Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 175
July 24, 2015
Your First Royalty Check as A Published Author: The Real Story
Okay, so your book has been released and you've been working your butt off to promote yourself and your novel. You're extremely proud of yourself and you hope you're selling lots of copies and gaining lots of new fans.
It's coming close to your first royalty payment from your small independent publisher and you are so excited. You aren't so concerned with how much you've earned but how many people are now walking around with a copy of your novel on their Nook or Kindle. After all, your novel is kind of like your baby and you've worked hard to get to this point even thought you know that you won't become the next Meg Cabot of Stephen King overnight.
The day finally comes and your first royalty payment arrives (a week or so late... okay two or three months late, but who's counting?). You quickly open the royalty report and scan the contents.
What? That can't be right! Only 6 copies sold? How can that be? You've been working so hard! And since your publisher takes 75% of the earnings and you get the other 25% you've earned... $4.72.
Wow. You can't pay rent with $4.72. Or buy groceries. Or even a tank of gasoline. You get to wondering: What can I buy with $4.72?
Let's see: - 3.65 Songs on Itunes at $1.29 a piece - 3/4 of a Venti Java Chip Frappuccino at Starbucks - 1/2 a Month's Subscription to Netflix on the $7.99, 1 disc per month plan - 1 ounce of Bumble and Bumble Super Rich Conditioner from Sephora - 18 Chicken McNuggets from McDonalds - 8 cans of Fancy Feast Wet Cat Food AND - One Rubber Rat to stick in your publisher's lunch break refrigerator.
(Just Kidding About the Rat Part!)
Welcome to the world of publishing and being an Indie Author! Don't forget to Promote! Promote! Promote!
If anyone is out there reading this help me keep the cross-eyed cat fed!
Buy The Haunting Love:Kindle US / Kindle UK / Paperback / Nook/ Barnes and Noble Paperback
Preorder Finding Elizabeth:Amazon US / Amazon UK /Kobo
It's coming close to your first royalty payment from your small independent publisher and you are so excited. You aren't so concerned with how much you've earned but how many people are now walking around with a copy of your novel on their Nook or Kindle. After all, your novel is kind of like your baby and you've worked hard to get to this point even thought you know that you won't become the next Meg Cabot of Stephen King overnight.
The day finally comes and your first royalty payment arrives (a week or so late... okay two or three months late, but who's counting?). You quickly open the royalty report and scan the contents.
What? That can't be right! Only 6 copies sold? How can that be? You've been working so hard! And since your publisher takes 75% of the earnings and you get the other 25% you've earned... $4.72.
Wow. You can't pay rent with $4.72. Or buy groceries. Or even a tank of gasoline. You get to wondering: What can I buy with $4.72?
Let's see: - 3.65 Songs on Itunes at $1.29 a piece - 3/4 of a Venti Java Chip Frappuccino at Starbucks - 1/2 a Month's Subscription to Netflix on the $7.99, 1 disc per month plan - 1 ounce of Bumble and Bumble Super Rich Conditioner from Sephora - 18 Chicken McNuggets from McDonalds - 8 cans of Fancy Feast Wet Cat Food AND - One Rubber Rat to stick in your publisher's lunch break refrigerator.
(Just Kidding About the Rat Part!)
Welcome to the world of publishing and being an Indie Author! Don't forget to Promote! Promote! Promote!
If anyone is out there reading this help me keep the cross-eyed cat fed!
Buy The Haunting Love:Kindle US / Kindle UK / Paperback / Nook/ Barnes and Noble Paperback
Preorder Finding Elizabeth:Amazon US / Amazon UK /Kobo
July 10, 2015
Syn's Ghostly Encounter ( A Paranormal Romance Short Story Blog)
I never let myself believe in something so foolish, but this time something about it - I just couldn't quite shake the thought that it just might be real. Was my mind playing tricks on me or could there really be a ghost floating around my dorm room?
"Pull yourself together Syn," I order myself as I close my eyes and hope when I reopen them the ghostly apparition hovering beside my window would be gone. I didn't even believe in ghosts for cripes sake.
I hoped against hope as I crack open my eyes. Nope, he was still there, his smoky gray eyes alight with amusement. "What do you want?" I demand, my quivering voice betraying my confident facade.
The ghost's smile widens as he shakes his head and comes closer, freezing me with the icy drop in temperature that accompanies him.
I scoot back toward my headboard and grip the blankets against my tank-top-covered chest. "My roommate will be back any second," I threaten, hoping I'm right.
