Lucienne Diver's Blog: Lucienne Diver's Drivel, page 32

GCC Interview with Myra McEntire

One of the things I love about being part of the Girlfriends’ Cyber Circuit is getting to find out about intriguing new releases like TIMEPIECE by Myra McEntire.  Here’s a little something about the books and a brief interview, which I hope you’ll find intriguing as well!

ABOUT TIMEPIECE:

Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples—cracks in time. Are Kaleb’s powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before Kaleb can find out, Jonathan Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want?

In the wake of Landers’s return, the Hourglass organization is offered an ultimatum by a mysterious man. Either they find Landers and the research he has stolen on people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered—with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their extraordinary powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? Even if they succeed, just finding him may not be enough. . . .

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science-fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

INTERVIEW WITH MYRA McENTIRE

What is your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you schedule time to write each day or are you a spree writer?

I have to talk out my plots. I do some before I start, and more as I get deeper in the story. I have friends who listen, and a few who just nod and make acknowledging noises. They both work. And I try to schedule time each day, but that’s easier during the school year.

What is the hardest part about the publishing process for you and how do you get through it? (For me, it’s copyediting and sour cream and onion chips.)

The middle. Dear sweet heaven, the middle. I get through it with Twizzlers and crying.

We drop your hero or heroine on a deserted island. Quick, what are the three things he or she can’t live without?

He needs: His girlfriend. Hot Tamales. Sunscreen.

If your story were a film, who would you cast?

I’ve always said Kaleb is what would happen if Channing Tatum and Kellan Lutz had a baby. So Imma need them to get going on that.

Congratulations on your fabulous new release!

Thank you!

Myra has a contest on her site – http://myramcentire.com – that will run from June 18th to June 25th. She’ll be giving away signed copies of HOURGLASS and TIMEPIECE, signed posters of the covers, a goodie basket inspired by her characters, and signed books from other authors! Thank you!

A few quick things

Gearing up for the ORA (Ozarks Romance Authors) Conference this weekend, so busy, busy, busy, but I wanted to post a few quick things.

1- My client Rob Thurman (author of the Cal Leandros and Trickster series and of the thrillers CHIMERA, BASILISK and ALL-SEEING EYE) and I (Vamped and Latter-Day Olympians series), along with Jennifer Brown, Leigh Michaels and Steven Law will be signing books on Friday, June 22nd at the Springfield, MO Barnes & Noble from 4:30-6 p.m. CT to kick off the ORA Conference, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Howard Johnson Convention Center in Springfield, MO.  I hope you’ll join us!

2- I’m up today at The Writing Kraft with an interview about writing, agenting and time management.  Hope you’ll swing by.

3- Tomorrow I’ll have a new Girlfriends’ Cyber Circuit interview up with Myra McEntire, author of HOURGLASS and TIMEPIECE.

4- All next week on the blog I’ll have guest posts from amazing fantasy writers, complete with giveaways.  Stop by early and often!

Interview with Amanda Ashby

While I’m over at Magical Words today talking about Authenticity of Voice, I’m pleased to host Amanda Ashby here, talking about her great new middle-grade novels.  Puffin has brought out the first two books in her Sophie’s Mixed-Up Magic series simultaneously, so readers can jump right into her world with WISHFUL THINKING and UNDER A SPELL!

Book One: Wishful Thinking

Be careful what you wish for…

After eleven year old Sophie accidentally gets herself turned into a djinn, she starts to think that it might not be so bad after all. (Of course, that’s after she gets the whole orange skin problem sorted out.) Who wouldn’t enjoy having the power to grant wishes! But when Sophie develops RWD (Random Wish Disorder) and can’t STOP granting wishes, things get more than a little mixed-up!

Book Two: Under a Spell

And that spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E…

As Sophie gets used to her magic, her relationship with the adorable Jonathan Tait is blossoming. There’s only one problem: Jonathan’s twin sister, Melissa. She’s a total mean girl who seems intent on making Sophie’s life miserable. On top of that, Melissa somehow seems to sense that Sophie has powers–and manages to bind Sophie to her in a totally self-serving way. Can Sophie figure out a way out of this–without ruining her chances with Jonathan?

Interview with Amanda Ashby

What is your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you schedule time to write each day or are you a spree writer?

