K.C. Sprayberry's Blog, page 151

This Game We Play

Just how dedicated are you to making your book or books a success?
As an author, you need to ask yourself this question. The reason is that no matter how you publish, you are faced with marketing your book on social media. Even well known authors are now stumping their books, although they probably don’t spend as much time doing it as we who are in the trenches every day.
Marketing is more than “Oh, I published a book. You probably should check it out.” This disingenuous statement might get you a few initial sales but if you don’t do anything else, you’ll soon see your book relegated to Amazon limbo. That means despite being able to move up in the rankings, maybe even hitting the Best Seller stratosphere of the top 100 books in your category, you’ll be languishing far below that in a cellar of dismal exposure.
In order to get your book noticed, you have to be on the social media giants—Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you need to be on other social media venues, but these two will get you the most notice. And you need to be out there daily, not just plugging your book but also getting your name known.
How does one do that?
There are auto-posters that allow you to set up scheduled posts on Twitter and Facebook. Those can assist you with getting out your daily posts, but you still need to be commenting, sharing, and checking out what’s happening. Keeping your finger on the pulse of social media can help you with getting you and your work noticed.
Just one thing to bear in mind once you’re being noticed…
Avoid the pitfall of rants. These can lose you as many fans as apathy will. Instead of sharing and commenting on the latest trending news story, look for something funny, cute, or even poignant. Give your fans the opportunity to grab a breath of fresh air in this crazy world we live in. Let them notice that you’re not one to follow current trends but are a trendsetter.

Everybody Reads YA ~ Softly Say Goodbye

Happy “Everybody Reads YA” Sunday! Today I’m sharing an excerpt from my YA novel: Softly Say Goodbye. Teens getting drunk is a problem that grows daily.




The sound of liquid gurgling and a thunk distracts me as my art teacher, Mr. Janks, says he has a major announcement. An overwhelming urge prods me to confront the offender, but she'll deny my accusation, even though everyone in the vicinity knows she just chugged some vodka.
Do it! My hands clench into fists. Tell Laura to quit!
High school drunks totally piss me off. The urge to deal with the offender overcomes common sense. I start to turn around to give her a piece of my mind but stare in shock at my teacher instead.
A week before Valentine's Day, the most romantic day of the year, I want to throw my books into the nearest trashcan and run until my legs give out. Here I am, sitting in my art class, and Mr. Janks announces we have to do a term project but not just any term project. Oh no! We have to develop a major project like cleaning up the Rec Center's playground and painting a mural on the huge cylinders kids climb all over. Worse, I swear I heard something about a video. Who has time to do all that and a video?

About the Author
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Some of her short stories have appeared in anthologies, others in magazines.






Erin Sellers, an eighteen-year-old high school senior, hates teen drinking. She and her three friends – Bill, her guy, Shari and Jake - decide to use Twitter to stop a group, the Kewl Krew, from using their high school as the local bar. But the members of this group are just as determined to stop anyone from messing up their fun. Despite veiled threats to her safety, Erin continues her crusade.
To make matters worse for her, the stress of school and extracurricular work mounts and suddenly, shockingly, booze-fueled tragedy strikes. Erin is now under greater pressure as she spends all hours to produce a mural and other work to commemorate the death of a teen friend. Bill, Jake and Shari support her in all this...
But more tragedy lurks nearby… until it’s time to softly say goodbye.


Softly Say Goodbye 

What is Sexy… or Not

I have to say this, even though many of my best author friends write in this genre. Erotica authors are hurting themselves with their cover art.
Yes, that is a bold statement, but all of their cover art is pretty much the same. There are a few exceptions, but far too many erotica authors go for the partial or full nudity in their covers. It’s not working for me and many other people.
In other words, put some clothes on, people. Sexy is in how a person reacts, not how few clothes they’re wearing, if any. Sexy is a state of mind.
How can I say this without insulting those friends I still have left at this point.
I write mostly for young adult readers. That means I have to get their parents to like me first, which won’t happen if I’m always helping you promote your books and their covers feature naked people.
Before you fire back with “It’s my cover and that’s the way I want it.” Great. It’s your cover. I get that. But I also get what it takes to promote my books, and I can’t help you even though you’re doing the same for me, if I’m going to turn off the parents of my fans. It won’t work.
So, let’s examine what it means to have a cover on your book that portrays sexy without undressing the models.
My father once told me the sexiest woman he’d ever seen was Katherine Hepburn in African Queen. If you’ve seen that movie, you’re probably scratching your head. For those who haven’t had the experience, let me explain.
Ms. Hepburn wore clothing from the nineteenth century in African Queen. That means she was covered from head to toe, and down to her fingertips. There wasn’t much skin visible at all. What made her sexy was the way she moved, her expressions, and the way she spoke. Men fell in love with this character because of her adherence to the role. Sparks flew between Ms. Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, and they literally captivated an audience through their magnificent talent.
That’s sexy. That’s showing the viewer what the producer wanted them to experience. And there wasn’t any well-orchestrated sex scenes. Just the talent of two actors drawing the audience into their work.
Now, translate that into an erotica book cover. Instead of partial or full nudity, seek out cover art where the characters are fully clothed, but the looks being exchanged scream sensuality. Stay away from the mundane and overdone. Give your reader a fresh look at how well you trust them to understand what lies behind the cover art.

