Cory Putman Oakes's Blog, page 6
January 8, 2012
INDELIBLES ON FIRE BLOG HOP!
Introducing the Indelibles
Welcome to The Indelibles Blog Hop!
In celebration of our official launch, we are giving away a KINDLE FIRE! If you'd like to start at the beginning of the INDELIBLES ON FIRE GIVEAWAY BLOG HOP, then please start HERE.
If you are already mid-hop, then welcome to your next stop! By following the link at the bottom of this post, you can proceed to THE END (Woo Hoo! You're almost done! This is your last author-page stop!). If you are entering to win the KINDLE FIRE, don't forget to make a note of the keyword at the end of every blog post – the words spell out a phrase you will need to enter the contest on the last stop.
Marketing guru Shelli Johannes Wells has teamed up with twenty-four other indie and small press authors to bring you the Indelibles.
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"We are indie authors who write middle grade and young adult fiction.
We are dedicated to leaving a permanent mark on the world with our stories and words.
We are The Indelibles."
Each week, we'll explore fun, fabulous, and fierce topics for today's teens, drawing on pop culture and themes from the books we write. Check out our official launch Monday, January 9th for fun giveaways at http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/. We'll also be having a "blogger" chat on January 11th and a writer/author chat on the 18th to answer questions about self and indie pubbing. See our blog for details.
And now with no further ado, here's a little bit about me: Cory Putman Oakes
Cory Putman Oakes was born in Basel, Switzerland, but grew up in Novato, California and attended Marin Catholic High School. She then spent three fantastic years at the University of California at Los Angele before graduating in 2001 with a B.A. in Psychology. In 2004, Cory graduated from Cornell Law School with a Juris Doctorate Degree and her husband, Mark (the first was the intended consequence of attending the school, the second was a bonus). Since then, she has been an associate at a big law firm, taught business law to undergraduates at Texas State University and written several books for young people.
Cory now lives in Austin, Texas with Mark and their beautiful daughter, Sophia. In addition to writing, Cory enjoys reading, cooking, running, and hanging out with her family and pets.
You can follow me several ways:
My Blog
My debut Young Adult Paranormal is called THE VEIL. Here's a little bit about it:
Seventeen-year-old Addison Russell is in for a shock when she discovers that she can see the invisible world of the Annorasi. Suddenly, nothing is as it appears to be—the house she lives in, the woman who raised her, even the most beautiful boy in town all turn out to be more than what they seem. And when this strange new world forces Addy to answer for a crime that was committed long ago, by parents she has never known, she has no choice but to trust Luc, the mysterious Annorasi who has been sent to protect her. Or so he says . . .
Sound like something you'd like to read? You can buy it on AMAZON (paperback or Kindle) or Barnes & Noble (paperback or Nook).
OR you could win it HERE! Enter my contest below: all you need to do to enter is follow my blog and answer a simple question for me. The winner, randomly chosen my Random.org, will win their choice of a Kindle, Nook or paperback version of THE VEIL. I'll announce the winner here on Thursday (1/12/12)
<a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&am... need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.
The keyword for this stop on the hop is: WORDS
FINISH THE HOP by going back to the Indelibles Home Page and entering to win a Kindle Fire! CLICK HERE TO FINISH THE HOP!
Good luck and thanks for sticking with us this long – you're awesome!
January 7, 2012
Guest Post From Susannah Greenberg of Susannah Greenberg PR (Including her Top Tips for Young Adult Book PR)
Susannah Greenberg is President of Susannah Greenberg Public Relations, a book publicity firm in the Greater New York City area. Her clients are authors, publishers, and book industry organizations. She has represented best selling authors including Spencer Johnson and Alan Dershowitz; launched the campaign for April is National Poetry Month for the Academy of American Poets; handled public relations for the Book Industry Study Group; and is the Publicity Chair for the Women's National Book Association in New York, NY. She gets features, reviews, and articles for her clients in tv, radio, print and online. Media placements by her firm include the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, New York Times, the Today Show and more. Most recently, she assisted in the 2011 launch of Albert Whitman Teen, a line of books for young adults. Prior to founding her own firm, Susannah Greenberg was employed at Simon & Schuster, M. Evans & Co., Cambridge University Press, and Pantheon Books.
It was my pleasure to work with Cory Putman Oakes on a very successful campaign for her excellent debut Young Adult novel, The Veil. We had great success getting Cory's book buzzed about online especially on blogs, many of them very significant blogs, including The Pioneer Woman which boasts over 500,000 visitors per month. Part of my working relationship with my authors, in addition to getting media coverage, includes my providing, as needed, a general introduction to the publicity process and consulting and advising on all aspects of the book's publication. Cory took all of my advice, made the most of it, and went beyond it, going from beginner to extraordinary in her understanding of how book pr works in no time. In my years of working in the book publishing business, I have observed that this is the dynamite combination for authors that will lead to success, being both an excellent writer and paying attention to the business of book publishing, especially public relations. I think Cory has what it takes to go far in her writing career.
Top Tips for Young Adult Book PR:
From Susannah Greenberg, Susannah Greenberg Public Relations
@suegreenbergpr
http://www.facebook.com/SusannahGreenbergPublicRelations
1) PUBLICITY MUST BE DONE IN ADVANCE. Pay attention to the time line. Get started from a year to 6 months or at minimum 4 months before sale/publication date. Early long lead phases include crafting press materials and/or web site copy – book description, author bio, q&a with author or suggested interview questions; researching media outlets – tv, radio, print, internet, news web sites, bloggers. The public relations can and should continue after publication date but getting ahead of the date is very important.
