P.J. Schnyder's Blog, page 16

QR Codes for Promo?

As an author, I'm continually looking for new ideas to promote and market my author brand and my books. Whenever I meet readers, new or old, I want to make it super easy for them to look me up or buy my books if they want to.

An idea I was tossing around was the use of QR codes.

In the course of my research, I came across this article:

QR codes on campus: why don't they work?

 

Some key highlights from the article here:

Many students may own a smartphone, but not all know what a QR code is, or willing to download the software necessary to scan.
Lighting conditions: Depending on what kind of camera phone you have, the quality of light may not be good enough to scan properly.
Time intensive: A common complaint is that it takes too much effort to scan QR codes. Taking out a phone, unlocking, going to an application, then scanning — often resulting in a URL that could have been typed in directly with less effort.
Underwhelming results: QR codes often result in a single line of text or a web link, which don't appeal in relation to the effort required to scan.
Mobile device features: Few mobile devices can be considered QR friendly. If mobile devices included an automatic scanning system within their camera components, then as less effort would be required, scanning frequency may increase.

Note: the article is about college students, but heck, the average college student is probably more tech savy than the average person. So if a college student doesn't know, I'm wondering how many people on average do know? I use QR codes, but my day job has me in a corporate environment where they're used all the time.

Does this mean I won't use QR codes? Not necessarilly. It means if I want to have this option available, I need to address certain considerations.

When would it be super easy option for people who are tech-savvy and are looking for a chance to use this technology?

What would make it worth it to them to scan the QR code immediately rather than nab easily available swag and simply walk away intending to look it up later?

What exactly am I going to generate the QR code for? Link to my website? (It'd be faster just to type it in on a smart phone browser) Buy links to my books? (Maybe) What else?

How can I be sure malware doesn't end up attached? It's a danger and many tech savvy users prefer not to use QR codes simply because they can't verify that the QR code leads to a verified URL and not anyplace with associated malware.

I very well might incorporate QR codes into my promotional kit, but I'm going to think hard about the best way to make them successful.

If you write it, I'll read it

I've had several prompts from friends and readers to write a novel on mixed martial arts. Seems logical, since I love training in mixed martial arts and have fun learning about UFC and other MMA organizations.

However, it's not so straightforward as writing a book with an MMA hero, or heroine. I don't write contemporary romance. Not that I won't, but a plot hasn't ever taken root for me in that subgenre.  I write science fiction and paranormal romance, steampunk and urban fantasy. Those are the stories that take form in my head and those are the ones that stay with me through the months it takes to write them. The characters wouldn't just be MMA fighters. They'd be something else, a step outside the normal parameters.

That doesn't mean those MMA elements aren't there.

In Heart's Sentinel, Mackenzie goes to River Gap pride and to an MMA school to enroll. Her purpose was to learn self-defense, win back some of the personal confidence she'd lost after having been brutally attacked, and also gain control of the new physical abilities she has as a result of being Changed into a shapeshifter. It's an MMA school and there's some touches of actual lessons. The MMA definitely comes out in the later fight scenes.

So did I write an MMA novel? No. Is there MMA in the book? Most definitely.

In Hunting Kat, Kaitlyn is a merc. She's a fighter. Trust me, when she has a fight scene, there's all sorts of mixed martial arts techniques incorporated. In the sequel, Fighting Kat, Kaitlyn will be doing a lot more fighting. In fact, she will step into a cage for at least one scene. MMA will provide a strong influence on those scenes.

But some friends and acquaintances still say, "Write an MMA novel and I'll read that."

Here's my thought. My stories are what they are because I love what I write. If they're not you're genre, that's okay with me. If you decide to give my stories a try and enjoy the elements I've incorporated, I'd be incredibly happy you liked my story! If you decide not to read my stories because they aren't specifically on the topic of interest to you, that's okay too.

I'm still going to write my stories because someone out there loves a sci-fi romance with mixed martial arts elements or mmorpg influence. And I'm sure there's a writer out there who writes contemporary about MMA fighters. In fact, I 've got a couple of those on my Kindle app.

