L.M. Preston's Blog, page 11

The Writer's Addiction

There are many many passionate people in the world. However, a Writer's passion sometimes boarders on obsession.

There are many kinds of writers. Some you've probably met or heard about.

The author that never finishes a peice of work, only to write a bit, until they get another idea, then write some more.

The author that almost finishes that piece of work but can't seem to stop tweaking and correcting it.

The author that actually finishes their first draft and are done with the darn thing because it's in so bad of shape.

The author that likes to write little stories here and there.

The author that is a story machine, writing and writing new manuscripts that never get edited or see the light of day.

Well there are those authors above and more out there.

At different times, I represented several of these types of authors.

The ONE thing that stands firm is MY WRITING and STORY TELLING obsession.

I simply can't stop.

WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE about? Is it WRITING? ART? SHOPPING?



LM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS

A New Year - New Dreams

What a way to start my year! See that picture up there? My daughter drew that for me.

Humbling for sure.

2015 was a great year. But 2016 will be better.

I plan on finishing up the Purgatory Reign Series and creating a boxed set of my Summer Luv series.

The rest of the year will be planning for a tour.

Stay tuned! There is more to come.
LM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS

Blog Tour! Deviant Storm book 2 of Purgatory Reign Series

Join ME in celebrating the release of DEVIANT STORM


Bewitching TourSchedule Deviant Stormby LM Preston

October 26 Spotlight
Sapphyria's Book Reviews
http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/

October 27 Spotlight
Lisa’s World of Books
www.lisasworldofbooks.net

October 28 Interview
Deal Sharing Aunt
www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com

October 29 Spotlight
Zenny's Awesome Book Reviews
https://zennysawesomebookreviews.wordpress.com/

October 30 Guest blog
Mythical Books
http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/
proposed topic: Good and Evil in Paranormal Romance

October 30 Spotlight
Highlighted Author
http://highlightedauthor.com

November 2 Spotlight
3 Partners in Shopping; Nana, Mommy, &; Sissy too!
http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com/

November 3 Spotlight
Teatime and Books
http://www.teatimeandbooks76.blogspot.com/

November 4 Spotlight
Share My Destiny
http://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com

November 5 Spotlight
Around the World in Books –
http://www.aroundtheworldinbooks.ca/

November 6 Top ten List
Roxanne’s Realm
www.roxannerhoads.com

November 6 Guest Blog
Fang-tastic Books
www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com

November 9 Interview
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom
www.creativelygreen.blogspot.com


LM Preston,YA SciFi Author
www.lmpreston.com
Blog: http://lmpreston.blogspot.com/
Tweet Me: http://twitter.com/LM_Preston
Facebook:http://tinyurl.com/2fev6qc


My Books
Explorer X - Alpha, The Pack, BANDITS, Purgatory Reign
Read Excerpts: The Pack, Bandits, The Pack-Retribution, Explorer X-Beta, Flutter Of Luv, Purgatory Reign 

Writing stories for and about kids that overcome the impossible...
LM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS

DEVIANT STORM - Releases Today!

Yes, I've been quiet. Quietly working on this baby for you!
DEVIANT STORM
BOOK 2 in the PURGATORY REIGN SERIES


DEVIANT STORM: (book 2 Purgatory Reign Series) 
The battle is on. Peter Saints thought he'd killed It. But bad people never stay down. Now the jail of his enemy is weakening. Luck is running out for Peter and the girl he saved by wagering the Earth. Only now, with each second and secret revealed, his enemy gains the answers to destroy Peter and devour the world.

Amazon

Smashwords

coming soon in iTunes and Barnes & NobleLM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS

Where you can find me on the Web this Month!

Blog Hopping!
Sharing the love with DOUBLE TROUBLE LUV.
Join me in the fun.
​Schedule 
​Read Between The Lines May 11A Little Bit of R&R May 12 (Heather) My World  May 13Deborah Melanie Sugar & Spice  May 16Dante Eternal's Virtual Bookshelf  May 22The Book Quarry May 26Reading Within the Lines  May 27Harlie's Books June 1 The Many Muses of MaryLynn June 3Schadoh's Ramblings & Other Chaotic Mess June 7Fabulous and Fun June 8Between the Pages June 11LM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS

Double Trouble Luv by LM Preston - New Release!

Guess Who Had An Early Release Day! Me - Me - Me Introducting
Double Trouble Luv


Description:

Sorina’s life has gone downhill. Helping her family regain all they’d lost weighed heavy on her mind. However, when her mother sacrificed their rent money for a ticket to an Amusement Park, Sorina felt things were changing . And it only got better. That day she’d met Tristan, who’d asked her for one small favor, one that would change her life forever.

Double Trouble Luv is a stand alone novella, book 3 in the Summer Luv Series that include: Thundering Luv and Flutter Of Luv.

