MIU-POWER OF TRUTH-September and October 2011

I didn't realize when I began this how

difficult it was going to be to revisit

two full years, and regrettably it looks like I'm going to fall short on completing my objective...and because of that I HAVE to make sure I do these two months now...

September and

October 2011...the official end of our first year and beginning of our second year right.

When we began, our MuseItUp Publishing House had only three cover artists. Two of them only did one cover each, but now, 9/2011, as we approach the end of our first year, we have expanded and have at least six with another coming on board as we move into 2012. With brilliant covers comes brilliant sales, and more interest.

I don't have spreadsheets...numbers aren't my forté, but these two months brought many accolades and proofs of what Muse is growing into...so lets get started:

1.) CONNECTIONS OF THE MIND, by multipublished Muse Author, Roseanne Dowell. I don't know thebextact number of Muse releases Roseanne has out prior to this one, but it's a lot!

2.) EDINBURGH FOG, by gifted Jan Richardson bringing us historical Scotland

3.) THE VANSIHING by one of our finest writers of eery suspense, multi-published Muser Kevin Hopson and with hsi first YA book. Kevin has brought so much heart, soul, courage, and love to our Muse family.

4.) CULLODEN SPIRIT, by one of the most talented historical romance authors at Muse, Anita Davison

5.) ENCHANTMENT by new Muse author Lawna Mackie, a great debut.

6.) JOY'S REVELATION by multi talented and publsuhed author Ginger Simpson. Like Roseanne Dowell, I don't know how many books Ms. Simpson already has released here at Muse, but the numbers are grand.

7.) PROPHESY by Multi-published fantasy author Rebecca Ryals Russell. Whenever I see a yellow hat, Rebecca's tradnemark, anywhere I think of this gifted lady.

8.)WOUNDS by...she may be new, for now...but Barbara Bockman is one of the finest authors for Youths we have at Muse and one of our most cherished Muse sisters.

9.) LAUREL'S MIRACLE by multi-gifted Nancy Marie Bell, one of our incredible authors and generous editors. A true Muse gem! Love Ya, Nancy.

10.) BEYOND YESTERDAY...by me...LJ. Holmes. Okay this is my seventh book so far...and one of my darker stories but with a HEA.

11.) PUNISHMENT: LILITH'S TRIALS - Book Two in the Fate and Fangs Series by Kristin Battestella. This is a HUGE series and Kristin amazingly talented.

12.) GHOST DOG OF ROANOKE ISLAND by first timer C.K. Volnek, but there'll be more and guess what? She's one of out new Cover Artists. Can't keep exceptionally talented people pidgeon-holed.

13.) IF I COULD BE LIKE JENNIFER TAYLOR brings us our SECOND infamous Babara author for the youth readers of the world, Barbara Ehrentreu...powerful stories from powerful Barbaras.

14.) BOLD by new author, exquisitely talented Jillian Murphy

15.) STAND AND DELIVERY our second offering from the glorious Killarney Sheffield coing to us from our enormously talented Canadian Side.

16.) CHASE by one of our most prolific authors Larion Wills, and I'll let you in on a secret...she actually writes under two names...but if you want to find out what her other name is, you're going to have to check her authors pages out...everywhere you can think author's pages might be. See how easy I made that?

17.) THE NEIGHBOR by deliciously gifted Janie Franz...Janie knows how to stroke every one of your nerve ending.

18.) BAD SPELLING, Marva Dasef delivers exceptional YA themes and this is but the beginning of her long list of titles

19.) TRIALS OF A LONELY SPECTER by new author Diane Harstock. I must confess I ahve not read this one yet, but Boy Howdy am I looking forward to. I LOVE specters...so many possibilities.

20.) SACRIFICES OF HEROES by the multi-published Nick G. Gianarras. Nicjks writing makes me aspire to improve he's THAT good!

21.) ANGELA'S COVEN a book eating up five star reviews like they are diamonds from the sky by Bruce Jenvey. He's so talented he sends chills up and down my spine.

22.) SUC-U by...oh dear...this is getting embarrassing...yeah me. Don't let the title fool you, or the cover...she's one hot succubi

23.) CHAINED by brand new, but from the buzz I hear, that's a distinction she won't lay claim to for long, author Kelli Key

24.) EROTIC DECEPTION by new author and all around omnipresent talent Karen Coté. This author is setting our world on fire in every way imaginable.(If you haven't seen her avatars, you are missing a real treat.)

25.) BLUE EYES another gifted new author every one's talking about, Anne Holley

26.) ROCK CRAZY by first time Muse author, but multi-published author Muse's gifted Rochelle Weber. Rochelle brings us inside the war one who must live with being Bi-polar goes through every day, making me grateful for my own level of sanity and more compassionate for those who struggle to maintain their's.

27.) SLOANE WOLFE by another gifted new Muser, Margay Leah Justice...Muse DOES call to the best, and they ARE answering the call.

28.) EMPTY TIME by multi-released Muser and gifted mystery author, Frank Scully. Frank is another author with LOADS of books already released form his talented belt of storytelling skills. A mystery writer worthy of that title.

29.) DUH, FRIED, AND ZOMBIFIED by Ryan Miller. This is not Ryan's first Muse release, and with a title like this, so won't be his last. Well done Ryan!

