M.J. Padgett's Blog, page 6

What's a Pirate Cat?

What if there were a place where you could…

...access an entire website full of clean YA books that are actually appropriate for 12-18 year olds?

...interact on those books, commenting on chapters and chatting back and forth with other readers and the books’ authors?

...choose an existing story world to dive into and binge through whole series, and also access ongoing stories with chapters posted several times a month?

...join message boards and community chats to discuss your favorite stories or request new types of content from the authors, see behind-the-scenes things like the authors’ private story-world encyclopedias, and get bonus e-books, character art, printable bookmarks, and more?

What if you could get all this for an affordable monthly subscription, with new content added regularly?

You can.

Introducing PirateCat, a portal for clean YA fiction from CCrawfordWriting and M.J. Padgett Books!

You’ll be able to access all the existing YA content from both authors, plus ongoing updates from new series-in-progress, all in an interactive format that enables us to truly build a community around clean YA fiction.

We believe YA fiction should actually be appropriate for young adult readers… and that’s why on PirateCat, every story will meet our established “clean” standards (no on-page sexual content; romance focuses on emotion and/or stops at "just kisses”; language/profanity PG-13 level or less; violence PG-13 or less), and each story world will have an easy, at-a-glance rating that notes any concerns for difficult subject matter and/or intense situations.

When you join PirateCat, you’ll not only get access to lots of YA content you can read anytime you want—you’ll also be helping to support two authors who are super passionate about quality YA content for readers, and who hope and pray that their humble little project might be the first ripple toward some majorly positive waves in the world of YA publishing.

It’s coming soon! We’re hard at work on the platform, right now, and we plan to launch later this summer.

PirateCat: Read. Chat. Explore… and support the creation of more clean YA fiction.

That’s our thing.

We’re hoping it sounds like your kind of thing, too.

Subscribe to our newsletter at http://piratecatpub.com to be the first to know when we’re close to launch!

Psst... in case you were wondering... it'll be cheaper than a cup of coffee!

TYN Special Edition Update

Did you see this sweet cover illusration by Miss Vie Book Designs? I announced it on Instagram first, but I thought you'd like to see it here, too! I've had A LOT of book covers designed by this artist lately (Dark and Devious was designed by Miss Vie!) some of which haven't even been announced yet!

I'm also commissioning six interior images of the characters Conor, Noah, Shay, Sam, Scott, Bianca, Delilah, and Jacob! Here's a peak at the Conor illustration! Guess what she's reading! (Yep, that's her reading her first ever yellow note!)

And the great thing about this SE is the bonus content! There are five bonus chapters coming PLUS The Red Pen, a novellette that takes place long after our yellow note gang has grown up! Want to read the first chapter in rough draft? Keep scrolling for a sneak peak!

THE RED PEN, CHAPTER ONE (unedited)

I opened my locker for the last time that week, so ready for the start of winter break and frustrated with myself for putting off my responsibilities yet again. If I didn’t send my college applications soon, I’d risk losing my top choices, and Westmore frowned on such things. Heaven forbid I not know what I wanted to do with my life at eighteen.

Just down the hall, cramming his books into his locker, was Aston Hale, the guy everyone wanted but someone like me couldn’t touch in a zillion years. Ten zillion was probably more accurate. He was the least of my concerns, but he sure was nice to look at while he was throwing things in his locker with a look on his face that said he might just tear those lockers right off the wall and throw the whole thing in the trash.

What in the world?

The school was virtually empty except for the teachers and a few students who had after school activities. Like Aston, who was Westmore’s lacrosse king… and soccer prince… and at the top of just about every other sport offered at the prestigious school. Not that I’d noticed.

Okay, fine. I noticed. You’d have to be blind not to notice him.

Once he was finished with his tantrum, he stood staring into his locker seeking answers. Far be it from me to question his tactics for dealing with life, but it seemed awfully unhealthy, if you asked me. Still, I couldn’t stop staring at him, wondering if I should offer support in some way. I’d never seen him act like that before. Come to think of it, I didn’t think I’d ever seen him angry at all.

