Selena Blake's Blog, page 26

Advice: Channel Your Inner Marine

Celeste wants us to channel our inner Marine with her advice:

Carpe Diem, Seize the Day!!

Response: Professionally Edited, My Ass

So in reading this wondrous blog post the other day I came upon a snippet from Steven Zacharius, Kensington’s CEO.

He says: As a result, [readers] might not even know if they’re buying a book that was professionally edited versus one that was self-published.

Back the wagon up, fella. In talking with a bunch of my fellow authors and myself included, more often than not, we have NOT been happy with the quality of these “professional” editors you speak of. This includes editors I’ve hired myself and editors I’ve worked with at publishing houses. Same for my friends.

And many if not all of us have hired “professional” editors for our self published works. What makes your editor more professional than mine? Heck, in many cases, the editors we hire currently work for or used to work for publishing houses!

All that to say, take your “professionally edited” and shove it with a grain of salt. Sometimes paying for someone to read a book doesn’t mean crap. I get better feedback from beta readers than I get from the average editor. I don’t know if they’re afraid to give their opinion or are just happy to sit back and take the money and not do real work.

True editors are geniuses and should be bribed with chocolates and wine. Unfortunately, such people are hard to come by these days.

Join the Selena Blake Review Crew: Round Two

Do you LoVe reading romance novels? Are you opinionated?

Selena is adding to her review crew and she wants you on board. (Please do not apply of you are already a member of the Review Crew!)

The Who, What, Where, When, Why

There are currently 25 additional spots open on the review crew.

Review crew members must be on FB. (Sorry!) Selena has established a Review Crew group where announcements and assignments will be posted. In order to be invited to the group you must be a friend of Selena’s (www.facebook.com/selenablakeauthor) on FB.

How to put your name in the running.

1. Write a review of any of Selena’s books and post it to one of the following sites:

amazon
nook
kobo
ARe
smashwords
Shelfari
Goodreads
librarything
FB
twitter
book blogs

Important: any previous reviews you’ve written for Selena’s books DO count! So if you’ve reviewed an SB book in the past, you totally get credit (and a giant thank you from Selena.)

2. Post a link to your review (where can we see it?), along with your username, to this form. (To preserve Selena & Co’s sanity, only entries via the form are eligible. Thanks for helping us out!)

3. Sit tight. 25 folks will be randomly selected and invited to join the group.

NOTE:

There’s potential for more review crew members going forward but we’re just looking for an additional 25 right now. Your entry into the form above will put you into consideration for future drafts for new review crew members.

How the Review Crew Operates

When you review the designated book you’ll be invited back to review again and will be provided with Selena’s next book. If that book is read and reviewed within the designated time frame you’ll be invited back to read and review the next book and so on. Program changes are possible and program may be canceled at any time.

Book of the Week: Stranded with a Cajun Werewolf

Find it on sale from most e-retailers this week. Links below.

The car came out of nowhere, horn blaring, bright lights reflecting off the curtains of falling snow. Burke Deveraux let out a curse as a streak of red passed him on the left. His wipers swiped across the windshield, trying in vain to keep the thick snow at bay. Didn’t that lunatic driver realize they were in the middle of a blizzard? On a mountain road?

Despite the snow chains, the tires of his Land Rover slipped on the icy slush and his hands tightened on the wheel. Just ten more miles and he’d be to the cabin. Give or take a few. He’d driven this road for years, but with all the white stuff coming down, it was hard to gage exactly where he was. The only thing that mattered was that he was long gone from Louisiana and whatever was in the water.

There was no other explanation for four devoted bachelors to all find love in the span of five months. And while he was happy that they’d found their mates, and he couldn’t wait to become an uncle, he much preferred his bachelor lifestyle.

His brother and cousins had started talking to him finding his mate the moment André and Juliette had gotten back together. And over the last few weeks, they hadn’t let up. Even the women were in on it. The moment his favorite ski resort had announced an early season opening, he’d high tailed it out of there.

Burke didn’t want a mate.

He just wanted some peace and quiet and to catch some fresh powder. And to forget the memories that clawed at him every time he saw one the women that had infiltrated Deveraux pack.

What he hadn’t bet on was trading hurricanes for the blizzard bearing down on him now.

Or the flash of red that jerked his attention to the side of the road.

He stepped hard on the breaks, trying to avoid the red car and the snow bank. For a nauseating moment the world was a streak of white. Burke’s hands strangled the steering wheel as he fought to keep the tires on the road.

