Jami Gray's Blog, page 15

Delving into #BookMarketing, Part I: Donning the battle gear #bookpromo

I promised when my summer marketing experiment finished, I’d share my discoveries with you. For those of you interested in the mysteries behind book marketing, today’s post, and the next couple will focus on what happened. Tiny disclaimer here: keep in mind, every author’s journey in marketing varies.

Alrighty then, class is now in session. Let’s begin.

First background: I have four books in an Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance series called The Kyn Kronicles. The first book, SHADOW’S EDGE, was published October 2011. Every year since, I’ve managed to release between 1 to 2 full length (300+ pages) novels each year. Here are their publication dates (to give you an idea of how long they’ve been out):

Shadow’s Edge           October 2011  
Shadow’s Soul             June 2012
Shadow’s Moon           May 2014
Hunted by the Past      August 2014  This is the first in my Paranormal Romantic Suspense second series, PSY-IV Teams
Shadow’s Curse           January 2015
Tangled In Shadows    September 2015
Touched by Fate          early 2016 release  PSY-IV Team #2
Marked by Obsession  late 2016 release   PSY-IV Team #3

I’m sharing this information so you can get an idea of my writing schedule. Your books are the most important part of any author’s marketing plan. Granted, I write series, which helps with my planning, but you can do the same with single titles as well.

My plan was to give away the first book, SHADOW’S EDGE, for free from June to August. Three months. My hope: gain new readers, boost sales on the remaining series, get readers hooked on my new series. This wasn’t an easy decision. For most authors or any artist, the idea of “giving away” what we worked years on makes us cringe. However, any artistic endeavor that earns money is more than art, it’s a business. After four years and five books, I decided to use the lure of a free read to get new readers to come visit my world.

As an avid reader, free is risky. Sometimes you score big, sometimes not so much. Still, it gives the reader a chance to learn if they’ll like your voice. I knew when I discovered new authors, I’d turn around and go purchase the rest of their books until I devoured every single one. Then I’d pace until the next release came. Generating that same excitement was my hope with this summer promotion.

First, you need groundwork before embarking on a massive marketing campaign.

Set a realistic goal for your writing. This does not mean whipping yourself bloody if you didn’t hit 10K words yesterday. My brain would be slime if I tried that. My very, very best in four years was around 5K, and I had to pull a disappearing act from my family to accomplish this. Instead, I have a daily word count goal, I do my damnedest to hit. By “daily”, I mean five out of seven days, because warning: life will interfer. My set goal (now) is 1500/day. Sometimes I go over, sometimes I manage 200. As long as I write, it’s a win.
Have more than one title out. Again, this is my opinion, but if I tried this marketing experiment back when I only had one book, it wouldn’t work. As an avid reader, I can assign a few reasons why marketing is more successful when you have more than one book on the shelf. First, it shows your readers that you’re committed to giving them more. They invest their time to visit your worlds, and they want to make sure it’s not a short county fair ride versus a week long cruise. Second, having more books out gives you a more visible result of your efforts.
Cultivate relationships with other authors/readers/bloggers. This is CRITICAL. The writer/reader community is hugely supportive, but you have to reciprocate the kindness. This means, offer to exchange/host other authors at your blog o sphere, so when you’re ready to announce a sale or release, you have a built-in network for free promotion. Keep in mind, you’re trying to entice new readers, so instead of doing a “buy me” post, share a personal post: writing tips, writer’s life, how you juggling your many hats, or how you do research for your stories.
Along this same line, create a group of unique posts to share. Mix up the excerpt, character interviews, and cover reveal posts with the personal ones. Do interviews, but don’t use the same answer (word for word) each time. Decide what kind of posts you want to provide, so when you’re reaching out to other blogs to help spread the word, you can tell them your post options. Makes it much easier if the host can pick what works best for their audience from your Post Menu.
Make sure your live links are reflecting correctly. Before you kick it all off, make sure all the links to your books are right: right price, right place, right cover.
Track yourself. Thanks to my previous day job, Excel is my preferred tool for tracking my schedule. For this campaign I tracked which blogs I was at, when, their url, what post type to send and any special requirements the host may have. I then had a section for book listings, paid and free. Yep, there are both, which we’ll cover in a future post. My spreadsheet included tabs to track rankings as I kept straight where I was and who I was with. It also allowed me to come up with my unscientific graphs you’ll be seeing in the next couple of weeks.
Go forth and spread the word. Once the prep work is done, be sure you visit where you’re being hosted, thank your host, reply to your commenters and help spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pintrest, and carrier pigeon.

Now that you’re ready to rock-n-roll, we’ll go into book listings and ads next week, and dive a bit into sales ranks.

If you’ve survived the marketing wars, feel free to share your experience, because I’m barely scraping the tip of the ‘berg here.

Divas of Romance Join Labors of Love Hop #LOLHop #giveaway #romance

From sweet to dark, divas of romance work their fingers to the bone for your reading pleasure in the Labor of Love Bloghop from 9/4-9/6. Come join me and enter to win a Kindle with new, heart-pounding titles just for you!

Happily ever afters only come after heart-breaking work, and this Labor Day weekend, we are celebrating our written labors of love by giving our readers a chance to win a brand-spankin’ new Kindle with our personal bests. That’s right, you could win all of our books! Aren’t you excited? We are! So here’s your chance, just click the link below to enter our giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

While each story I create is close to my heart, I’ve decided to share the first book from my Paranormal Romantic Suspense series, PSY-IV Teams, HUNTED BY THE PAST. The PSY-IV Teams (think ‘cypher’ teams) evolved from love of suspense with military leanings, but I couldn’t escape my need for the unusual abilities, so my heroes and heroines face external and internal danger on multiple levels. As if I’d make it easy on any of my characters to find their happily ever after…

Sometimes death is the only way to out run the past…

Changing the past is impossible, a fact ex-marine, Cynthia Arden, understands all too well. Struggling with the aftermath of a botched mission, a panicked phone call brings her home to face a killer’s game. Unfortunately, the distracting Kayden Shaw returns as well, the one man she thought would stand by her, until he chose his job over her.