In almost slow motion—or maybe it was just how my brain processed it—Aston turned his head to the left and a pair of stormy gray eyes connected with mine. Sweat prickled my forehead, and I diverted my attention back to my locker, dipping my head behind the door to blend into the scenery. I dumped my last book and grabbed my notebook, then crammed it in my backpack and zipped it up. When I reached for my locker door to close it, I grabbed a hand instead.

“Oh!” I startled and took a small jump back, leaving space between Aston and me.

His cheeks were a little pink, probably from throwing a fit, but he still made eye contact.

“So, if you could not tell anyone you just saw me freak out, that would be great.” He nodded down the hall toward his locker, which made me look that way, then back to him. It was so hot in that stupid hallway. Why was it so hot? My cheeks flamed, and I swallowed.

“Sure. I wasn’t planning on telling anyone, so… yeah, no worries.”

Did he ever blink?

“Thanks, Alice,” he said, then shut my locker door for me and stepped away. “I appreciate it.” He started back to his locker, leaving me to compose myself.

A little flushed by our interaction, I tried to adjust the weight of my bag before slinging it over my shoulder, but something stopped me mid-swing. Aston was there, holding the strap to help me get it on. He was stealthy, or I was just oblivious, but he seemed to just pop up. It was officially the most interaction I had ever had with the most popular guy in the school. Before that, the only time he’d spoken to me was when he bumped into me and excused himself.

“Sorry, I was rude just walking away after asking you to keep a secret for me. Can I walk you to your car?”

I let him slip the strap over my shoulder and pulled my long brown hair out from behind me, letting it flow over my shoulder in long waves. I needed a haircut, but I didn’t have time. It was down to my waist now, probably tangled and horrible compared to what Aston liked. His girlfriends had always been… well… not different but they did have their act together where I tended to bumble and stumble along. He liked outgoing girls, girls who played sports and went to all the parties. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that, but I was as clumsy as an eight-legged giraffe.

“Oh, I have a study group at the public library. I usually just walk, then my friend takes me home after.”

Aston pointed out the window. “It’s raining. I can drop you off at the library.”

We were walking now, almost to the door where I would need to make a decision. “It’s okay, really. I’ve walked in the rain before. Got an umbrella and everything, I said, holding up my embarrassingly childlike pink umbrella with sparkly unicorns on it.

Aston smiled and brushed his golden hair from his face. It wasn’t blonde, but it wasn’t brown either. It was some shade of holy cow in between that made those gray eyes pop, though it seemed entirely against the laws of genetics.

“Cute. I think my little sister has one just like it.”

Kill me now. My brain almost melted, but I managed to remind myself this was just a friendly interaction between two virtual strangers, and his opinion of my rain gear did not matter. I pushed the door open and headed out, but he kept pace with me even after I opened my pink umbrella.

“So, Alice Hazelwood, what do you like to do when you’re not in study group at the public library?”

I tripped.

The toe of my shoe caught in the seam between two sidewalk pavers, and I hurtled forward, likely to my own social devastation. I wasn’t high on the social ladder, but I’d crash to the bottom just as soon as my face hit the concrete, I was sure.

“Easy there. You okay?” Aston caught me. Aston oh my gosh, look at that grin Hale caught me… draped over his arm like some kind of superhero… while he grinned like a kid who just stole a chocolate cake and ate it until his gut almost popped. He stood me upright again, relieving me of the rest of my composure.

I didn’t want to cry. Really, I didn’t, and I couldn’t even figure out why the tears welled up in my eyes like they did, but just as my feet were settled again, the traitorous tears slipped right out and I hiccupped.

Aston’s head snapped so fast to look at me, he could have given himself whiplash.

“What? Did I hurt you?”

I shook my head, furiously swiping tears, but it was useless.

