Yvonne Carder's Blog, page 2

Local Indie Bookstores!

Support your local businessesI discovered IndieBound and feel a little embarrassed it took me so long. Did you know there's an easy way to search and find local Indie bookstores near you? It's an awesome way to support local businesses and they support Indie authors too. 

What's the coolest part? Any Indie bookstore can order hardcover or paperback of your favorite authors books. And you don't have to pay for shipping. So no matter where in the US you are, you can get a print copy of your favorite author and support your local business.

Wait? What?! 

You heard me right. You can go into any local Indie bookstore and order most print books from them (including mine)!So, go ahead and ask your local bookstore to carry Luminata ​and share the story with others.
Find the nearest Indie Bookstore by clicking the banner below:

Why shop Indie?
When you shop at an independently owned business, your entire community benefits:

The EconomySpend $100 at a local-owned business and $52 of that stays in your community. Spend $50 at a national chain and keep $6.50 in the local community.Spend $50 online with a remote vendor with no sales tax collected and keep not one penny in your local community.Local businesses create higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.More of your taxes are reinvested in your community--where they belong.The EnvironmentBuying local means less packaging, less transportation, and a smaller carbon footprint.Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money to beautify your community.The CommunityLocal retailers are your friends and neighbors—support them and they’ll support you.Local businesses donate to charities at more than twice the rate of national chains.More independents means more choice, more diversity, and a truly unique community.Now is the time to stand up and join your fellow individuals in the IndieBound mission supporting local businesses and celebrating independents.

~ IndieBound

Through IndieBound I found Orinda Books in Orinda, California and they graciously accepted Luminata to be placed on their shelves. These are all signed copies and I will definitely be replenishing them as needed. I hope you get a chance to check out this wonderful independent bookstore. The staff were super nice to me and I can see why locals love them. 

So, what are you waiting for? Check out your local Indie Bookstore today!! Find Luminata at your local indie bookstoreAuthor

Yvonne Carder
May Magical Adventures Find You!

WorldCon in San Jose

It's Here! I'll be in the creator's alley Friday through Sunday at WorldCon76 in San Jose, California. This is a five day event all about Sci-Fi and Fantasy. I can't wait to attend my first Con. (Yup, I'm a Con virgin, so I'm looking forward to spending tomorrow afternoon checking everything out.)

If you are attending, please stop by my table and say hello, I'd love to see you. I'll be at my table Friday 10a-2p, Saturday 10a-6p, and Sunday 10a-2p.  San Jose McEnery Convention Center
150 W San Carlos St, San Jose, CA 95113
https://www.worldcon76.org/
I'll have lots of goodies for everyone stopping by. Be on the look out for photos soon. 

Hope to see you this weekend. Let me know what your favorite part of a Con is.
~Yvonne

Celebrating Amazon Prime Day!

The summer Black Friday is hereIt's Amazon Prime Day! Thankfully you don't have to fight the hordes in a physical store to get the best deals. Are you hunting for a specific bargain? What are you hoping to snag today?

I'm celebrating Prime Day with a special sale price of $2.99 for Luminata on Amazon. You can get your copy at half price. 

I know I'll be looking out for books, writing stuff, and maybe even an e-reader. We'll see what Prime goodies there are this year that I just won't be able to live without. =)

Let me know what you cool stuff you score.
Talk to you soon!
~Yvonne

Book 2 in the Meclauks Kingdom Series

Thank you Camp NaNoWriMo!Have you seen my posts about joining Camp NaNoWriMo? Are you confused? NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It is November each year and challenges writers to write 50,000 words in a month. It's quite the challenge, but can kick start an author on a project.

The movement became so popular that they hold 'Camps' twice a year, April and July, for authors to challenge themselves during those months too. So, I took up the challenge and went to camp! 

My goal is to publish Book 2 (which I still don't have a title for) in January 2019. I know that is a lofty goal, but I believe it is one that I can achieve with help from things like Camp NaNoWriMo. I've created a word count tracker just like the one below that will also be on the main page for Book 2, so you can check up on me any time to see where the novels at.

Now, I have to get back to Camp!!!

