Jennifer Bray-Weber's Blog, page 78

Link Of The Week

I was searching for a really cool link to share with you this week and I found one that I think you will all like! This site has just about everything you could want in a destination for writers.

http://absolutewrite.com/

If you haven’t traveled to their island of information, then perhaps you might want to go to the island of Salt Cay in October for a writers retreat! (It’s highlighted on their page) Sigh, I know I would…..

Besides announcing events in the writing world, they have articles, forums, ways for you to advertise, and writing classes. I hope you enjoy exploring Absolutewrite as much as I have. Now, if I could only figure out a way to make it to the Bahamas.

Musetracks Recommends… Two Books to Help Increase Writing Productivity

On my Kindle: WRITE EVERY DAY: How to Write Faster, and Write More and 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love by Rachel Aaron

Musetracks recommends… how-to books for the keepers shelf!

You probably don’t know this but I am a book-on-writing addict. I have at least a hundred of them, read all of them and keep reading more. Last week, I was glad to stumble on two very good short Kindle books that gave me great tips to help me write faster.

The first one 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love by Rachel Aaron is a pretty short book and what I believe a follow-up on a blog post that you can also read here.

Ms. Aaron tells us that you need three things to really boost your productivity, one being excitement about everything you write. It sounds obvious and while I thought I was excited about all my scenes, it turns out that I didn’t always know why I cared about writing some parts of the story. I decided to give her advice a try and wrote a one line “FF (Fun Factor – my words)” at the top of each of my scene (like: FF: it shows the hero is really really super sexy”) to remind myself of what I truly enjoyed in that scene.

It works. As I first read that before starting my edits, I get really exited about the scene and can’t wait to show my reader how fun this part is. I stall a lot less with dread and fear in front of my page.

Speaking of fear, the second book, which goes much more in depth about why we sometimes avoid writing, is by multi-published author Cathy Yardley, and titled WRITE EVERY DAY: How to Write Faster, and Write More.

Ms. Yardley knows what it’s like to be busy with a kid, a day job and trying to write on top of it all. She tackles all our “problems” in layers. Solve the issue of time first, then go to the next issue of energy. Then figure out your fears before tackling your process. I truly got a lot out of this and experienced little light bulb moments from reading various passages such as….

“… if you have to wait until you’re making enough money or getting enough recognition to justify the time to write… you’re never going to have the time to write.”

I discovered why some of my fears were actually trying to protect me, such as how the fear of my family’s criticism is actually a protecting me from having the writing taken away from me. I was glad to have discovered this book through the Amazon Kindle recommendations, especially to see that Ms Yardley has also a great blog of smart writing advice called Rock Your Writing which you can find here is you are interested. I promptly added it to my blog feed reader.

Much love,

Marie-Claude xoxox

Disclaimer: I do not know those two authors personally, found both books via Amazon Kindle Recommendations and purchased the books myself.

Location:Seattle

On writing, bats & a big giveaway on 8/13/13.

It has been FOREVER since I last posted. SORRY!

Many of you may know why. For those of you who don’t, here’s the quick version.

The scene was set. Laptop? Check. Glass of wine? Check. Quiet house? Check. That was until my two youngest sons and my two youngest nephews came careening down the stairs yelling about bats. Two bats to be precise. In the bedroom.

Enter Supermom. Bucket and cover in hand, I go to rescue the poor bats. Yes, rescue the bats, not the boys. I felt bad for the poor little creatures. You would too, if you’d ever been in a room with those four hellions.

Anywho. I rescue and release both tiny brown bats, only to go back inside and find my youngest son holding a towel firmly to my laptops keyboard. You can see where this is going. Whilst I was slaying the dragon, horseplay ensued, and my laptop  got a full glass of wine dumped over it.

Needless to say. It’s FRIED. Hard-drive heaven.

So, since I’m not uber rich, it’s sharing the family computer until I can save enough for a new (do they make them waterproof yet?) laptop.

 

Until then, I’ll be spotty at best. Ugh.

 

So onto the giveaway!

I have three books out now! Woot.

I released WHAT SHE WAS MISSING in July, and STAY just released from Samhain on Tuesday!

Someone once said, “Running from your problems never solves anything.”

That someone – was a liar.

At least that’s how Marni Leighton sees it. She ran away from her problems and opened a shelter for battered women. Life was great until Donovan Marshall showed up. Now she’s rocked by long dormant desires, not to mention the realization that she turned his little sister away from the shelter – a week before her brutal murder.

