Maria Hammarblad's Blog, page 38
May 20, 2013
Great reviews for Undercover!
The website Faerie Tale Books has kindly featured Undercover with a spotlight and review. Check out these kind words:"Undercover is James Bond meets Stephanie Plum! Jenny Moore lives a pretty normal life, does pretty ordinary everyday things like gossip with her girlfriends. She dreams of having adventures and getting lost in a romance. One day she gets a client that will change her life forever. Alexei Roshenko is a very competent spy and assassin. When he comes to America he doesn’t expect to meet the girl of his dreams. The instant heat and attraction between Jenny and Alexei is swoon worthy. The two are caught up in a whirlwind romance that leaves them both breathless. When Alexei’s trip comes to an end he goes back to Russia with a heavy heart. He can’t get Jenny and their time together out of his mind. Jenny is just as bad, except for once in her life she decides to be impulsive and follows Alexei to Russia. Their reunion is not what she expected.
Maria Hammarblad has written a faced paced, quirky romance that combines action, adventure, comedy, and danger. From the first page to the last the reader is caught up in Jenny’s life and her adventures that follow after leaving America for Russia. The suspense and drama bring the character’s closer together.The character’s worm their way into the reader’s heart, while the plot ensnares the reader’s interest page after page. Will Jenny and Alexei get a chance to be together? Sit back and hang on for the ride of your life!"
The following comes from the website Bookworm Babblings. Thank you!
"Jenny Moore starts the New Year with high expectations of great things. Little did she know that it would happen right in her office. In walks Alexei Roshenko, a Russian Captain, man of mystery with a sexy accent. The chemistry is instant, they’re inseparable. Will she still love him when she finds out his secrets? How far will he go to keep her safe?
There was quite a bit more romance than I’d expected in this book. It starts of a little slow in the beginning, but if you can stick with it, it certainly picks up the pace about halfway through. I thought it was interesting how committed Alexei was from the very beginning. Jenny seemed very trusting, when Alexei gave her a glimpse of his past. After hearing it, I’d personally would have run and not look back. It was very exciting in the second half of the book and things get really interesting. All in all, a great novel filled with romance and suspense."
May 19, 2013
Home Sweet Home! =)
I've been at the BlogPaws conference in Washington, and returned home last night. It's been a good conference and a good trip, but coming home was awesome!
I think I spent two hours last night being glomped and kissed by the doggies, and giving tummy rubs. They thought I was never ever, ever, coming home again. I usually don't go anywhere without them, and traveling without my furbabies and dear hubby was a bit weird.
Mikey says Topper held out hope the longest. He kept staring out the window, waiting for me long after the others gave up. He's my baby boy!
I brought a big bag of treats for them. They might not care, but it soothes my bad conscience for leaving them.
It was a great conference. I suspect I'll be talking about it and all the awesome people and pets I met for a few days. One of the highlights was meeting Dino Dogan - the founder of Triberr. Such a pleasant and friendly person!
My friend Maya took me sightseeing in Washington. The Lincoln memorial was much larger than I expected.
Maya and the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln was huge!
The White House, on the other hand, was smaller than I thought it would be. It's a big house, but I expected something even larger, probably because it looks so huge in all movies.
There were guards everywhere, and they were shutting off the street for some event. Of course, we managed to be on the wrong side of the blockade, and trotted down the road trying to look like we belonged. The secret service kept their eyes on us, but no one said anything.
One guard stood on a lawn clearly attempting to look inconspicuous with a black bag in his hands. Fail: the handle of an assault rifle stuck out of the bag clear to see. I sort of wanted to wave to him just to see what he'd do, but I didn't. It was clearly a time for good behaviour.
There were all sorts of cool animals at the conference. I wish I could have brought one of my doggies, but they wouldn't handle an environment like that too well. There are so many people, weird sounds, and so many other animals I think it would have been a disaster. Maybe Topper could have come if I had been a visitor, but not when working.
One exhibit had baby chickens. One of them fell asleep in my hands. I sort of wanted to bring them home, but they weren't allowed aboard airplanes, so they couldn't go to Florida. I sort of knew that chickens are flock animals, but I didn't realize that you're supposed to have at least three. They need company from each other, and like to cuddle up together.
We met the cutest ferret named Snotface. I have photos of him, but they're in my phone so I'll come back to him in a later blogpost. There were also a lot of cool cats and dogs, of course, and the biggest bunny rabbit I've seen in my life. At 34 pounds he weighs as much as my dog Topper. It's hard to imagine a rabbit that size, so here he is with Maya. That's a big rabbit!
Maya with a 34 lb rabbit!Petfinder had a booth, and I made a friend in Moses, an adorable mixed breed dog with an "adopt me" vest. I wanted to take him home, but that wouldn't have been a hit with hubby and the other dogs. He was a real cutie, though, and extremely well behaved. For a little while, he curled up on my lap and took a nap. I hope he gets a wonderful home of his own.
Moses, an adoptable dog.
At a conference like this, where there are animals everywhere, one get to see some unexpected things too. I don't usually take photos in the ladies' room, but I couldn't resist this.
I was at BlogPaws with my daytime job at PlexiDor Pet Doors. We had a giveaway, and this became one of my fondest memories from the conference, because the woman who won was so happy. She has great Danes, and will get an extra large door for wall mounting. It's a good prize; it's a great pet door. Her enthusiasm made my day!
Here's our winner, Marie, with Maya and Robert at the booth.
Marie won an extra large PlexiDor pet door.
The adventures didn't quite stop even on the flight home. The plane we were originally on was cancelled, and we had to leave hours earlier than expected. Having to break booth in the middle of the conference could have been really bad, but everyone was understanding.
We didn't think we were all that late to the airport, but sort of forgot that we were flying out of Washington DC. Security was fierce. Maya dropped Robert and me off at the airport and went to return the rental car since we had luggage to check and we all estimated that it would take longer for us than for her. By the time we were through security, we realized she wouldn't make it, and she didn't. She came to check in with one minute to spare, and they told her she wouldn't make the flight. Seeing things from the bright side; if any of us were to be left behind it's a good thing it was her, because she has friends everywhere and is less lost than I would be. I mean, I'd grumble, attempt to find another flight, and probably end up in a hotel room mad as hell. She turns things into something positive. I think she called a friend and ended up going out for dinner with some of the bloggers from the conference. It was still weird to leave without her.
We had a layover in Atlanta, and the flight was late. Peculiar airport. The restrooms were like a mile away from the gate. Anyway, since our flight schedule was all messed up I think they squeezed Robert and me into the very last seats available. We ended up at the very back of the plane, and I sat next to a lovely gentleman who talked about when he first came to Florida in 1970. When he heard I'm Swedish, he told me about traveling in Europe in the 1950's. He had some fascinating stories.
A couple of rows in front of me sat an old woman, and I saw her struggle to get up of her seat. It's not that easy when the seats are narrow and an unyielding armrest is in the way. No one went to help her, not even when she attempted to fold out the tray table and lean on it, so I unbuckled my belt and went over to offer my hand. She made her way to the restroom, and the man next to me asked if I knew her. I said, "No. I just saw her having problems getting up and I felt bad for her." He asked several times if I was sure I didn't know her. I thought, "I'm Swedish, my mom raised me to help people when they need it, and one day it could be me sitting there unable to get to my feet."
When the plane landed, I rose up and was happy to stand in the aisle for a few minutes. The woman turned to me and said something - in German. I understand German fairly well on a good day, but at this point my mind was completely overloaded. I recognized the language, but that was it. She said it again, and I shook life into my last remaining braincell, managing to answer, "Ich spreche sehr schlecht Deutsch." (It means "I'm very bad at German.")
My words came out slowly and probably with a horrendous accent, but her face lit up with a smile, and she said, "That's okay, we can speak English instead."
She thanked me for helping her, and told me she had been sitting for over sixteen hours as they flew in from Munich. That's a long journey. After flying and sitting in airports for that long, I don't think my legs would be happy to carry me either! She was on vacation with her family, and wanted to re-visit places where she grew up, and wanted to visit her mother's grave in Sarasota. Such a wonderful story, and wonderful people. I would never have spoken to her if I hadn't gotten out of my seat, and I'm happy I did.
Rounding off the conference talk for today, here's a photo of one of the cutest dogs I've ever seen! I had the opportunity to hold him, and he weighs like nothing. I want one, LOL.
I think I spent two hours last night being glomped and kissed by the doggies, and giving tummy rubs. They thought I was never ever, ever, coming home again. I usually don't go anywhere without them, and traveling without my furbabies and dear hubby was a bit weird.Mikey says Topper held out hope the longest. He kept staring out the window, waiting for me long after the others gave up. He's my baby boy!
I brought a big bag of treats for them. They might not care, but it soothes my bad conscience for leaving them.
It was a great conference. I suspect I'll be talking about it and all the awesome people and pets I met for a few days. One of the highlights was meeting Dino Dogan - the founder of Triberr. Such a pleasant and friendly person!
My friend Maya took me sightseeing in Washington. The Lincoln memorial was much larger than I expected.
Maya and the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln was huge!The White House, on the other hand, was smaller than I thought it would be. It's a big house, but I expected something even larger, probably because it looks so huge in all movies.
There were guards everywhere, and they were shutting off the street for some event. Of course, we managed to be on the wrong side of the blockade, and trotted down the road trying to look like we belonged. The secret service kept their eyes on us, but no one said anything.One guard stood on a lawn clearly attempting to look inconspicuous with a black bag in his hands. Fail: the handle of an assault rifle stuck out of the bag clear to see. I sort of wanted to wave to him just to see what he'd do, but I didn't. It was clearly a time for good behaviour.
There were all sorts of cool animals at the conference. I wish I could have brought one of my doggies, but they wouldn't handle an environment like that too well. There are so many people, weird sounds, and so many other animals I think it would have been a disaster. Maybe Topper could have come if I had been a visitor, but not when working.
One exhibit had baby chickens. One of them fell asleep in my hands. I sort of wanted to bring them home, but they weren't allowed aboard airplanes, so they couldn't go to Florida. I sort of knew that chickens are flock animals, but I didn't realize that you're supposed to have at least three. They need company from each other, and like to cuddle up together.We met the cutest ferret named Snotface. I have photos of him, but they're in my phone so I'll come back to him in a later blogpost. There were also a lot of cool cats and dogs, of course, and the biggest bunny rabbit I've seen in my life. At 34 pounds he weighs as much as my dog Topper. It's hard to imagine a rabbit that size, so here he is with Maya. That's a big rabbit!
Maya with a 34 lb rabbit!Petfinder had a booth, and I made a friend in Moses, an adorable mixed breed dog with an "adopt me" vest. I wanted to take him home, but that wouldn't have been a hit with hubby and the other dogs. He was a real cutie, though, and extremely well behaved. For a little while, he curled up on my lap and took a nap. I hope he gets a wonderful home of his own.
Moses, an adoptable dog.At a conference like this, where there are animals everywhere, one get to see some unexpected things too. I don't usually take photos in the ladies' room, but I couldn't resist this.
I was at BlogPaws with my daytime job at PlexiDor Pet Doors. We had a giveaway, and this became one of my fondest memories from the conference, because the woman who won was so happy. She has great Danes, and will get an extra large door for wall mounting. It's a good prize; it's a great pet door. Her enthusiasm made my day!
Here's our winner, Marie, with Maya and Robert at the booth.
Marie won an extra large PlexiDor pet door.The adventures didn't quite stop even on the flight home. The plane we were originally on was cancelled, and we had to leave hours earlier than expected. Having to break booth in the middle of the conference could have been really bad, but everyone was understanding.
We didn't think we were all that late to the airport, but sort of forgot that we were flying out of Washington DC. Security was fierce. Maya dropped Robert and me off at the airport and went to return the rental car since we had luggage to check and we all estimated that it would take longer for us than for her. By the time we were through security, we realized she wouldn't make it, and she didn't. She came to check in with one minute to spare, and they told her she wouldn't make the flight. Seeing things from the bright side; if any of us were to be left behind it's a good thing it was her, because she has friends everywhere and is less lost than I would be. I mean, I'd grumble, attempt to find another flight, and probably end up in a hotel room mad as hell. She turns things into something positive. I think she called a friend and ended up going out for dinner with some of the bloggers from the conference. It was still weird to leave without her.
We had a layover in Atlanta, and the flight was late. Peculiar airport. The restrooms were like a mile away from the gate. Anyway, since our flight schedule was all messed up I think they squeezed Robert and me into the very last seats available. We ended up at the very back of the plane, and I sat next to a lovely gentleman who talked about when he first came to Florida in 1970. When he heard I'm Swedish, he told me about traveling in Europe in the 1950's. He had some fascinating stories.
A couple of rows in front of me sat an old woman, and I saw her struggle to get up of her seat. It's not that easy when the seats are narrow and an unyielding armrest is in the way. No one went to help her, not even when she attempted to fold out the tray table and lean on it, so I unbuckled my belt and went over to offer my hand. She made her way to the restroom, and the man next to me asked if I knew her. I said, "No. I just saw her having problems getting up and I felt bad for her." He asked several times if I was sure I didn't know her. I thought, "I'm Swedish, my mom raised me to help people when they need it, and one day it could be me sitting there unable to get to my feet."
When the plane landed, I rose up and was happy to stand in the aisle for a few minutes. The woman turned to me and said something - in German. I understand German fairly well on a good day, but at this point my mind was completely overloaded. I recognized the language, but that was it. She said it again, and I shook life into my last remaining braincell, managing to answer, "Ich spreche sehr schlecht Deutsch." (It means "I'm very bad at German.")
My words came out slowly and probably with a horrendous accent, but her face lit up with a smile, and she said, "That's okay, we can speak English instead."
She thanked me for helping her, and told me she had been sitting for over sixteen hours as they flew in from Munich. That's a long journey. After flying and sitting in airports for that long, I don't think my legs would be happy to carry me either! She was on vacation with her family, and wanted to re-visit places where she grew up, and wanted to visit her mother's grave in Sarasota. Such a wonderful story, and wonderful people. I would never have spoken to her if I hadn't gotten out of my seat, and I'm happy I did.
Rounding off the conference talk for today, here's a photo of one of the cutest dogs I've ever seen! I had the opportunity to hold him, and he weighs like nothing. I want one, LOL.
May 17, 2013
I need your help! Pretty please...?
To my delight, my book Kidnapped has been nominated for a RONE award. I want to win. I mean, I really, really, really want to win. And you want to help me, right?That's what I thought. =D
I need you to visit this page http://www.indtale.com/rone-awards/2012/week-5 and vote for Kidnapped.
If you're not already signed up with Ind'Tale magazine they require you to create a user account, but it's super easy. If you absolutely don't want to sign up, there's also an option to e-mail them a vote. I'll be forever grateful.
Thank you in advance!
For now, I'll sit here and keep my fingers and toes crossed, hoping for the best.
May 15, 2013
On the road: Blogger Conference
I am on my way from sunny Florida to Virginia. I've never been there before. It's funny; I've been to the north and south of the US, but never before anywhere in the middle. LOL.
The occasion: Blog Paws blogger conference. I'm evidently a book blogger and not a pet blogger, but my daytime job is in the pet industry, and if anyone visits the conference, I'll be wearing a PlexiDor badge. Look for me at the PlexiDor booth, or mingling. =)
Considering I'm an introverted science fiction novelist, I'm definitely more of a writer than a talker. My colleagues handle the booth much better than I. I look at the product and say, "Uh, it's a pet door. The cat or dog goes in and out." I can write about it, but face to face with a person I don't have all that much to say.
Since I am the company blogger, it seemed prudent that I should go to the blogger conference anyway. I'm really happy the sales team thought of me; I didn't expect anyone would ask if I wanted to go. (Thank you Robert and Maya, if you're reading this!)
One of my friends in the office looked at the schedule and said, "That's great. Look at all these seminars you can go to."
I thought, "Yeah, yeah, spending more time listening to people babbling about nothing."
At the time I was still in school, and had lectures falling out my ears because my head was so full of them. (LOL) I looked at the schedule yesterday, and now when my brain has had some time to recuperate from the university, some of the seminars actually look useful. Like, "Tips on how to market e-books."
I'm still going with mixed feelings. I feel guilty for leaving hubby with the dogs, and guilty for leaving the dogs. Luckily, it's just a few days.
If you are at the conference, come see me and tell me you read this blog post. If you do, I'll send you a free e-copy of my next book Flashback. The release date is June 21, so you'd have to wait a little, but not awfully long.
I don't expect to be blogging much from the conference, so this corner of the Internet might be quiet for a few days. We'll see. I might find some writing time.
The occasion: Blog Paws blogger conference. I'm evidently a book blogger and not a pet blogger, but my daytime job is in the pet industry, and if anyone visits the conference, I'll be wearing a PlexiDor badge. Look for me at the PlexiDor booth, or mingling. =)
Considering I'm an introverted science fiction novelist, I'm definitely more of a writer than a talker. My colleagues handle the booth much better than I. I look at the product and say, "Uh, it's a pet door. The cat or dog goes in and out." I can write about it, but face to face with a person I don't have all that much to say.
Since I am the company blogger, it seemed prudent that I should go to the blogger conference anyway. I'm really happy the sales team thought of me; I didn't expect anyone would ask if I wanted to go. (Thank you Robert and Maya, if you're reading this!)
One of my friends in the office looked at the schedule and said, "That's great. Look at all these seminars you can go to."
I thought, "Yeah, yeah, spending more time listening to people babbling about nothing."
At the time I was still in school, and had lectures falling out my ears because my head was so full of them. (LOL) I looked at the schedule yesterday, and now when my brain has had some time to recuperate from the university, some of the seminars actually look useful. Like, "Tips on how to market e-books."
I'm still going with mixed feelings. I feel guilty for leaving hubby with the dogs, and guilty for leaving the dogs. Luckily, it's just a few days.
If you are at the conference, come see me and tell me you read this blog post. If you do, I'll send you a free e-copy of my next book Flashback. The release date is June 21, so you'd have to wait a little, but not awfully long.
I don't expect to be blogging much from the conference, so this corner of the Internet might be quiet for a few days. We'll see. I might find some writing time.
May 14, 2013
Welcome Donna Fasano and Reclaim my Heart!
Donna Fasano is a great romance writer who recently released her new book Reclaim my Heart. Today, I have the pleasure of presenting a guest blog by her. Welcome Donna!Why I Write Romance NovelsBy Donna Fasano
I can’t tell you how many times over the course of my 20-plus year career as a published romance author I have been asked, “When are you going to write a realbook? You know, a [insert genre of choice: mystery, historical, thriller, etc].” So I’d like to take this opportunity to tell readers why I write romance novels.
I suffered a lot of tragedy while I was growing up, the worst of which was the death of my mother just as I was entering my teens. I felt as though I went from 13 to 35 overnight, and when my friends were off having fun, I was cooking and cleaning and helping my little brother with his homework. Romance novels were an escape for me. The Wolf and the Dove, The Far Pavilions, Whitney My Love, Rebecca, The Thorne Birds… if the book featured one man and one woman falling in love, I read it! Romance novels offered me hope for a happy future filled with love (hokey, maybe, but I was a naïve teen). As a young wife and mother, I discovered Silhouette Romance Novels. These books were short and sweet and uplifting. Each and every story put a smile on my face, and the happily-ever-after endings always boosted my spirits. Are romance novels real? No. Does every real-life relationship end in HEA? Of course not. But if I wanted doom and gloom, I’d watch the evening news.
