Publisher Awards

Thursday evening, my publisher for "The Christmas Stone" hosted a dinner for their 2010 authors.  I was presented with an honor that I definitely attribute to my fabulous readers.

"The Christmas Stone" was named the bestselling Christmas paperback title for 2010 and #2 overall bestselling title for 2010. 

Thank you to everyone who picked up a copy for themselves, a friend or neighbor.

Christmas Stone Contest Winners of the Ultimate Give-Away!!

Congratulations to the contest winners! I'll send out a Facebook message to all the winners to collect addresses so prizes can go out:

Angie Stewart--Stella is a Star!, Bernadette Peters 

Brian Thomas--Everywhere We Go, Kenny Chesney 

Daniel Thronton--Seventeen Minute Miracle, Jason Wright 

Hilary Flake Denham--The Scorch Trials, James Dashner 

Klare Dalton Davis--Beyonders, Brandon Mull 

Lisa Pettey Price--The Fame, Lady Gaga 

Monica Nolte--The Christmas Stone, Liz Carlston 

Rayette Jones--The Way of the Kings, Brandon Sanderson 

Susan Crockett--$50 Visa Gift Card 

Christie Damour--Promise Me, Richard Paul Evans

The Christmas Stone gets a third printing!

With Christmas just around the corner, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that people are looking for neighbor gifts and stocking stuffers.  My publisher told me yesterday that they needed to do a third printing of "The Christmas Stone" to satisfy demand.  They also let me know that Bookscan sales (an official industry metric) surpassed numbers for my first book "Surviving Columbine: How Faith Helps Us Heal When Tragedy Strikes."  It was very exciting news as that was my goal in deciding to write another book.

I've just been blown away by the tremendous response to this book.  Thank you everyone who has come to a signing.

Thank you for your great reviews and for tracking me down to let me know you liked the book.

Thank you to the lovely ladies at Chancellor Gardens who made an evening out of my Layton BN signing.

Thank you to Heather's book club which was so kind to host me yesterday afternoon.  Thank you to all the booksellers who have allowed me to sign at their stores (specifically UT Costco, Sandy BN, Layton BN, SLC/Sugarhouse/Layton Seagull, Bloomington BN, Palo Alto Borders, Manhattan Borders, Pleasant Hill Borders, Littleton BN).

Thank you to everyone who has entered the contest (it runs through Tuesday so there is still time to enter to win one of several cool prizes!).

Thank you to all those who have purchased the book as gifts and in multiples for their family and friends.  Thank you to Primary Children's for the life saving work you do each day.

Looking forward, I have three writing projects I'm working on.  One will be done under a pen name.  Another will be a spiritual book on prayer and the third is a historical novel which will require a lot of research, but its the one I'm the most excited about.  Feel free to send me an email if you'd like any additional information.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Stone in New York City!

It has been a crazy December. To kick things off, I was able to do a book signing in Manhattan for The Christmas Stone.  Its always fun visiting the Big Apple, especially for the holidays.  Here are a few pics from the visit!

Meeting the President: George W. Bush comes to Utah Costco

I knew today would be busy and fun. It started with a quick morning show interview at Fox 13 to promote a few weekend signings for "The Christmas Stone" (I'll post the video soon). While I don't anticipate a career in broadcast journalism, the interview went well and drew some folks out to the Layton BN signing (a big thank you to the lovely ladies of Chancellor Gardens who made an evening out of the signing--I do hope you like the book!)..  

As soon as things wrapped up around 8:30am, I booked it for the Sandy Costco to get in line for President Bush's signing (Ironically, my Sandy Costco signing that was supposed to be the day before was bumped to make preparations for Bush's visit--I'm okay with that). Although I pleaded with friends, no one was willing to get in line to hold a spot for the first hour or so and I was very nervous about being able to even meet the president since the line was already wrapped around the backside of the building and some folks had been there since the day before. 

The Costco crew came around with wristbands and handed me #862. Since it was reported that Bush could sign around 300 books per hour and most people would be purchasing two books, I knew the math didn't add up well for me getting a signed book, let alone the opportunity to meet him. I met a lot of cool people in line (including Marty & Kate) and our conversations covered everything from Glenn Beck to hot flashes, to kids who text rather than call to the cold wind gushing at us periodically. We shared a lot of laughs and all became pretty good buddies (there were 9 of us to keep conversation moving and pass the time quickly). We joked that we were standing in the "hope line" since we didn't know if we'd even be able to get a book.