I just hoped my new roommate Britta didn't bring yet another guy home from whatever frat party she'd been partying at tonight. Talk about awkward. I frown at the thought, momentarily forgetting the ghostly intruder, that is until he holds out his hand to me.
His sexy smoky gray eyes urge me to take his hand as I study him in the moonlight. His golden hair shimmers in the light and he looks to be in his early twenties. Had he been alive, and not a ghost, he might be considered attractive; sexy even. Definitely not the kind of guy that would ever notice boring, old me with my uncontrollable black hair and skin darkened from spending the entire summer working in my uncle's olive grove back in Greece.
Getting impatient with my perusal of him the ghost reaches over and yanks me out of bed.
I drag my feet indignantly as he pulls me toward the window. "Wait, hold up buddy, I can't walk through walls like you. Besides, we're on the third floor. I'd drop like a rock and I'm definitely not ready to join you in the spirit world."
The ghost smirks at me irresistibly in a "watch me" sort of way as he continues through the thick wall, pulling me right along with him.
Before I can form an argument we're flying, or rather floating, through the night, invisible to the college students stumbling back to their dorm rooms after a long night of partying.
The ghost brings us to a halt in the courtyard of an upscale restaurant across town from the university. As we drift slowly to the ground I realize that the courtyard has been transformed from it's usual patio dining appearance into something... else.
A candlelit table set for two sits in the center of the courtyard as a low fog blankets the cobblestone deck. The ghost pulls out a chair and gestures for me to sit down. Above our heads a sky full of stars and a full moon shines down on us. Hadn't I just been wishing for a guy to sweep me off my feet just yesterday?
I reluctantly sit down and the ghost pushes me closer to the table before sitting down across from me. As soon as he sits down a feast appears on the table in front of us.
I stare at the ghost in surprise, "You did this all for me?"
The ghost nods, but remains silent.
"Why?" I ask quietly.
The ghost shrugs as a gruff male voice with a hint of a southern accent pops into my head, "I've been watching you for a long time. It gets lonely wandering around campus by myself, unseen by anyone. You were a vibrant star among a sea of faces, I had to know you."
"Were you a student here?" I ask as the ghost pours me a glass of red liquid, wine probably. "before you..."
The ghost looks pained for a minute, "Yes, I was."
I nod understandingly, not wanting to pry. "What's your name?"
The ghost shakes his head, refusing to answer.
I roll my eyes, "oh come on! I'm on an impromptu date with a ghost at three in the morning wearing nothing but a tank top and a tiny pair of sleep shorts and you're honestly refusing to tell me your name?"
The ghost smiles appreciatively as his eyes roam over my outfit before responding. "It will be easier this way. Trust me."
I bite my lip but find myself nodding anyway. We begin digging into our meal, some kind of fancy Italian pasta dish with scallops in it, as the ghost begins peppering me with all sorts of questions. He asks me about my family and my major as he caresses my hand across the table. Every time I ask him a personal question he deflects with a question for me. If not for his translucent appearance I'd think he was just any other guy, albeit a secretive one, trying to impress on a first date. And despite the shroud of secrecy I reluctantly find myself becoming attracted to him.
After dinner he pulls me into his arms and insists that we dance. The moonlight shines down on us as we dance, my cheek pressed against his surprisingly solid chest as his hands rest gently on my hips. I draw back slowly and look at him as he angles his head towards mine. My eyes flutter closed in anticipation of the kiss. As his lips press firmly against mine my entire world explodes in a burst of color.
When I open my eyes I'm back in my bed in my dorm room. The early morning light peeks through the shades Britta forgot to close the night before.
"Was it all just a dream? A perfect, realistic dream?" I wonder aloud.
As I glance around the room for any trace of the ghost's visit the night before I find a single red rose laying on the table beside my bed. Beside the rose a small note card sits propped against the base of my college-issued lamp.
To answer your first question, the answer is you. You are what I want. I’ll see you soon. Love, -M
To be continued...
June 26, 2015
Writing What You Know
It's been said that you should "write what you know". I think a lot of writers do that, myself included.
We write to explain the past, the things that made us who we are today, the choices and decisions that have helped shape our lives.
A person that grows up in a volatile home setting might write characters in the same situation because that's all they know, while a person who grew up on a lavish horse farm in Kentucky might choose to solely write about Kentucky horse country. It's easy to get lost in the familiar but it's also important for a writer to broaden their horizons and step out of their comfort zones, lest we become repetitive and boring.
I like to think of myself as an observant people-watcher. I'm constantly wondering what makes people tick. That includes a few of my favorite authors.
