Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 328

Hurricane Irene is barreling towards Boston

The hurricane is headed my way. I hope that I don't lose power, but if I do, my Kindle is charged and ready.



Are you looking for something new to read?  Do you like dystopian fiction?  Why not give our Dark Future Series a try. THE RIGHT PATH is still free at all outlets to get you started.



  



























If you're looking for a new fantasy read, why not try our Rule of Otharia series:

 



Happy Reading and stay safe today!

Spotlight: SEEING SPOTS by Ellen Fisher

The story of one man's obsession with spots... and where his obsession leads.

Dare Greene and Kathy Parrish have longed for each other since high school, but their own insecurities have kept them apart.  One day, a glimpse of a leopard-spotted bra changes everything between them.  But are they prepared for ALL the changes they'll experience together?

A contemporary romantic comedy with a paranormal twist.

Buy Links:Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Spots-ebook/dp/B005GEYV0U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312919451&sr=8-1

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seeing-spots-ellen-fisher/1032466528?ean=2940013183827&itm=1&usri=ellen%2bfisher%2bseeing%2bspots 

Author bio: I'm an author of romance who writes, or tries to, around plenty of distractions. I have four kids ranging from six to sixteen, and two young and energetic Australian shepherds.My first book (a colonial Virginia romance entitled The Light in the Darkness) was published by Bantam in 1998. A few years later, I started writing ebooks. Overall, I've published fourteen novels and novellas, ranging from historicals to sci-fi romance to contemporaries. I've been nominated for two Romantic Times awards, and have won an EPIC award (as well as finaling six times). You can visit me at www.ellenfisherromance.com.

      

Interview with Michael Scott Miller

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book?Ladies and Gentlemen…The Redeemers tells the story of Bert Ingram, once a successful rep in the music industry, who has lost his way.  Desperate for redemption, he decides to put together a band and begins recruiting musicians who have only one thing in common:  the need to overcome a significant obstacle in their lives.  As the story unfolds, the volatile mix of the musicians' personalities and backgrounds threatens to derail the band, but they eventually begin to realize they have more to gain from one another than they ever could have imagined.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?I tried that route and in retrospect, it was a colossal waste of time.  There are so many more effective things an author can do to promote his or her work.  Literary agents receive an average of 100-300 query letters per week and take on only a handful of new projects at a time.  I don't like those odds.  I'd much prefer to be on my own, with control of when and where the book is sold and how it is marketed.

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish to Amazon?As a relatively unknown author, self-publishing through Amazon allowed me to get instant access to Kindle owners, by far the largest segment of the ereader market, and to set the price at a very low $0.99.  Through Amazon's affiliate, CreateSpace, I also was able to publish a paperback version which sells for $7.95.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?I used Carol Gaskin at Editorial Alchemy.  Carol did a spectacular job editing the book, helping me with point of view, and knowing just where to insert or delete something to set a scene or make a scene work.  I would highly recommend her.

What have you learned during your self-publishing journey?I have become much more aware of, and comfortable with, the social networking element of being a writer and published author.  I now spend a great deal of time on sites like Kindle Boards and BestsellerBound where I interact with and learn so much from other writers.

I am also still amazed by the number of books that are published (self-published or otherwise) every week.  At least for me, writing a book was not an easy thing to do and I continue to be stunned by the number of new releases each week and the staggering number of queries that literary agents receive.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?Thanks for asking.  My novel is available at the following:

Amazon (Kindle or paperback):  http://tinyurl.com/4zpmzhkNook:  http://tinyurl.com/3md2zccKobo:   http://tinyurl.com/3djcz45

What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?My efforts have largely involved social media with the mantra of creating a presence everywhere that I can.  This includes interacting with and requesting reviews from book bloggers, participating in online reader/writer communities such as Kindle Boards, BestsellerBound, and goodreads, and interacting through Twitter (@MichaelScMiller), facebook, and LinkedIn.  I've also sent out press releases, as well as media kits to local newspapers and alternative weeklies.  The book was recently featured in Montgomery Newspapers (a local weekly with a circulation of 40,000+).  In addition, I maintain my own website for the book, (www.ladiesandgentlementheredeemers.com) .

