Oprah in Australia

Wow, what an amazing show yesterday on Oprah. The city of Sydney, Australia, gave her a rousing welcome. Prominent Australian celebrities--Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman, Bono, all graced the stage and sang together. A very moving moment for Australians and for Oprah, too, no doubt. The number of fans who attended the show was amazing. It is a testament to the incredible power of global media and the rise of world super-stardom.

Celebrity Beginnings in Nashville

For Christmas,2010, I received a compelling book entitled They Came to Nashville. It was written by Marshall Chapman, a graduate of Vanderbilt and a singer-songwriter of note. The book includes Chapman's memories of her early days in Nashville and the people she knew before they became legends of country music. These include Miranda Lambert, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell and other illustrious singers, songwrtiers, and musicians whose names we all recognize. It also includes transcripts of her taped conversation with each of these luminaries. I have found it be a fascinating read because I now have reference points in Nashville, among other reasons. I recommend the book to anyone who wants to get to know some country music greats as people first. Another interesting note is that another country music legend, Wynona Judd, has just penned her first novel. She will be holding a book signing at the Barnes and Noble in Brentwood, south of Nsashville, on February 4. Celebs abound in Music City.

Nashville, Music City, USA

I can't believe I'm blogging again. It's as if I dropped off the earth, isn't it? It has been so long since I've blogged. In spite of all my good intentions, obviously, I did not blog everyday, as I had written that I was going to do. A lot has happened in the interim, which could be the reason I havent' been thinking about blogging. I'm relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, a major-big change from sunny Southwest Florida. I completed the manuscript of my second novel, A Wild Dream of Love, and sent it off the the publisher. A Wild Dream of Love is the sequel to my novel, A Chance to Say Yes. I have the writing bug, but I need to straighten out the practical aspects of my new life, so I must pace myself. Book Three is spinning around in my head. Yes, it has a title--and I have other works sloshing in there along with it. I'm not going to say I'll blog regularly any more because I didn't live up to my words last time I wrote that. Oh, and I just joined www.meetup.nashvillewriters. More about that soon.

Second Edition debuts in Nashville

Many thanks to ArcheBooks Publishing for releasing the second edition of A Chance to Say Yes, 2010. Thanks, also, to the Nashville Writers Meet-Up for debuting the book at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville this past weekend. For those who need to know, my web site is www.tinamurrayauthor.com. The book is available in hardcover and on Kindle at tinyurl.com/ACTSYamazon. The book video site on You Tube is tinyurl.com/ACTSYbooktrailer. The sequel, A Wild Dream of Love, has been completed. Yay! More news on that as it develops.

My FIrst Virtual Book Tour, August, 2010

Yes, I'm on a virtual book tour with Paula Deen and other fine authors! While working to finish A Wild Dream of Love, I am celebrating the release of the second edition of A Chance to Say Yes. Please join me for my first virtual book tour. Here is my officail tour page: http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2010/07/26/a-chance-to-say-yes-virtual-book-tour-august-2010/ .Here is my schedule: > Book Reviewers for A Chance to Say Yes Virtual Book Tour, August, 2010 > (Blog 1) > www.hilaryshepherd.com/rantsnraves > August 2nd interview, > August 3rd review (Blog 2) Blog name: Paperback Writer http://rebecca2007.wordpress.com > (Blog 3) > Blog Name: Acting Balanced > www.actingbalanced.com > August 11, 2010 >(Blog 4) > http://thereviewstew.blogspot.com > 8/12/10 > (Blog 5) > Blog Name: Reading At The Beach > http://readingatthebeach.com > 8/13/10 > Also, please visit BookMarketingBuzz.com on 8/4/2010 to see an additional interview. Thanks to the particpating blogger-reviewers Hilary Shepherd, Heather Smith, > Janet Ruth Hovis, Marissa Oachs, and Vicki Newell and their readers. Thanks, also, to Rebecca Camarena at PumpUpYourBook.com. I hope you can join us on the tour. Tina

Book One Review; Book Two in the Works

Hello, Here is a recent review of A Chance to Say Yes. Thanks to Trish Stevens of Ascot Media Group, Inc.,for the heads up. Special thanks to the paper, The Cherokee Connection, in the Atlanta metro area. http://thecherokeeconnection.com/books/a-chance-to-say-yes-mixes-intrigue-of -celebrity-go.shtml Oh, and here's today's fortune cookie lunch: "It is nice to be important, but it is important to be nice." Book Two, A Wild Dream of Love, is in the works...I hope you enjoy reading it. Tina

A Chance to Say Yes: Book Trailer and 2nd Edition

I am pleased and excited to announce the creation of a book trailer for my first novel A Chance to Say Yes. It was created by John Weaver of PageOneLit.com. Here's the link to view the book trailer. (It's short; why not give it a whirl?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dXfMpdtGhwPlease share the link with others. It is posted on my Web site at www.tinamurrayauthor.com, also. The other excellent news is that my publisher is releasing a second edition of A Chance to Say Yes. I will be doing a virtual book tour to announce this fact later this summer. Needless to say, I am heartsick over the gushing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. I hope and pray that the flow can be stopped.