 

Wrapping Up 2011

With all the blog hops, giveaways and online holiday insanity, it feels a bit odd to write a normal post. Heck, forget the rush of this past month, it's been a crazy year as a whole.

Let's see, this year saw the release of these three titles:

Spaz's Review at Wicked Little Pixie

Book Pusher Has' Review

The Romanceaholic's Review

Nicole's Review at Romance Book's Forum

Jessica's Review at Novel Reaction

Red Hot Books Review 
Hunting KatAs a mercenary, Kat Darah doesn't have to pass for a normal human. On the edge of the solar system, she's just another biped. Most of the time.

Nearing the end of his military tour, Lt. Christopher Rygard debates the idea of hanging up his uniform for good. Looking for answers at the bottom of a glass of scotch, he meets Kat.

One shared night of mutual desire seems harmless. But when their tryst is interrupted by attackers hunting Rygard, Kat must reveal her other form, the predator beneath the human façade.Together they embark on a dangerous mission—a race against time to meet the enemy's demands, while trying to deny the passion between them. Rygard is faced with a terrible choice in the face of duty: Report the existence of a human turned shape-shifter. Or forget he ever met her.

Status: Released July 4th from Carina Press

You can purchase Hunting Kat in eBook format at the following locations:

Carina Press

Amazon.com

You can purchase Hunting Kat in Audio book format at the following location:

Audible.com

Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited

® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Queentutt's Review

Drowning Tides (included in the Love's Immortal Pantheon Vol. 5 anthology)Lora loved being a mermaid, reveled in the freedom of the sea. But an ancient danger approaches and her friend, Katherine, needs to live up to her potential or countless lives will end.

In an effort to coax Katherine ashore to spend time immersed in the emotions humans generate so easily, Lora steals the breath of life from unwary divers. For every human life, she has three days and three nights to fill her lungs with air and walk among them.

Seeking the perfect bait for Katherine, Lora goes ashore … but finds love instead.

Status: release to Print in Winter 2011 from Tease Publishing LLC

You can purchase Drowning Tides individually in eBook format here:

All Romance eBooks

Amazon.com

You can purchase the Anthology in Print format here:

[link coming soon]

 



Science Fiction

Remember My Name(Gimme Shelter anthology)Snippet chosen by the editor:

Damn Recon Marines. If they'd stuck to the original route, they never would've been cut off from the transport ship in the first place. The tiny alley didn't present enough escape routes and I'd have my hands full providing the support they needed to make it the rest of the way to the waterfront.

Status: Published as companion to the Shelter in Place RPG

Met many readers at various conventions and played Spot the PJ all over the internetz. Won NaNoWriMo 2011. Had a whole heck of a lot of life challenges ranging from getting laid off to losing my house, dealing with various natural disasters and finding a new place to live. Whew.

I also accepted representation with  Louise Fury of the L. Perkins Agency. *squee!*

I'm planning to work hard in 2012 to make the positives outweight the negatives. It's my hope you'll see a bunch of new titles in 2012, including the next books in the Triton Experiment series and the Terra's Guardians series. Stay tuned and I hope you're having a happy set of holidays.

 

RAH Holiday Bash 2011

Wishing everyone a Happy Holidays!

I'm celebrating with the Romance Author Hotspot for the week with a fun interview and feature of my sci-fi romance novella, Hunting Kat.

I hope you'll stop by and visit the different party rooms at the RAH Holiday Bash. There'll be features by various authors and publishers, awesome prizes and great company. We'll also be popping in at various times during the week to answer questions and chat.

You can visit us all at the main party room here:

http://romanceauthorhotspot.com/?page_id=1261

 

 

And I'll also have an exclusive page featuring my fun giveaway, a Hunting Kat coffee mug and a black panther beanie baby.

Visit it here:

http://romanceauthorhotspot.com/?p=1335

Feel free to take a break from the holiday insanity and hop on line with us. I can't promise it'll be any less insane but it'll be fun.

 

Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop

The holiday season is filled with so many things.

There's hustle and bustle, the warmth of friends and family, and celebrations and traditions everywhere. Time flies in a blur of lights and music.