To survive, will Cyn risk her heart or lose the man she loves and her life?

My head pressed against my knees, while my arms wrapped around my shins, holding myself together so I wouldn’t shatter into unrecognizable pieces. I squeezed my eyes shut, gasping against the heavy, hot air. God, it hurt. So much so, I wanted to scream. But I couldn’t. Screaming would solve nothing. It wouldn’t bring Kelsey back. Wouldn’t chase Ellery back into hell where he belonged. Wouldn’t make anything right. Instead I had to suck it up and play Ellery’s sick game. And now he had Kayden in his sights.

I have no idea how long I sat there lost in the unlit spaces of my soul. There were lines I’d told myself I’d never cross, but at this particular moment, when grief and rage combined into an unforgiving storm, I would have crossed every single one in exchange for Ellery’s destruction. Options I would have never considered played through my mind, tempting me to step a little deeper into the shadows. It wouldn’t be hard. I’d learned quite a few things in the military.

“Cyn?”

The sound of my name snagged me from tumbling over into the moral abyss. A touch stroked over my spine, stopping the unconscious rocking motion I’d adopted. I blinked my eyes open, only then noticing the tears weighing down my lashes. Kneeling next to me, Kayden, face etched with concern, eyes watchful, waited until I focused on him. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” My question came out hoarse.

“Don’t go down that road, you’ll get lost.”

I held his gaze, unable to answer, not caring how eerily well he read me. Part of me didn’t give a damn anymore, too much rage, too much guilt, too much pain; all of it coalescing together until it swallowed me whole.

He reached out and brushed away the lingering tears. “You take that road and you’ll lose Kelsey forever.” He curved his palm against my cheek. “You’ll lose yourself, and then he’ll have won. The price is too steep.” There was no judgment in his voice or his expression. Instead a hint of some hard-won knowledge resonated through his words like a bell, spreading until they chased the whispers of vengeance leading me toward the edge.

“I’m not sure I care anymore,” I whispered, meeting his gaze without flinching.

“You care or you wouldn’t still be here.” He watched me. Under any other circumstances I’d be dodging the intense eye contact we shared, but at this moment, I feared the loss of it would send me tumbling into the yawning pit before me.

Have I got your attention? Good, because the second PSY-IV Team book, TOUCHED BY FATE is coming early 2016 from MuseIt Up Publishing, so go get HUNTED BY THE PAST while you can!

And because I don’t want your To Be Read pile to wither away over the holiday weekend, one lucky commenter will win an e-copy of SHADOW’S EDGE, the first in my Urban Fantasy series, The Kyn Kronicles. Whatever shall you comment on, you ask? Well, let’s celebrate your greatest accomplishment! Just post your favorite accomplishment in the comments below and I’ll announce our winner on 9/7.

Thank you for join joining our Labors of Love Blog Hop. To see who’s participating, click the link below and work your way through our participating authors: 

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Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

What’s the Plan Stan–Cover Reveal of Upcoming release and news #newreleases #UF

Hey my loyal followers, I have a new release coming September 22nd, a collection of Kyn short stories called TANGLED IN SHADOWS and it’s available for PRE ORDER. Even better? It’s only 99 cents! It contains three new stories, plus the previously release WRAPPED IN SHADOWS that was part of the THINGS THAT GO BUMP FOR THE HOLIDAYS anthology. Curious? Good, may I present:

TANGLED IN SHADOWS

In a world of intrigue and shadows, tangling with the monsters can leave its mark…

Step into the world of Jami Gray’s Kyn with this collection of short stories, and discover why readers are disappearing into this exciting, Urban Fantasy series.

Wrapped In Shadows, .5 (previously published in Things That Go Bump For The Holidays)

The magic of the holiday season can be hell…

Elite Kyn, Gavin Durand and Raine McCord, are called in to investigate the aftermath of a Christmas engagement party gone horrifically wrong, only to face an unexpected gift.

Submerged in Shadows, 1.5

Treasures from the deep come in all shapes and sizes…

Forced on an unwanted vacation, Raine soon discovers that boredom is the least of her worries when danger washes ashore, bringing unexpected complications. 

Masked by Shadows, 2.5

Nothing is ever easy…

For Gavin and Raine the job is simple, deliver a package to an interested party in New Orleans. Yet even the easiest job can mask unexpected challenges.

Ensnared by Shadows, 3.5

Deception leaves a tangled web…

Ryuu Kern, Motoki Pack’s Second, is no stranger to sticky situations, but when delectable Division Agent, Iliana Krychek, comes to him for help, it will take more than claws and teeth to untangle a deadly web of deceit.

Available for PRE ORDER at all of the following:

AMAZON    SMASHWORDS    BARNES AND NOBLE     KOBO     iBOOKS      GOOGLE PLAY

Plus, just in time for the holidays, the first four Kyn novels will be available in one volume. Yep, all four books in one. Promise to share cover and info once it’s all finalized.

However, this isn’t the end of my news. For those who love my PSY-IV Teams, the second book, TOUCHED BY FATE is currently in midst of edits and should hit shelves in early 2016. I’m currently in the midst of the third book. MARKED BY OBSESSION and hope to hand my precious bundle over to my editors near the beginning of the year. Fingers crossed we get a late 2016 release date. So 2015 will be the year of the Kyn and 2016 year of the PSY-IV Teams.

I must give a huge shout out to all the fabulous authors who came and kept my blog site from collecting cobwebs over the summer. If you missed any of the posts, feel free to go back and check them all out. We had some really great books come through our humble abode.

