Romarin Demetri's Blog, page 9
June 5, 2016
CreateSpace and Other Ways to Publish
Dear Author,
Want to know more about self-publishing mediums?
Amazon’s self-publishing service, CreateSpace has really helped authors who didn’t land a literary agent find distribution for their completed and professional (and sometimes not so much) books. This is meant to be an overview for those wanting to know more about the self-publishing process, and those wanting to publish. If you think you are ready to publish, please read the questions below.
Before you set up publishing you need to be able to answer these questions:
1. Have I found the right book genre to list my book in, and does the cover evoke my genre?
There will be a section especially for book covers, but even here I need to stress that your niche is important. For example: You have a book that has fantasy/adventure, but your book also has love at first sight, explicit sexual encounters, and your points of view alternate between two lovers. You should probably be in fantasy/romance or paranormal romance, and not something like urban fantasy that doesn’t have to have romance as its main story line. Your book title should reflect the romantic relationships and not the adventure elements. You have to make that call, or you’re setting yourself up to hit a lot of bumps. Subscribe to one genre and stick to it. My example: My book has a long title, “A Mirror Among Shattered Glass” and it is about self-reflection, and the main character hopefully getting her life together. Therefore, a reader should go into “Mirror” not expecting HUGE romantic elements, but suspecting some sharp-edged characters. I push the mirror symbolism during turning points or moments of reflection.
2. Have I listed my email sign-up, the links to my next or previous books, or a message asking for reviews in the back of my book?
For ebooks, you can even add hyperlinks to be sure you connect with readers after they are done reading your book. Always update your existing books when new ones come out to add to your catalogue. A Newsletter is a huge must that you need to research before you are ready to publish. It can seem like common sense, but you will be overwhelmed with all of the tasks for a release and might need a reminder.
Assuming you are absolutely ready with your book on deck, or if you just want to see the process, read below!
Publishing on Amazon’s Createspace:
https://www.createspace.com/Signup.jsp?
You upload your finished cover and interior files, and they will print the book on demand, meaning they print them as they’re ordered, so you aren’t keeping boxes of books that don’t sell right away in your garage. They print paperback books only (and also allow you to print ebooks through amazon Kindle). There are other services (such as Bookbaby) that will print hardcovers and assist you in publishing.
With the popularity of ebooks, it is advised to put out both physical copies and ebooks. Though ebooks have gained popularity, print books are still preferred among many.
What is the process at Createspace like?
1. Select options, input information, and upload your book’s interior file and cover.
2. Wait for Createspace to put everything together for you and let you know that your proof is approved (24 hours).
3. Order up to 5 print proof book copies and view an eproof.
4. Createspace waits for you to approve your proof so that you can set distribution channels and make the book live for order. Once you approve your proof the book will go live.
CreateSpace is pretty painless; it just takes time to fill in all of the listing information.
Here are some important bits and FAQs for CreateSpace:
You can buy your own ISBN under your publishing imprint through CreateSpace. If you want a customized ISBN in which Createspace is not the publisher, you pay a fee of $10 and they will give you one. You can get a free ISBN, however, your book will state that CreateSpace is the publisher. You can also get a Universal ISBN for $99, or put in an ISBN you bought from Bowker or another agency. Print and ebooks cannot have the same ISBN.
CreateSpace is for your print on demand paperback book only, is not live for order until you hit “approve book proof”, then it takes a few hours to go live on your book’s amazon page. The button of no return is the “approve book proof” button. Createspace says it can take up to 5 days to list your print title. Mine went up in less than 12 hours, and I had it up the day before just to be safe. Odds are will all of the books they’ve published at this point, that your book will go up a few hours later and the process will be quick.
About Proofs. Always order 1 print proof copy the first time your order a copy. You don’t want 4 incomplete books sitting in a box in your house, and you’ll want to read through the entire proof.
