L.M. Preston's Blog, page 31

The Gap Between Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction

Sometimes I wonder if it was wise of me from a marketing standpoint to write both Middle Grade fiction and Young Adult Fiction. They seem to be sometimes miles apart.


Many times I when I look at my sales of both genres I can see the big divide. And when I attend publishing conferences or writing events I’m constantly told not to jump genres all the time.

WHY NOT JUMP GENRE

The most important reason is the building of different markets. When you write a book in a specific genre, market that book, build a fanbase for that book within your genre – changing it means basically starting all over again.

Someone who reads mostly romance may not be a fan of your new horror book. It’s so much easier to build and maintain an engaged audience when you keep feeding them goods they love. Which in turn saves marketing dollars and efforts.

BUT…if you write companion genre it may help instead of hurt. For me, I hope my middle grade readers grow up to like my young adult novels as well.

DO READERS CARE

Yep, because let’s face it. Readers are picky and creatures of habit. Yeah, I may jump out of my comfort zone once in a while but most people love the same type of story and genre. For instance, all those girls that loved Disney’s fairytale love stories probably love romances that are grown up love story, lol!

THE DIFFERENCE IN SALES

This to some people is the bottom line. I have to admit that my Middle Grade books sell MUCH better in person at book signings, direct to stores and other venders then it does in ebook. It’s growing in ebooks but not by leaps an bounds mainly because most people prefer to buy their 6th-8th graders paperback books over ebooks.

My Young Adult novels do much better on the ebook formats than the paperback. Over the years their paperback sales have shifted to the ebook format although remaining somewhat steady in paperback.

SOOO…… What are your thoughts? Do you like to read an authors book when they hop genre even when the genre is something you aren’t in love with?

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

Celebration Giveaway for Sheri Larson of Writer's Ally!!!

Sheri Larson of Writers' Ally is having a HUGE giveaway to celebrate her signing with Literary Agent Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary!

Are you an aspiring writer? Well this giveaway will explode your socks off! You've got to get in now. *AND yours truly, LM Preston will be giving away a 10 page critique *  that I'm excited about.

And because our literary community is so freaking fabulous and generous, Sheri's having a Bigger-Than-A-Shopping-Mall GIVEAWAY!! The giveaway consists of:
 two separate Rafflecopters with multiple giveaways  and  one grand prize Rafflecopter giveaway  - to enter for the grand prize, you must enter either giveaway #1, #2, or both. There's only one mandatory entry. Everything else is up to you!! The giveaway is open until September 27th. WINNERS will be announced on September 28th. (Entrants may win more than one prize!)


Thank you so much for entering, spreading the word, and celebrating with Sheri!!
List of Rocking Participants: Lenny Lee, Colene Murphy, LM Preston, Darby Karchut, Joanne Brothwell, Patti Larsen, Christine Fonseca, Catherine Stine, Jessica Bell, Kelly Hashway, Leigh Moore, Christine Danek, Alex Cavanaugh, Katie Mills, Matthew MacNish, Beverly McClure, Marcy Hatch, Jennifer Million, Nicole Zoltack, Christina Lee, Kris Yankee, JL Spelbring, Sharon Mayhew, Candice Granger, Dianne Salerni, Lisa & Laura Roecker, Elana Johnson, Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi, Susan Kaye Quinn, Lydia Kang, Julie Musil, Natalie Agurrie, Talli Roland, Medeia Sharif, Kelly Polark, Angela Brown, Sarah Fine, Stina Lindenblatt, Lynda Young, Susan Fields, PK Hrezo, Shannon O'Donnell, Shelli Johannes-Wells, Theresa Brown Milstein.
Links to Rafflecopters: 
Giveaway #1 -  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YTAxM2U2MDc3MGFmN2FkMjUwNzEzOGVjOWJhNWYyOjEy/a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway #2 - http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YTAxM2U2MDc3MGFmN2FkMjUwNzEzOGVjOWJhNWYyOjEz/a Rafflecopter giveaway
Grand Prize Giveaway -  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YTAxM2U2MDc3MGFmN2FkMjUwNzEzOGVjOWJhNWYyOjE0/ a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good LUCK!!! I'm cheering for you :-D
LM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS

How Does An Adult Author Capture Teen Voice?

