Casey Harvell's Blog, page 2
June 23, 2014
Writing Process Blog Tour
I was asked to participate in this blog by Author Thomas Kleaton—a brilliant mastermind of all things horrific. We “met” online about a year ago through a writing website (Writer’s Carnival) and became fast friends. I’m still waiting for him to let me compile his work into an anthology and get to finishing his novel! (Nudge, nudge.)
You can read all about Author Thomas Kleaton and his writing here: http://thomaskleaton.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/writing-process-blog-tour/
What am I working on?
That’s a whopper of a question right at this moment. I have about six different things screaming at me to get out. Two of them are the last books in my series, one is a spinoff of one of the series, and the other three are new standalones. The one to hold the bulk of my time this summer? Eclipsed Agony will follow the story of a young woman’s battle against invisible illness. My hopes are to spread awareness while entertaining readers. Following that will be Soul Decisions, the third book in my Decisions Series. Wired will follow, the (sniffle) end of my Electric Series and will be a HUGE wrap up. Don’t You Cry, Doesn’t Play Well With Others and my untitled spinoff will follow in 2015.
How does my work differ from others in its genre?
I really strive for originality. I take the things I see and twist them all around until eventually (usually in the middle of the night when I have to scramble for a pen) it makes sense. To me, anyway, at which point I hope it remains cohesive to others too. My best examples are:
My Electric Series: I wanted to do an apocalypse but wanted it to be different. I discovered the Grey Goo Theory and the nanobot apocalypse was born. The fact that it fit perfectly with my scheme of having Kat be charged with electricity made me believe it was meant to be. From there, Kat and her adventure took on a life of its own.
My Decisions Series: Paranormal border lining on fantasy. Mostly because Lettie is paranormal but her journey’s will take you into the fantasy created within my mind. My own versions of good and bad, angels and demons, and heaven and hell.
Why do I write what I do?
Hmm…I feel like I should lie back on a sofa. I could get into a gazillion different things that inspire me (books, music, life, movies, comics, videogames, motherhood, wife-hood, basically everything.) Those aside I guess it boils down to two reasons. 1) I was an only child and as a result have a wonderfully overactive imagination. 2) Perhaps this is the most important: I write what I do because it makes me happy.
How does my writing process work?
If I had to slap a label on it, I’d call it eclectic. I’m an incredibly organized fly by the seat of my pants writer. Which means all over the place, but it works for me. I’ll set out an outline and then ignore it completely. I get an idea and let it tell me the story. Sometimes it takes its sweet ass time, others it’s hard for me to keep up. I always enjoy the ride. Anyone who thinks authors make characters have it ALL wrong. It’s actually the opposite, we authors are their slaves.
Thanks everyone for your time you can find out all about my books at caseyharvell.com and get your hands on an ecopy of Charged free on all e-platforms.
Next Blog Hop Spot??
Meet Cathy Brockman!
Cathy is retired, living in a unique dome house in the Bootheel with her Hubbie, dog Molly and a brood of kitties. Since her children are grown, Cathy enjoys spoiling the grandies. Since she has always been a dreamer and hopeless romantic, she devotes her time to writing about all the sexy sweet romances floating about in her head. Cathy is also a voracious reader and will take any opportunity to sneak in a few chapters
You can find Cathy here: http://cathybrockmanromances.wordpress.com/
June 15, 2014
All Authors Blog Blitz 2014
Blog Blitz: Reviews – a hate/love relationship
By Rachael Rippon
When I first self-published a year ago, I was a shiny eyed young thing with an optimistic heart, rose tinted glasses and a certainty that this was it. This was my moment when I would step into the spotlight, to rounds of applause and everybody, from Amazon to Goodreads, would clamour to read my book.
I was certain I’d make millions.
That I’d be the next Hugh Howey.
That Tim Burton, whilst casually browsing Amazon one day, would stumble across ‘The Bagman’ and decide to make it into a movie (this hasn’t happened yet, but I have hope.)
And now, as I’m hurriedly finishing the second book in the trilogy for release later this month, I’m feeling pretty great about this whole self-publishing thing, even though it’s nothing like what I thought it would be.
Because now I realise something which I should have realised from the beginning. Self-publishing isn’t about making millions (ha!), it isn’t even about being famous or selling hundreds of thousands of copies (although that would be nice).
Self-publishing – for me anyway – is about people reading my book and saying, ‘I liked it.’ I’ve had an overwhelming majority of positive reviews from readers and whenever a new one comes up I get a little fizz of joy.
This review-checking addiction, of course, has its own problems as now I’m in a panic that everyone who loved the first book will hate the second. I kind of wish reviews weren’t allowed actually, because then I wouldn’t know what people thought – good or bad. Both kinds of reviews stress me out in different ways.
