Tara Maya's Blog, page 48

The Goddess of Dance

Today I'm thrilled to join Anna Kashina's blog tour for her newest novel, The Goddess of Dance. 






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Tell us about THE GODDESS OF DANCE.





To pursue her love, the princess must fight the impossible odds. On one hand, mysterious god-like powers are after her for what she has done. On the other -- her father, the sultan, is forcing her to fulfill her duty to her country by marrying a neighboring prince she does not...

Which is the Trickiest Book in a Trilogy?

Which is the trickiest book in a trilogy to write?



Probably the second book. During the first book, you're still on that adrenaline rush. The third book (if you've planned your ending at least) is the big climax, so it's just a small matter (ha ha ha ha) of tying of loose strings.



But, oh, that second book. That dread middle!



Elana Johnson has a great post on this:

I think Book Two is the hardest. Let's just get that out in the open up front. The author has the challenge of living up to B...

WiP Wendesday - Excerpt from Blood

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Why Do Authors Make Readers Wait?

One of the rules--proved upon the soiled reputations of authors who have dared break it--is that authors should never respond to reviews. This is good advice, and I've never strayed.



Until now.



In an Amazon review, one person commented:



The only thing I hate about this series is that since they have all already "been written" according to the author, why am I waiting? I think that is nothing but cruelty.



Ouch.



If there are readers out there who indeed imagine that I have the entire serie...

How To Write A Series - 03 - Expanse

A story requires a certain heft or breath or extension to justify a series -- what I'll call expanse. But it also needs a degree of cohesion to link the volumes of the series. This tension between expanse and cohesion is what makes for a good series.



Expanse can apply to one or more categories:




1. Length
Length is the first obvious test of a series. Some series are essentially one long story, split into separate volumes mostly for convenience. Possibly, as digital books replace paper...

Awesome Shows With Paranormal / Dystopian Hotties

Have you seen the hotties on the new slew of paranormal and dystopian shows? Yuuuuummy. I salute my new faves. SPOILERS ALERT!!!




Revolution:


Genre: Dystopia



Premise: Despite the fact that nation states long preceded electricity, enduring thousands of years in much the same borders, and often with much the same form of governance, a sudden lack of iPhones able to play Angry Birds leads to the instant destruction of the United States. Everyone resorts to crossbows and thuggery.



Hotties To...

Kid's Corner - Little Black Cat

It's fun learning question words with Little Black Cat! To find out if she catches Crow, you'll have to peek in the book! You can buy the ebook on Amazon or Kobo, or buy it in paperback.








                                                                   ...

La Vie En Rose

I was wearing a gorgeous gown fit for a faery princess. A wonderful ball was being thrown in my honor, attended by all the people I most loved and respected. Delicious food and wine flowed unendingly. There was even cake, the absolute tastiest cake you could imagine. The man I loved most in the world had just promised to spend the rest of his life with me.



And I couldn't take it anymore. I ran away in the middle of a conversation, hid in the dressing room, stared at myself in the mirror, des...

Release of Wing! Book 5 in the Unfinished Song is Here!

Wing, Book 5 in The Unfinished Song is here! To celebrate, today only there will be a special price. Pick up your copy as soon as possible!


Here's where you can buy it:



Amazon **

Kobo

Smashwords

Barnes and Noble



Amazon UK

Amazon DE

Amazon FR

Amazon ES

Amazon IT



** Please use only this Amazon link. There is currently a pirated copy on Amazon for $1.99.



If you haven't started the series yet, you can begin the first book Initiate for free, here:



Amazon

Kobo

Smashwords

Barnes and No...

Analysis of a Book Cover

One more day...



With just ONE DAY LEFT to the release of Wing, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the book cover. What goes into the design of a book cover?



The first consideration is obvious: a cover should have aesthetic appeal. The image should caress the imagination, not assault the eyes. One mistake that some writers make, when they have control over their covers, is to want to stuff all the events of the book into the cover. Or they want to show a scene (not always a bad ide...