“Did you hurt your foot?” He glanced down then back up, taking in every inch of my Westmore uniform-clad body before deciding I was perfectly fine and had no reason to blubber like an idiot… other than being mortified by what happened. And he knew that was the problem.

Aston grinned again, then nudged my arm. “Hey, it’s fine. You keep my secret, and I promise I won’t tell anyone you almost scarred this beautiful face by kissing a sidewalk, okay?”

Beautiful? What in the name of… ah. It had to be a dream. I was dreaming, probably still standing at my locker staring at him like a moron, and if I just shook my head, everything would go back to normal. I shook my head. Nope. He was still there.

I was officially out of my depth.

“So, I asked what you like to do before you tripped.” Aston picked up the conversation with ease, not seeming to understand that I had no idea why we were even having a conversation.

I cleared my throat and let him lead the way to the library since it appeared he would escort me the entire three blocks.

“I ride horses, mostly. My great-aunt runs a therapy farm in Kentucky, and I help there in the summers. Other than that, I really just like to read, and I dabble with writing fantasy novels.” Oh, my gosh. Why did I tell him that?

“That sounds fun. Who are you meeting at the library?”

“Some friends from my neighborhood, probably no one you know.” He wouldn’t know anyone from Savannah High, I was sure, but I knew my best friend would lose her mind if he walked into the library with me. She’d insist he liked me, then run me over the coals for not telling her about him. There was nothing to tell. I was officially in uncharted territory.

“Do I get to meet them?” he asked, glancing over to gauge my reaction.

“Why?” I asked, then realized how rude I sounded and added, “I mean, aren’t you too busy? Don’t you have practice now?”

When my gaze drifted down, I noticed my shoe was scuffed, which would be a uniform violation if I didn’t shine them before bed. I sighed. I hated Westmore.

“I quit the team.” Aston shrugged like it was nothing, that he hadn’t just thrown away scholarships and a chance at going pro by quitting the team mid-season.

I stopped. “What? You quit? Why?”

Aston turned to face me, his navy blue Westmore vest askew over his button-down white shirt. He shrugged again.

“Invite me to study group, and maybe I’ll tell you,” he said, stormy gray eyes focused on my face. He wouldn’t find anything amazing there, that was for sure, but they were glued there nonetheless.

My lips parted, drawing his eyes down a fraction, which only made my heart pound even faster. Maybe it was a set-up? One of the guys on the team dared him to do something crazy, like talk to one of the quiet girls. That had to be it. I glanced around, searching for his friends recording our interaction. There was no one.

In an act of bravery entirely unlike me, I went for the direct approach. “Why are you talking to me? I mean, I said I wouldn’t tell anyone about your tantrum in the hall. You really don’t have to do anything more to convince me.”

That grin again.

“I want to talk to you. I have for a while. Let’s just say you are a part of something bigger, Alice, and I can’t wait for you to figure out what it is.”

Book Review: Loving Gavin by Pixie Perkins

How far would you go to keep your crush a secret?

Mckessey Owens is in love with Gavin Miller (aka: her best friend’s older brother). Does anyone know about her feelings for him? HECK. NO. And she doesn’t want them to. So, it’s understandable that she freaks out when her partially written love letter for Gavin falls into the hands of her nemesis, Alex Miller (aka: her best friend’s evil twin). Alex always manages to ruin EVERYTHING and Mckessey isn’t willing to let him sabotage her crush on Gavin, which is why she comes up with a crazy lie instead: she tells Alex the letter is about him. Unfortunately, he’s not convinced and wants her to prove it. Desperate to keep the truth hidden, Mckessey asks to be his girlfriend. And even though it’s very clear that he’s not interested in her—Alex agrees to them becoming a couple, expecting to be right about the whole thing. But it’s only a matter of time until Mckessey finds out that pretending to be in love with one brother while secretly pining over the other brother is no easy task; especially when she has ZERO dating experience and starts realizing that Alex might not be as horrible as she thought…