Getting advance copies from CreateSpace. To get advance copies of your book, you can order up to 5 print copies that say PROOF on the very back page. Your advance copies will technically be proofs. As I said, order 1 for the first time, to proof yourself. To order additional copies, upload your interior again, wait for them to tell you it’s ready to proof, and order 5 copies. Repeat for more. I needed a few copies for reviewers and for my quiz contest that gave away 11. It took a few weeks, but I got my copies. You can also use this method to get a copy for your Goodreads giveaway.
Your final edition has to be uploaded 10 days prior. You will also get a notification by email.
Publishing on Amazon Kindle for ebook.
https://kdp.amazon.com/
I set up my Kindle book separate from my print version, knowing I could link reviews from both later. You add information just like in the print edition, however, with the ebook only, you can set up a pre-order.
Here are some important bits and FAQs for KDP:
Kindle uses an ASIN to identify the book. This is different than an ISBN and unique to Amazon. An ASIN is given to your book automatically. You might want to buy an ISBN for your ebook on other websites. Print and ebooks cannot have the same ISBN.
Use HTML to announce sales. Here is an html guide for drawing attention to sales in the description of your book. My first book was 2.99 for the first two weeks of sale, so I wanted the first line to pop
HTML guide: https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A377RPHW6ZG4D8
Make sure your Kindle and Createspace editions are linked 48 hours later.
During the publishing process, KDP will attempt to match title, author name, and other title information to physical counterparts available in the Amazon catalog. This may take up to 24 hours after the title is live in the Kindle Store.
“If you see your book linked to an incorrect edition, or if more than 48 hours have passed since your Kindle book went live and the print edition is still not linked, please let us know by clicking the “Contact Us” button on this page. Make sure to include the 10-digit ISBN number of the physical edition and the ASIN of the Kindle book.”
The source for linking ebook and print book reviews: https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A33G45HCUNE6YF
Waiting 48 hours can be daunting. I pushed back this post because mine didn’t link, and I wanted to be able to tell you more. I emailed amazon, and the editions were linked somewhere from 8-12 hours later. Not too bad!
You upload your files to Kindle and can review an electronic copy. If you are submitting for pre-order, you will receive an email close to your release date stating that you need to upload the final file. You must hit “This is the final version of my book for release.” In step 6, and proceed through the prompts to submit your book for preorder.
When you makes changes to your book document Kindle will continue to sell the previous version of your book until changes are processed.
Here are other places to distribute your ebook:
Nook (Barnes and Noble)
Nook will make your ebook available on Barnes & Noble.com . They are set up a little differently than amazon, but again, it’s a lot of information to plug in. Nook emphasizes a Vendor Account that you need to set up with payment information before you can publish.
The thing I like about Nook is that you can add editorial reviews during set up. I did have to shrink my cover size by %5 to get the file to fit. While most of your sales are liable to be from Amazon, Barnes and Noble might just help you find some new readers!
It took my book about 3 days to get listed from the time I put it on sale. I have not promoted it on Nook yet.
Good reads
I count Goodreads as a “way to publish” because you need to set up Goodreads before or with your other distribution channels. While it is not a store, it is the source for finding new books. It is the library of social media. Here are a few tips for authors: http://www.authormedia.com/how-to-promote-books-goodreads/
I have not tried KOBO or SMASHWORDS yet, but will let you know when I do!
If you enjoyed my Dear Author post, please add my book to your amazon wish list so it shows up in Amazon emails to current subscribers! It’s free to you, and a huge help to me! (and only takes 3 clicks!)
Click here to go to Dear Author Index for more posts
June 3, 2016
The Fantasy Character Cotillion going on TODAY, and you could win!
You are invited to the Fantasy Character Cotillion–where the character debutantes need your vote for “best-dressed”!
Stop by the Facebook event page to see characters from different series announced to the social world and vote for your favorite (“best-dressed”) character to celebrate the release of “A Mirror Among Shattered Glass (http://amzn.to/1TNYHh0) , Book One of the Supernatural London Underground Series.
Prizes include a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, and some surprises from individual authors during their character debuts or takeovers! Characters from Fantasy and its best subgenres will be introduced to the social world, cotillion style, on June 4th.
After each debutante makes his or her debut, check the character introduction posts for interactive games and giveaways, and stay tuned for Author takeovers during the evening on June 4th!