All right, my Muse is flicking her whip impatiently, so I must return to wordsmithing. Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Uncover #YA @AuthorEricPrice and his award-winning, UNVEILING THE WIZARDS’ SHROUD #fantasy

Greetings and welcome back. Today we are honored to question chat with the elusive Eric Price, wordsmith behind the award winning, young adult fantasy UNVEILING THE WIZARDS’ SHROUD (CLC’s Best First Novel 2014). We’ve offered him a goblet of mead and our best victuals to help keep him occupied as we endeavor to unravel the mysteries of his mental journeys. Without further ado, I give you Sir Eric Price…

If you were to hold a dinner party for six, who would you invite and share at least one question you would have for each? 

Annie Wilkes-Why didn’t you like Misery’s Child? 

Hannibal Lecter-Do human brains really taste like chicken?

Marla Singer-Is this my week to go to the brain parasites meeting or yours?

Alex (“Your Humble Narrator” from A Clockwork Orange)-When you’re ready for the old ultra-violence, is it really that horrorshow to make the red red kroovy flow from your droogs?

Michonne (The Walking Dead)-Can you recommend a good swordsmith?

Jack Torrance-Would you like a cocktail?

I thought about inviting Bellatrix Lastrange, but if you consider the movies, I already had one character played by Helena Bonham Carter. I didn’t want to get confused.

Whether we’re plotters or pantsers (outlines not needed), creating our stories takes us on very memorable journeys. Sometimes we may be part way through before we realize some major aspect of our story is just not working (plot, character, setting). Have you ever hit this sharp, pointy snag and if so, how did you escape? Were you battered and bruised or a bloody mess?

In a lot of ways, this is how Yara came to join the cast of Unveiling the Wizards’ Shroud. I had written the book and submitted it to Muse It Up Publishing. They rejected it but gave me some suggestions to improve upon. If I did, they’d take a second look. Well, in the time since I had written it, I had an idea for a story with Yara that took place in the same world as Unveiling.

I started rewriting Unveiling the Wizards’ Shroud taking into account the suggestions and adding a little about Yara so readers would have some introduction to her when I wrote her book. I intended to introduce her in the first chapter and bring her in again at the end of the book; but, as so often happens, especially for those of us who don’t outline every single plot detail, she decided to tag along for the whole book. I’m glad she’s there. She’s one of my favorite characters. Her book, The Squire and the Slave Master, comes out soon.

–Been there, done that, have secondary characters who’ve managed to finagled their way into their very own story to show for it.

What’s the one genre you won’t ever try and why?

Erotic Romance. I have no interest in reading it, and I believe in reading the same genre(s) I write. I wouldn’t sit down to write a steampunk novel having never read one (though, I intend to read one soon). For the most part, I don’t even like sex scenes in the books I read. I prefer the way Stephen King typically handles the subject: a little foreplay in one paragraph; in the next paragraph everything’s finished and we’ve moved on to bigger and better things. (The pun may or may not have been intended.)

–If I may offer a suggestion for your introduction to Steampunk, consider Jim Butcher’s Cinder Spires.

What is some of the best advice you were ever given?

Rewrite don’t revise. It’s a lot of work, but it makes the final manuscript much cleaner than cutting and pasting; plus, it helps weed out wordy sentences. When you’re up late trying to finish a few more pages, you realize a lot of the words you’ve used aren’t needed.

What is the best advice you can share with others?

Write your own story. Don’t try to write the next Harry Potter, or Divergent, or whatever. Those stories have already been told. If you’re going to spend the time writing, write something new. Oh, and trust your editor(s). They have the same goal as you, to make your book the best it can be.

–Best advice ever, Eric!

Now, as the blood pudding makes its way into the dining hall, we proceed to our ironshot list. Ready? Aim. Fire…

Blades, guns, fists or feet?

Blades for the coolness aspect. Though, like Indiana Jones, I’d choose a gun if my opponent has a blade.

Favorite Fairy Tale of all time?

Peter Pan. I just read it again a couple weeks ago. Well, I listened to the audio book, but that counts.

Three titles and their authors sitting on your nightstand/bookcase/table/floor waiting to be read?

Stephen King’s Revival

Chuck Palahniuk’s Beautiful You

Dmitry Glukhovsky’s Metro 2033

Greatest one liner of all time?

I think the greatest of all time is Tom Cruise’s line from the end of Risky Business, you know, the one about what you’ve got to say sometimes. But since I don’t want to turn off any readers with foul language, I’ll use my second favorite line. This one from The Princess Bride: “I’m not a witch, I’m your wife.”

–For your next visit, we promise no stone throwing will commence if foul language is involved.

Sarcastic witticism, Southern sweetness or Geeky disdain?

Like I care. Oh, I guess that answers the question.

Strangest item currently taking up space in your writing cave?

The double decker couch from The Lego Movie.

Favorite supernatural creature?

Werewolves—because I’m sick of vampires.

We offer Eric our humble thanks for coming over and sharing. If you’re looking for a wild ride that will make you wish to be younger, check out Eric’s UNVEILING THE WIZARDS’ SHROUD now, so you can pick up his upcoming THE SQUIRE AND THE SLAVE MASTER arriving in September…

Literary Classics International Book Awards – Young Adult Award Winning Book

The award winning Unveiling the Wizards’ Shroud (CLC’s Best First Novel 2014) chronicled Yara, Owen, and Cedric’s quest to revive King Kendrick from a dark, magical spell. After the adventure to save King Kendrick, for Yara, everyday life has grown monotonous. The dull work of learning her father’s blacksmithing trade, and the pressure from her parents to decide what she plans on doing with her life, has her nerves so stressed she snaps at her father’s slightest teasing.

Lucky for her, a surprise messenger from the castle brings the king’s request for her to join a collaborative mission between the Central and Western Domains of Wittatun to stop a recently discovered slave operation in a land to the west. King Kendrick and Owen want her to accompany the mission as a secret weapon disguised as a squire.

