Sandra Madera's Blog, page 6
March 13, 2014
Malcontent Published!
Hello, everyone!
Malcontent, the final book in the Restraint Trilogy, has finally been published on Smashwords and Amazon. It will be available very soon on BarnesandNoble.com. The upload on that site has been giving me some issues so it will have to wait until tomorrow to work out the kinks.
I have really grown to love these characters, and I'm sad to say goodbye to them; yet, I am happy with the final outcome. Malcontent was the hardest book for me to write. It seemed like a giant puzzle piece that I had to make work in so many aspects, but the result was worth it, and now I can put these characters to bed.
Onto the next project... Wicked Love: A Weeping Willow Novel.
Thank you!
Malcontent is currently available for purchase at... Smashwords and Amazon.
Malcontent, the final book in the Restraint Trilogy, has finally been published on Smashwords and Amazon. It will be available very soon on BarnesandNoble.com. The upload on that site has been giving me some issues so it will have to wait until tomorrow to work out the kinks.
I have really grown to love these characters, and I'm sad to say goodbye to them; yet, I am happy with the final outcome. Malcontent was the hardest book for me to write. It seemed like a giant puzzle piece that I had to make work in so many aspects, but the result was worth it, and now I can put these characters to bed.
Onto the next project... Wicked Love: A Weeping Willow Novel.
Thank you!
Malcontent is currently available for purchase at... Smashwords and Amazon.
February 25, 2014
Update on Malcontent
Hello, everyone.
I am happy to report that, after months of writing, I am finally on the final chapter of Malcontent. This project took longer than expected because it was actually 50% longer than I projected. However, I could not be more pleased with the outcome.
I will be finished making the final adjustments by tomorrow and then it is time for editing. I hope to release it by March 3rd on BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, and Smashwords.com. Within a month's time, it will be found on all other online retailers.
Thank you!
I am happy to report that, after months of writing, I am finally on the final chapter of Malcontent. This project took longer than expected because it was actually 50% longer than I projected. However, I could not be more pleased with the outcome.
I will be finished making the final adjustments by tomorrow and then it is time for editing. I hope to release it by March 3rd on BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, and Smashwords.com. Within a month's time, it will be found on all other online retailers.
Thank you!
January 31, 2014
Phoney Downloads
It has come to my attention that certain internet sites claim to offer my book, Lament, free to download in various formats. Take CAUTION with these claims.
These sites are phoney and the only thing you will download is a virus on your hard drive. Emails to these sites bounce back because their contact information is deliberately incorrect which is a sure sign of inappropriate action that shows their need to remain hidden.
My novels are not available for free and are encrypted to prevent piracy. I will always sell my work from reputable online bookstores. These sites will claim audiobooks and certain versions which do not exist. For the sake of your computer, download my work from a proper online source.
These sites are phoney and the only thing you will download is a virus on your hard drive. Emails to these sites bounce back because their contact information is deliberately incorrect which is a sure sign of inappropriate action that shows their need to remain hidden.
My novels are not available for free and are encrypted to prevent piracy. I will always sell my work from reputable online bookstores. These sites will claim audiobooks and certain versions which do not exist. For the sake of your computer, download my work from a proper online source.
January 29, 2014
Q/A: How Do I Write A Great Book Review?
Q:
How do I write a great book review?
A: Excellent question! There are some people that write something like "great book" and call it a day, but a good review has different elements. A great review contains these elements. I may miss some things that people like to post in their reviews, but here are a few tips I live by when writing reviews on Barnes and Nobles or Amazon.
I would like to mention that some people post summaries of the literary work before writing their opinion. That can be a mistake. In writing your summary, it can give away critical plot points. So, in doing this, take caution.
There can always be more to add to this process of reviewing. For short reviews, I prefer STOOW: Star Rating, Titling Your Review, Opinion of Key Characters, Opinion of Plot, and Worth Reading Value.