Around 12:30pm, we saw Bush's motorcade arrive.  Per the Costco worker, there were three matching SUV's that all came through separate entrances as an added security measure. Soon we saw some early line members trickle into the parking lot with signed books.  We were greatly encouraged because the line started moving substantially and we were pretty confident we would get to meet the president.  

A few soldiers in uniform passed by our line and were greeted by applause from the crowd. It was touching as some people took pictures with these men and gave kind words of appreciation. About twenty minutes later after they'd been to Costco, they came back with signed copies of Bush's memoir. It seemed to be a fitting gesture for these men to be rushed to the front of the line to meet the man who signed their military papers.

We passed through security around 2pm and got into another "Disneyland" (moves back and forth) line.  As we approached the tire center (ie Bush), some of the crowd members began singing the national anthem.

 

Tim McGraw music was playing inside and their weren't very many books left on the table as we rounded the corner to see the President wiping out his signature and shaking hands, a slight perspiration emerging on his forehead.  Around 2:45pm, it was my turn to shake the president's hand and thank him for his tremendous service to our country.  He warmly said thank you and thanked me for coming.  It was a 6+ hour investment of time for 5 seconds to shake the president's hand and get a signed book, but it was worth it for me (it sure tops my President Clinton meeting!).

Denver Media for The Christmas Stone

Here's the first interview I did with Fox 31:
Here's the second interview with CW 2 in Denver:

Ultimate Contest Give-Away : $50 Gift Card, Lady Gaga, Kenny Chesney, Richard Paul Evans, Brandon Mull, James Dashner, Jason Wright, Brandon Sanderson and Bernadette Peters Autographs

As part of the ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS STONE GIVEAWAY CONTEST you have the chance to win one of 10 unique prizes including personalized autographed books from some of today's biggest names in publishing, as well as autographed memorabilia from Lady Gaga, Kenny Chesney, and Bernadette Peters.

There are three ways to enter the drawing.  Complete all three and you will receive the maximum number of entries.

1--Visit The Christmas Stone page on Facebook and "like" the page.  Write a comment on the wall stating which prize (found below) you most want to win. 

2--Purchase The Christmas Stone (paperback, audio or ebook) and send the electronic receipt (screen shot or scanned receipt) along with your name and city to: ChristmasStoneContest@gmail.com.

3 -- Share the Christmas Stone contest link (http://lizcarlston.blogspot.com/2010/06/ultimate-contest-give-away-lady-gaga.html) and/or YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRL2okJu91w) as your Facebook status.  Be sure to tag the post (@The Christmas Stone) so you can complete the contest entry.

All entries are due by December 21, 2010, 11:59pm MST.


Now, here's what you've been waiting for--all the stuff you can win!  Please note, prizes will be awarded through a random drawing ( http://www.random.org/).  Winners will then be notified through Facebook or email.

PRIZES:

$50 Visa Gift card.  This can be used for anything you want to buy wherever credit/debit cards are accepted.

Autographed Lady Gaga THE FAME CD cover and CD.  I personally vouch for the authenticity of this autograph as I met her along with my cousin in Las Vegas on August 27, 2010 (click here for pic).

New York Times Bestselling author Richard Paul Evans has been kind enough to personalize and sign his newest book, Promise Me (already a NYT's Bestseller!) to the winner.  This will make a fabulous Christmas gift (along with The Christmas Stone)!

Jason Wright is a class-act guy and a great writer.  He is also a NYT Bestselling author with Christmas Jars and The Wednesday Letters.  For this contest, he will personalize and sign his newest book The Seventeen Second Miracle.

James Dashner is Random House's next BIG author.  He recently hit the NYT Bestseller series list with The Maze Runner series.  You can own a personalized autographed copy of book two The Scorch Trials by entering the contest.

Tony Award winning actress and singer Bernadette Peters has autographed this book, Stella is a Star! which includes a CD of her singing the Stella soundtrack.  This would make the perfect addition to your Broadway library.

Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series took the country by storm a year after the first book's release in 2006.  The series has grown in popularity ever since.  Brandon's next series Beyonders begins March 2011.  You may win a personalized autographed copy of the Advanced Readers Copy by entering the contest!

Brandon Sanderson is one of the biggest names in fantasy.  Here's your chance to win an autographed copy of his book The Way of Kings.

Country music crooner Kenny Chesney signed this EVERYWHERE WE GO CD cover for me back in 1999.  Here's your chance to win the autograph and accompanying CD.

