Lisa Olsen's Blog, page 16

We Have A Winner!

Mercy for the Damned has a new cover!

Well, it was neck and neck for a while, but the darker cover edged out to be the winner. I still love both of them, but I agree, the darker cover will likely stand out better on white backgrounds (like on Amazon.com). DeAnna Felthauser is the winner of the free book and I'll be mailing out her signed copy of Wake Me When the Sun Goes Down today!

Thanks everybody for weighing in with your opinions, I really appreciate it! Mercy for the Damned is in the final editing stages, and I hope to have it out in the next couple of weeks.

Pretty Witches All in a Row Free Giveaway

Inspired by fellow authors Beth Muscat and Barry Parham's recent success with free giveaways, I decided to give it a shot and try a short promo for this weekend. The first stumbling block was trying to figure out how to give my books away instead of charging for them. I knew there must be a way to do it, I see free books on both Barnes and Noble and Amazon all the time, but it looked like the minimum I could charge was $.99 unless I dropped it on Smashwords and waited for the other two to detect it and follow. Then Mike Saxton clued me in to the fact that you can have up to 5 free promo days when you're listed on KDP select.

Since I already have Pretty Witches on KDP Select, it was a simple task to set it up for the free giveaway and the experiment began! First I wanted to let it run on Friday and see if any response was generated without me promoting it at all. Lying in bed this morning, I checked the numbers (gotta love smart phones!) and nearly choked at seeing over four hundred downloads from the US and over a hundred in the UK, even thirteen in Germany! Just in the time it's taken me to get up and get ready for work, it's gone up to over 860 downloads combined!

Pretty Witches All in a Row is currently ranked #382 in the free kindle books section, #1 for Police Procedurals and #7 for Occult. Holy crapweasels! And this is without any promotion and it only being eight a.m. on the west coast!

I know it's free and I'm not earning anything, but honestly, at this point in my writing career it's more about getting the books out there to the people than making much money on it and I'm excited by the response.

So, if any of you have been thinking about reading one of my books, Pretty Witches All in a Row will be free through Amazon through the end of this Sunday March 4th. Here's the premise, check it out!

Someone is picking off a coven of witches one by one. Can Sgt. Nick Gibson and his team of detectives catch the killer before he loses the pretty witch who's got him under her spell?

Nick must cast aside his disbelief and delve into the world of the supernatural to solve the case. On hand to help is Annaliese, a member of the coven who claims to have had a prophetic dream at the exact time of each victim's death, offering clues to the identity of the killer. Can he accept the 'proof' offered by unconventional means or is she deliberately leading him astray to hide her own secrets? To cloud the issue, a local evangelist is telling anyone who asks that the victims had it coming. Is religious mania the motive for murder, or is it something more personal?

Find it here on Amazon to get your free copy!

March Resolutions

I've safely made it through the first two months, and I'm proud to say, I haven't broken yet! January was exercise 5 days a week and I'm still doing it without missing a week. February was giving up fried foods and I'm still on track there too. Mostly because I ate way too many sweets in anticipation of… March, where I'm giving up all baked desserts. No more cookies, cakes, pies, donuts… I'm starting to depress myself! I can still have chocolate and ice cream tho, and that's how I'll celebrate the upcoming birthday madness around the house.

In other news, I'm close to releasing Mercy for the Damned, it's in the last half of edits then off to proofreading. So, hopefully that'll be out in the next couple of weeks. I'm hoping to finish my Push fanfic before I start on my next book Let Sleeping Ghosts Lie too so I don't stretch myself too thin. Balance… must learn balance…

In other, other news… okay this isn't really news but I am so ready for spring to get here! It's been in the 30′s this week with the car icing over every night. That's crazy! I can't wait for a little warmer weather so I can put my heavy winter coat away. What about you guys? What's your favorite season?

Vote For Cover Art – Mercy for the Damned

It's that time again to give me your thoughts and feedback on the cover art for my new book coming out this month, Mercy for the Damned. Anyone who comments on the covers on the website will be automatically entered for a chance to win a copy of one of my books (your choice of books).

Please remember that this will be mostly seen against a white background on Amazon.com, since that is where I sell the most. I'd also love to hear constructive criticism and ideas for how to improve them if you have any suggestions. Please keep in mind that they have to be not only eye-catching, but easy to identify when much smaller in ads and for sale on websites.

Here is a little blurb of what the book is about:

"You'd think having an angel come to visit you would be a good thing. So why did I feel like everything was about to get ten times worse as one knelt before me?"