And so, for better or worse, reviews are an important part of my life. They validate my book, they validate my writing. They show me that maybe yes, Tim Burton will one day make my book into a movie. They also bring out the anal perfectionist in me who thinks nothing I write will ever be good enough.
What I wonder, however, is whether reviews are this important to everyone?
As well as being a self-published author, I also review self-published books. I’ve read many great books, many average books and a few mediocre ones as well. I’ve read books with rave reviews, and yet terrible writing. I’ve read the same story by different authors – nice guy goes on a quest, meets a girl, hardships ensue, saves girl, the end (sound familiar?). Sometimes this story takes place in outer space, sometimes in the past, sometimes in fantasy land and I’m heartily sick of it in all locations. I’ve read books that I wish I could have written, books that I wish I could re-write, books that I wish I could go through with a red pen and circle every single cliché and poorly written sentence. But I can’t, because I only read e-books.
I’ve doled out two star reviews, bestowed five star ones. I’ve judged other people’s creative works critically, analytically, by what works for me and what doesn’t. And I used to think that all other reviews accurately showed the readers opinions and that these opinions were fair and considered.
And yet, just like me, so many authors want positive reviews, they want acclaim and validation. But positive reviews are sometimes hard to come by. And they are rather easy to fake.
Sockpuppet accounts, for instance, are fake accounts created under a fake name, often in order to give an author positive reviews, and, in some cases, poor reviews. Sockpuppet accounts usually have no user photograph, the user will often have only rated that one book and, if there is a review, will often be overly gushy with little analysis, eg. ‘I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! YOU SHOULD TOTALLY READ IT!!!’.
Indeed, I know of at least two reviews on both my Goodreads and Amazon pages that are sockpuppets created by well-meaning family and friends. (Fun little exercise if you have have nothing to do: have a look and see if you can find them.) I’ve since had to ask people I know not to write positive reviews under fake names – mostly because I want reviews to be genuine, but also because when Tim Burton finally makes my book into a movie, I don’t want it revealed that all my positive reviews were sockpuppets. When I’m rich and famous, I want to have some class.
And so, reviews, as important and as wonderful as they are, can be faked for a variety of reasons by both authors and readers. Sometimes it might even be justifiable, often not.
So how important are reviews to readers and authors alike? To what extremes will authors go to get good reviews? To what extent can we trust reviews? To what extent do reviews really portray the readability of a book? Can reviews be considered ‘quality controllers’ of digital self-publishing?
These are some of the questions I’m looking at in my research.
In order to find out the answer to these questions (and many more besides) I have created two surveys.
An author survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/selfpublishedauthorsurvey
And a reviewer survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/selfpublishedreviewersurvey
The survey’s take about half an hour each. If you are either an author or a reviewer (or both!) I would greatly appreciate a response!
About the Author:
Rachael Rippon is researching digital self-publishing for her PhD. She has been writing since she was eleven and reading even longer. Her first self-published book ‘The Bagman’ has received rave reviews from family, friends and readers too. Her second book in the trilogy is due to be released in June this year. She has won several short story competitions and had a few short stories published. She lives in a caravan in Australia, loves reading crime stories, loves writing fantasy stories and is terrified of zombies.
Find out more via:
The Blog: http://rachaelrippon.blogspot.com.au/
The Book: http://www.amazon.com/Bagman-Abigail-Cobble-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00DN3KDVC
The Bibliophile: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6151756-rachael
The Other Book: https://www.facebook.com/rachaelripponwriter?ref=hl
June 3, 2014
The Electric Series!
Five Things You May Not Have Known About The Electric Series by Casey Harvell
1) Where the idea began: I love zombies. I see everything zombie as a form of therapy because they terrify me. (I had nightmares for months after watching 28 Days Later.) I really wanted to write an apocalypse. Something terrifying that could rival the chaos and fear of a zombie apocalypse. But where to begin? I started Googling and discovered the Grey-Goo Theory. Thus the nanobot apocalypse was formed.
2) It’s all part of the groove: A large part of my writing involves music. The Electric Series is made possible mainly by Imagine Dragons, The Fray and The Artic Monkeys.
3) A secret: Another large factor in the beginning of The Electric Series (Charged) is a vague fan fiction to The Hollows Series by Amanda Hocking (my favorite series EVER!)
4) Where’d B come from? In The Hollows Series Remy has a kickass female lion named Ripley. She’s badass. B’s small yet but give him a bit to catch his bearings. As for the name? B’s been shortened for “Baby Bear” (Charged) but is also the nickname for my neighbor’s turtle because he’s awesome.
5) Lastly: Wired will be the final installment of The Electric Series and will be out sometime this coming winter.
