Allie Boniface's Blog, page 28
August 21, 2013
Writers' Wednesday: "So, Are Those Real? And Other Bad Pick-Up Lines"
Happy hump day!
Still on vacation, but I brought my laptop and am trying to get a little writing in between the beach and shopping and, well, this:
But yes! I am writing when I'm not in the pool, and right now I'm working on revising an earlier work. The plan is novella length (about 1/3 the length of my regular novels), and just in case you wonder where writers get their ideas, this was what started me thinking about this story, a couple years back:
"Dating Site Gives 30,000 'Ogres' The Boot"
So I'm throwing my heroine into a speed dating activity in the opening chapter , and I'm trying to think of terrible pick-up lines she'll have to face. I posted this question on my Facebook page as well, but I'll ask you too:
What awkward or offensive pick-up lines should she hear while on speed dating?
Still on vacation, but I brought my laptop and am trying to get a little writing in between the beach and shopping and, well, this:
But yes! I am writing when I'm not in the pool, and right now I'm working on revising an earlier work. The plan is novella length (about 1/3 the length of my regular novels), and just in case you wonder where writers get their ideas, this was what started me thinking about this story, a couple years back:
"Dating Site Gives 30,000 'Ogres' The Boot"
So I'm throwing my heroine into a speed dating activity in the opening chapter , and I'm trying to think of terrible pick-up lines she'll have to face. I posted this question on my Facebook page as well, but I'll ask you too:
What awkward or offensive pick-up lines should she hear while on speed dating?
August 19, 2013
Monday Mentionables: It's Vacation Time!
Happy Monday, everyone! I'm not going to promise serious, insightful, or otherwise thought-provoking posts this week (sorry...). We're on vacation in the Outer Banks, North Carolina, so while I'm definitely hoping for some writing inspiration, I'm also going to spend a fair amount of time by the pool or on the beach :) I hope, anyway. Storms are heading this way...but so far, sunshine!
This is the view from our room:
And this was a view of the full moon last night:
Meanwhile, I'm be doing some brainstorming about some novella ideas. What do you think about prequels to my One Night books? Would you like to know what came before Boston, Memphis, and Napa? If you need a refresher about these books, some of my earliest, you can check them out here.
Have a great week! Fingers crossed for sunshine here... :)
This is the view from our room:
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And this was a view of the full moon last night:
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Meanwhile, I'm be doing some brainstorming about some novella ideas. What do you think about prequels to my One Night books? Would you like to know what came before Boston, Memphis, and Napa? If you need a refresher about these books, some of my earliest, you can check them out here.
Have a great week! Fingers crossed for sunshine here... :)
August 16, 2013
Friday Fun Facts: Sometimes It's Better to Take a Day Off
TGIF! If you're interested in knowing a little "behind the scenes" action of the cover design for The Promise of Paradise, designer Amy Gamet is featuring me on her blog today. Stop by and visit :)
Also, I'm super-happy to announce that I've hired both an editor and a cover designer for Inferno of Love, so (fingers crossed) you will be able to read that book by the end of this year!! I'm aiming for a holiday 2013 release, AND I'm going to release it in print and e-book, simultaneously, so if you still prefer the feel of the pages in your hand, never fear! You'll have this one just the way you like it.
And if you didn't see it on my Facebook page yesterday, this is what I spent the day doing, instead of writing - hubby and I hiked all around this gorgeous state park, which is just 1/2 hour from our backyard. Sometimes it's better to get away from the keyboard, away from the stories and the characters running around inside my head, and just relax and enjoy Mother Nature. A perfect day!
Also, I'm super-happy to announce that I've hired both an editor and a cover designer for Inferno of Love, so (fingers crossed) you will be able to read that book by the end of this year!! I'm aiming for a holiday 2013 release, AND I'm going to release it in print and e-book, simultaneously, so if you still prefer the feel of the pages in your hand, never fear! You'll have this one just the way you like it.
And if you didn't see it on my Facebook page yesterday, this is what I spent the day doing, instead of writing - hubby and I hiked all around this gorgeous state park, which is just 1/2 hour from our backyard. Sometimes it's better to get away from the keyboard, away from the stories and the characters running around inside my head, and just relax and enjoy Mother Nature. A perfect day!
August 14, 2013
Writers' Wednesday: Free Samples of The Promise of Paradise
Happy Hump Day!
Just a quick note today, as I'm busy writing and planning and doing lots of fun creative stuff while I still have the time (you know, before school starts up again):
The Promise of Paradise is now available at Smashwords! What does this mean? Good news for everyone who doesn't have a Kindle. Smashwords releases e-books in a variety of formats, so you can find something that's compatible with just about every e-reader out there.
Even better, you can read a sample of the book before you buy! Click on the cover below to see the main page and do just that:
Remember, this book is also newly available in audio book too! If you have a long trip planned and need something to listen to, why not give it a try? You know you'll get a happy ending. And please share with others you know who are avid listeners as well! Click on this link to hear a sample - I love this narrator!!
