Allie Boniface's Blog, page 21
March 7, 2014
Friday Fun Facts: Free & Upcoming Books!
Happy Friday! It's been a pretty exciting week in my writing world. Why? Here's the skinny in case you don't follow me on Facebook or Twitter:
The Promise of Paradise is FREE on Kindle (and Nook) right now, and between Tuesday and Thursday it went to the top of Amazon's free lists in both Women's Fiction and Romance! It's slipped a little since then, but I made sure to take a screen shot of when it was at #1:
It's always tough to tell if free downloads translate into sales of other titles, but hey, I figure that there are a few thousand people with my book on their Kindle who didn't have it before, so we'll be optimistic and hope that once they read the book, they'll love it and want to read more!
Also, Inferno of Love is now available for pre-order at Smashwords! It will officially release on March 18, but you can reserve yours on sale anytime between now and then. You can read the blurb and find out more by clicking here.
Have a great weekend!
The Promise of Paradise is FREE on Kindle (and Nook) right now, and between Tuesday and Thursday it went to the top of Amazon's free lists in both Women's Fiction and Romance! It's slipped a little since then, but I made sure to take a screen shot of when it was at #1:
It's always tough to tell if free downloads translate into sales of other titles, but hey, I figure that there are a few thousand people with my book on their Kindle who didn't have it before, so we'll be optimistic and hope that once they read the book, they'll love it and want to read more!
Also, Inferno of Love is now available for pre-order at Smashwords! It will officially release on March 18, but you can reserve yours on sale anytime between now and then. You can read the blurb and find out more by clicking here.
Have a great weekend!
March 5, 2014
Writers' Wednesday: Promo Sites!
Hey gang, it's a busy week here (Inferno of Love will be available for pre-order soon!) but I wanted to share a couple of promo sites with authors:
Ebook Soda - brand new email subscription service, similar to BookBub, and they're brand new so right now there's no charge to place a book ad with them!
A Girl and Her Kindle - she'll be reviewing Beacon of Love later this week, and she's gotten favorable feedback from other authors I respect, so check out her site for relatively inexpensive social media exposure.
Digital Book Today - has been around a while and although I haven't seen HUGE bumps when I run ads with them, they're reputable and have a lot of viewers, which is always a good thing.
There are many, many others of course, but I always like to share the newer ones I've come across. Happy writing!
Ebook Soda - brand new email subscription service, similar to BookBub, and they're brand new so right now there's no charge to place a book ad with them!
A Girl and Her Kindle - she'll be reviewing Beacon of Love later this week, and she's gotten favorable feedback from other authors I respect, so check out her site for relatively inexpensive social media exposure.
Digital Book Today - has been around a while and although I haven't seen HUGE bumps when I run ads with them, they're reputable and have a lot of viewers, which is always a good thing.
There are many, many others of course, but I always like to share the newer ones I've come across. Happy writing!
February 28, 2014
Friday Fun Facts: Brrrrrrr!!!
Are you ready for Old Man Winter to give it a rest yet? Just when we thought we might be in the clear, the temperatures here in the Hudson Valley, NY, have dipped below zero yet again AND there's a storm coming our way Sunday. Enough! We still have over a foot of snow on the ground, and that's not even talking about the banks that have been snowplowed along the side of the road or in parking lots. Ten feet tall easily! It's a challenge to even go to the store today, because you don't know whether you'll find a parking spot.
With all that in mind, don't forget that an escape to a summer climate, to a seaside coast, is the perfect way to chase the winter blues away. The Promise of Paradise is all about summer heat in a small town, as is Beacon of Love. Guess I have a common theme of wanting to be warm! (in more ways than one)
And for those of you who are writers (or who are interested), Beacon of Love is just one little Amazon review away from 10, which is the magic number for some of the bigger marketing and promotion sites. I'd love to see that 10th review :) If you read the book and liked it, would you share your thoughts!
Thanks, happy Friday, and STAY WARM!!
With all that in mind, don't forget that an escape to a summer climate, to a seaside coast, is the perfect way to chase the winter blues away. The Promise of Paradise is all about summer heat in a small town, as is Beacon of Love. Guess I have a common theme of wanting to be warm! (in more ways than one)
And for those of you who are writers (or who are interested), Beacon of Love is just one little Amazon review away from 10, which is the magic number for some of the bigger marketing and promotion sites. I'd love to see that 10th review :) If you read the book and liked it, would you share your thoughts!
Thanks, happy Friday, and STAY WARM!!
February 26, 2014
Writers' Wednesday: Enter to Win a Signed Copy of a Hometown Heroes Book!