2) ESTABLISH WEB PRESENCE, start early building online community and setting up your social media – Facebook, Twitter, Web Site, Blog, and now also Google+. Others, and there are many others, include social reading sites such as Goodreads and LibraryThing; Tumblr, YouTube – make a trailer.
3) PRESS MATERIALS – what are the basics? You need a good one to two paragraph description of your book. A good model for that might be an Amazon book description, a book publisher's seasonal catalogue online, an online book review from Publishers Weekly. You need an author bio. Have electronic images of an author photo – a headshot and a jacket image photo. Include information on where to buy the book. These can all go on your web site. Your web site should have connectivity with all your other online social media so that viewers can go from your web page to say following you on Twitter and vice versa when it comes to your Twitter profile. Think of the web site as home base for all of your social media online.
4) CONNECT WITH OTHER WRITERS in the YAlit community online. Writers are supportive. Writers are readers. Writers are reviewers. Yes, there are readers who are just readers but not surprisingly a lot of the writers are voracious readers and book bloggers as well.
5) BOOK BLOGGERS. You've got to get to know and love your book bloggers. This is a powerful community for all kinds of books but especially so for YA. You can find them on Twitter. You can find them through Google searches. You can find them in many places online. They are critical to building the buzz in advance for your book.
6) READ AND STUDY the relevant media both to learn more about your trade and to try to identify the media who would be most interested in your book. When I say media, I am not making a distinction between traditional and new media. Find the newspaper, the magazine, the blog, the Facebook page, the web site, find any and all media contacts at these media outlets who would take an interest in your book and reach out to them over time. Leave enough time to do this by starting way ahead of pub date.
Critical reading would include:
@sljournal New York, NY
School Library Journal is the world's largest reviewer of children's & young adult material, from books to digital content.
and within SLJ,
the blog FuseEight NYC
@FuseEight
and from Publishers Weekly, the trade magazine of the book industry,
@PWKidsBookshelf NYC
A free weekly e-newsletter from Publishers Weekly that reports on all aspects of the children's and teen book business. Subscribe HERE
Cory’s Publicity Tips for Authors
This time last year, I had an unpublished book languishing in a Word document on my computer and absolutely no idea what to do with it. Even after I found a publisher (Octane Press – my white knight of a small press) I still had no idea how to get the word out to anyone other than my friends and family. Panic set in –
Oh my GOD – no one is ever going to read my book. I am going to be a loser, a failure as a writer and as a human being.
Oh my GOD – people are going to read my book and hate it. I’m going to be a laughing-stock. A cautionary tale to would-be writers everywhere.
This was my frame of mind when I first sat down to talk to Susannah Greenberg (of Susannah Greenberg Public Relations). I told her upfront that I had a Facebook account I had set up only because a friend had made me. That I was afraid of the word “blogger.” And by the way, could she explain to me what an “ARC” was because I kept hearing that word and I had no idea what it meant . . .
Needless to say, Susannah had her work cut out for her. But she took me by the hand and led me straight into the world of Book Publicity. Today, my book is not only published, it has been reviewed on over 50 blogs (including The Pioneer Woman), and magazines (like Austin Parentwise). I have done interviews, Giveaways, Waiting-on-Wednesdays, blog tours, book festivals, a book trailer, Comic Con, book signings, and Twitter chats.
I now know what an ARC is. (Advance Review Copy)
It has been one heck of a year. And while I still do not profess to being the End-All-Be-All-Of-Knowledge-Concerning-Book-Publicity, I have learned a lot and my hope is to pass on some of that knowledge to you – so that you won’t have the same panic moment that I had. Here’s a list of tips:
CREATE YOUR OWN WEBSITE TO SHOWCASE YOURSELF
Create a kick-ass website. This is easy to do these days on Word Press or Blogger. It’ll be your calling card, so make it awesome, but resist the temptation to clutter it up with so much “stuff” (buttons, etc) that people are unable to find basic information about you. The most prominent stuff on your website should be: your name, a way to contact you, the name of your book(s) and a link to buy your book(s).
BECOME ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
Develop your presence on sites like Twitter, Facebook, Google + and LinkedIn. Goodreads is a must. Check out their Author Program (easy to join) and look into doing a Giveaway.
Susannah had to drag me kicking and screaming to Twitter . . . but I’m so glad she did! It has put me in contact with so many authors, bloggers, and reviewers – I can’t even imagine publicizing a book without Twitter now! Plus, it’s loads of fun and I’ve met lots of real-life friends there.
Do be careful not to overextend yourself. Keeping up with social media can be a fulltime job in itself, so don’t spread yourself too thin. Pick a few sites that you are comfortable with and devote yourself to building up your following there.
BLOGGERS ARE YOUR FRIENDS
Bloggers are a fantastic way to get the word out about your book. Before you have ARCs available, query bloggers to feature you on their “Waiting on Wednesday” posts to get some buzz going. When your ARCs are ready, offer review copies to your favorite bloggers in exchange for honest reviews, and make yourself available for Giveaways, Interviews, Follow-Ups, etc. Look at the blogs they follow to find more blogs that might want to review your book.
THE VEIL’s very first blog mention ever was a Waiting on Wednesday post (on I Read Banned Books)
AMPLIFY YOUR OWN MEDIA COVERAGE
Amplify all media coverage you receive by cross posting on your website and your social media sites (with links).
Reviewers often cross post their reviews to Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Goodreads etc – and if they don’t do it on their own, ask them!