1) Star Rating
Most people give star ratings alone so they may not see why I am mentioning this. It is so easy to give a star rating on B&N, Smashwords, and Amazon, but forget to put a star rating on anyway. Star ratings get tallied and averaged into an overall star rating so do remember to give one, because the star rating is the first thing people look at before any written review. Some won't even consider reading something that is below four stars. So those little stars are important.
2) Titling Your Review
Some don't see the value in titling your review. If it is an option, by all means, write one. A good title is an eye catcher and will draw attention to your specific review. The title can be a related to how you felt the book was or the work itself. I have read reviews that have titles like "Awesome Book!" or "Must Read Mystery" and both are good. I read a review of Wicked Magic in which one review referred to the book as a "dark fairy tale". That would make an awesome title because it is a summary of the book in a few words.
3) Opinion of Key Characters
Step 3 and 4 are interchangeable depending on what you want to start off your paragraph with. I always mention who is my main character and whether I like them or not. If I thought they were weak, strong, boring, nagging, etc. I would mention it with an example that doesn't ruin a plot twist. Remember, you want to explain without giving anything away. Love interests are key, too. I always write if I preferred the main character with their love interest or someone else. Did I like the love interest? Did I not? Why? This is just a short summary of a character of two, but it is not a review to name everyone in the book. Doing that would really make it more of a summary.
4) Opinion of Plot
Now we go to plot. Again this is interchangeable with option 3, but this is just your general option about plot twists without giving one away. You can say something like... "I liked all of the twists and turns the story took. It kept me on my toes." I wouldn't write about specific instances that would ruin a story, but you can say "The Elven war between the races is quit interesting, and I didn't expect Willow to be so instrumental in ending it." I didn't mention specific scenes. I didn't mention how that was done. I didn't mention the events which led up to this moment. I kept it general so that a person who read it understand what I am talking about, but a reader, who hasn't, is still interested.
5) Worth Reading Value
I always like to tell anyone who reads my review if it is worth reading. This is the section where you can write personal experiences, too. I had a reader write that Wicked Magic was a great story to read with your kids. That is something that can be mentioned in the final portion.
A reader review should really be like a paragraph at most. It is not meant to be as detailed as a blogger's review, but it is the first thing a potential reader will see. It could really be the difference between someone reading a book or rejecting it so each reader review is important, especially when many bloggers refuse to review indie books or have long reading lists, making them too busy to review. Before a reader googles a book review, they read your review. So next time you read a great book, be kind and write an honest review!
A: Excellent question! There are some people that write something like "great book" and call it a day, but a good review has different elements. A great review contains these elements. I may miss some things that people like to post in their reviews, but here are a few tips I live by when writing reviews on Barnes and Nobles or Amazon.
I would like to mention that some people post summaries of the literary work before writing their opinion. That can be a mistake. In writing your summary, it can give away critical plot points. So, in doing this, take caution.
There can always be more to add to this process of reviewing. For short reviews, I prefer STOOW: Star Rating, Titling Your Review, Opinion of Key Characters, Opinion of Plot, and Worth Reading Value.
1) Star Rating
Most people give star ratings alone so they may not see why I am mentioning this. It is so easy to give a star rating on B&N, Smashwords, and Amazon, but forget to put a star rating on anyway. Star ratings get tallied and averaged into an overall star rating so do remember to give one, because the star rating is the first thing people look at before any written review. Some won't even consider reading something that is below four stars. So those little stars are important.
2) Titling Your Review
Some don't see the value in titling your review. If it is an option, by all means, write one. A good title is an eye catcher and will draw attention to your specific review. The title can be a related to how you felt the book was or the work itself. I have read reviews that have titles like "Awesome Book!" or "Must Read Mystery" and both are good. I read a review of Wicked Magic in which one review referred to the book as a "dark fairy tale". That would make an awesome title because it is a summary of the book in a few words.
