Kelly Hashway's Blog, page 105

Reviews

Now that Touch of Death is being read and reviewed I've been trying to avoid Goodreads and other places where reviews will pop up. Don't get me wrong. I want people to review the book. I do. But I know reading is subjective. I've loved books others have hated and vice versa. So, unless my marketing coordinator at Spencer Hill Press tweets a review, I don't read them.

Why? I'm human. I have feelings. I pour myself into my books, and I know that not everyone will love them like I do. Now from what others have told me, the reviews have been great. And like I said, I read the ones that get forwarded to me because I know they are "safe" to read. But I'm also realistic. I know some people who don't like zombies, will pick up my book anyway and it won't be for them. I'm okay with that.

So, I'm taking a stand and saying this: Whether you loved my book, liked it, or it wasn't for you, thank you for taking the time to read it. With all the books out there, I'm honored when people choose to read mine. 

Do you read your own reviews? And if you don't have books out yet, do you think you will read your reviews when the time comes?

Monday Mishmash and SHP Holiday Giveaway!

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts and a huge Spencer Hill Press giveaway!
Touch of Death Giveaway Winner!  Congrats to Beth Consugar for winning the ARC of Touch of Death and SWAG for Touch of Death and Love All. There will be another giveaway this month, so stay tuned!Monthly Newsletter  My free monthly newsletter comes out at 5pm EST today. If you aren't signed up to receive it but would like to, click here.SHP Holiday Giveaway 
Here's what's up for grabs!
GRAND PRIZE Holiday Cheer Away Holiday Giveaway Bag
Books:TOUCH OF DEATHOne Spencer Hill Press book (winner's choice--can include soon to be release selections)
Jewelery:BraceletTOUCH OF DEATH Handcrafted Pendant-www.stainedglasscreationsandbeyond.co... Necklace and EarringsSo Many Books, So Little Time Necklace
Giftcards:$20 Amazon or Barnes and Nobel (Winner's Choice)$15 StarbucksTwo $10 Amazon
Critiques:First Chapter Critique-Mary GrayFirst Chapter Critique-Rhys A JonesQuery Letter Critique-Trisha Wolfe
Cool Stuff:GUARDIAN T-shirtBETRAYED Fridge Magnet FlashlightOrnaments Holiday Towel and PotholderCandy- nom nom nom
Swag: BREAKING GLASS Handcrafted BookmarkFINN FINNEGAN Handcrafted Charmed Bookmark- www.stainedglasscreationsandbeyond.co... OF DEATHFINN FINNEGANBETRAYEDANGELINA'S SECRETCOPPER GIRL OTHER TREEPODs


Contest is opened to entries from Dec. 3rd to Dec. 16thContest is open to all ages from 13 to any adult age.  ( I love to promote reading and writing with young readers.)Contest is opened to US and Canada residents only. Sorry   :(
Fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter. Good luck!


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Touch of Death Playlist

So I've been keeping this quiet for a while now, only leaking a song here and there on the Touch of Death Facebook page. But that's all over. Here's the complete Touch of Death playlist, and I even put them in order so they follow the story from start to finish. 

Before I show it to you, let me say I chose the songs after I wrote the book, and because I did it that, the songs fit the story really well. I can't listen to any of these without picturing Jodi and the other Ophi.

Okay, here it is!


1. What I’ve Done—Linkin Park 
2. Poison—Alice Cooper    
3. Monster—Meg & Dia  4. Warrior—Evans Blue  5. Through Hell—We Are the Fallen  6. Live to Die—Evans Blue 7. Zombie—The Pretty Reckless  8. Dance With the Devil—Breaking Benjamin 9. Get Out Alive—Three Days Grave 10. This is Gonna Hurt SixxAM 11. Burn It Down—Linkin Park12. Hero—Skillet 13. Today Belongs to the Light—Roger Cline & The Peacemakers

There you have it. 13 songs for the necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac. 

Here's one of my favorites from the playlist:


And one more of my favs:


What song best fits your current WIP?

Negatives Can be Positives

Did I lose you already? Well, hang on for a moment and let me clear this up. I've had a quite a few people ask me how I stay motivated in the face of rejection. I do actually have a secret. I'm competitive and I have a bit of a need-to-prove-people-wrong complex. 

Let me take you back to my junior year in high school. I was on the varsity tennis team and my coach went around the team giving his predictions of what kind of individual records we'd each have. He got to my doubles partner and I and said, "You'll win more than you lose." Ouch! We got mad. Really mad. That's insulting! (So insulting I remember those exact words all these years later!) So what did we do? We worked our tails off and broke the school record for most wins. We still hold it.

I haven't lost that need to prove people wrong. But don't misunderstand me. When I get a rejection, I get upset first. I may even cry. But then I work harder because I need to prove I can make it in this industry. And do you want to know something? When you get that acceptance, the rejections that came before it don't matter anymore.

What about you? Can you turn rejection into motivation?