30.) NO ORDINARY LOVE by new author Kate Lynd and what a brillant debut.

31.) TEN YEARS by another multi-published Muse Author and one of my cherished Muse brothers, Jim Hartley, but Jim is so much more...he's who I go to when I know the computer stuff is beyond me...(I have him on speed-Skype)...he's who I go to when I want his brilliance at tweeking graphics during my many blogs, but he's also who I climb in line to read when I want a little bit of quirk and a lot of fun. I have read just about everything he's written...so I guess that makes me a fan lapping after him like a drooling dog. Love you Jim!.


...but I'm not done.

October 2011 MuseItUp Publishing Inc created a second

first, totally unheard of by such a new company. In Montreal/Quebec, Muse It Up Publishing, Inc. gathered authors from

around the world together to celebrate the first Muse Retreat and Booksigning. As the following pictures will show, it was a smashing success.

Lea introduces our Muse Halloween Mascot in her more concrete form Bonella to the gathered Muse authors.

Now we're all used to THIS Bonella...guess she lost her hat and the distinctive hole in the side of her face (think she sidled through a quarry on her way?) traveling as she did, underground from her

mausoleum to the Retreat site.

Nancy Marie Bell, one of our multi-published authors, and editors as well as one of the Retreat co-ordinators of the Retreat stepped up to present Lea and Litsa with a token of praise and pride from all of Muse.

Many amazing things happened at that first night. The most important thing was meeting our brotoer and sister Musers, and forming friendships that will last a lifetime and beyond.

The booksigning was a smashing success

can't you tell?

Held in Canada's version of Target, the authors like:

Karen Coté and behind her, lending his support, her delightful husband she lovingly calls Coté,

Barbara Ehrentreu, a favorite with the youth fans

our delightful Nancy M. Bell, Muse editor, author and Retreat co-ordinator,

Christine London, an author with a HUGE following amongst the fans and all of us at Muse,

S. (ara) Durham who brought her equally delightful daughter along to enjoy the festivities,

armed with both her books, Murder is a Family Business and A Wedding To Die For, (though only one pictured here) Heather Haven,

Heather's equally delightful cousin Grace DeLuca,

holding her book with pride and joy, wile beaming happily, H.M. Provost,

the very delightful Kevin Craig, one of several of our illustrious male authors to attend this momentous event,

Lisa Forget with, yep the ever radiant and beautiful Christine London,

Sandra Clarke who absolutely loved being there, and it shows here,

another excellent Youth author Madeleine McLaughlin praised the effort and detail thet went into the weekend's activities,

Arelene Webb with her powerful book that has one of the most colorful covers I've ever seen anywhere,

Charles Mossop, another one of our very gifted male authors regaled everyone with his wit and wisdom,

the lovely Joanne Elder holding her book with more brilliant colors splashed across its cover than the most striking of rainbows...


What do you do when the

apple doesn't fall far from the Mama Oak? You proudly publish your daughter, Christina Schizas' book which also has the added bonus of your son George Schizas' gifted cover creation. (The Schizas really know how to fill the creative world don't they?)

Lea and two of her brilliant books...one she co-wrote with...

Litsa holding their collaboration...showing their separate powers...

 and together guiding the booksigning's progress

and many others got to meet with fans, spend time with them and sign their books. There are many more authors who attended this Retreat/Signing, but for one reason or another I am having trouble locating their pictures...To them I

apologize and beg your forgiveness.

But for those who attended and those of us who had to stay behind, the most moving moment came when

Karen McGrath, our dear friend, author, editor, and now guardian angel received

this tribute. We miss you Karen, but you ARE our

angel above watching over us, encoruaging us, and loving us.

We began, long before our

debut as a

small family, each working hard to create stories the world would come to


love, but also with

Lea Schizas our publisher and Litsa Kamateros our Marketing and Promotional Director to create something unique, enduring and soul enriching.

We started with few, but those few began the process of making Muse It Up Publishing into the BIG

family it became and continues to be today.

We've grown. The last I heard we have well over

250 authors. That's an amazing increase in such a short time...BUT...that increase would never have happened if the

core of who we are at MIU did not sit upon the bedrock of

Lea and Litsa's design...That design is...the

are the House's foundation...without us there'd be no need for the editors, cover artists, web mistress, marketing director, or the publisher.

As an author, though, I must say without Lea, Litsa and their

the rest of us would be vulnerable to less scrupulous publishing houses...and they DO exist...check out

Preditors and Editors and you'll find just how precarious this world can be...

Lea and Litsa's (here at a booksigning for Autism Awareness in Canda) integrity and dedication to making the

world a better place, gave those of us in the beginning powerful reasons to bust our humps and make

Muse It Up Publishing a place that would draw and will continue to draw the finest writers on the planet today.

My name is

L.J. Holmes, and I am an author...but not just ANY author...I am a proud author, along with my author daughter

Kat Holmes, here at Muse It Up Publishing. We know what else is out there. Kat WAS out there, but we're both here now...and have been since March 2010. This is our

and the home for our inner voices. Between the two of us, as of today we have twenty two books already released through Muse It Up Publishing with more coming.

So it is with great pride and

I say

 MUSE IT UP PUBLISHING...