She has to keep secret not only her magical abilities from any possible traitors, but also her gender. The people of the Western Domain have a superstition prohibiting girls from sailing. But a chill wind carries the distinct odor of sabotage. Can one girl survive to destroy an evil rooted much deeper than mere slavery?

EXCERPT:

     Opening the door, she paused to size up the tall, well-built man who stood outside the yard gate. His hair had grown out since she had last seen him, and it looked like he hadn’t shaved for a week. He wore gloves, but she knew underneath, the palm of the right one looked black and charred.

     She sprinted and threw herself into his arms. “Owen! How are you?” She pulled away to look at him. “What’s this on your face? Dirt?”

     “Yeah, it’s dirt. I thought I should match you.”

     Her face grew warm. How much filth must cover her? She hadn’t cared to take time to freshen herself for a messenger, but she would have had she known his identity. It must have something to do with their time apart—they used to spend almost every day together—but as the official heir to the throne, each time she saw him, he somehow looked different in her eyes. More noble. More royal.

     He smiled and wiped at a smudge on her cheek. “Did I hear you say something about getting married?”

     “Oh no! Father loves trying my nerves. I don’t want to talk about it. Why are you here?” And how much of the conversation did you hear?

 

PICK UP YOUR COPY NOW:

    

 

 

You can find Eric meandering around the following social locations:

Website          authorericprice.com

Twiter             @AuthorEricPrice

Facebook       Author Eric Price

Goodreads     Eric Price and Unveiling the Wizards’ Shroud

When the writing is done, it’s Not The End with Sara Jayne Townsend #editing #writing #mystery

Give a warm welcome to fellow MuseIt Up authoress of mystery, Sara Jayne Townsend.

Not The End

By Sara Jayne Townsend

From the age of ten, I dreamed of being published. It took me nearly 30 years to get a novel contract. In the early days, when it was just a dream, I always imagined it being the acceptance as being the ‘happy ever after’. When the first novel contract finally came – a couple of months before my fortieth birthday – it was, literally, a dream come true. But it didn’t take me long to realise that it was not the end of the story – it was merely the beginning.

Nowadays, finishing writing a novel is not as straightforward as it used to be. Finishing the first draft is still an achievement for me, and something I tend to mark with a celebration, like a nice bottle of wine. But it doesn’t mean the novel is finished. Not by a long way. First there are many other drafts to go – usually at least another two before I’ll even consider giving it to my beta readers. Following their (often brutal, but always fair) criticism, I will pull the manuscript apart and rebuild it, for at least another two or three drafts. Then, finally, it might be ready to submit, and if I’m lucky I find a publisher to take it on.

But that’s still not the end. Most publishers I’ve worked for go through at least three rounds of copy edits, sometimes involving significant plot changes. After that, a couple of rounds of line edits, which generally just pick up typos or grammatical nitpicks.

And then there are the galleys, which is the last chance to proofread the book before publication, and it never fails to astound me how many basic errors get picked up in this final stage, even after several pairs of eyes and at least seven readings. Letters and even words are missing. Punctuation is wrong. On one occasion, I noticed that a character who had gold framed glasses in the first half of the book suddenly had black framed glasses in the second half of the book. Several people had read the manuscript by that point, and no one had picked it up before.

But there comes a point when you have to let go of the book and release it out into the big wide world. I make a point of not reading my own novels once they’ve been published. Firstly, by that stage I’m sick to the back teeth of my own story, having read it far too many times already, and secondly, I’m afraid that I’ll pick up more errors and by that point I won’t be able to do anything about it. Frankly I’d rather not know, once it’s in the public domain, what’s still wrong with the book.

All this demonstrates the importance of editing, and not just of your own manuscript. Self publishing is a viable option these days, but if you go down this route it is essential to invest in a professional editor. No matter how many times you go through your own manuscript, you miss things. Editing services can be expensive, but they are an essential expense for the self-published author. Getting a second opinion is vital, and the very least that is needed. Ideally a third or even a fourth opinion is required as well, but once you’ve gone through the editing process, recruiting a couple of well-read friends to serve as proof readers may suffice.

Once upon a time I thought that the publishing contract would be the end of the story. Over the years I’ve learned that it’s only the beginning.

Brava, Sara Jayne! There is no way to expound enough on the many, many reasons why editors are the superheroes behind writers. I’d be lost without mine! 

All right my loyal followers, ready to unravel a new mystery? Then you don’t want to miss out on Sara Jayne’s DEAD COOL!

They were dying to be famous. And someone was prepared to kill for it…

Actress Shara Summers has settled in London and is “between jobs” when her Canadian ex-boyfriend David sails back into her life, begging to her to fill the backing singer vacancy in the up and coming band he’s about to go on a European tour with.  Short on funds and auditions Shara reluctantly agrees, but tragedy strikes at the opening night party when the band’s charismatic front man Dallas Cleary Anderson falls to his death from a hotel window.  It soon becomes clear that Dallas did not fall, but was pushed.  His arrogant and confrontational manner means there are no shortage of people who wanted him out of the band permanently – but who would resort to murder?

Click below to pick up your copy of DEAD COOL, Sara Jayne’s follow up to DEATH SCENE at MuseIt Up Publishing or any fine e-book retailers.

 

If you want to start at the beginning, don’t forget to check out the first in her amateur sleuth series, DEATH SCENE:

Sara Jayne Townsend is a UK-based writer of crime and horror, and someone tends to die a horrible death in all of her stories. She was born in Cheshire in 1969, but spent most of the 1980s living in Canada after her family emigrated there. She now lives in Surrey with two cats and her guitarist husband Chris. She co-founded the T Party Writers’ Group in 1994, and remains Chair Person.

She decided she was going to be a published novelist when she was 10 years old and finished her first novel a year later. It took 30 years of submitting, however, to fulfil that dream.

Follow Sara on Amazon or Twitter , and learn more about her writing at her Website and her Blog.

