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I asked myself what the best solution was for talking to yourself too much, and the answer turned out to be blogging! Come follow me on my writerly exploits as I continue to develop the world of Estridia and introduce you to it along the way!
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Teaser Tuesday is here again! Today I have an exclusive excerpt from Clara Stone's Forever Kinda Love!
Title: Forever Kinda Love
Author: Clara Stone
Release date: August 15th, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Mature Young Adult
Cover Design: Regina Wamba at Mae I Design & Photography
Now available at: Kindle | Nook | Kobo |iBooks |Paperback |Signed Paperback (US only)
FOREVER KINDA LOVE Synopsis:Life’s. Little. Surprises.
The last thing seven-year-old Carrigan "Ace" Casper foresaw was an eight- year-old Heath Lovelly walking into her life the day her mother died. From that moment on, Heath sticks by her side, slowly becoming her strength, her confidant, and her entire world. What she doesn’t know is, she's his saving grace, too.
Ten years later, Ace is handed another crippling challenge that threatens everything in her almost perfect life. Only, this time, she doesn't turn to Heath, hiding the truth instead. But Heath knows Ace too well and won't back down easily. He's ready to do whatever it takes and will stay by her side until she accepts that their love is the kinda love worth fighting for. Will he be her forever triumph or her unexpected downfall?
Two lives. One story. And an unexpected journey to falling in love.
Priya Kanaparti lives in the beautiful city of Boise, ID. Unlike what most believe about Idaho, it’s more than a sack full of potatoes. When she’s not writing, you’ll catch Priya reading YA and NA books, mostly romance, and enjoying time with her family. She is a proud CW TV addict. She also write Mature YA and New Adult romance under the name Clara Stone. She is published through Reuts Publications.
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EXCERPT:
“I—”
“Don’t,” he says without looking at me.
“You don’t even know what I was going to say.” I defend myself.
“Yes, I do.” He turns to face me, his features unreadable. “You were going to apologize.”
I shake my head. “Dude, you don’t know me that well. I was going to say that I don’t think these modifications are going to work.” I gesture to the ragged remnants of our project.
A small smile lifts the corners of his lips, and I grin wide.
“Why are you so annoying?”
I feign innocence. “Why are you being a jerk?”
He sighs, shaking his head, the smile still lurking at the edges of his mouth.
“How about I sweep, and you pick up tools?” I offer, looking warily at the tools scattered around the room.
“Why are you so damn afraid of tools?”
“I’m not afraid.” I walk forward and grab the handle of the broom, tugging at it. He doesn’t budge, holding it in a firm grip.
“Let go,” I say, pulling at it again.
“Answer my question,” he counters, staring at me with one eyebrow raised.
“I’m just . . . cautiously aware of the dangers that surround them.”
“You’re a strange girl, Carrigan.”
I stick my tongue out and jerk the broom from his grip. “It takes one to see one.”
“You do realize you just called me a girl,” he says.
“I also noticed you didn’t deny the accusation.” I wink at his perplexed expression before turning away to start sweeping.
Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!
Week 2: How to Date Dead Guys Under the Blood Moon seriesBy Ann M. NoserCollege sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when charming Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters.
Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn't the only one.
Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a desperate victim determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand…at first. More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.
Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will ignite the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.
Buy it from:
Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes & NobleOr add it to
GoodreadsABOUT ANN M. NOSER:My to-do list dictates that I try to cram 48 hours of living into a day instead of the usual 24. I’ve chosen a life filled with animals. I train for marathons with my dog, then go to work as a small animal veterinarian, and finish the day by tripping over my pets as I attempt to convince my two unruly children that YES, it really IS time for bed. But I can’t wait until the house is quiet to write; I have to steal moments throughout the day. Ten minutes here, a half hour there, I live within my imagination.
Like all busy American mothers, I multi-task. I work out plot holes during runs. Instead of meditating, I type madly during yoga stretches. I find inspiration in everyday things: a beautiful smile, a heartbreaking song, or a newspaper article on a political theory. For example, a long drive in the dark listening to an NPR program on the SMILEY FACE MURDERS theory made me ask so many questions that I wrote HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS to answer them to my satisfaction.
I’d love to have more time to write (and run, read, and sleep), but until I find Hermione Granger’s time turner, I will juggle real life with the half-written stories in my head. Main characters and plot lines intertwine in my cranium, and I need to let my writing weave the tales on paper so I can find out what happens next.
Find Ann Online:
Blog Facebook page Twitter GoodreadsWant to get involved with the Fall Into Fantasy promotional tour?- Don't forget to join us at the Facebook party here!
- If you are interested in joining up as a blogger, you can always sign up here. We are happy to welcome more bloggers into the fold as the promotion continues.
- If you are an author or blogger and want to sign up to help with the party, please fill out this form.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!
Week 1: The Darkness & Light SeriesBook One:
First of Her KindBook Two:
EmergenceBook Three:
Edge of Darkness (Release date 2015)
It seems everyone wants to dictate what Ciara does with her life: Serve the Goddess, destroy the Goddess, do as you promised your aunt -- all Ciara really wants is to keep the two magics she possesses from ripping her apart.
And that's not going to be easy.
Not only is her earth magic in complete opposition to her other power, blood ties pull her in divergent directions as well. And then there's Bolin, the man sworn to protect her. There's no denying the growing attraction between them, but is it Ciara he wants, or her power?
None of which will matter if Ciara can't overcome her fear and learn how to use her gifts. No one knows the depths of the ancient power she possesses, or what will happen if it manages to escape her control. Will she lose herself entirely? Or be forever caught between Darkness and Light?
Buy the e-book:
Kindle NookOr the paperback:
Amazon Barnes & NobleThe battle for Ciara's power has drawn the full attention of the Emperor and the Imperial Mages, forcing Bolin to put duty above safety and take her to Nisair. It won't be an easy trip, even with an Imperial escort and a Galysian elder accompanying them. Especially since Donovan has found himself some new allies, one of who wields a dark magic that has literally gotten under Bolin's skin.
For Ciara, coming to terms with the increasingly tangible manifestation of her power could destroy her. Even if they make it to Nisair--something that grows more unlikely by the day--there is no surety of safety for Ciara, or any of them. Not with Donovan willing to gamble everything to achieve his goals, or Bolin's uncharacteristically reckless behavior, the result of which is the attention of something that has everyone worried.
Loyalties will be tested, lives will be lost, and no one will emerge unchanged as they find things are not always so clear on the line dividing Darkness and Light.
Buy the e-book:
Kindle NookOr the paperback:
Amazon Barnes & NobleABOUT K.L. SCHWENGEL
K. L. Schwengel lives in southeast Wisconsin on a small farm with her husband, a handful of Australian Shepherds, Her Royal Highness Princess Fiona the Cat, and assorted livestock. Growing up as the youngest of nine children, and the daughter of a librarian, Kathi spent many hours between stacks of books, and secluded away in dusty archives, drawn to tales of medieval heroes and conquering knights. With so many characters and ideas spinning in her head, she had to get them onto paper or risk what little sanity she possessed. She has been penning wild tales of magic and mayhem as long as she can remember, but opted to follow her artistic muse first. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts and spending many years working as a freelance artist, grocery clerk, art teacher, graphic designer, stable hand, advertising account coordinator, dog trainer, and process technician (among other things) she answered the call of her writing muse. When not writing, Kathi trains and trials working Australian Shepherds, still paints, dabbles in photography, graphic design, and anything else creative her assorted muses send her way.
Connect online at…
Blog Facebook Pinterest Twitter Amazon Page Goodreads- Don't forget to join us at the Facebook party here!
- If you are interested in joining up as a blogger, you can always sign up here. We are happy to welcome more bloggers into the fold as the promotion continues.
- If you are an author or blogger and want to sign up to help with the party, please fill out this form.
I was tagged back in June by Sharon Bayliss to introduce my main character, but I don't think I ever did it. I'm catching up on tagged stuff now, and with Heirs of War, Crown of Flames less than two months away from release and starting work on Heirs of War, Chaos to Reign, I think now is a GREAT time to do this one. Zelene really takes center stage in Crown of Flames, so that's who I'll be introducing today.
1. What is the name of your main character? Is he fictional or a historic person?
Zelene is a fictional person, even if my friends and family like to think she is me. ;)
2. When and where is the story set?
This story is set in modern times in different worlds. Zelene is in the capital of Estridia, Anscombe, which is the seat of power for the Duillaine.
3. What should we know about her?
Zelene is stubborn, rebellious, and impulsive. She grew up in a very rough situation, bouncing around from different foster families--some good, some apathetic, and some downright terrible. She never really had control in her life or the ability to truly stand up, and she is really taking those things for herself in this book. Zelene's tired of keeping her head down and staying out of trouble, which leads her to some pretty rash and impulsive decisions.
4. What is the main conflict? What messes up her life?
The main conflict is that Zelene's twin sister, whom she still hasn't met because she was captured in book one before they were all reunited, is on the run from the Cahirans and trying to make her way to Anscombe with Alec's help. Zelene doesn't think that the Duillaine are doing everything they can to rescue Ariana, and she's tired of them using her as a political pawn. So she sets out to do it on her own. What messes her up is trusting the wrong people along the way, learning about a new and disturbing ability she has, and losing heart and faith in herself.
5. What is her personal goal?
Zelene's primary goal is to rescue Ariana before the Cahirans capture her again.
6. Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?
Heirs of War, Crown of Flames, which you can read all about on my website.
7. When can we expect the books to be published?
It will be out October 13th and is available for pre-order now!
I'm tagging Katie Hamstead, Lisa Collicutt, and Rachel Horwitz!
Welcome to the last (for now) Marketing Mondays--that glorious day when we take the overwhelming ideas of marketing and try to make them a little less stressful. In case you missed it, we've already talked about author brands, Facebook, social media, blogging, online parties and giveaways, street teams, newsletters, and Goodreads, and websites and Amazon author pages. Today, we are wrapping things up with blog tours and advertisements. This involves coughing out some cash, which is a very important topic to discuss.
Blog Tours
We've already discussed hosting blog tours when discussing what kind of content to put on your blog, but now I want to take a really good look at the flip side of that coin--having a blog tour to promote your book. Blogs are a very useful tool for promoting your book, and you can do this a number of ways. You can generate buzz about your book before it releases with things like a Cover Reveal and teasers. After the release, you can schedule a release day blitz or a blog tour, or do both. Coordinating all of the above is pretty much the same, and we'll go over some of the basics.
- Coordinating a Tour
- Do it yourself: If you have experience with hosting blog tours already and plenty of blogger friends, you can give coordinating it yourself a shot. After about a year or so of hosting tours myself, I was able to build up enough connections to fill up a month long tour for Heirs of War, so it is doable. I'll get to some tips on how to coordinate your tour on your own later, but for now we'll just list it as an option.
- Let someone coordinate the tour for you: One of the benefits to having someone else organize your tour is that it is a heck of a lot less stressful for you. There are plenty of blog tour companies out there with reasonable prices if that is an option for you. Make sure you choose a company that fits your book, though. Some tour companies cover mainly romance or paranormal romance, and if you write mysteries, this tour company might not be the one for you. If you can do this, I say go for it. Prices range anywhere from $45-$175, depending on what you want your tour to include. It might be worth it just to have one less thing to worry about during release week. Because if you are releasing a book, your stress levels are probably already pretty high.
- If you have a publisher, their marketing department might coordinate the tour for you.
- Dates
- One day release blitz: One day for everyone to showcase your book. Generally done with just a promo post, but you can open it up to other options.
- One week or two week blog tour: Usually the more affordable options if you are hiring a tour company, and a way to play it safe if you are coordinating on your own. You can also go with three weeks if you're feeling plucky.
- One month blog tour: Usually more expensive if you are hiring a blog company, but this gives you a full month with your book and name spread across blogs. If you are coordinating yourself, it is something to think about for that reason, too. This also opens your dates up, obviously, but that might be more appealing to bloggers.
- Content
- Promo post: I've also seen this referred to as a spotlight stop. This usually consists of the basics to promote your book: Banner (if you have one), cover, blurb, purchase links, Goodreads link, your bio, your author pic, your links, and maybe something like a book trailer or short teaser.
- Guest post: This is where you take over someone else's blog by sending them an article that you write. For example, I could blog about my marketing experience with Heirs of War for a guest post. Other ideas are music playlists, dream cast, your road to publishing, your inspiration for the book or characters, editing...the list goes on and on. You can plan guest posts ahead of time and dole them out, or you can let hosts pick a topic that might fit their blog.
- Excerpts: I was surprised by how many people requested excerpts for my first blog tour. You can give the same one or different ones. I recommend different ones since that allows you to showcase different characters or different aspects of your book. You can tease romance, or action, or humor. And if you have teaser images that accompany the excerpts, you can include them as well. Visuals are always a good thing!
- Character interviews: These are so much fun! Sometimes bloggers have questions pre-planned, and sometimes they will do research to tailor the questions to your characters. Either way, getting a chance to explore your characters again is always fun.
- Author interview: Oh, the dreaded author interview. I have several of those for my upcoming tour for Heirs of War, Crown of Flames. I both love them and hate them at the same time, mostly because I feel like an idiot with everything I say. But readers love them, so I do it and you should too.
- Open option: This is always a good idea in case bloggers have a weekly feature that might work for you. During the Heirs of War tour, Crystal Collier signed up for me to be featured during her Writerly Wednesdays feature that includes Two Truths and a Lie, which was awesome and a lot of fun.
Like I said before, you can totally do this on your own!
Here are some easy steps to coordinating your own tour:
- Create a Google form for people to sign up through. Standard form entries: Name, email address, blog url, post type, and date. I also include the option of reviewing an ARC. More reviews never hurt, right?
- Email your contacts. If you have blogger friends, author friends, critique partners, street team members, etc--don't be afraid to ask them to help out.
- Post about it on social media. Put the call out their to your Facebook friends and Twitter followers. Post a polite request in groups that allow that kind of post (always check the rules for the groups you want to post to!). But, as with everything social media, don't spam. If you aren't getting any responses, check back through your old posts and see if there's a better time where your friends respond more. Then post during that time next week.
- Keep your posting options open to draw in more people.
- Stay on top of emails. I don't know about you, but I have a very bad habit of reading emails or texts and replying in my head, but never actually doing it. That's definitely a habit to break when organizing a blog tour or promotion.
- Limit your guest posts. Interviews, excerpts, and promo posts aren't very time consuming, but guest posts can be. I had way too many during my Heirs of War tour, and they sucked up a lot of valuable time. They're great to do and a lot of bloggers request them, but I would limit how many you allow.
- Balance your time as best you can. If you won't have a lot of time to create posts, only run a week long tour, or two weeks. Don't over-commit to something you might not have time for.
- Make sure you stop by each blog and thank them for hosting, and then check back over the next few days to respond to any comments people leave.