CONSIDER HIRING A PUBLICIST
You can write The World’s Greatest Book, but it won’t go anywhere if nobody reads it. Consider investing in some professional help to jumpstart your publicity efforts.
I would have been lost without Susannah. She was recommended to me by my publisher, so I had no qualms about hiring her. But make sure you do your research, get recommendations from people you trust, etc – make sure you’re hiring someone who can really get the job done.
LOOK FOR FREE STUFF
Be on the lookout for opportunities such as Readers Favorite (they will review your book for free and post their reviews to social media). Other free resources I have used include: whohub, Quibblo and Amazon Author Central
If you have a book trailer (highly recommended), there are a lot of places that will post it for free: YouTube, Blazing Trailers, Book Trailers.net, and Preview The Book. (Don’t have the money to create your own trailer? Contact your local film school – film students often need projects and they won’t charge you as much as professionals.)
And it’s important to keep up with industry news! I recommend Publisher’s Weekly under Children’s and Children’s Bookshelf Weekly (a free e-newletter from Publishers Weekly).
DON’T SWEAT THE BAD REVIEWS
Do not let the fear of getting a bad review stop you from getting your book out there. Believe in your book. Believe that when people read it, they will like it and spread the word. Get your book into as many hands as possible for reviews. You’ll get some bad ones – we all do. But don’t let that hold you back.
Celebrate your good reviews by circulating them far and wide on social media and thanking the reviewer. Ignore the bad ones – everybody gets them, even really big-name authors whose books are bestsellers. It’s part of the business.
OTHER AUTHORS ARE YOUR FRIENDS
As far as support, learning about your craft, publicity and plain old friendship, nothing beats an author group. Join or form one (or two!) today. We’re all in this together!
I don’t know what I’d do without my “The Place” girls (my Austin writers group) or my new group The Indelibles. Authors need other authors to stay sane!
YOUR LOCAL INDIE BOOKSTORES ARE YOUR FRIENDS
Get to know your local indie bookseller! They can be a huge resource for you, publicity-wise (plus, indie book people as a general rule tend to be awesome, so why not go introduce yourself?) This will likely be where you will do book signings, launch parties, etc so approach with a smile and an ARC and do your part to promote them back on your social media sites.
I *HEART* my Austin indies – Book People let me throw my launch party in their store (here are some pics) and The Book Spot has been awesome with helping me promote (they even put The Veil on their “Best of 2011” list – my first book award!)
BE YOURSELF
Be yourself on social media and in interviews. A witty, well-behaved and grammatically correct version of yourself, but still yourself. If people like you – the real you, not some weird, fake version of you – they will likely enjoy your book as well.
BELIEVE IN YOUR YOURSELF AND YOUR BOOK
Do not be afraid to approach that Big Book Blog or that Big Book Festival and ask them to promote you. Sure they might say no – but they also can’t say “yes” unless you give them a chance! Go for it!
I never would have thought a blog as big as The Pioneer Woman would have any interest in my little book . . . but they did! (Check it out HERE)
GIVE BACK
Now that you have a following, use it to do good! Tweeting/Facebooking/Google-plussing about yourself, day and night, gets boring anyway. Why not shine a light on a great cause?
There are lots of deserving causes in the book world. I organize book donations for an underserved school on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico (Chrissy’s Classroom) and last year I gave away an ARC on Read For Relief, benefitting Hurricane Irene relief.
DON’T FORGET TO KEEP WRITING!
You most important job as a writer is, of course, to write. But it’s easy to forget about that in the whirlwind of publicizing a book that you’ve already put out there. Put the necessary time into publicity, but don’t let that get in the way of your number one job – getting your next, brilliant book out there (so you can start doing publicity all over again!)
Good luck!!
Thank you to Susannah Greenberg of Susannah Greenberg Public Relations
And to the following awesome authors who also contributed ideas to this post:
Cory's Publicity Tips for Authors
This time last year, I had an unpublished book languishing in a Word document on my computer and absolutely no idea what to do with it. Even after I found a publisher (Octane Press – my white knight of a small press) I still had no idea how to get the word out to anyone other than my friends and family. Panic set in –
Oh my GOD – no one is ever going to read my book. I am going to be a loser, a failure as a writer and as a human being.
Oh my GOD – people are going to read my book and hate it. I'm going to be a laughing-stock. A cautionary tale to would-be writers everywhere.
This was my frame of mind when I first sat down to talk to Susannah Greenberg (of Susannah Greenberg Public Relations). I told her upfront that I had a Facebook account I had set up only because a friend had made me. That I was afraid of the word "blogger." And by the way, could she explain to me what an "ARC" was because I kept hearing that word and I had no idea what it meant . . .
Needless to say, Susannah had her work cut out for her. But she took me by the hand and led me straight into the world of Book Publicity. Today, my book is not only published, it has been reviewed on over 50 blogs (including The Pioneer Woman), and magazines (like Austin Parentwise). I have done interviews, Giveaways, Waiting-on-Wednesdays, blog tours, book festivals, a book trailer, Comic Con, book signings, and Twitter chats.
I now know what an ARC is. (Advance Review Copy)
It has been one heck of a year. And while I still do not profess to being the End-All-Be-All-Of-Knowledge-Concerning-Book-Publicity, I have learned a lot and my hope is to pass on some of that knowledge to you – so that you won't have the same panic moment that I had. Here's a list of tips:
CREATE YOUR OWN WEBSITE TO SHOWCASE YOURSELF
Create a kick-ass website. This is easy to do these days on Word Press or Blogger. It'll be your calling card, so make it awesome, but resist the temptation to clutter it up with so much "stuff" (buttons, etc) that people are unable to find basic information about you. The most prominent stuff on your website should be: your name, a way to contact you, the name of your book(s) and a link to buy your book(s).
