WHEW!!! It's done!!! Ten Thousand New Year's Eves is now on Kindle

Thank God!

It's a strange feeling, finishing a book---but that's really an entire post in itself.
Long story short, I finally found a new cover (I like it better than the one below) and the book is already up on Kindle. I'm selling it for 99 cents until Jan. 2---and I'll be participating in a giveaway where folks can get free copies in mid December. I'll also start shopping around the print rights in the new year.

I'll be posting excerpts, etc. in a couple of weeks.
Meanwhile-- "like" me by following the Amazon link (if you please) and celebrate the release with me.

"Imagine this: It's New Year's Eve and you're at a party, in a ballroom, standing beneath a crystal chandelier. At midnight, you look up. On each piece of cut crystal you see an image of someone else's New Year's Eve. In "Ten Thousand New Year's Eves," Dawn DeAnna Wilson shines a light through that chandelier, illuminating a handful of random (or are they?) characters, luring us in, drawing the lines, revealing a simple but powerful truth--we are all connected."
-----Billie Hinton, author, "claire-obscure"






About the book:


Mallory has a neurological condition which causes her to see certain letters in different colors and taste certain flavors whenever she hears sound. The condition is synesthesia, and researchers believe it may be caused by overlapping brain neurons...but try explaining that to her well-meaning but clueless friend Rochelle, who seems to be more concerned with rescuing animals. 

Rochelle takes Mallory to New York City for New Year's Eve to help Mallory forget about the man she has a crush on, and en route to city, their paths intersect other pilgrims seeking a new beginning, including:

Stephen, a washed-up contemporary Christian singer who has "crossed over" to mainstream rock music and is expected to perform in Times Square on New Year's Eve.

Tad, a NYPD wannabe who never finished police academy due to a bad knee.

River, a tree-hugging kayak enthusiast who believes she's in love with Poseidon, the god of the sea.

David, a psychologist who is conducting extensive research about synesthesia...and Mallory...

Wendy, a teenage gospel singing sensation who is madly in love with her minster's nephew, but she cannot tell him the truth about a past relationship.

Liam, a blind man who is not what he seems.

Kelso, a nervous German Shepherd and former police dog who has been traumatized by an event in his past.

The novel takes the reader from North Carolina to Atlanta to New York City, illustrating that all things are bound together in a web of life---all things connect. What we do to the web, we do to ourselves.

On short hiatus for rest of November---why? You'll see

I am participating in TWO major promos for my upcoming novel "Ten Thousand New Year's Eves." The book is finished, though the last three chapters are giving me a bit of trouble in the revision process. Also, I am having the book copyedited by a professional freelance company (I'll be happy to suggest companies for you if you need a good copy editor.)

So to be sure the book is polished and ready in time, I'm taking a short hiatus until December 1. Because it makes no sense to write up the blog and miss my deadline.

If for some reason you did not get your code from the Halloween Spooktacular, please e-mail me at dawndeannawilson@gmail.com.

I will be having similar promos where you can get the book for free, and might even have a "beta" test version of it up on Kindle (to test the links, etc.)  for 99 cents (though I can't guarnatee all the typos will be caught in that beta version.

In the meantime, here's the 4-1-1 for the upcoming novel:

Mallory has synesthesia: her brain is wired so that she sees letters and numbers in color. Recently, she has noticed certain tastes that occurr when she sees certain words. Her friend Rochelle, fearing that Mallory  is developing an unhealthy crush on a psychologist who is researching her (David), whisks her away to New York for New Year's Eve. This novel follows the paths of Mallory, David, and others who are seeking out their new beginnings that night. These seekers include a police academy drop-out, a washed-up Christian rock singer, a schizophrenic kayak enthusiast, and a neurotic bomb-sniffing dog. These characters are unaware that they are actually linked to one another as midnight appraoches...

Did everyone get a coupon code?

I just wanted to double check to be sure that everyone who particpated in the Spooktacular got a coupon code. If you didn't, please e-mail me at dawndeannawilson@gmail.com and I will get it to you ASAP.

Thanks to all those who made the blog hop possible.

Tips for a sore "mouse muscle"

I want to talk a bit about the physical aspect ofwriting---since we rarely think of writing as physical unless we have a problem. I’ve complained about arm and hand strains before to a massage therapist. I still don’t know what it’s properly called, but I call it the mouse muscle, and it seems to be right around the elbow. A while back, it got incredibly sore and I had to use the mouse with my left hand (I’m right--handed), which feels very unnatural. I’ve also been known to have a flare up of carpel tunnel every now and again.

I confess, before I had carpel tunnel, I didn’t really understand how debilitating these repetitive motion injuries could be. For me, thankfully, relief came from massage therapy, arm braces and Advil –the arm braces were very helpful because when I sleep I rest my head on my hand, which I’m sure doesn’t help.

I think that it is technically a type of tendonitis that gives an ache to the mouse muscle, which is kind of like tennis elbow (which I’ve learned has very little to do with playing tennis).

I’m in that “ounceof prevention = pound of cure” club, so here’s some tips I’ve gathered on how to take care of your hands. (oh, and my lawyer wants me to insert a disclaimer –i.e. I’m not a medical doctor, if you try this stuff and die, don’t sue me, yada, yada, yada…)

Use of the proper technique when using your mouse can help. Here are some useful diagrams at this occupational health website:

http://www.mflohc.mb.ca/fact_sheets_folder/mouse_related_pain.html

For me personally, massage therapy has helped a lot---particuarly with my mousemuscle. Parafin wax treatments have helped my hands and wrists.

Also, ake time to stop and stretch. Ask your doctor / nurse / massage therapist to show you some useful stretches to help. A good yoga routine could be helpful as well.

I’ve found it helps me to perform a workout that involves the muscles in a different range of motion (kayaking, for example).

Check the height of your office chair. I’ve found if mine off, it will knock everything else out of kilter.

Here's some more info:

Good exercises--

http://www.livestrong.com/article/218011-how-to-exercise-the-mouse-finger/

What to do if it hurts:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/395316-what-to-do-for-tennis-elbow/

Anyone else have any methods that help you'd like to add?