris’s life is a voracious reader and passionate reviewer. Last year, he gave the first novel in my series, What the Heart Knows a glowing review, reaching into a genre not quite his own, like the sensitive, aware dad he is. (He figures it’s more than likely his daughters will someday be readers of the Women’s Fiction category.)
His review of my second book is, if possible, even better! It’s tremendously gratifying for an author to feel understood. Chris really came with me as I deepened the Milford-Haven experience in book two, Where the Heart Lives. He said, in part, “What I love about this author’s writing is that she paints a vivid picture for her readers and you literally feel that you are there in the midst of the story, interacting with characters and the environment. The characters in this book were great and you truly get to see and experience the quirky aspects of the characters as well as live and understand some of the choices that they have to make in this book.”
To thank my blog hosts, I “blog back,” so I asked Chris a few questions to catch up on his busy schedule. The biggest change in his life this year is that his own brand new book was published. It’s clear he takes this fatherhood role quite seriously and is planning way ahead. The title of his new book is The Ultimate College Preparation Blueprint, so his girls will be ready when the time comes. (Meanwhile, I’m buying a copy for my nephew!)
I also asked him what changes he’d noticed in the blogosphere. “More dads and men are blogging which is great as we need to have more people like me sharing the good news about being good fathers and husbands.” Does he feel blogs are more effective than ever in reaching and informing his readers? “Yes, I believe that blogs are a great way to get the word out to the masses.”
Since Chris has his finger on the pulse of authoring, blogging, and publishing, I asked what book trends he’s been noticing. “There are many more e-books lately and publishers are pushing these to a vastly higher degree.” He’s exactly right. Several industry sources are reporting a forty-percent growth in e-book sales over the past two years. In my own experience, I now have one novel and two short stories that became best-sellers in their ebook formats.
It’s so good to know that a young father like Chris continues to give the gift of reading in so many ways to so many people. He reads to his children, has written a wonderfully practical book of his own, and continues to review books of all genres and types. He reminds me that even if you’re not a woman who reads Women’s Fiction . . . you might find much to enjoy and glean from a trip to Milford-Haven in . . . Where the Heart Lives.
For more information on the evolving world of The Milford Haven Novels, visit my new website www.MaraPurl.com where you can subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on social media, enjoy photos and videos, discover more special offers and more.
