Kelly Hashway's Blog, page 37

Friday Feature: Piper Morgan Makes A Splash

I'm always excited to share a new Stephanie Faris book! Check out Piper Morgan Makes a Splash! How adorable is this cover?

Piper Morgan tries her hand at acting in the fourth book of the charming Piper Morgan series.
Piper’s mom is helping out at a local pool shop, and the owner wants to shoot a commercial for his store. Piper thinks it’s the PERFECT opportunity to get in front of the camera and experience a little bit of showbiz. But will Piper’s contribution to the TV commercial make a splash—or will it go belly-up?
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound Stephanie Faris is the author of the middle grade books 30 Days of No Gossip and 25 Roses, as well as the Piper Morgan chapter book series. An accomplished freelance writer, her work has appeared in Writer's Digest, The Writer, Pacific Standard, Mental Floss, and The Week, among many others.
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*Want your YA, NA, or MG book featured on my blog? Contact me here and we'll set it up.

Writer Wednesday: Chapter Length

We all know that so much of reading and writing is subjective. So in the next few weeks, I'm going to talk about some of those issues that come up that are really nothing more than personal preference. This week, I want to talk about chapter length.
I once had a publisher tell me that chapters had to be ten pages long. If you just smacked your forehead or rolled your eyes, you're not alone. I did the same thing. Hence, you won't find any of my books with that publisher. ;) So let me start by saying there is no rule about how long your chapters have to be. That's just crazy. And if you don't believe me, ask James Patterson. Some of his chapters are a page and a half long, and he makes much more money than I can even dream about. Okay, now that we've cleared that up, how do you know how long to make your chapters?
A good rule of thumb is to leave your chapter hanging at a point where the reader wants to turn the page and keep reading. But that could be four pages in, ten pages in, or fourteen pages in. This is where that subjectivity comes in. Personally, I love short chapters. I think they give you a feeling of accomplishment because you are seeing new chapter heading so often. That's me though. I know others who prefer longer chapters. And really that's the point. We can sit here and beat ourselves up to get to that "perfect" chapter length, but in reality, there is no such thing. 
So don't stress if one chapter is shorter than the others. That means it should be. Trust the writer in you to know when those breaks need to occur. Readers will follow suit, and if they don't, then they aren't meant to be your fan, but plenty of others will be.
*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Monday Mishmash 4/3/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:Revisions  This week I'm getting one of my Ashelyn Drake titles polished and ready to send to my editor.Editing  I have two client edits on my plate this week.Relearning to Type?  All last week, I had to type with one hand or with only 9 fingers. I actually learned to type pretty well with 9 fingers, and now I feel like I can't type with 10 anymore even though my thumb is feeling a little stronger and could probably handle typing in small increments.Lies We Tell Comes Out Next Week!!!  Man, this year is flying by. I can't believe Lies We Tell, my first Kelly Hashway adult book, is coming out a week from today! I'm so excited!!!  Taxes  There was a computer glitch with my taxes, so I'm hoping they get fixed this week. It's getting close to April 15, so I'm panicking!That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Injury Break

I had a Writer Wednesday planned for today, but I slammed by thumb in the car door and it's swollen, bruised, and hurting. Typing is slow and one-handed (my nondominant hand too), so I decided to take a blogging break to rest my thumb and let it heal.

I'll be back on Monday. Enjoy the rest of your week. :)

Monday Mishmash 3/27/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:Editing  No shock here. I'm finishing up two edits this week. One is a novella, and the other is a novel.Revising  I need to make time to revise my Ashelyn Drake romance that will be part of a boxed set this coming September.Scholastic Book Fair  I'm working the Scholastic Book Fair at my daughter's school this week. It's the BOGO sale, which makes me insanely happy.Taxes  My accountant has been preparing my taxes for a while. I need to check in and see what's taking so long.Campus Crush  Campus Crush, my Ashelyn Drake new adult contemporary romance that packages five companion novellas into one book is only $.99 for a limited time. Grab your copy here. That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Friday Feature: Lightning Crimes

LIGHTNING CRIMES is a FREE teaser story that takes place between Seismic Crimes and Tsunami Crimes. A freak lightning storm unleashes its energy on Central Florida. Bolts of lightning crash to the ground. Torrential rain soaks everything within seconds. And the power goes out, casting Beth and Donovan’s apartment into darkness. Beth is already on edge after receiving a menacing phone call several months ago, and this storm doesn’t help with her nerves.
Donovan tries to distract her from Mother Nature’s tantrum, but someone else has other plans. When they find the front door to their apartment wide open, they soon realize it isn’t an accident. Someone is in their apartment with them.
What crime can happen as fast as lightning?
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/689413
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1S0DA7
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lightning-crimes-disaster-crimes-book-2-5
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lightning-crimes-chrys-fey/1125333643?ean=2940153911281
Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series. She is a blogger, reader, auntie, vegetarian, and cat Lover. Get Lightning Crimes (Disaster Crimes 2.5) forFREE!
FIND CHRYS:
Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Website / Amazon / Goodreads

*Want your YA, NA, or MG book featured on my blog? Contact me here and we'll set it up.