As an author, I can’t think of a better way to use my talent than to bring pure enjoyment to my readers. I tell people that I write cotton candy for the mind. Think about that. When you were a kid and you put a small cloud of that wispy confection on your tongue, what did you do? You smiled. And maybe you even laughed. That’s the reaction I’m going for with my short, upbeat stories. That’s why I write romance novels. So if you’re looking to get lost for a few hours in a fun, cheery story, I hope you’ll try one of my books.
Blurb:Sixteen years ago, Tyne Whitlock cut all ties to her past and left town under the shameful shadow of a teenage pregnancy. Now her fifteen-year-old son is in trouble with the law and she is desperate for help. But reaching out to high-powered attorney Lucas Silver Hawk will tear open the heart-wrenching past in ways Tyne never imagined.
Forced to return to the Delaware Indian community where Lucas was raised, Tyne and Lucas are tempted by the heated passion that consumed them as teens. Tyne rediscovers all the reasons she found this man irresistible, but there are scandalous secrets waiting to be revealed, disgraceful choices made in the past that cannot be denied. Love is a powerful force that could heal them both—if the truth doesn't rip them apart.
About Donna Fasano:
She is a three time winner of the HOLT Medallion, a CataRomance Reviewers Choice award winner for Best Single Title, a Desert Rose Golden Quill Award Finalist, and a Golden Heart finalist. Her books have sold in over 3.6 million copies worldwide, and have been published in nearly two dozen languages. Her books have made the Kindle Top 100 Paid List numerous times, climbing as high as #17.
See more of Donna:
Author Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/DonnaFasanoAuthorAuthor Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/DonnaFazAuthor Website/blog: http://DonnaFasano.blogspot.comGoodreads author/book page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1111480.Donna_FasanoPinterest: http://www.Pinterest.com/DonnaFaz
Buy the book:
Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Reclaim-My-Heart-ebook/dp/B00CQ5YROW/Link to B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1046638236?ean=2940016699684
May 13, 2013
I'm clearly not as smart as I think I am...
I've been renting a little house for the past three years, and every year when it's time to re-sign the lease I think it would be nice to move to something bigger. Every year, moving becomes too much work, so we stay. This year, the universe must have decided that it's time to get going: the landlord has decided to sell the house.
We've been debating whether to rent somewhere else or make a go at buying a house. My credit history is kind of short, because I haven't been in the US all that long, so I feel I'm teetering on the edge of what's possible. Still, no harm in trying, right!
Anyway, I went to look at this kind of nice house - well, it could be nice - that is theoretically within my price range. I wanted to tell my husband all about it, so I took some great photos with my cell phone.
Let me rephrase that; I thought I took great photos with my cell phone. Turns out, most of them are of pretty trees and of my car in the drive way. They're fairly well composed if I may say so myself, but don't do much to show the property... *cough* LOL
We've been debating whether to rent somewhere else or make a go at buying a house. My credit history is kind of short, because I haven't been in the US all that long, so I feel I'm teetering on the edge of what's possible. Still, no harm in trying, right!
Anyway, I went to look at this kind of nice house - well, it could be nice - that is theoretically within my price range. I wanted to tell my husband all about it, so I took some great photos with my cell phone.
Let me rephrase that; I thought I took great photos with my cell phone. Turns out, most of them are of pretty trees and of my car in the drive way. They're fairly well composed if I may say so myself, but don't do much to show the property... *cough* LOL
May 12, 2013
Why do so many book covers look the same?
In order to make a book cover and stay on the right side of the law, the artist generally buys images from a photographer, or from a stock photo site.Before I go any further with today's line of thought, let me address a question I hear constantly from self-published and new writers:
Why would I have to pay for an image? Stock photos are expensive. Can't I just take it from Google, Pinterest, PhotoBucket, or from this great wallpaper site I found?