The antilock brakes kicked in and the vehicle slowed, but Burke exhaled too soon.

In the blink of an eye the tires slipped in the slick snow and the back wheels swung right. Curses rent the air and his luggage rolled around like a pebble in a tin can. Gin let out a startled bark from the back seat.

Finally, when everything was still, the SUV was pointed down the mountain. A gust of wind cleared enough snow out of the air that he could see the bright red car half buried by a pile of snow/half dangling off the side of the mountain.

He unclenched his teeth, worked his jaw and huffed out a sigh. So much for a relaxing vacation.

The formerly groggy Labrador was now wide-awake in the backseat. Gin let out a deep bark and smacked Burke in the cheek with his tail. He let out another woof, his nose pressed against the side window.

“You all right?”

Gin sighed in that purely canine way that said he wasn’t thrilled with the situation.

The other driver made no move to back out of the dune and Burke figured that the idiot had wrecked his car. He pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. He’d report the wreck and wait until the wrecker got here. If the wrecker got here.

No signal.

Great. He tossed the phone aside and reached behind the passenger’s seat for his coat. Maybe the lunatic in the other car had a phone that would work. Tendrils of snow swooshed into the car as he opened the door. Bracing against the icy wind he planted one boot in the ankle deep snow and then the other.

Tugging on his thick Northface coat he headed down the road toward the other car once again questioning his decision to try to beat the storm.

The collision had killed the engine, mangling what he could see of the front end.

Ah hell.

A blonde lay hunched over the steering wheel, not moving. Blood soaked the back of her grey sweatshirt. He knocked on the window and wished he’d tugged on his gloves. The woman didn’t move. He peered into the car, looking for a phone, and saw a large purse wedged between her chest and the steering wheel.

He tested the handle of her door. Locked. Figured. The small window behind the driver’s seat was shattered, half the glass missing. He reached through the gaping hole and flipped the lock.

Wrenching the door open he checked the pulse at her throat. Still thumping. He braced both hands around her neck and the base of her skull and then, as gently as he could, settled her back in her seat and took stock of her injuries.

And arrestingly adorable features. She looked like an angel, a cherub, with glossy pink lips. With a bloody gash across her forehead and — was that a pink streak in her hair? He leaned closer. And a thick purple stripe too.

A fierce wind howled over head, making the trees sway and groan. She gave a soft moan, and then, as if she’d awoken, her body went rigid.

“You’re okay, petit. Just relax. Where do you hurt?”

Stunning aqua blue eyes met his for an instant before she closed them again, wincing. The fear he’d glimpsed there shocked him. “Please,” she said, her voice hoarse and barely a whisper. He leaned toward her to hear over the roar of the elements. “Don’t let…him…take me.”

Watch for Stranded with a Cajun Werewolf to hit the rock bottom price of 2.99 this week. Check it out via these vendors.

A | BN | ARe | S

I Got Your Demographics Right Here

Hello dear ones,

Happy Friday!

I’m hoping you can help me out with a pet project of mine. It’s important to me to make sure I know who my readers are and what they want. After all, I can’t write books for you if I don’t know who you are and what you want.

In the marketing world we call this knowing our demographic. Things like age and sex (the answer here is not, yes please, by the way) help us determine who our core audience is.

You might have taken brief surveys on websites or blogs that helped them determine their demographic aka audience. Rest assured, this information helps companies create better products and allows blogs to provide better content and advertising.

All of this is to say that I’m doing a monthly poll on my website (selena-blake.com) and in the Members’ lounge. You don’t need to answer in both places, but I hope you’ll vote once a month and let me know you better.

This month I’m asking about gender. Don’t worry, none of these polls can be tracked back to you. I just need percentages. Like, is my audience 90% female or 50% female.

WHERE TO VOTE: The demographics poll is at the top of the sidebar on my blog. (It’s also on the front page of my blog and in the sidebar on the Members’ Lounge blog. Just FYI.)

Thanks for voting!

On Sale This Week–Ready & Willing only $0.99

Did you miss the announcement? Ready & Willing is only $0.99 this week. That’s over 50,000 words of paranormal romantic goodness.

If you haven’t met Kaden and Ava yet, don’t wait. This is one of my most popular books ever!