3) Opinion of Key Characters
Step 3 and 4 are interchangeable depending on what you want to start off your paragraph with. I always mention who is my main character and whether I like them or not. If I thought they were weak, strong, boring, nagging, etc. I would mention it with an example that doesn't ruin a plot twist. Remember, you want to explain without giving anything away. Love interests are key, too. I always write if I preferred the main character with their love interest or someone else. Did I like the love interest? Did I not? Why? This is just a short summary of a character of two, but it is not a review to name everyone in the book. Doing that would really make it more of a summary.
4) Opinion of Plot
Now we go to plot. Again this is interchangeable with option 3, but this is just your general option about plot twists without giving one away. You can say something like... "I liked all of the twists and turns the story took. It kept me on my toes." I wouldn't write about specific instances that would ruin a story, but you can say "The Elven war between the races is quit interesting, and I didn't expect Willow to be so instrumental in ending it." I didn't mention specific scenes. I didn't mention how that was done. I didn't mention the events which led up to this moment. I kept it general so that a person who read it understand what I am talking about, but a reader, who hasn't, is still interested.
5) Worth Reading Value
I always like to tell anyone who reads my review if it is worth reading. This is the section where you can write personal experiences, too. I had a reader write that Wicked Magic was a great story to read with your kids. That is something that can be mentioned in the final portion.
A reader review should really be like a paragraph at most. It is not meant to be as detailed as a blogger's review, but it is the first thing a potential reader will see. It could really be the difference between someone reading a book or rejecting it so each reader review is important, especially when many bloggers refuse to review indie books or have long reading lists, making them too busy to review. Before a reader googles a book review, they read your review. So next time you read a great book, be kind and write an honest review!
Inspiration Behind The Collector
Hello, everyone!I am going to caution anyone who hasn't read The Collector here. What I am about to write may contain spoilers or be close to the plot... So if you haven't read it, read it and then return to read this post.
I wanted to talk about how I was inspired to write The Collector. I think that by talking about this part of the process it will, hopefully, encourage others to find inspiration in their lives or help the reader to relate to the themes within the book.
First of all, the idea for The Collector came way before I started writing it in 2013. It actually started back in 1996 when I had a dream that jarred me. It was so real that when I jolted awake... I didn't know where I was for a long minute. I spent months thinking about the dream and what it could have meant. I researched castles in Scotland and stories of the Green Lady in that part of the world which happen to be very popular. I always thought the dream would make a great story so I decided to write it.
* * *
The dream started off with me standing in front of a locked, and I was standing with a red haired girl who was supposed to be my best friend. She was from Scotland and invited me to travel with her to her ancestral home. She said that the castle belong to her great, great, great grandfather, and she was going to spend time their for the summer, but it needed to be cleaned out. I was thrilled, because I always wanted to go overseas. Her uncle was supposed to be our chaperon.
The next thing I remember was driving towards a massive castle and looking out the car window to see the rolling green hills of the surrounding land. I had never seen grass so green. The castle itself was gray and dark against the vibrant backdrop of the greenery. Suddenly, I was up in a tower, and I was told to clean the room with my friend and her uncle started to clean in a neighboring room. I liked that he wasn't with us because he gave me the creeps. I began to mop, but the mop water began to wet the blankets which covered items all around the room. My friend was dusting, uncovering furniture on one side of the room. I decided to help her and saw something wide and flat leaning against a wall in a dark corner of the room. When she saw me walk towards the tarp, she told me the cloth covered portraits of her great, great, great grandfather's wives and asked me to take a break from cleaning. We left.
I returned to the room at night, wondering what my friend was hiding. Candles were lit so that I could see. I moved part of the tarp, uncovering three separate portraits of women. Three wives. They were all beautiful but sad. Their eyes seemed to cry out in despair. I realized there was still paintings under the tarp and uncovered another one. At this point, I became nervous. How could a man out live four young brides. I uncovered the last portrait and realized it was me! I was the fifth wife.
My hair was pinned up with dark ringlets, cascading down. I wore a green dress with white lace cuffs and collar. I noticed an oval locket at the collar. My eyes struck me. I appeared sad... so sad. That is when I heard a voice behind me. It was my friend's uncle. He said, "You thought you could escape me, but you will never leave me again."