And my favorite moments? They're the ones stolen beneath the mistletoe.

A kiss, intense and savored, unhurried and enjoyed, the kind to steal your breath away.

Sigh…

*melts*

Ahem. Sorry about that.

Moving on…

I'm offering a a box of goodies as my giveaway. To win, please leave a comment and share with us your favorite moments of the season.

Also, visit the Contests page to enter to win the Grand Prize!

And the box? As much fun as it would be to have the winner surprised when they open it, I figure it'd be more fun to share with you all what you're entering to win.

Included in this giveaway is a Terra's Guardians tshirt, assorted signed cover flats for my books, a PJ Schnyder tote bag, pen and notepad as well as various books by awesome authors such as Dakota Cassidy, D Renee Bagby, Nalini Singh and more. Plus some fun swag I nabbed in my con travels this past convention season. This giveaway is open to international entrants.

Happy Holidays, all, and good luck with the many other giveaways from the other participants on the blog hop!

Editing, Don't Hit Send Without It

For those following agents this holiday season, you might notice many of them giving pub tips along the lines of: After NaNoWriMo, it's NaNoEdMo or National Novel Editing Month.

Many will tell you stories about a flood of novel submissions fresh off the National Novel Writing Month rush.

And what do I do with that freshly written novel? I let it sit for a bit. Yup. That's right. I do NOT send it off for submission. I walk away and take a break from it once I've wrapped up the last scene. It's Draft 0 to me.

Then I come back to it and begin the Edit Phase.

This is not just for simple spelling and grammar, my friends, oh no. There's several levels to my edit phase.

Plot – Do I have a solid plot throughout? Are there too many questions left unanswered at the end? Is anything too contrived or weak? Did the pacing slow down or speed up too much anywhere?
Characters – Do I have too many? too few? Do my main characters come to life the way I'd hoped they would? Are they likeable? Do any of my secondary characters pop? Do I want to lay the ground work for possible future books featuring those secondary characters?
PoV – did I head hop anywhere? Would any of the scenes come across stronger from a different Point of View?
Heat level – do all of my hankity pankity scenes have a purpose? I don't write sex simply for the sake of sex
Nitty Gritty – check for all of my bad habits: passive voice, repeated word usage, too many similes, dialog tags that break up the flow of the scene.

Every time I work with an editor at any of my publishing houses, I save their notes. I add to my list of things to look for BEFORE I ever send a new manuscript into my publishing houses again. It's my desire to learn from my editors (because they are Awesome!) and become a better writer based on how they've helped me polish each of my stories.

I feel it is my responsibility to work on my writing craft and develop my skills.

To that end, I've also taken courses when the opportunity arises. One excellent course I've taken is the self-editing course offered by Angela James of Carina Press. Every time I look through my notes from that course I learn something. I kid you not. I also owe many thanks to the Rebels of the Kelley Armstrong Forums Online Writing Groups for their excellent beta reading and critiques.

And, at the end of the Edit Phase, the final question I ask myself is, do I still love this story? Usually, the answer is yes! Even more after all the polishing.

And hopefully, my readers will love my new stories too.

After NaNo 2011

What did I do directly after I won NaNo? I watched the Lord of the Rings marathon. Oh yes, I did.

And I fell in love with Sam-wise and Aragorn all over again, held my breath at Boromir's end and laughed at the Battle of Helm's Deep during my favorite part of the battle (dwarf toss!).

But I'm not done yet. You see, my NaNo project might be a little beyond 50K, but it's not finished yet. For my genre, 50K isn't a full novel. So I rewarded myself with a little respite and relaxed with the epic fantasy adventure and let my brain unwind.

Now I'm going to get back to writing.

Oh yeah, and I have a different WIP I've been working on in parallel to my NaNo project. It's less than a chapter away from Draft 0.

So my mission for December is to finish Draft 0 on not just the WIP that's been ongoing, but also my NaNo project.

Guest Post: Danielle La Paglia – Priorities

Danni is a fellow OWG Rebel and a talented writer. I never tire of reading her flash fiction and to be honest, never read horror before getting hooked on her work.