No, you can't. For a number of reasons. Images are copyrighted, just as the written word. Photographers and graphical artists don't want their work plagiarized any more than writers do. They not only deserve to be paid; using someone else's material without permission is against the law.
Take my word for it. Unless using a completely original picture, book covers are created from purchased images, either from stock photo sites, or directly from photographers.
What's a stock photo site?
It's a webpage where photographers and artists can upload their work for everyone to see, and anyone can purchase rights to use an image. How you can use it depends on what kind of image it is, and you need to check the license agreement for that specific picture. IE, most are fine to use for a book cover. Some won't allow their images to be altered, others can be photoshopped and combined. Some images are strictly for editorial use and cannot be used for anything besides, say, a news article. (These usually show a celebrity.)
Example of stock photo sites are istockphoto.com, canstockphoto.com, dreamstime.com, and shutterstock.com. Some are specialized, like romancenovelcovers.com.
In many cases, photographers and artists upload their images to more than one website, and it pays to shop around.
Anyway, my point with this blog post is, there's a limited amount of images with certain types of models.
I'm not saying a limited amount of models; whether the same person is on many covers or not is a moot point.According to romancenovelcovers.com, Jimmy Thomas has been on over 4,000 covers. Most of them look different. I don't know how many different shots there are of Jimmy Thomas, but there are definitely more than I'd bother counting, LOL.
These covers are great. They give a familiar face (body, LOL) but they're still distinctly different.
The problem arises when there's a limited number of images with each model.
Thus, if a model has a face that appeals to writers and cover artists, you're likely to see the same image on many book covers.
Think about that for a second. The image can be really super cool, and the model drop dead gorgeous. If the exact same image is on two hundred books the image is still super cool and the model is still gorgeous, but the book looks just like all the others.
I'm a member of more author groups on Facebook than I can keep track of, and I see a lot of new book covers. There are a handful of images that appear on at least one new book cover every week. I usually don't say anything, because the writer is all happy about their new cover, and I don't want to hurt people's feelings, but it might be the wrong approach, because it's not helpful.
I've seen this photo on at least 75 book covers. (Enough of them to inspire me to look it up, LOL!)
This guy is popular. I found him on canstockphoto.com, and there are around a hundred images of him there. A few of them pop up all the time. On a weekly basis, I see new covers with this photo in the rain, one where a girl bites his neck, and one where a girl tears his shirt off. In many cases the artist photoshopped the picture together with something else, but many just put the photo on the cover and add some text. All those books look exactly alike to me. I can't tell you who wrote what.
I've used him too, not for book covers, but on the Goddess's website and blog. I think he's in the book trailer too. Luckily, I haven't used any of these super popular pictures, but I'm thinking of changing it anyway. If I can find the energy. ;-)
Since the same images are on many stock photo sites, it's hard to know which are popular, and which are popular for book covers.
It's not just photos of people. For a short period of time, I had a short story collection called Invasion available on Amazon. My Invasion looked like this:
A couple of weeks later, this book was released:
Same spaceship, same name, just cropped differently and with another font. Great. (I think mine looks better, LOL!)
I took my book down, figuring it needed a re-write anyway. I've never gotten around to fixing it up and re-publishing.
I thought of showing some other people's book covers that look almost identical, but I'd be sad if someone did that to me, so I won't. I don't have a solution to the problem, just keep it in mind. If you have a cover with the guy in the rain, maybe your book is so outstanding people will recognize it anyway. If not, your book might be drowning in the masses, and you might want to reconsider.
May 10, 2013
The SFR Brigade presents, Adam and Eve
Good news for scifi romance lovers: it is time for a new issue of the SFR Brigade presents! Today, I'm presenting a snippet from the beginning of my novella Adam and Eve; the third book in my series Embarkment 2577. It's out of context, of course, but I'm sure you get the idea.
Click here to check out excerpts from more science fiction romance authors!
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“You look like a scared Ensign right out of the academy. It doesn’t become you. Spill it.”
My Captain’s eyes looked right through me and could probably see the wall on the other side. Visiting his office all alone wasn’t one of my best ideas.
