Finally... The NEW FEATURE

Last month I mentioned that there would be a new feature coming to Ups, Downs, Ins & Outs this fall, and so there is. I’m really excited about it, and I hope you will be too. Over the past couple years, I’ve played with running social media and blog features like “Author of the Day” on Facebook, “Daily Featured Books” on the blog and Facebook, and other similar things.

“Author of the Day” started as a 2-week long special event on Facebook and turned into a month-long one. Over the course of that month I met dozens of new and new-to-me authors. Some have become people that I chat with frequently: weekly, even daily. Some of them have become authors whose (new) books I purchase in a heartbeat. Some have become prolific, popular, seasoned authors, while some still have just one book, or are struggling with their writing. The success of this past event plays into the new feature.

The “Daily Featured Books” of old was an interesting way of sharing a wide variety of books with my friends and followers, but the schedule, especially with a new baby in the house, is one that I would (quite frankly) struggle immensely to try and keep up with at this point. DFB may come back eventually but I think the new feature will allow me to share a similar variety of books, without the imposing deadlines.

By now you’re probably saying, “JUST TELL US ALREADY!” So here goes…

Introducing the 'Featured Author of the Month’ on Ups, Downs, Ins & Outs. This new feature will give me the opportunity to spotlight a different author every month providing you with not just a name and book title, but with a profile of the author including things like bios, interviews, inspirations, book lists, and more. With each author, we’ll also spotlight at least one of their books. Over all it should be a fun way to meet and interact with authors both new and “old”, and should be a nice way of discovering some new books to read.

Seriously, I’m really looking forward to it! 

Our first Author of the Month will be coming in November. Authors can sign up any time starting October 1^st, 2017 to be placed on the schedule. Then the fun begins! More information, including the sign up form, can be found by clicking the Features tab at the top of the page.

The Ups & Downs Shop is OPEN!

I've been reading, reviewing, discussing and promoting books here (and on FB) for years. Occasionally I'll get a note or comment from someone asking where to get a book that I've talked about. An increase in general internet knowledge has changed that to a certain degree but the question still pops up now and then. Over the past 18 months I've made a concerted effort to ensure that I am adding online purchase links to all my posts, so that people are able to get the books they find interesting based on my posts.

Now I've upped that effort.

At the top of the page you'll see that one of the tab-links running across the page is the 'Ups & Downs Shop'. In this shop you'll find links for the books that I've reviewed, as well as the "Featured Books of the Day" that I now share on FB daily, and round-up here each weekend. These links will allow you to purchase these books directly from Amazon(.ca.com).

Please note that for a while now there has been an advertising disclaimer at the bottom of this blog page, regarding advertising links that I share on my blog(s) and on my other social media. The Ups & Downs Shop is part of this same program. You are not purchasing anything from me, I am merely an advertising affiliate for Amazon, and in return I earn a very small commission for your purchase.

The goal of the shop is to earn the funds necessary to purchase giveaway prize items for this blog, it's readers and fans, and those connected to it through the social media accounts that are used in conjunction with it: Facebook, Twitter, Tsu, Instagram, etc. 

 

As new blog features are added to the site, more purchasing categories (as displayed on the left side of the Shop screen) will be added to the Shop as well.

Happy Shopping and Happy Reading!!!