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?You just hit on one of the greatest difficulties of being an author.  The balance is exceedingly difficult to maintain and whenever I am doing one, I feel like I am neglecting the other.  I would love to be able to spend more time on both marketing and writing.

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?You have to really want it.  It is a long journey, not only the writing, but doing all the marketing and promotion afterward.  So my advice is to be prepared for long hours, but don't let that stop you.  Writing and publishing has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.

What's next for you?I have just begun writing another character-driven novel, this one with an element of mystery to it, but I'm reluctant to say more out of superstition.  I'll be sure to let you know when I'm closer to releasing it, though.

Thank you so much for hosting me here today!

  

Review: CITIZEN INSANE by Karen Cantwell

4 of 5 stars

CITIZEN INSANE is another delightfully funny story of soccer mom, Barbara Marr.  All Barb wants is a Sweet Tangerine Spice Ultra-Ultimate Pedicure at her favorite spa, La Voila Day Spa.  She just wants to relax a bit. Things have been rough since we last met Barbara in "Take the Monkeys and Run." Her handsome FBI husband, Howard, still hasn't moved back into their house and now Barb sees him with a blonde floozy (her words) at a local Italian eatery, Fiorenza's.  Has she made another terrible mistake trying to repair her marriage? Has Howard found someone new while she was playing games? She starts to re-think her plan that Howard needs to woo her back before she'll let him back into her bed. As if that isn't enough for Barb to deal with, she finds herself embroiled in a neighborhood crisis with Bunny Bergen who is having psychotic episodes, a PTA scandal with her best-friend, Roz Walker, and an attempted murder of another neighbor.  Add in her other friend, Peggy, and you get another madcap mystery adventure for Barb.

Ms. Cantwell has a distinctive voice that had me laughing out loud throughout this book.  I skipped right along with the story enjoying every moment of it. The writing is clever and I applaud the author for another fun book.  

I do, however, have a complaint about the editing and formatting.  The text in my Kindle copy was skewed to the right-side and the book could use the eyes of a good editor.**  This complaint aside, the story is fun. I'm becoming a big fan of Barbara Marr and I hope Ms. Cantwell writes many more madcap adventures for our soccer Mom.  If you're looking for a light comedy to escape into, this book is definitely recommended.

** I have communicated with the author and she has fixed the typos and uploaded a new version of the book.

   

How do you get the word out about your book?

KC MayI make heavy use of Facebook for my announcements, and to a lesser extent, Twitter (about half of my Facebook friends are readers). Mostly, I try to line up one or two release-day reviews from bloggers, and hopefully get featured at a high-traffic web site like Pixel Of Ink, Daily Cheap Reads and/or Ereader News Today. I often do a small giveaway as part of the release-day festivities. One thing I tried this last time was a contest/drawing. I asked users to guess the correct answer to a question that would be revealed in the upcoming book. It was a fun way to drum up pre-release interest.k.c.may@live.comwww.kcmay.com

 LK RigelI use Twitter mostly to scream at politicians about the latest silliness and tweet about True Blood on Sundays, but I do tweet book links with #free and #Kindle or #Nook hashtags from time to time. Facebook is a great place to meet readers and other writers. Reviews are critical. It's a gift every time someone reviews a book, whether it's on their own blog or Goodreads or just a few lines at Amazon or B&N. I have a list of bloggers who get review copies of my books. Recently I did my first blog tour with Bleeder (Apocalypto 3). That was a lot of work, but it was also a lot of fun. The tour hosts gave away copies of the book during the tour, and at the end we had a big prize of a $100 gift card to Amazon or B&N, winner's choice. (Both winners picked Amazon.) Still, the best buzz comes from readers. I can beg "Please read my book!!!" forever, and I will never be as convincing as a reader who says, It's been a long time since I've read a book I literally couldn't put down. Bottom line – social media, giveaways, blog tours – they're all great. But readers talking is the best.http://www.lkrigel.com/

Brian KittrelBook bloggers and independent reviewers are wonderful. I've had great success with the Midwest Book Review, Mindfog, and others. Recently, I had a review posted in a local newspaper called The Jackson Free Press (of which I'm very proud and thankful to have received). Most of them like the books, and some of them don't, but the key is getting the exposure and the reviews. Beyond that, I've given away a Kindle 3G with Wifi, and, though I had a lot of fun doing it, I think the bloggers and reviewers have done much more than anything else. I've only just started to play on Twitter (@Brian_Kittrell), and I've engaged with readers on Facebook and through email. I haven't done any blog tours yet, but I do have some guest posts lined up for some interested parties. Brian Kittrell, Late Nite Bookshttp://www.latenitebooks.com