Author’s participating:
Tabitha Barret (The Third Throne) (Takeover at 6pm EST.)
J.S. Burke (Dragon Dreamer) (Takeover at 5pm EST.)
Romarin Demetri (The Supernatural London Underground) (Takeover at 8pm EST.)
Lisa Emme (The Harry Russo Diaries)
J.L. Gribble (Steel Empires)
Debbie Manber Kupfer (P.A.W.S.) (Takeover at 9pm EST.)
K.W. Taylor (The Red Eye)
The invite is open to all of the readers out there! We can’t wait to see you there!
https://www.facebook.com/events/708539325953332/
Click for blurbs to the first book in each series and a sliding grid:
June 2, 2016
Dear Author: Checklist for sending your manuscript to agents or editors
Dear Author, are you reading to send your manuscript to your editor or potential agent? THINK AGAIN!
Sorry I’m being as dramatic as an Archer Clan Vampire, but this is your double-check checklist of things to search for within your writing before you send your manuscript to your editor, or agent! It would be a great idea to use this list before sending your manuscript to any beta reader.This list can help you get a lesser rate on editing services (you need that) or make you look more polished when you pitch your manuscript to an agent living on 5th avenue, New York, New York. This post is so early, because I want to catch people who might be querying agents.
Does this replacing editing? Hell to the no. Why is that even a subheading? I am passionate about editing, and will speak more about it in the professional services section, along with it’s biggest con.
Control search for spell check.
I hadn’t done this for 3 years in my first book, and thought everything was all clear, but, pressing f7 in my Microsoft word document would have saved me two errors. That is two too many when you’re an Indie. Please, just do it before you send even if you think you did.
Control search for elipsies, AKA: …
Your ellipses… should begin immediately after the previous word with no spaces, appear as three periods in a row, space, and then the following word. Making sure there is a space between the end of the ellipses “…” and the following word “… following”, will save your editor and YOU tons of time later.
Control search for hypens and dashes
When your book is formatted you will quickly realize if you have inconsistencies between your dashes and hyphen and words (extra spaces or not enough). On a word processor, it is easy to miss. When words are justified and put into a manuscript, inconsistencies in dashes stick out like the sorest thumb. You need to decide if you are using a small hypen “-” or a dash “–-” to separate word phrases, and if you want spaces in between or not. I go for long dashes and no spaces to keep the flow. I’ve also seen (in publishing house produced book) a singular hyphen set with spaces on both parts of the phrase “like – like”. Whatever you decide, stick to it. DOUBLE CHECK that there is or isn’t a space after the last hyphen, because it is incredibly hard to see with normal spacing, and once it’s formatted you will notice the inconsistencies.
Wendy Janes also has a fabulous list of checks here: http://completelynovel.com/articles/five-proofreading-checks-you-need-to-run
She discussed double words, and searching for words that might be typed wrong, so that they are still a real word an spell check does not find them “eyes” and “yes” are an example.
So why do we have all of these weird misspelled words and mistakes when we are educated writers and intelligent humans? I must mention Gestalt Psychology and perception. Our brains will essentially fill in the missing words.
This is clearly a triangle, right? This is how your brain works when you are trying to proof or edit your own work. For more information on Gestalt Psychology, this is a fun resource: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/gestalt.html
Good luck, writers!
If you enjoyed my Dear Author post, please add my book to your amazon wish list so it shows up in Amazon emails to current subscribers! It’s free to you, and a huge help to me! (and only takes 3 clicks!)
Click here to go to Dear Author Index for more posts
June 1, 2016
Dear Author: Indie vs. Traditional publishing, and other ways to publish
Dear author, do you feel that you’re ready to publish?
Rule of wrist: You can’t get your book published unless you have an agent, and you can’t get an agent unless you’ve been published before.
Wait, what?
Yes. Anyone you ask in the industry will remind you how subjective publishing is. The exception to the vicious cycle is independent publishing houses (We will discuss below). If someone else represents you (including small press), they will only do a great job if they are as passionate as you are about the book. Most authors look toward a literary agent in order to gain the widest possible distribution for their book.
