Title:   Art of Appreciation
Author:  Autumn Markus
Genre:  Adult Contemporary
Publication Date:  December 17, 2013
Publisher:  Omnific Publishing
Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.

Synopsis
Abby Reynolds is burned out.
Since clawing her way into a great position at a Boston museum, she’s been saddled with a scheming intern and a nagging boss. She’s scuttled her own painting dreams, her cat refuses to be box trained, and now the most boring man on the eastern seaboard just told her, “It’s not you, it’s me.”
Her bestie Sarah offers a much-needed escape: a summer of sand, sea, and younger men in Santa Cruz…
Hot young bike racer Jason is sexy, unattached, and completely ready to spend a summer in uncomplicated flirtation. Since Abby has decided love is off the table, he seems like the perfect match.
Then she meets Matt. Sculptor, surfer (and age appropriate), he’s everything she gave up wanting and then some. He’s a grown-ass man with his own life issues: does he want to sculpt for love or for profit?  What about that twentysomething model who’s always clinging to him? Is he ready to let a woman invade his Fortress of Solitude?
Abby has to decide whether she’s satisfied with leaving behind the idea of Mr. Right and settling for Mr. Right Now.
Grown up love.  It’s complicated.

Add to Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18483767-the-art-of-appreciation


Purchase Links:  Not available at this time.  Refer back to the tour page for updated links on release day.
 
About the Author
Autumn Markus traveled far and wide as a military brat, but her heart was always in the American west, where she was born. She hikes, reads and writes there still, along with snuggling her husband, four children, and a horsedog. She freelance edits for other authors, reviews Women’s Fiction for the New York Journal of Books, and is the author of the contemporary romances Cocktails & Dreams and A Christmas Wish. She is currently at work on her next novel.

Connect with the Author:  Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads






Ten pieces of advice for aspiring authors-Autumn Markus

10) You cannot do everything yourself--I don’t care what that Facebook company or that blogger promised. No one is capable of editing their own work to print quality. NO ONE. And only a professional cover looks professional. Don’t cheat yourself by rushing to self-pub with a crappy presentation.

9) Spelling counts—So does grammar. Don’t ask a reader to pay for something subpar.

8) Obey your editor—He or she has the job they have for a reason. Let them make you look as good as possible. True story—I was a PIA during first edits on my first book, but at least I learned something from it: if a suggested change made me feel whiny and defensive, the editor was right and I was wrong. The two places I felt no stress over saying ‘no’, I was right. 

7) Read your dialogue aloud—If it sounds weird to you, it will to the reader.

6) Break up with unnecessary dialogue tags—If it’s clear who is speaking, dialogue tags break up the flow of your narrative.

5) Outright kill –ly adverbs—If you need more than a few, your writing isn’t clear enough.

4) Sometimes less is more—Don’t beat the reader over the head with unnecessary detail. Sketch people, only describe clothing or food if it is important to the scene. Be especially cautious in romantic scenes—they can cross over from sexy to funny quickly.

3) Respect—…your editor, your publisher, and most of all the reader. None of them are stupid. 

2) Take constructive criticism like a man—Whether it comes from Beta readers, editors, or in reviews. Yeah, it hurts when someone doesn’t love your baby; it’s even worse when they don’t understand it. Suck it up and learn what you can. You’ll live, and you’ll be a better writer.

1) I’ll let Winston Churchill take this one: “Nevah, nevah, nevah give up.” 

Tour-Wide Giveaway

Tour-Wide Giveaway


 Follow the Tour