Thank you for being my accountability partner. ;-) 
~Yvonne

If you'd like to be the first to get updates on Book 2, and be the first to know when it releases you can sign up for exclusive updates by signing up below:#af-form-686398338 .af-body .af-textWrap{width:98%;display:block;float:none;}#af-form-686398338 .af-body .privacyPolicy{color:#CCCCCC;font-size:10px;font-family:Tahoma, serif;}#af-form-686398338 .af-body a{color:#7F5FBB;text-decoration:underline;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;}#af-form-686398338 .af-body input.text, #af-form-686398338 .af-body textarea{background-color:#7F5FBB;border-color:#D9D9D9;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;color:#FFFFFF;text-decoration:none;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:12px;font-family:Tahoma, serif;}#af-form-686398338 .af-body input.text:focus, #af-form-686398338 .af-body textarea:focus{background-color:#7F5FBB;border-color:#030303;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;}#af-form-686398338 .af-body label.previewLabel{display:block;float:none;text-align:left;width:auto;color:#7F5FBB;text-decoration:none;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:12px;font-family:Tahoma, serif;}#af-form-686398338 .af-body{padding-bottom:15px;padding-top:15px;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:inherit;background-image:none;color:#CCCCCC;font-size:10px;font-family:Tahoma, serif;}#af-form-686398338 .af-footer{padding-bottom:1px;padding-top:1px;padding-right:15px;padding-left:15px;background-color:#7F5FBB;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:top left;background-image:none;border-width:1px;border-bottom-style:none;border-left-style:none;border-right-style:none;border-top-style:none;color:#CCCCCC;font-size:12px;font-family:Tahoma, serif;}#af-form-686398338 .af-quirksMode .bodyText{padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;}#af-form-686398338 .af-quirksMode{padding-right:55px;padding-left:55px;}#af-form-686398338 .af-standards .af-element{padding-right:55px;padding-left:55px;}#af-form-686398338 .bodyText p{margin:1em 0;}#af-form-686398338 .buttonContainer input.submit{background-image:url("https://forms.aweber.com/images/forms..., serif;}#af-form-686398338 .buttonContainer input.submit{width:auto;}#af-form-686398338 .buttonContainer{text-align:center;}#af-form-686398338 body,#af-form-686398338 dl,#af-form-686398338 dt,#af-form-686398338 dd,#af-form-686398338 h1,#af-form-686398338 h2,#af-form-686398338 h3,#af-form-686398338 h4,#af-form-686398338 h5,#af-form-686398338 h6,#af-form-686398338 pre,#af-form-686398338 code,#af-form-686398338 fieldset,#af-form-686398338 legend,#af-form-686398338 blockquote,#af-form-686398338 th,#af-form-686398338 td{float:none;color:inherit;position:static;margin:0;padding:0;}#af-form-686398338 button,#af-form-686398338 input,#af-form-686398338 submit,#af-form-686398338 textarea,#af-form-686398338 select,#af-form-686398338 label,#af-form-686398338 optgroup,#af-form-686398338 option{float:none;position:static;margin:0;}#af-form-686398338 div{margin:0;}#af-form-686398338 fieldset{border:0;}#af-form-686398338 form,#af-form-686398338 textarea,.af-form-wrapper,.af-form-close-button,#af-form-686398338 img{float:none;color:inherit;position:static;background-color:none;border:none;margin:0;padding:0;}#af-form-686398338 input,#af-form-686398338 button,#af-form-686398338 textarea,#af-form-686398338 select{font-size:100%;}#af-form-686398338 p{color:inherit;}#af-form-686398338 select,#af-form-686398338 label,#af-form-686398338 optgroup,#af-form-686398338 option{padding:0;}#af-form-686398338 table{border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;}#af-form-686398338 ul,#af-form-686398338 ol{list-style-image:none;list-style-position:outside;list-style-type:disc;padding-left:40px;}#af-form-686398338,#af-form-686398338 .quirksMode{width:100%;max-width:250px;}#af-form-686398338.af-quirksMode{overflow-x:hidden;}#af-form-686398338{background-color:#FFFFFF;border-color:#CFCFCF;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;}#af-form-686398338{display:block;}#af-form-686398338{overflow:hidden;}.af-body .af-textWrap{text-align:left;}.af-body input.image{border:none!important;}.af-body input.submit,.af-body input.image,.af-form .af-element input.button{float:none!important;}.af-body input.text{width:100%;float:none;padding:2px!important;}.af-body.af-standards input.submit{padding:4px 12px;}.af-clear{clear:both;}.af-element label{text-align:left;display:block;float:left;}.af-element{padding-bottom:5px;padding-top:5px;}.af-footer{margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;padding:10px;}.af-form-wrapper{text-indent:0;}.af-form{text-align:left;margin:auto;}.af-quirksMode .af-element{padding-left:0!important;padding-right:0!important;}.lbl-right .af-element label{text-align:right;}body {}

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Reviews for Luminata

First on Amazon UK Did you see the first reviews of Luminata? Check these out:

5/5 Stars Excellent book! Highly recommend!!
​I loved this book. It was well written and was full of twists and turns. The characters and the story were well developed. I loved the individual characters and their personalities. The story was full of emotion, twists and turns, suspense, action and intrigue. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to the next book in the series!! I received an arc for a voluntary review.
​~June 18, 2018 Marie F.