BECOME ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
Develop your presence on sites like Twitter, Facebook, Google + and LinkedIn. Goodreads is a must. Check out their Author Program (easy to join) and look into doing a Giveaway.
Susannah had to drag me kicking and screaming to Twitter . . . but I'm so glad she did! It has put me in contact with so many authors, bloggers, and reviewers – I can't even imagine publicizing a book without Twitter now! Plus, it's loads of fun and I've met lots of real-life friends there.
Do be careful not to overextend yourself. Keeping up with social media can be a fulltime job in itself, so don't spread yourself too thin. Pick a few sites that you are comfortable with and devote yourself to building up your following there.
BLOGGERS ARE YOUR FRIENDS
Bloggers are a fantastic way to get the word out about your book. Before you have ARCs available, query bloggers to feature you on their "Waiting on Wednesday" posts to get some buzz going. When your ARCs are ready, offer review copies to your favorite bloggers in exchange for honest reviews, and make yourself available for Giveaways, Interviews, Follow-Ups, etc. Look at the blogs they follow to find more blogs that might want to review your book.
THE VEIL's very first blog mention ever was a Waiting on Wednesday post (on I Read Banned Books)
AMPLIFY YOUR OWN MEDIA COVERAGE
Amplify all media coverage you receive by cross posting on your website and your social media sites (with links).
Reviewers often cross post their reviews to Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Goodreads etc – and if they don't do it on their own, ask them!
CONSIDER HIRING A PUBLICIST
You can write The World's Greatest Book, but it won't go anywhere if nobody reads it. Consider investing in some professional help to jumpstart your publicity efforts.
I would have been lost without Susannah. She was recommended to me by my publisher, so I had no qualms about hiring her. But make sure you do your research, get recommendations from people you trust, etc – make sure you're hiring someone who can really get the job done.
LOOK FOR FREE STUFF
Be on the lookout for opportunities such as Readers Favorite (they will review your book for free and post their reviews to social media. Other free resources I have used include: whohub, Quibblo and Amazon Author Central
If you have a book trailer (highly recommended), there are a lot of places that will post it for free: YouTube, Blazing Trailers, Book Trailers.net, and Preview The Book. (Don't have the money to create your own trailer? Contact your local film school – film students often need projects and they won't charge you as much as professionals.)
And it's important to keep up with industry news! I recommend Publisher's Weekly under Children's and Children's Bookshelf Weekly (a free e-newletter from Publishers Weekly).
DON'T SWEAT THE BAD REVIEWS
Do not let the fear of getting a bad review stop you from getting your book out there. Believe in your book. Believe that when people read it, they will like it and spread the word. Get your book into as many hands as possible for reviews. You'll get some bad ones – we all do. But don't let that hold you back.
Celebrate your good reviews by circulating them far and wide on social media and thanking the reviewer. Ignore the bad ones – everybody gets them, even really big-name authors whose books are bestsellers. It's part of the business.
OTHER AUTHORS ARE YOUR FRIENDS
As far as support, learning about your craft, publicity and plain old friendship, nothing beats an author group. Join or form one (or two!) today. We're all in this together!
I don't know what I'd do without my "The Place" girls (my Austin writers group) or my new group The Indelibles. Authors need other authors to stay sane!
YOUR LOCAL INDIE BOOKSTORES ARE YOUR FRIENDS
Get to know your local indie bookseller! They can be a huge resource for you, publicity-wise (plus, indie book people as a general rule tend to be awesome, so why not go introduce yourself?) This will likely be where you will do book signings, launch parties, etc so approach with a smile and an ARC and do your part to promote them back on your social media sites.
I *HEART* my Austin indies – Book People let me throw my launch party in their store (here are some pics) and The Book Spot has been awesome with helping me promote (they even put The Veil on their "Best of 2011" list – my first book award!)
BE YOURSELF
Be yourself on social media and in interviews. A witty, well-behaved and grammatically correct version of yourself, but still yourself. If people like you – the real you, not some weird, fake version of you – they will likely enjoy your book as well.
BELIEVE IN YOUR YOURSELF AND YOUR BOOK
Do not be afraid to approach that Big Book Blog or that Big Book Festival and ask them to promote you. Sure they might say no – but they also can't say "yes" unless you give them a chance! Go for it!
I never would have thought a blog as big as The Pioneer Woman would have any interest in my little book . . . but they did! (Check it out HERE)
GIVE BACK
Now that you have a following, use it to do good! Tweeting/Facebooking/Google-plussing about yourself, day and night, gets boring anyway. Why not shine a light on a great cause?
There are lots of deserving causes in the book world. I organize book donations for an underserved school on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico (Chrissy's Classroom) and last year I gave away an ARC on Read For Relief, benefitting Hurricane Irene relief.
DON'T FORGET TO KEEP WRITING!
You most important job as a writer is, of course, to write. But it's easy to forget about that in the whirlwind of publicizing a book that you've already put out there. Put the necessary time into publicity, but don't let that get in the way of your number one job – getting your next, brilliant book out there (so you can start doing publicity all over again!)
Good luck!!
Thank you to Susannah Greenberg of Susannah Greenberg Public Relations
And to the following awesome authors who also contributed ideas to this post:
January 5, 2012
Catch Phrase Contest – And The Winner Is . . .