~Loving Gavin is a hate-to-love/best friend’s brother/one-sided fake relationship/neighbors YA romance. This book has lots of swoony kissing and flirting, but there is no swearing or other explicit content.~

My Review:

This is not the first book I’ve read by Pixie Perkins, and it won’t be the last. This author is the queen of swoonworthy male characters and sweet, innocent romance. I adore Marco from her book The Bah Humbug Bad Boy, but Alex in Loving Gavin… stands a chance at ousting Marco. I’d honestly have to read both books again to decide… which I would not mind at all!

It’s rare to find a YA author whose books I know won’t include gobs of teens in compromising situations, including those that are just beyond the maturity level of most of the YA audience. If my daughter were in the 12-18 range, I would be fine with her reading Perkins’ books. Aside from being clean, they are also realistic and well-written.

In this book, McKessy is in love with Gavin… but no one knows. Goodness, that would be embarrassing! But when Alex (Gavin’s younger brother, who also happens to be McKessy’s best friend’s twin) discovers a love letter she wrote to Gavin, she has to think fast! Naturally, she tells Alex the letter is about him, which he doubts.

I loved how Alex responded to Kessy even though he believed she was lying. He truly cared that he was her first boyfriend, treated her well, and even when things got really rough, he still behaved as a respectable, reasonable, and caring young man. There were a few times I wanted to shake Kessy, but she was confused (I would have been, too, to be honest), and it really came through well on the page!

I loved this book and can’t wait to share more reviews of this author’s books!

You can find the book on pre-order here.

Clean Vella Authors and Book Recommendations

Many of you know why I’m in the process of removing my work from Vella, but there are a few authors who are doing their best to offer clean reads for all age groups. I thought they deserved a little shout out just in case there are any readers who love episodic platforms and want cleaner, more age-appropriate content! Some of the recommendations are totally clean where others are fade-to-black or closed door between married couples (clean has a lot of definitions, so I wanted to be up-front about content.)

A Forest of Stolen Memories by Callie Thomas

The Uncertainty of Fire by Stephanie Daniels

Elven Heartbound by Elizabeth Ash

A Dance of Sand and Magic by Elizabeth Ash

King’s Road Series by Elizabeth Ash

Icarus Flight School by Krissi Dallas

Wish Upon a Streaming Star by Krissi Dallas

The Naturalist by Brooke Hatchett

Macchiatos, Faerie Princes, and Other Things that Happen at Midnight by Crystal Crawford

Finding Normal by E. A. West

Magic Hunters by Jill Williamson

Onyx Eyes by Jill Williamson

The Worldwatcher by Crystal Grant, Richard Grant

Murder, Mayhem, and Macarons by Kimberly Titus

The Shores of Driftwood Isle by Kimberly Titus

Discovery Writers

I saw a meme yesterday that read, “Detailed outlines are a powerful defense against multiple plotlines.” The caption was, “Because your pantsed manuscript must be rewritten from the ground up. This is the way.”

Now, I’m not throwing shade or hate at anyone. The person who posted this is an editor and likely gets tons of manuscripts that need to be rewritten from the ground up… but so what? Also, who doesn’t love multiple plotlines? Um, soap operas, anyone? Single-plot books are so boooorrinngg…

Here’s the thing, I don’t outline. At least, I don’t outline in the traditional sense of breaking down each chapter with specific points. I might draft a half or single-page bullet list of things I need to include, but gosh when I try to fully outline, my brain glitches.

Let’s talk about that. Why does my brain glitch? A writer friend once told me about discovery writers. It’s more than a preference, but how our brains actually function. For me, writing an outline removes the fun of “discovering” the world or story as it unfolds and inhibits me. In my mind, I have already told the story, so writing chapter by chapter becomes a chore, something that leads to burnout and stress. Why would I want to write the same story twice?