Hey Remember this Movie? I feel like that when I'm writing :-D
I hear it all the time. From other authors. From other adults. Even from kids. Is it a gift? A curse? A well thought out plan? How does an adult writer, capture and portray a teen voice in their books.

Truth is, I think it's different for every author.

MY SECRET to holding and keeping my teen voice...

I mentally put myself in that place, that age, that space my mind where I remember everything I felt, how deeply I felt it, and what I thought about when I was a teen. Also, with a dash of imersing myself in my kid's conversations with their peers, having a great open relationship with my own children and candidly discussing their issues with them while I write has helped me grow and blossom in creating that Teen Voice.

And guess what? That voice is EVER CHANGING.

FACTORS that CHANGE that 'Teen Voice' are:

Location (demographics)
Social Status
Intellectual Focus
Gender
Race

and many more little nuances that make people different.

All in all, when I sit down to write, I'm an actor, playing a part that I just happen to depict on paper instead of on stage. And with a wiley, everychanging thing like the 'teen voice' sometimes I nail it, sometimes I have to work on it. But in order to keep chugging it out, I have to allow myself to be open to my audience. Hang out around them, study them, listen to them, feel with them and respect them.

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

Alligators Overhead by C. Lee

Get your running shoes ready! Crocodile hunter's got nothing on C. Lee's new Middle Grade adventure Alligators Overhead !



Blurb:
Alligators, witches and a spooky mansion aren't your average neighbors unless you live at the edge of the Ornofree swamp in the backwater town of Hadleyville. The town’s bad boy, Pete Riley, may only be twelve, but he’s up to his eyeballs in big trouble, and this time he isn’t the cause. This time the trouble arrives when a legendary hundred-year-old mansion, materializes next door and the Ornofree alligators declare war to save their swamp from bulldozers. Things only get worse when Pete’s guardian aunt and several of her close friends vanish while trying to restore order using outdated witchcraft. Now Pete must find his aunt and stop the war. He might stand a chance if his one friend, Weasel, sticks with him, but even then, they may not have what it takes.




Follow C.Lee and tell her that LM (who's afraid of Alligator's) sent you~

 AMAZON KINDLE http://tinyurl.com/7hv8j5a
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE http://tinyurl.com/7fcvk48
B & N http://tinyurl.com/8ywogjt
WEBSITE http://cleemckenziebooks.com
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/cleemckenzie...
TWITTER @cleemckenzie





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

THE CONDUIT by Stacey Rourke - COVER REVEAL!

THE CONDUIT by Stacey Rouke



Have you heard of it? You - have - got - to - pick up your copy!



BLURB
All 18-year-old Celeste Garrett wants is to head off to college and make those fun, yet ill-advised, choices college kids are known for. And maybe to spend some time with the hot cameraman she just met. Instead, because of a pact her ancestors made in the 17th century with a mythical creature, she has to save the world.



While normal kids are slamming energy drinks and cramming for exams, Celeste will get her adrenaline rush fighting a fire breathing dragon. She wants to meet friends in the quad to exchange lecture notes, but first she must exchange blows with a shapeshifting demon on the rooftop. Life isn’t always fair for a superhero, but at least she doesn’t have to do it alone. With her brother and sister as sidekicks, they alternate between saving lives and getting on each others’ nerves. Together the trio encounters unspeakable odds, mystical forces and comes face-to-face with an image that will haunt them forever—their grandmother in a leopard print bikini.


-excerpt from THE CONDUIT



"Okay, little side note here. If a psychopathic killer asks if you want to see a trick, say no. That’s the smart thing to do. I, on the other hand, responded, 'Bring it'."