But when the deadly intentions of a madman put all their lives in danger, Marni and Donovan have to set aside their mistrust and anger to work together.

 

Love is the best reason to stay…and the very reason she has to leave.

Changing Tides, Book 1

Fire Captain Bracken Elliot knows how fragile life can be. Ever since a terrible tragedy tore his life apart, he’s played strictly by the rules. But his whole existence has just been turned upside down.

Not only has his sixteen-year-old son been kicked out of school, but the newest member of his fire and rescue team is an ex-Coast Guard diver whose one passion seems to be ignoring every order she receives—and driving him to distraction.

So, Captain Stick-Up-His-Ass doesn’t like the risks she takes? Tough shit, as far as Abby Burke is concerned. Of course ignoring Brack’s orders is easy. Ignoring her attraction to him? Impossible. Too bad staying in one place isn’t her forte.

When Abby takes one chance too many, Brack’s anger lights the kind of fire neither one of them wants to put out. Their night together is hot, intense, perfect…and Abby knows it can never last. Because there’s not a chance in hell her past won’t catch up with her.

 

Soooooo, to celebrate, I’m giving away some downloads!

 

Anyone who comments, shares, tweets or Pins about the giveaway at Candi Wall Books, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or Goodreads, will automatically be entered in a drawing for a copy of my books!

I’m giving away 5 e-copies of WHAT SHE WAS MISSING and five e-copies of STAY!

I’ll draw names on Tuesday 8/13/13!

Happy reading and writing.

Best Practices for EBook Publishing with Mark Coker of Smashwords

Song of the Day: Prayer of the Refugee by Rise Against

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending a workshop hosted by Northwest Houston RWA, my local Romance Writers of America chapter. The speaker, Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords.

Now this is not the first time I’ve met Mark, nor the first time I’ve listened to him speak. But I couldn’t wait to hear him talk again. He has a very impressionable way with understanding the world of eBook self-publishing.

With his permission, I’m going to relay the notes I took from his talk on the best practices for publishing an eBook.

Mark and Jenn!

1. Write a fantastic book. Honor the reader with a great story and satisfy them by moving them to an emotional extreme. It doesn’t stop there. Make sure you are fanatical about the entire process, including the editing and packaging.

2. Create a great cover. The cover is not only the first impression on the path to discovery, but a promise to the reader. Use a professional cover artist, or, if you plan to do the cover yourself, make sure the cover is comparable to what New York publishers produce. Make sure your cover targets your audience. The cover is merchandised as a thumbnail. It should look great in that size.

3. A no-brainer, but warrants repeating. Write another super awesome book.

4. Give some books away for free. By doing this, you eliminate the financial risk new readers face. Free books builds awareness and trust. This especially works well for books of a series. If you have a series, at least one book should be free, even if for a little while.

5. Patience, it’s a virtue. Retailers force books out of print before they have a chance because new books are kept on the shelves for only a few short weeks. Most don’t have an opportunity to gain an audience, much less a fan base. EBooks are immortal…and changeable.

6. Maximize availability—don’t be exclusive. Play the field, play with everyone. If you are exclusive, you limit discoverability and become dependent on the site of the exclusivity. Oh, and by the way, retailers see no stigma in self-published books.

7. Build a platform. The larger your platform, the more power you have over your career. Connecting with readers becomes a form of currency. There is no single right way to do this. Use all the social media tools you feel comfortable with. Have a newsletter. Some will want to connect using blogs, but it is difficult to gain readership this way. However, once you do, they are yours for life. And here’s a biggie, offer a way for readers to connect with you at the end of your book, aside from your website. It simply makes sense, but is often overlooked.

Free! Click cover for your copy!

8. Architect for “virality”. “Spread the germ.” Get your fans talking about you. Word-of-mouth is still the most powerful way to discoverability. Book marketing is always going to stem from word-of-mouth. Utilize viral catalysts that makes your books more accessible, discoverable, desirable, and enjoyable—story, cover, title, editing, targeting right audience, book description, pricing, broad distribution, formatting, proper categorization, just to name a few. Eliminate the friction that limits the catalysts (think exclusivity, lacking cover, bad editing, etc.).

