Kristin D. Van Risseghem's Blog, page 4

"The prince, a betrayal, & a kiss" is now available in audio format!! #Enlightenseries

Click on cover to purchase Like most Winter fairies, Finnegan is one of few words, but he fulfills his princely duties without too much protest. That is, until he meets Sidelle; a Summer fairy princess. For the unlikely pair, it seemed their meeting was destiny. But their forbidden bond is discovered and torn apart.
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Now, Finnegan must escape his mother's clutches to find his love and apologize, beg forgiveness, and show her the depth of his feelings. But instead of finding Sidelle, Finnegan befriends a dark stranger who leads him down a troubling path, tricking him into becoming someone he despises, exactly how a Winter fairy should behave, one who Sidelle may never trust.

HUGE YA SCI-FI and FANTASY #GIVEAWAY . . . BEGINS JULY 1!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#ENLIGHTEN SERIES BOOK BUNDLE!

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Releasing June 24! Hey, did you know that today is my birthday?

I'm Zoe Jabril and in honor of my birthday, I wanted to do something fun. So I asked the author (Kristin D. Van Risseghem) to come up with some ideas. She decided to release my story as a combo book pack.

Isn't that wonderful? I think it is!

So now you can follow my journey when you purchase the book bundle of The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos and The Passage, a Dance, & a Little White Dress. By buying both #EnlightenSeries books in the bundle, you save $1.

​What's a buck to you? Well to teenager, if you don't want to save the buck, I'll take it. I could use a college fund! (hee, hee) Or I could spend it on a movie with my boyfriend, Shay. Or I could go shopping with my girlfriend, Sidelle. She'd probably insist on spending it on stilettos, but I think maybe another pair of Vans.

Oooh!!! Better yet, I'll take that dollar and buy myself a chai tea latte; my favorite drink in the whole wide world. And yes, I probably drink way too much of it. But who doesn't over-indulge in something? (hopping up and down just thinking about a grande drink!) Happy Birthday to Zoe Jabril; ME!

December 31st, 1969

#Enlighten Series Book Bundle!







​
Releasing June 24! Hey, did you know that today is my birthday?

I'm Zoe Jabril and in honor of my birthday, I wanted to do something fun. So I asked the author (Kristin D. Van Risseghem) to come up with some ideas. She decided to release my story as a combo book pack.

Isn't that wonderful? I think it is!

So now you can follow my journey when you purchase the book bundle of The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos and The Passage, a Dance, & a Little White Dress. By buying both #EnlightenSeries books in the bundle, you save $1.

​What's a buck to you? Well to teenager, if you don't want to save the buck, I'll take it. I could use a college fund! (hee, hee) Or I could spend it on a movie with my boyfriend, Shay. Or I could go shopping with my girlfriend, Sidelle. She'd probably insist on spending it on stilettos, but I think maybe another pair of Vans.

Oooh!!! Better yet, I'll take that dollar and buy myself a chai tea latte; my favorite drink in the whole wide world. And yes, I probably drink way too much of it. But who doesn't over-indulge in something? (hopping up and down just thinking about a grande drink!) Happy Birthday to Zoe Jabril; ME!

#EnlightenSeries Book Bundle!

Click on the picture above to purchase. Releasing June 24! Hey, did you know that today is my birthday?

I'm Zoe Jabril and in honor of my birthday, I wanted to do something fun. So I asked the author (Kristin D. Van Risseghem) to come up with some ideas. She decided to release my story as a combo book pack.

Isn't that wonderful? I think it is!

So now you can follow my journey when you purchase the book bundle of The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos and The Passage, a Dance, & a Little White Dress. By buying both #EnlightenSeries books in the bundle, you save $1.

​What's a buck to you? Well to teenager, if you don't want to save the buck, I'll take it. I could use a college fund! (hee, hee) Or I could spend it on a movie with my boyfriend, Shay. Or I could go shopping with my girlfriend, Sidelle. She'd probably insist on spending it on stilettos, but I think maybe another pair of Vans.

Oooh!!! Better yet, I'll take that dollar and buy myself a chai tea latte; my favorite drink in the whole wide world. And yes, I probably drink way too much of it. But who doesn't over-indulge in something? (hopping up and down just thinking about a grande drink!) Happy Birthday to Zoe Jabril; ME!

#99Cent Sale: The Passage, a Dance, & a Little White Dress #EnlightenSeries

Click on the picture to purchase Announcing my very first Kindle Countdown deal and it's on this book: The Passage, a Dance, & a Little White Dress. This is the second book in the Enlighten Series.

In honor of Zoe's (the main character) birthday, this will be on sale for $0.99 between June 20 - 24 and only on Amazon. If you've read book one in the series: The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos please make sure that you leave a review on Amazon. It can just be a couple of words or a few sentences. And I would really appreciate it!!!

​Thank you!!!!!

"The Masquerade, an Altar, & a Fairy" eBook Sale!!