A literary agent is in charge of selling your book to publishing houses, who will get your title on the shelf in book stores, and have large marketing budgets to help your book sell. You won’t see a large portion of your profit, as it’s going to your agent and your house, but, if you sell enough books, you can make a living or gain more exposure for future titles. You have to hook an agent by making contact with them through mail or email, and essentially selling the selling points of your book.
The finished manuscript. Back it up a second. Make sure your manuscript is FINISHED, and the appropriate length before you send it out to an agent. You can’t just make it any length you want, sorry. There are standards in publishing. Check for word count if you’re writing a novella or novel, and make those your goals. Most commonly, fantasy novels are at least 60,000 words, but depending on what you write, you could be looking at 80,000. (See a helpful chart here: http://thewritepractice.com/word-count/)
Querying agents. Look for literary agents who accept “unsolicited queries”. Some agents are so exclusive that you have to be recommended by a mysterious force. Most often, you can mail or email a “query letter” that explains your book to a literary agent. Sometimes they will ask for a sample. Sometimes they will request a sample if they like your letter. The number one rule is: FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS STATED. They will all be different. What are they really looking for as you introduce your book? They are looking to make an income by promoting your book. Please remember that this is their job, and living in NYC isn’t exactly cheap. If they don’t love your idea right away, they’re not picking you. If there is another book that came through yesterday and they like the character names better, they won’t pick you. Chances are slim that you will get a book deal, but it is still possible. Should an agent decline, you will get absolutely no explanation as to why, but sometimes a “while this is an interesting idea…” will end in a polite no. I say query your heart out, get the practice writing pitches, and then if all agents don’t work out for you, the decision is in your hands.
A great website to find Literary agents is here: http://www.agentquery.com, among others
If you interested in meeting agents face to face to pitch to, take a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference (http://www.writersdigestconference.com), that will get you in front of agents for a price. Just remember, it’s getting other people in front of agents too, so you need to set yourself apart.
Another harsh reality is that you might land a literary agent, but not a publishing deal. Yes, large houses can go back on their word and decide not to publish you, even at the last minute. That might also be why you have found this blog series.
What can you do after finding out you didn’t land an agent or deal?
Some writers put their old manuscript in a shoe box and leave it there. This always breaks my heart, because you might be damn good and no one will ever know. Deciding between passion and a hobby vs. career is a decision you shouldn’t take lightly.
Some writers self-publish the novel to get it out there without making it a career. I like to think that everyone has a story to tell. If you don’t want a career out of writing, get your one book out there, but make sure it’s edited and has a professional cover (you’ll hear that over and over). Just know that if you don’t put the work into it, it will always just be one book (event if it’s a great book), not a way of life. Maybe you don’t want the writing life, and that’s okay.
Some writers turn to Independent publishing houses. They DO NOT require an agent, but you will have to screen them. Small press can be wickedly cool, but there are also other publishing houses or companies that won’t steer you in a constructive direction as an indie author. Some small companies are more like groups for writers, and your editor is more of a beta-reader (I LOVE betas, but I also LOVE my editor). I have seen publishing companies who are run by people with claims about being Amazon best-selling authors—and they are, if you count ranking in the 400s best-selling (still a valid idea and they are a best-seller, yes)—but, I’m inclined to think if someone is going to show me the way and edit and promote my book like a baddass, that they would have made at least the top 100 in order to run a publishing house and manage other authors. It’s important to have group solidarity, which the small press might lend, but at the end of the day, your book will always rest on your book-which means proofreading and correct formatting. I have purchased books from such publishing houses, in which formatting is done so that some characters display incorrectly, and there are small errors such as homophones (ex. “bass note” in music, being spelled as “base note” in the book). I finished the book, but will NOT leave a review, because I feel the book is incomplete with the errors, and I won’t be helping anybody. No one else had left a review either (for 4 months), so it shows me the house isn’t pushing for the very important task of getting reviews. The owners of small publishing houses want to help and don’t mean will-ill, but they haven’t caught on to the tricks of the trade yet and need a little more time.