I invite you to check out two of her flash fics that I've got featured on my Extras page:

Lust - Story by Danielle La Paglia. Photo by Kanit Dararutana, model & editing by PJ Schnyder
Pursuit - Story by Danielle La Paglia. Photo by PJ Schnyder

***

As NaNo comes to a close I wish you all the best in your final efforts to sprint (or drag yourself bleeding and crying) across the finish line tonight. I discovered NaNo in 2009 through Kelley Armstrong's writing forum. It was October and I decided it was something I absolutely HAD to do. I did very little by way of plotting (which I highly do NOT recommend), but I wrote my butt off—early mornings, lunch breaks, late nights, all weekend—and hit 50K on November 25. It can be done. It was equally exhilarating and exhausting, but I'm so glad I did it and I actually can't wait to get to do it again. Sadly, that opportunity wasn't this November.

For the second year in a row, I've found myself in the middle of edits come November. I have a fresh idea burning a hole in my head and I could have very easily pushed the editing aside to play with my shiny new idea, but as a writer we have to not only set goals, but also set priorities. The main goal in front of me is to find an agent and that means editing must take priority over NaNo. The shiny new idea will still be there twinkling in the sunlight at the end of the editing tunnel, but it will have to wait right there until this manuscript is polished and ready to query.

Of course, it will take me a lot longer than thirty days to hit fifty thousand words on it and I won't have the comradery of the other NaNo participants cheering me on to my goals, but it will give me something to focus on while I make my way through a fresh round of queries. And if I work faster in 2012, hopefully I'll have that shiny idea polished and ready to go BEFORE November, so I can dive into another NaNo whirlwind. Come October, I'll have to take a hard look at where I am and decide what takes priority.

And as dawn breaks on December 1, you'll have to take a fresh look at your own priorities—finish the manuscript, go back and edit, or take a well-deserved break. Only you know what right for you. And remember, whether you hit 50K tonight or not, you've written tens of thousands of words and that's never a bad thing. Good luck reaching tonight's goal and facing new priorities come the morning.

Guest Post: Sharon Cullen – Cooking During NaNo

I love NaNoWriMo but sometimes I wish writing was ALL I could do during this month (or any month, for that matter). Unfortunately, for most of us, our families don't understand that wish and so, occasionally, we must raise our heads from our fictional worlds and lift our hands from the keyboard and feed those other beings that live with us. When that happens to me (I wish someone would have told me that these people expected to be fed three times a day), I turn to my trusty slow cooker.

I heart my Crockpot. And I say that with utmost sincerity. If I were a singer, I'd write ballads dedicated to my Crockpot. Luckily, my family likes it just as much.

So I thought I'd share a few of my favorite recipes with you in the hopes that you will share a few of your favorites in the comments section. I'm always eager for a new recipe to spring on the other humans in my house.

Crockpot Pork Chops

I have no other catchy name for this recipe since I created it myself (hey, all my creative energy is spent on my characters and books. The well is dry when trying to name recipes). This is a family favorite and most requested from my husband.

4-5 thick, boneless port chops

2 cans of Campbells Golden Mushroom soup

1 can of Campbells French Onion soup (sometimes I'll use Campbells beef broth but the French Onion adds more flavor)

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp (or to taste) Wursteshire sauce

Mix all ingredients except the pork chops in the Crockpot. Add pork chops and spoon mixture over. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

 

Pineapple Chicken

4-5 boneless chicken breasts

1 can pineapple tidbits with liquid

1/4 cup soy sauce

Place chicken in Crockpot, add pineapple with liquid and soy sauce. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours. Serve over rice.

 

Macaroni and Cheese

(This one I snatched from Paula Deen and added a few extra ingredients to make it a little more creamy)

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stuck) butter, cut into pieces

2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 block cream cheese

Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. An hour before serving cube the cream cheese and mix into macaroni and cheese.

Remember to post your favorite recipe in the comments section!

Sharon Cullen is the author of paranormal romance, romantic suspense and contemporary romance with Samhain Publishing and Carina Press. Her stories have received many five-star reviews. Her newest release, Her Dark Knight (Carina Press), is now available for purchase. You can visit Sharon at her website, on Facebook and on Twitter where she loves to spend time with readers.