The Electric Series by Casey Harvell
BREAKING NEWS: (Nov 2013)
New strides in nanotechnology have the medical community very excited! Due to the successful testing of BioNano’s new atomic sized nanobots, doctors hope to attempt the first cellular regeneration of its kind.
BREAKING NEWS:
We are reporting live, up to the minute coverage of the nanobot invasion. Within just a few days the entire eastern seaboard will be affected unless we figure out how to stop them. The issue is that at the rate people are falling to this, all of the scientists with the knowledge to fix them will be overtaken before they have a chance. Please remain indoors if possible, but remember that exposure does not stop with people. These nanobots work on a molecular level. Everything they come in contact with: people, animals, buildings, even water can become a carrier.
Charged Reboot
Electric Book I
Coming …NOW!!
Charged: Reboot (Electric Series)
Kat tries to save mankind from an ever-growing number of threats. Besides the insane General from the Midwest, there’s also the original nanobot infection, the question of where all the infected are and now the fear of nuclear meltdowns at power plants across the abandoned East coast.
Kat’s personal life crashes and burns along with half of the nation. She struggles across the country to find her friends and it’s no easy feat with Carch hot on her tail. They make a horrifying discovery, a game changer- and not one in their favor. Kat tries so hard, but will it be enough? You’ll only find out by getting Shocked!
About the Author:
Casey Harvell lives in the Hudson Valley of New York with her husband and their two sons. Casey is slightly zombie obsessed and known to use the word “boom” frequently. After releasing three new full length novels in the second half of 2013, she is hard at work on the next installments of her series and a side project or two. You can find all of Casey’s books at http://www.caseyharvell.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Casey-Harvell/e/B00DRQSGLE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/casey-harvell
Guess what? I’m trying hard to get Charged ~Reboot~ and Righteous Decisions free again on all platforms. After a lot of piracy issues I switched where I’m publishing through and this waiting period is the result. If anyone wants an e-copy of Righteous Decisions or Charged ~Reboot~ send me your email and file preference (pdf, epub or mobi) in the contact form and I’ll make sure you get one. Take that retailers and piraters alike! ;)
Just go to casyharvell(dot)com and fill out a contact form. Thanks!!!
May 2, 2014
Charged Reboot and Shocked Cover Reveal The Electric Series by Casey Harvell
Check it out!
Originally posted on daria's Views on books:
BREAKING NEWS: (Nov 2013)
New strides in nanotechnology have the medical community very excited! Due to the successful testing of BioNano’s new atomic sized nanobots, doctors hope to attempt the first cellular regeneration of its kind.
BREAKING NEWS:
We are reporting live, up to the minute coverage of the nanobot invasion. Within just a few days the entire eastern seaboard will be affected unless we figure out how to stop them. The issue is that at the rate people are falling to this, all of the scientists with the knowledge to fix them will be overtaken before they have a chance. Please remain indoors if possible, but remember that exposure does not stop with people. These nanobots work on a molecular level. Everything they come in contact with: people, animals, buildings, even water can become a carrier.
Charged Reboot
Electric Book I
Coming 5/16/14
http://www.amazon.com/Casey-Harvell/e/B00DRQSGLE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Kat’s just an average teenage…
View original 322 more words
April 10, 2014
Bullying and Authors:
There’s a lot of it going on in the community. It seems every time you turn around there are more stories of petty slanderous comments being slung back and forth. The indie community’s getting hit hard, some authors are even pulling their books.
It’s sad, heartbreaking even, but it’s not new. Bullying’s been around for as long as people have. This method of bullying is new, raw and personal in nature. It’s cruel and intentional. Maybe it can never be completely done away with, but I’m thinking we can certainly bring the bullies to their knees at least.
Every author deals with criticism, it’s part of the territory. Just like every author needs to accept that everyone’s entitled to their opinion. However, a line’s crossed when that criticism becomes a personal attack or vendetta. I’ve heard some humdingers, plain ridiculous things (like the author’s appearance takes away from their written work!?! Really?!?!) and plain mean things. Yet, there’s something I also see:
Camaraderie in the indie community. Support for other authors, in all shapes and forms. Everyone helping one another. And standing up for each other. For all the grumpy, rotten people there’s 10 awesome indie rock-stars. So let’s bully the bullies by showing them just how much we DON’T need them, be them sneaky and passive or obnoxious and crude, ignore them and help your peers. Together we can all make a big difference!