AND THE WINNER IS . . .
Drumroll . . .
Cindy Hogan! Cindy's idea was:
"Nothing is as it seems"
I love it! It fits in perfectly with THE VEIL, plus it's short and shouldn't cause my hand to start to hurt when I sign multiple books at a time 
Cindy, there is a freshly signed copy of THE VEIL headed your way!
Thank you so much to everyone who offered suggestions – you guys came up with some great stuff! And I loved the stories of "bad signings" – good stuff! I promise never to do any of those things!
CPO
January 3, 2012
CONTEST – I Need A Cute Catch Phrase To Sign Books With
I promised myself that before my next book signing I would come up with a cute/witty/intriguing/memorable phrase to sign THE VEIL with. You know – something to put between the "To [Person's Name]" and the "Cory Putman Oakes" on the title page.
Well, my next signing is coming up on January 14 (YAK Fest! Can't wait!) and I have not been able to come up with anything so . . . I am opening it up to you in the form of a contest.
HOW TO WIN: Leave a comment below with your suggestion for the catch phrase PLUS your Twitter handle. (I promise to follow anyone who comments, plus that's how I'll notify the winners).
WHAT YOU WIN: If I pick your phrase, I will send you a copy of THE VEIL (signed, using the new phrase!) There is a chance for multiple winners if I end up getting more than one phrase I want to use (so feel free to enter multiple suggestions).
Haven't read THE VEIL yet? Here's the blurb from the back cover, just to get your creative juices flowing:
Seventeen-year-old Addison Russell is in for a shock when she discovers that she can see the invisible world of the Annorasi. Suddenly, nothing is as it appears to be—the house she lives in, the woman who raised her, even the most beautiful boy in town all turn out to be more than what they seem. And when this strange new world forces Addy to answer for a crime that was committed long ago, by parents she has never known, she has no choice but to trust Luc, the mysterious Annorasi who has been sent to protect her. Or so he says . . .
Thank you in advance for your suggestions! And hey, if an author has ever signed a book to you in a way you found obnoxious, creepy or weird, I'd love to hear about that too (don't embarrass the author by including their name – just tell me what they said that creeped you out). It'll be just as helpful for me to know what NOT to do
CPO
January 2, 2012
The Indie Book Fair!
Did you find a new Kindle, Nook, or iPad under the Christmas tree? Browse the Indie Book Fair and find a new ebook to break in that reader!
These great new books were released Nov 2011-Feb 2012 by Indie authors, priced right so that taking a chance on a new author doesn't have to break your wallet. (Check out my previous Internet Book Fair for other great Indie finds.)
[Indie = self-published or small-publisher, for the purposes of this post, because no matter how we're published, we're all in this together, trying to get the word out about our books]
Note: Links are given for Amazon, but most authors publish across all e-book formats. Click on the author's name for additional purchasing options, including paper copies.
For Your Browsing Pleasure
Contemporary (Adult)
Build a Man by Talli Roland (Chick Lit)
Slave
to the rich, rude and deluded, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland
longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. Unfortunately, every
pitch she sends out disappears like her clients' liposuctioned fat, never to be
seen again. Then she meets Jeremy Ritchie — the hang-dog man determined to be
Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and
everything in between — giving Serenity a story no editor could
resist. With London's biggest tabloid on board and her very own column
tracking Jeremy's progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a
success, even going undercover to gain intimate access to Jeremy's life. But
when Jeremy's surgery goes drastically wrong and Serenity is ordered to cover
all the car-crash goriness, she must decide how far she really will go for her
dream job. $0.99
on Amazon
The
Golden Sky by Elisa
Hirsch (Memoir)
The
night I met Cade I never would've thought that two years later, after we
were homeless street musicians in Hawaii, we would have a little girl and
another baby on the way. Our son was born with the type of birth
defects that make televangelists cringe. The "death home" gave him a really
nice funeral, the kind I'd never wished to attend. We lost it after that,
totally cemented in our grief. Cade got into drugs, joined a rock
and roll band, and I kicked him out of the house. That was how I met: Earl
(an old man and unlikely best friend), the "big sag" (a middle aged woman
who still flashed folks), Todda (the stripper next door), and Chris
(a cowboy who fell in love with me). It wasn't until I killed a rogue
skunk, and my daughter nearly choked on a fry, that I gave my husband
another chance. But could our marriage recover from the death of our
son? $2.99 onAmazon
Someone
Else's Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts (Contemporary Romance)
Jason
Vanderholt is the hottest actor under thirty with legions of screaming fans.
Chloe Winters is a college student who hasn't gotten around to watching most of
his movies. When they meet by chance, he is smitten, but it just
isn't her fairytale. In fact, it could be her worst nightmare as her past,
attracted by the bright lights of the media, comes back to haunt her.$0.99 on Amazon
Historical Romance
(Adult)
The Duke's Divorce by Anne Gallagher Available late January 2012
A
simple trip to the Scottish Highlands finds the Duke of Cantin with a bride he
does not want. With her impeccable beauty and fiery disposition, Fiona
takes Society by storm. As their prearranged divorce proceedings draw
near, can Fiona change his mind? Check author's website.
Literary Fiction
String Bridge by Jessica Bell
Greek cuisine, smog and
domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting
when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to
play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a 'proper' career
and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and
plots a return to the stage—and the person she used to be. However, the
obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that
awaits … $6.99
on Amazon ALSO: Music Sample!