Quests

Who isn’t up for a quest? They’re filled with danger, excitement, and possibly a pretty girl for the handsome young man heading off far from home. Usually, the characters are in a fight for the survival of their species, to protect their ruler, of to stop an evil person.
The young men and women who answer these calls are usually looking for adventure, for a way to escape a dreary home life. They’re ready to do anything they need to in order to make sure the right side wins. Oh, and a bit of excitement along the way is always nice.
Troy has his own reasons for responding for a call to arms. He doesn’t look back and he and his buddies leave their home planet, bound for a world he’s never seen. What he discovers there causes him to question everything about his life.
Blurb
Troy Ailel left his farm behind upon his parents’ deaths, answering the call for Armsmen to protect the galaxy from an unknown evil. He expected to fight, but not the enemy he got, nor for the cause he sought.



To Live and Die 
 

Short Stories

The short story appeared to have its heyday end when magazines began closing their doors. During the eighties, nineties, and early two-thousands, a writer could break into their field by writing for magazines. But then things changed. Publishers began going online. Magazines disappeared.
It began to look like the short story was gone forever.
Or is it?
A smart author knows their book will at some point slow down in sales. This author will be preparing short stories to upload to sales venues such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords, in order to use them as promotional material for their novels. What better way for a new reader to check out an author than to read a book that costs them less than a dollar and shouldn’t take more time to peruse than their coffee break?
The art of the short story isn’t easy for someone who has only concentrated on novels. You have to learn to condense characterization and plot, where only salient points are there. These stories seem almost barren, lacking in so many details the novels put forth. But they are well worth your time and effort to learn how to write them well.
Short stories can not only improve sales of your novels. They can help you develop a whole new fan base, one that grabs your book to while away an otherwise boring break. After all, who just sips coffee and stares off into space? 

Everybody Reads YA ~ Soar High 1: Standing Strong

Happy “Everybody Reads YA” Sunday! Today I’m sharing an excerpt from my YA collection of stories of survival: Soar High 1: Standing Strong. Abusers are everywhere, usually unnoticed by others.




I sit in the crowded waiting room, watching people rushing around behind a set of hydraulic doors. Hunching my shoulders, I stare at them, wishing for the doctor to come through and tell me everything will be all right. It has to have been my imagination that her leg looked funny after she fell downstairs.
Please, someone, come out and tell me that Mom will be taking us home.
Pulling up my legs, I half turn and stare. The windowpanes are frosting. It might snow. I hope it doesn’t. Snow means no school. I want to be in school. Turning back, I watch in terror as the doctor slowly approaches. He’s looking past me. I turn and see flashing blue lights. He’s called the police. I can’t talk to the police.
Where’s Mom?

About the Author
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Some of her short stories have appeared in anthologies, others in magazines.





Parents, siblings, spouses, friends. People you love. People you thought loved you. People whose truth you keep hidden, even from yourself.
People who make you feel guilty for the harm they cause to you and others, by their choice. People who cause you to doubt yourself into thinking it’s your fault.
K.C. Sprayberry presents a collection of devastating short stories on relationship abuse. To those in the midst of such a relationship, stand up, stand free, and stand strong.


Soar High 1: Standing Strong 

Guest Post: Your Men Need To Read

Your Men Need To Read!




Quick quiz: How many novels do you read a year? How about the men in your life — think husbands, significant others, children, fathers, etc.? Bet you beat ‘em. Some sources say 55% of women readers choose fiction compared to 45% of men. Women average nine books a year while men read only five, It’s no wonder only 20% of the fiction market is made of men these days.


Unfortunately, we men are missing out.


Studies show reading fiction helps people be more adept in social situations by increasing empathy, creativity, and what cognitive scientists call the “theory of the mind” — the ability to anticipate what another will do based on how we think that person perceivesa situation. Who wouldn’t want their men to handle themselves better, socially? Social skills can benefit all areas of a person’s life — family, work, leisure, etc.


We need your help. How can you help us read more fiction? Here are some suggestions.


•   Set an example and read fiction yourself — probably not an issue for you.
•   Find out what type of stories a man likes (action, suspense, military, science fiction, etc.) and help him find those kinds of novels. Take a look at the genres he prefers on TV and in movies. Chances are, he might like similar novels.
•   Buy a novel or two for him to try out based on the above information. (NOTE: if you give this as a gift, you might want to include other types of gifts, as well. Don’t just give him a David Baldacci novel, but also include socks, ties, that new Maserati, etc.)
•   Schedule (together) a no-electronic-media night each week. Obviously, eReaders could be exempt, but TV, electronic games, web surfing, etc. would take the night off. In all honesty, we tried this in my house and it lasted about two weeks. My family still reads a lot. We just don’t try to squeeze it into a rigid schedule.
•   Leave a couple of books around the house in his favorite genre, hoping he might pick one up to read on his own.
•   Read books he might enjoy reading and talk about them.
•   Find a couples book club.
•   When you’re in mixed company (and he’s involved in the conversation), ask his friends what novels they have read.
•   If he travels for business, sneak a book he might like into his suitcase. Include a friendly note saying you’re thinking about him.


