M.L. Tompsett's Blog, page 16
August 22, 2017
Hubble beginnings for this little author
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MICHELLE Tompsett was raised in Bass.
Today, she lives at Corinella, is a mother of two adult sons, and is quietly involved in the small community.
Michelle is also an internationally published fiction author who can be found signing copies of her books for readers in a variety of places.
“It’s exciting to know my books have sold not just in Australia but, also across Europe, and the USA,” said Michelle, who goes by the name of ML Tompsett on her books.
“I included the middle initial as a separation between Michelle the mum, wife and business owner, and M L the romance fantasy author,” she said.
Although she a relatively new published author, Michelle’s two fiction books have already found success in the paranormal, fantasy romance genre.
The first book took 12 months to complete. The story line came to Michelle after she heard the haunting ballad Stay, by UK duo Shakespeare’s Sister.
The story sat on her laptop while she completed several online writing courses through Chisholm, including one titled “Publishing and Selling your eBooks.”
Originally written as one rather large book, Michelle later split her first novel into two stories and released them as a series Sex, Lies and Family Secrets.
The Guy Next Door is the first book, and features heroine Alexia, described by Michelle as “a kick arse independent female, who knows how to shoot and will do anything to protect the ones she loves”.
The series appears to have something for everyone with a blurb that promises, “Steamy sex scenes, blood, vampires, young love, violence, nudity, handsome muscled men, and babies.”
The action is set in a “strange new world, where people are no longer human.”
Her second book, Dark Surprises is the next instalment in the series, and follows Alexia into more adventures. It was recently published as an eBook.
A new publishing world
Michelle’s writing success is paramount to a modern publishing world on a digital platform, far removed from the usual forum of traditional publishing with hard copy printed books.
Michelle is known as an “indie author”, that is an author who designs, publishes, releases, and markets her own books.
Her first book sells as an eBook through online retail giant Amazon, and is instantly downloaded by buyers.
For those who still like to hold a book in their hands, they can also be printed on demand for buyers.
Michelle can order copies as she needs them, eliminating the need for storing hundreds of books at her home.
However, the company is American, with conversion rates and postage making the books expensive to produce.
“Next time around I will likely use Ingram Spark,” said Michelle.
“It’s an overseas company, with an outlet in Melbourne, so it makes the production easier, keeping costs down.”
Despite not being a celebrity or a bestselling author, Michelle’s books sell online.
“If the cover art and title grab a person’s attention, a reader can download and read the first few chapters before choosing to buy,” she said.
The books are also sold on many popular digital book websites including, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo.
The latter is one of the world’s fastest-growing eReading services, offering eBooks to millions of users across the world. Like Amazon they have their own eReader device, and an app for smartphones and tablets.
Gone it seems are evenings spent turning paper pages in bed.
“Statistics show eBooks are becoming more popular. Though, many older readers of romance, still prefer a printed book to hold, smell and physically touch,” said Michelle.
Michelle is also a member of the Australian Romance Readers Association and Romance Writers of Australia.
The Australian Romance Readers Association runs events to connect with the fans. The professional organisation Romance Writers of Australia runs conferences, contests, and awards.
A community of over 1000 authors join in professional development, and writing critiques.
“Authors can learn the craft to become an indie author,” said Michelle.
“There are specific perks with being published the traditional way, but there are also other paths to getting your book out there. I plan to help other writers and potential authors to explore this in the future.”
“Publishing myself, I have more control over my books. I receive more of the royalty payment, then I would under a traditional publishing contract.
My first eBook is now free. My second eBook is available to the public for $3.99 at most eBook retailers, so you can imagine the tiny amount I’d receive whenever someone purchases and downloads my eBook. I only receive a small percentage of royalty payment.
There are still processing and publishing costs involved. I’m still getting my name out there.”
“I write and publish for the love of it, creating these stories, characters and different fantasy worlds for people to enjoy.”
“Once I am satisfied with my draft, friends and family read it and provide feedback on whether I have created a believable story in the fantasy world,” she said.
“I manage the whole process from start to finish, from writing, edits, design layout inside to outside, as well as book cover designs.”
“Don’t get me started on the promotional items I design. The variety of items, I use at events such as personalised coffee cups, pens and stubby holders to business cards, bookmarks and flyers.”
“I try to keep costs down by doing nearly everything myself. Being an indie author can be fun and enjoyable, but it is not a comfortable lifestyle. It is a lot of hard work. My advice, if you are going to write, don’t give up your day job.”
Michelle’s third book in the series will be released in 2018.
Find more on Michelle at http://www.mltompsett.com
August 19, 2017
Amazon author page
Well, after all this time, I now have an Author Page on amazon!