Advertisements
You've probably seen a lot of sites like
Facebook and
Goodreads offering advertisements. It looks like
Twitter is even jumping on this bandwagon now. I've also seen websites and blogs that offer paid advertising slots. Some advertisements, like on a website or blog, might be a one time fee, while others, like Facebook and Goodreads offer daily budgets or pay per click options. Facebook allows you to set a daily budget as well, which can be helpful. You can also set up a target audience by selecting people within a certain age range and with specific interests to target with your ad. Just to give you an idea, I chose fantasy film, fantasy literature, magic (paranormal), witches pagans, fantasy movies, books, and e-books as my interests to target, and my potential reach is 52 million, which looks pretty good from the outside. There are plenty of articles out there to help you create ads and tell you why they are great, but I want to talk about something else that is very important and ties back to blog tours:
When do you spend your money?
Pretty good question, am I right? The thing is, if you are self-publishing, then chances (and hopes) are that you have hired an editor and a cover artist already. That means that you are in the red before your book is even published. You've already invested money into it. And then there's things like swag to giveaway as prizes for contests (which we've also covered) or to hand out at signings or just on the street.
Point is, you can end up dropping a lot of money really fast. Could you end up making all of that back and then some? Sure. It happens. But you can't let yourself get too carried away. Cut costs where you can so that you can actually enjoy some of the money you make back or use it to invest into your next book so you aren't as in the red when it comes out.
There's a reason I didn't go into a whole lot of detail with advertisements--I've never done one before. At all. I don't have any plans to do one in the future, not unless I see some major sales with Heirs of War, Crown of Flames. I'm already trying to cut back my swag addiction (I love giving out signed swag packs. Love it. In fact, I want to give one to you now...), so I don't really let myself spend any money beyond the necessities. Advertising is a necessity, of course, but not one I need to pay for right now.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't purchase a Facebook ad--I'm just saying to keep a tight eye on your budget. I've heard a lot of people say that you should wait until you have more than one book out before you pay for advertisements because your other books help sell each other. And you should definitely be wary of what kind of advertisement you choose, particularly with Facebook. There's been
some concern that running an advertisement for Facebook likes will only get you bogus likes, not actual people. And that can hurt your page instead of help it since Facebook algorithms dictate how many people see your posts based on how many people interact with your page.
So the two key things to take away from this blog post? Balance your budget and time, and do your research before making any decisions that involve money, whether it involves ads or blog tours.
Thank you for tuning in for Marketing Mondays! Don't be afraid to tell me what you think, or if I've missed anything. This has all been based on my personal experience, and I hope to return to this segment once I get even more experience under my belt. Even if that means contradicting things I've already said. =)
Keeper vs. Reaper Graveyard Guardians
Book 1
Jennifer Malone Wright
Genre: New Adult / Paranormal 18+
Publisher: Jennifer Malone Wright
Date of Publication: August 12th 2014
Cover Artist: Regina Wamba of Mae I Design and Photography
Book Description:
When her father died, Lucy Mae Estmond inherited the family business. She has known all of her life that she would be in line to watch over the souls of the recently passed, keeping them safe from the Reapers.
The soul eating Reapers have been a plague upon the Earth, stealing souls and leaving the Keepers as the only thing that stands between Heaven and Hell. The factions despise each other and have warred for generations.
Then Lucy discovers an ancient legend predicting the arrival of the Chosen One, destined to bring forth an end to the Reapers. The surprises continue when she realizes she is that person. For Lucy, being the Chosen One doesn’t change much. Fighting Reapers is just another day in the life of a Keeper.
When she meets Jack Walker, they both realize they have an insane, mutual attraction. Too bad that he’s been sent to prevent the prophecy from coming true.
His only mission: to kill the Chosen One.
About the Author:
Jennifer Malone Wright is best known for her short story series, The Vampire Hunter's Daughter. Other works include the follow up to The Vampire Hunter's Daughter series called The Arcadia Falls Chronicles and her vampire novel called The Birth of Jaiden. Jennifer also co-authors a series called Once Upon A Zombie Apocalypse.
She resides in the beautiful mountains of northern Idaho with her husband and five children where she practices preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Just kidding!
But seriously, between the craziness of taking care of her children, Jennifer has little time left for herself. The time she does have left, usually leading far into the night, is spent working on her beloved fiction or chatting with her equally crazy friends.
Jennifer also loves coffee, has a passionate affair with red bull, wishes the sushi were better where she lives and dances while she cleans.
Details for the Keeper vs. Reaper pre-order giveaway
- Entries will be accepted until September 1st.
- Winner will be chosen on Sept 5th.
- To qualify for the B&B stay you must live in the United States.
- You must be 21 years of age to enter and winner must be able to verify their age.
- Date of B&B stay is February 2015. The actual date will set by Jack and Lucy who will discuss it with the winner to see which days would be best for them.
- The custom wine and chocolate will be waiting for the lucky winner at the B&B
- The only items covered in this win are the cost of ONE night stay in the bed & breakfast, the wine and the chocolate, which will be waiting for the winner at the B&B when they arrive. Winner is responsible for getting to the location, spending money, meals, ect.
- Winner is responsible for any damages or incurred costs during their stay at the B&B.
How to Enter
To make this super easy, we are just going to do a rafflecopter, so click the link to enter. Again, I am going to state that you must be 21 years of age to enter and winner must be able to verify their age.
There are several ways to enter, however one is to pre order or purchase (after release on Aug 12th) Keeper vs. Reaper. Unfortunately, there is no pre-order for Amazon, but the iTunes / iBooks app and the Nook app are free to download. These apps can be used on devices like tablets, phones, and computers.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTEASER:
“Yeah, I get that.” He took a swig of his beer and cringed. “Ugh. Can I get a shot of Jameson with this too?”
“I thought you tried to stay away from the hard stuff.” Her dark eyes penetrated him, looking for a reason that he would want to be drinking the hard A.
“Not tonight I don’t.”
“Fine. But, because I’m your friend I’m only allowing you one shot then it’s back to the hangover beer for you.”
Friend. What a fucked up word. The F word for sure.
He gave her a twisted smile as she handed him the shot of amber colored liquid. “I don’t have any friends. Not anymore.”
She shot him a concerned look and put the Jameson bottle back on the shelf. “You do now. I think we hit it off as far as friends go. See, I’m going to help you out right now, just like a dude would. There’s Janette.”
“Who?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
Jack raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders, then tilted his head back and slammed his shot.
Reese had her hands on her hips. “Janette. The girl you took home the other night.” She explained.
“Oh! You mean Janice.” He turned around to see who she was talking about.
“No, I mean Janette. That is her name, asshole.”
“Oh shit, really?”
Reese shook her head and laughed. “You may be good looking, but you are the poster child for guys women shouldn’t date. I have no idea why I like you at all.”
With a smile, Jack turned around and wiggled his eyebrows, “maybe we should take that to the next level.” He was totally joking and she knew it. The two of them seemed to have a mutual no touchy code.
“Not a chance in hell, Casanova.”
Jack laughed and then once again looked over his shoulder at Janette. Now, that was exactly what he needed right now. Nothing calms the nerves after an attempted murder and a fight with your friend like a good night of fucking out the frustration. He grabbed his beer and got up off the stool.
Goodbye, weekend! Hello, Marketing Mondays! That glorious day when we take the overwhelming ideas of marketing and try to make them a little less stressful. In case you missed it, we've already talked about
author brands,
Facebook,
social media,
blogging,
online parties and giveaways, and
street teams, newsletters, and Goodreads. As promised, today we are going to talk about websites and Amazon pages, and why they are important.
Websites are probably the easiest part of marketing, in my experience. With all of the Weebly-wobbly type designers out there, it is really easy to make your website as low maintenance or fancy as you want it to be. Heck, even Blogger is making it easier to turn your blog itself into a website by offering the option to create different pages beyond that of your blog. You don't have to know a lick of HTML to be able to get a website up and running. In fact, my subscription level for my website doesn't even allow me to access the base HTML or CSS codes (which is good, since I'm a novice with HTML and haven't the faintest clue about CSS).
Why you should have a website is probably a given: You need one place to keep all of your information, and Facebook doesn't count. Having a website, in my opinion, gives you a more professional appearance to those who might Google you. It's a way of letting everyone know that writing is your profession, not your hobby. But if you are here, you already know that. So instead, let's focus on the design and content you should include in your website.
Let's look at a few of the different kinds of websites to give you an idea of how you might want to design yours:
The Blog-Focused SiteBlogs are an excellent way of keeping your readers up to date with news and giving them more insight into you. It's a very personal approach, but you control how personal you get.
Sharon Bayliss's website has her blog on the home page, and a column on the right to showcase her books and social media. It's really well balanced, which is very important for a website. You don't want it to look too busy, or the readers' eyes will be drawn to too many places. And she also has tabs for all of the other information you might be looking for on her--even one to take her quiz to see what kind of witch or wizard you would be in the world of
The December People series.
Vicki Keire has another great example of a blog-centric site powered by a Blogger template. The great thing about this design is that since you are going through Blogger, it is easy to maintain. No fancy HTML or CSS skills necessary.
James Wymore does the same thing with Wordpress, but I'm less familiar with Wordpress than I probably should be at this point.
The Book-Focused SitePeople are stopping by to get information about your books, right? So if you want to put that information front and center on your home page, it makes perfect sense.
Eliza Tilton's site does a really good job doing this and looking sleek and professional. She has a great tagline in her header, and then directly shows the covers of her books. She still has a blog, which is in the main menu and easy to access.
Terry Goodkind's website does this as well, usually featuring his next release (in this case,
Severed Souls, which I am equal parts dreading and excited about reading). I'm not a big fan of the tiny Home button that takes you to his actual site and shows you everything else you want to see, but hey--he's making millions, so he can do whatever he wants. And he also looks intimidating as hell, so that might help. ;)
The News-Focused SiteWhy not get straight to business and put your news on your front page? That's what I do on
my site, which can be cool since you can tie it in with your newsletter (which we already talked about as a "must") and just copy everything over from it. If you run behind on updating your website, then your Home page with all the news can become pretty lengthy.
Richelle Mead also has a news-centric site, and hers looks much slicker. She has a brief intro and then launches into what is going on, however much or little there might be (she did just give birth if I'm remembering right, so I think we can all understand a lack of appearances and such). With both of these designs, you can still have easy access to your books and create a personalized style.
The Sleek and Simple SitePersonally, I'm a big fan of this style, even though my website doesn't follow it. You are brought to a home page that has the very bare minimum, and then have a menu that takes you directly where you need to go--books, blog, about me, etc. A good example of this is
Krystal Wade's website, which is very crisp and elegant, and her menu covers everything needed. The picture also makes you feel like you are being transported somewhere magical, and as an avid fantasy reader, this is something I am definitely drawn to. The only drawback to this is that it can create a very detached website, and as authors, I think giving it a personal touch is definitely the way to go since our goal is to connect with our readers. Krystal manages to avoid this drawback by having personalized messages or writing in first person, so she is directly addressing the reader.
There are other site styles, of course, but these are the most popular that I've seen. All of the above are easy to create and maintain, which is definitely a perk. If you have to dedicate the whole entire day to updating your website, you probably need to rethink how you are doing it. I'm guilty of spending a whole day redesigning mine (and probably about to do that again soon), but updating should only take an hour or so, depending on the amount of information you are updating.
CONTENT IS KEYOnce you've decided how to design your website, you need to decide what to include. Here are my Do's and Don'ts from my experience with my site:
- Home Page: Pretty much a given, and we've already discussed the different ways you can design it. Whether you have your blog on the front page or just a menu, the biggest thing to keep in mind is to make it easy to read. Personally, I feel like mine has a bit too much text going on. Too much text makes a home page feel crowded, but with the most boring types of company you can imagine. At least for me, anyway. You want your website to be personal but still show that you take your career seriously. A sleek website does just that. As a reader, this gives me more confidence in the writer. I know I'm not about to spend my money on a rough draft, but something that the writer has put time and effort into. Here are some other things you might want to include on your home page--just make sure you don't overcrowd:
- Your books: You can do this with a simple Goodreads widget or just put the covers there on your own and make them clickable to the pages on your site or the Amazon pages. The Goodreads widget works, but I'm not a big fan of the layout options, personally.
- Social media: You can have buttons to link to your social media, or you can include social media feeds from sites like Twitter and Facebook to show your recent activities.
- Newsletter or blog subscription: Make it easy for people to get email updates from you with a subscription option. MailChimp offers this widget for newsletters, and both Blogger and Wordpress offer it for blogs as well.
- Blog activities: This is especially easy with a blog-centric website, where you have the options of including keywords, recent activities, etc.
- About Me: Don't neglect the bio, and don't make visitors have to dig for it. It doesn't have to be your life story. It can be as long or as short as you want it to be. After all, this is your website, so it should be tailored to you. I have one paragraph on my home page, but I'd really suggest having an About Me section, which I'm going to change to once I upgrade to get more pages. Your bio can be third person or first person. I've seen a lot of authors address readers directly, which I'm a big fan of. My bio is third person, but that's because everything I wrote first person sounded ridiculous in my head. Jessa Russo wrote hers in first person and isn't shy about getting personal with you, which really creates a connection with the readers. You get an absolute feel for who she is, which left me wanting to read her books even more. You don't have to leave your about me to just the bio, though. Here are some other ideas of what to include:
- News: If you don't have this on your front page, you can include it here. I used to have a News Archive on my About Me page, but I felt like it cluttered it too much, and like it was pointless. My blog has old news, and I don't update every week with new news and get rid of the old. But if you want an archive, I've seen it done well before. As long as you keep the "No Clutter" rule in mind with a website, you're fine with pretty much anything, I think.
- Upcoming Appearances: This is one you might want to create a different page for, but also a good place if you don't. Whether you're hosting a Facebook party or doing a signing in person, your readers will want to know how they can connect with you!
- Past Interviews and Guest Blogs: If you have done a blog tour, then you have most likely done a guest post or an interview. Since this website is all about you, don't be shy about putting those links out there.
- Social media: If you don't want to include your social media feeds on your front page, this is a good place to put them. The reason to have them at all is to give readers easy access to that sort of thing, and to maybe get them to follow you by seeing the clever things you post on Twitter. Especially if you are Anna Kendrick and always say clever things on Twitter.
- Books: This one is a given, but you do have some options as to how you do this. You can have individual pages for each of your books, individual pages for each of your series, or just one page where all of your books are showcased with clickable covers that take you to more information about the book itself. All of the author websites we've looked at so far have great examples of these options. Here are some other book related items you might include:
- Reviews: If your book has even three glowing reviews, don't be afraid to showcase them. I have a whole section for reviews and use the Goodreads widget to show them off. I also pull quotes from reviews from other sites like Amazon, review blogs, or Barnes & Noble.
- Purchase links: Definitely a must. Make it easy for people to buy your book after you tell them why they want to, right?
- Goodreads link: Even if you aren't a fan of Goodreads or have never gone to the site, keep in mind that plenty of other people use it.
