Well, 2023 is finally here. All the Christmas decorations are sadly put away and it's time to start a new year. I found a new book promotion site called Meet New Books. I started using it last week and I'm finally ready to start my book promotions for Killer Deception and Hush Now, Don't Cry. Here's my author profile page on Meet New Books https:/www.meetnewbooks.com/author/1639/maggie-elisabeth-casteen . I'm working on getting No Good Deed into large print and up on Amazon. I'm also in the process of looking at the author events for this year. Hopefully, I can add one or two. I believe I did about five last year so, I really would like to add some more this year. I also got my reading list for 2023 ready for the Goodreads Reading Challenge. I'm already working on the first book on my list, Dawnlands by Philippa Gregory and I hope it has a better ending than the last one. I've also got more books by Juliet Gauvin on there...I like to call it the Irish series. Anyway, getting ready to start another year or writing, publishing, and promoting.
Finally, my annual book giveaway has started on Facebook, go to my author Facebook page.  To enter: comment below with your answer to the question in the post picture. My book giveaway will run from January 1st - 25th, 2023. Deadline is January 27th, 2023, at 8PM EST, for the US only. On January 27th, one winner will be selected from the Facebook comments and newsletter emails submitted. They may pick their choice of free book: Killer Deception, Hush Now, Don't Cry, No Good Deed, Road Less Traveled or Ruff Rewards. The winner will also receive a book lovers gift basket with their choice of free book. ** I will connect the winner privately to get their prizes to them.** 
Until next time.....

​I can't believe a new year is almost here. I have come so far as an author from where I started in 2020. In the beginning, all I wanted to do was see if I could get my book, Killer Deception, published. I never intended to go any further than that, but people or readers have been so encouraging and keep asking when I'm going to publish my next one. So, I decided to throw caution to the wind and see if I could make 'a living' at being a writer. It has honestly been something I've always wanted to do....write for a living. I have to say that I have throughly enjoyed writing these stories, creating new characters, and weaving story plots together. I truly believe that this is what I was always meant to do, and hopefully, I will be able to continue to write more stories and publish them for others to read. I'm excited to see what next year will bring and how much further my writing journey will go.  So, Merry Christmas to everyone and I wish you all a happy new year!
Until next time....

I am so excited that Christmastime is finally here! I always take the week before Christmas off so I can really concentrate on my writing. Maybe, one day I won't have to do that anymore. I've sent my Christmas cards, the holiday baking is done, and all the decorations are up. There's just something about Christmas that you can get at any other time of the year. Maybe it's spending time with my family, watching Christmas movies, and not having a million things on my mind. Who knows? Anyway, I've had three new subscribers to my newsletter and I am very excited and grateful. If you haven't signed up then you are missing out. I always start the year with a book giveaway, which is right around the corner and I select one winner at the end of January.  My newsletter comes out around the 4th of every month and I also send out special holiday emails and such. There's so much to do as an Indie author. I try to be as efficient as I can about it, but there's always something slipping through. But no matter how much there is to do I always go back to the enjoyment and satisfaction I get from writing. It is still the thing I want to do and never feels like work to me.  Anyway, I guess that's it for now.
Until next time...

My Thanksgiving this year was very quiet, since I was sick. So, no turkey and dessert for me...I had mine two days later. I spent my Thanksgiving on the couch watching the FIFA world cup, taking medicine every few hours. It wasn't too bad...the soccer made up for it. Anyway, I'm starting to see some decent book sales at Cabin Lake which is awesome and I also have my Christmas on the Hill Book event this weekend! This will be my fourth book event this year...there was a time, especially during COVID, when I wasn't sure if I was able to have an event. So, the fact that I've had 4 is just amazing. I'm also looking to do some book promotion/advertising next month...maybe I'll get some of the Christmas shoppers to purchase my books.  If you have any readers that you need a gift for, please check out my website www.authormaggiecasteen.com and check out my books.  Another thing that I'm looking into is finally getting my Kathy Hamilton series into audiobooks. Audiobooks is the 'next step' for me as an author, so we'll see what happens, but hopefully it won't be too much longer until I can start adding Audiobooks as a format option. 
Until next time....