One of my favorite authors, who mainly writes young adult romance novels, always seems to write characters that have strained relationships with their parents. You can't help but wonder, is this what she (the author) knows? Does she herself have a broken relationship with her parents that cause her to write the way she does?
Another author I like, who writes both young and new adult romance, always writes the same basic plot. I don't even have to open her latest novel to tell you that one of her main characters comes from money and privilege while that character's love interest comes from the 'wrong side of the tracks'; a child of either a drug addict or some other kind of lowlife. And the male character is always very possessive and clingy, which the author must find romantic. (I on the other hand see these as major red flags, but maybe that's just me). I can't help but wonder if this is the story of her life, with slight variations in each of her books.
I myself like to write female characters that are intelligent with a sharp sense of humor that aren't the stereotypical poster girl for beauty because that's how I see myself. I never saw myself as attractive in high school, and I still have bad days but now I see that there are all types of beautiful, not just the kind on the cover of Vogue.
I also have a tendency to set my novels in places that are familiar to me: Green Bay, Brookfield, Milwaukee, Marquette. I know these places like the back of my hand. But I've also reached out and expanded sub-settings to cities I've never been to.
Researching subjects and places for my writing is fun and I learn so much. If you would have asked me how I felt about doing research for a paper in high school I'd have sighed and groaned at how boring it was. I guess it's different when you can pick and choose what you wish to learn.
Someday I'd love to branch out beyond Paranormal Romance for Young Adults. I'd love to explore the Horror genre more and also branch out into New Adult Romance (either paranormal or regular).
It's kind of scare to deviate away from what you know but I think it's important to try new things. Not just in writing, but in all aspects of your life.
Let's say every morning you wake up and have two eggs, wheat toast, and a cup of coffee for breakfast. What's the worst that could happen if one day you wake up and decide to forgo your usual routine and have French toast and tea instead? Who knows, you just might like it better than the same old thing you've been eating (or writing as the case may be) everyday.
Just a little food for thought...
We write to explain the past, the things that made us who we are today, the choices and decisions that have helped shape our lives.
A person that grows up in a volatile home setting might write characters in the same situation because that's all they know, while a person who grew up on a lavish horse farm in Kentucky might choose to solely write about Kentucky horse country. It's easy to get lost in the familiar but it's also important for a writer to broaden their horizons and step out of their comfort zones, lest we become repetitive and boring.
I like to think of myself as an observant people-watcher. I'm constantly wondering what makes people tick. That includes a few of my favorite authors.
One of my favorite authors, who mainly writes young adult romance novels, always seems to write characters that have strained relationships with their parents. You can't help but wonder, is this what she (the author) knows? Does she herself have a broken relationship with her parents that cause her to write the way she does?
Another author I like, who writes both young and new adult romance, always writes the same basic plot. I don't even have to open her latest novel to tell you that one of her main characters comes from money and privilege while that character's love interest comes from the 'wrong side of the tracks'; a child of either a drug addict or some other kind of lowlife. And the male character is always very possessive and clingy, which the author must find romantic. (I on the other hand see these as major red flags, but maybe that's just me). I can't help but wonder if this is the story of her life, with slight variations in each of her books.
I myself like to write female characters that are intelligent with a sharp sense of humor that aren't the stereotypical poster girl for beauty because that's how I see myself. I never saw myself as attractive in high school, and I still have bad days but now I see that there are all types of beautiful, not just the kind on the cover of Vogue.
I also have a tendency to set my novels in places that are familiar to me: Green Bay, Brookfield, Milwaukee, Marquette. I know these places like the back of my hand. But I've also reached out and expanded sub-settings to cities I've never been to.
Researching subjects and places for my writing is fun and I learn so much. If you would have asked me how I felt about doing research for a paper in high school I'd have sighed and groaned at how boring it was. I guess it's different when you can pick and choose what you wish to learn.
Someday I'd love to branch out beyond Paranormal Romance for Young Adults. I'd love to explore the Horror genre more and also branch out into New Adult Romance (either paranormal or regular).
It's kind of scare to deviate away from what you know but I think it's important to try new things. Not just in writing, but in all aspects of your life.
Let's say every morning you wake up and have two eggs, wheat toast, and a cup of coffee for breakfast. What's the worst that could happen if one day you wake up and decide to forgo your usual routine and have French toast and tea instead? Who knows, you just might like it better than the same old thing you've been eating (or writing as the case may be) everyday.
Just a little food for thought...
Writing What You Know
It's been said that you should "write what you know". I think a lot of writers do that, myself included.
We write to explain the past, the things that made us who we are today, the choices and decisions that have helped shape our lives.