CHARACTER INTERVIEW! Woot!   Character Interview of Celeste Garrett star of The Gryphon Series interviewed by Stacey Rourke, author of the series



Stacey-Celeste, thanks so much for being with us today!

Celeste-Uh, I only exist in your head. You know that, right? So it’s kind of a “where you go, I go” situation.

Stacey-(talking behind her hand) I get that, okay. But would you just please play along?

Celeste-Whatever, Boss Lady. Thanks for having me and congrats on your public display of schizophrenia.

Stacey-You’re mouthy. You know that?

Celeste-I am what you made me.

(Stacey scowls, Celeste gives her a big grin.)

Stacey-Let’s move on, shall we?

Celeste-Sure, this is fun!

Stacey-So, in book one of The Gryphon Series, The Conduit, you found out that because of a pact your ancestors made you’re the fabled Chosen One. How has your life changed since then?

Celeste-Well…I was going to go to college and be an art teacher. Now I have an army of demons chasing me and trying to kill me on a pretty much daily bases. So…uh…things have been better. Wait a sec, that was all YOUR doing! YOU made me the Chosen One! Why you…

Stacey-Next question?

(Celeste huffs.)

Stacey-Are you going to pout for the rest of the interview? I’ve done nice things for you, too! What about Caleb, we meet him in book 2, Embrace. He’s all kinds of fun eye candy! I made him just for you!

Celeste-He is pretty amazing. You cooked him up in your head?

Stacey-Yep! The face and hair of Ian Somerhalder, abs of Joe Manganiello, body of Alex Pettyfer and Irish accent of Gerard Butler. Nice, huh?

Celeste-Very! And I thank you for letting me play with your Frankenstien-esque creation, however I think you may be watching too much TV.

Stacey-Well this isn’t about me, is it?

Celeste-Easy, don’t get huffy. I have a question for you. (leaning in) So in book three do Caleb and I…(wiggles eyebrows suggestively)

Stacey-Celeste! First of all, if you aren’t mature enough to say what the act is you’re not ready to do it! Secondly, your Grams could be reading this!

Celeste- I know she is. Who do you think told me to do the eyebrow thing?

Stacey-Oh for crying out loud. Moving on.

Celeste-That wasn’t a yes or no.

Stacey-I guess you’ll just have to wait and see like everyone else. So, we also met Rowan in book 2, the golden haired bad boy pirate. Let’s talk a little bit about him.

Celeste-Oh, you mean the hot demon that can control my mind with a simple touch and makes me lose complete control of my inhibitions? Yeah, he’s a hoot. Thanks a bunch for that. That’ll make fidelity with Caleb super easy.

Stacey-Oh don’t worry, you won’t have to juggle both of them for very long.

Celeste-What?! Why? Is someone going somewhere?!

Stacey-Well that’s about all the time we have for today…

Celeste-No it’s not! I live in your head and will not let you sleep until you answer me!

Stacey-To our readers, please pick up The Conduit and Embrace by me, Stacey Rourke, and look for Sacrifice coming this fall wherever fine books are sold.

Celeste-Writers block will look like nothing compared to the sit in I’m staging until you answer me! Not one creative thought will leak out! Don’t act like you can’t hear me!

Stacey-Also catch a special Gryphon Series short in the Paranormal Days Gone Awry Anthology releasing this Halloween by Anchor Group Publishing.

Celeste-Ever gotten your butt kicked by a figment of your imagination? ‘Cause your itching for it, Rourke.

Stacey-Thank you to our guest, Celeste, for her time and thank you all for joining us. Happy reading!

Celeste-You. Me. Parking lot. Now.


COVER MAKEOVER REVEAL
  So this is the FIRST cover. What do you think?  

AND.... annnouncing...here now .... NEW AND AWESOME COVER.....

BAM!



Like it?