I saw a vision of myself dressed in the same green gown in the portrait. I was standing on the windowsill, threatening to jump out to the rocky ocean below. There was an old man, my husband, who threatened me. He said that I could never leave him. I feared this man so much that I jumped.
Coming back into reality, I realized the uncle was this man. He had come back through time to find me again and wanted to entrap me again in the castle as he did during our past life together. At that point, I ran and he chased me. Then I woke up.
* * *
It was a long and detailed dream which shook me to the core. Although I do not believe in reincarnation, I did wonder about it and looked up green ladies throughout Scotland. Although no castle was an exact match for the one I saw, the story of Helen Gunn stood out to me. So when I needed to fill up the holes in regards to location, I chose the castle where Helen Gunn committed suicide by throwing herself off of a tower and her ghost is seen. Her captor, who abducted her on her wedding day, was named Dugald Keith. You can read about this specific history here. (You will find it about half way down).
Dreams are a great source of inspiration. I was wise enough to keep a dream journal so that I could recall these sorts of dreams, but even history can inspire. If you can blend dreams or your imaginings with history, without disrespecting the ancestors of these individuals, then you may have a winning idea. Good luck writing!
January 1, 2014
Yearly Novelette for 2014 is...The Collector
Hello, everyone!
Happy New Year! Hopefully everyone has a wonderful 2014 in front of them with continued health and blessings.
Every year I release a free novelette/short story for my readers. This new year is no different. I'm releasing The Collector. This story has been a long time coming since it is loosely based on a dream I had many years ago which I still think about.
I am currently going over formatting for publishing my work on Smashwords. It should be published by the end of the day and within a week or two at other online bookstores. Please be sure to download it and leave a review. Your reviews are important to me and other readers who don't know whether or not to give indie authors a shot.
Again, have a Happy New Year!
Download The Collector here
Happy New Year! Hopefully everyone has a wonderful 2014 in front of them with continued health and blessings.
Every year I release a free novelette/short story for my readers. This new year is no different. I'm releasing The Collector. This story has been a long time coming since it is loosely based on a dream I had many years ago which I still think about.
I am currently going over formatting for publishing my work on Smashwords. It should be published by the end of the day and within a week or two at other online bookstores. Please be sure to download it and leave a review. Your reviews are important to me and other readers who don't know whether or not to give indie authors a shot.
Again, have a Happy New Year!
Download The Collector here
December 20, 2013
Zazzle Store
Hello, everyone!I just wanted to let everyone know that I have opened a shop at Zazzle. I have and will continue to add merchandise for my novels. As of today, I have updated my website to include these items and a link in the bar above which will take you to my Zazzle store. Please check it out and continue to look out for more items the coming months as I plan to add more things.
Thank you!
Link: http://www.zazzle.com/sandramadera
December 14, 2013
Download Scattered for FREE
Hi, everyone.
By now everyone knows that it is impossible for an author to place any work on Amazon for free for more than five days. I have see works marked free for longer but I can't figure out how it is done. I usually post my short stories on Smashwords for that reason. Yet, I decided to post Scattered on Amazon.
I have put Scattered up for free, but it expired after five days. So since I have waited three whole months to get the right to post it for free again... I am spreading the news that after Christmas I will be making Scattered free for another five day period. Please download it and leave a review to help me spread the word.
Thank you!
By now everyone knows that it is impossible for an author to place any work on Amazon for free for more than five days. I have see works marked free for longer but I can't figure out how it is done. I usually post my short stories on Smashwords for that reason. Yet, I decided to post Scattered on Amazon.
I have put Scattered up for free, but it expired after five days. So since I have waited three whole months to get the right to post it for free again... I am spreading the news that after Christmas I will be making Scattered free for another five day period. Please download it and leave a review to help me spread the word.
Thank you!
December 13, 2013
Progress Report
Hello!
