Allie Boniface's Blog, page 11
January 12, 2015
Monday Mentionables: A Sneak Peek at Setting Sail Today!
Happy Monday, everyone! I've posted an excerpt from SETTING SAIL, my brand new novella that will be releasing next month as part of the Passionate Kisses 2 boxed set, over at our Facebook page today. Stop by if you'd like to meet Jace and Pearl, the hero and heroine!
Also, if you're interested in reading and reviewing this book, and you're able to do so and post your review on our release date of February 17, please let me know, and I'll send you an e-copy!
Also, if you're interested in reading and reviewing this book, and you're able to do so and post your review on our release date of February 17, please let me know, and I'll send you an e-copy!
January 9, 2015
Friday Fun Facts: Excerpts Abound!
Hey readers, if you haven't stopped by the Passionate Kisses 2 Facebook page lately, you're missing out on a week's worth of great excerpts from the books coming out in February. Get your tease on and read away -- then preorder your copy, releasing February 17th!
January 7, 2015
Writers' Wednesday: Visiting Andalusia Farm, the Home of Flannery O'Connor
Last week I had the awesome opportunity to visit Andalusia Farm in Milledgeville, Georgia - the home of American author Flannery O'Connor. If you're not familiar with her work, she wrote primarily about life in the South, featuring flawed (really wacky, in some cases) characters most of whom need to find grace/salvation/God. She was hugely influenced by her surroundings and spent most of her short life on the family farm with her mother, writing, until she died of lupus at the age of 39.
Getting to visit her farm was like touching her creative soul, for me. I felt such a profound connection while I was there, walking the grounds, sitting at her piano in the parlor, peeking into her bedroom and seeing the typewriter where she wrote almost all her short stories, coming eye to eye with one of the peacocks that still live on the grounds (she raised over 40 of them).
I felt inspired and also at peace, because even though the property is set off a fairly main road in a decent-sized town, it's back in the woods, and once you drive up the dirt road to the main house, you definitely feel like you've left modern civilization behind.
If you're ever motoring through south-central Georgia, take time to stop at Andalusia. Even if you're not a writer, it's a neat glimpse into a piece of mid-1900s southern farm living. And if you are a writer, I challenge you NOT to find inspiration in the beauty of the place and the knowledge of a brilliant creative mind that once lived and wrote there:
The backside of the farmhouse - check out the awesome water tower
Her bedroom, where she also wrote (you can see the crutches she used later in life too)
A peacock and I having a "moment"
The beautiful wide front porch - where apparently she entertained quite often and "loved her martinis" according to our tour guide. My kind of writer!
The kitchen where Flannery and her mother ate & discussed affairs of the house and farm. The perfect model for the kitchen in "Good Country People"
Flannery's piano! Yes, I played it while I was there :)
The dairy barn in the back of the property. Again, the perfect model for the hayloft where Joy-Hulga lost her leg in "Good Country People"!
Getting to visit her farm was like touching her creative soul, for me. I felt such a profound connection while I was there, walking the grounds, sitting at her piano in the parlor, peeking into her bedroom and seeing the typewriter where she wrote almost all her short stories, coming eye to eye with one of the peacocks that still live on the grounds (she raised over 40 of them).
I felt inspired and also at peace, because even though the property is set off a fairly main road in a decent-sized town, it's back in the woods, and once you drive up the dirt road to the main house, you definitely feel like you've left modern civilization behind.
If you're ever motoring through south-central Georgia, take time to stop at Andalusia. Even if you're not a writer, it's a neat glimpse into a piece of mid-1900s southern farm living. And if you are a writer, I challenge you NOT to find inspiration in the beauty of the place and the knowledge of a brilliant creative mind that once lived and wrote there:
The backside of the farmhouse - check out the awesome water tower
Her bedroom, where she also wrote (you can see the crutches she used later in life too)
A peacock and I having a "moment"
The beautiful wide front porch - where apparently she entertained quite often and "loved her martinis" according to our tour guide. My kind of writer!