The only thing, I have only seen it if I am on the American Amazon site. As an Aussie, it would have been nice to be able to see it here in Australia.
Maybe in the near future, Amazon might be able to improve and have equal footing for the different countries and their branches of Amazon.
If you are able to see it, let me know. It would be interesting to know what other are thinking.
The link – have a look today.
https://www.amazon.com/M.-L.-Tompsett
The fun world of publishing
The joy of publishing, with the hidden world of advertising, costs of all descriptions in all forms – never ending. Keeping up with social media. Never ending time spent updating posts, joining new groups. Replying to the valued readers who follow you. Fellow authors and adding your own two cents worth to their posts, with maybe congratulations and well done. Pushing the marketing for a new release or just pushing marketing, full stop. Meeting new people, new fans of romance. Trying to keep your daily typed word count moving forward and not sitting in an electronic pile on your desktop.
As I type this, I am in the process of creating an author page on Amazon. Yep Amazon. One page I have not had the time to spare to prepare or create. So here goes – adding words. Links. Photos. Oh, please, not the photos. And anything else which is required.
Becoming a published author is not just creating characters, plots, stories and everything else in between. Unless you become famous and extremely wealthy successful, us poor little indie authors, find we have to do nearly everything ourselves, at least we have more control with our own books.
And people wonder why there is such a big time frame between published books. This gap of time is taken up with the book launch, selling books and travelling, creating book covers. Edits. Rewrites – is what we’re writing making sense? Does the scene work? Should I add sex to a scene or is there too much sex. Or maybe I just need to add something more?
Do I have an ISBN spare for the next book or do I need to purchase more of them? Deciding on book covers, designing the format of each book, if it might be in print format or digital. Don’t get me started on the difference between formats. Then there are the emails, letters, social media posts, trying to reply and show we care to everyone who has taken the time and effort to send letters, place posts and add their own thoughts to our social media ramblings.
Our responses should be witty and smart, maybe even educational. But, in reality, our answers might be something straight off the top of our heads. An answer, which has nothing to do with writing or our book. And then there is the everyday life of an author and their own family, with kids or sick family members or a death in the family. Or as also in my case, having to wait for surgery and then the recovery process, only to injure myself, right back into pain once more. Relying on other people to cook, clean and even food shop – those normal everyday tasks we all take for granted.
So please, you fellow readers of romance out there, if you start to become annoyed because your favourite author of the week is taking far too long to publish and release their next book – remember. The other thousand and two activities – said author is busy completing, with their own stress levels slowly increasing because they are trying with their little hearts to complete that next manuscript, the next book in the series. So our beloved readers can continue to enjoy the love of reading and being submerged into another world of fantasy.
Another world, which has nothing to do with their own everyday lives.
Enjoy your favourite book and let your friends know, what you think. What you liked or hated about the book. In the long run, try your hand in leaving a typed review – placing it where you purchased the book, so other readers can make up their minds if they should bother reading this book or the next.
August 13, 2017
End of the weekend
Thank you, to those fabulous readers who have already purchased my new book, Sex, Lies And Family Secrets: Dark Surprises. I am indeed honoured and with heart felt thanks, all the way from the bottom of my heart. I hope you enjoy reading it, as I enjoyed creating and writing it.
Thank you.
And for those of you, lucky enough to grab a FREE copy of my first book – Sex, Lies And Family Secrets: The Guy Next Door – from most eBook stores. Enjoy and I hope you continue with the journey with Alexia and Drake in the second book.
With the fantastic weather this weekend, it has been a great time to sit back, relax and read mine or another romance author’s book.
Some of the outlets my books are available through.
AUS amazon / USA amazon / UK amazon / smashwords / kobo / iTunes / B&N /
August 11, 2017
Dark Surprises is now available on any good eBook outlet.
Do yourself a favor and grab a copy today. Also look at Bookishfix for reviews, worth taking note of.
[image error]Dark Surprises
Today I received this fantastic review, from https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/49475701-emma-bookishfix?shelf=read
Aug 11, 2017 rated it it was amazing.
This is the second installment to the Sex, Lies and Family Secrets series and M.L Tompsett’s second ebook. In a world of vampires, witches , nudity, young love and steamy romances things are about to start heating up as more secrets are revealed and lives are once again in danger. In a unique world of the unknown filled with many possibilities the stakes are higher than ever in this fast paced, thought provoking and at times steamy series, things are about to change forever.
Alexia and Drake are trying to go back to living normal lives, although they are newly married vampires with twin babies and another on the way- they want to go back to school and live their lives as normal after all the trouble they experience in the hidden vampire kingdom of Darshia. If things in Alexia’s life weren’t complicated enough, a certain school rival having a thing for Drake, makes things ten times worse, putting Alexia on high alert and paranoid of what she might have planned to try to split the two of them up.
