Michelle Erickson's Blog, page 3

Slap Jack: House of Cards Book 3

Here it is, my 21st book and 3rd I've co-written.

BLURB:  
Sarah survived the first two weeks at the Tapestry!
Taps adopted her and she now has siblings that were also orphans.She's becoming more confident using her magic.Ransom is in love with her - she sees it in his eyes and feels it in his heart, even if she's too young to do anything about it.
On the flip side:
Her bodyguard was murdered and it remains unsolved.Taps is not only a cursed ghost, she and Sarah's brother are infected with a werewolf virus.Sarah still isn't sure what Dee is, but glad she's nearly finished knitting her brain back together.
On the bright side of things, her friends are safe!
She thinks.Maybe.Hmm...is anyone safe in the magical world? Ever?

To purchase:  https://www.amazon.com/Slap-Jack-House-Cards-Book-ebook/dp/B01E9RKYCS

Shuffled: House of Cards Series, Book 2

Mates Laurentiu, cover artist, Hannah Bischoff, Typographer

Here is my 20th novel and the second I've co-authored.

BLURB:  
Sarah and her friends reached the Tapestry alive!
She’s not sure how long they’ll stay that way.
Life at the Tapestry isn’t as easy as Magicks think. Sal wants to run away, Sarah suspects Dee’s a lost mermaid.School is life threatening.Worst of all, her guardian is a ghost!Oh, and the Lurker King is still on the hunt.
It’s been a tough first week.But it has nothing on the second!


$2.99 to purchase:  https://www.amazon.com/Shuffled-Magic-Urban-Fantasy-Adventure-ebook/dp/B01A0AU7A2/

Shuffled: House of Cards Book 2

Here is my 20th novel and the second I've co-authored.

BLURB:  
Sarah and her friends reached the Tapestry alive!She’s not sure how long they’ll stay that way.
Life at the Tapestry isn’t as easy as Magicks think. Sal wants to run away, Sarah suspects Dee’s a lost mermaid.School is life threatening.Worst of all, her guardian is a ghost!Oh, and the Lurker King is still on the hunt.
It’s been a tough first week.But it has nothing on the second!
$2.99 to purchase:  https://www.amazon.com/Shuffled-Magic-Urban-Fantasy-Adventure-ebook/dp/B01A0AU7A2/

My 19th Book! Huzzah!

What's different about this book compared to my others?  It is my first Co-authored book.  It has chapter heading illustrationsIt's YA Urban Fantasy.There are only three sequels planned..
Here's the link to purchase (currently $3.99):
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Alley-House-Cards-Book-ebook/dp/B00YUWRC5A

Here's the back cover - with the Reader's Favorite 5 Star Review emblem.

Educating Book Cover Artists

As an indie author, I want my covers to match the story I wrote.  Thankfully, as an Indie, I get to choose that artist.  The downside is that I have to do the homework or find someone in-the-know, to hire a competent artist to bring my vision to life.  

Keep in mind as you hire an artist, that the relationship should remain on a professional level.  This means your exchanges should focus on the art.

I've been blessed to work with three different book cover artists so far.

I've found that successful cover artists for me are

1) able to take constructive criticism (such as, 'That's good, but I need the light to be brighter,' etc.).
2) send regular updates via email. (so you can add or subtract details as needed)
3) speak and write English because it is the only language I speak.  So, this last one depends on your language skills.
4) finish the cover in a reasonable amount of time. Two or three weeks - if it's a complicated cover, a month at the most.

As an indie author, concept sketches and updates are critical because you are your own business.
If you've explained/drawn a quick sketch, it should suffice to get the free-lance artist started.

In the end, you should be happy with the result.

REMEMBER You need to be professional as well.  Don't keep the artist tied up while you try to decide if you want the character to have eyes or not - that is also unprofessional.
Professionals always do the job they are hired to do whether they agree with it or not.  Yes, you should allow your artist to make suggestions, but, the boss (that's you) always has the last word.
Remember, the artist should not dictate terms once they verbally (or contractually) accept a commission.  It is unethical.  Suggestions are welcome, but the employer is under no obligation to take them.  In the real world, when you begin to tell your employer what you will or won't do, it will get you fired.  As an Indie author, you do not need an artist that is a Prima Donna.

New Cover for Traps by artist Mates Laurentiu

The time had come to choose which of the old covers we wanted to replace first.  Traps won the 'contest' hands-down.  Mates took the rough idea sketch below and turned it into the one on the left.

