Rebecca ForsterIndie/E-publishing is 20% writing and 80% promotion. I was traditionally published for many years. I wrote every day and when a book hit the shelves I would do speaking engagements, book signings, answer reader letters (yes, they actually came in the mail!) but reader/author contact was not a 24/7 event. When I transitioned to Indie publishing, I was initially overwhelmed by the new way of connecting with readers. Every changing social media was time consuming and confusing but it also presented a challenge because promotional lines became blurred with personal contact. It is hard to toot my own horn (proud as I am of my body of work) to people who have become friends. At some point, every author has to know how much she can do effectively and understand she can't do it all. The one thing that is not in question is how wonderful it is to be able to communicate so easily with readers and other authors who are exploring this amazing new world of publishing with me. I do use Twitter, Facebook, Linked in and Goodreads. I do seek out interviews and reviewers. I try to pay it forward whenever I can by reading other authors, participating in discussion boards and writing blogs. I am finding my footing. I will never be as adept as young authors but I will always try to learn.http://www.rebeccaforster.com

Richard BardI've always been one to try something new.  So when my agent and I decided it was time to self-pub my debut thriller I did a lot of looking around at what others were doing.  I followed suit with the basics:  new website, blog, twitter account and a few sponsorships.   My first stab at standing out from the crowd was with a book trailer.  The professional version wasn't going to be ready in time for my formal launch on Sept 1st, so I made a home-made version as a placeholder on the home page of my site.  It features me as a little kid and it's pretty funny.  Bill Kenower, Editor & Chief of Author Magazine, said, "...excellent job on the trailer. You achieved what I consider the main goal of promotional videos: Entertainment first, promotion second."  It's had around 600 hits on YouTube and I've received a number of positive comments.  It's provided some good exposure where before I had none.  Coupled with a bunch of other promo's I'm scheming up, including one that a lot of folks will be talking about by the time you read this post, the video is a great tool.   More to follow!  (Brainrush was ranked at 84,000 last week.  It's now in the 6-700's.)http://richardbard.com/

Debra L Martin

One of the best tools I use is this blog. Through my posts I reach over 350 followers, 800+ Facebook followers between my page and my author page and more than 900+ twitter followers as well as my Goodreads and LinkedIn feeds. When your blog is synced to all your social media, it's a fantastic tool for getting the word out about your books. I love chatting with FB and Twitter followers. It's great to meet so many people. I've also done a short blog tour, but in the future, I will make sure that the blogs are targeting to SFF readers to get the maximum exposure. I've also paid for publicity spots on Kindle Author and Ereader News Today.http://www.amazon.com/Debra-L-Martin/e/B003Q1WLXY/

Getting the word out about your book is one of the hardest things an author has to do.  It's not good enough to write a good book.  We must all be masters of social media as well if we want the readers to find us.

What do you do to let readers know about your book? Would love to share strategies with you.  

Spotlight: KNIGHT MOVES, The Black Knight Chronicles by John G. Hartness

On Sale for $2.99 through the month of August!

Book Blurb:In the third installment of The Black Knight Chronicles, vampire private investigators Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood find another vampire (or more) playing in their sandbox, and the boys are NOT happy about it.

While tracking down the killer of a young college student, they encounter boobytraps, defenestration, coeds, a hirsute bounty hunter with a moon fetish and a bad attitude, and worst of all - game night at a comic shop! This comic urban fantasy series has drawn comparisons to The Dresden Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Kevin Smith movies.