Mercy's saga continues with Mercy for the Damned, Book III of The Fallen. When a new prophecy predicts a great evil if a fallen angel is allowed to remain in Midian, Mercy will move heaven and earth to free Adam from his deal with Raum. The trouble is, it's far easier to get into Midian than it is to get out, and Adam is perfectly happy to serve out the remainder of his sentence if it keeps Mercy safe from harm. Throw in some pressure from the police who suspect Sam and Mercy of eliminating Ben, and the race is on to rescue both of them before it's too late.

A Taste of Mercy for the Damned

I'm done with my first round of edits for Mercy for the Damned, and now I get a little breathing room while my editing team takes over. I thought I'd share an excerpt from what's been keeping me busy for the past month and a half.

I slipped out of the car, hurrying across the street to follow after the dark figure whose absence of a soul marked him a demon.

He turned off the sidewalk into an alley and as soon as my eyes adjusted to the change in light, I realized I couldn't see him anymore. Figuring my cover was blown, and he could see me better than I could see him in the shadows, I changed tactics, slowing my step to draw him out. "Come out, come out, wherever you are…" I called out in a sing song voice.

"All alone are we?" came from up high, maybe on top of the dumpster, it was hard to tell. "A bit dangerous for the likes of you, ain't it?"

I knew my Grace would be too much temptation for him to pass by, and I suppressed a smile as I recognized his gravely voice. "I can handle myself."

The demon himself stepped out of the shadows, all casual as if he held all the cards. Still dressed shabbily like one of the unwashed homeless, he'd added a ratty bowler to the ensemble. "If you need a bit of protection, just ask old Cephas. I'll keep you safe from the other rabble for a taste now and then." He smiled, showing the sharp teeth I sometimes still dreamt about, but I gathered my courage around me. I wasn't the same girl who he'd met on the church steps months ago.

"Who says I need protection? Do you see me quaking in my boots?" my chin came up in challenge.

"I 'ear your boy is in chains under Raum's boot. I 'ear your boy bleeds real pretty-like," he chortled, and I got a flash of an image I'd been trying to ignore ever since Adam left.

"Okay, you know what? I'm done playing." I wasn't there to verbally spar with the scumbag, I was after some answers.

"I'm not, Pretty; I've only just begun," he advanced, his grin stretching obscenely wide.

Somehow I knew he wasn't in for a Carpenters sing-a-long, but I was ready for him. With a flick of the wrist, I called forth my sword, gratified to see his eyes bulge in acknowledgement. "On second thought, I could go for a game or two. How about we play… pin the tail on the demon? No? Where's your laughter now, you bastard?" Rage swept through me, all the anger and frustration finally having a target right in front of me to take it out on. What was to stop me from killing him? Absolutely nothing. I would be doing the world a favor.

Cephas must have seen the deadly intent on my face as he started to back up, his hands stretched out in front of him. "Now 'old on there, Pretty. Don't go doin' anythin' you'd regret later. I ain't done nothin' to you since Adamiel told me not to."

"But you did go back to Raum and tell him all about me, didn't you?" my eyes glittered dangerously. It was because of him that I'd drawn Raum's attention in the first place.

"I might 'ave said some such…"

"You little rat; this is all your fault!" I laid the flat of the blade against his throat and he let out a shriek as it burned his skin with a hiss.

"I beg mercy, Mistress," Cephas whined, going down on his knees.

"The hell I will, none of your kind have ever shown me the smallest amount, why should I?" Pressing a little harder, I felt the sword bite into his neck, just enough for the stain of black blood to taint the blade.

"Merceline," I felt Sam's hand on my shoulder, but I tried to shrug off the soothing waves of Grace I felt emanating from him. I wanted to hold on to my anger, it gave me strength.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't skewer his black heart right where he stands."

"Perhaps he has some information to tell us?" Sam's face took on a speculative look.

"Old Cephas knows lots of things, 'e does," the demon nodded quickly, spittle flying from the corners of his mouth in eagerness to offer his services.

"He doesn't know dick," I maintained, holding the sword in place.

"No, I do! Just ask and you'll see," Cephas begged, and I gave Sam a faint nod to go ahead.

"What do you know of another way in to Midian, beyond the main gate?"

"You're askin' about fairy stories?" his face scrunched up in confusion and Sam nodded.

"Tell us and we'll set you free."

Cephas sat back on his heels as he thought it over. "There is a way, but you gots to know where the portal is. I've never 'ad cause to find it m'self, Naberios lets me go through whenever I want to."

"So where is the portal?" I pressed again with the blade.

"Don't know 'ow much stock to place in it, but I've 'eard stories. Was a legend once of a fallen angel who falls in love with a demon, see? And they worked a spell to create a doorway. Don't know if it's true or a load of bollocks," he shrugged.

