Jennifer Malone Wright's Blog, page 11
August 22, 2013
Just write it!
I am an author. But, these days it means much more than sitting in front of my computer hacking out page after page until I have a completed story. Times have changed, regardless of if you are self published or traditionally published, we have to market and have a presence on the internet to sell books.
*Sigh* This can take up so much time out of our writing day and also, it becomes a little addicting. I know for a while I felt like I was missing out on something if I was away from the internet too long. I had to literally force myself to go outside and when I did it was like being in some strange world full of color and wonder … all right, maybe not quite that bad, but you get what I mean. My point here is that marketing and social networking is probably taking up way more time than you actually need to be putting in.
I know, I know! We need to make posts or people will forget about us!
This is true to an extent. Here is the thing. Both Twitter and Facebook have scheduling tools. Facebook has one right underneath the post area. It looks like a little clock. And Twitter has then via Twitter tools such has Hoot Suite. I normally take time at the beginning of the week or the end to schedule in a few posts. One time I went camping for a whole week and didn’t get online the whole time … but my posts were being posted! This will leave you more time to write for sure because if you don’t get on there you have less temptation to check out the news feed and see whats going on, check messages, check all your page stats, ect…
Writing books must consist of actually writing them. It won’t get written while your sitting around watching the tube and thinking about them. It won’t get written while you are playing Candy Crush and thinking about your storyline. It also won’t get written while you are checking your sales and reviews every five minutes. Just sit down and write the damn thing! Pull up the document and only that document and write it!
If the internet is distracting you, get out an effing notebook and write in that!
What? Oh, you got kids … well, I have five. Yes, summer is harder to get things done. I get that. But, I still do it. Take them to the park and use the notebook. Make a schedule and write when it’s time to write. Do not use your writing time to mess around.
Sometimes, the hardest part of this is breaking a habit and making a habit. Internet can be a habit and a hard one to break. Making a schedule for yourself can be a hard habit to get into if you aren’t used to it. Like me, I used to just write whenever I felt like it. Now I have a few hours set aside that I write and only write. With all my kids and husband and it being summer, yes it’s harder but you can get quite a bit done in those few hours if you just do it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not getting massive amounts of work done like some authors who can bust out a full novel in a few weeks. Yeah, I want to enjoy life while I’m trying to make one. I also don’t want to neglect my kids. It’s all just a matter of balance.
Moral of the story here is to MAKE time to write. It can be done. I have so many people ask me how in the world I manage this with five kids and my answer is always the same. “I have no idea.” Lol But, really I do know… it’s what I just told you, balance.
Another thing that might be stopping you from writing is being stuck on a part of your book. Ok. Been there, I know how it goes. Just plow through and write in something temporary, like, And here is an epic fight scene where main character gets shot and then comes back to kick the asses of the bad guys, then move on and go back later to write the scene. This works, I promise you.
So, you have idea’s rolling around in your head. Go write it down. Do you have a few unfinished stories? Go write it down. You need to finally finish that novel? Go write it down!
And remember … don’t forget to live life outside your stories and the internet. Taking walks and exercise works wonders for the brain.
August 19, 2013
Recap of Fandom Fest 2013
I am finally getting back into the swing of things after Fandom Fest. With all five of the kids at home for the summer it has been hard to get anything done. But, I wanted to update you guys on how Fandom Fest went a few weeks ago.
My sister was able to go with my this year to help run my booth and it was nice to spend some time with my sister without all my kids around. So, we left on a Thursday morning. We had to drive four hours to the air port and honestly, this was the smallest airport I’ve ever seen. The terminal had four gates all in the same room. That was it. We were actually a little afraid that we were going to have to ride in a tiny little puddle jumper. The plane was small, but not tiny.
So anyway, two airplanes later and we landed in Louisville KY at about 10:30 pm. As soon as we walked into the lobby of the Galt House we ran into some friends. We quickly got checked in and went up to our room to deposit our things so that we could go have a drink.
Friday morning we woke early and had to go check in for our vendor booth and guest passes. This all went smoothly and I was surprised to see the vendor room looking ten times better than the year before. The entire placement of the vendor room allowed for way more traffic than last year.
One thing I did not like, I do understand the reasoning behind this, and the need for more space, but the convention was in both The Galt House and the convention center. The convention center was located two blocks away from the Galt House so we had a crap ton of walking to do over the entire weekend.
Instead of going through a play by play of the entire weekend and writing a novel, I will just give you the highlights.
Things I liked:
~The vendor room, as I mentioned before, was amazing this year.
~Meeting everyone and spending time with my like minded friends is always awesome.
~There were a lot more celebrities walking around this year compared to last year. I had a blast meeting all of them. And Michael Rooker (Merle from The Walking Dead) even took his picture with Lisa Morgan and myself outside the hotel when we saw him on the sidewalk.
~The literary track was amazing, the convention it’s self had some organizational problems, but the lit track was amazing.
~ I sold more books this year than I did last year and gave away all of my swag.