I am happy to report that I have roughly eight chapters to write for Malcontent. The projected word count exceeded my expectations. The final book might end up 5,000-10,000 more words than I originally thought. This book will mark the end of the Restraint Trilogy and conclude a journey that began for me when I dreamed with these characters a little more than 16 years ago. It is both a sad and happy event.
I know that many people are interested in knowing details of Wicked Love. Wicked Love will pick up exactly where Wicked Magic left off. In Wicked Magic, Willow was the main protagonist, but Nalin will take the lead in Wicked Love since he must first remember his lost love and then rescue her like all good heroes do. I want to have it out by mid-2014, but if I can have it done sooner, then I will release it earlier.
As soon as I am done with Malcontent, I will begin work on Wicked Love without delay. In fact, I am pretty eager to get started. There are a lot of great ideas I have that I can't wait to get started on.
I have written a yearly novelette for 2014 entitled The Collector. Look for it in January 2014 in Smashwords first and then in other online bookstores.
To all those who left reviews and recommended by books to friends, thank you for helping me reach those who wouldn't have otherwise come to know my work.
I am happy to report that I have roughly eight chapters to write for Malcontent. The projected word count exceeded my expectations. The final book might end up 5,000-10,000 more words than I originally thought. This book will mark the end of the Restraint Trilogy and conclude a journey that began for me when I dreamed with these characters a little more than 16 years ago. It is both a sad and happy event.
I know that many people are interested in knowing details of Wicked Love. Wicked Love will pick up exactly where Wicked Magic left off. In Wicked Magic, Willow was the main protagonist, but Nalin will take the lead in Wicked Love since he must first remember his lost love and then rescue her like all good heroes do. I want to have it out by mid-2014, but if I can have it done sooner, then I will release it earlier.
As soon as I am done with Malcontent, I will begin work on Wicked Love without delay. In fact, I am pretty eager to get started. There are a lot of great ideas I have that I can't wait to get started on.
I have written a yearly novelette for 2014 entitled The Collector. Look for it in January 2014 in Smashwords first and then in other online bookstores.
To all those who left reviews and recommended by books to friends, thank you for helping me reach those who wouldn't have otherwise come to know my work.
October 30, 2013
Progress Report
Hi, everybody.
I have received some inquiries about Wicked Chemistry and where it can be purchased. Wicked Chemistry is the first book in the Weeping Willow Series. It consists of the first two Weeping Willow stories that are available to download free in all major online stores. Wicked Chemistry is a soft cover version which includes both shorts and an extra short. This version will be released next year. It will not be released as an ebook. The two major stories that should be read before Wicked Magic are always available for free online. The extra story is a gift for those who want to purchase the paperback.
All of my novels are available in paperback format. They can be purchased online at Amazon or Create Space. The link is on my official website.
As for Malcontent, I am pleased to report that it is 75% of the way done. I have about ten more chapters to write. It has been a long road with this specific book. There were a great many difficulties, but I am happy to say that everything is going rather smoothly now.
Thank you to everybody for their inquiries and please keep submitting reviews for works red. Your review could be the difference between someone taking a chance on reading or missing the opportunity all together.
Thank you!
I have received some inquiries about Wicked Chemistry and where it can be purchased. Wicked Chemistry is the first book in the Weeping Willow Series. It consists of the first two Weeping Willow stories that are available to download free in all major online stores. Wicked Chemistry is a soft cover version which includes both shorts and an extra short. This version will be released next year. It will not be released as an ebook. The two major stories that should be read before Wicked Magic are always available for free online. The extra story is a gift for those who want to purchase the paperback.
All of my novels are available in paperback format. They can be purchased online at Amazon or Create Space. The link is on my official website.
As for Malcontent, I am pleased to report that it is 75% of the way done. I have about ten more chapters to write. It has been a long road with this specific book. There were a great many difficulties, but I am happy to say that everything is going rather smoothly now.
Thank you to everybody for their inquiries and please keep submitting reviews for works red. Your review could be the difference between someone taking a chance on reading or missing the opportunity all together.
Thank you!