Time to Grill Tierney James and Get Swept Away #RomSus #politicalthriller #newreads

Welcome back everyone! It’s Thursday and we’re going old school style with an author interview. Grab your drink of choice and some Oreos and settle in, as we follow Romantic Suspense wordsmith, Tierney James, into a maze of loyalty versus love and grill her under the searing light of Jami’s inquisition…

As children we tend to have an idea of what we want to be by the time we’re ten. Before you decided to pursue the artistic dream of being a writer, what did you want to be and why?

From a very early age I wanted to be a part of the space program at NASA. I was the only little girl sitting in the back of the room with the boys listening to John Glen orbit the earth. Later I was lucky enough to get his autograph as well as several other astronauts of that first seven. I even applied to the astronaut teacher program without success. I attended Space Camp for Educators and later became a Solar System Ambassador for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. Sometimes I still turn on the NASA channel just to hear the voices at Mission Control talk to the guys on the International Space Station while I’m doing other things. I find it comforting.

If your character(s) came with a warning label, what would it say?

“Dangerous when activated.” Even some of my female characters are lethal. Maybe their warning could be something like “Every day is the time of the month.”

–*Snort*. 

Personally, I tend to be a bit on the introverted side so the thought of being in the actual presence of one of my favorite writers makes my heart race, my knees shake and tangles my tongue (yes classic fan girl behavior). Who could reduce you to such a level and how do you imagine your initial meeting?

I once met Steve Berry, thriller writer, at a writing conference. He was very friendly and approachable. Every time he walked by me and said “hello” I was afraid I’d slip in my drool. I think if I got to meet Brad Thor or James Rollins the reaction would be similar although I have practiced in front of the mirror of what I’d say. Both authors responded to a Facebook post once and I sat in a daze for an hour. I hope I would be dignified and charming at our first meeting. I could always collapse later into a blithering idiot.

–It’s so nice to know I’m not the only one who turns into a staring goober when faced with fantasticness…

 

What’s some of the funniest/sweetest/strangest things you’ve heard from your readers?

When Winds of Deception was released in June I had an online release party. Some of my guests had very clear ideas of what they wanted my characters to do in book 3 of the series. A few of them even argued about the best way to deal with an element of sexual tension brewing between several of the characters. For a while I wasn’t even part of the conversation. It was hilarious. I realized then that the characters I’d created were as real to them as they were to me.

–And that’s one of the best moments a writer can have, knowing our characters are just as real to our readers as they are to us!

What’s the one genre you won’t ever try and why?

I probably will never write Erotica. I’m not saying I haven’t read it. I know authors who are wonderful at creating this. The reason I won’t write it is because so much of what I’ve read or started to read is what I call abuse. I don’t understand the concept and don’t want to. My life is storybook not anything like what their characters demand.

What is some of the best advice you were ever given?

Join a writing group. Once I did that many people jumped on board to encourage and support me in my endeavors. They gave me the confidence to experiment, fail, succeed and shine. These are the groups or organizations in which I belong: Ozark Romance Authors, Sleuth’s Ink, Sisters In Crime, Thriller Writers of America.

–I’m with you on this. After spending seven years with a great  critique group, I found I needed move into  new group and joined Desert Rose RWA. There’s something about having that connection to others facing the same questions we face every day.

Share if you dare, one of your favorite research experiences. Did you join a ghost hunters group? Did you step outside your comfort zone and into the wild world of your characters?

One of my novels involved a Biblical Archeologist which I thought would play a major role in the story. He did not. However, I was already taking Hebrew lessons to get me in touch with my inner Indiana Jones. I also got my Conceal and Carry license so I would be familiar with guns. That was fun! Of course the instructor thought it ridiculous that I wore hot pink ear protectors and eye protection. My husband was embarrassed.

–*laughs* At least your gun wasn’t pink. I did threatened my Knight in Muddy Armor to go with purple for my chosen firearm. We’re still in discussions.

Now that the tough part is done, on to our bullet round. Three…two…go…

Blades, guns, fists or feet?

I will have to say guns and feet. Feet because I used to take karate.

Favorite Fairy Tale of all time?

My favorite fairy tale would be Cinderella. A tough chic makes it on top!

Three titles and their authors sitting on your nightstand/bookcase/table/floor waiting to be read?

Code of Conduct – Brad Thor

The English Spy – Daniel Silva

Rise of ISIS – Jay Sekulow

Greatest one liner of all time?

“I’ll be back!” – The Terminator

Sarcastic witticism, Southern sweetness or Geeky disdain?

There was a family in my parents’ hometown in Tennessee who piled everything in their yard and on their porch. So when things got messy around our house or in my room, my mother would say, “Looks like Jett’s back porch.”

Strangest item currently taking up space in your writing cave?

Probably the strangest item would be a child’s rocking chair I keep filled with books to read.

Favorite supernatural creature?

A fire breathing dragon, of course!

Huge hugs and thank you to Tierney for coming over and visiting. You don’t want to miss out on her latest release: WINDS OF DECEPTION, so check it out…

Tessa Scott believes her encounter with Ex-Delta Force Captain Chase Hunter, a year earlier, can finally remain in the past. After she arrives in Washington DC, Enigma enlists her help when they uncover a plot to assassinate both President Austin and the Prime Minister of Israel. To complicate an already volatile situation a hurricane moves toward the nation’s capital creating the perfect opportunity to stage an attack.

Lines of loyalty begin to blur as Tessa confronts life and death events that could change the course of the United States. Complications arise when Tessa is faced with the knowledge her uncle plans to take revenge for Israel’s 1967 attack on the USS Liberty and its lost crew members. No one knows that a powerful member of the government is behind the conspiracy, and Tessa and Captain Hunter join forces to halt the violence against the most powerful men in the world. She must ultimately choose between her love of country or exposing the truth against Israel.