And of course, you can also win a signed copy of "The Christmas Stone."

Christmas Stone Television Commercial

Christmas Stone Audio Book

I received some fun news today from my publisher.  The Christmas Stone audio book is now available for download online through Audible.com.

The book should also now be available and on shelves throughout the country in Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores. Feel free to continue sending in pictures and store names of where you see The Christmas Stone on book shelves--I've received several and will post them in a future blog entry (be sure to let me know whether you want photo credits).  I'll do a related contest down the road, giving winners a free copy of some pretty awesome books and music memorabilia (including a SIGNED Lady Gaga CD Cover and a SIGNED Richard Paul Evans book).

Also, check out my signing/appearances page to see The Christmas Stone tour dates.  I'll be traveling coast to coast and in-between meeting readers and doing book signings.  I'm looking forward to the tour and the chance to meet with you!

California Borders

I was out in California this weekend for my sister's graduation.  We had a few spare minutes before the ceremony so we dropped by the Marketplace Borders bookstore in Emeryville (just east of San Francisco, next to Pixar).  It was so cool seeing "The Christmas Stone" on the shelf.  

The book should now be in stores across the country.  If you go to a store and don't see the book on shelves, talk to a bookseller and request they bring it in.  Feel free to email me pictures of the book that you take in stores to let everyone know where they can pick up a copy.  I'll post your pictures on the blog and give you a shout out.  Happy 10/10/10!

A Great Review!

I was thrilled to come across this recent reader review the other day.  Feel free to check it out here:

Reader Review

For anyone else that has read "The Christmas Stone" feel free to post it on Amazon, Borders, BN, or Deseret Book product websites.  I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

A Bestsellers List???

So it isn't the New York Times, and I know that the numbers will change next week, but my publisher posted their bestseller list today and "The Christmas Stone" was at the top.  You can check it out here.

You should start seeing the book in stores come the middle of October.  If you can't wait until then, feel free to pick up a copy online today from any of these fine retailers (in alphabetical order):

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Borders
Costco
Deseret Book
Mardels

It's Here!

One of the most exciting parts of being an author is getting to see your book in print. I spent several months writing "The Christmas Stone" and several weeks working through the editing process with Cedar Fort (my publisher). At times, it felt like the book would never be a book, so its all the more satisfying to be holding one of these hot little puppies in my hand, fresh off the printing press. And without further ado, here it is:

   

I'm so pleased to note that come the holiday shopping season, the book will be available nationally at Borders, Barnes & Noble and regionally in Utah Costco and Walmart stores. I'm excited for you to read the book and I look forward to hearing from you.  Feel free to post your reviews on any of the product pages (Amazon.com, Borders.com, BarnesandNoble.com) or add me as a friend on Facebook.

On an unrelated note, it's been a very fun and interesting summer.  I've been able to travel to a lot of different places for work and to see friends around the country.  Here are two of the highlights.  My sister is going to animation school near Berkeley, California and she has several friends that work at Pixar. One was kind enough to arrange a tour, so this is us posing with the gang from Monster's Inc in the lobby.

 

The second highlight came just a few days ago as my cousin won a VIP contest to meet Lady Gaga in Las Vegas.  Since we were on our way to LA to see the live finale of So You Think You Can Dance, I got to go with him to the Lady Gaga meet and greet. Just so you know, this was not my typical show--I like her songs, but I'm really not a big fan of everything else she does. Still, it was cool meeting one of the big names in music today.

Booksellers Convention

We just wrapped up a week's worth of book marketing events. My publisher sponsored a dinner Tuesday night (catered by California Pizza Kitchen) where authors were invited to give a short presentation on their book in front of 61 bookstores (potential buyers). The following afternoon, I participated in an "author speed-dating" event which meant I traveled with another author (Tucker Davis, "The Fourth Gift"---a fabulous holiday book) to 15 different tables to give a three minute pitch to prospective buyers. My pitch went something like:

The essential message of "The Christmas Stone" is neighbors helping neighbors. You see this theme represented throughout the book as the characters meet opportunities to serve, lift and to build one another. The stone in the book holds different meaning for each of the characters as they are reminded about love, sacrifice, burdens and inconveniences as well as family.

As far as neighbors helping neighbors, I looked for a way to reach out in my community and decided to donate the entire author royalty to The Primary Children's Medical Center--a value added for customers who not only walk away with a gift for a neighbor, friend or family member, but also made a small donation to a place that helps children and families get healthy again. I hope "The Christmas Stone" starts new family traditions and encourages people to seek out ways to assist and build within their sphere of influence.