BUY IT HERE: Amazon, just $2.99 in ebook and paperback $11.99
And HERE: B&N

STACEY's Website is here! Drop in and say Hello :-DLM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS

Most Awesome Book Appearance

Well I guess now I'm a book signing veteran. I’ve been doing signings now for I about three years. But the most memorable one I’ve done has been at Walker Mill Middle School. It’s a school just outside of Washington DC and they have a great and positive school staff that works with smart kids that are navigating through some major struggles.

This last time I visited there, the school had a tragedy. A young 8th grade girl had attempted to commit suicide in the school. The kids were highly sensitive as it was apparent that the situation was caused by bullying.

Even though I was signing books, talking to the kids about finding their own inner strength, my heart was breaking for them. During my book signing portion of the day, a young girl came up to me, with tears in her eyes and hugged me. Then she thanked me and told me that me giving her one of my books and signing it just for her was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.

Moments like that are – priceless. Priceless.

I hold that moment to my heart and every time I sit down and write, that girl and many other young people on the poised to become someone great encourage me to keep writing stories for them.

MORE YA INDIE CARVIVAL bloggers Click Here!





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

Do you like Pirates?

Well my pirate series, BANDITS, got a new cover lift. I know, I know, I just showed off the updated cover for one of my other series *wink* but I had to update Bandits because book 2 in the three part series comes out next fall.

Here's the BEFORE:

Paperback: This cover will not be converted until next January.




Ebook:






Here's the after: Thanks to Emma Michael's :-D (thank you Emma *wave*)


Oh and guess what else? BANDITS is still free until the end of the week!  Get your copy on Amazon, B&N or Smashwords now!LM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS

Benefits Of Being A Writer You Never Considered

During my years pursuing my writing career I’ve met all types of authors, poets, screen writers. Many who just write because it’s something in them that drives them to do so. But there are some that write out of necessity to support other talents. Most of all writing does something for me I never thought it would – expose me to others.


WRITING IS A DOOR THAT OPENS TO…

Meeting others. In my desire to do my best to write that one novel that will expose me to a larger audience I searched around my city for a writers group. I found a few and I joined them all. Maryland Writers Association, The Romance Writers (I just hang out a few of their meetings), The Columbia writers group (I found them off of www.meetup.com) , the Black Writer’s Guild, Mid-Atlantic Book Publishers, and Independent Book Publishers Association, Critique Circle, AbsoluteWrite.com/forum and YaLitchat.org. All of which I joined not to meet people but to learn about writing. But throughout the years I’ve met tons of amazing and best-selling authors who’ve further inspired the best from me.

Speaking Platforms. Did you know you don’t have to be a bestselling author to get speaking gigs? Well you don’t. Matter of fact, sometimes you don’t necessarily even have to have anything published. You can support others to becoming published and be able to speak about this. I never knew this before I started speaking and touring for my books. I have met people who have spoken at events (maybe for free or even sometimes paid) that support the art of writing by being a long standing board member of writerly organizations, being a freelance editor who edit books of other authors, or someone that organizes and promotes authors and such. Sometimes just starting to write something and exposing yourself to people in the business gains you knowledge that you can share on the speaking circuit.

Gives you something to talk about. I’ve met quite a few writers that have been writing their novel for over 5yrs or even more. They sometimes admit that they may never finish but love to just write. They often share their challenges with their writing and their triumphs and from one author to another I totally understand that writing is like putting together a puzzle. Some people like to finish it, others like to widdle at it. But in both cases, it is pleasurable and freeing.

Can Support Other Goals. There are many people in my day time career and some of my peers that love their career areas in medicine, engineering and social services. They’ve found it a necessity to have a published work to support their speaking or to give to peers on their subject matter. Many of them don’t like to write. But they’ve worked with writing coaches to help them write books, pamphlets, support documents and white papers to share. Sometimes this has turned into a profitable venture for them. Believe it or not, many of these folks self-publish their materials and make a pretty penny on speaking and selling these items to their guest.

SO….



With all I’ve shared about writing and being an author, what has just putting pen to paper have exposed you to? Or grown in you? Are you a Blogger who has a following or a writer who’ve met great friends in your journey or a student who wrote a story that moved your class. Please share.