A person that grows up in a volatile home setting might write characters in the same situation because that's all they know, while a person who grew up on a lavish horse farm in Kentucky might choose to solely write about Kentucky horse country. It's easy to get lost in the familiar but it's also important for a writer to broaden their horizons and step out of their comfort zones, lest we become repetitive and boring.
I like to think of myself as an observant people-watcher. I'm constantly wondering what makes people tick. That includes a few of my favorite authors.
One of my favorite authors, who mainly writes young adult romance novels, always seems to write characters that have strained relationships with their parents. You can't help but wonder, is this what she (the author) knows? Does she herself have a broken relationship with her parents that cause her to write the way she does?
Another author I like, who writes both young and new adult romance, always writes the same basic plot. I don't even have to open her latest novel to tell you that one of her main characters comes from money and privilege while that character's love interest comes from the 'wrong side of the tracks'; a child of either a drug addict or some other kind of lowlife. And the male character is always very possessive and clingy, which the author must find romantic. (I on the other hand see these as major red flags, but maybe that's just me). I can't help but wonder if this is the story of her life, with slight variations in each of her books.
I myself like to write female characters that are intelligent with a sharp sense of humor that aren't the stereotypical poster girl for beauty because that's how I see myself. I never saw myself as attractive in high school, and I still have bad days but now I see that there are all types of beautiful, not just the kind on the cover of Vogue.
I also have a tendency to set my novels in places that are familiar to me: Green Bay, Brookfield, Milwaukee, Marquette. I know these places like the back of my hand. But I've also reached out and expanded sub-settings to cities I've never been to.
Researching subjects and places for my writing is fun and I learn so much. If you would have asked me how I felt about doing research for a paper in high school I'd have sighed and groaned at how boring it was. I guess it's different when you can pick and choose what you wish to learn.
Someday I'd love to branch out beyond Paranormal Romance for Young Adults. I'd love to explore the Horror genre more and also branch out into New Adult Romance (either paranormal or regular).
It's kind of scare to deviate away from what you know but I think it's important to try new things. Not just in writing, but in all aspects of your life.
Let's say every morning you wake up and have two eggs, wheat toast, and a cup of coffee for breakfast. What's the worst that could happen if one day you wake up and decide to forgo your usual routine and have French toast and tea instead? Who knows, you just might like it better than the same old thing you've been eating (or writing as the case may be) everyday.
Just a little food for thought...
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June 19, 2015
Finding Elizabeth Cover Reveal
And now to reveal the cover of my upcoming novel Finding Elizabeth! Finding Elizabeth is my upcoming young adult paranormal romance novel set partially during the French Revolution and partially in modern times in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Main themes: ghosts, reincarnation, Wicca.
Finding Elizabeth will be available September 15, 2015!
Kindle Pre-order Link: ------>Click Here<------
June 12, 2015
Finding Elizabeth News and More
Hey everyone! I hope everyone has been enjoying the first two weeks of June! These past couple weeks have been very productive for me.
As I hope you've seen I've launched a giveaway for The Haunting Love on Goodreads. Three lucky winners will recieve a signed paperback copy of The Haunting Love. The giveaway is open to citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada and runs from now until June 30, 2015! At which point Goodreads will randomly pick the three winners from all the entrants and I will recieve their shipping info to send the books out.
*NOTE* Although I am the one holding the giveaway I do not pick the winners, Goodreads does. Everyone has an equal chance of winning, I believe you just need to have a Goodreads account to enter to win. For more info SEE THE SIDE BAR --------------------------->
In other news Finding Elizabeth is not only finished being edited but being formatted for the Kindle version as well. My target release will be in September and I will be sure to post updates for the cover reveal, book trailer, and when preordering become available.
I'm really excited for Finding Elizabeth's release and I hope you will enjoy it as much as you've been enjoying The Haunting Love. Here's a blurb to whet your appetites:
Prepare to fall into a love that is powerful enough to prevail over tragedy, death, and multiple lifetimes. When eighteen-year-old Nate meets Elizabeth by chance during the height of the French Revolution he has no idea that his entire life is about to change. They quickly fall in love only to be tragically torn apart during the September Massacre of 1792.
Nate reincarnates more than two hundred years later in 2008 in Brookfield, Wisconsin with the sole purpose of finding his lost love, Elizabeth. He soon realizes that finding her is the easy part, but keeping her is a whole other story. Elizabeth has no memory of their past life together until she begins being tormented by vivid dreams. Soon they both become swept up in the past and each other. Their happiness is once more threatened by Elizabeth’s mobster ex-boyfriend and Nate’s disapproving friends Darcy and Jake. They must stick together to overcome the obstacles trying to rip them apart with the help of Elizabeth’s friends Luciana, Surewood, and Belinda.