The growing attraction between Tessa and Captain Hunter creates an emotional storm, adding even more dangerous consequences to The Winds of Deception.

Tierney can be found:  WEBSITE     TWITTER      FACEBOOK   PINTEREST

Tierney has been in education for over thirty years. She recently stopped teaching World Geography for a nearby college to pursue her writing career. Creating a workshop for beginning writers, speaking at schools and serving as an officer in the writing group Sleuths’ Ink, are some of the work she does when not writing. With the creation of Winds of Deception, Tierney is now working with one of the crew members of USS Liberty in hopes of obtaining the Medal of Honor for him.

Besides serving as a Solar System Ambassador for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and attending Space Camp for Educators, Tierney has traveled across the world. From the Great Wall of China to floating the Okavango Delta of Botswana, Africa, she ties her unique experiences into other writing projects such as the action thriller novel, An Unlikely Hero, the first in the Enigma Series. Winds of Deception is the second in that series. Living on a Native American reservation and in a mining town for many years fuels the kind of characters she never tires of creating.

Besides teaching and writing, Tierney enjoys family, gardening, reading and music. Other pursuits involve learning Hebrew in hopes of incorporating the knowledge in a future Engima Series. She likes to research and sometimes that has involved learning new skills, such as being certified with various weapons.

She has settled in the beautiful Ozarks, but there’s never a dull moment in Tierney’s life. And that is just the way she likes it.

Navigating High School Dilemmas with Mary Waibel’s THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT #YA #YAROM

Everyone settle down! It’s time for class! You, yes you, with the loud music, turn it down and listen up! Today we have the talented and lovely, Mary Waibel, sharing her YA Novella, THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT. Take it away, Mary!

Romance, High School Style

A Guest Post by Mary Waibel

marywaibel.blogpsot.com

 

 

Thanks so much for hosting me today, Jami! Now let’s talk romance-high school style.

High school is a time of great change. You’re moving from a kid to an almost adult, and experiencing all the responsibilities that go along with the change. School, friends, sports, and family and all vying for your attention.

When I look back at it, I don’t know how I managed to fit studying in between sports practices, band rehearsals, church, and family activities.

And, then there’s the dating scene.

I did all my dating in college, but that didn’t mean I sat home every Friday night. Nope, I’d hang out with my friends and watch movies, or wander the mall, or go roller skating. We had always had a blast, but I remember wondering why I had lots of guy friends but no boyfriend.

For some, like me, catching the eye of the guy/girl you like is the hardest thing imaginable. Not knowing what to wear, what to say, or how to act normal around the one you like can become an all consuming fear. And sometimes well meaning friends make the situation worse than it needs to be.

Not to mention, what if the person you like is a good friend? Is it worth risking friendship for the boyfriend/girlfriend thing?

What’s a girl/guy to do?

Questions like these led to the creation of The Boyfriend Project, the first book in The Boyfriend Novella series. Whether it’s being in love with your best friend, or choosing between two guys, or swapping spots with your twin, these tales of teen love, and all it’s angst and craziness, look on the dating scene with a mix of humor and heartfelt emotions.

Sound like your kind of read? Then give The Boyfriend Project a try.

Samantha Jones’ world revolves around her neighbor, Jordan Kingsley. In fact, her boyfriend broke up with her because of the time she spends with Jordan. Sam longs to move their relationship to boyfriend/girlfriend level but there’s a problem. She’s afraid to ask him out because he’s one of her closest friends.


When her BFF, Emery, suggests using advice from her favorite romance novels, Sam reluctantly agrees. But will she find herself worse off than the heroines of her beloved stories?

Available at:
 


 

Watch for a new novella in the series later this year! 
 
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About the Author:
YA author Mary Waibel’s love for fairytales and happy-ever fill the pages of her works. Whether penning stories in a medieval setting or a modern day school, magic and romance weave their way inside every tale. Strong female characters use both brain and brawn to save the day and win the heart of their men. Mary enjoys connecting with her readers through her website: marywaibel.blogspot.com
 

STARDUST DREAMS spans galaxies for @sbredstone #rom #scifi #newrelease

Today we welcome S.B. Redstone and his latest release, STARDUST DREAMS. Check out his book trailer:

If you’re intrigued, here’s a few more tidbits for you:

STARDUST DREAMS

Lance Forrester is a dreamer. After a celebrated career as an astronaut and engineer, he and a friend built a secret spacecraft to seek their destinies in the stars. But, his friend died. Now that Lance has terminal cancer, he hopes to convince Sage who he hasn’t seen since high school, to join him on his quest to reach an advanced alien civilization and immortality.

Sage Saint Charles lived a wild and notorious life in Hollywood before she descended into obscurity as a social recluse. Sage has regrets, more regrets than a person should have. When her drowsy eyes open, in hospice care, an unfamiliar old man is standing at her bedside.

Stardust Dreams is a love story. This unique tale of hope and faith is so realistic you just might feel you’ve gone along on their madcap adventure into the galaxy. Unfortunately, true life is not a child’s fairy tale. If Lance and Sage are to achieve their happiness , they must first overcome the emotional scars of their pasts. With every turn of the page, you’ll delight in the fascination and mystery of unknown worlds and destinies.

STARDUST DREAMS is available at all these fine retailers, so grab your copy!

You can find S.B. at these locations:

Website            Twitter       Facebook          LinkedIn           Goodreads           Google+

Barbara Ehrentreu Tackles Teen Issues #YAreads #bodyissues #bullying

Today our guest is YA Author, Barbara Ehrentreu, and she’s tackling a tough subject facing today’s teens. Come join us and check out her books “If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor” and “After“…

Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog, Jami. As you know, I have two books. One is about a girl who doesn’t feel good about her body. The other is about a girl who has a great deal of confidence in her body and its abilities. In If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, Carolyn is worried about being bullied by Jennifer Taylor, a mean girl who has been bothering her all through middle school. Jennifer is an aspiring gymnast and Carolyn finds out Jennifer has a terrible secret that no one at school knows. Her problem becomes should she tell Jennifer’s secret to her best friends, who hate Jennifer, or keep the secret and have Jennifer teach her to tumble so she can be a cheerleader and be popular.