I’m a panster who longs to be a plotter so I’m constantly trying to impose order into chaos. It never works but that doesn’t stop me from trying! I try to write everyday but I’m also prone to laziness and often get distracted by other shiny things (and by shiny things I mean television and books!)

What is the hardest part about the publishing process for you and how do you get through it? (For me, it’s copyediting and barbeque chips.)
Plotting! I get so many ideas that it’s not funny and I really struggle to put them altogether and find the story. I often feel like I’m doing a jigsaw puzzle and half the pieces are missing. Thankfully Diet Coke gets me through the worst of it!

We drop your hero or heroine on a deserted island. Quick, what are the three things he or she can’t live without?
Did I mention that my heroine is a djinn with magic powers? However, if she wasn’t allowed to use her powers (though I suspect she would be because hello, if deserted island doesn’t constitute an emergency, I don’t know what does) she would take her Eddie Henry guitar pick, which she got when she saw her favorite band, Neanderthal Joe in concert. She would also take a bag of Cheetos for her djinn guide, Malik and finally she would take her favorite positive thinking book, just to remind herself that being stuck on a deserted island is just a lesson in the making.

If your story were a film, who would you cast?

I would actually cast the lovely girl on the cover of my books because she looks so like “my Sophie” that I can’t imagine anyone doing a better job. Then, because her djinn guide, Malik actually looks like Zac Efron, it would be rude not to cast the Zacster (do you think he would mind that I’ve called him that?)

Look for her third Sophie novel, OUT OF SIGHT , in October 2012!

Bio

Amanda Ashby was born in Australia and after spending the last sixteen years dividing her time between England and New Zealand, she’s finally moved back and now lives on the Sunshine Coast. When she’s not moving country, she likes to write books (okay, she also likes to eat chocolate, watch television and sit around doing not much, but let’s just keep that amongst ourselves, shall we?)

She has a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland and is married with two children. Her debut book, You Had Me at Halo was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award, and her first young adult book Zombie Queen of Newbury High was listed by the New York Public Library’s Stuff for the Teen Age 2010. Her latest release, Fairy Bad Day, has been selected by Voya as one of their Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2012 and is a SCBWI Crystal Kite Award finalist for the Australia/NZ region. To find out more, please go to www.amandaashby.com

Congratulations and Girlfriends’ Cyber Circuit interview with Elana Johnson

I’m really pleased to host Girlfriends’ Cyber Circuit sister Elana Johnson with an interview about her latest novel, SURRENDER!  But first, some quick congratulations:

To Lynn Flewelling for sitting pretty on the PW and Bookscan Fantasy Bestseller list at #8 with CASKET OF SOULS (her latest Nightrunner novel featuring rogues Alec and Seregil)!  You can chat with Lynn Flewelling on Twitter this Thursday at 4 p.m. ET, hashtag #knightauthor.  Come join us!  Details here.

To N.K. Jemisin for THE KILLING MOON being named to Publishers Weekly’s list of Best Summer Books 2012!  Best of all, the second book of the duology, THE SHADOWED SUN, releases tomorrow, so you can read the books back to back!

And now, a bit about Elana Johnson and SURRENDER:

About Elana: Elana’s work including POSSESSION, REGRET, and SURRENDER is available from Simon & Schuster wherever books are sold. She is the author of From the Query to the Call, an ebook that every writer needs to read before they query, which can be downloaded for free on her website. She runs a personal blog on publishing and is a founding author of the QueryTracker blog. She blogs regularly at The League of Extraordinary Writers, co-organizes WriteOnCon, and can be found on Twitter and Facebook.

She wishes she could experience her first kiss again, tell the mean girl where to shove it, and have cool superpowers like reading minds and controlling fire. To fulfill her desires, she writes young adult science fiction and fantasy.

About SURRENDER: Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn.

Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque….

 Interview with ELANA JOHNSON

What is your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you schedule time to write each day or are you a spree writer?
My writing process is extremely messy. I’m a pantser who loves the thrill of discovery writing. I’ve been getting better and better at brainstorming and quasi-outlining though, but it’s hard.
 
At the beginning of the day, I check the Google calendar and decide if I have a block of writing time. This usually happens on days my daughter has dance, because I can drop her off and go to the library to write. If I have a block, I write during that time. If I don’t have a block, I take the 15 minutes before school, and the 25 minutes before dinner needs to be started, and the hour or two after the kids go to bed.
 