This is the one we replaced - no words are really necessary to convey why we chose to replace it - and yes, others will be replaced as soon as the funds come in.

In the meantime, the cover is all that changed for COS 5.  I haven't modified and combed through the old manuscript at this time to correct any other errors that may exist. Hopefully, there aren't too many.

Let's Discuss: Soline

Her name(s):  Soline:  Keeper of the Waves, Sea Goddess, Sea Witch, "Sully" (though only one person dares to call her that).

Notable characteristics:  When she is out of the water, her living hair is blue.  When she is under the waves, it is dark brown.  Her eyes are supposed to be as green as apples and the irises float on the bottom of the eye like twin corks.  When she's angry or feeling strong emotion, they are stationary.

Tidbits you may not know:

In the original first-ever story draft, Soline and Ammon fought Revaya and Soline actually killed her.

My daughter came up with the idea of the Ancients.  She had written a story in high school about kick-butt female dragon riders and one of the characters in that story morphed into what years later became Soline.  She suggested I add the Ancients to the story line - the rest is history.

The picture on the left is the one I commissioned of Soline first - and is the 'older' Soline - a good thirteen millennia have passed between the one on the left and the one on the right.  The same artist did both.

Insane Water Mac?

I think losing her sanity was a close call.  There was every bit of a chance for her becoming as nutsy coo-coo ya-ya as Vael.  Those who have read the books know how she avoided total insanity.  Not that she didn't have moments after she left the Fortress....think flood.

I shuddered - often - as I wrote her. Curiously, I found her story so heart wrenching, I grew to respect her and understand her plight.  However, I still do not particularly like her.  In reality, I would steer clear of her like I would a ferocious rabid dog.

Motivation?

In a word?  Ever-changing.  She learned to tolerate her Sea Captain, automatically loved her children (but didn't know how to be a mother or grandmother).  There's also Jaydren, her first true love.  She even cares for a few people - Revaya and Ammon (though she'd never admit it).

Will she go back to Shara?

She has no intention of returning to Shara.  Ever.
Except...
Jaydren is determined to reclaim his father's estate - Stone's Fist and to right ancient wrongs. In the future book, Return to Shara, you'll have to ask yourself if Jaydren's unfathomable love is enough for their marriage to survive.


Music

Music amplifies emotion - whether heaven...or hell.  It's why I'm pretty careful about what I listen to and when I find something 'perfect' or even almost perfect, I like to use it for the emotion it draws out of me.

I look for lyrics and/or tunes that suit the characters/scenes.  This one will be Soline's song for Jaydren in Return to Shara because of the lesson she learned are in the lyrics.


Taylor Swift "This Love" lyrics

Clear blue water, high tide came and brought you in (J arrived at the Fortress)
And I could go on and on, on and on, and I will (She has been waiting millennia to escape)
Skies grew darker, currents swept you out again (when she lost him to another)
And you were just gone and gone, gone and gone
In silent screams, (she never let those in the fortress use her emotions against her)
In wildest dreams 
I never dreamed of this (though in the free land, Jaydren is always out of her reach)

This love is good, this love is bad
This love is alive back from the dead
These hands had to let it go free
And this love came back to me

Tossing, turning, struggled through the night with someone new (Finn)
And I could go on and on, on and on
Lantern burning, flickered in my mind for only you (she never lost her love for Jaydren)
But you're still gone, gone, gone

Been losing grip,
Oh, sinking ships (the least of what she's done)
You showed up just in time (Jaydren returns to her life)

This love is good, this love is bad
This love is alive back from the dead
These hands had to let it go free
And this love came back to me

This love left a permanent mark
This love is glowing in the dark
These hands had to let it go free
And this love came back to me

This love, this love, this love, this love... [4x]

Your kiss, my cheek, I watched you leave 
Your smile, my ghost, I fell to my knees
When you're young you just run
But you come back to what you need (a truth she had to learn)

This love is good, this love is bad
This love is alive back from the dead
These hands had to let it go free
And this love came back to me

This love left a permanent mark
This love is glowing in the dark
These hands had to let it go free
And this love came back to me

This love, this love, this love, this love
Source:http://www.directlyrics.com/taylor-swift-this-love-lyrics.html

Reviews: Take the best, leave the rest

Reviews are something authors and other artists have to live with.