This Special Edition contains an excerpt from John G. Hartness' novel The Chosen and Stuart Jaffe's 10 Bits of my Brain

Praise for The Black Knight Chronicles: 

"I love this book. It makes me happy in a way that hasn't happened in a long, long time."--Keryl Raist, Author of Sylvianna

"Honestly, this is one of the best books that I've read this year and certainly a new series that I will be following from here on out." --Black Lagoon Reviews

"This is another great book in what will hopefully be a large and successful series. I know I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment." - Indie Book Blog



Buy Links:http://www.amazon.com/Knight-Moves-Content-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B005G4QCX4/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1312741444&sr=1-4

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Knight-Moves-with-Bonus-Content/John-G-Hartness/e/2940013633957



Author Bio: John G. Hartness is a recovering theatre geek who likes loud music, fried pickles and cold beer. John is an award-winning poet, lighting designer and theatre producer, whose work has been translated into over 25 languages and read worldwide. He's been published in several online literary journals including The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, cc&d, Deuce Coupe and Truckin'. His poem "Dancing with Fireflies" was nominated for a 2010 Pushcart Prize.

His first novel, The Chosen, is an urban fantasy about saving the world, snotty archangels, gambling, tattooed street preachers, immortals with family issues, bar brawls and the consequences of our decisions.

He followed up The Chosen with Hard Day's Knight, a new twist on the vampire detective novel and the first in a planned series of at least five books. The second book of The Black Knight Chronicles, Back in Black, landed in March 2011 and has enjoyed immediate success. Knight Moves, the third Black Knight book, was released in August 2011. John has been called "the Kevin Smith of Charlotte," and fans of Joss Whedon and Jim Butcher should enjoy his snarky slant on the fantasy genre.

He can be found online at www.johnhartness.com and spends too much time on Twitter, especially after a few drinks. You can find information about his latest books and appearances at his website.

  

 

Interview with T.M. Roy

Briefly describe your journey in writing. My life as an author (of the legibly written word, anyway) started three or four years after my life as an artist (age 4). I was a fast and voracious reader and always running out of books to read (the library was 20 miles away from where I lived as a kid), so after reading and re-reading my library books as well as those my siblings brought home, I started writing stories to go with the pictures I drew. All my books since then have started that way: with a sketch. (I call those sketch characters--the ones who tell me their stories, anyway--the Pencil People.)

Did you query agents and traditional publishers? I spent long years trying to go the query route. Some of the rejections were favorable and not form letters. I even had one book the publisher called me back about, on the phone (back in 1996 I think), she was so excited. I nearly crapped myself about that. But I ended up turning down that deal--they wanted to twist the thrust of the story far away from the original intent.

Did you design your cover art? Yes. I create my own artwork, and do my own typography as well as interior formatting. It's part of what I've done professionally for over twenty years now although sometimes I seem to have better success doing the work for other people. But since their success reflects back to me--that's pretty cool, too. It's always nice to see books for which I did covers, typography, or formatting in the top of their genre charts. Last week, there were three or four of them in the Top 100 of the Kindle Store, and I was very proud to think I played a tiny part in their success.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale? All my books are available directly from the publisher website via Payloadz for secure downloading and secure payments via PayPal. The Epub version is also available at BN.com. The paperback versions are available from any major bookseller online or can be ordered at physical bookstores since we distribute through Ingram Book.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing? Yes--no...well, I don't belong to a group, but I have a small circle of friends over the years who give me detailed editorial critique and are not afraid of pulling punches. And those ladies and gents have certainly helped me to improve. My only stipulation for them is that if they hate something, they have to tell me why and give me a suggestion for change. When I get harsh feedback on a part I liked, it stings for sure, but when I get over sulking I see the suggestions were good ones (or get a great idea for an entirely different take that is better received) and make revisions.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing? I have at least two editors who go through my manuscripts at different stages of pre-publishing. I take blame for any errors that remain since I do the final formatting.

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book? I find it more difficult to juggle marketing/writing my next book with creating covers, formatting, and editing for others. Sometimes the latter takes complete control. I'm working on finding a better balance.

What's next for you? Well, once I get the final book of the Journey to Nyorfias series out (STRATAGEM) this fall, I can finally look to publishing a space opera series I co-wrote with Sara V. Olds back in the 90s. Our writing styles have so improved and changed since then; and technology has also changed. The manuscript as it stands now is good, but a shakeout and tightening will improve it. We'll see if it's still as well received by betas as it was "back then" as well. I also have prequel and sequel novels for my current series, but I'm not sure if those will be published at this time. I also have some maps, lexicon, background materials, and some character/scene illustrations for my current series I'm considering packaging up somehow.