Mystery
Sherwood Ltd. by Anne R. Allen
Sherwood. The name immediately
conjures up images of Richard Greene, Michael Praed and Russell Crowe. Or maybe
that sly fox in the Disney version. Only, in Anne R. Allen's latest rom-com
mystery the fox is a coyote and there's no Robin Hood. Or is there? In her
usual inimitable fashion Allen peels back the layers, one hilarious subplot
after another, until you just never know what's real and what's not. Rather
like the Robin Hood legend. When the Manners Doctor, Camilla Randall, flies
into Robin Hood airport with a suitcase in one hand and a book contract in the
other she thinks she's leaving all her problems behind and is about to start a
new life. If you look very carefully you may just spot the Sheriff of
Nottingham, Maid Marian and even Little John hidden away. But as for Robin Hood
himself… You'll just have to read it and find out. $2.99
on Amazon
Short Stories and
Anthologies
The Initiate (Cloud
Prophet Trilogy) by Megg Jensen (YA Fantasy)
Over
a thousand years ago, the gods left Eloh's people and took their magic with
them. To win back their favor, her people sacrifice ten female initiates every
ten years. No has ever survived. There has never been a Chosen One. Forced into
becoming an initiate, Eloh will try to find a way to beat the odds, stay with
her boyfriend, and survive the fires that threaten to consume her. But will her
lack of faith in the gods and her disbelief in their magic doom her to a
painful death? $0.99 on Amazon
Eight by Karly Kirkpatrick (YA Paranormal Short Story Collection)
Prepare
to be thrilled and chilled by Kirkpatrick's eight short tales in EIGHT. These
eight stories, while short, pack a big punch. There are demon spirits, zombies,
and even some human baddies. Each story comes complete with author's
commentary. It also includes the previously unreleased short Grenades. $0.99
on Amazon
{CoverComingSoon} In His Eyes by The Indelibles (YA Anthology) – Available February 14th
Just
in time for Valentines Day, The Indelibles bring you a one-of-a-kind young
adult anthology! Twenty original short stories, all from the point of view of
our favorite male characters – some are old flames from our novels and some
were dreamed up especially for this anthology. Let these imminently crushable,
swoon-worthy guys show you what romance looks like – in his eyes. Add to Goodreads
TBR
The contributors to IN HIS EYES include
award winners, frequent "Top 100" placers, and hot 2011 debut authors: S.R. Wells, C.K.
Bryant, Elle Strauss, Susan Kaye Quinn, Jessie Harrell, Magan Vernon, Lisa
Nowak, Heather McCorkle, RaShelle Workman, Ali Cross, Karen Amanda Hooper, Cory
Putman Oakes, Laura Pauling, Stacey Wallace Benefiel, Sarra Cannon, Katie Klein,
Cheri Lasota
Transcendent: Tales of
the Paranormal by
Lani Woodland, Melonie Piper, Rita Webb, Wendy Swore, Melanie Marks, Heather McCubbin and Evan Joseph (YA Anthology)
Discover the secrets of a siren, fly with a hawk
girl over the mountains of Montana, and flee supernatural party-crashers as the
décor comes to life in this magical journey through paranormal stories. Along
the way, watch for ghosts in a haunted house, or ride through the moonlight
with a stranger. Save a comatose boy who has lost his soul, and don't forget to
bring your garlic and wolfsbane—you never know when the shadows will snag you. Transcendent
includes eight stories of magic, love, death, and choice by some of the newest
names in young adult fiction.$0.99
on Amazon
Young Adult
Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn (Paranormal/Science Fiction)
When everyone reads
minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone
who can't read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can't be
trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best
friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf's mind and nearly
kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and
an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she's dragged
deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone
she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her. $2.99 on Amazon
Bound by C.K. Bryant (Paranormal Romance)
When a photo shoot ends
in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia,has been keeping a secret.
Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira's life forever and thrust
her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What
happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and
the shape-shifting warrior she's falling in love with. No longer the timid
mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and
physical strength to endure and survive. $3.99 on Amazon
Become by Ali Cross (YA Urban Fantasy)
Sixteen-year old
Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it's cold and
lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she's sent back to Earth where she
Becomes the evil she despises and the good she always feared. When Desi is
forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her Choice has been made—that
she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has
created her to be. What she doesn't count on, is a reason to want to
change—something she's never had before—a friend. $3.99
on Amazon
Exiled by RaShelle Workman (YA SF Romance)
Worlds
divided them. Chance brought them together. Only love will save them.
An alien princess exiled to Earth. An arrogant boy. One week to get back to her
planet or she'll die. And, her only chance for survival? She must help the boy
find his soul mate.
Piece of cake! $0.99
on Kindle
The Secret of Spruce
Knoll by Heather McCorkle (Urban Fantasy)
Following
the tragic death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll
to live with an aunt she's never met. Little does Eren know the entire
town of Spruce Knoll is filled with "channelers"—a magical group of
people who immigrated to the small Colorado town when they
were driven out of their own lands. Channelers are tied to the fate
of the world. As the world slowly dies, so do they—and they alone
have the power to stop the destruction of Earth. Soon, Eren learns
she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden,
his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad though. $4.99 on
Amazon
Destined by Jessie Harrell (Retelling)
When
Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most
beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with
the one creature even the gods fear. As she feels herself slipping closer into
the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender
touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to
expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined. $0.99 on Amazon
Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller (Paranormal Romance)
Winter Sky believes she
is everything ordinary . . . until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold. As
seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter's protector against the
darkness that hunts her. Violently thrust into a magickal realm she
always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own.