"Can you ask this demon where it is?"

"No good, she died real tragic-like. Shame too, she was a pretty piece of crumpet, as I recalls it."

"What's the name of the fallen angel?" If he said Adamiel I was going to seriously lose it, but instead he named another angel I'd heard of before.

"Name's Remiel. Fell 'ead over 'eels."

"Oh, Remiel and Lysha… I have heard this story before," Sam's eyes widened in recognition and I shot him a withering glance.

"And you didn't think to mention it before now?"

"Lysha, that's the one," Cephas nodded energetically, reaching up to straighten his hat. "Right, I gave you what you wanted, you said you'd let me go now."

I moved the sword away from his throat, but Sam replaced it with his hand, slamming Cephas back against the dirty alley floor. "I said we'd set you free." Sam's eyes narrowed, that deathly calm settling over him as his hand began to glow. "I judge thee, unclean thing. I abjure thee, and cast thee into the cleansing fires of hell." Cephas' mouth fell open with a horrible gurgle and I turned around, not having the stomach to watch. When I felt Sam rise to stand beside me, I darted a quick look, but there wasn't a sign of the demon anywhere. Nothing left but a scorched mark on the pavement.

So Far, So Good

Seems to be the theme of the day. Week four of the new year is done, and I've kept to phase one of my New Year's resolution of exercising 5 days a week. They say you develop a habit by doing something consistently for 21 days, so I'm hopeful this is now a habit that'll stick with me for a long time. Phase two will be to give up fried foods. This one's gonna hurt, as I love me some french fries. But, I'm still inspired to get healthier this year, so I'm motivated to give it a try.

Mercy for the Damned is coming along well. I'm just shy of the 50K mark, and Mercy is really in the thick of things now. She's got Adam back, but not without a price, and they still have to rescue Ben and get Azazael out of him without releasing him completely. But they have a plan and the second jaunt into Midian is just about to get off the ground.

I've also got a book giveaway going for Wake Me When the Sun Goes Down through Goodreads. You can check it out here, I'm giving away two print copies of the book, the giveaway runs through February 17th. I'm working on getting some cool bookmarks printed up to give away with them too.

So far not so good is the Kindle lending library. I signed up Pretty Witches All in a Row, and have lent a whopping 3 copies so far this year. So far that's not very worth it for having to remove it from Barnes and Noble and Smashwords, since Amazon demands they have sole distribution rights for the ebook. So, I probably won't do that again when the period is up.

Wake Me When The Sun Goes Down is now available in print!

The first book in my new vampire series Forged Bloodlines is available through Amazon.com in print! To celebrate, here is another little excerpt that takes place after Bishop has brought Anja back to his place to decide what to do with her.

"You live here?" I asked in surprise, stepping deeper into the room, my eyes lighting on the grand piano tucked incongruously into the corner. Bishop seemed content to leave me to explore on my own, heading straight for the kitchen counter, which was littered with tactical gear and electronic gadgets I didn't recognize.

"Yes."

"Huh, I would have thought you'd have a place underground, not on the top floor." I went to the window and looked down to the quiet street below. There were also a bakery and a book store in the same building and a bank across the street.

"There isn't a basement in the building, and it would have attracted too much attention at the time I bought the place to have one excavated," he replied, pulling off his jacket and tossing it at a coat hook mounted to the wall. With the jacket off, I could see he had several weapons strapped to his body, and with as close as I'd been to him, I wondered why I hadn't noticed at the time. While I watched, he unstrapped them all, laying the holsters neatly along the breakfast bar.

"You own the whole building?" For some reason that struck me as odd, vampires owning property, but it made sense. Better to be your own landlord than risk someone snooping through your private affairs.

"I do, as well as the one across the street. And no, I wouldn't rather sleep in the vault. This place suits me just fine."

"What about the sun? Isn't that a problem?"

Bishop picked up a small electronic device. "Not for the prepared. I have automatic shutters at every window, they block out the light. Come here for a minute, I want to check something."

I obeyed him without question, curious to see what he had in his hands. "What is that thing?"

"I want to test your blood." He held his hand out for mine, sticking my finger into a little lead attached to the box. It reminded me a little of the thing they use to check the oxygen in your blood at the doctor's office.

"Will it hurt? Ow!" I scowled at the prick of the needle; the machine at the doctor's never did that.

"Oh, it's not that bad," he chuckled, releasing my hand. I snatched it back to inspect the damage, but my body had already healed the pinprick.

"What are you testing for?" I leaned closer to study the readout, but it was all Greek to me. "Bishop?" I prompted when he didn't reply.

"That can't be right. Give me your other hand."