What is the hardest part about the publishing process for you and how do you get through it? (For me, it’s copyediting and barbeque pita chips.)
The hardest part of the publishing process is the social networking. It’s also the thing I love the most. Weird, I know. But twitter and Facebook and blogs take a lot of time. They sometimes also remind me of what others have that I don’t… And I try really hard to not compare marketing plans, etc.
 
To get through the social media maze, sometimes I just turn the computer off. It’s fabulous!
 
We drop your hero or heroine on a deserted island. Quick, what are the three things he or she can’t live without?
Electricity, gloves, and a hoverboard.
 
 
Are there any contests or upcoming appearances/interviews/etc. you’d like to plug?
GIVEAWAY: Elana is hosting a Spectacular Seconds giveaway this week! You can enter to win one of five signed sophomore books by Beth Revis, Ally Condie, Veronica Roth, Kristi Cook, and Kim Harrington. CLICK HERE for all the details and to enter.
 
Congratulations on your fabulous new release!
Thank you!

I HUNT KILLERS by Barry Lyga

For those of you who haven’t yet read I HUNT KILLERS by Barry Lyga, he’s written an intense novel in which Jazz, the teenaged son of the world’s worst serial killer, becomes obsessed with hunting a new murderer in order to prove that the “training” he received from his father during his formative years can be used for good.  (This to counteract the fear that he and others have that Jazz may follow in his father’s footsteps.)  It’s a wonderful novel, both psychologically and suspensefully, and so realistic in the way that Jazz must constantly fight his father’s brainwashing and the fears raised about his future.  It’s not often that I write fan letters – I should probably do this a lot more frequently, but as an agent I always worry that people will suspect ulterior motives—but I met Barry years ago, and had to reach out to tell him how much I enjoyed I HUNT KILLERS and to pick his brain about how he was able to maintain his own sanity while getting into the right mindset to make the novel truly authentic.  Here are my questions and his answers.

INTERVIEW with BARRY LYGA

Barry, I’m blown away with the way that you were able to put yourself into your protagonist’s head and to create someone at once so appealing and potentially scary.  What kind of research did you have to do in order to create Jazz and his father, Billy Dent?

Thanks! Before I wrote the book, I sort of immersed myself in all things serial killer. I spent a few months reading nothing but books about law enforcement and forensic science and serial killer profiles and the history of serial murder. There was a temptation early on to take all of that reading and use it very specifically and sort of make everything in my book a reference to that real-world information in some way, but then I just decided that it would be best to let my research linger in my head and inform the mood of the book, rather than the details. So Billy, for example, isn’t based on any real person. He’s a figment of my imagination, filtered through all of that reading. And Jazz is really just… There aren’t many books about the children of serial killers, at least none that I found or read. So I just did what I always do, for every book: I thought to myself, “Imagine you’re a kid in this particular situation. What happens now?” And I ran with it.

Did you ever find the mood of the story affecting you personally?  If so, were there strategies you used for getting into the mindset and back out again?

Nah. I know the safe answer is something like, “Oh, yeah, it was horrifying to write this… I was so disturbed…” But it didn’t bother me at all. My friends joke that I was born without a soul because I have no problem jumping right in and writing some of the gruesome and psychologically messed up stuff in the book. I don’t have to get into any specific mindset. I just sit down and boom! I’m there. And when I’m done, I’m done. Doesn’t bother me or affect me.

Was there any personal experience or background you were able to draw on to evoke the emotions within the novel?

I think everything written, no matter what it is, has some kind of background in the author’s self and history. It’s not like my dad’s a serial killer or anything, but I’ve had — we’ve all had — that moment in our lives when we think, “Am I going to grow up to be just like my parents?” And that can either thrill you or terrify you. It’s a universal thing and it’s easy to tap into. And I think Jazz’s fear of himself, of his own power, is universal, too, as we grow up and come out of the haze of adolescent hormones and begin to realize that there are people who matter in the world and that we have the ability to hurt them or to help them. So, yeah, I drew on that stuff and sort of ramped it up because for Jazz these issues are literally a matter of life and death.

As much as I love Jazz, his best friend Howie is probably my favorite character in the novel.  Do you want to discuss how he came to be?