Just a quick note today, as I'm busy writing and planning and doing lots of fun creative stuff while I still have the time (you know, before school starts up again):
The Promise of Paradise is now available at Smashwords! What does this mean? Good news for everyone who doesn't have a Kindle. Smashwords releases e-books in a variety of formats, so you can find something that's compatible with just about every e-reader out there.
Even better, you can read a sample of the book before you buy! Click on the cover below to see the main page and do just that:
Remember, this book is also newly available in audio book too! If you have a long trip planned and need something to listen to, why not give it a try? You know you'll get a happy ending. And please share with others you know who are avid listeners as well! Click on this link to hear a sample - I love this narrator!!
August 12, 2013
Monday Mentionables: Audio Books and Sneak Peek Releases!
Happy Monday, everyone! Exciting news to mention this morning is that The Promise of Paradise is now available in audio book! If you're going on vacation and are looking for some escape listening, this is your perfect chance :) Or if you know friends who enjoy audio books, please share the news with them. It's discounted, too - OR you can get it free with Audible's 30-day trial. (Plus I have to add that my narrator is awesome. Click on the sample to hear her voice!)
Now for my question of the day. I am exploring the possibility of indie publishing the follow-up novel to Beacon of Love, called Inferno of Love. While I was offered a traditional contract, accepting it means you, lovely readers, won't see it in ebook for at least another year, and in print, probably 1.5 years+. I would love to release it earlier, and since I've gone through the indie publishing experience with The Promise of Paradise, I feel confident that I can do it again.
Here's my question: if Inferno of Love was available in print and you could pre-order it, would you do so? Would you pay extra to have a signed copy that was released early, and only to a select number of readers? Or are you happy with ebook releases? I'm playing around with a marketing plan that will allow readers to help me shape the story (to a certain extent) and then be rewarded with having early sneak peeks to the novel, including a chance to read it before the regular buying public.
I'd love to know what you think!
Now for my question of the day. I am exploring the possibility of indie publishing the follow-up novel to Beacon of Love, called Inferno of Love. While I was offered a traditional contract, accepting it means you, lovely readers, won't see it in ebook for at least another year, and in print, probably 1.5 years+. I would love to release it earlier, and since I've gone through the indie publishing experience with The Promise of Paradise, I feel confident that I can do it again.
Here's my question: if Inferno of Love was available in print and you could pre-order it, would you do so? Would you pay extra to have a signed copy that was released early, and only to a select number of readers? Or are you happy with ebook releases? I'm playing around with a marketing plan that will allow readers to help me shape the story (to a certain extent) and then be rewarded with having early sneak peeks to the novel, including a chance to read it before the regular buying public.
I'd love to know what you think!
August 9, 2013
Friday Fun Facts: Exciting Release News!!
TGIF, everyone! I have exciting news for a (rainy) Friday: The Promise of Paradise will be available from a variety of distributors as early as next week! Look for it on Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, and AllRomanceEbooks - I'll share all the links as soon as they're up!
Also, the follow-up story to Beacon of Love, Inferno of Love, will be coming soon :) No definite release date yet, either late 2013 or early 2014, but because I'm releasing it independently, same as The Promise of Paradise, you know if you're a regular follower that you'll get awesome sale prices on this story! Inferno of Love follows Finn the bartender and his bumpy road to love. Can't wait? Neither can I! I promise to do a cover reveal of the new title and share with you all the exciting upcoming release dates and giveaways as the months unfold...
Have a great weekend!
Also, the follow-up story to Beacon of Love, Inferno of Love, will be coming soon :) No definite release date yet, either late 2013 or early 2014, but because I'm releasing it independently, same as The Promise of Paradise, you know if you're a regular follower that you'll get awesome sale prices on this story! Inferno of Love follows Finn the bartender and his bumpy road to love. Can't wait? Neither can I! I promise to do a cover reveal of the new title and share with you all the exciting upcoming release dates and giveaways as the months unfold...
Have a great weekend!
August 7, 2013
Writers' Wednesday: What's In A Cover?
Hi, gang! Today I'm over at The Romance Studio, blogging about book covers (and some of the background behind all of mine). Hop on over and let me know what you think!
August 5, 2013
Monday Mentionables: Make Sure You're Keeping Up With Me!
Happy Monday, everyone! I'm busy writing, so just a couple of things to mention today:
If you haven't "liked" my Facebook page, please do so! Lately I've been posting snippets from my latest WIP, my Young Adult, so you can have a sneak peek at that over there.
If you haven't signed up for my newsletter, now's the time to do that too! I'll be running some contests and fun giveaways later in the year, but you can only find out about them if you get my newsletter! (Don't worry, it only comes out maybe 4-5 times a year, so I promise not to overfill your email inbox).
See you back here for Writers' Wednesday :)
If you haven't "liked" my Facebook page, please do so! Lately I've been posting snippets from my latest WIP, my Young Adult, so you can have a sneak peek at that over there.
If you haven't signed up for my newsletter, now's the time to do that too! I'll be running some contests and fun giveaways later in the year, but you can only find out about them if you get my newsletter! (Don't worry, it only comes out maybe 4-5 times a year, so I promise not to overfill your email inbox).
