I finally have a couple weeks off before the craziness starts again. I've had a busy December traveling from Melbourne to Daytona, the 'Villages' near Ocala and to Venice last weekend. I've mentioned going to events before and how important they are in getting noticed, raising your author platform and your brand. If readers don't know you exist how can they buy your books? 
There is also an art to selling your books. There were about ten of us at the Venice Community Center December 15. Book sales ranged from 20 to  0. 
What I noticed is that authors that have been selling a while have a spiel and patter down and they know how to attract readers. 
I felt bad for the authors that did not sell anything. They are new and did not know how to engage the people walking past their table. One was knitting and the other was doing the crossword in the paper.
I love to help authors succeed and did try a bit to show them how to talk to passers by but I had my own books to sell. Next time we are together I will try to place them better and give them a bit more help.
We were all new authors once and have a lot to learn not only about the craft of writing but about the business of being an author.
Here are some of the authors at the Venice arts and Craft fair.
Remember to register for the Southwest Florida Writers Conference in Port charlotte in April 2019.
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I'm always looking for the next best thing for my books. Last spring I decided to try audiobooks. A friend spent hours or should I say days recording Broken Branches - book one in the Green Lady Inn series. After trying to figure out the production end of it I gave up and went to ACX. They are part of Amazon. Isn't everything these days? I found out how really easy and not that expensive to produce an audiobook on Audible.
What amazed me was the terrific reviews that are on my Audible page for my book.
Here is one of the reviews.
"Normally I am not a listener of mystery novels, but this one sounded interesting so I gave it a try. Glad I did, it was so compelling I started and finished it within 24 hours. This story contains romance and mystery with a small supernatural twist in just the right proportions. Megan came to Salem to take care of her Grandma's affairs after her unfortunate death. While in Salem, she meets Mr. Right, discovers her family history, befriends several locals and finds herself trying to put the clues together to figure out who might have killed her Gram.
"The book was well-written, the mystery well plotted out and the characters were believable. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life with just the right pacing and voices. Looking forward to listening to book number 2. "
It makes an authors heart sing to hear that someone liked there work.
​After the success of my first audiobook I went on to Whispers in Time - Book two in the Green Lady Inn series. The reviews were amazing for the second book.
Another great review.
"Whispers in Time by Brenda M Spalding pulled me in from the very beginning. I so enjoy stories that have hidden things and ghosts. The author wrote this book with incredible imagery. I loved the mystery in the story, and how the old home was being renovated. The characters were also well developed. This book is the second in the series and a standalone listen. The narrator, Eliza Wethers did a great performance. She added to the book with her distinguishable voices for the various characters. I requested this review copy audiobook and have voluntarily written this review. I will definitely listen to more books by this author and narrator. "
I'm so happy that listeners are enjoying my books and the narrator I choose. My Narrator, Eliza Wethers, will be narrating and producing book three in the series, Hidden assets. It will be out in late spring.
I have just published book four in the series - The spell Box. I will look forward to making this an audiobook as well. 
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