And the same writer friend has been encouraging me for years to just follow my process, trust the way my brain works and lean into it. The truth is, pantsers get such a bad wrap because we “do it wrong.”

But can you really do creativity wrong? Does this mean I might have some foundation to repair when I complete my book? Of course, but so do planners. However, if I must say so myself, I think my instinct for writing MY way has been honed enough that my first drafts are pretty darn good. I can’t think of the last time I had to make major structural changes to a first draft… honest!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, you do you when it comes to your writing process (this is not carte blanche for you to do you in every aspect of life… just writing, peeps) and pants away if you need to. I find the best twists and turns, the most emotional points, and the deepest plot when I let my creativity guide me instead of an outline.

If you are a pantser, tell me about your process in the comments! If you are a planner… I mean, you could tell me about your process if you want… if you CAN without an outline first. I kid, I kid—I actually admire people who can see their whole story at once because that’s cool. It just doesn’t work for me.

Book Review: Wish Upon a Streaming Star

Summary:

Daisy just wants to graduate high school and save her family's riverside campground. High-school-dropout-turned-YouTube-star Caz needs more subscribers before his sponsor dumps him. They're neighbors and sworn enemies until half-a-million dollars shows up from a mysterious donor who challenges the two to recreate a series of famous movie scenes on live broadcast within 48 hours. The only thing that could jeopardize their prize money is the one challenge they can't control--falling in love.

My Review:

It’s official. I’m a Cazmaniac.

It isn’t often I recommend a book before it’s complete, but I am confident this one will end with a satisfying ahhhh rather than frustration… so here we go.

Once Upon a Streaming Star by Krissi Dallas has captured my attention and heart, as it has many Cazmaniacs! This sweet and fun story about young love—televised, no less—is honest, captivating, and humorous in all the best ways. One of the things I like most about Dallas’s writing is how she manages to present a situation all of us can relate to and resolve it tastefully and with a bit of humor.

Let’s face it. Teenagers (and adults) sometimes find themselves in positions of temptation, but how we manage our thoughts and feelings really matters. Caz and Daisy are definitely experiencing all the feels, not the least of which is guilt over a somewhat strained friendship… oh, and that elephant in the room… THEY ARE COMPLETELY IN LOVE AND ARE BOTH ACTING RIDICULOUS! But it wouldn’t be a YA rom-com without the drama or the obliviousness.

When intense, sensual situations arise, they are well-managed with realistic, innocent, and modest tactics. In fact, I think many parents would appreciate the way Dallas handles these real situations with taste and tact. I believe we are only about halfway through the book on Kindle Vella, but I’m excited for more. Let’s just hope their friends and family don’t shake them both silly before they realize the truth!

The story is a top-faved on Vella, which means it’s popular with readers. This is encouraging given its clean nature and values.

You can find the story here.

To add Krissi Dallas to you fave authors list, check her out here.

On Twitter @KrissiDallas

Or on Facebook here.

The Yellow Note Special Edition

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I'm planning a special edition release of my first published book, The Yellow Note! I wanted to pop in and let you know what you can expect from this edition, plus some super special thing's I'm doing for direct orders!

First, what's in this edition?

It's a hardcover with a printed case (no jacket) The cover design is a custom illustration depicting a fan-favorite scene from the book There will be eight black and white sketches, one each for the eight primary characters The secret notes, emails, and all communications between characters in written form will have their own, unique font All of the bonus POVs, bonus chapters, and next-generation chapters that were originally posted on Wattpad will be included There will be five NEW bonus chapters not published anywhere else There will be THREE chapters from the upcoming alternate POV book The Yellow Note Project told from the secret author's POV (this book will release either late 2022 or early 2023) The Red Pen, a brand new novella that takes place years after Conor and the gang graduate will be included ONLY in the special edition The special edition will be available only through Amazon and Barnes & Noble I will also be setting up a pre-order for signed copies that will include one each of the black and white character pieces AND the cover illustration AND a custom bookmark (shipping to the US only at the time of release, but I might add international depending on interest)

My first book might not have been my best, but I adore it. I can't wait to bring you this fancy special edition later this year! Follow me on Instagram for updates and the release date coming soon!