- Pinterest boards: If you use Pinterest for inspiration, casting, or to get to know your characters better, let your readers see it too. Pinterest makes it easy to include a widget on your site, and it is as simple as copying and pasting the HTML code.
- Music playlists: Whether you use YouTube or Spotify, if you have a music playlist that goes along with your series, show it to your readers.
- Book Trailers: You definitely want to include a book trailer if you have it. I have one for my Heirs of War series, and it is at the top of the series page.
- Teaser images: Lots of authors create teaser images for upcoming releases to generate buzz. The book page is a great place to showcase these in an album or slideshow. I wouldn't recommend just pasting them everywhere on the page, because then it will get cluttered, but lots of design sites make it easy to create albums and use slideshows for that kind of thing.
- Definitions: If you have a fantasy series like me, it might be a good idea to use the series page or book page to define some of the things from your world. I create image cards for that kind of thing that I sometimes use on my site.
- Character interviews: Another thing you might do for a blog tour is interview your characters or let someone else do it. It's lots of fun and lets the readers get more insight into their favorite characters, so it's a good idea to include links to content like that.
- Contests: If you have contests or giveaways for a particular book, make sure you include them on the relevant pages, even if you have them somewhere else. It's repetitive, sure, but also makes it easier for people to find them.
- Other Ideas: If you have extra content like quizzes or poetry, or even another hobby like music videos or art, you can definitely include a page for that. Reviews, services, awards, blog hops, travel blogs--the possibilities are endless. The key to having a website is to have all of your information in one place so that it is convenient for readers to find and then connect with you. If you keep busy, it might be a good idea for you to have a separate Events page to make it easy to find appearances.
Amazon: Author Pages and Rankings
If you sell on Amazon, and you probably do since they have evolved into quite the giant in the book world, then you have access to Amazon Author Central, where you can do cool things like link social media, put in a profile, and even track sales. An even cooler thing that never occurred to me until recently is that you can also get likes for that page. I never even noticed the option because I don't pay attention to how many likes an author has on Amazon. But from what I am hearing,
Amazon does. Amazon usually stays pretty mum about their numbers and formulas for rankings, but apparently the number of likes an author gets somehow ties in. There used to be an option to like individual books as well, but they got rid of that. Either that, or I'm blind and can't find it.
Either way, the Amazon author page is a convenient way to have all the relevant information a reader might look for from you in one place: Social media, bio, website, blog, other books, book trailers, etc. There's even a place for customers to start a discussion about you.
So how do you get ranked and what does it mean? Rankings are a reflection of how well your book is doing, which is a direct reflection of sales. I haven't been able to find an actual formula that Amazon uses, but people do have theories about how to get ranked. One tip: Don't visit your book page or have others visit it unless they are buying the book. If you want to get a look at your sales rank, use Amazon Author Central. Apparently, rumor has it that if your book has too many visits without correlating sales, it will lower your Amazon ranking. And a higher ranking is supposed to mean more visibility. I can say that since I stopped checking my page for rank or anything else (I used to use it for easily grabbing the blurb or copying the actual link to sell it--now I use my website for that), my rankings have gone up.
Once I started seeing my book on lists like Coming of Age, I started to see more steady sales as well. Since this is a self published title with a handful of reviews, that doesn't mean I'm raking in the dough. But still. I've seen an improvement.
Which brings me to another thing that possibly/probably has an impact on your ranking: Reviews. One of the worst things an author can hear from you is that you loved their book but never reviewed it. But one of the worst things you can do as an author is beg for reviews or bitch when you don't get them. I've given away over 100 free copies of
Heirs of War since I published it a year ago and do you know how many reviews I have total? I have 10 on Amazon, 12 on Goodreads, 1 on Barnes & Noble, and 1 on Smashwords.
And yes, you read that right. I've given away over 100 copies of
Heirs of War.
But seeing as how it is the first book in my series priced at 99 cents and there's an older version of it available for free on Wattpad, it really isn't hitting me hard.
I digress. So beyond selling books, you can up your Amazon rankings and get more visibility on Amazon by getting likes on your Amazon page, good keywords to accompany your books so that it can be put on lists (Amazon has a nice
breakdown here), reviews, not visiting your page to check rankings constantly or any other reason, and by getting people to buy your book along with another. People who bought my book also bought books from Sharon Bayliss, so her books come up when you visit my book's page under the customer suggestions. Similarly,
Shattered Secrets by Krystal Wade shows up as a suggestion when you look at
Destruction's page. So if enough people buy the same book, like a best seller, and yours, then it gives you more visibility.
But what can you do about any of this, beyond staying off your book's Amazon page or encouraging others to visit it if they aren't going to buy your book?
- One thing you can do is try to time any sales you might have with new releases that are similar to your book. No guarantees, but worth a shot and telling readers that if they are a fan of the new book coming out, they can enjoy yours too for a special price is a bit enticing. Worth a shot.
- Encourage readers to visit your Amazon author page and give it a like, then share it on social media. Like I said, I haven't found any actual data to back up the claim that more likes gets you a higher ranking, but if Amazon is tracking it, then it is worth doing. I've seen a lot of authors at Facebook parties recently having party goers like their Amazon page and give the number in order to enter a contest. This got me up to 15 likes from the pitiful one I had before (though number one was awesome for doing it on her own!).
- Encourage readers to post reviews, but never bargain with them to get it done. Offering prizes or other incentives is a good way to get that review deleted. Amazon can be pretty annoying with deleting reviews. I haven't had it happen, personally, but I've seen other authors have theirs deleted because they happened to also give a gift card to that reviewer from their same account, even if the timing didn't match up as a bribe sort of thing. Amazon doesn't want you paying for reviews, so just keep that in mind with whatever you do.
Above all, keep in mind that your ranking on Amazon isn't the end of the world, and isn't something you need to work on every day. I've never broken the top 100 on the overall sales list, and I'm okay. This is a long road we tread, and expecting immediate results is only bound to get you disappointment. Patience, young grasshoppers.
We only have one more week of Marketing Mondays left. Next week we will wrap things up with blog tours and advertisements. Think there is something I've missed? Let me know! Mondays always come back to haunt us, which means Marketing Mondays can always return with more to discuss and different ways to drive your book sales!
It's August, and that means Fall is upon us! To celebrate the cooler weather and keep your mind off any back to school blues, we've put together the Fall Into Fantasy Tour. This tour celebrates the wonderful fantasy books that you can dive into--right now!
But what's a tour unless we are giving away free stuff? That's right! Each week, we will be giving away some awesome prizes from the author being featured. And to wrap things up at the end of the promotion in December, we're going to have a huge Facebook party all weekend long featuring these authors and more!
Want to get an idea of what is ahead? Check out the calendar below!
September 8th: The Undead: Playing for Keeps by Elsie Elmore
September 22nd: The Curse Merchant by JP Sloan
November 3rd: The Shadow Series by Anna Hub
Don't forget to join us at the Facebook party here! And be sure to check out these awesome blogs that will be hosting the tour for us:
Bilbo's Book EndsKatie's StoriesBook Crazy GalsCoffeyAndBooksRead MeKelly P's BlogSW FairbrotherWant to get involved with the Fall Into Fantasy promotional tour? - If you are interested in joining up as a blogger, you can always sign up here. We are happy to welcome more bloggers into the fold.
- If you are an author or blogger and want to sign up to help with the party, please fill out this form.
- If you are an author that wanted to take part, be sure to add me on Twitter or Facebook to hear about the next promotion I plan! This won't be the last. :)
"What happens when you cross Cinderella with Saw? You get a bloody brilliant book!"
The release of Charming, the new young adult thriller by Krystal Wade, is a few short months away, and the folks over at Barclay Publicity are preparing for the release with a few fun publicity activities for you to take part in! I'm thrilled to be part of this since I adore all things Krystal Wade. You can join in on the fun too!
What do we have planned?
- A live Author/Reader chat tomorrow August 7th with Krystal Wade and Randi Cooley Wilson. You can watch it here on Google+.
- A Charming Live #ReadOn event on August 16th. Sign up to watch it on Google+ here.
- A Charming First Chapter Tour the week of September 15th! Yours truly will be hosting the first chapter on my blog Tuesday September 16th for Teaser Tuesdays!
- A Wickedly Charming Release Day Party on Facebook October 6th, celebrating the release of both Charming by Krystal Wade and Wicked (Daath Chronicles #2) by Eliza Tilton. You can find the event here on Facebook, or sign up to host an hour or donate prizes by filling out this form.
- And a Charming Release Blitz tour from October 6th through the 13th! Sign up for the release tour or to receive an ARC by filling out this form.
We had a lot of fun promoting Shattered Secrets, and I know Charming is going to be just as much fun and just as thrilling! Jump in where you can and help spread the word about this amazing release from Krystal Wade!
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and that's great . . . as long as you don't die.
Sixteen-year-old Haley Tremaine had it all: top-notch school, fantastic family, and a bright future, but all of that changed when an accident tore her family apart. Now, an alcoholic father, a bitter younger sister, and a cold headstone bearing her mother’s name are all she has left.
Chris Charming has it all: a powerful CEO for a father, a prestigious school, and a fortune at his fingertips, but none of that matters when he lands a reputation as a troublemaker. Struggling to follow in his father’s footsteps, he reaches out to the one person he believes truly sees him, the one person he wants: Haley.
Little do they know someone's determined to bring the two together, even if it means murder.
Today's teaser is from High Stakes, book one in the Jacob Maresbeth Chronicles by Brandy Schillace. Before we get to the good stuff, let's get to know the book and the author a bit better!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
“I’m not a vampire,” insists Jacob Maresbeth, teenage journalist for the school paper. But what is a vampire, really? What happens if you have all the right symptoms, but are a living, breathing sixteen-year-old boy?
Diagnosed with a rare disease, Jake can’t help but wonder. After eight years in and out of the Newport News hospital, he’s had it up to here with doctors, diseases and dishonesty. After all, Jake’s father, respected neurologist Franklyn Maresbeth, has been hiding some of his more unusual symptoms for years… particularly that part about drinking blood.
In High Stakes, Jake records his summer vacation in the home of his maiden aunt, the bangled and be-spectacled Professor Sylvia. If that isn’t bad enough (and it is), Jake and his theatre-loving sister Lizzy must keep the “unofficial” details of Jake’s disorder a secret from Aunt Sylvia’s seductively beautiful graduate student, Zsofia. Will Jake survive a whole month pretending to be an invalid? Will Zsofia weaken his resolve with her flirtatiously dangerous Hungarian accent? Will Jake lose his heart–in more ways than one?
Author, historian, and adventurer at the intersections, Brandy Schillace spends her time in the mist-shrouded alleyways between literature and medicine.
Brandy grew up in an underground house in abandoned coal mining territory near a cemetery. It does things to you (like convince you to get a PhD). It also encourages a particular brand of fictive output. HIGH STAKES, Book 1 of The Jacob Maresbeth Chronicles, came out in 2014 with Cooperative Trade Press.
Brandy is managing editor of Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry and Research Associate for the Dittrick Museum of Medical History. She is also editor of the Fiction Reboot | Daily Dose blogs. When she isn’t researching arsenic poisoning for the Museum, writing fiction, taking over the world, or herding cats, she teaches for
Case Western Reserve University. Her non-fiction, DEATH’S SUMMER COAT, comes out with Elliott and Thompson in 2015.
Connect with Brandy:
Website Goodreads page Amazon Author Page Twitter FacebookEXCERPT:
Chapter 2 [after Jake and Lizzy have been sent to Aunt Syl's house for the summer]
... Dad had packed enough of the blood-bags for four weeks, but thankfully he sympathized with the psychological damage additional visit time would cause me. (Besides, its beach season in Newport News, and I was missing it).
Lizzy was all up for the challenge, of course, since Aunt Sylvia was her new favorite person, but Dad promised to come get me at the end of week two. Aunt Syl would drive Lizzy back up after classes were over. Problem solved. Sort of; I still had to put up with my aunt’s fussing and fluttering around me like a big well-meaning bird.
“You had better get early to bed, Jacob dear,” she said, poising over me with a teapot. “More herbal?”
“Er, no, thanks,” I said. I can drink tea and most other water-based fluids. But I don’t really like it much, and whatever Aunt Syl was brewing smelled and tasted pretty awful.
“Sure? It’s arrowroot and honeywort—very cleansing!”
“Thanks, but I feel pretty clean already,” I said, trying to smile like I meant it. Lizzy was sitting across the room from me, hiding her face in a magazine and trying not to laugh. Which wasn’t helping much. I decided “early to bed” was as good an idea as any, so I faked a yawn. My aunt, who watches my every move anyway, seemed to take the hint.
“Very good, very good—off to bed with you, then,” she said, shooing me towards the big front stairs.
My room is at the top of the steps, the one with blue carpet and denim curtains. You know, “boy’s” colors. Lizzy’s is some shade of rose or pink.… Aunt Syl needs a life so bad it hurts.
“Now, Jake,” she was saying (because she’d followed me up the stairs, of course), “there are extra towels in the linen closet. I left a few little things out for you to look at … brochures, you know. Summer classes don’t begin for two weeks, but—oh, there you are!”
Aunt Syl stopped in mid-sentence to swish her two cats, Byron and Shelley, off my bed. In movies, vampires always get wolves and bats. Me, I attract cats. The dumb things love me.
“Just look at them, so delighted to see you! Feline felicity!” My aunt tittered to herself as the cats did figure-eights around my legs.
“Er—you were saying?” I asked, trying not to step on anyone.
“Ah, yes! I have to take Lizzy to orientation tomorrow; then I have to prepare for my own summer classes. I am so sorry you’ll be here all alone, but I promise we’ll be back by 2:00. I know the week might be a bit slow, but don’t you trouble yourself! We’ll have a mad, dashing time this weekend!”
“Great. That’s—what, the play, right?” I asked. Then I faked another yawn, hoping she’d chalk up my lack of enthusiasm to lack of sleep.
“Précisément!” she said. Yes, not content to throw the English dictionary at you, she gets French in there, too. She’s a mean Scrabble player.
“Right—well—I’ll just—” But what I was “just” doing was falling over a fat cat. I managed to catch hold of the dresser and swing myself over the both of them and onto the other side of the bed. But that’s bad. My aunt’s eyes got as big as dinner plates, making me wish I’d just fallen over. See, I’m not exactly coordinated most of the time, but I get a little rush of energy in the evening… something that I—as an “invalid” and all—am not supposed to have.
“Luck?” I said lamely.
“You young men, all acrobats I suppose! Well,” she straightened her bangles and checked her watch. “You will tell me if you need anything? Mmm? See, I left a bell here in case there’s an emergency in the night!”
“Thank you, Aunt Syl,” I said grimacing.
“And I know you keep your own special food—but if you want anything, even a wee snack?”
“I promised Dad no snacks,” I said, crossing my heart.