Just 99cents!Smashwords:
Amazon:

Coming soon on other platformsLM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS

Ghost In The Machine by S.J. Davis

       Josephine, Bodhi, and Caroline, live in a scientifically advanced Victorian London as the Industrial Revolution is in full swing. Infrared goggles, dirigibles, and analog computers exist alongside bustles, parasols, and high tea. On the grounds of an Old Saxon church, three strange net-runners arrive from a future where everyone is assigned a barcode from the moment of birth. What you buy, what you read, your health care history, your bank accounts, your measured intelligence, are all captured by this barcode and sent to the feed of OmniCorp. Human data mining forms the basis of a massive Industrial Complex, a thinly veiled profit center, based on the control of human behavior. To interrupt the inception of OmniCorp, the net-runners, a subversive underground group, enlist the aid of the steampunk Victorians to thwart a meeting between two men, who hundreds of years earlier, laid the foundation for OmniCorp. Extraordinary figures race toward a rendezvous with history, weave in and out of time, fight evil steampunk automatons, hide in Victorian brothels, fight Indian mutinies, and take refuge in dystopian cyberpunk pawnshops, to insure a future where personal privacy is protected over corporate power.
Amazon | Goodreads | TwitterSJ runs three Indie Publishing companies: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly, Hot Ink Press, and Vamptasy Publishing, UK.Ten percent of all proceeds for SJ's books go to Turning Point, a counseling center for women in crisis or experiencing domestic abuse.On a personal note, SJ Davis is the daughter of an ex-patriate British mother and a Southern Baptist former CIA father. As a child, she spoke in silly accents and recounted outlandish tales of fantasy over afternoon tea. To this day it remains her favorite activity. Born in Long Island, NY, she was raised in the suburbs of Washington DC and went to school for a ridiculous amount of time. She moved from Virginia to New Jersey to Philadelphia to Chicago to Detroit, and began her writing career once her children were old enough to reach for the goldfish themselves. SJ is an avid tea drinker, a stiletto aficionado, Doc Marten worshipper, punk rock listener, and lover of flip flops and cardigans. She has a terrible sense of direction, loves gummy bears, and is a Johnny Depp fangirl.LM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS

Are In Person Book Tours Still 'In'?

BOOK TOURS - Do Authors Still Do These?
I know a few author peers both Indie and Trad Pub that have limited promo budgets. One of the things they've given up has been the 'In Person Book Signing Tours'.

I even stopped my road show last year and doubt I'll be able to do it this year.

THEY ARE STILL A VIABLE PROMO TOOL
The truth is, although it cost a lot to do them, and many bookstores are becoming super picky about them, there is still something about meeting your readers face to face.

THE COST CAN OUTWEIGH THE PROFIT
With the rising cost of promotional upheavel with Amazon's repositioning of the way readers 'see' or access books, finding online sources to reach readers can get costly.

I've given up the $5000 I usually budget for a yearly tour which includes travel and promotion, to a much smaller advertising and virtual tour only.
 BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN
However, with the lack of 'In Person' marketing and selling of my MIDDLE GRADE books, I found that sales for that particular series hasn't grown much.

Therefore, next year, 2016 I am planning a book tour again. Indie Style! I've had tons of success by doing Trade Shows, Festivals, non-book stores, school and library events.

That's my aim for 2016. Also, I'm staying local. If I can't drive to it and home in a day - I can't go. Unless I'm already traveling to that location.
 THE IN PERSON BOOK TOURS & SIGNINGs
They aren't dead, but now, more than ever the term "QUALITY" over "QUANITY" is the name of the game.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON BOOK TOURS? Yay? Nay? Do it all online? LM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS

Reader's Have Picky Taste

READERs HAVE PICKY TASTE
You ever sit and think about the types of books you read? I have, seriously considered it since getting in the publishing biz. However, prior to that, I just knew what I liked and didn't really stray too far from that.

Amazon even knew what I liked and would suggest other great books that fit in the genre, type, author, or storyline I tended to read.

Now even Netflix does that with movie selections. AMAZING!

EVALUATE WHAT YOU LIKE TO READ AND WHY? Ever do that?

I've nailed down what it is I like in each genre I read. So let's see, I dare you to do the same.

YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

I really like a coming of age story about a hard to like character, who grows in some major way, and who falls in love. I personally enjoy reading YA books with love interest and fiesty girls.

HORROR BOOKS

Action, lots of it, mixed with gore and some mystery.

ROMANCE BOOKS

I love books with the main character as a virgin. The guy has to be a rogue.  I find I really dislike weak main characters that aren't in relationships becuase they can't find anyone. I like them to be popular with guys, still have a virtue, yet is just as 'gorgeous' as the leading man.

MYSTERIES

I prefer my mystery novels to have a fast paced plot, lots of action and suspense.

MY AUTHOR and PUBLISHER HAT RESPONSE TO READER's TASTE
This evaluation of type of reader selection has made me very directed in how I select reviewers of my books. Also, how to select beta readers and critique partners.

If you have a reviewer, beta reader, critique partner that doesn't like the type of character, book, setting, or genre - there is sure to be a mitchmatch in opinion and feedback.

You are rather unlikely to change a readers taste or pallet in the types of books they prefer. So don't try.

SO  - WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GOOD BOOK?LM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS

Kingsman: The Secret Service ~ Movie Review

MOVIE REVIEW ALERT



THE KINGSMEN

IMDb Blurb:
A spy organization recruits an unrefined, but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program, just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

Director:
 Matthew Vaughn
Writers:
 Jane Goldman (screenplay), Matthew Vaughn (screenplay), 2 more credits »
Stars:
 Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson

MY TAKE ON IT

First off, there were a lot of cliche' type jokes here. Samuel L Jackson appeared to be a knock off version of Flava-Flav (you know the rapper). It was something I felt wasn't well done. The main character's initiation into the Kingmen seemed nice, although they did appear to be a snobby group. I probably would have enjoyed it more by seeing the kids bond.

It did remind me of snippets of an Austin Powers movie, with the underlying jokes and sliver on unecessary sexual innuedos.

However, overall - I enjoyed it. I took my 18 year old daughter and 14 year old (wish I hadn't taken her - I had to cover her eyes/ears for a few scenes I was unprepared for).

It was a fun movie, action packed, enternaining, and had some surprises. I give it 3.5 umbrellas.LM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS