Kevin M. Turner's Blog, page 4
December 6, 2011
Review from Xpresso Reads
The Magi is starting to generate just the tiniest buzz...if you listen closely. As faint as "a wasp walking on a window pane." (Ten points if you can come up with the source of that quote).
Xpresso Reads is a blog from which I have been dying to get a review for a while, and the review just came in a couple of days ago. I'm not exactly sure what to say after reading this review (and the comments that follow), so if you have any ideas, let me know because I'm speechless.
Read the full review at .Xpresso Reads here.
Xpresso Reads is a blog from which I have been dying to get a review for a while, and the review just came in a couple of days ago. I'm not exactly sure what to say after reading this review (and the comments that follow), so if you have any ideas, let me know because I'm speechless.
Read the full review at .Xpresso Reads here.
December 1, 2011
Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop
Welcome to The Magi Series! I am giving away e-copies of The Magi, a YA fantasy/adventure novel, to EVERYONE that follows the directions below. Literally everyone who signs up for this giveaway will receive a free electronic copy. Don't have an e-reader? You can still sign up to get a PDF copy to read on your computer or you can get the free copy for someone else. Already have The Magi? Christmas is just around the corner! It'll make a great gift for someone! To enter:1. Be a follower of the blog2. Comment on this post with your email addressThat's all! Comments will have to be in by midnight on December 7th to receive your copy. If you'd like to learn more about The Magi, you can click here.
Thank you to Kathy for hosting this event. Get more great things by clicking the links below and entering. Good luck!
November 29, 2011
Chapter 6 is Up!!!
I've been quite late on promises, but I'm keeping the one to post chapter 6. You can view chapters 1-5 on the READ PARTS OF THE MAGI tab at the top of the page. Enjoy!
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 6
November 28, 2011
New Reviews and Interviews
While I've been relatively quiet on the blogging front, the reviews have been steadily coming in. Click on these three reviews and the interview to hear what bloggers are saying about The Magi. These are independent reviewers. They were not paid either by money or, as one of the bloggers states, by chocolate. To read more reviews, click on the REVIEWS tab at the top.
Reviews:
"I seriously loved this book. It's a great read for any YA/Middle reader. Don't pass this one up!"
-Magic is in Words Review here.
"One of the best things I liked about this book was that it wasn't a 'one boy discovers he is the most powerful magic user and he has to save the world by himself' type book. Elijah seemed like a typical teenager with an underdeveloped muscular system and a teen awkwardness around girls."
-Alaskan Bookie Review here.
"I love when a book gives me back that sense of courage, and wanderlust. It made me want to buy mountain hiking boots, or look at a vase of water for a really long time with my eyes squinted...I highly recommend this book if you need to reignite that sense of adventure, or if you have a middle school child at home who maybe needs a spark to get them back into reading."
-Books and Bowel Movements here.
Interview:
Magic is in Words Interview here.
Reviews:
"I seriously loved this book. It's a great read for any YA/Middle reader. Don't pass this one up!"
-Magic is in Words Review here.
"One of the best things I liked about this book was that it wasn't a 'one boy discovers he is the most powerful magic user and he has to save the world by himself' type book. Elijah seemed like a typical teenager with an underdeveloped muscular system and a teen awkwardness around girls."
-Alaskan Bookie Review here.
"I love when a book gives me back that sense of courage, and wanderlust. It made me want to buy mountain hiking boots, or look at a vase of water for a really long time with my eyes squinted...I highly recommend this book if you need to reignite that sense of adventure, or if you have a middle school child at home who maybe needs a spark to get them back into reading."
-Books and Bowel Movements here.
Interview:
Magic is in Words Interview here.
November 27, 2011
Presents for a Ladies' Book Club
Just got these in the mail! A local book club (local for me in California) has decided to read and discuss The Magi for their January club meeting, for which I am very honored! So for their convenience, I had these printed. I'm still working on trying to find ways to get The Magi printed for general sale since many people don't have e-readers yet (although Christmas is around the corner) and have asked. The problem is the price and quality equation. If I can get the price down and still keep the quality high, I will gladly release The Magi in print. But for now, this is it. Fingers crossed as I research!