Monday Mishmash 11/26/12

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:Touch of Death on Kindle  Touch of Death is now available for pre-order on Kindle. Yay! Find it here. And yes, that is a blurb from Jennifer Armentrout on my cover. So thankful to her for blurbing my book!The cold that won't go away!  I feel like I've been sick forever. I just want to be healthy again.Shawnee Gallery  The Shawnee Gallery is reopening under new management and they will be carrying copies of all my picture books. :)Love for Touch of Death  This review is so good I admit I cried when I read it. Thank you to Kayleigh-Marie Gore. Cyber Monday  I admit I prefer Cyber Monday to Black Friday. I'm hoping to find some good deals today.That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Cover Reveal: Edge of Truth by Natasha Hanova

Today, I'm happy to share the cover of Natasha Hanova's upcoming YA novel, Edge of Truth!

Citizens who report to work on time, obey the Overlord’s laws, and stay off the Synbot’s radar, live long lives. Long, dull, monotonous lives.


It’s not a bad plan for someone with a hidden, emotion-based ability to trigger earthquakes. In a world pitted against her, sixteen-year-old Rena Moon strives for a life beyond working herself to death at the factory. Seeing an alternative, she risks selling relics from the forbidden lands at Market. It becomes the worst decision she ever made. Someone kidnaps her best friend in exchange for the one thing that would end her oppression.
Driven by loyalty, Rena and seventeen-year-old Nevan Jelani, soulful composer, green thumb extraordinaire, and the secret love of her life, plot to rescue her friend and reclaim her salvage. Still, the thought lingers whether Nevan is a true hero or another thief waiting for his chance at her loot. Events spin wildly, deepening Rena’s suspicions and pushing her limit of control. With more than her chance for freedom at stake, she must decide if she’s willing to kill to protect what’s precious to her. For once, the Overlord isn’t holding all the power, but can Rena live with being reduced to what she’s trying so hard to escape?

Title: Edge of TruthPublisher: Sapphire Star Publishing  
Category: Young AdultGenre: Paranormal Romance/DystopianRelease Date: June 6, 2013Add it on Goodreads.
Where to find Natasha:Blog: http://writesbymoonlight.wordpress.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorNatashaHanovaFacebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/Hanova.NatashaTwitter: https://twitter.com/NatashaHanovaPinterest: http://pinterest.com/natasha411/
What do you think of the cover and blurb?

Giving Thanks

With Thanksgiving tomorrow here in the U.S., I'm thinking of all the things I have to be thankful for. Here's my list, not in any particular order:
my familymy friendsmy agentthe writing communitybook bloggersmy Spencer Hill Press familymy Month9Books familymy Swoon Romance familymy agency sistersmy YA Bound sisterscoffee (I couldn't function without it.)the internet (for making it possible for me to connect with writers and readers all over the world)good booksmy laptopsmusic (even though I look and sound like an idiot when I sing along)my editing clientsmy healtheveryone who has read my booksmy blog followersWhat are you thankful for?

Monday Mishmash 11/19/12

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

Thanksgiving  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I got to help out with my daughter's Thanksgiving program at school. It was so much fun and so cute.Editing  I've been editing a lot lately for clients. Other than being a writer and a mom, editing is such an amazing job. I get to read awesome manuscripts and help other writers.Holiday cards  The photo cards I ordered came in. Now I just need to print my labels and mail them.Author events  I was at the Cops and Kids Reading Room on Saturday, reading my picture book, May the Best Dog Win. These events are always so much fun, and it was sponsored by Just Born candy company.Touch of Death Blog Tour  I have some great stops coming up on my blog tour, including giveaways, character interviews (so fun!), and reviews. Here are two amazing stops in case you missed them here and here.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

More Writing Equals More Motivation

Being that November is National Novel Writing Month, I thought this is the perfect time to talk about motivation. Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know I'm kind of obsessed with writing and I draft pretty quickly. Well, while I've always been obsessed with writing, I haven't always been a fast drafter. But now that I am, I can't go back. 

Here's why. The more I write, the more motivated I become. And do you know what that means? More writing. It's this unending cycle. Let's face it, we like to feel good about ourselves, and when we have a great word count day, we celebrate. We get excited. And that usually leads to more words. So, I don't really think it matters if you write 500 words a day, 2,000 words a day, or like crazy old me 10-15,000 words a day. As long as you are writing, you will want to write more. You'll feel motivated. 

Do you agree? Do you find a day with great word count makes you want to keep typing away? 