Will love prove thicker than magick? $3.99 on Amazon
Untraceable by S. R. Johannes (Thriller)
Grace has lived in the
Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her
about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival. When her dad goes missing on a routine
patrol, Grace refuses to believe he's dead and fights the town authorities,
tribal officials, and nature to find him. One day, while out tracking clues,
Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a
secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace
travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father. Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and
lives. Soon she's enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And
it's going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer)
for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves. $2.99
on Amazon
Rival Demons (Book 5 of
the Peachville High Demons Series) by Sarra Cannon (Paranormal Romance) Available January 20th
After narrowly escaping death at
the hands of the Order of Shadows, Harper finds herself thrust into the strange
and beautiful world of the shadow demons. But crossing through the portal
doesn't mean she is safe. The Order of Shadows is determined to bring her home
and transfer the Prima line to the Harris family. They send their most vicious
hunters after Harper. Hunters who will not stop until they have found their
prey. Determined to keep her safe, Jackson takes her deep into an underground
world filled with dangers of its own. Here, Harper will begin a journey that
will teach her more about herself and her own path than she ever imagined
possible. Add
to Goodreads TBR
The Legend of Victor
Standish: Under a Voodoo Moon by Roland D. Yeomans (Urban Fantasy/Romance)
Can love kill? Yes
… if you love a ghoul who hungers for your flesh only slightly less than she
does your heart. Yet to the lonely street orphan Victor Standish, who has
risked his life for a meal, to find love (even for one magical French Quarter
night) is worth dying in the morning. $2.99 on Amazon All profits go to the Salvation Army.
Getting Sideways (Book 2 in the Full Throttle Series) by Lisa Nowak (Contemporary)
Getting shipped off to live with his
uncle Race was the best thing that ever happened to fifteen-year-old Cody. Then
a wreck at the speedway nearly ruined everything. Cody's making every effort to
get his life back on track—writing for the school paper, searching for the
perfect girlfriend, and counting the days until he gets his drivers'
license—but there's no escaping the nightmares that haunt him. A
chance to build his own car seems like the perfect distraction. Until Cody
realizes he'll have to live up to Race's legendary status. But that's the least
of his worries, considering he doesn't have his dad's permission. All he has to
do is the impossible: keep Race from discovering his lie until he can convince his dad that racing's safe. Yeah, sure. That'll
be easy. $3.99
on Amazon
Tangled Tides by Karen Hooper (Sea Monster Memoirs)
Yara
Jones doesn't believe in sea monsters—until she becomes one. When a hurricane
hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up
in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides
believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the
sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be
done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more
precious. Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at
nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara.
The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and
the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she
might open the gateway to a love that's deeper than the oceans. $4.99
on Amazon
Here by Denise Grover Swank (SF Romance)
Sixteen
year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend
Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new
talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and
Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can
explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the
accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before. Classmate Evan Whittaker paid
Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he's
volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can't ignore that
his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he
wears a pendant she's been drawing for months. When the police show up one
night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that
Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he's really
from. $2.99 on Amazon
The Veil by Cory
Putman Oakes (Paranormal Romance)
Seventeen-year-old
Addison Russell is in for a shock when she discovers that she can see the
invisible world of the Annorasi. Suddenly, nothing is as it appears to
be—the house she lives in, the woman who raised her, even the most beautiful
boy in town all turn out to be more than what they seem. And when this
strange new world forces Addy to answer for a crime that was committed long
ago, by parents she has never known, she has no choice but to trust Luc, the
mysterious Annorasi who has been sent to protect her. Or so he says . . .
on Amazon
Embrace by Cherie Colyer (Paranormal Romance)
Madison
is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took
her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly
hate her. It's responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other
mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her
luck is about to improve. Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and
intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he's a guy harboring a secret,
but she's willing to risk the unknown to be with him. Her world really spins out of control, however, when
her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren't there and
desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can't find the
answers, Madison seeks her own. Nothing can prepare her for what
she is about to discover. $6.99
on Amazon
Onyx Talisman by Brenda Pandos (Paranormal Romance)
Unrest stirs deep in Scotts Valley. Filled with
uncertainty, Julia anxiously awaits Nicholas' return. Phil, holds the pieces of
Julia's fragile psyche together, secretly hoping Nicholas stays away forever.