I took a deep breath and plunged in.
“You know how John’s ship was almost destroyed when he saved us from the black hole?”
Blake leaned his elbows on the table and tapped his fingertips together.
“It would be hard to miss considering I’ve housed it in a cargo bay for three weeks.”
“Yeah… About that…”
“He needs three more weeks?”
“I was actually thinking… He didn’t have to come save us, and he put everything on the line for us. Maybe you could ask him to hang around for a while?”
He blinked.
“You want me to ask a drunken criminal to come live on the flagship of the Confederacy?”
“Yes, but it sounded better in my head.”
“Dammit, Alex. We are the law. We’re supposed to catch people who steal and smuggle and put them away.”
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Blurb: In this third novella in the "Embarkment 2577" series, Alex thinks nothing more could possibly stand between her and the peaceful and secluded life she covets. There aren't any aliens standing in line to meet her, no vengeful humans sneaking up on her, and no black holes anywhere in sight. She has found a home and a family, and nothing more could possibly go wrong. Right?
All she has to do before curling up in the sofa is to escort an unexpected visitor to the guest quarters until the Captain has the time to meet the newcomer. Should be a walk in the park...
You can see this novella on Amazon by clicking here. Members of Amazon Prime can read the entire series for free.
May 9, 2013
What goes up must come down, right?
If you throw something up, it will fall back down, all thanks to gravity. Right? According to the Huffington post, this isn't necessarily true. Physicists have attempted to weigh antimatter, trying to figure out how it interacts with gravity.
Antimatter has the same mass as matter, but opposite charge and spin. (I didn't know that.) It might be possible for antimatter to fall up instead of down when pulled by gravity. If this is true, is there such a thing as antigravity? Sounds like a science fiction movie, doesn't it.
The article notes that it's difficult to experiment with antimatter, because when it meets regular matter, the two annihilate. Also sounds like a science fiction thing. "Fire anti-matter missile..."
Thus far, the experiments aren't conclusive, but I am so curious to see what will happen! When I was a little girl, I imagined spaceships that would fly with anti-gravity drives, bouncing from planet to planet. It seemed self-evident at the time. Maybe the idea was good. ;-)
Antimatter has the same mass as matter, but opposite charge and spin. (I didn't know that.) It might be possible for antimatter to fall up instead of down when pulled by gravity. If this is true, is there such a thing as antigravity? Sounds like a science fiction movie, doesn't it.
The article notes that it's difficult to experiment with antimatter, because when it meets regular matter, the two annihilate. Also sounds like a science fiction thing. "Fire anti-matter missile..."
Thus far, the experiments aren't conclusive, but I am so curious to see what will happen! When I was a little girl, I imagined spaceships that would fly with anti-gravity drives, bouncing from planet to planet. It seemed self-evident at the time. Maybe the idea was good. ;-)
May 8, 2013
Weird science facts
During my travels around the Internet, I ran in to a fascinating list of weird science facts. I couldn't make this stuff up!
Did you know that...
There are 62,000 miles of blood vessels in the human bodyLaid end to end, they would circle the Earth 2.5 timesA typical hurricane produces the energy equivalent of 8,000 megaton bombsPolar bears can run at 25 miles per hourPolar bears can also jump over 6 feet into the airDolphins and humans share a common ancestorThe average person accidentally eats 430 bugs each year of their life. Eeewww!A single rye plant can spread up to 400 miles of underground rootsIf you want to see the rest of the list, follow this link.
Did you know that...
There are 62,000 miles of blood vessels in the human bodyLaid end to end, they would circle the Earth 2.5 timesA typical hurricane produces the energy equivalent of 8,000 megaton bombsPolar bears can run at 25 miles per hourPolar bears can also jump over 6 feet into the airDolphins and humans share a common ancestorThe average person accidentally eats 430 bugs each year of their life. Eeewww!A single rye plant can spread up to 400 miles of underground rootsIf you want to see the rest of the list, follow this link.