The kitchen where Flannery and her mother ate & discussed affairs of the house and farm. The perfect model for the kitchen in "Good Country People"
Flannery's piano! Yes, I played it while I was there :)
The dairy barn in the back of the property. Again, the perfect model for the hayloft where Joy-Hulga lost her leg in "Good Country People"!
January 5, 2015
Monday Mentionables: You Need a Little Poetry in Your Life
Good morning, and happy new year!! I hope you all had a wonderful, safe holiday.....now here we are, ready to tackle the first Monday of 2015!
Readers, I'm so happy to announce that the next book in my Hometown Heroes series, Labyrinth of Love, will be releasing this year. I've been working on this book in many variations for a few years now, and I think it's finally going to see the light within the next few months :)
One of the things I love most about this book is that there are 2 love stories, not just 1, and there are love poems written by one of the heroines scattered throughout the book. For all my newsletter subscribers, you're going to get to read some of those poems long before the book releases, because I'll be sending them out weekly.
What? You're not a subscriber yet? Well, click right here to sign up. Don't worry, I will never spam you or sell/give your email address to anyone else. I only send out my newsletter when I have a release or an appearance to share -- or when I have a poem about love I think my readers would like to read as Valentine's Day approaches.
Want a preview? Here's one:
Just once –
In the dark, or in
The light, I think that
Once will be enough, but now
I know that once is nothing, that once I
Have touched you, laughed with you, danced in
Your arms, that once is only the start of twice and three
Times and forever – forever, the only place this can end.
Readers, I'm so happy to announce that the next book in my Hometown Heroes series, Labyrinth of Love, will be releasing this year. I've been working on this book in many variations for a few years now, and I think it's finally going to see the light within the next few months :)
One of the things I love most about this book is that there are 2 love stories, not just 1, and there are love poems written by one of the heroines scattered throughout the book. For all my newsletter subscribers, you're going to get to read some of those poems long before the book releases, because I'll be sending them out weekly.
What? You're not a subscriber yet? Well, click right here to sign up. Don't worry, I will never spam you or sell/give your email address to anyone else. I only send out my newsletter when I have a release or an appearance to share -- or when I have a poem about love I think my readers would like to read as Valentine's Day approaches.
Want a preview? Here's one:
Just once –
In the dark, or in
The light, I think that
Once will be enough, but now
I know that once is nothing, that once I
Have touched you, laughed with you, danced in
Your arms, that once is only the start of twice and three
Times and forever – forever, the only place this can end.
December 26, 2014
Friday Fun Facts: Time for a Vacation
Hello readers! Hubby and I are off on a road trip to sunnier climes, so I'll be away from blogging for the next week or so. Have a FANTASTIC New Year -- can't wait to see what 2015 will bring!
December 24, 2014
Writers' Wednesday: Merry Christmas Eve!
To all my friends, family and readers who celebrate Christmas, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas Eve! I hope you are able to enjoy today and tomorrow, to spend time with those who are important to you and enjoy the small, magical moments that we often overlook in our busy lives.
And if you'd like to read an original (and somewhat corny) adaptation of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," hop on over to our Passionate Kisses Facebook page!
And if you'd like to read an original (and somewhat corny) adaptation of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," hop on over to our Passionate Kisses Facebook page!
December 22, 2014
Monday Mentionables: A Yoga Memoir Worth Reading
Happy Monday! Today I wanted to mention a short, quick read, a yoga memoir that I had the pleasure of editing for my sister. Isn't this cover fantastic? It's a picture of her practicing yoga in Argentina:
“Yoga Makes You YOU” is a quick light read about a woman who had everything she wanted and nothing that she needed. What she thought was a perfect marriage, great job and beautiful home soon turned into an empty soul that took her on a journey across the country to find her true inner strength. Along the way, she found yoga, which helped her to refocus, gain strength and find love again.
It's always interesting to read/work on a book very different from one's own, and a nonfiction memoir certainly qualifies. If you're in the market for some inspirational reading, check it out!
“Yoga Makes You YOU” is a quick light read about a woman who had everything she wanted and nothing that she needed. What she thought was a perfect marriage, great job and beautiful home soon turned into an empty soul that took her on a journey across the country to find her true inner strength. Along the way, she found yoga, which helped her to refocus, gain strength and find love again.