“Quite right, of course,” she said with a little shrug and finally (thankfully) headed for the door. “Oh, one more thing, dear. I do have a graduate student or two coming here tomorrow. They’re doing annotations for me in the library, but don’t be alarmed! They’re quite safe and quiet as church mice!”
With that, she bobbed on down the steps again, and I let out a sigh I hadn’t realized I’d been holding in. This was going to be such a loooong two weeks, I thought. I have a cow-bell alarm system and an aunt who thinks I’m afraid of her graduate students. Have you ever met a graduate student? Apparently, to be really good at it, you have to hate sleep, food, and social life, and enjoy reading books by people who are now dead. My aunt’s previous graduate assistant, Leonard, was fidgety and morose and apparently suffering from malnutrition. He always reminded me of a melancholy squirrel. These are not people who inspire fear.
“Scoot, cat,” I said to Shelley, who was getting her orange fur all over my pants. I checked to see that conversation was happening downstairs and then shut and locked the door. It was dinnertime, after all, and I didn’t need to go freaking anybody out. I’d plugged the cooler in under the window so I could keep the thing shoved between the bed and the wall. I wasn’t exactly hiding it; my aunt knew that I brought blood “transfusion” supplies with me, and I had an assortment of health-food looking crap in the top compartment as a screen. It’s just that serious inspection would make it clear there was more blood than food in there, and I’m not so good at fielding questions. I unbuttoned the flap and opened the hard case of the cooler, and suddenly life seemed a little brighter. Forty-five tidy little packages, like deep red juice boxes. Dad’s design, bless him. I picked one up, nipped the top off, and sucked it down so fast I didn’t really taste it.... Not that they taste terribly interesting, but I’ve grown rather fond.
Forty-four left. You’d think I was staying forever. Which meant, really, there was no reason why I couldn’t have another one.… So I did. And (I hate to admit it) one more after that. I wasn’t even hungry, but the stuff calms me, and I figured that, after the day I’d had, I deserved a treat. Besides, it helped me face the second dilemma of the evening: I have nocturnal tendencies, it was only nine o’clock, and there’s no TV upstairs. Lucky for me, an over-full tank tends to induce sleepiness.
I propped myself up with pillows with a stack of “Great Things about Cleveland” pamphlets and my favorite notebook. Yes, notebook—not netbook. I got my dad’s hand-me-down computer last year, but I like my spiral-bound-flip-top legal pad just fine. I’m not anti-tech or anything. It’s just that since I was five, I’ve always wanted to be a reporter. Not a fireman (fire? really?). Not a doctor (had enough of hospitals). A journalist. And in my opinion, real journalists carry notebooks. Don’t have to plug it in. Just have to write in it.
I flipped it open to the last entry, but that one wasn’t even mine. It was Henry’s: Dude, tell the college chicks I said hi! I smirked. Henry’s my best friend, but he has these delusions about visiting my college-professor-aunt. The town is not crawling with sorority hotties; it’s summer, for one thing, and besides, my aunt prefers weirdo grad students. I flipped the page and clicked the ballpoint: Monday, June 8th: Arrived. Unpacked. Yee-haw. The Cleveland brochures didn’t inspire much more than that, though I could probably write up some sort of “summer travel” spot for the school paper. But who would read it? Stinky city with stinky lake, empty campus, twitchy research assistant. Exciting stuff. I dumped the pamphlets on the floor and switched off the light. I then proceeded to stare broodingly at the ceiling until I fell asleep.
When I woke up the next morning (11 am is still morning), however, I found I could not move. It wasn’t paralysis. It was cat-love. I’d been trapped Gulliver-style by Byron and Shelley, who’d managed to tuck themselves into the blanket on either side.
“Off, off already!” I said, wriggling loose and knocking Byron onto the floor. He protested but took the hint; Shelley just dug her claws into the bedspread so I had to leave her there. I managed to find my toiletry bag and then slogged into the bathroom.
Thankfully, I have my own bathroom at Syl’s. You know, because I’m sickly and “enervated” or whatever she thinks about me. If the medicine cabinet is any indication, she thinks a lot about me. Lozenges with zinc in them… a bunch of herbal supplements for everything from night sweats to diarrhea. There was even some sort of medicated soap stuff next to my washcloth. I wrinkled my nose—it’s not like I have leprosy or something (though to Syl, that would be like Christmas). Lizzy’s room is not decked out like a drug store; I checked. I’m just lucky that way.
The sun was high by the time I got out of the shower, but it wasn’t all that warm, frankly. (When does it get warm in Cleveland, I wonder?) I opted for long sleeves, brushed my teeth, and then headed downstairs to occupy myself until Syl and Lizzy got home.
Occupy yourself. That’s one of my mother’s favorites. And trust me, you’d better do it because she can think of all kinds of things to occupy you with. On the bright side, Lizzy and I have learned to be great at self-amusement, and Aunt Syl’s house actually has plenty to offer. It’s got its own library (if you’re into that), a pool table and a pretty serious entertainment system in the den. I peeked out the front room window; the sun was getting blocked by thick-looking rain clouds, so I felt more or less guilt-free about deciding on TV. Aunt Syl only gets basic cable, but she’s a film buff with more than two hundred titles … lots of them black and white. Bela Lugosi is a big favorite (yay, more vampires that get staked) but she also has a bunch of Bogart films, so I stretched, yawned, and headed for the library to collect them.
And then, I think I died.
At least, my heart stopped for a minute. Why? Because I had just seen an angel.
The library is a big room with tall windows and Victorian-style furniture; the bookshelves are on one end, and on the other is a low table where Aunt Syl keeps her current projects spread out. There, in a little pool of light from the window, was a girl. Not just a girl, either. Awoman-girl. The sun broke through the clouds to shine on her hair, which was golden and tied in a braid so thick it looked like dock-rope. She was leaning over the table when I entered, but she turned—very slowly—and looked up at me. A round face, peaked at the chin like an acorn, with the most utterly fascinating eyes. Meanwhile, I stood there with my mouth open.
“I am sorry? Can I help?” She asked with a gently rolling accent that I’d never heard before.
“I—you—you’re not Leonard,” I stuttered. This was not even remotely Bogart, incidentally. More like Woody Allen on a bad day.
“I am not,” she smiled and put her book down. “I am Zsòfia.”
“Sophia?” I asked stupidly.
“No, no—Zsa, Zsa,” she puckered her lips as she said it, make a breathy soft “g” sound, “Zsòfia.”
I swallowed and looked for a place to sit before my legs melted.
“Zsòfia,” I repeated. “It’s wonderful!—to meet you, I mean.…” (I cringe to write this.) “You’re, ah, not from around here?” (I cringe to write that, too.)
“No, not at all. I am from Hungary. You are Jacob, yes?” She tucked a pen behind her ear, and I gulped air like a fish on land.
“Yeah—Jacob Maresbeth. Aunt Syl is my, oh—well, my aunt.” I was mentally smacking myself as a reminder to do it for real later … this was not cool. This was the opposite of cool.
“She tells me about you and your sister. Are you playing?” she asked.
“Playing?” I sure hoped not.
“I am sorry—are you acting in the play? Your sister, she is an actress.”
“Oh, no—I mean, yes, she is. But I’m not. I write,” I said, not without a little hint of returning pride. Okay, it’s not Pulitzer material, but I have the notebook and I do write things in it. Zsòfia nodded.
“That is right! You are the journalist, I remember. I write as well, you see,” she indicated the scattered note cards and other materials. “But it is a dissertation.”
Now, I had no idea what a dissertation was, but I wasn’t about to admit that.
“Oh?” I asked, praying my voice wouldn’t crack as it still does sometimes. “What’s it about?”
“You would not be interested,” she said, shaking her head (and making that wonderful braid bounce around). “It is all work, work, research, and history.”
“No, really! I would love to hear about it!” I said, which was true, because I could listen to her voice all day. She could be telling me the history of plywood for all I cared.
“It tells something about my country. Hungary lies in the Carpathian Basin of central Europe. Do you know where that is?” she asked.
I shook my head and then went back to staring.
“It is not far from Romania, you see—the region of Transylvania, what we call Erdély in Hungarian.”
“Transylvania?” I started.
“Yes, and this region was once part of Hungary, before the 1500s. It is a very beautiful place, and very mountainous,” she said, still smiling. I relaxed a little.
“So, ah, your dissertation is about the mountains there?”
“No, no,” Zsòfia shrugged her pretty shoulders and looked back to her work. “It is about vampires.”
She said this so nonchalantly that for a minute it didn’t totally register. When it did, I’m afraid I made a little chirping sound.
General marketing tip: Don't plan a weekly segment on your blog when you are going to be out of town for three weeks.
I missed last week, but this week we are back with Marketing Mondays! That glorious day when we take the overwhelming ideas of marketing and try to make them a little less stressful. In case you missed it, we've already talked about author brands, Facebook, social media, blogging, and online parties and giveaways. Today we are going to talk about using Street Teams, Newsletters, and Goodreads to spread the word about your books.
Street Teams
A
street team is a term used in marketing to describe a group of people who 'hit the
streets' promoting an event or a product. -
Wikipedia
That's a pretty clear definition, right?
Not for me, anyway. But I've learned that every Street Team is different. I've heard people gripe about Street Teams that demand way too much of the members--and where the author might even chew them out for not doing what they ask. This is an obvious No. Don't be rude to your fans. Especially not to ones loyal enough to join a Street Team.
So what should you ask a Street Team to do? I treat it as a sort of VIP group for my books. I have a Facebook group for them and give them exclusive access to news when I have it (before it hits my website or newsletter) and give them stuff. For example: If my Street Team members have read AND reviewed
Heirs of War, they get an ARC of
Heirs of War, Crown of Flames. I'll probably also do contests for them to give them a chance to win other cool prizes like exclusive swag or signed copies of the books.
Mine is still new and small, so it is easy to do stuff like that. But what happens if it grows to like 50 people? I can't exactly give out copies of my books to every member. If it gets that big, I would probably do random drawings for things like ARCs instead of my review it and get the next book policy. That would be a downfall to having it grow. But an upside? It would be much easier to keep 50 people engaged rather than 10. And I think that is a big thing with Street Teams--don't let them collect dust. These are your most avid fans, so keep connecting with them. You don't have to interact daily, but I think weekly is good goal to have. If you don't have news or contests, ask them about the kinds of books they've read lately. And encourage them to spread the word about your books, but certainly don't require it. Requiring readers to post about your book really sucks the fun right out of it for them. And trust me--they will do it anyway. Most of all, trust them and show them how much you appreciate their enthusiasm by giving them a little bit of your time.
NewslettersNewsletters are pretty self explanatory, I suppose. Have news, create nifty newsletter, and then send to subscribers. I use
MailChimp to collect my subscribers and to create the newsletter itself. Their design template is easy to use and makes for pretties, and you send 12,000 emails to 2000 subscribers for free. If you get more members than that, you'll need to crack open your wallet. But since I only have about 10 subscribers right now, I'm not very worried about it for the near future. ;)
My biggest dilemma with newsletters was the question of how often I should send them out. As a self-published author first, I don't have tons of news to share. Do I have to come up with something to say every month? What if I never have any real news?!
Luckily, I listened to the wisdom of author
Susan Kaye Quinn when she discussed this topic during #NALitChat on Twitter one night. She stressed that newsletters are a must for authors, but that you shouldn't worry about getting tons of subscribers at first or having something to say all the time. Use it to spread news when you have it and to connect with your readers during dry spells. And when I thought about it that way, I realized that newsletters aren't the big deal I was making them out to be. I don't have to send them out every week or even every month. In fact, I still haven't sent one out yet, but I've been waiting for one piece of really BIG news that I hope to be getting soon.
I let people know that they can sign up for my newsletter through my website, Facebook, and other social media. MailChimp is great about giving you those options, even with the free package. I don't stress it too much, though. Spamming about the same topics over and over again is still not a good plan. Gentle reminders. =)
GoodreadsAh, that devil Goodreads. Not really. I know Goodreads gets a bad rep for the trolls that lurk there, but if you have a laid back attitude about it, then it really isn't that bad. Yes, there will be people to give your book a low rating even if it hasn't come out yet. But just ignore it. As with all things social media: Don't feed the trolls. You're Goodreads experience is bound to be much better if you don't.
With Goodreads, you can be as active or quiet as you want and still have a bit of a presence there, which is nice. I've dabbled in the book clubs there and used some of them to try to get reviews for
Heirs of War. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I've found that it is pretty hit or miss. I would definitely recommend trying them out. Find one that fits your book and start participating in the forums or the joint reading for that month. As with anything, the more active you are, the better your reception is going to be when the time comes to get reviewers for your books. I attribute my Goodreads apathy to the reason I haven't had much success in getting reviews. I pick and choose which social sites to be involved in, and Goodreads never really pulled me in. But...I also don't have time to read the same books that the book clubs feature since I sign up to review or critique way too many books as it is. If you have time, this is a great way to get engaged with readers and to engage yourself AS a reader, which is always a good thing for an author.
Goodreads also has other features, like Ask the Author, widgets for your website and social media sites, linking your blog to your Goodreads page, and giveaways. Connecting your website and social media sites to Goodreads is always a good idea. Make it convenient for readers to find you on the sites they prefer. Same with your blog--it can only help you get more visibility, so totally worth it. Ask the Author is a great new feature that you can turn on or off and allows readers to ask you questions. Goodreads even prompts you with questions of its own first.
Giveaways are great, but you can only giveaway signed physical copies of your book through your giveaway. It is an awesome way to get you more visibility on Goodreads and get more people to add your book to their lists, which also helps to get you more visibility. That being said, don't break the bank doing this. I only do giveaways for US residents since I don't want to pay more to ship internationally right now. Not until I start making enough money to really cover it. So choose the details of your giveaways wisely, and then make sure you promote them yourself as well.
Like other social media sites, you can like author pages ("fan" them) and add friends, which keeps you connected. If you want to learn more about Goodreads as an author, check out
their tutorial, which covers all the bases and will definitely help to get you started. Oh, and if you are self-published, this all applies to you as well. If your book isn't in their database, you can still add it. But! You can't delete it. So make sure you are ready before you dive in.
We only have two more weeks of Marketing Mondays left. Next week we will cover websites and Amazon, and we'll wrap things up with blog tours and advertisements. Think there is something I've missed? Let me know! Mondays always come back to haunt us, which means Marketing Mondays can always return with more to discuss and different ways to drive your book sales!
Black Moon
The Black Moon Saga
Book 1
Becca C. Smith & F.M. SherrillGenre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Red Frog Publishing
Date of Publication: 07/07/14
ISBN: 9780985027698
Number of pages: 283
Word Count: 68,000
Cover Artist: Becca C. Smith & F.M. Sherrill
Book Description: Shea Harper is forced to stay in boring, hot and dry Phoenix, Arizona for college. But once she meets the enigmatic yet positively egocentric Lucian, Shea’s life changes forever.