Ladies, I'm excited to hear what you all think!
Kevin
November 19, 2011
Ending the Blog Blitz, Starting the Word of Mouth Blitz
Once more, I thank everyone who participated in The Magi Blitz. For a debut author and the first book in a series, I think we all did well. The Magi is sitting on a highest rated list on Amazon (I will post about that later today...and it's on the ticker above), and sales have been steady. With basically no word of mouth spreading yet (have to give those who purchased it time to read it), sales have done well.
I would still love to hear from those of you that are either in the middle of reading The Magi or it's on your to-do list and hear what your thoughts were.
The link to The Magi Blitz will be taken off soon, so remember, purchasing, reviewing, and clicking on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and following the blog are on my wish list. Christmas is just around the corner!
Speaking of Christmas, if any of you are interested in free stuff (book related), I am participating in a Blog Hop on December 2-6. The idea of a hop is that starting on my site (or others), you will see a graphic like this:
Directly under the graphic will be a HUGE list of blogs that are giving away book-related stuff (usually free books). During that time, all you will have to do is follow the instructions of each blog to enter the giveaway, then click the next link under the blog you just visited. There are hundreds you can go to!
Thank you all and I hope you enjoy or enjoyed or will enjoy The Magi. Now it's time for me to do some much needed writing on the sequel (The Sphere). It's coming along, but I've gotten behind. Tell a friend!
Kevin
I would still love to hear from those of you that are either in the middle of reading The Magi or it's on your to-do list and hear what your thoughts were.
The link to The Magi Blitz will be taken off soon, so remember, purchasing, reviewing, and clicking on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and following the blog are on my wish list. Christmas is just around the corner!
Speaking of Christmas, if any of you are interested in free stuff (book related), I am participating in a Blog Hop on December 2-6. The idea of a hop is that starting on my site (or others), you will see a graphic like this:
Directly under the graphic will be a HUGE list of blogs that are giving away book-related stuff (usually free books). During that time, all you will have to do is follow the instructions of each blog to enter the giveaway, then click the next link under the blog you just visited. There are hundreds you can go to!
Thank you all and I hope you enjoy or enjoyed or will enjoy The Magi. Now it's time for me to do some much needed writing on the sequel (The Sphere). It's coming along, but I've gotten behind. Tell a friend!
Kevin
November 18, 2011
The Magi #64 on Amazon's Highest Rated List!!!
With such great reviews, The Magi hit #64 on Amazon's Children's Action/Adventure highest rated list. To all of you that have read and given The Magi a rating on Amazon (both US and UK), I say THANK YOU! Along with Action/Adventure, The Magi also hit #81 on Amazon's Children's Fantasy highest rated list. If you have read The Magi and haven't reviewed it, I hope it's not too much to ask for a rating on Amazon. Keep watch on the list to see how high it can go! There were some fantastic titles that The Magi is rated higher than.
Regarding the Bestseller List, The Magi has gotten up to #84 on Smashwords' list. It still has yet to hit Amazon's list, but here's hoping...
Stay tuned for a closing post (maybe tomorrow despite the blitz technically being over tonight). Thank you again!
Kevin
November 17, 2011
Stats and Answers from Wednesday
As I mentioned above on the ticker, The Magi has been on a few bestseller's lists:
It has hit #91 on Smashwords' list
#99 on Amazon.co.uk's list for Children's Action/Adventure books. Thank you all very much.
Answers from yesterday's post:
From Goodreads:
Q: How many books have you written? How many books do you plan for the Magi series? :) Thanks for the post! -Valette
A: The Magi is my first. The Magi series is planned for 5 books. When I outlined the whole series, it fit nicely with 5 separate plots (with, of course, multiple sub-plots woven throughout).
From the blog:
Q: First let me say thank you for a wonderful read and fine adventure. As long as you're asking... when will the next book be out? -Cathy
A: You're welcome! I'm very glad you liked it. I hope the others will be just as intriguing. The next book will depend on a few things. Hopefully, I will have a publisher that will want The Magi by the time the next book (called The Sphere) is ready to come out. In that case, the publisher will have a little more to say about release. However, as far as being ready to share, I am currently working on The Sphere and my goal is to have it out in a year (Summer 2012).
Q: I was going to ask the same thing as Cathy... I can't wait til the next book is out! :) Also, how long have you had the idea for this story/ these characters? Did it just come to you all of a sudden and you started writing, or is it something you've been thinking about for a long time?
A: Regarding how long I had the idea, it just sort of came to me. I originally wanted to write just a good ol' fashioned adventure story with buried treasure and breaking codes and such. However, when I started to look into the specifics (I really wanted a story that was really out of this world, but still believable), I modified and changed things and soon it began to create itself. I can't say I'd been thinking about it for a long time, but it did take on a life of its own.
Q: Well, I was going to ask the same as Cathy and Kelli. When is the next book coming out? I'm hooked. -ed
A: My goal is Summer 2012. How quickly I can publicize The Magi will have an influence on that, though.
It has hit #91 on Smashwords' list
#99 on Amazon.co.uk's list for Children's Action/Adventure books. Thank you all very much.
Answers from yesterday's post:
From Goodreads:
Q: How many books have you written? How many books do you plan for the Magi series? :) Thanks for the post! -Valette
A: The Magi is my first. The Magi series is planned for 5 books. When I outlined the whole series, it fit nicely with 5 separate plots (with, of course, multiple sub-plots woven throughout).
From the blog:
Q: First let me say thank you for a wonderful read and fine adventure. As long as you're asking... when will the next book be out? -Cathy
A: You're welcome! I'm very glad you liked it. I hope the others will be just as intriguing. The next book will depend on a few things. Hopefully, I will have a publisher that will want The Magi by the time the next book (called The Sphere) is ready to come out. In that case, the publisher will have a little more to say about release. However, as far as being ready to share, I am currently working on The Sphere and my goal is to have it out in a year (Summer 2012).
Q: I was going to ask the same thing as Cathy... I can't wait til the next book is out! :) Also, how long have you had the idea for this story/ these characters? Did it just come to you all of a sudden and you started writing, or is it something you've been thinking about for a long time?
A: Regarding how long I had the idea, it just sort of came to me. I originally wanted to write just a good ol' fashioned adventure story with buried treasure and breaking codes and such. However, when I started to look into the specifics (I really wanted a story that was really out of this world, but still believable), I modified and changed things and soon it began to create itself. I can't say I'd been thinking about it for a long time, but it did take on a life of its own.
Q: Well, I was going to ask the same as Cathy and Kelli. When is the next book coming out? I'm hooked. -ed
A: My goal is Summer 2012. How quickly I can publicize The Magi will have an influence on that, though.
November 16, 2011
Quick mid-blitz Stats and Links
Hello friends!
Since we're mid-way through the blitz, I thought I'd give an honest share where The Magi is in terms of sales and reviews.
Reviews: The reviews I've been getting have been GREAT! The three places to look are Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble for the reviews. Click on the icons below to see the reviews page of The Magi. (B&N is not included below because while there are 3 ratings...all 5-star...there are no reviews yet)
At Amazon, The Magi is averaging 4.93 stars out of 5. On Goodreads, it's averaging 4.86 stars out of 5. Woohoo! It may literally be one 5-star review away on Amazon to get on their "highest-rated" list. (Those lists update daily, so whenever it updates, it may be up...check Amazon tomorrow). I've been seeing books with less reviews and less star averages that are on the list, so either The Magi will be up tomorrow, or their algorithm is odd.
SALES: If you're a nerd like me, it's fascinating how the "Bestseller" list works.
Right now, the Magi is sitting around a #15,000 rank, which is a little down from earlier today, but up from yesterday. Each copy sold sees a significant spike in the rankings (especially in the morning).