9. Unit volume is a lever for success. Every book sale has two benefits: money and a new readers. The latest survey conducted by Smashwords indicated that $1.99 was a black hole, not performing as well as higher priced units, and $3.99 was the current sweet spot for all genres. Proper pricing can maximize money made and the amount of readers. Keep in mind lower priced units will sell more units, and higher priced units will sell fewer, but the lower priced units under-perform as income and higher priced units will get you more readers. Of course, experience may vary and it is encouraged to play around with pricing to find what works best for your book.

Free! Click the cover for your copy!

10. Don’t worry about piracy. Obscurity is the bigger risk. Those stealing your books weren’t going to buy your book to begin with. Who knows, you may even gain a super reader out of it. Most piracy is accidental—a lending of a book, picking up a book at a garage sale, etc. This type of discoverability is effective and cheap! The best way to combat piracy is to make your book easier to purchase than steal. This goes back to distributing broadly and pricing fairly. And it doesn’t hurt to add a polite license statement in the book. (See Smashwords’ example in their style guide.)

11. Take advantage of Pre-orders. This will be available soon through all distributors. In short, list your book for sale before it officially hits the virtual shelves. Allow a sample to be downloaded. It is highly suggested books should be completely ready before listing it as a pre-order. Some retailers will credit all the pre-sales on the day the book comes for sale. This will possibly shoot the book onto various best-selling lists. Let me add here SHAZAM! Putting a book up for pre-order sale 4 to 6 weeks prior to release gives you, the author, a chance to market the book generating interest. Capture the reader and get them to buy while they are still fired-up instead of waiting until release day when they most likely have forgotten or are no longer as interested. Check out Smashwords’ blog post on pre-orders.

12. Practice partnerships and positivity. If you discover something that works well, share it with others. This builds friendships and a good reputation. Don’t be a complainer or behave badly. Everyone, including the marketing peeps at retailers, have Goggle Alerts. You will be remembered.

13. Collaborate with fellow authors. Short stories, bundles, or boxed sets are a great way to share, promote, and gain new readers with existing fan bases of your fellow collaborators. Plus the retailers like them and they sell well.

Free! Click the cover for your copy!

14. Think globally. All retailers are expanding beyond the US. Aggressively. Over 40% of Apple sales are outside the US and looks to be trending higher. And these books are in English.

15. You are running a business. Business requires a profit. Most books don’t sell well, so control your expenses. Never borrow money to publish a book. Pinch your pennies. Invest in great service. If you can’t afford it, offer to trade services. Once you are profitable, reinvest in your business.

Whoa! That’s a lot of information. Absorb it! And to help, check out Smashwords FREE marketing books and style guides.

What do you think about these practices? Have you tried any? What has worked or not worked for you? Do you have other tips to share? Let’s hear from you.

Link of the Week – Strategic Goals and Pinterest

Today’s Link of the Week is a hit and run, of sorts.

More ways that Pinterest can help market authors, and other businesses, can be found at Social Media Examiner.  Check it out and see these three new tips.

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/3-strategic-goals-on-pinterest/

Talk Back: Are writing conferences necessary?

On my Kindle: Manhunting by Jennifer Crusie

Talk Back – Tell us how you write!

What do you think? Now that Jenn has made us all totally jealous with her RWA photos, I feel like I am totally missing out.

Yet, unlike her, I have no real reasons to justify the price of going to a writing conference right now. I don’t have any book to sign, no agent or editor to meet and while I would love to learn more about the craft by attending the many workshops offered, the benefits would not outset the costs for me at this time. If I’d go, it would be a total splurge just for a little time out and to meet all my writer friends.

And I’m afraid that right now I don’t think attending writing conferences are necessary for me to reach my current goal (make a sale).

That said, this is only my own opinion and I may totally be wrong. So I turn to you for input. Do you think writers need to go to writer conferences to meet their goals? Is it different for writers at different stages of their careers? Are some conferences more useful than others?

What is your experience and thoughts on this?

Much love,

Marie-Claude xoxox

Location:Seattle

Hump Day Kick Start – Chandelier Edition

Song of the Day:  Circles by Cavo

Hump Day Kick Start – for your muse, a writing picture prompt, or just a visual treat.

 

If this doesn’t spark your imagination, maybe you need to turn on the light. Oh wait…

Isn’t this delicious? Who is our well-dressed man? What is his story? Is he a vampire? A keeper of the dead? A keeper of secrets? Maybe he’s a horror novelist. The classic story of an author renting out a spooky mansion so that he could channel inspiration only to find it really is haunted? Or maybe he is the host of a home renovation TV show.