She finds out that she comes from a long line of descendants called Vessels. In her soul is the key to destroying an ancient prison protecting the world from darkness itself: Lucian’s father.
Up until now, Lucian has captured every descendant except Shea. With her powers awakening, all vampires want to drag her down to the pit. But Lucian is territorial. She’s the first female Vessel… and he’s convinced she belongs to him.
Saucy and tauntingly surprising, Black Moon captures the struggle between burning alive with desire and castrating the heart. This is a love story that will drain you dry.
Read the prologue
hereAvailable on
AmazonAbout the Authors:
Becca C. Smith:Becca C. Smith received her Film degree from Full Sail University and has worked in the Film and Television industry for most of her adult life. In 2010 Becca published her first novel, Riser followed by the sequel, Reaper, in 2011, and the finale, Ripper in 2013. In 2012 Becca wrote the children’s novel Alexis Tappendorf and the Search for Beale’s Treasure. She is also the co-author of the teen graphic novel Ghost Whisperer: The Haunted. Most recently Becca released Atlas, the first book in a new urban fantasy series. She currently lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband, Stephan and their two cats Jack and Duke.
F.M. Sherrill:
Aren't author's bios boring? I always wanted to read one that went something like this:
F.M. Sherrill: recent citizen of earth. Plans on ruling the planet once she gets over the common cold. Or, F.M. Sherrill: time traveler. Decided to alter the space-time continuum by writing a novel, thus changing history slightly, which will eventually lead to the rise of a new human species.
But here it is. F.M. Sherrill is a novelist, A.K.A. an avid bullshitter; that's why she lives in L.A.. She's been writing for as long as her ancient mind can remember, devouring tales like an anemic vampire roaming the streets in hot pink heels, always thirsty for more. When she's not writing, she's making steampunk weapons, sewing giant plant-eater Mario plushes, making costumes for some film bloke or cosplayer, and sculpting/casting movie prop replicas while gardening in her urban apartment. Her favorite tools? A soldering iron, a blowtorch, a band saw, a sonic screwdriver, a replicator and an active imagination.
Blog:
http://girlswritingcoffee.blogspot.comTwitter: @therisersaga and @fmsherrill
Tour giveaway 5 copies of Black Moon
Open to International Shipping
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Week 5 of Marketing Mondays is here! We've covered author brands, Facebook, social media, and blogging. It's all about parties and free stuff today as we talk about the benefits of holding parties on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ and giving away stuff during these events and blog tours. Because who doesn't like a party, right? Especially one where pants are optional and it isn't that kind of party.
To state the obvious: Facebook parties are virtual parties that happen on Facebook. You know how you get invited to Facebook events all the time? Well, if you click on that invite then it will take you to the event page, which is where the party goes down. Sometimes the party has a host, and sometimes there are several guest hosts. The host(s) create interactive posts like games and discussions. During the
Souls of Indie party a few months ago, there were discussions topics related to new adult paranormal stories since that was the genre being celebrated in the release of the box set. We talked about television shows like
Bitten and
Beauty and the Beast, and mystical creatures. Contests varied depending on the host. For Krystal Wade's
release party for
Shattered Secrets, one of the games we played was to cast the main characters of the book. Guest hosts for parties can come in randomly or host for half hour or hour slots and host their own discussions and games.
Twitter parties are pretty much the same, only they work with a specific hashtag, much like the Twitter chats we talked about with social media. Sometimes Twitter parties happen alongside a Facebook party (the Souls of Indie celebration did this with the hashtag #SoulsofIndie). So if you open a tab with Twitter and run a search for the specific hashtag involved with the party (and then click All at the top of the feed so you see all of the tweets), you'll see the party tweets as they happen. Twitter can be overwhelming with something like this if there is a lot of activity, but keep in mind that you can read the tweets at your own pace and respond as you come across things you want to respond to. Don't feel like you have to comment on every tweet, and don't feel bad if it takes you a few minutes to narrow down your response to 140 characters or less (unless you want to split your response into parts, which I always forget you can do).
Google Hangouts is another great way to have a party. I haven't joined one yet, but I'm really looking forward to trying it out. From what I've seen on the
How Hangouts Work page, it looks a lot like one giant instant messenger chat. You also have audio and video options, which can work alongside a Facebook or Twitter party. For #NALitChat, they usually have audio to accompany the chat, which is where the special guests talk about the particular topics for that week. So you can have a party with audio or video. But keep in mind that if you use video, people
will be able to see your pantsless dance.
Now, I seriously doubt that I need to explain
why you should have a virtual party, attend one, or guest host one. But I will anyway, just in case you are on the fence. How will having a party help your book sales? The same way social media will. Hanging out with potential readers is a great way to turn them into actual readers and even fans. I guest hosted for the Souls of Indie party I mentioned earlier, and not only was it a blast, but I gained some of the most loyal and excited readers yet from the experience. So you can have fun, meet people, build connections, and find readers at these parties. What's not to love?
So now that we've talked about the why, let's talk about the how. First, let me advise you not to be intimidated if you've never done one before. You have to start somewhere, right? If you're worried about it, attend one before hosting. If you haven't been invited to one, just ask an author friend (like me) to pass along any invites they've received. I can tell you from experience that attendance and activity can go either way. I've guest hosted for parties that were insanely busy, and ones where I swear virtual crickets should have popped up onto my screen. So if you decide to host for a party or throw one of your own, don't be discouraged if activity comes and goes. It might not have anything to do with you or the party, but more to do with the hour, the invites, and the day of the party.
Hosting is a blast! I'd definitely suggest coming up with posts before the party, even if you are only booked for a half an hour slot. There are several different things you can do. If you have the time, mix it up a little. Start some discussions related to your book. Is it a tear-jerker? Ask who has seen
The Fault in Our Stars. A zombie book?
The Walking Dead has a pretty big and rabid fanbase. Same for fantasy and
Game of Thrones. But you aren't just limited to topics that are related to your books. Mine have nothing to do with time travel, but I'm not shy about bringing up the fact that I am a Whovian.
Games are another way to engage partiers. You can play a caption game, where you post a random funny picture and have people caption it, then choose a random winner, or choose the best caption. If you are going random, then random.org is a great way to pick one. If you want to play games related to your books, you can have partiers cast your main characters (always be sure to link to the Goodreads page for your book and give a brief description of the characters) and pick your favorite. You can talk about the love interests in your book and run a game for book crushes. You can do the same thing for quotes or anything else that comes to mind. Always try to tie the game back to your books though, to draw in interest without rubbing it in their faces. You can also give them tasks for games, like sharing a status about the book, sharing an image, or following you on social media. Technically, Facebook warns against sharing things on personal pages for games. It happens all the time, but be warned that it is against the rules of Facebook.
Don't be afraid to be creative with your games, or to do research to see what other people have done. As for how often you post, the key thing to keep in mind is that you don't want there to be too much time in between activities because that might bring on a lull. But you also don't want to overwhelm partiers with your posts, either. I recommend timing it around 15-20 minutes in between posts. I usually start with an introduction and pair it with a game to like my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter. I ask participants to post that they did so, and I try to ask a question too, just to keep them engaged and keep interacting with them. Then I'll either move to another game or a discussion post. I usually try to sandwich discussions between games.
Of course, if you are playing games, you are giving things away. So keep that in mind with planning how many games you play during the party. You can give away signed books or swag, gift cards, and e-books. I tend to give swag and e-books away since print books cost to send. I also give gift cards away, but I keep it around $5. I like to give stuff away, but I also keep it cost-effective. E-books are a great way to get more readers without breaking bank. I use Smashwords to give away e-books. You can create a coupon code there to pass along to winners, and they can use it to get whatever format they want.
If you decide to plan a party, don't be shy about asking for guest authors or donations for giveaways. Authors love promoting their books, so you'll probably be surprised by how many people sign up to help in one way or another. Heck, if you are looking for a party to get involved with, let me know. I've got a couple that I am planning this year. ;) The biggest thing to take away from this post is that virtual parties are a great way to have fun while promoting.
This book has been on my TBR list for a while, and I'm really glad it finally found its way to the number one spot!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Initiation
Pagan Eyes, Book One
Leah Carpenter thought being the only witch in her local high school was hard. That was until she inexplicably found herself in the past running from an angry mob, which turned out to be much harder. Growing up comes fast as she wrestles with surviving in another century and mistaken identity. Fast thinking, luck, and whole lot of magick might get her out of her current dilemma; then again, it might not.
(Also available in print)
Book two, Revelation, is now available!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rayna Noire is an author and a historian. The desire to uncover the truth behind the original fear of witches led her to the surprising discovery that people believed in magick in some form up to 150 years ago. A world that believed the impossible could happen and often did must have been amazing. With this in mind, Ms. Noire taps into this dimension, shapes it into stories about Pagan families who really aren’t that different from most people. They do go on the occasional time travel adventures and magick happens.
Find her online:
MY REVIEW:
 |
| Four out of Five Stargates: Definitely worth the read! |
Initiation by
Rayna NoireMy rating:
4 of 5 starsThis was a great book, rich with details and vivid characters. Leah is the reluctant hero, uncertain as to why on earth she would be chosen to fulfill some destiny in the past. At the beginning, she can't comprehend solving the problems of her current life with the trio of Mean Girls taunting her at school or the crush she's too afraid to talk to. The idea of solving the problems of her past life self, Arabella, with witch hunters hot on her trail and a scorned former love now serving as a priest sending those hunters after her? Way too much for her to handle.
Watching Leah grow more confident and comfortable in her own skin (funny enough, this growth happens mostly while living in Arabella's skin) is a real treat. Her character development feels natural. Her family dynamic also feels natural. I LOVED that her family was so involved in everything that happened to her instead of it being a big secret and a burden she carried on her own. I really enjoyed how Leah traveling back in time almost felt like you were slipping into a historical fiction book. It all felt very well researched and this just added to the intrigue pulling me back to the book.
I really appreciated how Leah's journey to the past has just as much to do with what she needed to learn in the present as what she needed to do to help things in the past. My only let down was that the ending felt a bit anti-climatic. In some ways, that was really good since this book was a refreshing take on fantasy. But I didn't really feel an impact with her confrontation with Lionel, and it all happened really fast. I'm glad this is the first book in a series because I really feel like I'm not done with these characters yet. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Leah and her family.
Have I told you guys how much I love Jessa Russo? I probably have, but let me clarify just in case you missed it: I
love Jessa Russo. I was over-the-moon impressed with
Ever when I first read it not long after its release (so impressed that I am rereading it now before reading the sequel
Evade), and my mind was absolutely blow by
Divide. I jumped at the chance to be on her Street Team and was thrilled to see her book come through Bewitching Book Tours. So you can imagine how excited this fangirl was to get the chance to interview Jessa herself! Jessa is one of the single most open and honest authors I have ever had the fortune to interview, and I can't wait to share her answers with you. Before we get to the interview and I start flailing, let me remind you of how awesome
Divide is and why you should go buy it now:
Divide
Jessa Russo
Genre: Young adult, fantasy, fairytale redux
Date of Publication: 4/17/14
ISBN: 149540899X
ASIN: 978-1495408991
Number of pages: 340
Word Count: 80K
Book Description:
From senior class president to dejected social outcast, with just the flick of a match.
After accusations of torching her ex-boyfriend’s home are followed by the mysterious poisoning of her ex-best friend, seventeen-year-old Holland Briggs assumes her life is over. And it is. But not in the way she thinks.
As Holland learns the truth about her cursed fate—that she is descended from the Beast most have only ever heard of in fairytales—she unites with an unlikely ally, good-looking newcomer Mick Stevenson.
Mick knows more about Holland’s twisted history than she does, and enlightening as it is to learn about, his suggestion for a cure is unsettling at best. Holland must fall in love with Mick in order to break the spell, and save their future generations from repeating her cursed fate. Having sworn off love after the betrayals of her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, this may be difficult to accomplish.
Complicating things further for Holland and Mick, time runs out, and Holland’s change begins way before schedule. With Holland quickly morphing into a dangerous mythical creature, Mick struggles to save her.
Should they fail, Holland will be lost to the beast inside her forever.
About the Author:
Jessa Russo believes in fairytales, ghosts, and Jake Ryan. She insists mimosas were created for Sundays, and that’s not up for discussion. She’s obsessed with the great city of New Orleans—where she’s collected too many beads to count, eventually married her sweetheart, and visited graveyards they don’t include on maps.
She’s loud, painfully honest, and passionate about living life to the fullest, because she’s seen how abruptly it can be taken away.
What began as a desire for reading and writing young adult paranormal has bled into stories of all kinds. From fantasy to pre-dystopian to erotic contemporary, Jessa’s stories always include romance, though she’s given up on pigeonholing her work into a category or genre box.
Jessa was born and raised in Southern California, and remains there to this day with her husband (a classic car fanatic), their daughter (a Tim Burton superfan), and a Great Dane who thinks he’s the same size as his Chihuahua sister.
ENTWINED, the final installment of Russo’s Ever Trilogy, will be released later this year, as well as an erotic romance written under the pseudonym Parker Jameson, so please stay tuned!
If you'd like to connect with Jessa online, please visit the following pages:
TO THE INTERVIEW!!! *flail*Mara: Jessa! *tackle hugs* I’m really excited to get the chance to interview you! Jessa: *blushes* Mara! It’s still so weird to me that people want to know about me and my books! But I love you, and I’m so glad you asked me over to your blog! *tackle hugs you back*
Mara: First of all, let me say once again that I loved Divide. It’s a brilliant reimagining of Beauty and the Beast with a really nice Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde twist. Where did you get your inspiration for Divide?Jessa: Brilliant?! Aw, you flatter me!
But, um . . . I have NO idea. Lame, huh? I was driving. Idea hit me. Light bulb moment. Boom. Honestly, I was thinking about writing something different, then my brain wandered to cool covers I’d seen recently, which led to fairytale retellings that I wanted to read (CINDER comes to mind), and from there I pondered how I could make my fairytale redux different. And my brain said: What if your Beauty is also the Beast?
The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tie-in came later . . . I hadn’t even realized I’d meshed the two story concepts together until my critique partner pointed it out! So I ran with it.
Mara: How do you relate to your main characters in Divide? Do you find that you have more in common with Holland or Mick, or is it an even balance with both?
Jessa: I definitely have more in common with Holland. I was fairly popular and pretty growing up, walking on cloud nine for a long time, then brought down a few pegs by some girls in high school, so Holland’s fall from grace is a bit familiar for me. I can also relate to the massive betrayal Holland had to go through, as I’ve been betrayed by boyfriends and ‘friends”. But I’m also the damsel in distress, like Holland, and the girl who loves and trusts too easily.
With Mick, I’d say I relate most to his “love conquers all” outlook on life. Love is what drives him. Like me! *cheesy grin*
Mara: Divide is your third published book, released after the first two books in the EVER trilogy. How did the process of writing Divide differ from writing Ever?