Aw, I am so glad to hear that! I love Howie. I was so terrified that he was going to succumb to Best Friend Syndrome. I resisted letting him be funny at first because the best friend is ALWAYS funny and I’m sort of tired of that. But then he developed this dark gallows humor about him, and he’s got this knowledge that he could die so easily, and it made him feel very real and very new to me. At first, I just thought it would be sort of funny and interesting to have Jazz’s friend be a hemophiliac. It was the idea of juxtaposing the ultimate killer with the ultimate victim. Because you know Jazz could kill Howie in a fraction of a second. And then that knowledge sort of filtered down for me and I realized that by being friends with Howie, Jazz has put himself in a position where he’s constantly reminded of the frailty of human life. And Howie allows himself to be in that position, to be that reminder. It just all came together really nicely and I’m so happy with the two of them. There’s a lot more of Howie in the second book, so I’m glad people seem to like him!

Can you talk a little about the process?  How many drafts did you have to go through?  Did you have to dig yourself deeper with each one?  The momentum on the plotting and pacing are so strong that I wonder….

I typically don’t go through many drafts. I usually do one on my own and then do a clean up and then another with my editor and we’re done. But I’d never written a mystery before and when I finished the first draft of KILLERS, every damn person who read it figured out who the killer was! Every single one of them! So, I did some tweaking and some fixing and… I don’t remember, but I think I did two or three sweeps through it before I gave it to my editor. And then SHE figured out who the killer was! And I was like, “Goddamn it!” But it took her LONGER than it took my beta readers, so I knew I was on the right path! [Laughs] So we did another run-through and then just a quick little tweak after that and it was ready. The bones of the whole thing were there from the beginning, from the first draft: The character arcs, the plot, everything. It was just a little thing, you know — the goddamn mystery! I just had to keep tweaking things and modifying bits to make it work. It was a serious education for me. You can change the direction of the mystery in the reader’s head just by changing a line of dialogue. Like I said — I’d never written anything like this before, so I was sort of learning as I went along.

You mentioned momentum and that’s funny because I always feel like my books start really slow and then sort of build from there. And that was all right for my other books, but at some point, I realized, Duh! This book is a thriller! It has to MOVE. And I felt like the beginning was still slow, so I just arbitrarily decided that I would cut ten percent of the first hundred pages of the book. Don’t ask why — I don’t know. I just decided that out of the blue one day. When you break it down, it works out to something like twenty-five words cut from each page. So that’s what I did — I just went through and cut ten percent of the first hundred pages. And honestly, I still think the first forty pages or so are a little slow, but it’s better than it was before.

Given the subject matter, was it a challenge at all to convince your agent or the young adult editors that it would be appropriate for the YA market?

Not at all! I mean, I lucked out in that regard — my editor was itching to publish a YA novel about serial killers. She had mentioned the idea of such a book and I thought it was sort of too much and disgusting and disturbing, and then one night I woke up in the middle of the night, thinking, “His FATHER is a serial killer!” And I went to my computer at, like, three in the morning and wrote up a proposal. And bang — it all came together. She was a little worried that it was going to be too dark, but when she saw Jazz interacting with Howie and Connie, she saw what I was up to and it’s been smooth sailing all along.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?  Any other projects you’d like to mention or websites you’d like to direct us to for excerpts or further information?

Well, almost diametrically opposite KILLERS, I have a fun middle grade series called ARCHVILLAIN. The last book in that trilogy will be coming out in January. And the second KILLERS book will be out in April. Web-wise, I’m on Facebook at facebook.com/barrylyga, I’m @barrylyga on Twitter, and of course I have my website at barrylyga.com. People can feel free to stalk me at any combination of them!

Thanks so much, Barry!  It was a pleasure to read I HUNT KILLERS and a pleasure to have you here.  I’m already looking forward to the sequel!

Thanks, Lucienne!

GCC interview with Melissa Walker

One quick thing before I move on to telling you about Melissa Walker’s wonderful new release and posting up her interview.  The cover for N.K. Jemisin‘s novel THE SHADOWED SUN (releasing next week!) is up on RT Book Reviews’ poll for Best Book Cover of the Month.  Click to vote or for the temptation to add to your TBR pile!  BTW, the author will be signing at BEA on Wednesday and reading at the New York Public Library that evening, so be sure to check her out!