Having offered the pitch so often within a short period of time, it is emblazoned in my mind, however the exercise was helpful with narrowing down the book's hook. It was awesome meeting so many different booksellers to give them a better feel of who I am and what the book is about. There's only about one month left until you'll get a chance to read "The Christmas Stone." I'm excited to hear your feedback and for you to recommend the book to a friend.

The Christmas Stone Audio

I get such a thrill from experiencing something for the very first time. Today didn't disappoint as I was invited to the studio of Mr. Kenny Hodges to record the audio version of "The Christmas Stone."

His studio is a first-class facility and creates the perfect environment to record audio books. Many of his completed projects are on display, including multiple bestselling titles. He has converted a small closet into the recording studio complete with microphone, headset, lamp, desk and a single chair for the voice talent to read through books. While the reader works their way through the manuscript, Kenny sits at his computer in another room capturing the audio and making editing marks on a second copy of the text.

I confess I was a little nervous as I began the recording process. All of a sudden I had to watch my pacing, enunciate clearly, use inflection and most importantly, not mis-read the words. The most challenging aspect for me was focusing on all the things I just listed as well maintain good energy and enthusiasm as I read through. My biggest fear was that I would interrupt recording by laughing out loud at a part that struck me as funny--fortunately, it never happened.

The recording process took about three hours, but I'm sure the edited recording will be worked down to two hours or so. Kenny was very reassuring, offered solid feedback and overall constructed a great product, I'm excited for you all to hear it when it comes out this September!

Illustrations for The Christmas Stone

There are a lot of different elements that go into a book. It isn't just about the writing, cover and printing. Much of the unsung work takes place in typesetting--the guts of the book. I'm very blessed to be surrounded by talented people.  My sister Kathy is one of the most talented artists I know.  She did the portrait sketches for "Surviving Columbine" and when my publisher suggested we add simple illustrations as chapter headings for "The Christmas Stone" I knew Kathy had to do them.

These two sketches will be featured in the book along with ten others (12 total). Hope you enjoy the sneek peek!

BEA 2010 New York City

This past week, I hopped a snow-delayed flight from Salt Lake to New York for BEA--North America's largest annual book show. I had a great time learning more about the publishing industry while meeting with authors, agents, librarians, booksellers and publishers.

You can't walk away from the show without an armload of books. Publishers, in an effort to promote their upcoming titles, print advance reading copies and pass them out to whoever is lucky enough to grab one. They also have author signings where you get to meet some of the heavy weights like Rick Riordan (his wife helped out at the ticket booth), Rosemary Wells (graciously got a signed book to me across author lines), Mary Higgins Clark (friendly face) and celebrity authors like Bernadette Peters (absolute sweat-heart) and Sarah, Duchess of York (a little miffed by the media attention given her royal influence-peddling scandal).

One of the books I picked up is by Dee Merian, a former flight attendant for TWA in the 1950's. During a break at the show, I was reading "The Best Years of Flying: A Memoir of Howard Hughes & TWA" on the lower level promenade. Sparked by my recent visit to the Spruce Goose in Oregon and his contributions as an innovative entrepreneur I am really into Howard Hughes these days.

Between chapters, I would look up and people watch. There was a girl running around in circles with a huge smile on her face, her mother watching from behind. The girl was enjoying herself so much she burst out laughing. When I went back to my book, I got the sense that Dee enjoyed that time of her life so much--her enthusiasm bleeds through the book's pages as she fully took advantage of the unique opportunity to fly during the hey day of commercial aviation. These moments helped me see clearly how a passion, sharing talents and experiences with each other are the real secrets to happiness.

Other highlights include:
--Thursday Author Breakfast with Jon Stewart, Condoleezza Rice, and John Grisham. I sat next to Karen Long, the book editor for the Cleveland Plain Dealer--she was extremely kind and we shared a good conversation.
--Getting a signed copy of "The Best Years of Flying."
--Meeting so many enthusiastic authors, book fans, smart booksellers and kind librarians.
--Participating in many of the classes to become a stronger participant within the publishing industry.
--The insane SUV ride to JFK airport with a motion sickness causing, stop and go pedal driving chauffeur who demanded a bigger tip after we already paid him for the trip---I really wasn't a big fan, but grateful we made it to the airport on time.