Jessa: For one thing, it was so much easier to write DIVIDE! I think this is partly due to the fact that I’d grown in my craft, but also in part because DIVIDE was a standalone, so I didn’t have to worry about setting things up to be discovered in future books. Stuff like that. Also, for whatever reason, DIVIDE just flowed from me. I needed to tell that story at that moment, you know?
Mara: As a member of your Street Team, I know how involved you are directly with fans. What is that experience like for you, connecting directly with your readers?
Jessa: I love it! I’m an extremely insecure writer—hell, I’m insecure in real life, which is odd coming from someone so vain (though I’ve begun to realize the two are very much one in the same)—so connecting with fans and friends who love my stories is a constant boost. And one I desperately need. The praise is something I’ll never get used to, but I sure do love it.
Mara: Social media is a really big tool for authors now. What is your favorite form? (Twitter, Tumblr, blog, etc) Why?
Jessa: Uh, I’d say Twitter, though I’ve really fallen off the face of the *online* planet these last few months. I’m quite busy with editing for Curiosity Quills, and fell a bit (read: a lot) behind, so my online interaction has suffered tremendously. Though I hope that won’t last forever—I adore my friends and fans, and the writing/reading community as a whole. We’re surrounded by some pretty amazing people!
Mara: You are moving towards the goal of writing it all now that you have your adult projects with the pen name Parker Jameson. How do you balance it all, and do you find characters from other projects trying to sneak into new ones?
Jessa: Yay for the pen name plug! Thank you! <3 I’m not sure I balance it all very well, to be honest, seeing as how I’m constantly behind in one thing or another (or all things), but I do so enjoy writing all kinds of genres. I love the aspect of first loves and first heartbreak that comes with YA stories, but the freedom in adult writing is so . . . freeing. lol! There’s just some amazing stuff out there, and I want to write about all of it, so I’m just going to continue writing whatever story strikes me at that moment. It will likely have romance, and almost always break some rules.
Mara: Your bio is very open and honest about your past and the hardships you’ve endured, particularly losing your father at a young age. How does your life experience impact your writing and your characters? Do you give a piece of yourself to your characters, or are they completely separate from you and your experiences?
Jessa: I want to be very real with my readers. I am who I am in real life, so I want to be that way online as well. I’m loud. I’m opinionated. I’m passionate. I’m honest to a fault, and I often say things I regret later. I make mistake after mistake after mistake. But I wake up every day with the goal of being just a bit better than yesterday. And you’ll never wonder who I am or question my motives. I’m right here, exposed for all to see. That definitely transfers into my characters . . . Ever especially. She was such a huge part of me. Her dad’s death and her behavior thereafter, especially, came under fire in quite a few reviews. People questioned why I even added the death of her father. It didn’t propel the story along. It wasn’t necessary. Um, forgive me for saying so, but, NO SHIT. Neither was it necessary when I lost my father—unexpectedly, and while he wasn’t even in the same state—at the young age of sixteen. And my behavior afterwards? Um, far from “appropriate”. FAR. But it’s who I was and how I handled things. It absolutely does not have to make sense to you, you know? That came across in my writing, in my character.
I think that everything about me will seep into my writing at one point or another, though not everything about my characters will be who I am. Does that make sense? For instance . . . Sage, from CHLORINE&CHAOS, is a cutter. I never did that, never even considered it. But I know all about self-abuse and self-medicating, so . . . it’s there, just not exactly. Maybe reading between the lines is how you can get to know your authors. Or maybe just this one.
Mara: What was the last amazing book you read?
Jessa: All books are amazing in their own right. (Vague response is vague.) Honestly, the last book I couldn’t get enough of was one of the titles I edited for Curiosity Quills. It’s called TREASURE, DARKLY by Jordan Meirek and it is AMAZING. It’s a YA steampunk western with paranormal elements and I was captivated! Please watch for it!
Mara: Now that the last book in the EVER trilogy is set to be released (*happy flail* Can’t wait!) later this year, what is ahead for you as a writer? Do you have another series you are looking forward to?
Jessa: I’m really excited about CHLORINE&CHAOS (Parker Jameson), and after that, I have two YA books I’m working on, both very close to my heart, and both of them major pieces of me. The first, MEAN GIRL REDEEMED, is about a mean girl, obviously, but what I wanted to show you was the confusion, the motives, the fear. Many mean girls are mean only as a way to protect themselves from their mean girl friends. I wanted to tell the story of the mean girl, told by the mean girl. Written by a former mean girl.
The other YA project, MY ROMEO IS BLEEDING (Book One of The Defining Desi Series), is the hardest story for me to tell, thus far. It is based on the psychological and physical abuse I endured during my first major relationship, by a beautiful and tortured man, and includes my original poetry from that time. I wanted to show the side of abuse that no one really talks about . . . how it often creeps up on you. How it’s happening to teens. How it changes a vibrant girl into an empty husk. I was sixteen when I met him, and it wasn’t long after that that the mental mind-f*ckery began . . . and I still struggle with his abusive voice in my head. Telling this story exposes me. A lot. But I want to be honest, transparent. I want to honor that sixteen-year-old me. So it’s going to take a long time to complete it.
Damn. I’m really an open book today, aren’t I? *hides*
Mara: What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given as a writer, and what would you pass along to those aspiring to be published writers?
Jessa: Write what you love. People think this is so simple, but I’ve recently found more and more that you really need to stick with your soul on this one. I write what I love. I break rules. I bend genres. But this is me. This is my career. My husband once posed the question: “Do you want to write what you love, or do you want to write what sells?” I didn’t even have to think on it. Love wins EVERY time.
Thank you so much to Jessa for such a beautiful interview! It's always a pleasure chatting with her, and this has been no different. Want to read between the lines of Jessa's books and get to know her a bit better? Enter to win your copies below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Have you met the Soulless and Passionate? In the world of 1770 where supernatural beings mix with humanity, Alexia is playing a deadly game.
SOULLESS, Book 2 in the Maiden of Time trilogy
Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is destroyed by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she's forced to unleash her true power.
And risk losing everything.
What people are saying about this series:
"With a completely unique plot that keeps you guessing and interested, it brings you close to the characters, sympathizing with them and understanding their trials and tribulations." --SC, Amazon reviewer
"It's clean, classy and supernaturally packed with suspense, longing, intrigue and magic." --Jill Jennings, TX
"SWOON." --Sherlyn, Mermaid with a Book Reviewer
Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend†(a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.
COMING October 13, 2014
or
QUICK REVIEW: My workouts look a little different this week, and not just because I'll be seeing my personal trainer next week when I go visit SC. My editor, Kriscinda Everitt, invited me to join her in a 30 day arm challenge on Facebook. I decided to go for it since I already workout anyways. Doing a little something extra will be fun, and probably help me feel better about seeing no weight loss results. I'm seeing physical results, but still bummed that I haven't been dropping weight too. Ah well. This is about getting healthy, right? Right!
 |
| Or, as in my case, look at the scale and see no change. |
Week 5 is going to be delayed since it is travel week. Though I am getting some exercise in during travel week (running around the airport with a heavy bookbag on and a cat carrier in tow
totally counts since I was sore as hell the next day. More sore than any of my arm workouts. Crazy.) like swimming and shopping. I'll slip back into another routine once we check into the hotel and I'm not bouncing around my relatives' houses and have access to a gym.
DAY 10: JUNE 30thCardio: 15 minutes on the ellipti-stepper at 5 resistance and 5 cross ramp for a total of 1.28 miles
Strength training: | Leg extensions | 4x12 | 60lbs |
| Bicep curl | 3x12 | 10lbs |
| Dumbbell side bends | 4x12 | 20lbs |
| Calf raises (machine) | 4x12 | 110lbs |
| Bent over triceps extension | 3x12 | 5lbs |
| Dumbbell rear delt row | 3x12 | 5lbs |
| Decline sit ups | 3x10 | |
| Leg press | 4x12 | 110lbs |
| Dumbbell front raise | 3x10 | 5lbs |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3x10 | 5lbs |
Summary: Pretty good day and still working out with the hubbins, which does help for the most part. I'm upping my weights and getting there with the reps too. Though my arms still feel very weak with the front and lateral raises. I didn't feel completely obliterated the day after, which is good since I am throwing more cardio in.
DAY 11: JULY 1stCardio: Cardio day! Well, and arm challenge. 15 minutes on the ellipt-stepper at 5 cross ramp and 5 resistance for a total of 1.25 miles.
Arm Challenge Day 1: Today we were supposed to do 10 bicep curls, 5 dips, 10 seconds of punches, and 5 push ups. I adjusted mine since I can't do normal push ups or do dips at all because of my wrist. There's something about bending it and putting pressure on it that really makes the injury worse. I also doubled up on bicep curls because the 10 lbs weights were taken at the gym.
| Bicep curls | 2x10 | 5lb |
| Wall push ups | 10 | |
| Air boxing punches | 20 sec | |
DAY 12: JULY 2ndCardio: 10 minutes on the ellipti-stepper at 5 resistance and 1 cross ramp for a total of .84 miles
Strength training: I honestly don't remember what all I did for the arm challenge, but I'm pretty sure I did it.
| Bicep curls | 3x12 | 10lbs |
| Leg press | 4x12 | 110lbs |
| Dumbbell front raise | 3x10 | 5lbs |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3x10 | 5lbs |
| Standing chest flies | 3x10 | 5lbs |
| Leg extensions | 3x12 | 60lbs |
| Dumbbell side bends | 4x12 | 20lbs |
| Leg curls | 3x12 | 80lbs |
|
|
|
Summary: Along with the arm challenge (10ish wall pushups, 45 seconds of air boxing, and something else that I can't remember. Meh.), a pretty good day.
DAY 13: JULY 5th
Cardio: 10 minutes on the ellipti-stepper at 5 resistance and 1 cross ramp for a total of .84 miles
Strength training:
| Calf raises | 4x12 | 110lbs |
| Bent over triceps extension | 3x12 | 5lbs |
| Dumbbell rear rows | 3x12 | 5lbs |
| Dumbbell side bends | 4x12 | 20lbs |
Summary: Overall, a very weak day. My energy levels are crap right now, which doesn't make much sense to me but maybe it's stress.
Marketing Mondays is here again! For those of you just tuning in, we've covered author brands, Facebook, and the rest of the social media world. Today I'm going to blog about blogging. Mind blowing, right?
So what's in a blog? Well, that depends on who you are and what you want to write about. You don't always have to write about writing. Sure, you can write about that. But I'm sure there's more to you than being a writer. Maybe you like to get crafty or love to workout. Are you aiming to be on the next Top Chef or just like to cook like you might? Maybe you're a super fangirl and want to squee about the latest episode of Teen Wolf or shake your fist about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Whatever you choose to write about, let it be something that means something to you. I'm writing about marketing right now because it is a very big part of what I'm doing with my books right now, and something I am thrilled to still be learning about and expanding on. But I'm also writing about my journey to become physically fit, and I post blog tour stops and book reviews. Sometimes I participate in blog hops too, but we'll get to those later.
What should I write?For now, let's focus on what you can write about and how often you should do it. I'd suggest making a list of the things you are interested in and deciding what you'd like to write about from there. Keep in mind that your posts don't have to be long, and try to be yourself as much as possible. In my opinion, the whole point of blogging as a writer is for people to get to know you and your voice. So don't be afraid to let the snark out, and if you think something is clever, then say it. Even if you think you're the only one snarfing at your jokes, make them. Because why not? It's your blog. Be you!
Just like with social media, you have to strike a balance. You don't need to blog every day or even every week. Writing up a blog can take time, and for a lot of authors, time to write is precious and you might not want to spend all of it blogging. I have two weekly features on my blog--my fitness challenge and Marketing Mondays. But that's because those two topics work well for a weekly blog. If you are blogging about new knitting designs you are working on, it might be more of a once a month or once every other month (Can you tell I don't knit anything more complicated than scarves?) kind of topic. New recipe? That could be every week, every other week, every month--whatever you choose. Don't let it get overwhelming and don't try juggling too many topics per week. I actually had to cut down on the amount of blog tours I host for this reason. Blogging was taking up too much time, and none of it was personal. Balance in all things, right?
Which brings me to the topic of blog tours and book reviews. First, let me say that I
love hosting blog tours and reviewing books. I love it so much that I have a really hard time saying no when asked (please don't test this). I'm a lot more choosy now with books that I review or blog tours that I host stops for simply because I don't want my blog getting overrun by blog tours and because there aren't enough hours in the day for me to get through my To Be Read list as it is.
What about blog tours?First, you might be asking what a blog tour even is. When I first started out in the writerly world, I had no clue. The basic gist of a blog tour is that it is essentially a virtual book tour, where an author goes from blog to blog promoting their books and their work. There are different kinds of posts for tours, like author interviews, character interviews, guest posts where the author discusses a topic of their choosing or yours, review stops, excerpts, and promotional stops that simply have the cover, blurb, purchase links, and author info. Tours can last anywhere from a week to a month. I've never seen one longer than a month, but I guess it's possible. AToMR book tours actually has a great post about what blog tours are, and you can check that out
here.
So how do you get involved with blog tours? Some tour companies might have criteria such as having a certain number of followers first, but others don't. Your best bet is to run a search for blog tours or blog tour companies and go through the list, picking out ones that seem like a good fit. You don't exactly want to sign up for a romance blog tour company if romance isn't even a genre that you read (Yes, I did that). I host for
Bewitching Book Tours, and I can vouch for how excellent Roxanne is at running things. I've hosted for other companies before and it's been a bit chaotic, but Roxanne is very organized and gets everything to you in a timely manner. If Bewitching Book Tours doesn't look like a good fit for you, there are lots of others you can check out. I already mentioned
AToMR, but there's also
Xpresso Book Tours,
Book Sniffer Review Tours, and
New Adult Blog Tours just to name a few.
What's a blog hop?Blog hops are themed blog posts, essentially. A group of bloggers all write about the same topic and link to the other bloggers posting about the same thing. It can be something like
My Writing Process,
Introduce Your Main Character, or
What's Up Wednesdays, where you post about what you've been up to that week. I've also seen blog hops in the form of blog awards like
The Next Big Thing and the Liebster Award, which are set up to have the blogger answer the same questions, thus giving the readers some insight into who the writer is.
So basically...When deciding what you want to blog about, don't overbook yourself. If you want to do What's Up Wednesdays, don't feel like you have to join in every Wednesday. Especially if you don't have anything new to catch your readers up on. If you want to have a weekly feature, like a blog promotion or specific topic (like talking about marketing every Monday even if you feel like you've barely scratched the surface of what's out there...*ahem*), don't book blog tour stops for every other day of the week. And keep in mind that just because you want to blog about a topic doesn't mean it needs to be a weekly or monthly feature. It can just be a one-off type thing, or something you do when the topic comes up again (like new recipes). Having a feature is a great way to get people coming back to your blog to look for content, but it isn't a sure-fire way to gain followers, and it certainly isn't the only way either. In fact, I'd recommend that you don't even pay attention to how many followers you have because that's a good way to add pressure to something that should be easy and stress-free.