"I'm pretty sure the same blood is running through that hand as this one," I frowned, handing over the other one, bracing myself for the sting. Once again, there wasn't a trace of the wound as soon as I pulled my hand free. "What does it say?" I asked, when he frowned over the display.

Looking up, he studied my face carefully, searching for… I had no idea what he could be looking for. "Anja, I'm going to ask you this one more time, and I promise I won't be mad if you suddenly remember something you forgot to tell me before. Do you have any idea who your Sire could possibly be?"

"No, of course not. Don't you think I would have told you by now if I did?"

"And you have no clue at all, nothing that comes to mind, nothing odd that's happened to you in the past few weeks or months that you think might possibly be related?"

"No, nothing. Bishop, you're starting to scare me, what's wrong?"

"According to this, you've been a vampire for closer to four hundred years rather than a fledgling less than a day old."

My mouth dropped open as I stared back at him, at a loss for words. "How is that even possible?"

"It's not an exact science, but it's fairly accurate for anyone born in the last two hundred years. I've seen false readings before when a vampire's been turned by an especially powerful vampire line but this…"

"What?"

"This means it's very likely you could have been turned by an Ellri."

I stared at Bishop blankly, waiting for him to explain what that meant, but he stood lost in thought. "Bishop?" I asked gently after a few minutes. "Pretend I don't know anything about vampire culture or society. What's an Ellri?"

"What?" he looked up, "Oh, sorry. It's an old word for Elder, it's the name for natural born vampires that created the vampires species we know today."

"So my Sire is…"

"Possibly one of the oldest living beings on the planet."

I let that marinate for a moment before a distinction came to my lips. "Well, not living, because we're undead, right?"

"No, the surviving Ellri are alive. They were never reborn like you and I were; they're immortal."

"And they're out there walking around, kidnapping women and turning them into vampires, abandoning them for you to clean up?" What kind of elders were they?

"No… you don't get it. The Ellri are extremely reclusive, they haven't embraced the modern age very well. I can count the surviving ones on one hand. It's been easily a hundred years or more since I last saw one, and I can't remember the last time one chose to turn a human. Something this monumental would be big news in the vampire community; when this gets out, you'll be a celebrity of sorts."

A celebrity in vampire society? Unbidden, visions of vampire paparazzi swam in my mind and I shook my head to clear it. "Why are they so reclusive?" If I was a centuries old vampire, there wouldn't be much I'd be afraid of.

"I don't know. Like I said, it's rare they move around and they're not exactly sneaky, they usually travel with a full court. None of them have set foot in the United States as far as I know. As a rule they don't do well with change, they honor tradition. That's what made me first suspect one was involved when I saw how you'd been turned, but I can't imagine why he wouldn't have taken you with him."

That part didn't bother me so much; I was glad I hadn't been taken by an ancient vampire who feared change. There was another point that caught my interest though. "If he's so old he would have been able to get a license to turn me if he wanted to, right?"

"Ellri are exempt from vampire law. They can do as they please."

"Then… you won't have to turn me in after all, right? You can let me go?"

Bishop hesitated and I wondered what he wasn't telling me. "In theory no, but this is all based on speculation. There hasn't been a precedent set like this before. Without your Sire to claim you, we don't know for certain it was an Ellri that sired you."

"But your little machine…"

"It's evidence in your favor, but it's not enough to establish your line on its own. In fact, it's more likely you were sired by a direct descendent than an Ellri himself, and he would still be subject to our laws."

"So we're right back where we started."

"Almost. This tells us at least that whoever turned you is very old, very powerful, and not to be dealt with lightly. You know, that explains why I had so much trouble catching you tonight."

"You said it was easy to catch me!" My eyes widened in surprise. And here I'd thought he had been toying with me!

"Yes, I did say that," he grinned.

"You lied?" Somehow I hadn't thought him capable of it, I have no idea why. Bishop shrugged, unconcerned as he turned to put the device back on the kitchen counter and I decided not to make an issue of it. "So what happens now?" I felt like I was constantly asking him that, but how else would I get the answers I needed to survive?

"I have no idea; I'm a vampire, not a psychic." Ignoring me for the moment, he pulled a wicked looking knife out of his boot and a short pistol from the other, setting them to rest beside their brethren on the counter.