Legit small publishing houses. Legitimate small press is out there. When a small publishing or independent publishing company is run by an author, always check out the owner author’s book reviews, and make sure there is attention to editing. Make sure that there is an editor with experience on board, and usually, editors don’t write books themselves… even though they’d rock at it. Choose your small house carefully… the decision is yours, and even though they want to represent you, it might not always be a good fit.
And others become Indie authors, professionals looking to prove their success (and platform) in order to get a publishing deal later. I’m in this category. We find the pros in beta reading, editing, and cover design to take care of their respective fields. We also understand that success is the only option, and that we are in charge of every aspect of the process, from collecting interviews to setting up distribution.
If you are ready to be an Independent Author who contracts professional services and gets taken seriously, I just did months of work so you don’t have to, and I will do my best to share every piece of information out there. There are great writers who just need to discover the people who will fall in love with their writing. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t, but please, take yourself seriously.
Do you have experience with a small publishing house that prides itself on professionalism? Have you been to the Writer’s Digest Conference to pitch your novel? Email me at romarindemetri@gmail.com! I’d love to do an interview or ask you about your experiences to add to this post!
If you enjoyed my Dear Author post, please add my book to your amazon wish list so it shows up in Amazon emails to current subscribers! It’s free to you, and a huge help to me! (and only takes 3 clicks!)
Click here to go to Dear Author Index for more posts
Dear Author Blog series Index (An Indie Author Chronicles Publishing a Fantasy Series in the Twenty-teens)
“How’s writing life?’
Welcome to the blog index for the Dear Author blog series! As an indie author with a solid writing background who didn’t land a literary agent on her first shot, I quickly found that with the internet and world of independent authors, giving up on my dreams just wasn’t going to happen! Not in the years of the twenty-teens!
I am chronicling my experiences (and helpful lists and checklists!) of being a professional independent author, who knows when to contract for professional services, and enjoys running every aspect of her book series. If you are writing a book series, especially if it happens to be fiction (even more if it’s fantasy) I am giving you MONTHS of my time and research, so you can spend more of yours writing. For some of you, this isn’t just a hobby, it’s a way of life, and traditional publishing and the will of NYC can quickly put a damper on all of your hopes and dreams.
With any job, you need training, and your best bet is to learn the industry for months or years before you set the publication date of your first book.
So began the chronicles of an indie author. Below, you will find advice through every step of the way! You will need to put the work in to get results, and you have to be ready for the days in which you spend more time marketing than writing. They will come. But what else is on its way? True life advice to help you with all of your dreams!
Dear Author index with hyperlinks:
On Publishing
Introduction to Independent Publishing (this post)
Indie vs. Traditional publishing, and other ways to publish 6-1-2016
Checklist for sending your manuscript to agents or editors *check out if you’re going for a traditional deal! 6-2-16
Createspace and other ways to publish 6-3-16
Pre-release and cover reveal 6-4-16
Professional services
The pros of professional beta readers 6-5-16
EDITORS. 6-6-16
Cover Designers 6-7-16
Book Formatting 6-8-16
Marketing
Professional, Paid, and Blog Reviews 6-9-16
DIY Graphic design and stock photos 6-10-16 marketing
Why email is still #1 6-11-16
Advertising on ebook websites and newsletters 6-12-2016
Press Release 6-13-2016
A little book launch help from your friends 6-14-2016
Blog Tours 6-15-2016
Events and giveaways—online and in person 6-16-2016
The book trailer 6-17-2016
The Business End
Amazon Affiliate Program for authors selling on amazon 6-18-2016
Connecting with other authors 6-19-2016
Song lyric reprint rights 6-20-2016
My secret excel list for organizing…EVERYTHING 6-20-2016
More posts will be added to the Index as time goes on!
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I can be found many places, and would love to connect!
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May 25, 2016
Twisty and Steady: The reality of starting a story off with misfits and their issues, and why everything in literature can’t happen in Book One.