The first Bestseller list I'm trying to get on is the Children's Fantasy/Magic list. Currently at #100 (the last place) is a book that is sitting at rank #3,500 or so. That may literally be 5 copies of The Magi away from making the list. Then again, in order to maintain position in striking distance of the TOP 100, The Magi has to sell enough sporatic copies throughout the day (no spike necessary). Fascinating! So, if you're wondering what you can do, it seems that just buying the book at your convenience is best. If it spikes, it spikes. If not, you're helping the base sales keep in striking distance of the TOP 100 so if there is a spike, The Magi will crack in. And if it cracks in, the publicity is HUGE! Wow, that was confusing.
So a big thank you to all who have helped mid week. Remember to keep plugging away if you feel so inclined. I've been so grateful for such wonderful friends and family that have worked to make The Magi successful. I love you all!
Kevin
Since we're mid-way through the blitz, I thought I'd give an honest share where The Magi is in terms of sales and reviews.
Reviews: The reviews I've been getting have been GREAT! The three places to look are Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble for the reviews. Click on the icons below to see the reviews page of The Magi. (B&N is not included below because while there are 3 ratings...all 5-star...there are no reviews yet)
At Amazon, The Magi is averaging 4.93 stars out of 5. On Goodreads, it's averaging 4.86 stars out of 5. Woohoo! It may literally be one 5-star review away on Amazon to get on their "highest-rated" list. (Those lists update daily, so whenever it updates, it may be up...check Amazon tomorrow). I've been seeing books with less reviews and less star averages that are on the list, so either The Magi will be up tomorrow, or their algorithm is odd.
SALES: If you're a nerd like me, it's fascinating how the "Bestseller" list works.
Right now, the Magi is sitting around a #15,000 rank, which is a little down from earlier today, but up from yesterday. Each copy sold sees a significant spike in the rankings (especially in the morning).
The first Bestseller list I'm trying to get on is the Children's Fantasy/Magic list. Currently at #100 (the last place) is a book that is sitting at rank #3,500 or so. That may literally be 5 copies of The Magi away from making the list. Then again, in order to maintain position in striking distance of the TOP 100, The Magi has to sell enough sporatic copies throughout the day (no spike necessary). Fascinating! So, if you're wondering what you can do, it seems that just buying the book at your convenience is best. If it spikes, it spikes. If not, you're helping the base sales keep in striking distance of the TOP 100 so if there is a spike, The Magi will crack in. And if it cracks in, the publicity is HUGE! Wow, that was confusing. So a big thank you to all who have helped mid week. Remember to keep plugging away if you feel so inclined. I've been so grateful for such wonderful friends and family that have worked to make The Magi successful. I love you all!
Kevin
THE MAGI BLITZ (Day 3)
We're halfway through the blitz. Thank you all for your help this week in publicizing The Magi. I hope you enjoy The Magi.
QUESTION AND ANSWER:
I know this may sound unbelievably pompous of me, but someone recommended doing a Q&A for the blitz, and I thought that might be fun. I'm well aware that since The Magi is no bestseller, there might not be a whole lot to ask yet. However, I did write a book, and quite a few people have read it or have at least heard about it. So, I would like to open today up for my readers to ask questions. I will post answers on tomorrow's post and Friday's (assuming I get questions...most of my visitors have been quite shy). The floor is open and I will do my best to answer honestly. It can be as simple as a question about myself or about the book or the series. So ask away...
Also, I've received a note that there have been some problems with being able to comment. If this is the case, please shoot me a quick email (kevinmturner1@gmail.com) and let me know so I can fix the problem. I may have to email google.
Look forward to hearing from you!!!
QUESTION AND ANSWER:
I know this may sound unbelievably pompous of me, but someone recommended doing a Q&A for the blitz, and I thought that might be fun. I'm well aware that since The Magi is no bestseller, there might not be a whole lot to ask yet. However, I did write a book, and quite a few people have read it or have at least heard about it. So, I would like to open today up for my readers to ask questions. I will post answers on tomorrow's post and Friday's (assuming I get questions...most of my visitors have been quite shy). The floor is open and I will do my best to answer honestly. It can be as simple as a question about myself or about the book or the series. So ask away...
Also, I've received a note that there have been some problems with being able to comment. If this is the case, please shoot me a quick email (kevinmturner1@gmail.com) and let me know so I can fix the problem. I may have to email google.
Look forward to hearing from you!!!