Ava Garnier is the middle daughter of WhitePaw’s Alpha pair and she’s spent almost a decade preparing to take over her father’s role as leader of the Pack.There’s one big snag and his name is Kaden Black.

Kaden assumes that because he’s the Beta of the pack, the position is automatically his.Ava’s had a crush on Kaden for years but he’s never given her the time of day…until her sister marries his best friend.

Now sparks are flying and there’s only a week until her father decides who will become the next Alpha of WhitePaw pack. The question is, who will come out on top?

Get your copy now. Don’t miss it!

Which Little Wolves room do you use?

You're headed to the bathroom. Which door do you open? Guys
Girls

Abysmally Slow Start, Time to Kick It Into High Gear

Dear fellow writers,

Happy New Year! We’re 22 days in, can you believe it?

I sure can’t! Where in the world did 2013 go? Well, I wrote and published 5 books somewhere in there. Pretty amazing progress if I do say so myself. (I say that to remind myself that I actually worked my ass off and accomplished a lot. Otherwise, the little monster in the back of my mind will ask what I did all year and why I didn’t do more.)

Which is why I’m so bummed about how 2014 started for me. Let’s just say that life took over for the first week and hasn’t let up since. Monday my brand new keyboard went kaput. Super bummed about that because it took me three tries to find it. Then on Tuesday I had the worst migraine in history. Seriously, I was about to offer myself up as a science experiment.

Okay, it wasn’t that bad. But it did wreck half my day.

It hasn’t really gotten better since. Bouts of dizziness and congestion have me off of my game. I’m bouncing between projects because I’m not 100% sure of the plot and twists and turns.

All of that is to say that I am behind already this new year. Behind and frustrated.

But all is not lost. In fact, it’s fixable. How?

Here’s the secret. Ready? You should write this down. Commit it to memory.

I just start over every day. Each day offers the opportunity to start fresh and kick my ass into gear.

Have you kicked your ass into gear? Have you started tackling your goals for the new year?

What is it you want to accomplish in 2014?

Imagine yourself on New Years Eve, waving at 2015. Got it in your mind? You’ve got your party dress on (or PJs) and a glass of your favorite celebratory beverage in hand. Got it? Feel it? The ball is getting ready to drop in Times Square. You’re thinking back over 2014. Making wishes and goals for 2015.

What do you want to be proud that you accomplished in 2014? Leave a comment below.

Book of the Week: Ready & Willing

Find it on sale from most e-retailers this week. Links below.

“Ava,” he pulled her to a stop.

He felt like such an ass. She’d opened up to him. Showed a different side of herself. Shared herself. Been honest about her desires. And he’d squashed all that…just so he could keep his neat and tidy life in safe compartments. Which was ironic, considering that what he wanted to do with her was far from neat and tidy.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said, keeping his voice soft.

“You didn’t,” she said nonchalantly.But the words were too automatic. Too quick. She paused and glanced away. “You were being honest and I can appreciate that,” she amended.

She thought he was being honest? Far from it, beautiful. Honest was wanting to press her up against the side of the house, letting his hands and lips investigate everything his eyes could see.

“Then why won’t you look at me?” He gripped her upper arms and squeezed gently.

“Because–“ she cried, her gaze snapping to his. An electric current zapped between them, heating him from head to toe.

“Because…” he prompted, a heartbeat away from kissing her into oblivion.

Eyes pleading, she said, “if I look at you, I’ll want to kiss you. And if I kiss you, I won’t be able to stop.”

Watch for Fangs, Fur & Mistletoe to hit the rock bottom price of .99 this week. Check it out via these vendors.

A | BN | ARe | S | K

 

Proof That Platform Works

It’s hard to convince newbies that platform is important. It’s even harder to build a platform. And it’s harder still to balance platform with the writing. But I came across an interesting article this week by Jeff Bullas and thought this part was worth sharing. The whole thing is worth reading.

Proof that Platform works:

“One of the worlds biggest music stars ignored the traditional mass media product launching process. She bypassed the “normal” mass media release of a radio campaign, multiple TV appearances and retail and consumer brand promotions. Instead she announced it on Instagram to her 8 million followers with the word “Surprise” and proceeded to launch the 14 songs and accompanying 17 videos on iTunes.

It was a success and it exceeded the album downloads of the previous album which had used the traditional marketing model. Its a trend that is not going away anytime soon. “ Read the rest…

So here’s the takeaway: what one thing can you do today to build your platform?

By the way, I’m on instagram. Are you?