And now, let’s talk about Melissa Walker’s UNBREAK MY HEART. Melissa has the kind of background my Vamped heroine, Gina, could really sink her teeth into.  She has worked as ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor. She manages I Heart Daily, an e-newsletter and blogs for ReaderGirlz, an online community for teens, and is the author of SMALL TOWN SINNERS, the Violet on the Runway series and LOVESTRUCK SUMMER.

UNBREAK MY HEART
By Melissa Walker
978-1-59990-528-0 / May 22nd, 2012

Praise for UNBREAK MY HEART:

“A super cute love story! Melissa Walker will inspire readers to never stop believing in true love.” —SUSANE COLASANTI, author of When It Happens and Keep Holding On

“A raw, real, and ultimately heartwarming discovery of what it means to be a true friend. Walker gets it exactly right.” —JENNIFER ECHOLS, author of Love Story and The One That I Want

BLURB:

Summer will be the season for Melissa Walker fans to fall in love all over again. UNBREAK MY HEART is told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clementine Williams’s heart and the summer that healed it. Inspired by Melissa’s own experience sailing with her family as a teen, this is the perfect beach read for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti.

Usually Clem would dread the idea of spending an entire summer sailing with her family—two parents, one annoying little sister, and no internet, all on one tiny boat; however, right now escaping her life on land sounds pretty good. Clem did something bad during her sophomore year, even though she didn’t mean to. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and thought that he was falling for her too. Now the school year is over, the truth is out and he’s been excused while she’s been exiled, leaving her with no friends and zero social life.

When she and her family set sail the last thing Clem is looking for is another romance, but perhaps it found her anyway. His name is James. He’s cute, funny, and best of all, doesn’t know anything about her past. He and his dad are sailing the same route as Clem and her family for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and unbreak her broken heart?

INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA WALKER

Q. What is your writing process like?  Are you a plotter or a pantser?  Do you schedule time to write each day or are you a spree writer?    
A. I plot, but very lightly. I do a chapter by chapter outline but just a sentence for each chapter. I let the writing day fill in the details. And I have to write in the morning–I try for 1000 words before lunch when I’m on deadline, M-F.
 
Q. What is the hardest part about the publishing process for you and how do you get through it? (For me, it’s copyediting and barbeque pita chips.)  
A. First drafts. I deal with iced coffee that’s as sweet as coffee ice cream.
 
 
Q. We drop your hero or heroine on a deserted island.  Quick, what are the three things he or she can’t live without?
A. Her journal, her bathing suit and her little sister Olive (do people count)?
 
Q. If your story were a film, who would you cast?
A. Ooh, maybe Shailene Woodley!
 
Q. Are there any contests or upcoming appearances/interviews/etc. you’d like to plug?
A. Yes! Bloomsbury is giving away an iPod loaded with an Unbreak My Heart playlist–you just have to create a breakup playlist to enter. Info here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/bloomsbury-teens/announcing-the-unbreak-your-heart-playlist-contest-on-spotify/391423114232968
 
Congratulations on your fabulous new release!
Thanks!

Mandated Extroversion

Today I’m reposting an article I did for the Summer 2011 issue of the SFWA Bulletin on self-promotion and mandated extroversion.  For another post on this subject, check out my article in the March Knight Agency newsletter.  In the meantime, I present to you….

MANDATED EXTROVERSION

Usually I start with whatever lyrics the demented little DJ in my head has seen fit to provide or a colorful anecdote about the crazy people with whom I’m sharing a train car, but today as I frantically try to finish all of my work in time for my overseas trip, I’m stuck in my office with my puppy jailer guarding the door and no further inspiration than the voices in my head, one of whom actually has her own blog…which is exactly the sort of thing I want to talk to you about today.

It’s truer every year that authors need to invest themselves in self-promotion.  Relevant clauses have even begun creeping into contractual language, committing authors to maintaining websites, blogs, a perhaps certain presence in social media sites.  But for a lot of authors, this is very nerve-wracking stuff.  It takes time and energy away from other writing and for many it doesn’t come naturally.  What’s an introverted author to do?