Things get messier when Elizabeth begins to remember a dark new past life she shared with Nate; as well as with her ex, Anton, who refuses to let her go without a fight. But Nate and Elizabeth must ask is there someone else pulling the strings with Anton? Someone who is more sinister and dangerous than they can even imagine? Will Nate and Elizabeth ever get their happy ending?
The main theme in Finding Elizabeth is "a love strong enough to overcome death". It will touch slightly on Wicca, a nature based religion as well as reincarnation.
Reincarnation is the belief that after the physical death of a person their soul can come back and begin a new life in a new body. Reincarnation has roots in religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and of course Wicca but it has also gained interest in Europe and North America in recent decades. Many movies, books, and songs have mentioned or incorporated reincarnation in the plots.
Do I believe in reincarnation? Yes, in a way I do. How else can you explain someone have memories of another time and place? Or how some people are so strongly drawn to certain people. It's like when some people are described as having an "old soul". It gets you to thinking.
One of my favorite fictional books about reincarnation is The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller as well as it's sequel All You Desire. The Eternal Ones is actually one of my favorite books of all time. I highly recommend that you check it out.
Anyway, have a wonderful and safe weekend! Look for my next blog post to go live on Friday June 26, 2015! Until next time keep reading!
As I hope you've seen I've launched a giveaway for The Haunting Love on Goodreads. Three lucky winners will recieve a signed paperback copy of The Haunting Love. The giveaway is open to citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada and runs from now until June 30, 2015! At which point Goodreads will randomly pick the three winners from all the entrants and I will recieve their shipping info to send the books out.
*NOTE* Although I am the one holding the giveaway I do not pick the winners, Goodreads does. Everyone has an equal chance of winning, I believe you just need to have a Goodreads account to enter to win. For more info SEE THE SIDE BAR --------------------------->
In other news Finding Elizabeth is not only finished being edited but being formatted for the Kindle version as well. My target release will be in September and I will be sure to post updates for the cover reveal, book trailer, and when preordering become available.
I'm really excited for Finding Elizabeth's release and I hope you will enjoy it as much as you've been enjoying The Haunting Love. Here's a blurb to whet your appetites:
Prepare to fall into a love that is powerful enough to prevail over tragedy, death, and multiple lifetimes. When eighteen-year-old Nate meets Elizabeth by chance during the height of the French Revolution he has no idea that his entire life is about to change. They quickly fall in love only to be tragically torn apart during the September Massacre of 1792.
Nate reincarnates more than two hundred years later in 2008 in Brookfield, Wisconsin with the sole purpose of finding his lost love, Elizabeth. He soon realizes that finding her is the easy part, but keeping her is a whole other story. Elizabeth has no memory of their past life together until she begins being tormented by vivid dreams. Soon they both become swept up in the past and each other. Their happiness is once more threatened by Elizabeth’s mobster ex-boyfriend and Nate’s disapproving friends Darcy and Jake. They must stick together to overcome the obstacles trying to rip them apart with the help of Elizabeth’s friends Luciana, Surewood, and Belinda.
Things get messier when Elizabeth begins to remember a dark new past life she shared with Nate; as well as with her ex, Anton, who refuses to let her go without a fight. But Nate and Elizabeth must ask is there someone else pulling the strings with Anton? Someone who is more sinister and dangerous than they can even imagine? Will Nate and Elizabeth ever get their happy ending?
The main theme in Finding Elizabeth is "a love strong enough to overcome death". It will touch slightly on Wicca, a nature based religion as well as reincarnation.
Reincarnation is the belief that after the physical death of a person their soul can come back and begin a new life in a new body. Reincarnation has roots in religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and of course Wicca but it has also gained interest in Europe and North America in recent decades. Many movies, books, and songs have mentioned or incorporated reincarnation in the plots.
Do I believe in reincarnation? Yes, in a way I do. How else can you explain someone have memories of another time and place? Or how some people are so strongly drawn to certain people. It's like when some people are described as having an "old soul". It gets you to thinking.
One of my favorite fictional books about reincarnation is The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller as well as it's sequel All You Desire. The Eternal Ones is actually one of my favorite books of all time. I highly recommend that you check it out.
Anyway, have a wonderful and safe weekend! Look for my next blog post to go live on Friday June 26, 2015! Until next time keep reading!
May 29, 2015
Changes Are Coming
Today works out as the last Friday of May. With the end of this month there will be a few changes.