January 13, 2014
Reasons why I was a sucky blogger in the last half of 2013
Before I begin with my reasons (I swear, they’re decent!) I guess we’ll start from September 
September 1st I released the first book of my paranormal romance series, Righteous Decisions (which btw is FREE on Nook and Kindle! I’ll post links to everything at the bottom of this post
Then came Charged. I think this might be my favorite- I’d always wanted to do a book on an apocalypse (I
Next in line came Harsh Decisions, the sequel to Righteous Decisions. Seeing as how I was writing it anyway, I decided to try my hand at NaNoWriMo while I was doing it. Hey, it was November after all. I began a week late, but by the 30th had only accomplished 47,500 or so words. Technically, I didn’t reach the NaNoWriMo mark. Also, at that word count, Harsh Decisions decided it was done. Can’t argue with a book, it’ll do what it wants. Harsh Decisions was published on December 20th.
Now? Shocked, the sequel to Charged. Still in the preliminary rough-draft stage, I hope to release it early spring.
I’ve also been writing articles (interviews with other indie and non-indie authors mostly,) on Examiner(dot) com and have a column in the awesome new All Authors Magazine (again, see link below). And I’m now a proud reviewer for The Review Board!
Because all of the above is not enough while raising two boys under ten and running a house, and to supplement some income, because let’s face it- indie authors need to do so, I’ve been offering editing and formatting services for other authors with great success (my website link will also be below). But even if these are all very good and relevant reasons to be busy, it still doesn’t mean that I should be ignoring my blog, because you guys rock. I should be tarred and feathered and humbly beg your forgiveness.
Here’s all the info on my books, as well as links to websites mentioned above:
Righteous Decisions:
When Lettie, a misfit photographer, realizes her nightmares have become reality she is more than a little freaked out, but as her world gets turned upside down, and at the top of a paranormal hit list, she discovers more about herself than she ever thought possible.
Kindle:
Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/righteous-decisions-casey-harvell/1117027470?ean=2940045298049
Harsh Decisions:
Lettie’s pretty sure things can’t get much worse. Really, going to hell has to be a low point. But she’ll go anywhere and do anything to get Gabe back.
Join Lettie on the second installement of her journey. Battling demons and conquering battlefields, stopping and starting wars, and family feuds all have one thing in common: Harsh Decisions.
Kindle:
Coming Soon (seriously like any flipping day now!) on Nook!
Charged:
Kat is just an average teenage girl. When the new guy moves to town, she’s shocked when she falls for the boy next door. With her best friend Brie, and new boyfriend Mason, life is looking better than ever.
When Brie and Kat land a gig for their band, excitement is in the air. But a cross of wires leaves Kat charged with electricity when her amp explodes.
And things just keep getting weirder…A sudden nanobot apocalypse leaves Kat’s new talents as the only thing that stands between mankind and the end of the world.
Kindle:
Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/charged-casey-harvell/1117193450?ean=2940045334907
Also- Aliens, Death & Zombies- A Compilation of Short Stories:
Some links for me: (including my website for those looking for editing or formatting)
https://sites.google.com/site/caseyaharvell/
Casey Harvell on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/author/caseyharvell
Casey Harvell on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Casey-Harvell/238364846204319
Casey Harvell on Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CaseyHarvell
Casey Harvell on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4996856.Casey_Harvell
Twitter:
http:///www.twitter.com/CaseyAHarvell
Google+:
http://www.google.com/+CaseyHarvell
And affiliate links:
All Author’s Magazine: http://spiasg.weebly.com/all-authors-magazine.html
The Review Board: http://theunleashedreviewboard.wordpress.com/
This is why….
…I’m the world’s worst blogger. I totally slacked off these last few months and for that, I suck. For more of my me bashing, begging and apologizing (okay, and news on my latest books and what’s been keeping me so busy,) please refer to my next post 
September 4, 2013
Love books?
You can now find articles I write about books on Examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/ny-in-new-york/casey-harvell
Self-publishing and You
You did it! You wrote a book! You slaved for months, years possibly…you’ve revised, and edited, perhaps you’ve even sent out query letters to no avail. However you reached this point, you’re now looking at self-publishing.
The Pro’s:
You are in complete control. Nobody can tell you to change anything you don’t want to, or to compromise on your work.
You set the price, and decide your royalties. There are a lot of different options out there, make sure you read and understand them all before committing.
There’s no waiting! This is a big one, for me anyway. No weeks waiting for an agent or publisher to get back to you, work on your own schedule.
The Con’s:
This is not a choice for the faint hearted. Self-publishing requires an extreme amount of work. You’re not just a writer when you self-publish. You’re also an editor, formatter, cover designer, and marketer. Some services are offered for all of these things, but if you’re not willing or able to do it yourself, it will cost money. Especially when it comes to marketing, you have to be willing to put the effort in. Even most publishers will require you to do a lot of self-promotion.
Next week: Building your fan base and author network!
Write on!
Got a question? mrscharvell@gmail.com