With Alexia’s best friend, Lucy back with a few secrets of her own and a traumatizing tale of a witches coven, rape, abuse, death and love- Alexia will have more on her plate than she thought, and something she would have never considered, revenge and justice.
When Drake is kidnapped by a group of men, the search is on and protection for their family increased- Alexia, Lucy and a group of surveillance/special operatives men, the fight is on to free and rescue Drake. But just what are they walking into and why was Drake kidnapped?
With many twists and turns, surprising family secrets revealed and another with a thirst to bring down all Alexia loves and holds dear, you wont see it coming and what will unfold will change the lives of Alexia and her family, and all of Darshia.
So last time I did a little character review on Alexia, but ill be doing someone else this time round to keep things interesting for you guys.
Lucy, Alexia’s best friend. Now this character surprised me, she is just if not as strong as Alexia and totally awesome in so many ways. The way she handles what she learns, shows what kind of a friend she is, and how she is able to adapt to change and grow. The ordeal she goes through when her tale is revealed will leave many shocked and horrified, and I guess Lucy has trouble dealing with it too although she was rescued and found love because of it. In saying this trauma and ordeal such as this has affected many people over the years, and everyone copes with everything different- But in away, I think some people will connect with her character because of what she goes through, even if in this case it happens in a fantasy world.
Lucy’s secret brings a new spin to the world of Alexia and Drake, truly making her an asset to the both of them and their family.
Now I know alot of vampire series can be a hit or miss, but honestly i love these characters and their world. The writing is easy to follow and hold a good pace, keeping you guessing and wanting more as you read along. The sex scenes! I almost forgot to talk about this and had to go back, steamy doesn’t even cover it guys! Its like a mills and boon novel but better! I cannot wait for the next one or the Shifter series to see where these characters and the world M.L Tompsett goes.
Its got me like:
If you guys haven’t checked this out yet, or The Guy Next Door(book 1) then please do yourselves a favour and get this ebook asap!
Support Aussie Authors and up and coming new Authors!
Recommended for : Fantasy/ Romance/ Erotica/ Paranormal
August 6, 2017
The Guy Next Door – hidden word competition.
This competition is for the readers who have a copy of my printed book or an older version of my eBook – Sex, Lies And Family Secrets: The Guy Next Door.
[image error]Author Pen
For the chance to win one of my author pens, all you have to do is search for a word hidden within the story.
Hint:- This word is to do with a man in the navy.
Email: mltompsettauthor.compgiveaway@gmail.com with the name of the competition in the subject line. In the email write your name and email details. Including the – Chapter number with the hidden word – make sure to include what the hidden word is.
Competition closes 14th September, 2017. Winning entry will be drawn on the 16th
[image error]Printed book
September, 2017 and announced on Facebook and notified by email.
Good Luck
New page on website – Author friends
Hi everyone, keeping you all updated.
I now have a new page in my website. A special page for special people. I have a page especially for author friends. It contains a copy of their book and a link to either their website or social media link.
Take the chance and have a look. You might just find your next favourite author there.
[image error] Author friends – link.
August 2, 2017
New release – next week.
Welcome everyone, August has begun, sunshine is trying to break through and brighten our days with beautiful sunny days with a chill in the air.
Finally the long wait is just about over.
Next week, Dark Surprises is going to be released on the usual e-retailers.
Make sure to pre order your copy today.
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July 24, 2017
Winter
With July approaching its end, the sun making the odd attempt to appear from behind dark rain clouds. The tax season has started and receipts slowly making an appearance from all those hidden places. Have you made a start on this years tax return?
Editing, rewrites and the creation of a new story has been part of my busy life. Plus finding those annoying missing tax receipts – they seem to have grown legs and ran away to warmer weather. Somewhere I would prefer to be right now.
Instead, I am thinking of all of you – my fabulous readers. Enjoying a great read, one of many books in your BTR pile. Are you sitting on the edge of your seat, waiting, anticipating the next instalment of Sex, Lies And Family Secrets: Dark Surprises. Soon to be released. Available on the different digital platforms, all those good little digital e-tailers.
Keep warm and safe this week and make a start on your tax returns if you are like me and have not submitted one yet, this tax year.
June 21, 2017
For those of you, who have been waiting!
Wait no more.
Available now!
You can now, purchase my eBook from other digital platforms.
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/sex-lies-and-family-secrets-the-guy-next-door/id1248008687?mt=11
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/sex-lies-and-family-secrets-the-guy-next-door
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/729453
Available from Amazon world wide.
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01NABXHS7
England: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01NABXHS7
America: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NABXHS7
Just to name a few.
[image error]eBook Cover