Starting in June instead of weekly blog postings on each Friday there will be bi-weekly blogs every other Friday. Sometimes there just isn’t much going on that warrants a weekly blog and I will be able to devote more time to my writing projects.
Next, as you may know, I post my blog in multiple places; one of which is Blogger by Google. I decided to make this blogsite a little more accessible so I did a total overhaul and gave my Blogger page a facelift. Now not only can you read and subscribe to my blog you can also find information and buy links for my novels and all the updates about me and my writing. Visit it at http://taylorfenner.blogspot.com
Speaking of updates “Finding Elizabeth” is getting closer to being ready to publish. It’s almost finished being edited. As of this moment there are two more sections that have to be edited. Once that is complete I will read through the entire manuscript one last time for any missed errors before getting started on the formatting. The cover is complete and the unveiling will occur when “Finding Elizabeth” becomes available for preorder, probably later this summer.
I’m thinking of creating a “Street Team” to help in promoting me and my novels.
What is a Street Team?
A: Street team members help me promote my work by doing things like tweeting, blogging, posting Facebook updates about my books, or asking their local libraries to purchase my book. Members can participate as much or as little as they'd like, and can receive prizes such as swag (bookmarks, magnets, maybe even free signed copies of my novels) as well as being the first to know about upcoming book releases and giveaways.
The street team will help me get more exposure beyond my little corner of the world by way of word of mouth.
If you would be interested in becoming part of my street team please click the link below and fill out the form:
JOIN HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-8OB...
Those are the major changes that will take hold over the next several months. Stay tuned for a surprise announcement about The Haunting LoveThe Haunting Love coming on Monday!
Following the new every-other-Friday blog schedule my next blog will be posted on Friday June 12, 2015. Until next time my devoted blog followers! Keep reading!
Starting in June instead of weekly blog postings on each Friday there will be bi-weekly blogs every other Friday. Sometimes there just isn’t much going on that warrants a weekly blog and I will be able to devote more time to my writing projects.
Next, as you may know, I post my blog in multiple places; one of which is Blogger by Google. I decided to make this blogsite a little more accessible so I did a total overhaul and gave my Blogger page a facelift. Now not only can you read and subscribe to my blog you can also find information and buy links for my novels and all the updates about me and my writing. Visit it at http://taylorfenner.blogspot.com
Speaking of updates “Finding Elizabeth” is getting closer to being ready to publish. It’s almost finished being edited. As of this moment there are two more sections that have to be edited. Once that is complete I will read through the entire manuscript one last time for any missed errors before getting started on the formatting. The cover is complete and the unveiling will occur when “Finding Elizabeth” becomes available for preorder, probably later this summer.
I’m thinking of creating a “Street Team” to help in promoting me and my novels.
What is a Street Team?
A: Street team members help me promote my work by doing things like tweeting, blogging, posting Facebook updates about my books, or asking their local libraries to purchase my book. Members can participate as much or as little as they'd like, and can receive prizes such as swag (bookmarks, magnets, maybe even free signed copies of my novels) as well as being the first to know about upcoming book releases and giveaways.
The street team will help me get more exposure beyond my little corner of the world by way of word of mouth.
If you would be interested in becoming part of my street team please click the link below and fill out the form:
JOIN HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-8OB...
Those are the major changes that will take hold over the next several months. Stay tuned for a surprise announcement about The Haunting LoveThe Haunting Love coming on Monday!
Following the new every-other-Friday blog schedule my next blog will be posted on Friday June 12, 2015. Until next time my devoted blog followers! Keep reading!
Changes Are Coming
Today works out as the last Friday of May. With the end of this month there will be a few changes.
Starting in June instead of weekly blog postings on each Friday there will be bi-weekly blogs every other Friday. Sometimes there just isn’t much going on that warrants a weekly blog and I will be able to devote more time to my writing projects.
Next, as you may know, I post my blog in multiple places; one of which is Blogger by Google. I decided to make this blog-site a little more accessible so I did a total overhaul and gave my Blogger page a face-lift. Now not only can you read and subscribe to my blog you can also find information and buy links for my novels and all the updates about me and my writing.
Speaking of updates “Finding Elizabeth” is getting closer to being ready to publish. It’s almost finished being edited. As of this moment there are two more sections that have to be edited. Once that is complete I will read through the entire manuscript one last time for any missed errors before getting started on the formatting. The cover is complete and the unveiling will occur when “Finding Elizabeth” becomes available for pre-order, probably later this summer.
I’m thinking of creating a “Street Team” to help in promoting me and my novels.
What is a Street Team?