It's always interesting to read/work on a book very different from one's own, and a nonfiction memoir certainly qualifies. If you're in the market for some inspirational reading, check it out!
December 19, 2014
Friday Fun Facts: Some 2014 Romance Stats
Happy Friday, everyone!
Whether you're a reader or a writer, you might find these statistics, published in the recent Romance Writers' Report, kind of interesting. I know I did! (Consider these, authors, when you're thinking about target market)
Women make up 84 percent percent of romance book buyers, and men make up 16 percent.The U.S. romance book buyer is most likely to be aged between 30 and 54 years.Romance book buyers are highly represented in the South.Romance book buyers have an average income of $55,000.
How long have been reading romance: 35.1 percent: 20 years or more20.6 percent: 5 to less than 10 years20.4 percent: 10 to less than 20 years16.1 percent: 2 to less than 5 yearsTop 10 popular romance tropes: (1) friends to lovers; (2) soul mate/fate; (3) second chance at love; (4) secret romance; (5) first love; (6) strong hero/heroine; (7) reunited lovers; (8) love triangle; (9) sexy billionaire/millionaire; (10) sassy heroine
Most-important factor when deciding on which romance novel to buy (ranked from most to least important):(1) The story
(2) The author
(3) Price
(4) Review
(5) Part of a series
(6) Back cover copy
(7) Cover art
(8) Recommendations on a social media site
(9) Deal/bundle/bargain/special offer
(10) An endorsement by another leading authorE-book pricing: The $6 range is considered a "fair price" for e-books.
Interested in reading the whole article? Here's the link!
Whether you're a reader or a writer, you might find these statistics, published in the recent Romance Writers' Report, kind of interesting. I know I did! (Consider these, authors, when you're thinking about target market)
Women make up 84 percent percent of romance book buyers, and men make up 16 percent.The U.S. romance book buyer is most likely to be aged between 30 and 54 years.Romance book buyers are highly represented in the South.Romance book buyers have an average income of $55,000.
How long have been reading romance: 35.1 percent: 20 years or more20.6 percent: 5 to less than 10 years20.4 percent: 10 to less than 20 years16.1 percent: 2 to less than 5 yearsTop 10 popular romance tropes: (1) friends to lovers; (2) soul mate/fate; (3) second chance at love; (4) secret romance; (5) first love; (6) strong hero/heroine; (7) reunited lovers; (8) love triangle; (9) sexy billionaire/millionaire; (10) sassy heroine
Most-important factor when deciding on which romance novel to buy (ranked from most to least important):(1) The story
(2) The author
(3) Price
(4) Review
(5) Part of a series
(6) Back cover copy
(7) Cover art
(8) Recommendations on a social media site
(9) Deal/bundle/bargain/special offer
(10) An endorsement by another leading authorE-book pricing: The $6 range is considered a "fair price" for e-books.
Interested in reading the whole article? Here's the link!
December 17, 2014
Writers' Wednesday: Notes on Promotion
Hello writers! You probably know by now that I try to share information with fellow authors whenever I can. Today, two pieces of info when it comes to marketing and promotion that you may find interesting:
1. Make sure you have a newsletter. Time and time again, I have read this piece of advice as one of the best. It costs very little (even free, depending on the subscription service you use and how many subscribers you have) and it's a great way of connecting with readers. I recently switched from YourMailingListProvider to MailChimp (cost reasons) and have been happy with how user-friendly MailChimp seems to be. I also recently ran a contest through Fresh Fiction, on the recommendation that it was a good way to gain subscribers -- I had 985 people enter the contest/subscribe to my newsletter, and when I sent out a new edition this past Monday, a few things happened:
A. 2 addresses bounced as spam (I had been warned about this but was relieved to see that the spam addresses were so low).
B. 28 people unsubscribed. That's not great, but that still means that I have over 900 new subscribers for my newsletter.
C. I had a nice sales bump of Cocktail Cruises yesterday and today, which I will attribute at least in part to the newsletter mention and also to my second point of today's post...