The closest thing I will get to reviewing my own work is this blog entry. Just as I don’t resort to paid reviews, I think a review from myself would be very biased. I acquired my characters in their twenties, when they world had already dealt them hands with missing cards, leaving them fragmented and with trust issues. Are they going to magically open up to a main character who appears and automatically let her see all of that? Not in the first book of this series. Not when they’re busy living in a façade. Is my main character going to be drooling with rabid love at first sight when she has clear issues to sort out? Not likely when gaining her independence at nineteen is number one (even though this is still a kissing book). These characters aren’t safe from typical things, but they have to sort out their lives and work towards getting to that change, and you will see sure progression by the time book 3 is on its way. Why do they leave me no choice but to let them grow? That’s because we all grow, fragmented past or not, and you cannot expect comfortable characters who don’t shed skin from me. Onion layers? There’s a chapter for that.
These characters are not typical and well-adjusted and neither are their demons. They demand to make me write in a twisty way, divulging a vulnerable moment in passing, as if it isn’t bothersome. They demand to be cautious, mysterious, untrusting, and wait for the main character to prove herself, as if some kind of initiation to their underground that exists aboveground must be had.
I’ve always said that characters are the number one thing for me, and in The Supernatural London Underground, you will be met with backstory which is my testament to growing up watching LOST, and talking about it with the other kids in Latin class. This does mean being able to pay attention to voice, as visually short chapters might have different pronouns because they are a different point of view or back story. The regular narration is first person with a distinctive voice, and if you notice the absences of “I”, sure as a heart underneath the floorboards, you’ll have to grab the character’s name when its introduced in the first sentence.
I remember how the first movie in the American Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. ended. “But now we must blaze the trail of this journey which is basically unrelated but we can talk about it in the last 30 seconds to quickly stimulate your mind with a last-minute riddle!” I wasn’t about that. Instead I use the symbolism in the title to tie up a sure end, while presenting you with a few options or obstacles that you want to see resolved as a reader near the end of the book. There is clear progression for the main character, and now we get to watch and see if those onion layers on other characters will make her cry or not.
Twisty and Steady.
Check out some reviews for book #1 on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Romarindemetri/1-reviews-a-mirror-among-shattered-glass/
Click here for the Book One link
May 24, 2016
Cover Reveal for Steel Magic!
It’s here! The cover for the second book in the Steel Empires!
Title: Steel Magic
Series: Steel Empires Book 2
Author: J.L. Gribble
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Alternate History
Release Date: July 6, 2016
Pre-order Link: http://amzn.to/1Rc17n2
Synopsis:
Funerals are usually the end of the story, not the beginning.
Newly graduated warrior-mages Toria Connor and Kane Nalamas find themselves the last remaining mages in the city when a mage school teacher mysteriously falls ill and dies. But taking over the school themselves isn’t in the cards. They’re set to become professional mercenaries-if they make it through the next 18 months as journeymen first.
The debate over whether to hunt mutated monsters in the Wasteland or take posh bodyguard jobs is put on hold when a city elder hires them to solve the mystery of the disappearing mages. Toria and Kane’s quest brings them to the British colonial city of New Angouleme, where their initial investigation reveals that the problem is even greater than they feared.
But when a friend is kidnapped, they’ll have to travel to the other side of the globe to save her, save themselves, and save magic itself.
About the Cover Artist:
Bradley Sharp was born in 1977 in Oxfordshire, UK. From a young age he filled many sketch books, so it only made sense to study Graphic Communication at Nene University, where he received a BA Honors degree in 1997.
But the real world called Sharp away from academics, so he traveled around the globe a couple of times, working as a graphic designer. Now he makes a living by designing magazine spreads, but freelances with vector illustrations, allowing him to create something far-removed from what he does in his nine-to-five job.
Sharp finds vector to be an easy tool and believes anyone can use it. “I’d say my artwork is nothing more than glorified doodling. I like the logical inconsistencies of surrealism and find inspiration from many places such as music or the science fiction genre. Dog Star’s novels lend themselves well to my style. I look forward to working with DSB in the future, and hope fans will like the imagery as much as they enjoy the words.” Find Sharp’s work online at http://www.bradsharp.co.uk.