My teeth pressed against the inside of my lips as I fought the urge to scream at him for blowing me off. Like it or not I needed him at the moment, keenly feeling my own lack of experience in all things vampire. "I mean… to me. Will I fall into a coma as soon as the sun rises? Will I burn if I'm not in a coffin? I see I still have a reflection, what about holy water and garlic and silver?" The questions tumbled from my lips without end.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, one thing at a time before you have an aneurism." His hands came up in a supplicating gesture, that trace of annoyance coming back to his eyes. Bishop looked like he wanted to disappear out the window. I forced myself to stem the flow of questions, but my eyes begged him silently to respond. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he looked like he was starting to get a migraine. Did vampires get migraines? My mouth opened to ask him but I snapped it shut again, thinking better of the question. "I knew I was going to regret this…" he muttered disgustedly.

Pretty Witches All in a Row joins the Amazon Prime Lending Library

So I decided to give this lending library program a try, and list Pretty Witches All in a Row on Amazon Prime. What does this mean for you? Well, if you're a member of Amazon Prime, you can download a copy for free for the next ninety days or so. What does this mean for me? Authors are supposed to share in a pool of money depending on how many people download your book. Do I expect to make any money at this? Um, no, not really. But I figure it's a good way to get the book out there and gain some more readers. And if it doesn't work, well it didn't cost me anything but three months of availability as an e-book on any other format but Amazon. So, if you've been waiting to check out Pretty Witches, and are an Amazon Prime member, please give it a look-see, you can't beat the price tag.

New Year, New Logo, New Resolutions

So I've had this thing for a while, sort of an inside joke about me having a robot brain at work, and my husband James came up with this logo. Isn't it cute?

I don't, as a rule, set New Year's resolutions because they seem destined to fail. At the same time I am in favor of making some lifestyle changes this year and I was inspired by Mike Saxton's success at sticking to his resolutions from last year. So, being a planner and a maker of lists, I made a new list this year of resolutions I'd like to make, so that by the end of the year, I've affected real change. Instead of doing them all at once, because I know I don't have the willpower to stick to that much change, I'll pick a new one once a month and keep adding to it cumulatively.

Then some of them are just general resolutions I'd like to incorporate into my life. Like do something I want to do each day. So many times we do things we have to do, I want to take the time to do something I want to do every day, even if it's a small thing. I'm hoping that helps me de-stress a little from the deadlines I put on myself coupled with my stressful job. Deadlines like… I'd like to publish 4 more books in 2012.

My resolution for the month of January? Exercise 5 days a week. I've been doing a fairly good job of this for the past few weeks, but it'll be good to formalize it into a solid goal.

What about you guys? What are your resolutions for the New Year?

Dreamcasting – Wake Me When the Sun Goes Down

I can't possibly release a book without sharing who I would cast if this sucker got made into a movie or a TV show. So without further ado, here is who I see the characters as:

Anja Evans: Teresa Palmer – So I haven't cast a female lead as a blonde before, but since it went with the Viking ancestry link for this series, I decided to try something new. I like Teresa Palmer because she can play innocence well, but you get the feeling like she could seriously kick a little ass once she comes into her own.

Bishop: Chris Evans – Before I even nailed down this character I had Chris Evans in mind, as he looks in the movie Push, which is a little rough around the edges, but definitely formidable. He's got that ability to play tough, but with a vulnerability that makes him relatable. Plus, he's so damn pretty to look at.

Bridget Russo: Kat Dennings – Such a sassy actress, I could totally picture her delivering the lines with just the right balance of bitter bite mixed with playfulness.

Mason: Ryan Reynolds: a la Hannibal King in Blade Trinity. No one else could play his goofball humor while still conveying that he could break your spine with one hand if he wanted to. Overall a great contrast to Bishop's strong, silent type.

Hanna Evans: Kristin Bell – Because a) I put her into every book I can, and b) her coloring went well as Anja's sister and c) I love the thought of her verbally sparring against Mason later.

Detective Andrew Lucas: Matt Passmore – Have you seen The Glades? God he cracks me up in that show! I wanted that kind of light hearted banter from him, like he takes everything as a big joke, but he's also crazy smart and he'll figure out all your secrets in the end…

Aleksandr Kursik: Daniel Craig – I could just picture him as the suave, powerful vampire, alternately charming and brutal depending on the situation at hand.

Booth: Ron Perlman – Isn't he in every sci-fi movie?

Rob: Jason Statham – Rob is a character I borrowed from my True Blood fanfic, and I pictured him as Handsome Rob from The Italian Job at the time and the name just stuck.

Jakob: Alexander Skaarsgard – Okay so I'm typecasting a little here, but who else can you picture as a Viking with flowing blonde hair? Okay, maybe the guy from Thor, but he was the wrong type for this role, knowing what's coming ahead. I couldn't find a good picture of him with long hair that didn't look kinda derpy though.

Now I've got just about every other bit player assigned to a celebrity as well, but this is getting long enough, so I'll save some for the next book, Meet Me When the Sun Goes Down.