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

Hot Little Book Releases!

Check out some fun summer reads!


August 2012 - The Flutter of Luv by LM Preston. Available on Amazon.


Dawn, the neighborhood tomboy, is happy to be her best friend’s shadow. Acceptance comes from playing football after school with the guys on the block while hiding safely behind her glasses, braces, and boyish ways. But Tony moves in, becomes the star Running Back on her school’s football team, and changes her world and her view of herself forever.

This is a short story told in ten episodes similar to an anthology of short stories over the course of Dawn’s and Tony’s realization of how much they mean to one another.

Also there is a short story at the end called Hush A Bye My Baby Brother for the reader to enjoy along with samples of LM Preston’s other book



August 2012 - Broken Shell Island by Dalya Moon.

Available on Amazonand Kobobooks.com.


Opal gets a dirty old suitcase for her birthday. She’s not impressed. Her grandfather tells her she’ll need it, because she’s going to live with her great aunt on Broken Shell Island. Opal wonders if her grandfather hasn’t gone senile, because Broken Shell Island is a made-up magical place that their family friend Flora Fritz writes picture books about.

Length: 78,800 words

Genre: Fantasy

Ages: Family-friendly; ages 10+




August 2012 - A Gathering of Angels by Cate Dean. Available in ebook on Amazon.


*This is Book 2 of the series. Book 1, Rest For The Wicked, is also available on Amazon.

Claire Wiche sacrificed everything to keep her friends safe, revealing her true self. She expected the final battle to be the end for her. But she is back, breathing - and threatened by an enemy she doesn't have the means to fight.

An enemy bent on vengeance and possession, whatever the cost.

Trapped, alone, Claire has to find the strength to stand against what she knows she can't defeat. And the courage to face the people she thought she left behind.

*Includes a short preview of Back in Black, Book 3 of The Claire Wiche Chronicles, coming in Fall 2012.





August 2012 - Broken Yeah Wow by Kerem Mermutlu. Available in ebook on Amazon.


Nina is a British teenager who only lives for one thing. Her blog. For her, nothing else matters and nothing will stop her from becoming a famous blogger.

Yet, things are getting complicated. She's already trying to forget that her mum has been missing for weeks. She's also trying to ignore the feeling that the clouds in the sky seem to keep following her all the time. And then one day, Nina gets a message on her blog that might explain everything. A message that might just change her life forever.

From the acclaimed young adult writer Kerem Mermutlu, Broken Yeah Wow is a novel that revolves around blogs, coffee, trying to understand your best friend, staying up all night because you can't sleep, and figuring out who you are.



July 2012 - FanGirl! by Angel Lawson. Available in ebook and paperback on Amazon.

When Ruby Miller and her best friend, Iris, post an amateur video on their Zocopalypse fansite, neither expect the film to go viral, to be invited to lead the FantasyCon parade or meet Gabe Foster, the creator and artist behind the graphic novel.
Gabe announces Zocopalypse’s adaptation to a television miniseries and pegs college-bound Ruby to play iconic zombie hunter, Alexandra. She reluctantly accepts, pushing aside her summer babysitting job and plans to lounge around the pool in favor of negotiating with agents, hot actors and the paparazzi.
Attending zombie boot camp and memorizing lines is hard enough, but Ruby must learn to trust her instincts in a world where the line between fiction and reality ceases to exist, and the two worlds blur into one.
July 2012 - The Wedding Cake Girl by Anne Pfeffer.  Available in ebook on Amazon.
Seventeen-year-old Alexandra spends so much time helping others realize their dreams that she never has time for her own. An expert ocean diver and reluctant maker of wedding cakes, she longs to leave roses and frosting behind to study oceanography. Alex’s mother won’t have it—needy and dependent, Mom can’t run the family wedding cake business on her own. 
No matter what Alex does, things only get worse for her. When she saves a man's life while scuba diving and becomes the local hero, Mom's angry with Alex for going diving at all. Mom discourages Alex's new friendship with Jeremy, a fun and insanely wealthy boy who happens to have a secret. Then, Alex's best friend, Zack, a hunky island guy, starts to take an interest in her as well. The problem is, he's dating another girl.
As Alex struggles to learn where she stands between her two difficult and confusing Prince Charmings, it occurs to her that maybe what she really needs is a Prince Charming for Mom. If she doesn't do something fast, they'll bury her in her "Sue's Wedding Cakery" apron with a spatula in her hand. 
The Wedding Cake Girl features a colorful island setting, dangerous underwater diving adventures, a family of billionaires, and lots and lots of buttercream. The book is Alex's journey toward not only finding love, but learning how to step forward and take control of her own life, a rite of passage that faces all young readers.

July 2012 - Apocalypsis by Elle Casey. Available on Amazon.


APOCALYPSIS is a 3-book, YA Post-Apocalyptic series, beginning with Book 1, Kahayatle. Books 2 and 3 will be available July 31 and August 31 respectively (2012).

KAHAYATLE
My name's Bryn Mathis. I'm seventeen years old and I live in a neighborhood outside of Orlando, Florida. I live alone because my dad died almost a year ago, along with all the other adults in the world. I'm almost out of food and the gangs of kids that roam around my town are getting more vicious by the day.

It's time for me to leave and find another place to live … a place where I can find food and shelter … a place where they won't be able to find me.

Alone, it might have been possible; but now I've got company. I'm worried that I don't have what it takes to get from here to my final destination.

And I have no idea what might be waiting for me when I get there.

**No drugs, or sex. Yes violence and some foul language. This is DARK SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR featuring teen characters only.**
~
Note to contributors: we just added this page on July 29th, 2012 - please let Dalya know when you have a new book launched so it can be added here from now on!










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

WHEN is TOO Much TOO Much? A Hero?

The Olypics has been a major inspiration to me. Major!

You know who this is?



What about her?

And isn't this powerful?



In these hard times of a sagging economy (although some people still have money, lol) we have wanted to be inspired, pushed, encouraged by HEROES!


But we all have the power to become one. Yeah, we do. I never thought that writing a book. Something I must admit to doing selfishly for myself. The one thing that allows me to escape and become - well someone amazing (all my characters to me are amazing, lol) has turned me into ... well a Super Hero. It has in that it pulls from me much more than I ever thought I could give. I wake up early, sleep really late, survive on 6 hrs of sleep only to work a day job I love - but I find time to write. To reach out. To share a piece of myself with other people.

However, I've been upping my game as a hero. Wanting more. So as I've toured to promote my book, I realized that the writing - oh that's just the bottom of the iceburg to the benefits of writing.

Teenagers have hugged me.

They have said I inspired them.

They've wrote me letters.

They have touched my heart.

And the fact that in such a little way, I have touched someone and bought them on my adventure - in hopes that, they too can grow from it the way I have. Has quite frankly amazed me and gifted me with something PRICELESS.

'okay, I'm getting teary eyed.'

BUT THERE ARE OTHERS - A HERO YOU OVERLOOK everyday

A mom or dad who is raising her kids on her own.

The fireman or police officer that saved a life

A boy or girl that stopped their friend from using drugs.

A survivor of tragedy.


And one I know and love that I see very often, my best friend, who as a single mom lost her job, and was diagnosed with Devics disease and who can't walk - looked at me and told me she will walk for her kid. And you know what ... she will :-D

I saw her take her first step this weekend.

I saw her pull herself up the stairs through serious pain.

I saw her never once break down and cry, even though I knew that alone she had, but all she had for me and her kids was - smiles.

To me, she is my hero. My Olympian. My inspiration.

* THANKS to everyone who helped make my book baby, BANDITS #1*


PICK up a FREE COPY for a short time only! Click here and while you are there, 'Like' me :-DLM Preston (www.lmpreston.com) , author of THE PACK, EXPLORER X-Alpha and BANDITS