I’ve had a lot of these conversations lately, and I’d like to offer up some suggestions.  Let’s start with website development.  It’s a great idea if your website has enough content to keep readers around for awhile and doesn’t immediately redirect them elsewhere, like to buy links.  Some authors include free fiction, secret dossiers, widgets, book trailers, wallpaper and other value added content in addition to a listing of their books and where they can be bought.  They give something back even while they promote.  Now, all of this extra content can take a lot of time and energy.  My two cents: it’s worth it.  At a bare minimum, though, your website should always be up-to-date, easily readable across browsers and quick to load.  This might mean that you loose one of your bells or tone down your whistle, but a clean, sleek, modern and easily navigable site is a must.  It’s also very important (sometimes even contractually mandated) that you link to your publisher’s site and offer multiple buy links so that none of the retailers who might support your books is left out.  For all those wonderful independent bookstores, there’s Indiebound.

Your website should also contain buttons that will help your readers link up with you elsewhere, like your blog, Facebook page, Twitter account, etc.  Let’s see if we can take some of the stress and uncertainty out of the idea of putting yourself out there in public.  I’ll start with blogging, which, while not absolutely necessary, is becoming increasingly important.

Idea #1: If you’re uncomfortable blogging on your own or don’t feel that you have enough to say to keep people coming back, enter into a group blog with other authors where your commitment might be anything from a blog a week to one a month.  You’ll still get the exposure and you’ll benefit from the cross-pollination of your peers.

Idea #2: Set yourself a schedule, something easy, fun, entertaining and informative.  You’ll find a schedule takes some of the stress away, since you’ve got an idea each day of what you’ll post.  As an example:

-Mondays: fun facts (this can be anything from research you’ve come across to quirks of your writing process to FAQs about yourself, your superstitions, weird history, etc.)

-Teaser Tuesdays: I see this a lot, and it’s intriguing each and every time.  Simply post an excerpt from something you’re reading or writing or about to have released.  It can be from the beginning, the middle, the end, out of the mouths of babes….

-Writer Wednesday: This might be the day each week where you post something helpful about the process or the business.  Maybe you talk about character development or dialogue, plotting or pacing, or any number of other things.  Or maybe each Wednesday you feature an author who’s not you and take the day off.  Let someone else guest blog for a change.

-Thoughtful Thursday: I’m thinking here of the old Saturday Night Live “Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy.”  Maybe you post your musings or quotes or articles you’ve found helpful in your work.

-Fun Fridays: This is something I’ve begun on my blog.  I’ve posted up a free short story, links to videos, songs or other websites.  Generally, the humor is industry-related, but not always.  It is, however, always intended to be entertaining.

 

Idea #3: Offer to guest-blog for all and sundry.  Are there blogs already targeted toward your audience that encourage guests?  Dip your feet in with a guest blog or interview elsewhere.  (If you do have a blog of your own, offering to swap blogs is often very effective.)

Readers like lists; they like quick concise wisdom that they can take away with them; they like controversy and humor.  They do not like: the hard sell, mundane minutia, or being talked at rather than with.  Pose questions, start a dialogue.  Be a real and fully interactive person rather than a bot.  Do not: use the forum to rant about negative reviews or problems with your agent, editor or publishing house.  Remember that there are truly no “take backs” on the web.  Once something is out there, it’s stored forever somewhere, and I’ve seen more than one author shoot him or herself in the foot by being indiscrete or overly aggressive and getting labeled a problem child.

I briefly touched on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, which are two of the best known, but there are a ton of other great sites that appeal to readers, from Goodreads to Library Thing, Shelfari, Authors’ Den, Figment, CreateSpace….  The list is practically endless.  Of course, it’s impossible to do everything with the attention needed to succeed, so it’s probably a good idea to choose a few places into which you’ll pour your time and energy.  Do less and do it well.  Doing a great deal poorly really doesn’t get you anywhere.

Lest you think things like Twitter and Facebook might be too great a distraction…well, you may be right.  They can be very distracting and addictive.  You have to know yourself and be very disciplined with your time so that you don’t take too much away from your actual writing.  But if writing is your profession, something you’re very serious about, networking is an increasingly large part of that.

Would it help if I tell you that, like with your blog, you can have your “tweets” (your Twitter posts) feed into Facebook as well—and vice versa.  Double the exposure and half the effort!  (Although, I’d argue that the two are truly different enough that this may not always be your best option.)  What about if I mention that it takes less than a minute to sign up for a Twitter account and that posts can only be 140 characters maximum (not words, characters!)?

