Braxton’s Fall Festival – What’s Happening Today?
Welcome to Braxton’s Fall Festival. Today we’re celebrating the launch of Haunted House Ghost with a thirty-one (31) day virtual festival, where we share the scoop on all the exciting book promotions coming up this month. Who’s ready for…
If you’re this far into the Fall Festival, you’ve heard me whine and complain about marketing and getting out from behind the proverbial Internet wall. For most of my life, I’ve been shy and introspective. I dislike crowds. I prefer to stay in rather than go out. I tend to be socially awkward. After all, I am an only child and usually mute unless I have to talk to someone else. While it was different in my corporate career, where I led teams of hundreds and spoke in front of thousands, talking about myself is very hard. Imagine living with me under those conditions!
As a matter of respect for privacy, I rarely talk about my other half. There is someone, and we’ve been together for eight years. We happily co-habitate in our New York City apartment with our dog, Baxter. You’ve probably heard me mention the name once or twice, and if we chat offline, you definitely know who I’m speaking about. Those who are savvy on social media will easily figure it out from social media connections, posts, or conversations. To WK… thank you for being the best part of my days on this planet. XOXO
Speaking of social media, there are several pictures of me floating around, so you at least know what I look like beyond my standard author photos. I once shared a one-minute video of me in the past too, talking about the newest book I was launching. Well… with the help of my pseudo sister, Roda, who I met via our blogs, I’m about to share another video. Roda and I have visited each other in person a couple of times in the last two years, since we met online. She came to stay with me in NYC last month, right as autumn was settling in. We went all around the city and had tons of fun. She even took a bunch of photos and offered to take a video of me — but I was too shy and couldn’t actually relax enough. After she left, I kept trying and practicing… and well, this is the best I can come up with on my own! There is a reason people like Kellan and me don’t belong on camera!
Today, I share a video where you’ll get to see me in my natural habits… in all my oddities and nervousness. If you laugh AT me, I will send Dr. Myriam Castle to your house to throttle you with Shakespeare quotes. If you laugh WITH me, we’ll be in a much better place. Thank you for all your support and love, Roda. Happy Viewing!
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The section below here will repeat at the end of every successive post, so we don’t have to explain the Fall Festival in the beginning each day. We’ll dive right into the content but also allow newcomers to catch up. Previous posts include…
October 1st – Overview & Kickoff
October 2nd – Great Escapes Book Blog Tour
October 3rd – GIVEAWAY for FREE Kindle Copy of Haunted House Ghost
October 4th – Name Kellan’s House Poll
October 5th – Excerpt from Academic Curveball
October 6th – Guest Post: Interview with Noriko on Halloween & Autumn
October 7th – Get to Know the Core Characters
October 8th – Bookmarks, Book Formats, Book Signing
October 9th – Guest Post: Interview with Tyler & Characters
October 10th – GIVEAWAY for FREE Signed Copy of Haunted House Ghost
October 11th – Excerpt from Broken Heart Attack
October 12th – Guest Post: Shalini Releases the Characters Who Torture Us
October 13th – Get to Know the Supporting Characters
October 14th – Guest Post: Melanie Ask Jay About His Writing Process
October 15th – Braxton’s One Year Anniversary
What is the Braxton Fall Festival?
For the entire month of October 2019, we are celebrating three events: (1) Autumn, (2) Halloween, (3) Haunted House Ghost, the fifth book released in the Braxton Campus Mysteries by author James J. Cudney. Each day, we will share a post to promote the new book with readers and fans. Throughout the 31 days, we will have guest posts, excerpts, giveaways, contests, videos, blog tours, and other surprises. You can currently purchase the book from Amazon as a Kindle or a physical copy. In the near future, it will be available in large print and as an audiobook. To learn more, sign up for the author’s quarterly newsletter or follow him on this site and any of his social media profiles from the About the Author page.
James, you were great on this video and I know exactly how it feels to do these. You are a natural for the camera: easy going, being yourself and a pleasant voice.
You’re making me feel so much better, thank you. 🙂
James, I did not say you are making me feel so much better. Why would I? I think someone is hacking me, following me and adding comments. I have been experiencing this for sometime after my Facebook page was hacked about a month ago. Facebook will do nothing to stop it and now on wordpress too?
I don’t know, but now it shows as your reply. You did a great job on your video.
James, I have a vision disorder called anterior basement membrane dsytrophy and sometimes, besides being hacked, I can’t see very well. So, I make mistakes. I am sorry. I just love your Haunted House Ghost story and I am still reading it. Karen 🙂
I appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks for sharing with me. This time it wants hacking. It was my comment to you. Not the other way around. 🙂
Yes, I realized that after I said I thought it was, Thank you. Karen
I am glad I made you feel better, but just so you know – you were perfect.
James, I now know It wasn’t hacking. Thank you. Karen
My pleasure and for making it clear for me too. Karen 🙂
James, I finished your absolutely fabulous mystery, Haunted House Ghost, I loved it. It is the kind of mystery that I will read again and again. I am reviewing my review and so later this today I will post it here on WP and everywhere else. I am putting it through app 365 to make sure the review is perfect. Right now it is two pages long. I can’t say enough wonderful things about it. You are a master mystery writer. Karen 🙂
You are incredibly kind. Wow!!! Thank you so much. Good luck with the review process. 🙂 can’t wait to read it. Flying home tonight and will catch up on all I missed this week.
No… that was my response to you. You made me feel better with your comment. 🙂
Baxter is adorable! Love the video. You seem Uber nice 🙂 Wishing you the best and continued joy in what you do.🌼
Hi! Thank you so much. I’m feeling much better about it, even tho it’s out and now people will know me better. LOL Much appreciated. xoxo
Love it – you seem so much more “real” now . . . LOL. Baxter’s a cutie, as is his dad. 🙂
He’s way cuter. Lol. Thank you!!!
Great job. Totally know what this feels like as I try to do more videos of my crafting! It was nice to hear the sound of your voice. Baxter is adorable and I love the color of the wall behind you. Might have even caught a bit of a smile 🙂
Hahaha!!! Thank you. Yes. I’m realizing I never smile with all these photos. Trying harder to be better!!! I love that wall too.
‘Doggone’ Jay, that was a nice, down-home video. How many “takes” did it take (as they say in Hollywood)? 🙂 Best of luck with the next two weeks!
–Michael
At least 10. I was so apprehensive. I still don’t love this one but ‘twas the best. Thank you. Cute pun too. 🙂
This is such a lovely video, Jay. You look so young and Baxter is adorable. [The pumpkins gave me free passage to comment now]
Free passage. Thanks for the laugh. 🙂
I’m sure this is not nervousness. You looked natural and comfortable on screen. It was great and I like Baxter.
Aww. Baxter was better on the next video. Coming up in two weeks. 🙂
You did great! Much braver than I, but then you have Baxter for support 🙂
True with Baxter. But I did. Now you have to!!!
Great “get to know you” video–don’t sell yourself short!
Thank you.