Buy link

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Post: Kay Keppler – What about March?

Kay agreed to visit my blog and give a different perspective on NaNoWriMo…

***

I love the idea of NaNoWriMo, I really do. I mean, what writer wouldn't? I love the idea that hundreds of thousands of novelists get together at exactly the same time every year and write an entire freaking book. This is awesome. I would love to gear up, hunker down, imbibe some serious joe, and get a jump on the next opus. I'd love to kvetch and compare with my friends and fellow co-writers at the end of the day, or even the hour, about what we got done since the last time we checked in and kvetched.

I mean, doesn't that sound like fun?

Yeah, in somebody else's universe. NaNoWriMo is so not happening. Who are we kidding? NaNoWriMo is in November. This is the worst timing of the entire year. People are squashed by end-of-the-year craziness. For the self-employed, like me, bills are due. Projects are due. Tax junk has to be pulled together. Those insane health account use-it-or-lose-it thingies have to be spent.

And let's not forget the elephant in the room here—Thanksgiving. I travel for it, a party I wouldn't miss for the world. Two days traveling cross country and back, plus the event, takes six days out of the month. And that's not counting the pre-travel day to eke out the last deadline, pack, pay bills, and water the plants, and a day of jetlag after to lie comatose on the sofa and recover from post-Thanksgiving airport fever.

So 50,000 words not in 30 days, but 22 days, right off the bat. Plus the bills, projects, taxes, health account thingies, and…holiday cards. Shopping and travel plans for the next giant holiday. I just can't do it all and write 50,000 words, too. I'd fail at everything. So not the feeling we're going for during the holidays.

I'm sure when Chris Baty and his 20 friends sat around in 1999, they all said, "hey! We've got time off! Thanksgiving and Veterans Day coming up! I know! Let's write a book!" It must have sounded like a great idea at the time. Twenty-one participants, six that got to 50,000 words, all good. By 2010, 200,500 people participated in NaNoWriMo, and 37,500 of them got to 50,000 words.

I wonder, though, if any of those 200,500 writers got any turkey? Or if they all sat in cold garrets and pounded on their keyboards. I suppose the more writers participate in NaNoWriMo, the more the turkeys of the world rejoice. If 200,500 people are pounding on keyboards and they aren't eating turkey, well, happy days on the poultry farm.

This got me to thinking. Can America have both turkey and NaNoWriMo? I considered writing to Chris Baty. At first I thought NaNoWriMo could be moved to a month that is short of holidays. I like March. Not much happens in March. You could lose a day or even two around St. Patrick's Day, depending on how Irish you feel, but how hard can a person party around "National Chocolate-Covered Raisin Day" or "Extraterrestrial Abductions Day"? In March you can also celebrate "I Am in Control Day," so you'd be sure to get that book done. Plus, NaMaWriMo has a ring to it.

But then I thought, why should Chris have to move his holiday? If we didn't have Thanksgiving in there, November would be a great time to write a book. Fall is a time to clear one's head before the new year begins. A time to Prepare. Focus. A time to write.

And that settled it. I'm writing to Washington. I know Congress will listen to me. And I know they'll all agree that Thanksgiving is in the wrong month. We've got to move it to March.

And then, NaNoWriMo people, I'm so with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Betting on Hope

When her father loses the family's Nevada ranch in a poker game, Hope McNaughton decides to win it back—from New Jersey Mafia boss Big Julie Saladino. She hasn't played cards in a while. But she's got time…thirty days. Thirty days before they have to move out or swim with the fishes.

Hope calls on her honorary uncles—who are totally legit, honestly—to sharpen her game. Poker champion Tanner Wingate—whose shady past is all behind him, really (except when the cops come calling)—wants to pull her out of that deep water and into his life.

When she and Tanner both wind up in the Big Game with Big Julie, only one of them can win. And whoever walks away with the pot will be the biggest loser.

But Tanner knows that the game's not really over until the fat lady sings, and all they need is a fake black ops mission to discover that love's not such a gamble, after all.