Bullying is a big problem that is finally being addressed in many schools. However, there are so many different types of bullying that is not always possible. Emotional bullying is invisible except to the person who is being bullied, like in Carolyn’s case. Bullying creates a constant worry for the person being bullied. Many students who have been bullied don’t have the guts to tell anyone and they try to deal with it themselves. Some are so stressed they take their own lives. Cyber bullying is even worse and has caused the same results. Carolyn has to deal with this problem in her own way and when it comes to a head for her, she even has to deal with blackmail.

Lauren, the main character of After, has a different problem. She wants to get a scholarship to college by playing softball. She is a pitcher and is a really good player. She has a friend, Joey, who has been her best friend since kindergarten. He is the only one she hangs out with and they both love watching the Mets. Lauren doesn’t have a care in the world, and then her father calls while he is having a heart attack. Her story begins after the phone call and everything changes in a moment. Suddenly, Lauren’s world is rocky and she doesn’t feel like anything is the same. Joey, whose mean girlfriend, Amber has been keeping him away from her, is now there and comforting her. Lauren starts feeling more than friendly toward Joey and she realizes she can have another best friend too. While her father is in the hospital to have bypass surgery, Lauren finds her best friend from elementary school, Jenny, is a big help to her as she tries to cope with her new life and her father in the hospital.

The interesting part about writing each of these books is that they are both based on parts of my own life. My first novel, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, is inspired by own daughter who became bulimic in high school. Like Carolyn, she had issues about her body. So, I separated her into two characters. In After, Lauren is a made up character. She is the boy my husband never had or the girl who loved sports that my husband always wanted. The book was started during National Novel Writers Month and at that time my own husband had gone through a heart attack and bypass surgery. He was in the hospital and my whole life had changed. I originally called it When My Life Changed, but both my editor and I decided to change it to After, since it was after the phone call. Big portions of the dialogue in After are taken directly from my own experience. Many scenes are also from my life.

I find taking scenes from my own life is both a blessing and a curse. In order to do some of these scenes I had to use relatives and as a writer, I can tell you that some don’t like this. When I told my daughter about the fact that she was the main character of my first book she was uneasy about this. The good thing is she didn’t really see herself in the character at first. In After, I had my brother-in-law and niece, so I had to tell them and get their permission before the book was published. Sadly, before the book could be published my husband passed away. I spent more time in hospitals then, and the sad truth is, it helped me even more to set those scenes in After.

“After” is a story about the struggles Lauren Walstein, a fifteen-year-old girl, has to go through when her father suddenly has a heart attack and undergoes bypass surgery. In one phone call her life changes completely. Lauren is a character with whom most teens will relate. Her best friend since kindergarten, Joey, is going out with her enemy and they have grown apart. Before the phone call all she thought about was getting a scholarship for softball, and the Mets. Suddenly she must deal with both her father’s illness and being in school. The demands on her from both ends complicate the story. In the middle of all this, she finds she is developing feelings for her best friend that are more than friendly. Is he feeling the same or is he just comforting her? In addition there is Joey’s mean girl friend Amber, who doesn’t appreciate Lauren being in the picture. Will Lauren’s father recover? How will Lauren cope with her new feelings for Joey?

Excerpt for After:

Chapter One

The phone rang as the ball left the pitcher’s glove and I glanced toward the sound. Mom’s tears made me forget all about the game. My life changed while the TV blurred and turned into a nightmare kaleidoscope. That moment has been indelibly pressed into my thoughts.

My sister, Diane, was upstairs hunched over her computer as usual. She’s not a baseball fan at all. But I lived and breathed for the Mets that fall. They had such a great chance of getting the pennant and maybe even winning the World Series. I obsessed about the Mets, and of course, Joey.

Joey, my best friend from kindergarten, was always there for me. It’s hard to imagine a recess without him by my side. He’s bigger than I am and always looked a little older than he was. Mom liked Joey because he reassured her he would obey her rules. Maybe it was his easy smile or his clear, gray eyes.

Lately, though, Joey and I haven’t been so close. It happened during the summer when he was a counselor at this camp and he hooked up with this girl, Amber, who goes to our school. So now he spends a lot of his time with her and we barely see each other. We used to watch the Mets together all the time, too. So I missed him being there with me, and his comments about the players. But all that was before the phone call. Pre-phone call my deepest thoughts centered on the Mets and finding the sweet spot for the ball in my new baseball glove. Pre-phone call, my world was worrying about homework getting done and wondering what lunch would be like on Monday. Oh, and of course, thinking about how to beat the next team we were up against in softball. I’m a starting pitcher this year and I want to show my coach she can believe in me. I’m only a sophomore, but I hope

someday to play college softball. I need to get a scholarship in order to go. My parents have already told me they can’t swing it without one.

After the phone call my life was a ball of twisted emotions and all I could think about was Dad, and how Mom, Diane, and I would get through this night.

PICK UP YOUR COPY:

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If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor

Carolyn Samuels is obsessed with the idea of being popular. She is convinced that the only thing keeping her from happiness is her too heavy for fashion body and not being a cheerleader. Hyperventilating when she gets nervous doesn’t help. When she is paired for a math project with the girl who tormented her in middle school, Jennifer Taylor, she is sure it is going to be another year of pain. With Carolyn’s crush on Jennifer’s hunky junior quarterback, Brad her freshman year in high school looks like a rerun of middle school. When Jennifer is the only student who knows why she fell in gym class, Carolyn is blackmailed into doing her math homework in return for Jennifer’s silence. Jennifer takes on Carolyn as a pity project since she can’t be seen with someone who dresses in jeans and sweatshirts. When Jennifer invites Carolyn to spend the night to make her over and teach her to tumble, Carolyn learns Jennifer’s secret and lies to her own friends to cover it up. Will Carolyn become a cheerleader and popular? Does she continue to keep Jennifer’s secret? Or will she be a target of this mean girl again?