Hey readers! Today you can enter to win a signed print copy of either Beacon of Love OR Inferno of Love (this is a pre-release copy; you'll see it before the general reading public)! I'm giving away 2 copies of each book to lucky winners over at Goodreads. It's super-easy to enter, as long as you're a member.
This is the last week that Beacon of Love will be on sale for only $0.99, so grab your copy if you haven't had a chance yet. And remember, one of the loveliest things you can do for writers you enjoy is to leave them a review ;)
Have a great day!
This is the last week that Beacon of Love will be on sale for only $0.99, so grab your copy if you haven't had a chance yet. And remember, one of the loveliest things you can do for writers you enjoy is to leave them a review ;)
Have a great day!
February 21, 2014
Friday Fun Facts: The Hometown Heroes Series is Here!
TGIF! Of course, it's kind of a weird Friday here in New York, since we had Presidents' Weekend last week, combined with 2 extra snow days on either end, so for those of us who are teachers, we just got back to school and now we have a weekend again! Sure, sure, snow days SOUND good, but after awhile it just becomes clearing snow and sitting inside and thinking about how you're going to catch up and teach everything in the days that remain.
But anyway...
Have you gotten your copy of Beacon of Love over at Amazon? If you've already read the story of Sophie and Lucas, I hope you'll consider leaving a review on its new Amazon page. Readers love reviews for discovering potential new authors :)
It's also probably not to soon to mention that the sequel to this story, Inferno of Love, will release in just about a month, and I'm soooo excited for that one! It will be available on Kindle, Nook, and in print as well, so you can get whichever version works best for you. To whet your appetite, here's a link to the Tour Page over at Black Lion, which features the blurb and a short excerpt. Enjoy!
But anyway...
Have you gotten your copy of Beacon of Love over at Amazon? If you've already read the story of Sophie and Lucas, I hope you'll consider leaving a review on its new Amazon page. Readers love reviews for discovering potential new authors :)
It's also probably not to soon to mention that the sequel to this story, Inferno of Love, will release in just about a month, and I'm soooo excited for that one! It will be available on Kindle, Nook, and in print as well, so you can get whichever version works best for you. To whet your appetite, here's a link to the Tour Page over at Black Lion, which features the blurb and a short excerpt. Enjoy!
February 19, 2014
Writers' Wednesday: Beacon of Love is Now Available!
Woo hoo! I'm super excited to share the news that Beacon of Love, the first book in the Hometown Heroes series, is now available on Amazon's Kindle for the sale price of only $0.99! Now through the end of the month, you can pick up this story and re-familiarize yourself with Sophie, Lucas, and the town of Lindsey Point and its haunted lighthouse. Don't worry - it will also be available at Barnes & Noble, Sony, and iTunes shortly too. I'll make sure to share those links :)
If you already read (and enjoyed) Beacon of Love when it originally released last year, I would love for you to leave a review on Amazon. Reviews drive sales, and I'd love the re-release of this story to have a nice bump before the brand new, never-before-released sequel, Inferno of Love, comes out next month!
Thank You!
February 14, 2014
Friday Fun Facts: Pre-Order Beacon of Love Now!
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Just in time for this lovers' holiday, you can pre-order Beacon of Love for the super-low re-release price of $0.99! Smashwords is featuring the pre-order, and it should soon be up on Barnes & Noble as well.
In other news, I'm going away for the long weekend to a place that has more snow....yes, more than is in my front yard, which after yesterday is about 2 feet. It's a Presidents' Weekend snowy getaway, and while the people I'm with will probably be doing all kinds of outdoor winter activities, I'm hoping to stay inside and get some writing done. No Internet or TV, so at least I won't have those distractions.
I'm hoping it will be cozy and quiet, more like The Holiday
and less like, well, The Shining
(not like I'm going away with a madman or anything, just that I'll be in an isolated hotel in the middle of a snowstorm).
Here's to getting a lot of new words written on a new book ~ I"ll give you the update next week!
February 12, 2014
Writers' Wednesday: The Re-Release of Beacon of Love is 1 Week Away!
Hello readers! I'm thrilled to let you know that the re-release of Beacon of Love is happening next week, so that means if you didn't get around to reading it last year when it came out, you'll soon be able to! Even better, for the month of February, it will be on sale for only $.99 - less than a cup of coffee! Want to know what readers thought of it? Reviews over on Goodreads if you're interested.
For writers, here are a couple of links to share with you today, courtesy of BookBaby. The first is a blog post about where to post your free/sale ebooks (always helpful info!) and the second is a pointed article about how to use - and not use - social media to your advantage when you're first releasing a book. Good stuff!