That piece of furniture behind him looks awfully odd. What is it? A buffet? A liquor cabinet? A cozy coffin?

What’s with the fog? Or is that smoke?

Why is he holding the chandelier? What’s he going to do with it? Use it as a weapon? Sell it for much needed cash so that he doesn’t lose his beloved dead aunt’s estate? Could he be dismantling his estranged wife’s home and it was the first thing to go? (The shag carpeting has got to go next.) Did the chandelier just fall suspiciously from the ceiling, narrowly missing him?

What’s with the smoldering look? Who is he looking at?

Love to hear what you think. Tell me a story. I’m listening.

Link of the Week – WriterBeat

This is an interesting website and is only a few months old.

“Writer Beat is a cross between a social network and a blog. But unlike a social network, the site is structured so that articles rather than individuals are featured prominently.”

I can’t explain it better than that. It’s sort of like a hot sheet for blog posts and it’s updated hourly.  There are three ways to participate on this site; as a contributor, a reader, or as a commenter. A contributor posts the articles in hopes to gain readership. Readers can give recommendations for the articles they enjoyed. Commenters can generate conversation.

Check it out!

http://www.writerbeat.com/index.php#!top-news

MuseTracks Guest – Malia Mallory – Romance and Spice

MuseTracks is happy to welcome returning guest, erotic author, Malia Mallory. Malia has brought us a sexy excerpt and a chance to enter in her giveaways which include books, gift cards and a Kindle Fire.

Help! I Like to Read Romances!

Occasionally, I’ll become involved in a conversation about romance reading. The same questions always seem to arise. Are romances unrealistic? What about the kinky ones? Can I read BDSM without wanting to participate? Are my reading preferences normal?

First, fiction is fiction is fiction. Does it often depict real life? Sure. But most people read for entertainment and sometimes complete realism is not what they are looking for. I don’t think people should be afraid of words. I don’t think people should feel any discomfort about reading romances, even kinky ones.

If a reader likes to read Stephen King, do we make assumptions about their mental state? Not generally. If you read a police procedural, are you looking for ways of getting around the law? Not necessarily.

Romances provide positive feelings, though there can be conflict and heartbreak along the way. They highlight love, finding someone who understands you and building a loving relationship. What could be happier than that?

*****

 

I’m very excited about my new release, His Passion, Her Temptation, which is the fourth book in the Dominating BDSM Billionaires Series. His Need, Her Desire (Book 1) is currently free at most online retailers. His Desire, Her Surrender (Book 2) hit bestseller lists in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Her Wish, His Command (Book 3) released in June.

*****

His Need, Her Desire (Book 1) is currently FREE at most retail outlets.

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | All Romance | Kobo | Bookstrand

*****

His Passion, Her Temptation Blurb

Granger Pharma executive Monica Granger is hiding her relationship from her family. She has to. Her lover is the son of her father’s biggest business rival. Ben Coron is more than Monica can resist; he’s everything she’s ever wanted—including dominant in bed.

But when Coron Health makes a play for Granger Pharma, Monica’s relationship—and her life—blow wide open. She loses her job, and her family rejects her. Someone’s stealing Granger’s vital trade secrets, and worse, Monica’s brother is dodging attempts on his life.

Their passion is too strong to keep Monica and Ben apart for long. They must thwart the takeover and heal the rift between their families. If they don’t, they’ll never trust one another enough to pursue the dominance and submission they both need.

*****

His Passion, Her Temptation Excerpt

“So, do you want to eat now … or later?” Monica’s smile turned seductive.

“Well, I think I might need you first.” His hand reached to touch the silkiness of her hair.

“I agree. Food can wait.” Monica pulled his head down and kissed him, greedy to taste his lips.

Without breaking the kiss, Ben guided her out of the hallway into the living room.

Monica slipped her finger under the edge of his collar. “You know, it doesn’t seem fair that you get to call all the shots.”

“Oh? I call all the shots?” Ben’s hands roamed to her rear and squeezed.

“Yes … you decide when and how …” Monica licked the edge of his lip.

“One, that isn’t quite true, and two, I haven’t heard you complaining.” He gave her a playful pinch on the ass.

“Oh no, I’m not complaining.” Her hand moved to the front of his pants, cupping him.

