Excitement is in the air. Only 24 Hours before the official launch of, “Is Your Ghost Holy?” Have you ordered your copy yet? What are you waiting for? Go to my home page at www.shaybills.com or amazon.com and order today. Don’t forget to enter to WIN a FREE autographed copy of Is Your Ghost Holy? by commenting on the blog posted April 24th. No registration required, just leave a comment and you’re automatically entered for a chance to WIN.
This week has been EXTREMELY busy. I had interviews, scheduling of book signings, mail outs, posters and e-blasts all in one week, but it has been a joy seeing fruits of my labor in the Lord bless others.

Today has been an exciting day. I just got the site address for my book trailer, take a look!!!

http://www.blackchristianbookpromovideos.com/

I had a meeting with the Christian Bookstore owner and confirmed my first book signing at Living Water Bookstore in Paris, Tx on Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm

I want to take this time again to thank you so your support. May God bless each of you!!!

This publising/author venture is taking me for a loop–and fast. Today my publisher emailed me and told me to check out all of the online sites my bookcover and bio are featured on. I’m still checking it all out, but know I’m going to share it all with you real soon.

This morning I was so excited about going to the house of the Lord and fellowshiping with my sisters in Christ at Mt. Prisgugh Baptist Church in Ladonia, Tx. And boy let me tell you, “the Spirit came in like a flood.” Sometimes you never know you’re in need of a refreshing until you’re in the midst of one. I am so thankful to the ladies for the invite. Lord willing, I’ll see you next year, same time–same place.
The house was packed and the atmosphere was ripe for all of the blessings bestowed upon us all.
More than a pleasure….

To Celebrate the Official Online Release of the paperback edition of my book, “Is Your Ghost Holy?”—I am giving away THREE FREE AUTOGRAPHED COPIES!!! Winners will be chosen from those who comment on this blog post, no registration required. (make sure you leave your name, nickname and a form of contact)

If you have already ordered your copy, you’ll have an opportunity to receive a free gift certificate from amazon.com. Winners will be chosen from those who comment on this blog post, no registration required.

Winners will be announced Friday, May 8, 2009 just in time for the booksigning!!! (more details to follow) This is just the beginning of contests. Expect to see one or two monthly in May, June, July and August. So enter as comment as many times as you’d like and make sure you tell your friends to do the same. Good Luck to ya’

Coming soon to the Paris area Self Publishing Workshop 101 centered around self publishing and all of the steps necessary to publish your own work:

• Decide on a genre
• Research hundreds of self publishers and what each offers
• Weigh the value of self publishing vs traditional publishing
• Publishing Timelines
• Tools
• Cost and expenses

If you or anyone you know is interested in Self-Publishing Workshop 101, please leave a message in the comments section. Workshop is tentatively slated for June 2009. Four self-published authors are in talks now, including yours truly. Go ahead, Get to writing and we’ll see you at the workshop to answer all of your questions.

I don’t know about you but I think I might need a 12 Step Program to pry myself from all of these social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Authors.com, MySpace and ISEECOLOR. I realized yesterday that I spent a combined 4 1/2 hours updating and editing such sites, not to mention now adding blog posts 1-2 times per day. So here’s what I’m going to do: I am going to scale back and eventually phase out of about 6 out of the 10 social sites and focus on this blog post daily, Facebook and Authors.com.

Do you feel the way I do? I’m OK with twitter, because I can use my palm which automatically updates my facebook page and really only takes about 5 minutes. Maybe I was just excited about all of the wonderful news yesterday and wanted to share that with everyone. (take a look at yesterdays post)

Either way, I’m social-networked out!!!

“Are you serious,” was my comment to an email I received from a facebook friend that wanted to go ahead and pre-order my book. To my own surprise, the book is NOW AVAILABLE to order and ship. As the first official purchaser of, “Is Your Ghost Holy,” I want to personally thank DIANE SMITH OF BONHAM, TEXAS.
Then to only add icing to the cake, I learned that 100 copies of my book had been ordered directly from the publisher TODAY!!!!
So, to all of you LOYAL family, friends and future fans —get to ordering. Don’t forget to tell your loved ones as well. And thank you so much for your support and prayers. May 1st is still my official release date as well as the FIRST BOOK RELEASE PARTY!!!!
Can’t wait to hear from you once you buy and read it.
Be blessed

While on Facebook the other day a friend of mine commented, “Everybody I know is writing a book, I feel like I should be writing one too.” I laughed at the thought and then quickly realized one of my goals of becoming a published author is and has been shared by many aspiring writers. You may not want to pen the next New York Times Bestseller, make Amazon or Barnes & Nobles Top 10 list or even Oprah’s Book Club, but what you do want is a finished copy of your very own published book, so you can check it off of your Things To Do List. 

For as far back as I can remember, I have been a writer. Not your J. California Cooper, Maya Angelou or Toni Morrison, but simply and modestly, Shay Bills. Like me, you’re probably thinking who would want to read my book? Like me, you’re also wondering how much does it cost or who would even publish my work? And like me for years, you’ve probably already talked yourself out of moving forward with the idea. Well dear friend of mine, the time has come for me–the ultimate, “I CANNOT do that,” to finally encourage you so that you CAN do just that and get to writing. 

You don’t have to tell a single soul that you are writing until you type the last two words, The End.

So go ahead and confess what thousands of others need to confess as well and get started on your journey to becoming a published author. Happy writing and I’ll see you here tomorrow.

–Shay Bills
Is Your Ghost Holy?