Samantha Warren's Blog, page 30
May 9, 2011
That's My Story and I'm Sticking to It
The window was stuck. The warm weather and excessive rain had caused the wood to swell. The girl teetered on the window sill on one knee, the other foot braced against the tree branch for support. She grunted as she jerked at the window, trying to get it to give.
She knew she'd left it unlocked. Flipping the simple security device was part of her evening ritual at this point. Shower, pajamas, bid her parents goodnight, change into something more suitable (it must have jeans involved), makeup,...
She knew she'd left it unlocked. Flipping the simple security device was part of her evening ritual at this point. Shower, pajamas, bid her parents goodnight, change into something more suitable (it must have jeans involved), makeup,...
May 6, 2011
Update on Jane#3!
Jane's back! And she's not alone. Someone is creating new vampires and Father Bellini has created a crack team to find out who's responsible. Meet the boys that have Jane's back!
Felipe- Strong, handsome, Italian. This sexy vampire is not only Jane's trainer, he's her friend. But he wants something more from the relationship. Is she ready to give him what he asks?
Ronin- A vampire priest who lives with Felipe and Jane, he refuses to let his flock go into battle unprotected. Armed with a wooden ...
Felipe- Strong, handsome, Italian. This sexy vampire is not only Jane's trainer, he's her friend. But he wants something more from the relationship. Is she ready to give him what he asks?
Ronin- A vampire priest who lives with Felipe and Jane, he refuses to let his flock go into battle unprotected. Armed with a wooden ...
May 2, 2011
Win a free signed copy of Blood of the Dragon and a $10 Amazon Gift Card!
Do you like to write? Create a short story between now and May 31st and win a free signed copy of my debut full-length novel Blood of the Dragon and a $10 Amazon gift card. The story must be between 1,000 and 5,000 words and feature dragons as the theme. My favorite 5 will be posted here for my fans to judge and a winner will be chosen. The runner-up will receive a free copy of the book for either Kindle or Nook (the platform of your choice. If you've already purchased the ebook, you can choo...
April 30, 2011
Please Proceed with Alacrity
"And left! And right! And left! And right! Now pump! Pump! Pump! Pump!"
The woman's alacrity had Rebecca gasping for air and a baseball bat, neither of which were to be found in the stuffy, mat-lined workout room at the gym Becky had been frequenting for the past few weeks. She had been conned into joining this particular fitness session by one of her co-workers, a twenty-something twig of a thing that worked at the reception desk.
Becky herself had been working out at home for the past three ...
The woman's alacrity had Rebecca gasping for air and a baseball bat, neither of which were to be found in the stuffy, mat-lined workout room at the gym Becky had been frequenting for the past few weeks. She had been conned into joining this particular fitness session by one of her co-workers, a twenty-something twig of a thing that worked at the reception desk.
Becky herself had been working out at home for the past three ...
April 28, 2011
Quick and Dirty eBook Formatting
Formatting a book for Kindle, Nook, or Smashwords seems like a scary venture. But it doesn't have to be. One round of quality formatting should suffice for all three venues. These instructions are for a simple book with no fancy formatting or images.
Suggestions to make your life easier:
Finish all edits before formatting. You don't want to mess up and have to reformat the whole thing.I use OpenOffice, so I can't guarantee these directions will work for Word (though I don't see why they...
Suggestions to make your life easier:
Finish all edits before formatting. You don't want to mess up and have to reformat the whole thing.I use OpenOffice, so I can't guarantee these directions will work for Word (though I don't see why they...
April 27, 2011
How to Market Your eBook
I've seen this question asked a lot, and I've seen some decent posts about it, but none seem extremely comprehensive. The truth is, there's no one right way to do it. Different techniques work for different people. The only thing that doesn't work is publishing the book and expecting people to flock to it without doing any legwork. So below, I've listed all the ways I'm marketing my book right now. The main thing to keep in mind is that there's no such thing as an overnight success. It will t...
Blood of the Dragon in Paperback! 25% Discount
Blood of the Dragon is available in paperback. Visit my e-store and use the code 94RFWHVW at checkout to receive a 25% discount. 
April 25, 2011
New Blood (Jane, Book #2)
So, I don't have the second part of Jane quite finished, but a wonderful up-and-coming cover designer has created a lovely cover for it. Check out Isabella Kruger!
Fluffified
It started out like any other Easter Sunday—waking up late, drinking stale coffee because she was too cheap to throw yesterday's pot away, lounging on the couch as she surfed Facebook for a couple hours, wishing everyone happy Easter, making a small lunch for herself and her six cats, then heading outside to take a stroll in the bright spring sun.
She stopped at a park to watch children play and that's when she noticed something in the bushes. It made quite a racket and she started to get...
She stopped at a park to watch children play and that's when she noticed something in the bushes. It made quite a racket and she started to get...
April 22, 2011
Getting Even
"No, no, no! You have to sand WITH the grain!" The old man's exasperated cries echoed through his workshop as he snatched the sandpaper from his four-year-old grandson. "Like this."
His rough, cracked hands showed a tenderness with the wood that he did not display elsewhere in his life.
"See? You have to make your strokes even.." His tone softened, as if he were speaking directly to the unfinished oak beneath him. He began cooing as he pet the wood gently with the rough paper, forgetting the c...
His rough, cracked hands showed a tenderness with the wood that he did not display elsewhere in his life.
"See? You have to make your strokes even.." His tone softened, as if he were speaking directly to the unfinished oak beneath him. He began cooing as he pet the wood gently with the rough paper, forgetting the c...