~ I got to meet Stan Lee! I also got to see Norman Reedus again and Michael Rooker for the first time. When we got our Dixon Brothers picture taken, Michael Rooker said “I remember you.” And we were like, “Oh, you do?” and then Norman Reedus said “Why, why, what happened?” And then Lisa told him that I accosted Michael Rooker on the street. Which was not true, I simply walked arm & arm with him for about thirty seconds and then he agreed to take a picture. No accosting necessary. Other celebs I met this year include, Sean Patrick Flanery, Joey Lauren Adams, Brian O’Halloran and Lew Temple (who swore up and down he knew me from somewhere.) There were others walking around all over the place as well. It was awesome.
All right… now let’s talk about a couple of things I didn’t like.
~ The staff at the convention had no idea what was going on. You could ask five people the same thing and get five different answers. There was a TON of confusion about where things were located and absolutely no signs leading people in the right direction. The maps were wrong too.
~ I really think that Fandom Fest was not prepared for the amount of people that showed up. It was reported that they expected about 20,000 and the building had about 40,000 people in it at one point. The fire marshal actually came in and shut down the photo op room for a while.
~The long lines were expected. However, at the end of the weekend it was a massive clusterf**k. They didn’t have any of the photos ready on time and were telling people that they could leave their photos and go online where they could pay ten bucks to get a digital copy. This was just wrong. So many people had flights to catch and places to be and were told they wouldn’t be getting their photos that some paid hundreds of dollars for.
All in all it was a great time. The convention itself had hiccups, but I personally had a freaking wonderful time. I got to see people that I had met the year before, I got to meet new people, I got to mingle with fans up at my booth and panel with fellow authors on awesome topics.
I am not sure if I will go next year, mostly because I live on the other side of the country and it costs me thousands of dollars just to get over there and in no way, shape or form would I be able to recoup the costs.
Below are some pictures from this year’s Fandom Fest.
August 18, 2013
August 10, 2013
Big sale on my books!
Now is the time to stock up on my books because I’m having a big sale.
The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter Collection Normally $4.99 is only $2.99
Savior (My full length new release) normally $3.99 is only $2.99
The Continuation of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter is called The Arcadia Falls Chronicles and those are normally $1.99 but is now only $0.99
And of course The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter: Part 1 is always FREE!
Here is the full list of my title on Amazon and Smashwords
July 31, 2013
Winners for the Savior Release Giveaway
Who is ready for some winners??
The time has come to chose the winners for the Savior Release Day Giveaway.
These three people will receive a ten dollar amazon gift card!
Drum Roll Please…
Myra Espino
Kyla Patton
Colleen Hickey
All three winners have been notified by email. Congrats to you and thank you to all who entered!
July 8, 2013
Savior Release Day and Giveaway
The Day has finally arrived!
I have been working on this and waiting for this day for quite a while now.
Thank you so much to all those who helped get this story back into the world. I will be eternally grateful!
This edition of Savior is formerly known as The Birth of Jaiden. It has been re-edited and changes have been made but it has in no way changed the story. A few scenes and some details have been added or taken away.
Alexander Lucas is a man of faith, casino owner and vampire. He should be living the Reno high life of riches and immortality. Instead, he wakes each night despising the blood on his hands and begging for a reason to continue on.
The last beat of his heart took place shortly after losing his family to a gruesome and violent death. One snowy night, the creature who had been stalking him finally took his life, in turn giving him the gift of immortality. Yet, immortality to Alex is not a gift, but rather a curse to live in eternal pain.
Nearly a century of tortured existence leads him to a dumpster in a dark alley where he finds a reason for continuing on. Nestled between bits of debris and rubbish a tiny infant wails for help. He calls for his best friend and guardian angel, Danielle, who explains to him that he has been chosen to raise this baby, for she would someday become a very powerful, natural witch. She tells him it is now his job to protect her from the enemy who wants her so badly, yet also to be her father.
Thinking this angel is out of her mind, Alex refuses many times until Danielle convinces him that the enemy, Malcolm and his wife Levine, cannot obtain the child and that they are, indeed attempting to find her. He must keep her safe, because if evil hands raise her than she will grow to possess the power to annihilate them all.
Luckily, Alex is not alone, he has The Higher Collective to assist in his mission. With the combined powers of the Vampires, Angels, Dark Angels, Witches and Warlocks, The Higher Collective prepares for a battle to protect the child from the evil she may possibly inherit.
Get Your Copy Now
at Amazon or Smashwords
Other places where ebooks are sold will have it soon and I will update.
Add to your Goodreads
If you have purchased this book when it was The Birth of Jaiden and you email me your receipt I will gladly gift you a copy from Smashwords if you EMAIL (do not leave in comments) it to me so I can verify purchase.
Enter the Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 4, 2013
Mountain Charm by Sydney Logan Release Day! Two Great Giveaways!