Links:

Zapstone Productions:  http://www.zapstone.com

TM's Blog: http://tmroy.teryvisions.com





I've recently reviewed CONVERGENCE: Journey to Nyorfias. You can read my 5-star review here: http://twoendsofthepen.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-of-convergence-journey-to.html





Review Snippet:



It's fantastic to read a story with a strong female lead. Make no mistake about it—Sgt. Rett is a badass. The author weaves a story that captures the reader from the opening pages and refuses to let you go. Between Rett's expertise running the military campaigns, the descriptions of the futuristic weapons and conversation between Rett and her merge Pam, I found myself turning the pages faster and faster to find out what T.M. was going to throw at them next. The other characters in the story are nicely fleshed out and came alive within the story. Battles are harsh and people die. When I read some of those passages, I found a little piece of me dying with them. That is the power of words this author has to make a scene vibrantly come alive for the reader.

Review: NO REST FOR THE WICCA by Toni LoTempio

3 of 5 stars

Morgan Hawkes, a PSI investigator, spends her time helping ghosts cross over to the next plane although daemons don't always want to leave.  Some jobs are harder than others and Morgan takes her fair share of lumps. When she is asked to join a Special Forces investigation into the killing of witches, she turns it down. She doesn't want to work Cole St. John, the hunky sexy Inheritor Vampire in charge of the case. However, when her cousin Xia is attacked, Morgan changes her mind and joins the investigation. The race is on to catch a serial killer bent on targeting full-blooded witches.



The story is predictable--tough, cynical Morgan who's angry at the world because of a mistake she made that cost her partner her life  is romanced by the gorgeous vamp while they continually snipe at each other during the investigation. There are some nice twists in the story, but I knew who the bad guys were half-way through the book.  I also found the term half-wicca that Morgan used to describe herself annoying and unhelpful. What's half-Wicca? You only follow half the practices? I would have preferred to see the term half-witch instead.



Combining the voodoo and wicca practice kept my interest throughout the book. The author did a decent job with Morgan's character, but I would have loved to see more depth to Cole's character. There were a few teasers about his past that piqued my interest.  Unfortunately, the book was filled with typos and wrong names during crucial scenes which jarred me out of the story.  This book could definitely use the eyes of a good editor. Also, not sure what the author was thinking about in using this cover image. In my opinion, it does not convey what the book is about.



Readers of paranormal fiction should enjoy this story. It's a quick and easy read.

Sponsor: JUNGLE OF DECEIT by Maureen A Miller

BOOK BLURB: Mitch Hasslet, a war photojournalist relegated to a desk job, is the sole witness to a heist of Mayan artifacts. Recruited by the enigmatic director of the Museum of Art and Antiquities, Mitch is sent to Guatemala, the last location the shipment was tracked to.  Acting as the museum staff photographer, Mitch joins a group of archaeologists. His goal is to locate the artifacts as swiftly as possible so that he can collect his compensation and get the hell out of the jungle.

Alexandra Langley is about to run out of funds. She has yet to discover the lost Mayan civilization she knows lurks in the rainforest. To achieve her grant, she will accept the museum's latest nuisance, Mitch Hasslet, and any other obstacle that is sent her way.

Unsuccessful and desperate, Alexandra has decided to move the group to a portion of the jungle referred to as, "No Man's Land"−a sector where archaeological teams have ventured but never returned. Here the group stumbles on a cement-barricaded compound. Wary of danger, they retreat, only to discover a raging forest fire has broken out behind them, forcing them to seek refuge inside the suspicious complex. Now imprisoned, Alex and Mitch learn that the compound is an elaborate front for what lies beneath−an underground cavern filled with misappropriated Mayan artifacts. It is a museum called Xibalba, and it plays host to affluent criminals− unscrupulous private collectors with a passion for acquiring priceless relics. 

In Xibalba, Alex is forced into the role of curator where her rules are simple. Sell the artifacts−or else.
As Mitch and Alex discover romance, will their bond protect them in a jungle filled with deceit? 