Now, to bunker down and prepare for the snow....more snow....always more snow....
February 10, 2014
Monday Mentionables: Why I'm Not Watching the Winter Olympics
"Be the change you want to see in the world." (Mahatma Gandhi)
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter." (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Today's post admittedly has little to do with writing or my books that are releasing shortly, but I felt the need to vent today. So bear with me.
I am not watching the 2014 Winter Olympics this year. I have the feeling I am in the minority when it comes to this decision, being a person who would normally enjoy watching the opening ceremony and cheering for the figure skaters and oohing and aahing over the ski jumpers and rooting on the speed skaters and hockey teams. But this year, in the wake of not only the whole stray dog-killing scandal but also Russia's blatant anti-gay legislation, I feel that I can't watch the competition when it is supported, organized, and marketed by a country that goes against two of my greatest beliefs.
I know what I stand for. Human rights and the equal treatment of human beings, and ethical treatment of animals, are two of the biggest. I also know that my watching, or not watching, the Olympics as a single viewer will have little effect on the event as a whole. I also know that the athletes are not the ones to blame, and that their performance and preparation should have nothing to do with the political beliefs or practices of the country in which the competition happens to take place this year.
But, finally, I also know that I could not, in good faith, be a role model for my students, my friends, or my community members, or be the kind of person I want to be, if I did not stand up for my beliefs. I believe we should all be true to ourselves, whatever that means to us. That is why I decided to publish my Hometown Heroes as an indie publisher, (haha - got a writing reference in after all!) why I write sex scenes that take place behind closed doors, and, finally, why I will not be watching the Winter Olympics.
To each her own. Have a great Monday, friends.
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter." (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Today's post admittedly has little to do with writing or my books that are releasing shortly, but I felt the need to vent today. So bear with me.
I am not watching the 2014 Winter Olympics this year. I have the feeling I am in the minority when it comes to this decision, being a person who would normally enjoy watching the opening ceremony and cheering for the figure skaters and oohing and aahing over the ski jumpers and rooting on the speed skaters and hockey teams. But this year, in the wake of not only the whole stray dog-killing scandal but also Russia's blatant anti-gay legislation, I feel that I can't watch the competition when it is supported, organized, and marketed by a country that goes against two of my greatest beliefs.
I know what I stand for. Human rights and the equal treatment of human beings, and ethical treatment of animals, are two of the biggest. I also know that my watching, or not watching, the Olympics as a single viewer will have little effect on the event as a whole. I also know that the athletes are not the ones to blame, and that their performance and preparation should have nothing to do with the political beliefs or practices of the country in which the competition happens to take place this year.
But, finally, I also know that I could not, in good faith, be a role model for my students, my friends, or my community members, or be the kind of person I want to be, if I did not stand up for my beliefs. I believe we should all be true to ourselves, whatever that means to us. That is why I decided to publish my Hometown Heroes as an indie publisher, (haha - got a writing reference in after all!) why I write sex scenes that take place behind closed doors, and, finally, why I will not be watching the Winter Olympics.
To each her own. Have a great Monday, friends.
February 7, 2014
Friday Fun Facts: Come Visit Lindsey Point With Me!
BEACON OF LOVE is releasing this month!
Welcome to Lindsey Point, Connecticut: suspicious of outsiders, loyal to tradition, and absolutely devoted to its local legends. Enter Sophie Smithwaite, travel show host, in town to film an episode about Lindsey Point’s haunted lighthouse. But digging into the story of a tragic murder-suicide and love gone wrong reveals startling connections to Sophie’s own past.
When a gorgeous local handyman fills in behind the camera, Sophie’s life gets complicated by more than just her family history. Part-time paramedic, handyman, seasonal Santa... Lucas Oakes does it all--except get attached. He’s still reeling from the death of his best friend ten years ago and the more recent infidelity of his ex-fiancee.
Yet despite Sophie’s big-city nosiness and her insistence on chasing long-dead ghosts, he’s drawn to her. But mixing with an outsider means questioning people and traditions Lucas has always defended. When a series of attacks seem to be connected to Sophie’s investigation, both Sophie and Lucas must decide if they are willing to risk everything to uncover the town’s secrets...and their own.
*****
So I was thinking the other day, wouldn't it be neat if my readers could virtually "visit" the town of Lindsey Point before they read the stories of Lucas and Sophie and Finn and Aubrey? I've been playing around with this for a few days...nothing fancy, just fun. Just click on the book cover above, then select your full screen option (lower right corner of the presentation screen). To move from spot to spot, just click on the arrows at the bottom of the screen. Please let me know what you think!