*Don't forget to enter the 2nd Touch of Death ARC giveaway here. In addition to winning an ARC, you can win SWAG for Touch of Death and Love All.*

Guest Post: Amy Lignor

What’s the Real Selling Point of Your Book? The Cover!
We are a completely visual society. From computers to phones to iPods to all the vibrant colors coming at us from almost every direction, we usually make our decisions based on how the ‘scene’ effects us. Colors, pictures - these are used in many different ways: From scaring us on the news with graphic images to making us fall in love with a product because a cute, white, fuzzy puppy was on the commercial, and we can’t forget about it. This is how heavily we rely on images to find out what we really love or hate.
When it comes to the literary world, cover art is one of - if not THE most important - part of selling your book. Millions will buy a book written by Stephen King, JK Rowling, Tom Clancy, Dean Koontz, J.D. Robb - and it’s because they already know the ‘name.’ They are already a fan because these writers have been doing this a good, long time and have built a fan base that is completely loyal. In fact, they don’t much care what’s on the cover of the latest Stephen King book; just as long as his name appears on the cover that’s good enough to make the sale.
But for smaller, unknown, or debut authors, cover art is sometimes more important than plot. Now, don’t get me wrong, the story has to be great in order to get the wonderful reviews you need to build a reading list of loyal fans, but the very first thing a reader will judge about your book is the cover. It has to be outstanding. It has to grab the attention of the reader and make them want to research the title further. They need to be lured into the story, and once the book is purchased, THEN it’s up to you to thrill them and excite them with your characters, storylines, etcetera.
Finding a cover artist who can take a book and literally create the image that YOU know you want because, as the author, you’ve been thinking and dreaming about it for years, is difficult. A lot of cover artists don’t even read the manuscript, which I find hard to understand seeing as that they have to have some background about the book and what you’re trying to say in order to even begin to work up a design. But, what can I say? There are some designers out there who work as if they’re on an ‘assembly line’ and just cannot put in the time it takes to understand or even like your story.
I say all this because I was one of the lucky ones. When The Angel Chronicles found a home with Tribute Books, I was introduced to their cover designer - a woman by the name of Emma Michaels. (http://emmamichaels.blogspot.com)
Emma is not just an artist who draws what the author wants. She is one of those rare people who read the book cover to cover, comes up with ideas about various scenes, and discusses options and paths to take in order to create the perfect cover. She takes suggestions, ideas and really works with the author to make the book a unique masterpiece that fans really take a shine to.
Emily and Matthew have been in my mind since I was thirteen years old. Seeing as that I was born when Jesus was just a boy, that’s a long time to have these imaginary people in your brain. Emma Michaels had the amazing skill and unwavering talent to take my ideas and my story and draw the characters as if she was looking at them face to face in my own head.
So, remember, whether you go the self-publishing route, sign on with an independent, a small press - whatever it may be - make sure to remember that the cover of your book is the very first thing readers will see. And if the cover doesn’t ‘speak’ to them, the book is automatically dead in the water - even if the next Gone with the Wind or Harry Potter awaits the reader inside.
Until Next Time, Everybody,Amy
Here's the synopsis for Gilded Wings:
When Matt and Emily are sent on their second mission they have no idea how truly dark human nature can become...

Emily never wanted to face humans again. With the heartache that went on down below, she’s still trying to figure out how to save souls that don’t deserve saving. The only one she wants to see again is Jason - the young man she fell in love with who became the soulmate she simply can’t forget...

Matt was trained to protect and defend the souls down below. Longing to feel the heartfelt emotions that come from being human, Matt wants nothing more than to have just one life - one chance - to live and love the girl of his dreams...

The powerful team find themselves in a brand new century, living in the Gilded Age of New York City. Emily takes over the body of Anya, a young Russian girl who arrives on Ellis Island after a hideous tragedy. There she meets up with a strangely familiar young man by the name of Drew Parrish, who helps Anya survive in an unknown world of luxury, snobbery and…obsession.

What Anya’s inner angel doesn’t know is that the soul she loves is also back. This time around Jason goes by the name of Max Carrow. Once a quiet and kind boy, he’s now part of the ‘Four Hundred Club,’ and wants nothing more than to be among the most admired as he climbs the shaky ladder of society’s elite. 

As two worlds merge, Emily and Matt struggle under the weight of their “Gilded Wings.” Not only will they have to figure out who they should fight to save, but they must also face a romantic choice that could destroy them both. 
And here's an excerpt for you:Emily rocked quietly, staring at Gabriel sitting stoic on his tall stool. His elbow rested on his knee, his fist supported the weight of his chin, and the old spectacles set crookedly on his angular nose. Gabriel was an avid reader, always studying. He worked hard to understand the paths that were being chosen by the humans below.

Emily tried not to laugh as she studied the face that was pulled into a deep frown. His eyebrows looked stuck together, glowering as he concentrated on the real life story of
yet another partnership that had been below and brought back their report on what they had seen.

“Something wrong?” Jerking his head up, Gabriel’s book went flying off his lap, and his glasses hit the floor.

Out of the corner of her eye, Emily noticed that the long, dark hair of the sleeping Russian girl, Anya, had transformed back into her own trademark auburn curls. She smiled at Gabriel’s annoyed expression. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You’re getting quieter as you get older,” he grunted. 

“Well, you always said we should be seen and not heard,” Emily grinned. 

Gabriel’s eyebrow climbed up his forehead. “Exactly when have you ever listened to anything I say?” 

“I’m like a sponge. I remember everything.” 

Gabriel snorted his agreement and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Why back so soon?” 

“I’m confused.”

“Already?”


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