BUY LINKS: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jungle-Of-Deceit-ebook/dp/B005HFYQ58

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jungle-of-deceit-maureen-a-miller/1104905871



EXCERPT:

Port Newark, NJ – April 22nd

From a hundred yards away, Mitch Hasslet lifted his lens to the aft of the ship and narrowed the viewfinder on the cracked white letters.Dorian Gray.Christ, he hoped there was a portrait stored somewhere that flattered this old bucket of bolts. Perhaps in its heyday, the freighter shined with fresh black paint and gleaming brass fixtures−but now it looked like a ghost ship ready to embark on a voyage to a prehistoric island.On deck, crewmen were busy preparing for their valuable cargo as Mitch swung his camera in the direction of two police cars entering the barricade. In their wake, a trio of armored trucks stamped with the Museum of Historical Art and Antiquities insignia were flanked by two additional patrol units. The entire convoy pulled up idle at the foot of a ramp that led into the bowels of the Dorian Gray.Mitch's curiosity flared at the sight of wooden crates towed on mobile skids by the armed security representatives of the HAA Museum. Some of the fanfare in the papers came to mind.Rare Mayan artifacts. Brutal pieces of art that stirred up controversy and even warranted a disclaimer at the entrance of the museum.Not for the faint of heart.Systematically, the shutter clicked as Mitch captured images of the wooden crates hauled like behemoth creatures into a cage.When four Apache helicopters descended on the pier, Mitch's camera continued to snap. As if a beehive had split open, a battalion of camouflaged uniforms erupted from the choppers and flooded the dock, encircling the comparatively small police force. Men he had presumed were part of the ship's crew now drew weapons of their own and joined in the invasion as the explosive percussion of AK-47's pierced the brackish air.It happened so fast. Outnumbered, and with only futile attempts to fight back, the police and museum force were circled to the tune of more shots. Mitch flinched at the sudden blare of violence—a sound that plagued him often in his sleep. He searched in vain for a way to stop this madness, and this preoccupation prevented him from detecting the figure behind him.At the last second he turned and came face to face with a dark complected man with a scar on the corner of his lips. The disfigurement elongated them into a macabre smile.That Cheshire grin was the last thing Mitch Hasslet saw as the butt of a rifle cracked into his jaw.***Waking up on the hot tarmac with a swollen eye and a faulty chin, Mitch lumbered to his car. The guerillas, or whatever the hell they were, were long gone, as well as the shipment from the museum.He needed to call for an ambulance. Men were down.Before he could even get his scraped knuckles to cooperate, a black stretch limousine pulled up alongside his car. He jerked back a step, startled to have not heard the motor.A tinted window slid down with a hiss as the driver, indiscernible behind sunglasses and cap, inquired in a deep voice, "Mr. Hasslet?  Mitchell Hasslet from the Chronicle?"Mitch nodded and rubbed at his jaw."Please get in, sir."Staring at the sleek limo as if it were an alien craft, Mitch managed a gruff, "Excuse me?""Please get in, sir. Mr. Nicholson would like to have a word with you."The crazed expression of Jack Nicholson in The Shining flashed in his mind."I don't know a Mr. Nicholson." Mitch's voice was hoarse. "But if you have a cell phone in there, can you call 911?"Sunlight reflected off the driver's glasses."It's been taken care of, sir. Please get in.""Hey, look," Mitch's fingers began to work their way around his door handle, "I don't know how you know my name, but I need to get to the authorities now. There are men that have been shot, there's no time for this bull—"The rear window of the limousine rolled down with a soft purr. An indistinct silhouette filled its frame and a disembodied voice called, "Mr. Hasslet, I am Phillip Nicholson, the Director of the Museum of Historical Art and Antiquities. I would really appreciate a moment of your time."He paused and added with the benevolence of a holy man, "trust me, the police and ambulances are on their way."On cue, sirens could be heard in the distance. Mitch felt his jawbone throb and winced at the glare from the driver's sunglasses.The car door opened in silent invitation, and the blast of air conditioning felt like an ice pack against his swollen cheek."Please, Mr. Hasslet. We need your help."A headache struck with the force of a two-by-four, and inside the limo the sound of ice cubes cascading into a glass posed a greater temptation than Delilah.Mitch cast one last look across the deserted dock.Son of a bitch.With a slight limp, he climbed into the back seat.