There are many things that you can do with your blog--some things you can do might not have even occurred to me. Get creative. Have fun with it. The point of a blog is to get to know you. And not to overwhelm you, which is the most important thing to keep in mind with all of these marketing tips and tools. They are just that--tools meant to help you, not to hurt you.
Next week is the cover reveal for
Soulless by Crystal Collier, and then we'll be back for Marketing Mondays to talk about Facebook and Twitter parties and giveaways.
Happy 4th of July to my American readers! Today, I am celebrating my freedom to stay in bed and read. I finished up The Motel Room by Alyssa Cooper, and I still have chills. Alyssa Cooper is by far one of the most talented authors I've come across. Her ability to use setting to enhance the characters' emotions, the way she tells the story, the build of the stories... There's nothing that she doesn't pull off without excellence. The Motel Room is no exception.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Motel Room is a new take on the classic ghost story, telling the tale of a haunted motel room from the perspective of the haunter, rather than the haunted.
Since his death, our Narrator has been trapped in a motel room, watching the comings and goings of his nightly guests. The strangers never stay more than a night or two, and they never pay him any mind. Then one morning, a maid turns her head and the two lock eyes - the first time he has been seen since his death. Only then does he begin to discover the true power behind his ghostly form.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A lifelong lover of literature, Alyssa Cooper was first published at the age of eighteen. Her passion for the written word started early, and as a child she would carry her mother's novels as part of her wardrobe. She has dedicated her life to developing her voice and pushing the limits of her craft. She is the author of three traditionally published books, Salvation, Benjamin, and Cold Breath of Life. The Motel Room and Whispering Peak are her first foray into independent publishing. She currently resides in Belleville, Ontario, where she lives with her typewriters and a personal library.
MY REVIEW:
 |
| Five out of Five Stargates: Out of this world! |
The Motel Room by
Alyssa CooperMy rating:
5 of 5 starsA hauntingly beautiful ghost story that continues to move you in different ways. Your heart soars for the narrator as he recounts his love story and the moments he has seen her, and then it breaks for the way he feels in the time in between. His sadness is almost poetic and has an ebb and flow to it that is wonderfully crafted by the author.
Veined
Guardians of the Angels
Book I
Anyta SundayGenre: YA Paranormal Romance
ASIN: B005J1L41Y
Number of pages: 446 pages
Word Count: 85000 words
Cover Artist:
Caroline Wimmer Streiflicht FotografieBook Description:
It could be worse for Sylva Lark. She could be dead. A coma was nothing to that. Or her family moving across country for the treatment, leaving her with a big blue mark on her back.
She can handle it.
Mostly.
Except the mark glows and tingles, especially whenever transition helper Atticus Plot (Attic) is close by. She suspects he’s hiding something, and when she stumbles across a torn body bearing the same spiral marking as her own, that suspicion is confirmed.
After a few shaves with death, the truth finally comes out and the battles begin.
But not all her fights are external; her biggest one is the decision she has to make between doing the right thing for the world and giving up her beloved family for good.
Available at
Amazon Smashwords and
All Romance Ebooks
Veined Excerpt (Partial of first Chapter):
DAYTIME TELEVISION SOAPS are funny. Brain transplants, lovers that turn out to be related, and characters that slip into comas. Yeah, I'd thought soaps pretty darn hilarious until the day I woke up from a coma.
And into this drama. I bit my bottom lip and looked at the doctor (Albelin, as he’d introduced himself seconds ago). Although Albelin stood next to the bed, his voice echoed like he was at the other end of a tunnel. “. . . coma . . . much sooner than anticipated.”
Goose bumps dotted my skin and I tucked the hospital sheet—the only thing covering my body save a pair of ungenerous undies that were giving me a wedgie—tightly under my arms.
My thoughts spiraled. I strained to recall how I’d arrived here in the first place, but I couldn't remember much. There had been a flash of color, and then—blank.
Albelin's curly black hair swished as he moved his gaze away from me and toward his vibrating pocket. Something on the side of his neck caught my attention. A black tattoo, like the wing of an eagle. But it disappeared behind his collar as he pulled out his phone. He scanned the screen, and then stuffed the phone back into his pocket. “Your family is on their way,” he said.
My family. Faces and partial memories popped up like a black-and-white film, with someone slowly winding the crank. A blonde woman unraveling a kite—Mom. A man in a police uniform—Dad. And a boy building a Lego tower—Jeffrey.
“Right.” The word felt hollow and scratched the inside of my throat. Using the corner of the sheet to cover my mouth, I coughed. It hurt my chest and sounded wet.
With watery eyes, I scanned the room. I’d been so stuck on the word coma, I’d failed to notice my basic surroundings. My coughing came to an abrupt stop, but my thoughts continued to gallop. It wasn’t as though I knew what coming out of a coma should feel like, but I had an idea what it should look like. Where was the respirator? The drip? Heart monitor? In fact, the only features of the room that indicated hospital were the green walls and linoleum flooring.
Albelin must have read my panicky expression as I’d surveyed the room, because he started to explain, “We used a new method involving electro-magnetism to bring you back to consciousness. That’s why you aren’t wearing anything and why you shouldn’t have any issues with muscle deterioration. That, and we’ve given you protein supplements.”
Electro-magnetism? That sounded like something I’d hear in a physics class. My stomach flipped and I swallowed the awkward laugh that rose to my throat and caused a gurgling sound. This wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill hospital at all. Maybe it was experimental, maybe there'd been no other option. Oh, God, what happened to me?
I craned my neck from side to side. My muscles were stiff, but at least I was conscious. I let out a shuddering breath and blinked back the water pooling in my eyes. I didn't care that I was seventeen and supposed act big and brave and something close to an adult. Right now all I wanted was my mom.
Albelin smiled, barely crinkling the skin at the sides of his eyes, but his smile didn't soothe the erratic butterflies in my belly. If anything, it made them worse; he was so young to be a doctor. He couldn’t have been more than twenty-five.
Reaching under the bed, he pulled out a duffel bag and handed it to me. My duffel bag. The one I took to gymnastics trainings. “Here are some clothes for you to change into.”
I twisted the familiar canvas handles around my palm.
“Showers aren’t far,” he added, “just out those doors, second on the left. Towel’s in the bag. Let me help you there.”
Holding the sheet, I stood up. My legs felt like jelly, but I shook my head at Albelin’s offer. “I think I can manage.” I wobbled my way toward the swing doors.
Albelin raced to my side. “I insist on helping you.”
He attempted to brace my elbow, but I pulled away. “Thanks, but—but—” I needed alone time. To think. And I didn’t want anyone touching me while I was wearing practically nothing but a sheet. "I'll be fine, really. I'll yell if I need help."
As soon as I was in the hall, I rested one hand against the wall and used it as a crutch. I was doing all right considering I’d not used my legs in weeks.
Light filtered through the windows, imprinting squares on the opposite wall. I pressed my hand in the center of one as I looked outside onto the street. Mom, Dad and Jeffrey would be coming soon.
I jumped, dropping the duffel bag when a flash of black whizzed by. A tall guy wearing a green T-shirt and tight black gloves up to his elbows was striding down the hall. I lunged to grab the bag, but my foot caught in the sheet, ripping it from under my arms. My head jerked up as the scratchy cotton sunk to my feet and I chased after it.
Palms sweating, I wrapped the sheet tightly around me, heat swelling my cheeks. At least he'd jerked his head away. Still, it didn't stop my heart from thumping double-to-one in embarrassment.
Pick up the bag and move. Go shower.
He glanced back, sweeping his hair to the side. With a chuckle, Gloved Guy passed by and pushed through the swinging doors of my room. As soon as he was behind them, Albelin greeted him. It sounded like they knew each other well. I reached to pick up the duffel bag and stopped.
“Her name’s Lark?” Gloved Guy’s voice sounded amused by my name. “Like the bird?”
I crept closer. Why was Albelin talking about me?
“Sylva Lark,” Albelin corrected.
“And?”
“And she’s veined.” . . .
~*~*~
Lethed
Guardians of the Angels
Book II
Anyta SundayGenre: YA Paranormal Romance
ASIN: BOOB8CKHRK
Number of pages: 418 pages
Word Count: 75000 words
Cover Artist:
Caroline Wimmer Streiflicht FotografieBook Description:
Sylva Lark made her choice.
Now she has to adjust to Guardian life. Training. Killing demons. Controlling her powers.
If only giving up her family wouldn’t hurt so damn much, . . . and if there wasn’t a strange attraction to the betrothed Prince Atticus she just met . . .
Amongst murder and mayhem, and toeing an unclear line between right and wrong, Sylva and her fellow Guardians must find a way to secure Eirene.
But it’s not easy going up against underworld Queen Furie when those on Sylva’s side are hiding secrets . . .
Will they succeed in protecting the home of the angels? Or will they fail, submitting the heavens to the fate of Furie?
And will Sylva and Attic ever remember what they mean to each other?
Or will they stay forever Lethed?
Available at
Amazon Smashwords and
All Romance Ebooks Lethed (Partial of First Chapter):SOMETHING WATCHED ME. I sensed its sadistic presence. Tingles of anticipation snaked from the nape of my neck down my spine.
With one hand pressed firmly on my rickety, white-picket side gate, I glanced over my shoulder.
The tree-lined street stared back at me. Snow-dusted branches accentuated the silky navy sky, and meager yellow light leaked from the lampposts.
I strained to hear the telltale crunching of snow. Nothing. Breathing in, I sought the sour smell of evil in the breeze or the tinny smell of blood—a scent I’d become familiar with in the last few months.
Again, nothing.
Just a sharp cold that promised winter would linger this year.
My shoulders sagged in relief. I wasn’t supposed to be out alone—I promised Albelin I’d always take another Guardian with me if I left the motel premises. Perhaps my guilty conscience was responsible for this strange sensation of evil.
I hadn’t wanted to disobey him. Not really.
I clutched the gate, its splintered edges digging into my palms, and studied the house in front of me.
Steadying my breath, I opened the latch and pushed through to the path. Frosty stalks of lavender brushed the back of my hand in a light, swirling breeze as I took in the large acorn tree. Beyond it, the luminescent windows radiated warmth and beckoned me home.
No, I didn’t want to disobey Albelin.
I needed to.
Like every week, I crept to the side of the house and peered into the living room. Slouched on the couch watching TV, Mom sat with her head resting on Dad’s shoulder, and Mottle was tucked into the small space between them. My brother Jeffrey wasn’t in the room—but it was near midnight, so he probably lay tucked up in bed.
Dad kissed the top of Mom’s head and her lips moved. Love you too, honey.
I wondered if Dad heard Mom’s whispered words. It seemed cruel that I could hear the words meant for him when I wanted them to be meant for me.
But they couldn’t ever be for me anymore. Not since I’d chosen to give them up to become an angel-protecting, demon-killing Guardian.
My stomach roiled and I stifled a cry.
I slunk back into the shadows, waiting for the warm weight of darkness to smother me into numbness again. It worked the last three months.
Digging each jagged fingernail into my sweaty palms, I counted down from ten. I looked forward to replacing the frustration and hurt with dull throbbing. But at “one,” nothing changed. I backed up harder against the corrugated fencing behind me, the cold seeping through my shirt.
Dad’s head jerked back in laughter that verged on maniacal. It used to make me laugh, too—at Dad. But now it made me want to bang on the windowpane until it shattered, and with it the thick wall of memories they couldn’t see between us.
I twisted the ring on my little finger, hoping the comforting tic would help me.
It stopped me from yelling out, but it didn’t curb the tears. Sizable drops splashed onto my hand as I wiped a sniffle from my nose.
I instantly forgot about the tears as a ripping pain sliced down my forearm. Blood seeped through my light-blue sleeve. I whistled in a breath as I clutched the cut. Usually, I relied on the semi-regular cuts and stabbing burns to snap me to a keen sense of reality, but now the pain inside me did the job well enough.
Mottle jumped off the couch and trotted to the window. She pawed at the glass and meowed.
I sighed. At least Mots remembered me. Her gray fur pressed up against the window as if begging me to pat her. She butted her head, rattling the glass, and I suddenly couldn’t bear her leaving me alone.
She was one member of my family I could still have.
“I’m coming to get you,” I whispered.
As if she understood me, she leaped off the sill and padded out of the living room.
I moved with purpose to the front of the house, my feet lightly treading the leaf-covered path. I searched the potted-plants for a spare key. Surely there’d be one here somewhere. . . .
First pot. Second.
Dammit!
Where could they have hidden it? Or had they moved it after Dad worked the Guardian homicide cases a few months ago? Flashes of torn Guardian bodies flickered in my mind, eliciting waves of goose bumps over my skin.
For a small city, Foxtin’s high death rate . . . I shuddered. Demons—Keres and Arae—slaughtered us Guardians as if they drew hot knives through butter. I saw it.
I also saw them turn my friend Marcus and ex-boyfriend Jason part-demon.
Saw them kill Maddy, my best friend. . . .
~*~*~
About the Author:
A born and raised New Zealander, Anyta Sunday has been exploring the literary world since she started reading Roald Dahl as a kid. Inspired, stories have been piling up in her head ever since. Fast forward to her mid-twenties and jump a few countries (Germany, America, and back again), and she started putting pen to paper. When she’s not writing or chasing her kid around, she’s reading, hiking, watching a Joss Whedon series, attempting pilates, or curling up with her two cats. Updates on her projects can be found at anytasunday.com.
Welcome back to Marketing Mondays! So far we've covered Author Brands and that big old social media giant called Facebook. Today I'd like to move beyond Facebook to discover every other version of social media there is.
Brace yourselves--there are enough social media platforms out there to eat up your entire day if you let them. But we aren't going to let them! I'm going to share my experiences with each one, and then talk about how to use them without getting overwhelmed. And for the record, we're not going to be looking at
every form of social media. There are way too many (and if you don't believe me, check out
this list on Wikipedia) for me to try each one.
Twitter
You've most likely heard of this one. And if you aren't very active in the social media world, then you might have gone running and screaming from the fast moving feed and 140 character limit. I sure did. I would only get on Twitter when I had something short to say, like announcing something to do with my books or a link to a blog post or something.
I've recently changed my tune with Twitter, and I'm glad I did. This is a great place to hang out with other writers. Oh, and celebs are funny. It's a great place to get involved in writing sprints and literature chats. I've been involved with #NALitChat on Thursday nights for a while now, and it's been a great resource and a great way to build connections. The 140 character limit can be a pain, but once you get the hang on Twitter speak, it isn't that bad.
Google+
Google Plus started off pretty weak, and most people didn't see much of a point to it (myself included).
But it is quickly growing into one of the better social media platforms, especially with the new addition of Communities. Communities allow you to join up with other groups of people who have common interests, like fans of a particular television show or book clubs.