5/5 Stars Can't wait for book two!!
​I love this book. The author brings her own twist on shifters. It has suspence, intrigue and action. I like the world she builds up and the people in it. There are some predictable moments with a few twist and turns. The book is slightly more different to other shifter books that I have read, which is a good thing because it got my curiousity up. I wanted to know more about the world the characters lived in and their history.
​I would highly recommend it. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
~June 19, 2018 Layla

5/5 Stars If you love magic then you'll enjoy Luminata
Luminata is a great fantasy adventure for young adults and those of us who are young at heart. Yvonne Carder writes rounded characters brought together to save Jessica, the main character's home, family, and neighbours from a magical curse. There are many twists and turns in the story as well as a number of obstacles the characters must overcome during their expedition into the unknown. If you love magic and a different type of shifter, then you'll enjoy Luminata.
​~June 19, 2018 Kimberley 

​If you'd like your own copy to see what these readers are talking about snag yours at: books2read.com/luminata

Join the magical adventure today!
​~Yvonne

Book Birthday!

Today's the big day!Luminata is finally out in the world. I am so incredibly appreciative of everyone's support as I wrote down the story that rattled around my brain for over a decade, and learned how to self publish a book.

But honestly, this has not been a lonely endeavor at all. So many of you helped me along the way and I am humbled by the support of this wonderful community I have found myself in. Thank you. I don't know if I can say it enough. 

Self Publishing is a misnomer. I am an Indie Publisher. I had a team helping me along the way and you are the reason Luminata is not a horrible disaster. I credit each of you for the innumerable ways you've supported me, given me words of wisdom, pointed me in better directions, and been my sounding board.  Thank you, each and every one of you. I am incredibly blessed and fortunate.

To my Kickstarter patrons, this book wouldn't be here today without you. 

To Team Luminata: you guys are awesome. Thank you for your feedback and support. 

To the incredible professionals that worked on this book with me:Susan from West of Mars for your amazing skills at editing, You made this book way better than when I first sent it to you and I know I can still learn tons from you.Agata from Studio Bukovero for producing an amazing piece of art for Luminata's cover.Alex from Alex Tebow Designs for creating an amazing map to orient my characters in their world.Claudette from The Editing Sweetheart for last minute copy editing. 
To the countless professional writers I've come into contact this last year and a half. It's been a wild ride down the rabbit hole, but I wouldn't want it any other way. I've learned so much, and I know there's so much more that I still need to learn. A rising tide lifts all ships.

Now, enough of the thank you speech. Let's party!Check out my post on Facebook and join the book birthday celebration!Join the party on Facebook

One week until release!

Luminata releases Monday. Holey Moley, I can't believe it.Did you see the gorgeous map for Meclauks Kingdom? I LOVE it!! It'll be included in the books. Thank you Alex Tebow Designs for her amazing work in creating this from my pencil sketch. Check out her website for her amazing custom graphics for all sorts of events including birthdays, weddings, baby showers, and she even does logos.

The last part of the puzzle is getting the dust cover all set up and ready for the hard cover print edition. It's 99.9% done. I can't wait to see it live and in living color. It'll be just over 300 pages when it's printed. I hope you guys like it as much as I'm liking it. 

If you're interested in getting your Luminata Release SWAG Box, you can order it now on my website. It'll include a signed copy of the book, three pins, a temporary tattoo, two jelly bracelets, and a copy of the Meclauks Kingdom map. Check out theorder page here.

Taking a break at Winchester Mystery House

After sending Luminata off to the copyeditor last week, I realized I had a few days of down time and I needed to recharge. I spent some much needed time with my husband and we had a blast. Who knows? Maybe I'll include something from our visit in book 2 in the Meclauks Kingdom Series. Hmmm.... We decided to check out the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California. It was pretty amazing. Mrs. Winchester continuously built onto her Victorian house until the day she died. The house has 160 rooms! The tour was unique and piqued my curiosity, but I definitely would not want to go there in the dark. I am a wuss when it comes to anything scary, I prefer the warm sunshine that came through the hundreds of windows ensuring no ghosts lurked in dark corners!