PICK UP YOUR COPY:

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Excerpt from If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor

Chapter One

I spot him walking toward my locker with a small box in one hand and a plastic fork in the other. My Crush! He hands me the box, and I open it. Inside is a piece of luscious chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I look up into his blue eyes and give him the box so I can touch his cheek as I smooth his dark hair. “You always know just what I like.” He smiles and feeds me a forkful of cake. I don’t have to worry about eating it because I can eat anything I want and not gain weight. He places the cake box in my locker so he can put his arms around me. The first bell rings in my ears. I ignore it because I’m thin and blonde and floating in the arms of my dark- haired crush. The other cheerleaders run up to us laughing and kidding around, and I’m about to speak. The ringing gets louder.

The dream evaporates, and I realize it’s the darn alarm piercing my sleep. Slamming my fist onto the snooze button, I get this nagging feeling. Then I remember. I have something to do. Worse luck, I have to do it, not as the slender blonde beauty in my dream, but as the real Carolyn Samuels with my brown curly hair hanging like shriveled spaghetti, mud brown eyes, and a body too large for fashion.

I see my new book bag is packed and ready by the door with the initials C. S. in blue, my favorite color. Suddenly it hits me, and I get this dizzy let-me-plop-on-the-pillow feeling. Freshman year of high school—first day. My brain is ready, but my body isn’t. Jennifer will be there. Math class and Jennifer; gym class with Jennifer. My body curls into a fetal position, and I throw the covers over my head. Don’t faint Carolyn, I tell myself, panting.

Barbara at Fairfield Bookstore signing headshot

Barbara Ehrentreu grew up in Brooklyn and moved to Queens. She has lived and taught in Long Island, Buffalo, NY and Westchester, NY as well as a year in Los Angeles, CA. She has a Masters Degree in Reading and Writing K-12. She is a member of PEN Letters and SCBWI. Currently she is retired from teaching and living in Stamford, CT with her family. If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor won second prize in Preditors & Editors as Best Young Adult Book for 2011. It was inspired by Paula Danziger for her children’s writing workshop at Manhattanville College. Her second book, After, considers what can happen to a teen when her father becomes ill with a heart attack. It is based on her own experiences when her husband had a heart attack and the aftermath of what she and her family experienced. She is preparing the sequel to If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor. Barbara also writes poetry and several of her poems are published in the anthologies, Prompted: An International Collection of Poetry, Beyond the Dark Room, Storm Cycle and Backlit Barbell. She has a blog, Barbara’s Meanderings, and she hosts a radio show on Blog Talk Radio, Red River Radio Tales from the Pages, once a month.

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraEhrentreu

Twitter: https://twitter.com/barbehr

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4797564.Barbara_Ehrentreu

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/

Pinterest: 

Go On A Thrilling #RAMPAGE with Alan Brenham #crimethriller #thriller #mustread

Today our visitor is the thrilling, Alan Brenham, and he’s brought along his crime novel, RAMPAGE, for us to take a peek at.

The stakes soar, both professionally and personally, for Austin PD Detective Jason Scarsdale as he finds himself in a race against time to hunt down a vicious gang hell-bent on murder. 

 Realizing that his new partner, the attractive divorcee Tatum Harper, could be trouble in more ways than one, he tries to run her out of Homicide. Will their partnership destroy his romantic relationship with long-time girlfriend Dani Mueller? Will they both survive the harrowing face-off with the increasingly unhinged gang leader?

Want to see what’s waiting for you between the pages? Check out this excerpt from Alan’s RAMPAGE, where Detective Jason Scarsdale discovers he has no safe haven from those who want him dead:

“It was after ten that night when the Dodge sedan stopped next to the curb. Two shadowy figures eyeballed the single-story home and the blue Toyota SUV parked in the driveway.    

            Light shined through slats in the blinds of an enormous picture window about five feet from the front door. To the right of the door were two side-by-side windows, both lit up.

            “Are you sure this is his house? It looks different at night,” the driver said.

            “Damn right, I’m sure.” The passenger laid the rifle barrel on the edge of the window.

            “So now what?”

            “We wait until the son of a bitch walks in front of that window.” The passenger shifted in the seat to get a clear field of fire right at the window. “Then boom. One dead cop.”

            A silhouette grew larger as it moved closer to the window.

            The barrel of the rifle rose off the edge. “Get ready,” the passenger said, easing the finger inside the trigger guard and onto the trigger.

            “Just make sure you kill him. I’ll worry about the car,” snapped the driver.

            “Come closer, Scarsdale. That’s it. C’mon. A little more.”

            The silhouette bent down out of sight.

            “Dammit,’ the passenger said, raising up to see the entire window.

            The driver looked in the outside rear view mirror then the one over the dash. “We can’t sit here all friggin’ night. Next time, take the damn shot.”

            “Don’t worry about it.”

            “If the cops show up, we’ll have a lot to worry about.”

            The silhouette re-appeared.

            The scope’s crosshairs centered on it.

            “Perfect.”

Intrigued, aren’t you? Good. Now you can run out and pick up your copy and indulge in some heart pounding cardio from your chair.

Pick up RAMPAGE by Alan Brenham at these fine bookseller locations:

Author website: http://www.alanbrenham.com

Alan Brenham is the pseudonym of Alan Behr, an American author and attorney. He served as a law enforcement officer before earning a law degree from Baylor University and worked as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney.

He authored three crime novels – Price of Justice, Cornered, and Rampage.  He is presently working on two more fiction books. Alan and his wife live in the Austin, Texas area.