I've said it before...

Marketing is hard work. I've said it before. You've probably heard me. It's hard to know what's going to make a difference. Blogging? Facebook? Twitter? Book signings?

I don't make much money on my book, so it's not about money. It's about making a difference. Always has been. I've done all the above, but I also write articles. Getting them published hasn't always been easy. Like I said, Marketing is hard work.

A great lady named Susan Rogers runs a fabulous website on preventing sexual abuse. In fact she has tons of material on the subject and gives workshops. She likes my articles and has agreed to feature one each month.

Getting the message out there is super important. Getting my book noticed is terrific too. Do me a favor and check out Susan's website. It's called S.A.F.E. Network. She has some great information. Just click here. After all, keeping kids safe is everyone's job.

Like I said, Marketing is hard work.

Linda Garner

Today!

Today is the day I get to start talking to parents about sexual abuse. Today is the day I get to empower kids to honor and respect their bodies. Today is the day that I tell parents to teach their kids about sexual touching and to tell them that no one has the right to touch them in this way.

Today is the day that I tell parents that the only thing worse than finding out that your child has been sexually abused, is not finding out. Today is the day that I ask parents to be a safe harbor for their kids, to be there for them, to stand up for them, and to be a safe person for them to talk to.

Today is the day that I tell parents that the best time for kids to hear this information is before they experience abuse. Today is the day that I tell them that the best day to start is today. Today is the day that I ask them to talk to their kids, whether they are boys or girls, teenagers or toddlers. Today is the best day to start.

Today is the day that I offer parents a tool and children a voice. Today I will be talking about Some Secrets Hurt on Studio 5. It airs at 11:00 a.m., on KSL (channel 5).

I hope you'll be watching. And, if today is not a good day for you, how about tomorrow. The Studio 5 segment will be available on my website, www.somesecretshurt.com, later this week.

Linda Garner

Set Your TiVo

It's not my day to blog, but some of you asked for a reminder, so...here it is. The day is tomorrow. I will be on Studio 5, tomorrow. (That's Tuesday, September 15.) The show airs at 11:00 a.m. on KSL which is channel 5. Watch if you can, or Tivo (that's probably not how you spell it...sorry) it. And if all else fails you can catch it on www.somesecretshurt.com in a day or two.

I'm very excited, and just a little scared. Please send lots of happy thoughts and positive energy my way. We're all connected, and we can support each other, even when we're not together.

The segment will be really short, but it's a start. Let's all start standing up for kids. Keeping kids safe is everyone's job. Let's spread the word.

Linda Garner

A Big Surprise!

Brandilyn and I got a big surprise last Saturday. My son called and asked if I knew my book was out. “Of course not,” I said. “It won’t be out until September 16.”

“I know that’s what you’ve told us,” said Nate, “but it is out. It is on the shelves at Deseret Book, and it is available at deseretbook.com.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Positive,” he said.

Well, you can imagine what happened next. I made a flying trip to Deseret Book and found that Some Secrets Hurt is indeed on the shelves. Next we checked websites. Besides deseretbook.com, we found it available on barnesandnoble.com. Amazon.com and borders.com have it available for preorder with the September release date. BYU Bookstore has it on their shelves, but not on their website.

I called the local Barnes and Noble to see if they have it in stock. “Not yet,” I heard, “but we can order it in.” The South Town Barnes and Noble has ordered one. It will be here Friday. You could be the one to get that book.

Curiosity got the better of me, so I asked my Shadow Mountain friends, “what’s up with that?” Of course I am crazy with delight, to see my book on store shelves, but how did it happen, and when does the publicity start?

It seems the book was ready early and Deseret Book was already shipping early for Education Week, so they decided to ship early to their stores as well. The publicity will wait for the official September 16 release date, but in the meantime Some Secrets Hurt is on store shelves now.

Why wait? Get your copy today. Today is the perfect day to share it with someone you love. Remember that keeping kids safe is everyone’s job.

Linda Garner