These are just a few ideas to trigger your own. Please feel free to share them with others.


Happy reading! Together.






For more information see:


http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fiction-readers-an-endangered-species-2013-10-11
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/04/29/why-men-should-read-more-fiction/
http://www.gallup.com/poll/188078/hits-new-low-favorite-spend-evening.aspx?g_source=reading&g_medium=search&g_campaign=tiles
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14175229

Ben Sharpton writes thrillers. His New Adult/Young Adult book, Camp Fear: 13 Days of Fear(Solstice Publishing) will be released on Friday the 13th (of May). His Adult Paranormal Thriller, 2nd Sight: Capturing Insight (Limitless Publishing) will be released on June 21. You can learn more at www.bensharpton.com.

Spotlight on Camp Fear - 13 Days of Fear

CAMP FEAR: 13 DAYS OF FEAR  by Ben SharptonYoung Adult/New Adult ThrillerRelease Date: May 13, 2016Publisher:  Summer Solstice
— SYNOPSIS —


•         A camp filled with fear•         A real life-threatening  danger•                                                         A clinically depressed counselor who must summons the courage to help those he loves
To help overcome grief, Rich Hanson takes a summer job at Camp Safe Harbor in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains. He quickly learns the camp director rules over the staff and campers with unrealistic and manipulative fear (which leads the camp staff to rename the camp, Camp Fear). When faced with real peril, Ritch must find the courage to lead the camp staff to safety.
     Summer camp can be a frightening place…
— REVIEWER COMMENTS —
“It's the perfect summer escape book.. completely unpredictable and yet believable. Easily worth 5 stars.”  - Author Bradon Nave (Copper Lilies)
“…it was well-written and enjoyable, and definitely worth reading. If you enjoy a good adventure story with a little meaning packed into it, give Sharpton’s Camp Fear a read!” – Reviewer Kiera Dunn




— MEET THE AUTHOR OF Camp Fear: 13 Days of Fear! —
“Tell stories.” It's one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received. Stories inspire people to grow and expand their horizons. They entertain. They challenge. They comfort. Simply put, they make life much better.
I’ve been telling stories all my life. When I worked with youth years ago, I told stories that helped them understand, learn and develop. Later, as a corporate training manager I used stories to demonstrate examples, to encourage better business practices and to stimulate learning. As a college professor I found stories to be instrumental in challenging people to think and comprehend.
Today I continue to tell stories. You’ll find them in my nonfiction curriculum books and all of my award-winning novels. My hope is you’ll enjoy my stories and share them with your friends. Then, tell your own!
— CONNECT WITH BEN SHARPTON —
Solstice Publishing: http://solsticepublishing.comWebsite: http://www.BenSharpton.comTwitter: @Bsharpwriter
— FRONT COVER —

First Bookitis

There’s a horrible disease invading the writing community. Those of us who have been around are watching in horror as it takes over the newly published authors. We worry for their sanity. We wonder if they can be saved. Is this disease fatal?
Well, most will tell you this problem is solvable, but it will take some serious work.
The rest? We’ll shrug and watch and the train wreck happens before our eyes.
What am I talking about? First Bookitis. The symptoms are pretty predictable. Bragging about getting an outstanding contract, as soon as their newly signed agent gets it into gear. Envisioning cover art on par with a well-established author who makes millions annually. They’ll scorn advice from more experienced authors and demand that they keep their antiquated ideas to themselves.
More than half of those suffering Bookitis will vanish as an author within one to five years after their first book is published. Their reasons will vary, but they’ll be pretty much predictable.
“Nobody is buying my book. They can’t see how great it is.”
So, to a degree Bookitis is fatal, to those who don’t listen to the authors who have gone before them. But it’s also a curable disease, if one is willing to take the time to learn from the experts.
Or as your mother used to say, “It’s better to keep your mouth closed, than to open it and forever dispel any doubt regarding your intelligence level.”
In other words, don’t laugh off the advice of those who have gone before you and are still around. We learned the hard way.

A New Life

Moving is traumatic for anyone. For military brats, a move might happen at any time. They have to adapt to their new surroundings, whether a few states from where they’ve been living, the other side of the country, of halfway around the world. What makes matters worse is that the move can come in the middle of the school year, during a long holiday break, or for a teen, the summer before their senior year of high school.
Blaire in Frozen Heart, Summer Thaw faces such a situation. To make matters worse, she’s also mourning the loss of her mom and recovering from an accident.
Blurb
Blaire’s heart freezes over when she discovers she has to move to Alaska and then loses her mom in an accident. Once there, she finds a kindred spirit in Gerry and learns to open her heart again.



Frozen Heart Summer Thaw