Outside of social media, there are a host of other new and exciting ways to reach readers, from music videos and book trailers for your work to widgets and apps, though the latter is still prohibitively expensive to create.  And no, you don’t have to be an electronics guru to figure them out.  As far as book trailers, many have gone the homemade route.  With a clever concept and a little help from your friends, a Flip camera and a YouTube account can do wonders, although it takes a little more than that for widespread distribution unless your video is lucky enough to go viral.  But there are plenty of companies out there that’ll help with the creation and/or distribution of various sorts of multi-media.

Look at the possibilities as just that—possibilities, full of promise and ripe for the exploration of ideas.  Once you get into the swing of things, you’ll find that promotion takes on a life of its own.  You’ll build a file full of contacts and discover what works for you.  It’ll become easier with time.  You’ll have your go-tos, your big events and an ever-growing network to help you spread the word.

New book birthdays!

Some exciting new Knight Agency book birthdays to celebrate today!  (Personally, I like to celebrate them with ice cream and cake, but your mileage may vary.)

CASKET OF SOULS by Lynn Flewelling (Bantam Spectra)

Out today in print, e-book and audio form!

Blurb: The Nightrunners are back in this gripping novel full of Lynn Flewelling’s trademark action, intrigue, and richly imagined characters.

 

More than the dissolute noblemen they appear to be, Alec and Seregil are skillful spies, dedicated to serving queen and country. But when they stumble across evidence of a plot pitting Queen Phoria against Princess Klia, the two Nightrunners will find their loyalties torn as never before. Even at the best of times, the royal court at Rhíminee is a serpents’ nest of intrigue, but with the war against Plenimar going badly, treason simmers just below the surface.

And that’s not all that poses a threat: A mysterious plague is spreading through the crowded streets of the city, striking young and old alike. Now, as panic mounts and the body count rises, hidden secrets emerge. And as Seregil and Alec are about to learn, conspiracies and plagues have one thing in common: The cure can be as deadly as the disease.

TANGLE OF NEED by Nalini Singh (the latest Psy-Changeling novel from Penguin)

Blurb: Discover the exhilarating risks of passion in the breathtaking new Psy-Changeling novel by Nalini Singh, the New York Times bestselling “alpha author of paranormal romance” (Booklist)…

Adria, wolf changeling and resilient soldier, has made a break with the past—one as unpredictable in love as it was in war. Now comes a new territory, and a devastating new complication: Riaz, a SnowDancer lieutenant already sworn to a desperate woman who belongs to another.

For Riaz, the primal attraction he feels for Adria is a staggering betrayal. For Adria, his dangerous lone-wolf appeal is beyond sexual. It consumes her. It terrifies her. It threatens to undermine everything she has built of her new life. But fighting their wild compulsion toward one another proves a losing battle.

Their coming together is an inferno…and a melding of two wounded souls who promise each other no commitment, no ties, no bonds. Only pleasure. Too late, they realize that they have more to lose than they ever imagined. Drawn into a cataclysmic Psy war that may alter the fate of the world itself, they must make a decision that might just break them both.

THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE by Shirley Jump (Nook Book exclusive)

Blurb: Life couldn’t be more perfect for Candice Woodrow. Her gourmet gift basket company is thriving, and she’s set to marry steady, dependable Barry. There’s just one wrench in the fairytale. Two weeks before her wedding she wakes up in the wrong man’s bed. Candace thinks she’ll be able to run out the door and forget all about Michael Vogler, but the Boston millionaire has other plans for the jittery bride.

As the wedding approaches, Candace’s life is further complicated by a thrill-seeking grandma and a meddlesome mother whose marriage track record rivals Elizabeth Taylor’s. She attempts to drown her sorrows in chocolate, but with a sexy bachelor appearing on her doorstep at every turn – she finds herself wondering if there’s enough of the sweet stuff in the world to stop her heart from racing every time he comes near.

Very cool things going on

It was wonderful to spend last weekend at the DFW Writers Conference, communing with my fellow agents, meeting and renewing friendships with the wonderful DFW membership and seeing some of my local authors!  Here’s a wonderful pic of us at dinner at Italianni’s.

