Cheryl Rainfield's Blog, page 92
October 5, 2011
Novel (ebook) that has great bonus material to help writers – for only $0.99 (for limited time)
I think Randy Ingermanson is a great writing teacher. I read a lot of his articles years ago, and I found them so helpful.
Now he (and writer John Olson) have a new sci-fi ebook out–OXYGEN–that is packed at the end with bonus material for writers–and it's only $0.99! (For a limited time, and then it goes back up to $2.99)
I bought a copy myself, and started scrolling through the info, and I am impressed. I think this is an incredible deal and a very helpful tool for a lot of writers. You not only get the novel (which you can enjoy), but then you also get:
-an eternal coupon (never expires) for 50% off products on Randy Ingermanson's site
-article on how they sold Oxygen in 7 weeks without an agent
-their book proposal for Oxygen that they used to get the sale (so you can see what worked) including their cover letter; executive summary; market analysis; two-page synopsis; character sketches; author bio; marketing plan
and, the part that I think is an amazing bonus–a writing technique section on motivations and reactions, where they take apart the first chapter and show what they did and why.
All that is an amazing deal for $2.99, never mind the $0.99 it is on sale for right now.
October 4, 2011
More children's & YA ebooks on sale (for Kindle)
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith is on sale for $2.99 (67% off)
Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock is on sale for $3.99
Vamped by Lucienne Diver is on sale for $1.99 (80% off)
Nobody's Princess (Princesses of Myth) by Esther Friesner is $3.99, and it's blurbed by Tamora Pierce (which got my attention)
Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney is $2.99
Half-Blood (Covenant) by Jennifer Armentrout is $3.99
Fringe Girl in Love by Valerie Frankel is $2.99
October 3, 2011
Scars still selling well!
WOW! SCARS is #4 right now in teen books on sexual abuse, #5 in children's books on dysfunctional relationships, and #9 right now in children's books on abuse, on Amazon! (beaming)
I'm so glad SCARS keeps reaching people! Thank you so much for your support. 
How To Help An Author Whose Books You Like
Do you like my books? If you do, there are some simple, fast ways you can help me get the word out to other readers. I would so appreciate your help! It really does make a difference.
1) Tag my books on Amazon.
To tag SCARS or HUNTED on Amazon, scroll down past all the info and reviews, near to the bottom. You'll see "Tags Customers Associate With This Product". Click or checkmark beside any tag that fits for my books.
OR go here for SCARS, and here for HUNTED.
You can also add your own tags (as long as they describe the content of the book, like "cutting" for SCARS, or "dystopian" for HUNTED.
How does it help? When you click on/checkmark tags for my books, you help readers find my books by finding similar books to the ones they're looking at, or by subject or theme. Amazon also uses tags to decide which titles come up in search results and 'You might also like…' recommendations.
2) On Amazon, "Like" my books. Click on the button beside the title that has a thumbs up smybol.
3) Write a short review on Amazon, GoodReads, LibraryThing, Barnes & Noble, and/or another book site. It doesn't have to be a long review. Be honest, let people know what you think. It helps other readers figure out if the book would be a good fit for them.
These ways of helping have lasting effects.
4) Recommend a book you love to your friends–online and in person.
If you've done any of these things for one of my books, you have my utmost appreciation and gratitude. Thank you so very much!
Doing any of these things (or all of them) is a great gift to an author whose books you enjoy.
Know another way to help an author? Let me know.
October 2, 2011
second review of HUNTED in
The second review of HUNTED is in–and this review gave HUNTED 5/5 stars on GoodReads! (beaming)
And, as Don in the review said, I am working on a sequel to HUNTED. (smiling)
More children's & YA ebooks on sale
Amazon has more children's and YA ebooks on sale. As always, check the prices before you buy, as they can change.
The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry is on sale for $2.99 (63% off)
A Sudden Silence (Red Fox young adult books) by Eve Bunting is on sale for $3.41
Virtual Vandals: Net Force 01 (Net Force YA) by Tom Clancy is $4.99 (as well as book 2)
Skellig by David Almond is on sale for $3.99
Anatopsis by Chris Abouzeid is $3.99
Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go by Dale Basye is on sale for $3.99
Growing Wings by Laurel Winter is on sale for $2.05
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look is on sale for $3.99
For readers who enjoy being scared:
Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror is on sale for $1.99
The Haunting Hour by R.L. Stine is on sale for $1.99 (10 short stories)
Many classics are also free right now:
The Velveteen Rabbit by Marjory Williams
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
and many more.
October 1, 2011
review of YA novel Flip by Martyn Bedford
Flip by Martyn Bedford
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books, Random House: April 5, 2011
ASIN: B004FGLXQK
My rating: 5/5 stars
source: library copy
Whenever I read a book that grips me so much that I don't want to put it down, and at the same time I don't want to finish it because then the book will have ended, I want to tell others about it. Flip by Martyn Bedford was one of those books; it's a new favorite. I will be watching out for any future YA books that Bedford writes.
In Flip, 14-year-old Alex wakes up in another boy's body, in another boy's house and life–Phillip Garmond, and six months have passed. Alex can't convince anyone to believe him, and he doesn't know how to reverse it and get back to his own body and life. He just knows that he has to try. And try he does, as he slowly puts the pieces together.
I found myself rooting for Alex through the entire book, intensely hoping that he would find a way to get back to his own body and his own family, and feel once again like he belonged. Descriptions were vivid–of his new bedroom, new house and family–and yet never slowed the story down. It also helped that there were some positive characters who helped Alex, and eventually a few who believed them. It helped me keep reading and keep hoping for Alex to get his life back.
I believed utterly in Alex, in his emotional struggle, his reactions to events, his determinedness to get his own life back. It was easy to identify with Alex and feel compassion for him. There was a kind of mystery for Alex and the reader to solve, about how and why he got into Phillip's body and how to get back again, and that mystery also helped to drive the story forward. This is a compelling, engaging, beautifully written urban fantasy. Highly recommended.
September 30, 2011
DropBox is a great FREE way to easily backup your files
As writers, it's important to backup our files regularly so that we don't lose any of our work. That's true for anyone who uses documents. I use Dropbox to quickly and easily backup my writing–for free, and so can you. You get 2GB free. Once you've set up your account and specified the folder you want backed up, you don't have to do anything–it automatically backs up and syncs your files every time a file changes. You can access your files securely online, even from your smartphone, as well as your computer, knowing that you never have to remember to back up your work again or worry that you didn't back it up.
I lost an entire manuscript that I had to rewrite from scratch before I discovered DropBox, due to a hard drive failure. I'm grateful I found DropBox. I hope you'll find it as easy to use as I do.
Free YA novelas and short stories
Summer's Crossing (The Iron Fey) by Julie Kagawa is a FREE novella
Griffin's Daughter: YA Paranormal Romance by Leslie Ann Moore is FREE right now on Amazon
The Middle Passage by Julia Golding is a FREE novella
Remedial Magic by Jenna Black is a FREE bonus short story