​My event at the Duplin County Events Center was on October 29th and it was very exciting. I was there from 9:30 am until 6 pm. I wasn't sure, at first, how I was going to do, but my table and books went really well.  I got the chance to show off my books, pass out some cards, and I got the chance to talk to about 30 people. I received a lot of wonderful comments about my books and I appreciate every one. One of the vendors told me about another event in December, and so I'm working on getting ready for that one. It's called Christmas on the Hill and it is on December 3rd. I'm so excited to have had so many event opportunities. Some days it felt like I would never get a chance to be apart of an event and now I've had 3 so far.  Hopefully, this December event will go just as well as my last one.
Until next time...

It's been awhile since my last post, but so much has happened. I am getting ready for my next book event next Saturday, I am almost ready to publish my next book: Ruff Rewards: Spiritual Lessons I learned from my pets, I finished writing my next Kathy Hamilton mystery, and I am working on a new bible study book idea. I am so pleased with how my new Kathy mystery came out, it definetly has twists and turns. Anyway, my event next Saturday at the Duplin Events Center is fast approaching and I am hoping for a good turnout. With all the writing progress I've made I realize that other things have been backing up, the blog being one of them, but when the ideas are flowing  I have to go with the flow.  My new book, Ruff Rewards, is an excellent Christian study for pet-owners of all ages. The stories and the spiritual lessons they illustrate will be an insightful look into the Bible from an unique and furry angle.  If you want to know the latest information on my writing progress and what's coming up, don't forget to subscribe to my monthly newsletter by clicking this link -  Newsletter Signup
Until next time...

I know I haven't posted in a while. I have been busy with several things: getting my next non-fiction book ready for publishing, writing my next mystery novel, and also some marketing for No Good Deed. It's amazing how much time it takes to do all these things. Anyway, I am very excited about my next book event at the Ed Emory Auditorium on August 30. It will be here at my local events center. There will be two other local NC authors there at this event. There will be a  meet-n-greet and a chance to purchase books. This particular event had to be rescheduled twice, so I am relieved that it is finally happening. I look forward to seeing everyone that can make it. I hope to do more book events soon.
Until next time....
​

It feels a little daunting every time I sit down to write to new story. There are so many choice or ways that the story could end up. But that is exactly what I am doing right now. I have an idea for book 4 of the Kathy Hamilton Mystery series, and I am trying to figure out which path this story should take. I have to admit it is fun trying to figure out what will happen to all the characters in the next book. What storylines will have new twist or turns in them - nothing too drastic I don't think. Anyway, just wanted to throw a line out there that I am in the process of book #4 and I am hoping that it will be just as good as its predecessors.
Until next time.... 

It's been a while since my last post. I've been busy getting my sales page ready and lining up my promotions (library mailers, Facebook ad..) for No Good Deed. However, my first professional review of No Good Deed from the Prairies Book Review is finally in and I'm very excited. They described my latest book as, "Swift, gripping, and entertaining…" Click the link below to read the full review. 
No Good Deed Review
Don't forget No Good Deed is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and my Bookshop page. If you enjoy the review of No Good Deed just wait until you actually read it. Just go to www.authormaggiecasteen.com/books  and click the button you prefer to purchase from. 

Last Saturday was my first book event at the Cabin Lake Vendor Fair. I met a lot of people and even sold some books. I was a little nervous because I was afraid that I might have forgotten something, but it turned out great. I passed out several business cards along with information on how to purchase my books online.  It was a nice day for an outdoor vendor fair, although around noon it started to get a little hot. That's the way it goes here in southeastern North Carolina....so I didn't stay the whole time.  However, I am pleased with how it turned out and I can't wait for my next event, which I planning on being in July. Thank you to everyone who came out and stopped at my table. It was wonderful to meet each one of you.
​Until next time...