But Alora secretly conspires to reclaim her talisman and strip Julia of
everything she holds dear. Little
do they know, a war is coming and more than one vampire would like to see the
Prince of Vampires overthrown. Can Julia bargain with fate? Find out how it all
ends in this explosive grand finale of The Talisman Trilogy. $3.99 on Amazon
How
to Date an Alien by Magan Vernon (Science Fiction)
High
school senior Alex Bianchi's estranged father gets her an internship at Circe
Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn't your typical
military base. It's an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are
friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When
Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can't help but be drawn
to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they're on the brink of
intergalactic war? $2.99
on Amazon
Fireseed
One by Catherine Stine (Science Fiction/Thriller)
Fireseed One is a
journey into a tricked-out near-future earth where 18 year-old Varik has
inherited a vast ocean farm, following the suspicious drowning of his Marine
biologist father. When Marisa, a beautiful and devious terrorist, destroys the
world's food source, Varik is forced to travel to a lethal hotzone, teeming
with dangerous nomads and a strange cult to search for a magical hybrid plant
that may not even exist. The catch? He must take Marisa along, the only person
who seems to know way, way too much key information. $2.99 on Amazon
The Missing by M.A. Leslie (Paranormal)
Eight-year-old, Ethan Doyle is just a normal kid whose biggest problem in life was to fight for the attention of his busy parents from his older twin siblings. But, after his aunt and uncle tragically die, his family takes in his teenage cousin, Kelsey, and moves to a spooky old, manor house in a new town. At first, everything seems fine, but when he begins to see and speak to a spirit named Lucas, his biggest problem becomes, just staying alive. Lucas was ten years old when the spirits of the house came to him and asked him for help setting their spirits free. Unfortunately, he never made the deadline and as a result the spirits took him and made him a part of the house as well. As he soon finds out, the only way he can save his own soul is to save the souls of the missing boys in the house. With his own deadline in place, Ethan enlists the help of his cousin Kelsey to solve the twenty-year-old mystery of THE MISSING. $0.99 on Amazon
Princess Kandake by Stephanie Jefferson (Fantasy) Available February 1, 2012
In Nubia a woman can be whatever she chooses. At 14,
Kandake knows exactly what she chooses…Prime Warrior of Nubia. But her
grandmother has said that she will follow her father on the throne. Refusing to
abandon her warrior dreams she continues to train. When her brother is kidnapped,
Kandake learns she must be both queen and warrior to win his release! See Author's Website
Middle Grade
Blink of a Dragon by Eisley Jacobs (Fantasy)
Discovering she's connected to dragons is one
thing, but when another dragon is caught hanging out in the fifth grade, Meia thinks
things couldn't get any worse. Is she ever wrong! Trouble is brewing in the
cosmos and Deglan believes this new dragon holds the answers, but his hopes are
crushed when the leader of the exiled dark dragons ambushes them. The fate of
the dragons and possibly the whole world falls to Deglan and Meia as they
search for the only creature powerful
enough to send the dark dragons back into the
abyss. What they encounter along the way makes the adventure worth fighting
for. $6.99
Paperback preorder
December 12, 2011
A Reminder – Why I Love Being A Writer
You know, there are times when being a writer is hard. There is a lot of work involved in planning a book, writing a book, publishing a book, publicizing a book, etc – and sometimes, on dark days when I'm feeling tired, I wonder if it's all worth it.
But then, I get emails like this one, and I am reminded of exactly why I do what I do:
Hello,
I LOVED YOUR BOOK!!!!! Will you make more of them?
I think you totally should! Even though I'm only in 5th
grade, I read teen and high school level and age books. It
was an amazing book, and like I said, you should make it a
series.
Loved it,
Erika Schmitz, age 10
I'm on it, Erika – sitting down to work on Book 2 right now! Thank you so much for the awesome reminder of why I love being a writer, and why I wouldn't want to do anything else
Love,
Cory
November 29, 2011
How Cooking With A Toddler Follows The Five Stages of Grieving
As you may have already guessed from the title, this post is not strictly about writing. It's about cooking. But here's the thing – cooking and writing are very connected to me. I love to cook and I tend to come up with my best writing ideas while I am in the kitchen. There is something incredibly soothing and peaceful about all of the chopping, the measuring, the stirring . . . at least, most of the time. Sometimes my attempts to Zen-out while cooking are thwarted by a small cyclone of energy with the attention span of a gnat who calls me Mom. Yesterday, as I watched said-cyclone wreak havoc in my kitchen, it occurred to me how closely this situation was following Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's five stages of grieving: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
Denial – Oh sure, I can totally cook up three courses plus dessert while The Munchkin plays quietly in the corner. And if she starts to get restless, I'll hand her a spoon and a bowl and let her "help." Ahh, doesn't she look sweet in that little apron I bought her? This is going to be priceless mother-daughter time.
Anger – How has this devil child already tired of every activity in the vicinity of the kitchen? Why must she start screaming bloody murder at the crucial stage of each recipe, forcing me to choose between allowing the sauce to break or letting her howl in rage as though she has just cut off a finger? And is that the apron I bought her, wadded up and stuffed in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator?
Bargaining – Ok, ok. I can still salvage this. If I cede a corner of the kitchen to the Child Tornado and just not care that the flour and water she has spilled on the floor has turned into a paste, I should still be able to get most of the salad back into the bowl, stir the sauce before it congeals, and possibly even get the cookies in the oven before total Munchkin Meltdown occurs . . .
Depression – This is never going to work. How is it possible that this pint-sized menace has managed to open every drawer and cabinet in the kitchen (including the ones that were child-locked), grab things on counters that were firmly out of her reach (go-go-gadget arms?), and cover herself in a sticky, foul-smelling goo that I will be picking out of her hair for days to come, all in the space of just fifteen minutes?
Acceptance – Fine. We're ordering pizza. At least the cookies turned out ok. Dessert is the most important part of the meal anyway ☺
November 11, 2011
The Veil Launch Party!
Last night was The Veil Launch Party at Book People in Austin, Texas! It was absolutely everything I hoped it would be!
Extra special thanks to my "surprise" crew: Hadley, Regan, Avery, Allie and Ally, whose reenactment of the "Precalculus Pep Rally" was complete with a fully choreographed cheer (with hula hoops!) and two blood-curdling screams. You guys were spectacular!
I was truly touched by how many people came out to support me and The Veil on our big night . . . and truly astonished by how much wine (and sparkling cider) we all went through! It is a night I will remember for the rest of my life and I am forever grateful to all those who were a part of it.
Ok, enough with the mushy stuff – here's some pictures!
THE VEIL LAUNCH PARTY PHOTO GALLERY