A: Street team members help me promote my work by doing things like tweeting, blogging, posting Facebook updates about my books, or asking their local libraries to purchase my book. Members can participate as much or as little as they'd like, and can receive prizes such as swag (bookmarks, magnets, maybe even free signed copies of my novels) as well as being the first to know about upcoming book releases and giveaways.
The street team will help me get more exposure beyond my little corner of the world by way of word of mouth.
If you would be interested in becoming part of my street team please click the link below and fill out the form:
JOIN HERE
Those are the major changes that will take hold over the next several months. Stay tuned for a surprise announcement about The Haunting Love coming on Monday!
Following the new every-other-Friday blog schedule my next blog will be posted on Friday June 12, 2015. Until next time my devoted blog followers! Keep reading!
Starting in June instead of weekly blog postings on each Friday there will be bi-weekly blogs every other Friday. Sometimes there just isn’t much going on that warrants a weekly blog and I will be able to devote more time to my writing projects.
Next, as you may know, I post my blog in multiple places; one of which is Blogger by Google. I decided to make this blog-site a little more accessible so I did a total overhaul and gave my Blogger page a face-lift. Now not only can you read and subscribe to my blog you can also find information and buy links for my novels and all the updates about me and my writing.
Speaking of updates “Finding Elizabeth” is getting closer to being ready to publish. It’s almost finished being edited. As of this moment there are two more sections that have to be edited. Once that is complete I will read through the entire manuscript one last time for any missed errors before getting started on the formatting. The cover is complete and the unveiling will occur when “Finding Elizabeth” becomes available for pre-order, probably later this summer.
I’m thinking of creating a “Street Team” to help in promoting me and my novels.
What is a Street Team?
A: Street team members help me promote my work by doing things like tweeting, blogging, posting Facebook updates about my books, or asking their local libraries to purchase my book. Members can participate as much or as little as they'd like, and can receive prizes such as swag (bookmarks, magnets, maybe even free signed copies of my novels) as well as being the first to know about upcoming book releases and giveaways.
The street team will help me get more exposure beyond my little corner of the world by way of word of mouth.
If you would be interested in becoming part of my street team please click the link below and fill out the form:
JOIN HERE
Those are the major changes that will take hold over the next several months. Stay tuned for a surprise announcement about The Haunting Love coming on Monday!
Following the new every-other-Friday blog schedule my next blog will be posted on Friday June 12, 2015. Until next time my devoted blog followers! Keep reading!
May 22, 2015
Writing Young Adult
Hey everyone, I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Friday morning. I'm sitting on my bed staring out the open window anxious to get out into the day.
As you might have seen on my Facebook page early this week it's "I Read YA Week", a week devoted to people that love reading and writing young adult novels.
From my website http://www.taylorfenner.com:
I love writing Young Adult novels as much as I love reading them; which is obviously a lot. Sometimes it feels like so many teens these days are too busy playing video games or texting to pick up a good book but lately I've been surprised by how many kids my sister's age have mentioned they like to read. It's a comforting thought that the written word isn't dead.
To me it's important to have strong female leads in the novels I write. Girls need characters to look up to, to aspire to be like, someone they can relate to. And I think that's what a lot of good young adult novels give these days.
I think we should all take a minute and appreciate all of the young adult authors out there that have paved the way for new, indie authors like me. Some of the authors I idolize and aspire to be like can be found on my "Things That Inspire Me" page on my website, so feel free to check it out and look into some of the authors I like.
Today is also #ReadOrWriteAnywhere day. Where do you like to read? Are you a writer? Where do you like to write? Is there a certain spot than inspires you? For me I can read almost anywhere; on the couch, on my bed, in a store, at the beach... anywhere really. My preferred writing spots are while sitting in bed or sitting at the kitchen table and occasionally on the couch. But inspiration can hit anywhere... I once was inspired to write a paragraph in my upcoming novel "Finding Elizabeth" while having dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. You just have to hope that you have something to write on; whether it's a napkin or the back of a receipt or a notebook you carry in your purse for such moments. You always have to be prepared.
Well I'm just dying to get outside in the sun. Have a great Memorial Day weekend! Hopefully the weather will hold up and you'll be able to enjoy cookouts and time with your family if that's what you're into. Until next week!
As you might have seen on my Facebook page early this week it's "I Read YA Week", a week devoted to people that love reading and writing young adult novels.
From my website http://www.taylorfenner.com:
I love writing Young Adult novels as much as I love reading them; which is obviously a lot. Sometimes it feels like so many teens these days are too busy playing video games or texting to pick up a good book but lately I've been surprised by how many kids my sister's age have mentioned they like to read. It's a comforting thought that the written word isn't dead.