(From L to R: J. Kathleen Cheney, P.N. Elrod, Karen Whiddon, me, and Rosemary Clement-Moore)

Rosemary’s novel TEXAS GOTHIC, a fabulous story that appeals to adults as well as the young adult audience for which it’s intended, was just featured on Good Morning, Texas as a great book to take to the pool or beach, especially for the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend! Oh, and that first series that’s mentioned (“like Veronica Mars meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Delacorte is bringing out the first two, PROM DATES FROM HELL and HELL WEEK, and publishing them together in September in an omnibus edition called BRIMSTONE.  I highly recommend checking it out!

If you’re looking for romantic reading for the holiday weekend, RT Book Reviews has a “Which Self-Published Story is Right for You?” quiz up on their website featuring works by Sharon Sala, Diana Layne, Crista McHugh and our own Beth Cornelison (TRUST IN ME, currently just 99 cents!).

Here are some other great 99 cent reads!

THE MALORIE PHOENIX by Janet Mullany: a stolen family jewel, an abandoned child, mystery, intrigue and, best of all, romance!

Z by Lauren Baratz-Logsted: a contemporary re-envisioning of The Great Gatsby

Our you can “Take Five” with Lynn Flewelling, whose latest Nightrunner novel featuring my very favorite spies Seregil and Alec, will be out next week (CASKET OF SOULS).

They’re a bit more than 99 cents currently, but, of course, if you feel a sudden urge to run out for any of my books, there’s the Vamped series (Clueless meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer…nearly as cool as Veronica Mars meets…) or BAD BLOOD (mythology, murder and mayhem, first in the Latter-Day Olympians urban fantasy series).

Congratulations and a book birthday

Happy book birthday to award-winning author Beth Cornelison for her new Harlequin Romantic Suspense novel SOLDIER’S PREGNANCY PROTOCOL!  You can check it out over at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Books-a-Million and everywhere else.

Blurb:

Survival. Danger. Living on the edge. It’s what Alec is all about. But crawling on his belly through the South American jungle is child’s play next to babysitting the mother-to-be with the bad luck to get caught in the cross fire. Safeguarding Erin Bauer and her baby is Alec’s top priority. Only, now the Special Ops soldier is falling for this brave, vulnerable woman with the melting mahogany eyes.

Alone with Alec in a remote Rocky Mountain hideaway, Erin knows her life depends on the rugged, enigmatic stranger. Alec makes her feel protected. Cherished. Complete. But he lives a life of risk and deadly danger. How much is Erin willing to risk for a love that could give them both what they need and desire most?

Next Tuesday, Lynn Flewelling‘s new Nightrunner novel, CASKET OF SOULS, is coming out from Bantam Spectra.  You won’t want to miss Seregil and Alec in their latest adventure, doing what they do best.  Now available for pre-order everywhere.

Blurb:

The Nightrunners are back in this gripping novel full of Lynn Flewelling’s trademark action, intrigue, and richly imagined characters.

 

More than the dissolute noblemen they appear to be, Alec and Seregil are skillful spies, dedicated to serving queen and country. But when they stumble across evidence of a plot pitting Queen Phoria against Princess Klia, the two Nightrunners will find their loyalties torn as never before. Even at the best of times, the royal court at Rhíminee is a serpents’ nest of intrigue, but with the war against Plenimar going badly, treason simmers just below the surface.

And that’s not all that poses a threat: A mysterious plague is spreading through the crowded streets of the city, striking young and old alike. Now, as panic mounts and the body count rises, hidden secrets emerge. And as Seregil and Alec are about to learn, conspiracies and plagues have one thing in common: The cure can be as deadly as the disease.

Also, since I missed offering the HUGE CONGRATULATIONS here on my blog at the time, here’s a belated you go, girl! for Rachel Caine, whose latest Morganville Vampires novel, BLACK DAWN, hit #50 on the USA Today bestseller list and has been tearing up the charts in the UK.  Check out the Waterstones page with the Morganville Vampires up front and center!  (And clearly “Not just for teens!”)

I want to shine a light too on the wonderful reviews coming in for Janet Mullany‘s latest historical romance THE MALORIE PHOENIX, out in digital everywhere (Kindle, Nook, etc.)  Dorothy Muir calls it, “a good, rollicking Regency tale.” Imagine a World… says, “From beginning to end, this book is never anything less than amazing.” Want to know more?  Check out Janet’s book trailer.