About the Author:
By day, J. L. Gribble is a professional medical editor. By night, she does freelance fiction editing in all genres, along with reading, playing video games, and occasionally even writing. She is currently working on the Steel Empires series for Dog Star Books, the science-fiction/adventure imprint of Raw Dog Screaming Press. Previously, she was an editor for the Far Worlds anthology.
Gribble studied English at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She received her Master’s degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, where her debut novel Steel Victory was her thesis for the program.
She lives in Ellicott City, Maryland, with her husband and three vocal Siamese cats. Find her online (www.jlgribble.com), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jlgribblewriter), and on Twitter and Instagram (@hannaedits).
Grab the first book in the series here:
One hundred years ago, the vampire Victory retired from a centuries-long mercenary career. She settled in Limani, the independent city-state acting as a neutral zone between the British and Roman colonies on the New Continent.
Twenty years ago, Victory adopted a human baby girl, who soon showed signs of magical ability.
Today, Victory is a city councilwoman, balancing the human and supernatural populations within Limani. Her daughter Toria is a warrior-mage, balancing life as an apprentice mercenary with college chemistry courses.
Tomorrow, the Roman Empire invades.
April 23, 2016
“Dawning” release party for author Brianna West!
Click to RSVP on my Facebook page as my guest!
I am always amazed when I meet another helpful author, or get to answer questions about my book at an event, because readers and writers are so friendly, and they believe in the stories we write. One of these authors I have met is Brianna West, who has been welcoming and is participating in my launch event in June! She started writing “The Promiscus Guardians” (the Latin “promiscus”, not “promiscuous”) series and decided to share her stories with us! Dawning is the third book. The first book, “Awakening” was really long, and I liked how she created an intricate fantasy story as a paranormal romance (PR) writer.
I love a great good vs. evil story, especially when all of the characters have a certain darkness about them. 
The Dawning launch is upon us! It starts April 30th. it is a private event (because of notifications)… but i can invite you. You should come for the many prizes, and also because I am revealing Pinterest character boards for Fred, Yves, Audin, and Travis from 9pm-10pm Eastern time. Go friend me on facebook and post on my wall that you would like to RSVP to Dawning, and I’ll send you an invite. I can only invite you if we are friends. You don’t want to miss all of the prizes!!!!
I am so excited for my first author takeover from 9-10pm on April 30th, and to celebrate the release of Dawning!
Only a few more weeks until the launch of “Mirror”. Paperback on June 4th!!
April 5, 2016
DIY Magnetic Memo Board!
Magnetic memo boards are a great way to display cards, coupons, bills, and the more than occasional wedding invitation.
I find lattice memo boards a little restricting,
and think they look messy, as everything has so be askew to fit papers through the ribbon.
Magnetic boards are easier to customize. Get decorative, and unclutter your kitchen table!
You will need:
magnetic sheet metal
steel Cutters to trim board to size (if needed)
double-sided tape
hot glue
packing tape
fabric for background
trim (frame or ribbon)
4 nails
magnets for finished board
Step One: Cut and wrap your metal in the fabric of your choice. Metal is sold in sheets at home depot, and we borrowed a magnet to test the board before we bought it. A thin to medium fabric will allow magnets to stick. I used double-sided tape to secure the fabric on the front side’s perimeter and pressed the fabric across, wrapping it around to the back.
The back of your board needs to be secure, not look pretty!
Step 2: tape the back with clear tape to secure. It doesn’t have to look pretty, because it’s the back!
Step 3: Cut and attach your trim with hot glue. I used a fabric ribbon because it’s light and glues down fabulously. The beaded pattern also helped camouflage seams in corners. If you want a wood trim look, I’d suggest shopping for a picture frame and replacing the glass with sheet metal. I had a picture frame that broke, so I took the glass out, put the remainder of my sheet metal in, and then gave it to a friend.
Step 4: Place a nail in each corner of the board to secure into the wall.
Step 5: Decorate!
Now, we’ll never miss Olivia and Daniel’s wedding!