Book Review: The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork

About the Book:

Clara Stahlbaum has her future perfectly planned: marry the handsome pianist, Johann Kahler (ah!), and settle down to a life full of music. But all that changes on Christmas Eve, when Clara receives a mysterious and magical nutcracker.

Whisked away to his world--an enchanted empire of beautiful palaces, fickle fairies, enormous rats, and a prince--Clara must face a magician who uses music as spells...and the future she thought she wanted.

"The Enchanted Sonata," a retelling of The Nutcracker Ballet with a dash of The Pied Piper, will captivate readers of all ages.

My Review:

I am always up for a good Nutcracker retelling, so when I came across this one, I had to give it a shot. At first, I was a little leery. The Nutcracker mashed up with The Pied Piper? But my oh my, did Wallwork deliver on this tale. The way she wove in details from the Pied Piper made for a seamless reading experience.

Clara is full of agency, though she does make some foolish choices (don’t we all?), and I found this version of the Nutcracker Prince to be one of my favorites in a retelling. The musical details were mixed in nicely, and the world was vivid and clear in my mind with each scene. And the rats… ick… but what a wonderful take on these nasty little things.

It’s difficult to write a review for this book without giving away spoilers, but I adored the ending (Clara and the Nutcracker aren’t the only ones driving this plot along) and breathed a sigh of relief when all the children were… well… I’ll just let you read and find out for yourself!

It was a clean read appropriate for all ages but probably best understood by twelve and up.

You can find it here.

Productivity: Discover Your Peak Writing Time

This one is for my fellow writers, especially the newbies just trying to get words on paper!

If anyone had told me before I was a writer that peak writing time was a thing, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. After all, I had spent my life working the hours given to me—everything from 9 to 5 as a hazardous waste inspector to an overnight stint as an ER veterinary technician—so I assumed productivity was expected no matter the time.

Boy, was I wrong. Writing draws from your creativity, and your creativity has peaks and valleys. And those peaks can change over time, so whenever I hit a roadblock with my writing, I start to shift the time I write. Even an hour adjustment can create a better environment for creativity.

Oddly, I am not a morning person. At all. Not even a little, but lately, I get my best work done in the early morning or at least before ten. I used to stay up to midnight typing away with so much gusto I’d hammer out whole chapters each night. Now that my daughter is older, though, and we have homeschool and other chores, I think my writing nights are coming to a close.

So, how do you know when your peak writing time is? Well, first, it helps to know your regular routine. Once you hammer out the times you will never be free—working another job, playing with kids, etc.—look at the remainder of the hours you would usually be awake. When are you most introspective? When can you let your mind wander and tap into those ideas that will wander into your work in progress? Your peak time might surprise you!

Experiment with morning, afternoon, late night, or a combination. Whenever it feels like dragging your feet through thick mud, it’s a good sign it’s not your peak time. Hit a brick wall in your manuscript? It might not be writer’s block at all. It might be a valley in your creative flow.

It’s different for every writer, so what’s yours?

Why I'm Leaving Kindle Vella

Sometimes you start a new endeavor with the best intentions, but it bites you in the bootie anyway. Kindle Vella kind of did that to me. Or maybe it was user error, but either way, I’ve been bitten.

Before I dive into why I am leaving Kindle Vella, I want to take a moment to say there are so many great books and authors on the platform who are worth supporting. I have made quite a few friends, thanks to Vella. I am not trying to discourage authors from using the platform nor readers from scouring the genres for great reads.