My husband and I loved the small touches that added such unique character to the house. The door hinges are intricately carved, but you'd never notice unless you really looked at them. (We were in a large group and were squished up against the doors when I first noticed them.) Walking up the stairs, and having to pay attention since there were different height steps, my husband and I noticed bright shiny brass in the corners of the stairs. Apparently they are called dust corners and are used to keep dust from building up in the corners of stairs when they are swept. (We don't have stairs, so this was new to us!)

I can't share pictures of the inside of the building because it is now copyrighted due to the new movie, but I can share some of the grounds and the outside of the house itself. If you get a chance, I would recommend going, but here's a word of advice: go early in the day, there's no air conditioning!

What do you do to unwind? Let me know on my Facebook post here.

Well, it's back to work. I've got to get ready for the Local Author Spotlight at the Dublin Library. Check out the event info here. Let me know if you're thinking about going, I'd love to see you. 
~Yvonne

​PS: If you come to the Dublin Library, you'll be the first to see the official map of the Meclauks Kingdom! ​Sign up for my newsletter to receive emails from me and a FREE e-book for joining. #element-75a42399-1b11-484d-b537-f01776f0612f .AW-NoFormSelected { text-align: center;}#element-75a42399-1b11-484d-b537-f01776f0612f .AW-NoFormSelected { background-color: #fbf7e2; height: 150px; color: #606060;}#element-75a42399-1b11-484d-b537-f01776f0612f .AWeberWebForm .buttonContainer { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;}#element-75a42399-1b11-484d-b537-f01776f0612f .AWeberWebForm .privacyPolicy { font-size: 11px;}#element-75a42399-1b11-484d-b537-f01776f0612f .AWeberWebForm .af-dateWrap .form-select { margin-right: 10px;}#element-75a42399-1b11-484d-b537-f01776f0612f .AWeberWebForm .af-dateWrap .form-select:last-child { margin-right: 0;}#element-75a42399-1b11-484d-b537-f01776f0612f .AWeberWebForm .form-select { padding-right: 1.5em !important; min-width: 20%;}

Luminata Release Count Down!

June 18th is around the corner and Luminata was shipped to the copy-editor yesterday. I can't believe that we're only 17 days from launch!!! I can't wait to share Jessi's story with you.

Remember to grab your e-book copy of Luminata at the pre-order special price of $0.99 before the price goes up. You can get your copy at most of the major retailers. Click here for the links. Hardback editionI am working on creating a HARDBACK edition! If you're interested in a launch SWAG box, including a signed hardback edition of Luminata, sign up below to get an email update when the it becomes available. Come see me in person next week:June 9th, Saturday, 1pm - 3pm
Local Author Showcase: A mixer style event
Come meet fifteen local authors and get to know them. Author signings and SWAG will be part of the day. — Admission is free!
Dublin Library • 200 Civic Plaza, Dublin, CA 94568 • (925) 803-7252 • www.aclibrary.orgI hope to see you there!~ Yvonne

Author Happenings!

If you happen to be in my neighborhood (San Francisco Bay Area) I'd love to meet you in person. I've got a couple of events coming soon.

June 9th, Saturday, 1pm - 3pm
Local Author Showcase: A mixer style event
Come meet fifteen local authors and get to know them. Author signings and SWAG will be part of the day. — Admission is free!
Dublin Library • 200 Civic Plaza, Dublin, CA 94568 • (925) 803-7252 • www.aclibrary.org


August 17th, Friday, 10am - 2pm
August 18th, Saturday, 10am - 6pm
August 19th, Sunday, 10am - 2pm
WorldCon 76 San Jose 2018: World Science Fiction Convention
Worldcon is the annual international gathering of science fiction and fantasy fans, writers, artists, musicians and other creators. I'll be in the Creators’ Alley which will feature writers, artists, crafters and anyone creative who wants to share their talents and products for a limited time. Come visit for book signing, and some awesome prizes.

San Jose McEnery Convention Center • 150 W San Carlos St, San Jose, CA 95113 • www.worldcon76.org


October 13th, Saturday, 10am - 4pm
Great Valley Bookfest: Celebrate the fun of reading 
Enjoy author talks, autographs, cooking demos, workshops, costume parade, contests, vendors, and books, books, books! I'll be a featured author, more details to follow as we get closer to the event. — Admission is free!

The Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley (aka Bass Pro Center) •  280 Lifestyle Road,
Manteca, CA 95337  • https://greatvalleybookfest.org/

I hope to see you at one of these fun events!
~Yvonne