If you make your own project, please post a picture to share in the comments below![image error]
March 26, 2016
Claimsmaking, Fear, and TV Doctors
Every time I see a suggestion from Dr. Oz, I just can’t seem to take it seriously, because from what I’ve seen in my own experience, he is more of a tv host trying to stir up trouble and get material, than a doctor. I also don’t take any of his guests seriously, and from what I’ve seen, they joined his advisory board purely for publicity, and not to further the medical field. After watching a segment on how gel nail polish is harmful, the only conclusion I’ve come to is that TV doctors are just trying to scare us and get viewers.
I heard about this segment a few years ago, but today I received two spam emails with Dr. Oz in the subject line, so I thought it would be a good time to talk about claimsmaking, and how we have to be effective consumers of all research.
Here is a perfect example of claimsmaking by gel manicures, with links, so we can all get the doctor more views.
What is a gel manicure? Gel manicures use a specific type of nail polish that sits under a UV or LED light to “cure” each layer, so they are completely dry when they are done. To remove it, techs use acetone and sometimes a metal implement.
Why do Dr. Oz and his dermatologist say they are bad?
UV dryer
Damage in removal
Infection
This is what happens in the segment: Dr. Oz and guest star, Dr. Chapas buy 3 ladies gel manicures and they come in and talk about the dangers above.
Part 1: http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/are-gel-manicures-safe
Part 2: http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/are-gel-manicures-safe?video_id=2114091480001
Part 3: http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/are-gel-manicures-safe?video_id=2114091477001
Why each point doesn’t make sense:
UV damage. Dr. Oz and his special guest took pictures of the UV light damage on hands, for the 3 gel manicure recipients. They asked them what they thought about the UV damage found on their hands.
Guest: “To be honest with you, born and raised in Florida my whole life, I think that’s part of it.”
Dr. Oz: “Okay, let’s now move on…”
The removal process is bad. Doctors say that Acetone thins nails—which makes sense, but click to Part Two, and you can see a giant finger being scraped at to remove the gel polish, and the crowd gasps! They say that techs scrape the top part of the nail off, and then infections get in at the cuticle, that isn’t even being scraped. If the gel has grown out there is no reason to scrape up the cuticle.
Infections can happen. The staph infection mentioned in the video is not from removing polish, but from cutting into the cuticle, which shouldn’t happen even in a regular manicure, so this third point really doesn’t even count for gel manicures, they just had to fill some time (this is really number two in disguise). Cuticle pushers shouldn’t open the skin at all, because they are a blunt object. He asks , “See this little cut down here?” so he is deliberately cutting into the cuticle, the part of the nail that doesn’t even have polish on it.
There is no need to scrape the cuticle when the polish has grown out and there is no polish near the cuticle.
The ugly truth about gel manicures is that people are trying to scare you so you keep watching their show.
They end the segment by telling you to wear gloves or sunscreen, and the Derm says that she will not get a gel manicure. If this was my Dermatologist, after this segment I would now fear and question her advice. She is a very intelligent woman, but I question her judgement when it comes to TV, and won’t be taking her advice on gel manicures, when I’m sure it’s sound for other subjects.
We call this act of fear, “claimsmaking”, and we need to learn not to take advice, especially medical, from people when there is television publicity and claimsmaking involved.
As a research consumer, feel free to do your own research at any time, and if you see a segment with the audience gasping in fear, know that it could be a producer trying to appeal to your emotions and sway you from the truth. Know what to look for, and be responsible as a consumer of research in a digital age.
The ugly truth about gel manicures is that people are trying to scare you so you keep watching their show.
The sad part about this segment is that nail technicians are providing manicures to earn a living, and not only did this segment scare manicure recipients, it also thinned out the appointment books for honest workers, because the risks were inflamed, and people will often take Dr. Oz’s word, because he is a well-known household name.
I hope this posts helps you think about how you choose to receive the information being thrown at you, and that you won’t be afraid to do your own digging into an issue, especially when there is fear involved.
—
Romarin Demetri is a Licensed Cosmetologist, author, and among other things, a consumer of research.