“Then what?” His hands slid down to the back of her thighs.

“I thought it might be fun to … try a little something else.” She rubbed him through the fabric of his pants.

“What did you have in mind?” Ben swept his hands up her back and tangled his fingers in her hair.

Monica tilted her head back. “Do you recall that night before I left for Hawaii?”

“I do believe it is burned into my memory.”

“Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn’t be interesting to reverse things.” Monica observed his face for a reaction.

“Reverse things?”

“Oh yes.” Her finger laid a trail down the front of his chest. “You,” she poked him gently, “would do as I say.”

“I see. Are you finding you have a dominant streak?” he teased.

“I’m not sure, but I have a desire to find out.” The thought of taking charge appealed to Monica, not all the time, but perhaps occasionally.

Ben smiled. “That sounds … enticing.”

“I hoped you’d think so.” Monica walked around him, patting his ass with her palm.

“How would you start?”

“I’d tell you to disrobe for my viewing pleasure.” Monica enjoyed looking at the hard planes of Ben’s body, so different from her own curves.

“Shall I?”

“Oh, yes.” Monica crossed the few steps to the seating area and settled herself into an upholstered chair.

Ben approached Monica and then turned his back toward her. He loosened his tie and pulled it free, tossing it over his shoulder in Monica’s direction before unbuttoning his shirt and letting the fabric fall to the floor. He turned slightly and caught her eye. Monica flushed under his wicked gaze.

*****

His Passion, Her Temptation is available for preview and purchase at the following online retailers.

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | All Romance | Kobo | Bookstrand

*****

This month I’m part of the Insatiable Reads Book Tour, where the hottest authors in romance debut their sizzling new reads! We’re touring the web and awarding prizes the whole month of July.

To enter giveaways and meet the other writers, follow us at:

Web Site | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest

*****

IR Giveaway Rafflecoptor Code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*****

Malia Mallory Biography

Malia Mallory lives in Hawaii with her husband and daughter. She’s been working with words since alphabet blocks rolled into her crib, not only writing her own work but copy editing and proofreading the work of others. She has loved to read about relationships since she first sneaked off with her mother’s Harlequin.

Malia Mallory is the best-selling author of The ABCs of Erotica series, which covers the erotic spectrum from BDSM to ménage and everything in between. More releases in the series are on the way. She has also released the Mia’s Cop Craving series and Santa’s Backdoor Baby. Malia’s books have hit the bestselling erotica lists at both Amazon and iTunes. Her books are available in electronic format at major retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, Sony, Diesel, Smashwords and AllRomance Books.

For a free copy of B is for Beach from The ABCs of Erotica, head to her website and sign up for the newsletter.

*****

Connect with Malia Mallory

Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Web Page | Goodreads | Pinterest | Newsletter

Don’t forget to leave a comment and help congratulate Malia on her newest release!

Introductions Are In Order

Well, hello there! 

I’m Saranna DeWylde and I’m so very pleased to share that I’ve been invited to join Musetracks. I had kind of a fangirl moment because I’ve always loved the blog and the ladies who run it. Seeing as this is my first post, we won’t get too hot and heavy. I think some hand-holding and dinner is in order.

To celebrate, I’ve decided to give away a copy of my upcoming book Desperate Housewives of Avalon. So what do you have to do? Nothing, really. Just introduce yourself and tell me who your favorite author is and why or alternatively, what kinds of posts you’d like to see from me. Nothing too complicated. I’ll post the winner on next Friday’s blog.

Desperate Housewives of Avalon

The Desperate Crew is back with a romp through the resort island of Avalon when Aphrodite convinces Artemis it’s past time for her to get her V-card punched. Artemis doesn’t want any messy entanglements, and has a taste for bad boys, and the sexy Mordred Le Fey fits the bill. Too bad he’s cursed by the Lady of the Lake.

Aphrodite has had her fill of Love being used as a curse and decides to give Vivienne her comeuppance, but ends up with trials of her own when all she wanted was a vacation.

Secretly, Vivienne thinks she deserves to be punished because she’s been in love with Arthur since she handed him Excalibur and she engineered the fall of Guinevere and Camelot. Gwen’s marriage to Lancelot has been in name only since 1912. A fact that’s only made Avalon’s resident evil enchantress Morgan Le Fey too happy. Come along for the ride as these goddesses take control of their Fate (or so they think) and find their Happily Ever Afters.