Writer Wednesday: Reading, Reading, and More Reading

This month, my editing plate has been full. I won't complain because my clients are seriously talented authors and I love working with them. I get to spend my days reading books I would have otherwise bought and read anyway. It's great.
The funny thing is that after reading all day, I want to wind down at night and I choose to... Did you guess read? If you did, you're right. The difference is that when I'm reading for fun (even though I find editing fun too!) I don't have to have the mental focus I do when I edit. I can have the TV on in the background. My daughter can be reading aloud. (She loves to do that!) My husband can be talking on the phone. None of that bothers me. But when I edit, I often use headphones because I want to drown out the world and focus solely on those words in front of me.
I equate reading for fun to watching a movie you seen over and over again, that you can put on at any point in the movie and not be lost. Even if I never read the book before, I can still immerse myself in it without tuning out the rest of the world. But edits are so much different. They demand my full attention.
So while I spend my days reading, they're different kinds of reading. One is work, albeit fun! The other is relaxing.
*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Monday Mishmash 3/20/16

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:Editing  This month and next are packed with client edits for me. I'm loving it though because my clients write amazing books!YA Fest  I had a great time at YA Fest on Saturday. I met so many amazing authors and readers. Here are some pictures:  Kimberly Giarratano and me (Kim and I have talked online for years, but this is the first we've met in person.)
Dianne Salerni and me (Dianne and I have also talked online for years, but didn't meet until Saturday. I grabbed up her book The Eighth Day.)
Me with Jennifer Murgia (Jen is absolutely awesome and a total sweetheart. Love her!)
Holli Anderson and me (Holli and I shared a table. It was very nice meeting her.)School Signing  I have to schedule a day to go back to the elementary school I visited during Read Across America so I can sign books for the kids. I love this part!Revision  If I can squeeze it in, I'm going to revise my Ashelyn Drake hot romance title. This book has a high heat level!Happy Spring  Now let's hope the spring weather gets here soon!That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Luck of the Irish Giveaway

Luck of the Irish $250 GiveawayMarch 17th to 31st
Enter for your chance to win a $250 Amazon Gift Code or $250 in Paypal Cash!! Thanks to this awesome group of bloggers and authors who have joined with me to bring you one fabulous prize!!

SPONSOR LIST I Am A ReaderLori's Reading CornerLaurie Here - Cont Fiction and MOREHelen SmithStacy Claflin, AuthorRockin' Book ReviewsKelly HashwayHeather Gray, AuthorJennifer BardsleyAli WintersAuthor Laurie TreacyKrysten Lindsay Hager authorJoshua David BellinGlistering: B's BlogAshley LaveringAuthor Deb AtwoodBella Street's Time Travel RomanceSuzi LoveCoupons and Freebies MomElizabeth IsaacsKimber Leigh WheatonDorine White- authorAubrey Wynne: Timeless RomanceJo NoellleB. Kristin McMichaelTalia JagerAuthor Alecia StoneMy Life. One Story at a Time.Julie Coulter BellonAuthor MK McClintockBookHoundsInger IversenFelicia StarrMelissa GiorgioLaurisa White Reyes, AuthorFat Free Faith  

Giveaway Details $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card Ends 3/31/17 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Writer Wednesday: Boxed Sets

One of the new things I'm doing in 2017 is joining forces with other authors in boxed sets. One of them released yesterday. Demons, Angels, Vampires, and Witches…
What do they all have in common?
If you want to survive in their world…you must be GIFTED.

Will they find you? Most likely.
Will you survive? Maybe.
However, one thing is certain, if and when you come across their radar…developing your GIFT is necessary!


7 FULL LENGTH novels by USA today, International, and Best Selling Authors.

Authored by:
Cassandra Fear
D.A. Roach
Nykki Mills
Jen Wilde
Kelly Hashway
Tawny Stokes
Apryl Baker
For this boxed set, my publisher made the decision to put seven of us together. I was very excited about the idea because multiple authors means multiple fan bases to pool. It also means sharing promotional ideas and the work of promoting. When one of us (or in some cases more than one) lost power and/or wifi during the preorder, the others picked up the slack. We shared in multiple newsletters, Facebook groups, and on all our social media platforms.
I love having the support system of other authors who want the set to succeed as much as I do. Writing and publishing can be lonely at times, but I didn't feel alone at all with this release. As a group, we talked, shared ideas, and supported each other. The experience definitely makes me excited for the next boxed set I'll be part of with an Ashelyn Drake title. More about that coming in the next couple months. ;)
But the really cool thing about boxed sets is they don't just help authors. They are HUGE deals for readers. I mean 7 books for $.99! That's crazy, right? Readers can grab up several books for very little cost and potentially find new authors to love. It's a win all around if you ask me.
What's your opinion of boxed sets? Do you love them as a reader? Have you ever been part of one? 
If you're interested in grabbing Gifted for only $.99, you can do so here.
*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.