BIO: I'm known for writing cold, dark romantic suspense novels. But even I need to warm up after awhile. ENDLESS NIGHT will take you to the cliffs of Maine's rugged coast in the middle of a blustery nor'easter, but Jungle Of Deceit will have you sweating in the jungles of Guatemala. Whatever your geographical or weather preference may be, chances are that I'm going to weave you a tale of romance and danger in one of them.





      

E-Publishing is Exhausting & Exhilarating by Rebecca Forster

By Rebecca Forsterhttp://www.rebeccaforster.com

For 26 years I was a crazed, angst-riddled traditionally published author. Deadlines loomed. Editors lay in wait to knock me down a peg.  Agents doled out favor based on the size of advances. Checks arrived later than I had counted on. If my books were all over the bookstore I worried; if they weren't I worried. Still, I had no idea what tired and cranky really was until now. Which brings me to the topic of the day: E-publishing and the joy of 24/7 E-xhaustion.

I decided to try E-publishing because I had hit a bump in the publishing road. New York was tightening up, I had parted ways with my agent and the project I was working on hadn't captured an editor's imagination (more on that later). So, I published one of my 23 books out of curiosity, boredom, and a niggling idea that if I didn't I would be missing something big. Little did I know, I was dipping my toe into a roiling sea that was indie publishing and would soon be drowning in challenges and opportunities.

After publishing all my early work, I ended up with four books on the Kindle legal thriller bestseller list and stayed there. Then I published Before Her Eyes,  a novel I believed in but one which  had received conflicting and cool rejections. It was scary, publishing without New York's stamp of approval.  Multiple five star reviews later I felt sure my creative gut was working just fine.*

It took a year and a half of nonstop work to properly post 18 books (I decided against publishing some of my very early books). And, as happens in any new venture, the more I learned the more overwhelming the task of taming E-publishing seemed.

Amazon is not alone in offering indie publishing opportunities. There is Pubit! (indie authors outlet on Barnes & Noble) and independent e-publishers like Smashwords.com.  There is the Apple bookstore and don't forget Google books. There are backlist purveyors and indie author sites that allow click through to your sales sites. An author must have a manuscript and a cover (to the correct format and pixel proportions), reversion letters if you are posting your backlist, an understanding of DRM, a sense of what price the market will bear. Add to that, the fact that you and you alone are responsible for all marketing worldwide.  Suddenly you are working 24/7, first to get noticed and then to grow your fan base and sales.

So, do you want to keep your sanity and your marriage intact? Authors, read on for a few ideas to keep from being E-xhausted (but E-xhilarated) as you enter the world of E-publishing.**

·       Pace yourself and publish on one site at a time until it is done correctly. ·       Spend more time editing than writing. Scanning or editorial problems are the kiss of death in indie publishing.·       Smashwords.com formatting guidelines are excellent. Follow them to the letter. ·       Use PowerPoint (portrait design) to design your covers·       Join author and reader discussions and become a part of the group, not just an advertiser.·       Educate yourself to marketing opportunities (Independentauthor.org, etc.)·       Make friends with bloggers who want to interview authors.·       Return the favor on your own blog.·       If you find yourself doing marketing chores more hours than you are writing or talking to your family, stop. Take the weekends off.·       Check your sales figures once a week. Every hour or day will make you crazy.·       If you make a list (top 100 Amazon, B&N bestsellers) let people know.·       Twitter and Face book but don't spam with book ads.·       Don't be discouraged. The new indie universe is huge. It will take people a while to find you. When they do, they will love you if you have published a professional, exciting product.

And Readers, we love your help as we navigate this brave new publishing world:

·       If you see typos, please let us know privately. We will fix them immediately, will love you for being kind and will probably send you another book for free.·       If you like our work, please review on sites you frequent·       If you don't  like our work, please review with constructive criticism. We will take it to heart.·       Thank you for letting us present our work to you.

Now, everybody get some rest. Tomorrow authors will write and publish, readers will wade through a zillion new books. We'll all intersect at some point, make new friends, discuss books, writing and reading. It is going to be a busy day.

*Before Her Eyes has been very well received (check out Amazon reviews). If any editor who turned it down would like to take another look, I'm happy to gift them an E-copy or send the manuscript!**If you live near Lee's Summit, Missouri I'll be there September 3 conducting an intensive one-day E-publishing seminar.