Vella just didn’t work for me. I began my writing career on Wattpad, a highly interactive episodic release platform popular with young adults. I had amazing success there but eventually left to pursue other goals. I still have several friends I met on Wattpad who support me now, and I would not trade that time for anything. It taught me a lot about my audience and how to be a better writer. So when Amazon pitched their new platform, Kindle Vella, as something similar, I was excited!

But… Vella is nothing like those other episodic platforms. Firstly, there is very little transparency between Amazon and the authors. Our pay is not clearly stated where bonuses are concerned, and we have spent hundreds (and some even thousands) in ad revenue to drive readers to the platform. Amazon has done little to advertise or market this platform, leaving much of it to the authors. For a company as large as Amazon, I had hoped they would at least use the free tools at their disposal to market their platform.

It’s also vastly different where the reader and author interaction is concerned. Because there is none. As an author, I can add an author’s note at the end of each “episode,” but that is it. I have no idea who is following my story, no way to directly chat with them, and readers have no commenting ability. Basically, this is like reading an e-book in weekly chunks. Many people would rather binge-read a book than wait for a weekly installment when there is nothing to do in between, like chat with your favorite authors or engage with other readers. I knew going into Vella that I would need to build a new audience there, one that liked episodic platforms rather than binge-able e-books, and I was fine with that. What I am not fine with, though, is building a platform that advertises as one thing but, in reality, is something completely different. There is nothing special about Vella that makes it any better than binge-reading an e-book and emailing the author your thoughts. At least, from my viewpoint.

For some authors and readers, this works just fine. And that’s ok! I support them completely, but for me, it just… doesn’t. Maybe Wattpad spoiled me.

But what really bothers me is the content itself. I have nothing against any author who writes or reader who reads erotica, but I do take issue with erotic books with almost pornographic covers prominently displayed on the home page where even children have easy access. Sometimes the family-friendly book categories like “family” and “friendship” are filled with sex-fueled romance novels. This is not the right place for them. Visibility is essential for every author, but there are better ways of reaching this fanbase than by infiltrating “clean” keywords and/or using explicit covers. I would never dream of infiltrating “erotic” with my cozy, feel-good, squeaky clean romcoms because that’s not where they fit. It’s hijacking a genre where I don’t belong.

Since many of you come to my books for guaranteed clean and age-appropriate reading, how can I openly promote a platform that will expose you and your children to such things? Again, I am not judging anyone for writing or reading erotica. Not at all. I simply can’t market my own writing one way, build customer trust, then send my customers to a platform where the first image they will see is a book cover with a man grabbing a naked female (ahem.)

And a final issue for me is customer service. There have been many glitches on Amazon’s end that have negatively impacted authors. For example, for almost a week, episodes did not upload properly, which caused a delay in the usual schedule for many authors. Rather than publicly announce this, Amazon allowed the authors to take the heat, many earning negative reviews for “posting late” or not at all. That, in my opinion, is unfair and damaging to an author’s reputation.

In other issues, KDP staff have no idea how to manage Vella’s problems, yet that is where we are sent to report issues. Seems counterintuitive to me. Overall, for a multi-billion dollar company, this platform appears thrown together in haste and rushed out with little to no market research (which doubly chafes me because my MBA stares at me all judgy and whatnot from my office wall… cobwebs and all.) It’s marketing 101, really. Know your audience and your competition, but it seems Amazon chose to skip that vital step… or, more correctly, chose to let the authors bumble through it for them.

For those reasons, I am pulling my work from Vella and publishing it as I usually do. Per Amazon’s terms of service/use, I must leave them available for sixty days past my request to unpublish, so if you see them up there and think I’ve gone crazy, that is why. That said, if you ARE interested in reading them, they will be available until the end of May.

I know this blog post seems judgmental and negative, and for me, the Vella experience was not much fun despite decent bonuses, but it’s not all bad. Many worthy authors are sticking it out to bring you amazing stories.

As for me, stick with me here on my blog space or follow me on Instagram to see what I plan to do next. There are some SUPER cool announcements coming you won’t want to miss!