On our lightening delayed flight home, as we were somewhere 35,000 feet above Wyoming, I looked out the window to see midnight stars above a wispy cloud line with a mirror reflection beneath the clouds--the effect created an awesome sensation of momentarily traveling through space. It was a great ending to a fun week.

The Christmas Stone Synopsis

This blurb came from my publisher a few days ago. It'll give you a better sense of what "The Christmas Stone" is about. I've also added the cover for your viewing pleasure (designer Tanya Quinlan did a great job!!). I'm excited to hear what you think!

When hard times come, almost everyone has a stone to throw. Some stones turn into second chances…

Two days before Christmas, Claire receives an early morning phone call about her ailing father 1,100 miles away. She puts her lucrative career on hold to catch the next flight home to Milwaukee. Seated beside her on the plane, Daniel strikes up an unusual conversation—one filled with regret, confession and hope. As the plane nears the airport, a disturbing announcement buzzes over the intercom: “We’re going down, brace for impact.” In their subsequent fight for survival, both Daniel and Claire the power of letting go and forgiveness.

The essential message of The Christmas Stone is one of neighbors helping neighbors.  All of the author royalty will be donated to The Primary Children’s Medical Center to assist in the life-saving efforts provided to kids and families everyday. It is a place where no one is turned away.

Red Ink

Having your manuscript edited and critiqued is like stepping back into your seventh-grade classroom the day you review a graded essay. Only with your manuscript, red ink is a good thing. Unfortunately the emotion that comes from your work being scrutinized by another person, with the real possibly of being rejected, is unsettling to say the least. Painful as it may be, I'd prefer getting the kinks worked out early in the process rather than when the book is in print and, like a stain on your shirt, readers point out the errors.

People who have no incentive to say only nice things about my writing are the ones I need to offer feedback (ie NOT family or close friends--though I appreciate these insights). Their fresh eyes and criticisms make the project so much stronger and real.

For "The Christmas Stone" I had nearly a dozen early readers go through it. The manuscript is intentionally short , but that made this project all the more interesting. I had fewer pages to tell a compelling story.  I know people are busy and often don't have a lot of time to commit to a book--sometimes they just want to be entertained with a good story in an hour or less, particularly around the busy holiday season.

A few months ago, I went to lunch with an author who submitted his first series to a small publisher, his second series to a mid-size publisher, and his most recent series to a global publisher. Interestingly, he said the amount of red ink on each set of books correlated with the size of the publisher (no red with the small, 50% red with the medium, 100% bleed with the big house). It makes sense since the bigger publisher often makes a multi-million dollar commitment to produce and distribute the book, therefore, they need to make sure it is a polished as possible.

Feedback is a good thing and it works best when it is received with humility and gratitude.

Why Write The Christmas Stone?

For me, writing is the way I make sense of my thoughts and process life's more challenging experiences. It is the primary tool that helps me understand my world. Books serve as an invitation for writers and readers to share stories that matter, that empower, that entertain and that deserve to be told.

It's been nearly six years since my book, Surviving Columbine: How Faith Helps Us Heal When Tragedy Strikes was released (Spring 2004). While I was definitely proud and excited to be a part of that project, my giddiness from being a first-time author was short-lived because of the somber topic.

The book definitely changed my life for the better in many ways (not financially--the royalty was donated to the Perpetual Education Fund, something similar will be done with The Christmas Stone royalty). Specifically the book served as a therapeutic outlet for me to re-frame and mentally process the shooting. It allowed me to build several deep and life-long friendships, it helped me springboard into the publishing industry and most importantly, I feel we (contributors Mike Johnson, Amber Huntington, Kathy Johnson, Kathy Carlston) were able to offer the world a positive and hopeful perspective on a very sad day.

Surviving Columbine expanded my understanding and appreciation of Christ's atonement and its healing power. Truly, the wounds we suffer in this life make us stronger and with the Savior's help, everything ALWAYS turns out right in the end. When the timing was right, I wanted to write another book that touched people and invited them to think a little differently about life. After so many years, I now have that opportunity.

Per a friend's recommendation, I decided to fictionalize my 'Columbine experience.' While The Christmas Stone certainly isn't a re-telling of the shooting, it does touch on the key lessons and insights I learned during my post high school journey. When it comes out this September, I hope you find the story to be entertaining and uplifting--in a later post, I'll share the synopsis and an excerpt from the book.

There's a lot of work to do between now and September, but it is gratifying to have another book on the way. I invite you to follow my progress and maybe even learn something new about the publishing industry (feel free to share this blog with your friends)...buckle up, it's going to be a fun ride!