Hey there party peoples! Yes, this is the wonder and fabulous Sidelle - the Summer Fairy. And in honor of my BFF's birthday on June 24, I'm giving away a masquerade mask that I wore during the Changing of the Seasons Ball.Who is my BFF? Why, it's Zoe Jabril, of course! But her party is a surprise so don't spoil it. I know she hates parties, but she's going to love this one. I promise you that. Of course I know her aversion of parties - I once didn't care for them either. But that was a very long time ago. And no I'm not telling you my age. Girls-even fairies-don't like telling others that. Come on, now! So any who ... I came across this cute little house and thought that maybe one of you would LOVE it, too. It's not really my home since I lived in a castle, but it reminds me of where I come from. If that makes any sense at all. Maybe it's what I wanted to live in - without all the pomp and circumstance. There are easy ways to enter for your chance to win the mask and the house. Follow the Rafflecopter. Giveaway runs June 15 - June 30, 2016.

And you can read all about me in my book: The Masquerade, an Altar, & a Fairy on Amazon.

Oh, and the ebook is only $0.99 during this time, too!Enter to win ...
"Fairies Love to Read, too!!"
Prize Packa Rafflecopter giveaway PRIZE:
FAIRY GARDEN HOUSE &
SIGNED PAPERBACK BOOK!! Make sure you do the Rafflecopter entry for the contest. I will only be picking a winner from there. Winner must respond to email within 24-hours to claim prize. Author is not responsible for lost or damaged prizes.
​Contest is US Domestic only and ends June 30, 2016.​​ If you've made it this far in reading ... here's a BONUS opportunity for you. Sign up to join Kristin's VIP Newsletter on her Facebook page or Website and you'll receive a FREE eBook of "The Prince, a Betrayal, & a Kiss".

Publisher or Self-Publish?

​1. Think before signing a publishing contract (or anything really). Take your time, read the entire contract, and seek advice if you don't understand the lingo or feel comfortable in what you're reading. I did corporate contract law for 8 years and I still hired an attorney to review it before I signed with a publisher. It's your only shot of getting things in there you want or things you don't want to agree to. If you have a lawyer friend (or even a friend of a friend), ask them to review the contract.  You could also join a society of authors who often have their own contract vetting service. If it costs money, and most attorneys will charge; pay it! 2.  I chanced it on a smaller publisher, and I did my homework on them. But things didn't work out with us. So I made the decision to self-publish. It might not be what you should do. Each of us has to choose for ourselves. The take away is: RESEARCH!!!

a)   Are their previous and current authors happy?
b) Are their books well-edited, presented, professional looking? Readers will immediately be put off by poor quality books riddled with mistakes, formatting errors, and grammar errors.
c)  How do they handle themselves on social media? Are they professional? Are they even on social media?
d) Where are their books for sale?
e) Google is your bestie! What comes up?
f) Are their books priced competitively? How do you know? Look online for a comparable or visit your local bookstore and see what the going rate is for that genre of book.
g) How are they actually earning their share of the profits?
h) Do they have plans for growth? What’s in their future?

Put some time and effort into your decision BEFORE you sign. 3. Decide what you want, and how you interpret success. If you want your book in all the big bookstores around the world and to make thousands of dollars, a small publisher isn’t the way to go. Even a medium-sized publisher might be difficult with this. You’re may be expecting a little high if you’re a first time author. Small publishers will do their best to stock you in bookstores (well, some do), but print runs can often be VERY expensive. Being a Print-on-Demand book may be enough to get into some bookstores.

4. What can this publisher do that you can’t do yourself? It may be that you need deadlines, other authors who can rally around you, or just want to be with a Publisher. Have realistic expectations and ideas. Research, mull it over, and decide. ​5.  Do you have to pay anything to the Publishers? If so, then they probably are a vanity publisher. If this is something you’re okay with, ask yourself what this company can do for you that you can’t do yourself. Will sourcing your own team of reputable editors, cover/interior designers, formatters, publicists  be cheaper and be a far more personal, hands-on, and ultimately more rewarding experience for you? 6.  Most publishers, big and small, expect authors to be their own marketers and publicists these days. Sure you might get a budget from a big publisher, but my guess (this is my own opinion; no stats available) is you'll be doing 95% of your own marketing. You need to build your own social media and  peddle your books. If you’re doing this yourself, why not self publish? See #5. Being an author is a business, and if you’re giving some of your profits (anywhere between 40-60%) to a publisher you may have been able to pay for a service. It’s great that they might have produced a great book, but if it’s not reaching the hands of any readers, then what is the point? ​
Whatever you decide, make sure your expectations are realistic and do your research. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. No question is ever dumb, silly or stupid! You need to be with someone that loves your book (remember all the blood, sweat, & tears; all the time away from your friends/family; it's your baby), someone understands this industry and who is willing to try new things to reach new readers.

Something about this book is coming soon ... #EnlightenSeries

Something about this book is coming soon ...