See you back here for Writers' Wednesday :)
August 2, 2013
Friday Fun Facts: The Two Books I'm Reading Right Now
TGIF! Hope you're heading into a nice weekend :) We have a wedding to attend later today for good friends - should be a great way to spend the evening!
So...what am I reading right now? Two terrific books that are about as different as they come:
First, I'm about 1100 pages into the 1300+ of Stephen King's Under the Dome. Yes, the hit summer TV show is based on this book, but very loosely. (The book is better - aren't books always better?) I've always been a King fan, even when some of his horror was a little much for me to stomach. But take heart: Under the Dome isn't horror so much as a fast-paced psychological study of human nature, of what happens to a small town in Maine when an invisible and impenetrable dome falls over it and isolates it from the rest of the world. There is a ridiculously long list of characters, but King does his usual masterful job at developing every one of them. This is always what I've loved about his writing: he makes you care about his characters, because they're real and flawed, and he plants conflict on EVERY SINGLE PAGE so that you have to keep turning. For me as a writer, it's been a great reminder that conflict is so important to push plot forward. For me as a reader, it's been a total joy to get lost in. Don't let the length scare you - the pages fly by. I don't want it to be over!
Second, upon the recommendation of a very well-known, New York Times best-selling author, I downloaded The Naked Truth About Self Publishing, put together by 10 other very well-known New York Times best-selling authors. Very interesting. More and more, "indie publishing" as it's also known, is becoming popular not just for unpublished authors who want to see their work in the marketplace, but for already-published authors who either want more control, more $$, or are disenchanted with their sales/publishing house/release schedule/the list goes on. This book is a great resource for laying out the benefits and the challenges of doing it yourself. I'll tell you: since releasing The Promise of Paradise on my own back in February, I can see the draw. That book sold more copies in its first month on Amazon than in 4+ years with its original small press, and more than Beacon of Love did in its first 3 months with a small press. I also hold all the rights, which meant I could publish it in print and audio when I wanted to. Will I indie publish again? Almost certainly. I have a pretty clear idea of what's needed to put a book together, from editing to cover design to formatting (I hire people to do most of this), to marketing (which I do on my own). For anyone who's thinking about publishing their own work, this book is definitely worth the $4.99 download price.
OK, I'm off. Happy reading, writing, and weekend to all!
So...what am I reading right now? Two terrific books that are about as different as they come:
First, I'm about 1100 pages into the 1300+ of Stephen King's Under the Dome. Yes, the hit summer TV show is based on this book, but very loosely. (The book is better - aren't books always better?) I've always been a King fan, even when some of his horror was a little much for me to stomach. But take heart: Under the Dome isn't horror so much as a fast-paced psychological study of human nature, of what happens to a small town in Maine when an invisible and impenetrable dome falls over it and isolates it from the rest of the world. There is a ridiculously long list of characters, but King does his usual masterful job at developing every one of them. This is always what I've loved about his writing: he makes you care about his characters, because they're real and flawed, and he plants conflict on EVERY SINGLE PAGE so that you have to keep turning. For me as a writer, it's been a great reminder that conflict is so important to push plot forward. For me as a reader, it's been a total joy to get lost in. Don't let the length scare you - the pages fly by. I don't want it to be over!
Second, upon the recommendation of a very well-known, New York Times best-selling author, I downloaded The Naked Truth About Self Publishing, put together by 10 other very well-known New York Times best-selling authors. Very interesting. More and more, "indie publishing" as it's also known, is becoming popular not just for unpublished authors who want to see their work in the marketplace, but for already-published authors who either want more control, more $$, or are disenchanted with their sales/publishing house/release schedule/the list goes on. This book is a great resource for laying out the benefits and the challenges of doing it yourself. I'll tell you: since releasing The Promise of Paradise on my own back in February, I can see the draw. That book sold more copies in its first month on Amazon than in 4+ years with its original small press, and more than Beacon of Love did in its first 3 months with a small press. I also hold all the rights, which meant I could publish it in print and audio when I wanted to. Will I indie publish again? Almost certainly. I have a pretty clear idea of what's needed to put a book together, from editing to cover design to formatting (I hire people to do most of this), to marketing (which I do on my own). For anyone who's thinking about publishing their own work, this book is definitely worth the $4.99 download price.
OK, I'm off. Happy reading, writing, and weekend to all!
July 29, 2013
Monday Mentionables: Oh, Those Kraft Zesty Ads!
First he was featured in a magazine layout:
Now Kraft is running TV ads with Mr. Sexy, and they're "zesty" to say the least. Some groups, like the Christian advocacy group One Million Moms, are complaining that the ads go too far. I think they're terrifically entertaining (and great eye candy). What do you think??
Now Kraft is running TV ads with Mr. Sexy, and they're "zesty" to say the least. Some groups, like the Christian advocacy group One Million Moms, are complaining that the ads go too far. I think they're terrifically entertaining (and great eye candy). What do you think??