Today is release day for Sydney Logan’s novel, Mountain Charm! To celebrate, we have two awesome giveaways, including a signed copy of Mountain Charm and a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
At the age of thirteen, Angelina Clark followed in the footsteps of her ancestors by casting an Appalachian love spell, which promised she would blossom into a beautiful and gifted woman who would find her true love. A young Angelina had been thrilled to participate in the sacred ritual, but through the years, her father’s untimely death and her mother’s failing health have shaken Angelina’s magical faith to its core. As her twenty-first birthday approaches, she refuses to practice her supernatural gifts and no longer believes in the love charm. That is, until Dylan Thomas arrives on her front porch. Dylan, a Nashville writer, travels to the mountain town of Maple Ridge to unearth the family’s supernatural secrets. While her clairvoyant mother is convinced that Dylan is her daughter’s soul mate, Angelina refuses to see the nosy reporter as anything more than a nuisance. Despite their constant bickering, sparks fly. Dylan admits he feels strangely drawn to Angelina and is in no hurry to leave Maple Ridge or publish his magazine article. Fearful that his emotions are being influenced by the spell, a stubborn Angelina struggles to fight her own budding attraction to the reporter. The two inevitably grow closer just as her mother’s health begins to deteriorate, and Angelina is faced with the possibility of selling the family’s music shop to pay the mounting medical expenses. Desperate to help the woman he loves, Dylan explores his own family tree and finds support from an unlikely source. Can he finally prove his love is real—spell or no spell? A story filled with love, friendship, family, and just a hint of Appalachian magic, Mountain Charm will leave you spellbound.
Buy the Book
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1612131654/r...
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mount...
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/moun...
TWCS: http://ph.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/bo...
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Mounta...
Enter the RaffleCopter HERE!!
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ODVkYWQ4Zjc2OTU3NWEyODQxYTk2YTNhY2ZjMTU0OjIy/
Author Bio:
Sydney Logan is an Amazon bestselling author and holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the transition from bookworm to author. Sydney has a very unhealthy obsession with music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. She is also the author of two short stories: “Mistletoe Magic,” available exclusively on Amazon Kindle, and “Stupid Cupid,” which is featured in the Romantic Interludescompilation. When she isn’t reading or writing, she enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her front porch at her home in East Tennessee with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat.
June 17, 2013
Cover Reveal for Savior
I am so excited to finally be able to reveal this cover to you!
Thank you to my friend Kymberlee Burks Miller (Covers By Magical Design) for this wonderful, amazing cover.
Here it is!!!
SAVIOR
This book, Savior, is what was formerly known as The Birth of Jaiden. I have given it a new title, had it re-edited, and added some new content as well.
Description:
Alexander Lucas is a man of faith, casino owner and vampire. He should be living the Reno high life of riches and immortality. Instead, he wakes each night despising the blood on his hands and begging for a reason to continue on.
The last beat of his heart took place shortly after losing his family to a gruesome and violent death. One snowy night, the creature who had been stalking him finally took his life, in turn giving him the gift of immortality. Yet, immortality to Alex is not a gift, but rather a curse to live in eternal pain.
Nearly a century of tortured existence leads him to a dumpster in a dark alley where he finds a reason for continuing on. Nestled between bits of debris and rubbish a tiny infant wails for help. He calls for his best friend and guardian angel, Danielle, who explains to him that he has been chosen to raise this baby, for she would someday become a very powerful, natural witch. She tells him it is now his job to protect her from the enemy who wants her so badly, yet also to be her father.
Thinking this angel is out of her mind, Alex refuses many times until Danielle convinces him that the enemy, Malcolm and his wife Levine, cannot obtain the child and that they are, indeed attempting to find her. He must keep her safe, because if evil hands raise her than she will grow to possess the power to annihilate them all.
Luckily, Alex is not alone, he has The Higher Collective to assist in his mission. With the combined powers of the Vampires, Angels, Dark Angels, Witches and Warlocks, The Higher Collective prepares for a battle to protect the child from the evil she may possibly inherit.
Releases July 9th, 2013
Add it to your Goodreads shelf now!
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18076937-savior
June 14, 2013
A little video I made for you guys on Taking Talon release day.
Here is a little video thank you to the fans that I made on release day for Taking Talon. I was supposed to have put it up the night of release day, but… you know how I am, that didn’t happen, so I’m putting it up for you now.
For all my fans, readers, and supporters … Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!
Buy Links
Apple, Kobo and Sony coming soon!
June 9, 2013
Arcadia Falls 2 Releases on June 12th
The wait is almost over
Arcadia Falls 2, Taking Talon, is set to release on June 12, 2013
The Arcadia Falls Chronicles is the continuation of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter Series
~The Arcadia Falls Chronicles continues with Chloe, Drew and the rest of their small group training hard for the impending attack on the Talon Building, the hub of business for all vampires.
The board of vampire hunters has refused to help them, leaving only a select few hunters who will risk the anger of the board by joining the mission.
Together, this small group infiltrates the depths of Talon. There, Chloe finds that one crucial mistake will cause a problem far worse than any of them could have imagined.~
Add to your goodreads today!
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17668192-taking-talon