2. Don't hate the bad reviews. I'm running a blog tour right now of Cocktail Cruises, and while most readers have really enjoyed it, yesterday's did not love Sex on the Beach (#2 in the series). Among other things, she didn't like the heroine (even though she admitted that once the heroine started to change thanks to the hero's influence, she liked her a lot more). At first, I cringed. I mean, we want everyone to love our babies, right? But then I thought, OK, well everyone has an opinion. And when I had a sales boost yesterday, I thought perhaps at least some of those purchases came from people who read the review and maybe wanted to see for themselves. Remember, readers often buy books just because other readers are talking about them -- not necessarily saying good things, but just talking.
(Want to read the whole review? It's right here).
Write on, friends!
1. Make sure you have a newsletter. Time and time again, I have read this piece of advice as one of the best. It costs very little (even free, depending on the subscription service you use and how many subscribers you have) and it's a great way of connecting with readers. I recently switched from YourMailingListProvider to MailChimp (cost reasons) and have been happy with how user-friendly MailChimp seems to be. I also recently ran a contest through Fresh Fiction, on the recommendation that it was a good way to gain subscribers -- I had 985 people enter the contest/subscribe to my newsletter, and when I sent out a new edition this past Monday, a few things happened:
A. 2 addresses bounced as spam (I had been warned about this but was relieved to see that the spam addresses were so low).
B. 28 people unsubscribed. That's not great, but that still means that I have over 900 new subscribers for my newsletter.
C. I had a nice sales bump of Cocktail Cruises yesterday and today, which I will attribute at least in part to the newsletter mention and also to my second point of today's post...
2. Don't hate the bad reviews. I'm running a blog tour right now of Cocktail Cruises, and while most readers have really enjoyed it, yesterday's did not love Sex on the Beach (#2 in the series). Among other things, she didn't like the heroine (even though she admitted that once the heroine started to change thanks to the hero's influence, she liked her a lot more). At first, I cringed. I mean, we want everyone to love our babies, right? But then I thought, OK, well everyone has an opinion. And when I had a sales boost yesterday, I thought perhaps at least some of those purchases came from people who read the review and maybe wanted to see for themselves. Remember, readers often buy books just because other readers are talking about them -- not necessarily saying good things, but just talking.
(Want to read the whole review? It's right here).
Write on, friends!
December 15, 2014
Monday Mentionables: Time for a Cover Reveal!
Okay gang, here it is, the cover for my upcoming novella, SETTING SAIL, which will be available ONLY as part of the Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set until mid-2015. Do you love it??
This story takes place about 3 years before the first book in the Cocktail Cruises trilogy, Tequila Sunrise, and introduces readers to Toby and Bryce (among other characters) before they became heroes in their own books. I LOVED writing this story and can't wait to share it with you all! It's romantic and a little more on the sweet side, and I think the cover captures the mood perfectly.
A quick peek:
When real estate agent Jason McClintock discovers his billionaire client's latest target is the historic diner owned and run by his high school crush, Pearl DeVane, things get more than a little complicated. Does forging a successful career mean giving up everything from his past, including the only woman to ever steal his heart?
Haven't preordered your copy of the Passionate Kisses Boxed Set yet? Here are all the links:
Amazon http://amzn.com/B00QL8OHEK
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1G2Cs1z
Nook: http://bit.ly/12tDwwy
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1G3j9Ft
This story takes place about 3 years before the first book in the Cocktail Cruises trilogy, Tequila Sunrise, and introduces readers to Toby and Bryce (among other characters) before they became heroes in their own books. I LOVED writing this story and can't wait to share it with you all! It's romantic and a little more on the sweet side, and I think the cover captures the mood perfectly.
A quick peek:
When real estate agent Jason McClintock discovers his billionaire client's latest target is the historic diner owned and run by his high school crush, Pearl DeVane, things get more than a little complicated. Does forging a successful career mean giving up everything from his past, including the only woman to ever steal his heart?
Haven't preordered your copy of the Passionate Kisses Boxed Set yet? Here are all the links:
Amazon http://amzn.com/B00QL8OHEK
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1G2Cs1z
Nook: http://bit.ly/12tDwwy
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1G3j9Ft