There are also some major perks to posting on Google+ that have to do with search engines, but I'm not entirely sure I understand it all. I do know that if you have me in your circles and search for something I've recently posted about (like Boy Meets World) in Google, my post will show up in your search results. That's pretty cool!
Tumblr
My experience on Tumblr is very limited, but can be summed up to this:
Fangirls! Fangirls everywhere! Which means I fit in all too well. It's not a site I visit often, and not just because I can seriously waste a lot of time there. And I'm not even a Supernatural fan (but pretty sure everyone who is a fan of the show hangs out there). There are memes, gifs, videos...You can create a page about your books and post stuff there, or just join with other fans to post fun stuff about your favorite fandoms. It's fun!
Pinterest
Talk about a place where you can get lost for hours...Pinterest is definitely a site you have to be careful with. If you like DIY stuff, baking, fashion, or ANYTHING at all, you can spend lots of time on Pinterest. It's not exactly a place I've found to be very social, but it is a great place to find things you are interested in and...pin them. It's also a useful tool for authors to create boards about their books. I've got one for character inspirations ("casting" actors), scene inspirations, and even a board that was "created" by the main character Madeline in my book Altar of Reality. This is a great way for readers to further connect with your books.
YouTube
YouTube didn't used to be a form of social media in my book, but with all the vlogging going on, it has to be included. I might even give vlogging a shot myself at some point. YouTube has beyond making fan music videos (guilty) to reviewing books, movies, and TV show episodes. Like this brilliant fan reaction moment to a certain Oliver and Felicity moment from the season 2 finale:
People can comment on YouTube videos, which creates the social part of social media. And as you can tell from the options I mentioned above, you can do creative things with your channel beyond vlogs. I created a playlist for each of my book series with music videos from the soundtracks, and I also have my book trailer up on there.
Goodreads
If you are an author, you need to at least establish a presence on Goodreads. You can get involved with the groups there, which can get your book more visibility and more reviews. The groups are essentially book clubs in the form of message boards. There are Read It and Review It programs in a lot of them, where authors offer up free copies of their books for members to review. Similarly, book groups choose books to read and review each month as a group, which opens up a lot of discussions. I've seen Q&A's from authors too, though I've never done one. I've offered up Heirs of War for Read It & Review It programs with mixed experience, but I think they are worth a try.
I know Goodreads has a bit of a reputation for being the place where bullies or flamers hang out, but I think you risk that with any form of social media. And as long as you have a strict "Don't feed the trolls" policy, you'll probably be okay. I've had random one star or three star ratings for a book that hasn't even come out yet, but I just ignore it.
Wattpad
I've already discussed my
Wattpad experience, so I won't go into heavy detail with it here. But I can tell you that I think this is the absolute best social media platform for authors to connect with readers. You post chapters from your books and readers, well,
read them, of course. But there's more to it than that. They can post comments, giving you their thoughts on what you wrote or even specific lines that they can highlight. If they follow you, you can post updates to your profile letting them know what is going on. I use mine to let my followers know about things like Facebook parties and giveaways. Oh, and you can also link your profile to your Twitter and Facebook accounts so that whatever updates you post on Wattpad are posted on there as well.
Instagram and LinkedIn are two other popular social media sites, but I'm not involved with either one. As I understand it, LinkedIn is more of a business connections sort of place. Instagram is all about pictures (I think) but I've heard you can post things like memes there too instead of just tons of selfies and pictures of your food. People can like and comment on your photos, which makes it a bit more than just pictures. And again, you can link your Instagram to Twitter (possibly Facebook? I dunno). Now that I am doing things like book signings (EGAD), I think I'll hop on Instagram as well.
How To Balance Them All
You might think that as a writer, you need to use every form of social media to promote your books and build your author platform.
But you really don't. My solution is simple, really. Pick the ones that work for you. I don't get on Tumblr or Goodreads a lot. I'm trying to spend more time on Google+ but it's not an every day thing. I use Pinterest and YouTube when I have a purpose. And I balance that out by spending way too much time on Twitter and Facebook.
The biggest thing to keep in mind with social media is not to let it get out of hand. Don't spam, and remember that the kind of posts you make are important. Content is key. Your followers don't need to know every time you go to the gym or what your every meal is, but they should probably know a bit more about you than "I has book." If you are writing more words for social media than your books, you should probably rectify that.
With the possible exception of blogging, which is what we will talk about next Monday!
I've been talking a lot about marketing lately, but James Wymore has given me a great excuse to veer off topic and talk about something else: My writing process. He's invited me to take part in the #MyWritingProcess blog hop, where writers from all walks are joining the conversation and passing it along. So what's the deal? Here's the overview:
"We writers share these things, but informally during workshops and at conferences (and, for a handful of established writers, in printed interviews), but not so much through our open-forum blogs. With the hashtag #MyWritingProcess, you can learn how writers all over the world answer the same four questions. How long it takes one to write a novel, why romance is a fitting genre for another, how one’s playlist grows as the draft grows, why one’s poems are often sparked by distress over news headlines or oddball facts learned on Facebook…"
So let's get to the questions!
Question 1) What am I working on?
I could write a whole blog post about what I'm working on right now. Short answer: Probably too much. I've been editing Heirs of War, Crown of Flames (Heirs of War series #2), Altar of Reality (Shifted Realities series #1), and my short story "The Austenation" for The Borderlands anthology. I've also been working on some deleted scenes for the Heirs of War series, and writing the second book in the Shifted Realities series. Oh, and I started working on a superhero serial that will be available on Wattpad. Eventually.
Question 2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Hmm...I don't really know how to answer that. Generally speaking, I don't figure out what the genre is until after I'm done writing it. I'd say Heirs of War differs from other books in the fantasy genre because I write a lot of characters in a younger voice. It's not all that uncommon to find a fantasy book loaded with characters and character POVs (Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, George RR Martin, etc) but even if those books have young characters, the book is still typically very adult and a much more detailed and heavier narrative voice (in my opinion). Heirs of War has five main characters and lots LOTS of minor characters that are still pretty big players, but I don't think my narrative style is like the fantasy bigwigs I mentioned. It's much lighter and probably more young adult/new adult than adult. If that even makes sense. I swear that it does in my head. =)
As for Altar of Reality, I can only say that I haven't stumbled upon any sci-fi dystopians that deal with two worlds at the same time. If you have, then let me know. I'd love to be able to answer the question "What books are similar to yours?" that authors are asked All. The. Time.
Question 3) Why do I write what I do?
Characters. It all starts with characters and an overall situation that they are in, or the relationships around them. Heirs of War started off with the idea of five girls who are related to each other and almost like sisters discovering they have magical powers and are meant to save worlds they know nothing about. Since then, I've discovered that the prophecy part really doesn't even matter, which is kinda cool. It's not as much of a driving force. Altar of Reality started off with the idea of what happens to this teenage girl when she has seizures. Where does she go? What does she feel, even if she remembers nothing of it? The question of where she goes brought on the idea of flipping between realities. So I guess I start off discovering characters who have a story to tell, and that's why I write it: to tell their story.
Question 4) How does my writing process work?
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| Image from Zazzle.com |
Pretty much this ^. I get up, I sit at my desk, check Facebook the news with my coffee, and then when I am sufficiently caffeinated, I shut the door, turn some music on, and get to work. I'm a pantser, but I do work off an outline that I tend to stray a lot from as the story goes on. I write linearly, so that can mean spending a lot of time on a scene if it isn't flowing right. And I just keep going until it is done. =) My characters tend to surprise me a lot, so sometimes that means going back and adjusting scenes to work within the new developments my characters tell me about, but I don't really edit until the first draft is done. If I'm stuck, I'll sit back and think about what is going on while listening to the playlist I have for that book or series, or I'll discuss it with my friends or husband. But the basics is just what the sticker says. Plus caffeine. ;)
I passed this along to Leigh Statham, whose Wattpad sensation Daughter4254 has been matched and then some by its sequel. Look for her upcoming Young Adult Steampunk novel The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl from Month9. You can find her on Twitter and find out what her writing process is next week on her blog.
QUICK REVIEW: Okay, so technically this is week 4, but I skipped last week because I was sick and being a complete wuss about it (Read: There were times I felt okay enough to go to the gym, but decided to stay home and binge watch TV instead).
But we're calling it week 3 since I'm actually working out this week. Once again, my week started off strong. My husband went with me to the gym, so that was a big help. So let's see if this week helps to get me into better habits.
DAY 6: JUNE 23rdCardio: 15 minutes on the elliptical/stair stepper hybrid thingy (one day I will learn this equipment's name) at 5 resistance and 5 cross ramp for a total of 1.21 miles. No real improvement, but after a week off, I didn't expect it.
Strength training: Pretty strong start to the week. I did a full body because I'm finding I like that better. But I did more arms than legs. Here's what I did:
| Leg extensions | 3x12 | 60lbs |
| Dumbbell side bends | 3x12 | 15lbs |
| Leg curls | 3x12 | 80lbs |
| Bent over triceps extension | 3x12 | 5lbs |
| Dumbbell rear delt row | 3x12 | 5lbs |
| Bicep curls | 3x12 | 5lbs |
| Dumbbell squats | 3x12 | 10lbs |
| Leg press | 3x12 | 100lbs |
| Calf raises | 3x12 | 100lbs |
| Standing chest flies | 3x10 | 5lbs |
| Dumbbell front raise | 3x10 | 5lbs |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3x10 | 5lbs |
Summary: Feeling pretty good about the workout, and glad I had a partner with me. =)
DAY 7: JUNE 25th
Cardio: 15 minutes on the elliptical stepper thing at 5 resistance and 1 cross ramp for a total of 1.21 miles.
Strength training: Not a bad ass day, but not a bad day either:
| Leg press | 4x12 | 100lbs |
| Dumbbell side bends | 4x12 | 15lbs |
| Calf raises | 4x12 | 100lbs |
| Bent over triceps extension | 4x12 | 5lbs |
| Dumbbell rear delt row | 4x12 | 5lbs |
| Bicep curls | 4x12 | 5lbs |
| Triceps extension | 4x12 | 15lbs |
| Lat pulls downs | 4x12 | 40lbs |
| Bent knee leg raises | 3x10 | |
Summary: I was pretty sore the next day, so not a bad work out.
DAY 8: JUNE 27th
Swim day! Or doggy paddle, as is the case with me. Hey, it counts. Right?
DAY 9: JUNE 28th
Cardio: 20 minutes on the ellipti-stair at 5 resistance and 5 cross ramp for a total of 1.6 miles. A bit slow since I was reading a book at the same time. Also, a bit motion sick from trying to read a book on my phone while bouncing for 20 minutes. Lesson learned.
Strength training: | Leg press | 4x12 | 100lbs |
| Dumbbell side bends | 4x12 | 15lbs |
| Triceps extension | 4x12 | 15lbs |
| Calf raises | 4x12 | 100lbs |
| Bent over triceps extension | 3x12 | 5lbs |
| Dumbbell rear delt row | 3x12 | 5lbs |
| Decline sit ups | 3x10 | 10lbs |
| Lat pulls downs | 3x12 | 40lbs |
| Squats | 3x10 | |
| Side lunges | 3x10 | |
Summary: I cut this workout short when other people
invaded the gym came in to workout as well.
I finished up with some lunges and squats at home, so not a total loss. But it's been a minute since I've done leg extensions and leg curls.
This week, I got my hands on Whispering Peak, by Alyssa Cooper. It is definitely on the must-read list! This book will keep you so engrossed that you will swear only an hour of your day has gone by after you're done with it. I'm looking forward to reviewing The Motel Room by Alyssa soon, and to see what else she has in store!
ABOUT THE BOOK:Martha and her brother were born in the Outlands. They have only heard stories of Invictus, the grand capital city; they have never seen it for themselves. But when their general is taken hostage, Martha and Asher have no choice but to make their way through the monumental steel gates that enclose the city, and bring him home.
In their valiant and misguided rescue attempt, the pair will come to learn that the darkest of Invictus City's secrets - underground prisons, mutated monsters, psychotropic brainwashing - have been kept hidden behind the wall.
There, they will face the horrors that they never knew existed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A lifelong lover of literature, Alyssa Cooper was first published at the age of eighteen. Her passion for the written word started early, and as a child she would carry her mother's novels as part of her wardrobe. She has dedicated her life to developing her voice and pushing the limits of her craft. She is the author of three traditionally published books, Salvation, Benjamin, and Cold Breath of Life. The Motel Room and Whispering Peak are her first foray into independent publishing. She currently resides in Belleville, Ontario, where she lives with her typewriters and a personal library.
MY REVIEW:
|
| Five out of Five Stargates: Out of this world! |
Whispering Peak by
Alyssa CooperMy rating:
5 of 5 starsLoved it! This book follows the journey of Martha and her younger brother Asher as they make their way out of Whispering Peak and to the ominous town of Invictus. Their journey is full of suspense and danger as they are constantly under watch and have to fend off threats from outside the city gates. The relationship between the two siblings is endearing and only adds to the intrigue of their situation. Martha is obviously very protective of Asher, and he is very much so a six year old child scared of things going bump in the night--let alone finding out what those things are. So for Martha to take him from Whispering Peak to Invictus even knowing the dangers along the way and once we get there really makes you wonder what it is they have left behind, and why it is so important that they get there. Their journey is a page turner, beautifully written, and is heartbreaking in its own right as we see the two forced to grow up in the blink of an eye. As they take their last steps toward the Invictus gates, we know they will never be the same.
Pangaea: Eden’s Planet
Tom Johnson
Genre: Science Fiction/Survival
Date of Publication: June 18, 2014
ISBN -13: 978-1497340749
ISBN-10: 1497340748
ASIN:
Number of pages: 100Word Count: 50,000
Cover Artist: Jared from Off the Wall Creations
Book Description:
Seven astronauts en route to Mars encounter a time warp in space that disables their ship. Crash landing on Earth, they discover an alien planet sixty million years before the dinosaurs.
Pangaea, the super continent, is filled with danger and terror, as they must survive against fierce reptiles that ruled the Earth 250 million years in the past!
Excerpt: Just as they thought they had reached the safety of the desert a giant Gorgon, fully twelve feet in length came out of nowhere, its long saber tooth-like tusks reaching for them. The colonel and Cooper had already holstered their guns in order to run unhampered, and the creature was upon them before either could draw their weapon.
Manning smiled. “Everyone has a purpose.”
Without hesitation, he stepped between the monster and his shipmates …
About the Author:
As a twenty-year military veteran, I served on the Korean DMZ under fire, as well as in Vietnam. I have a law enforcement background. My studies of paleontology and entomology have been an influence in many of my novels.
My wife and I started the publishing imprint of FADING SHADOWS in 1982, and published a hobby magazine and several genre magazines for 22 years, before I settled into writing my own novels.
I have now been published in over 80 books, which include fiction novels and short stories, as well as nonfiction books. I write SF, YA, Western, and Action novels.
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