To me it's important to have strong female leads in the novels I write. Girls need characters to look up to, to aspire to be like, someone they can relate to. And I think that's what a lot of good young adult novels give these days.
I think we should all take a minute and appreciate all of the young adult authors out there that have paved the way for new, indie authors like me. Some of the authors I idolize and aspire to be like can be found on my "Things That Inspire Me" page on my website, so feel free to check it out and look into some of the authors I like.
Today is also #ReadOrWriteAnywhere day. Where do you like to read? Are you a writer? Where do you like to write? Is there a certain spot than inspires you? For me I can read almost anywhere; on the couch, on my bed, in a store, at the beach... anywhere really. My preferred writing spots are while sitting in bed or sitting at the kitchen table and occasionally on the couch. But inspiration can hit anywhere... I once was inspired to write a paragraph in my upcoming novel "Finding Elizabeth" while having dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. You just have to hope that you have something to write on; whether it's a napkin or the back of a receipt or a notebook you carry in your purse for such moments. You always have to be prepared.
Well I'm just dying to get outside in the sun. Have a great Memorial Day weekend! Hopefully the weather will hold up and you'll be able to enjoy cookouts and time with your family if that's what you're into. Until next week!
May 15, 2015
After The Book Signing... What I'm Doing Now
Hey everyone! I know this blog is outrageously late today but my website where I usually post my blog isn't letting me onto my blog app. I bet you didn't know that my blog also posts on Blogger (blogspot), did you?
This week has been a mixture of incredibly slow and hyper fast. My book signing was last Saturday and I think it went pretty well for my first book signing. Thank you to everyone that came out; I hope that you are enjoying The Haunting Love!
Obviously Sunday was Mother's Day so my grandmother and I just hung out and watched movies. It was very relaxing.
Q: What am I up to now that the book signing is over?
A: Well relaxing for the most part. I planned to get a lot of writing done in my current work-in-progress, Into the Light, this week but I got a little sidetracked. I did go over some cover options for my next novel, Finding Elizabeth though.
I'm aiming to self-publish Finding Elizabeth this fall. It's currently being edited and I'm working on what I want to see as the cover art. To me, the cover art is the fun part. The editing part is sort of boring, but of course mandatory. Its more of a chore.
Q: Will there be another book signing for The Haunting Love?
A: At this time I don't have one scheduled, but I might set one up in the next month or two. I haven't decided yet. Be sure to keep checking back for updates though.
Q: I'm reading The Haunting Love and I love it! Will there be a sequel for Johnny, Iza, and the gang?
A: No. At least, there isn't one in the works right now. I felt that Johnny and Iza's story was finished at the end of The Haunting Love. Who knows though? Maybe Marco and Angie will someday get their own spinoff novel or novella? Or maybe even Aidan or Quinn... ideas, ideas...
I hope this gives you a better look at what I'm up to lately. I hope you have a great weekend! Despite next weekend being Memorial Day weekend my Friday blog will post as usual!
Visit my official author website: http://www.taylorfenner.com
This week has been a mixture of incredibly slow and hyper fast. My book signing was last Saturday and I think it went pretty well for my first book signing. Thank you to everyone that came out; I hope that you are enjoying The Haunting Love!
Obviously Sunday was Mother's Day so my grandmother and I just hung out and watched movies. It was very relaxing.
Q: What am I up to now that the book signing is over?
A: Well relaxing for the most part. I planned to get a lot of writing done in my current work-in-progress, Into the Light, this week but I got a little sidetracked. I did go over some cover options for my next novel, Finding Elizabeth though.
I'm aiming to self-publish Finding Elizabeth this fall. It's currently being edited and I'm working on what I want to see as the cover art. To me, the cover art is the fun part. The editing part is sort of boring, but of course mandatory. Its more of a chore.
Q: Will there be another book signing for The Haunting Love?
A: At this time I don't have one scheduled, but I might set one up in the next month or two. I haven't decided yet. Be sure to keep checking back for updates though.
Q: I'm reading The Haunting Love and I love it! Will there be a sequel for Johnny, Iza, and the gang?
A: No. At least, there isn't one in the works right now. I felt that Johnny and Iza's story was finished at the end of The Haunting Love. Who knows though? Maybe Marco and Angie will someday get their own spinoff novel or novella? Or maybe even Aidan or Quinn... ideas, ideas...
I hope this gives you a better look at what I'm up to lately. I hope you have a great weekend! Despite next weekend being Memorial Day weekend my Friday blog will post as usual!
Visit my official author website: http://www.taylorfenner.com