With today's tech-savvy population, this gush of information (good and bad) is going to continue until we lose access to technology.  It could happen - apocalyptic-type scenarios are some of the best sellers.

Hey, I think it's smart to give reviews - good or bad.  I especially like the fact we educate/warn other consumers.  One of the things Amazon offers is for people to click on a button that claims your review has helped them.  I do this a lot when I want to buy something and someone has warned me about the defects whether mechanical or mental....smut or the fact a particular company always seems to have a problem counting to ten and only sends eight of a product.

On the other hand, there is something called 'trolling'  which means a person/persons with nothing better to do with their time finds something for sell that's doing well and gives a one star review - usually ranting about the negative aspects of a book/product they've never read/used. The reward for their behavior is to get a rise out of people and the attention that comes with it.




Don't feed their frenzy.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but trolls need to find a different hobby.

I write the best stories I can, but I don't expect every person on the planet to like them.  That would be unrealistic.  Some people will only read non-fiction.  Others only Sci-Fi or only books by LDS authors, etc.

I'm not perfect and my books are not perfect.  I write the stories I'd want to read and I do the best I can with the resources God has blessed me with.  Here's a fact you may not know.  At current editing rates, to get one of my (currently) 18 books professionally edited will take $1200+ that I don't have.  I've been spending the money I make on the same things regular people do:  bills.  Plus, I get the privilege of spending money on awesome covers - one of the biggest selling points of novels.  I seldom get reviews about my  typo-s or broken grammar rules, but every now and then someone better educated than I am, points things out. 

When someone finds a real problem with my work - I make changes (this does not apply to plot points or those who say please don't kill so-and-so, they are my favorite character).  I've made many changes over time - new covers, edits, corrections, etc.  If you read a lot, you will notice type-o's in traditionally published books, newspapers, and at school by teachers.

My advice:  Choose the higher road.  Use respect.  Always take the best of what you can learn in the reviews about your work and leave the trolls behind.  Seek improvement, yes, but don't beat yourself up over the fact you put the apostrophe in the wrong place.     

Lets Discuss: Ammon

Ammon is the star of the first book in the prequels, Five the Power Rising.

If I were to choose an actor today to play him, it would be Chris Hemsworth - only with auburn hair.

At the beginning of the book, Ammon is 27 thousand years old - young for Sharians.  In Shara, people have lived as long as a million years.

He is 8 feet tall - the tallest of his family.  If you've read the Chest of Souls main series, Tasut and Talon are some of his grandsons - which explains their great height, though neither achieved Ammon's full stature.


In this book, Ammon is the wayward son of the Master of Rozan Steading - and heir to the title. He is not known as the brightest apple in the bunch (he is one of 10 children Aaron and Sera had), but is known for following his 'gut' instinct and having a big heart - which is what is needed at Rozan Steading.

When you read of Shara, think of Australia as far as sheer size. Rozan Steading sits on the coast and stretches from north to south.  It's a lot of land to harvest and protect.  Their family home is grown, not built.

Good thing Ammon loves growing things.  He's in charge of enormous trees (think Redwoods/Sequoias) called Family Trees where the names of family are grown into the bark.

Unfortunately, he also enjoys brawling, which he was only too happy to teach to his siblings.  Frankly, he's good at it.

The people with 'talent' in this tale are called "Macshara" or "Macs" for short.  They are elemental (earth, wind, fire, water) and the main reason Ammon carries such a load of attitude.  If he had his way, he would eliminate them for what he perceives is insanity.

To add luster to the tale, Ammon's family has kept a secret about Ammon for millennia.  It is a gift from his golden-eyed mother and not a common one.  His father left out a few details before Ammon is forced to work at the Fortress in Brissa - like who their allies really are and what the enemy really wants and what they will do to get it.

You'll have to read the book to find out what those are.

New Cover for First Prequel: 5 Power Rising

Artist:  Mates Laurentiu
Length:  450 pages
Ebook:  http://www.amazon.com/Five-Power-Rising-Fantasy-Prequel-ebook/dp/B00DB65U8W
I've wanted to get a new cover for this book for quite some time.  The first cover just didn't do Ammon justice.  Once I had the final of the prequels finished, I realized the original cover wasn't the same format and figured Ammon should have his mug on the front cover.

The animal on his shoulder is called a Shee - this one is Spar, the first ever made (and proud of it!).

Cost:  $2.99