Hart Johnson's Blog, page 34

Crystal Collier's Moonless: Cover Reveal

Listen to this for a teaser:   Jane Eyre meets Supernatural



Is that hot or WHAT? I love the idea of it...  And look at the cover!!!











Want more?  Here is the description:



In the English society of 1768 where women are bred to marry, unattractive Alexia, just sixteen, believes she will end up alone. But on the county doorstep of a neighbor’s estate, she meets a man straight out of her nightmares, one whose blue eyes threaten to consume her whole world—especially later when she discovers him standing over her murdered host in the middle of the night.



Among the many things to change for her that evening are: her physical appearance—from ghastly to breathtaking, an epidemic of night terrors predicting the future, and the blue-eyed man’s unexpected infusion into her life. Not only do his appearances precede tragedies, but they’re echoed by the arrival of ravenous, black-robed wraiths on moonless nights.



Unable to decide whether he is one of these monsters or protecting her from them, she uncovers what her father has been concealing: truths about her own identity, about the blue-eyed man, and about love. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with the man of her dreams and risk becoming one of the Soulless.



Best of luck to Crystal with her book release November 13th!!!

Here is where to find her:

Blog |

Twitter |

Goodreads |

Facebook |

Website

This Week's PLAN *BUWAHAHAHAHA*

So I am here some this week, not all the time, but hopefully better than LAST week (and the week before).





TOMORROW:  Reveal of the Moonless Cover!!!









Wednesday:  Norse Gods Birthday Bash Blogfest!!! (still time to sign up--those Norse Gods know how to throw a party!!! (though Thor is bitter it isn't on Thorsday... erm... that would be NAKED Thorsday in my world... Mmmmm... Thor....)



Warning... if you look up Naked Thor, be prepared for some rather vivid imagery...













Naked Thorsday:  Release of So This Is War!!!! (Accompanied by a FREE day for A Flock of Ill Omens!!!)







Those of you waiting for ARCs of So This is War, they are COMING, but I had some computer challenges on formatting... I will make sure and use my work computer in the future, as my home ones don't play nicely with Word. At ALL. I had to redo things several times and now have three versions, each with different iterations. Hopefully by tonight...

No Longer a Decoy

So While I goofed on Monday... thought I was visiting... TODAY, I really am...



Why else would the fabulous writer's of Unicorn Bell interview me? Oh, okay, maybe because they're fabulous and Marcy is a blog buddy... but anyway, I am there so you should go over and see me!!!



As for HERE... My work schedule is terrible until Oct 15, so I think twice a week is as much as I might manage blogging...



But if you visit me over at Unicorn Bell, I will do my best to get back to you!!!





I'm a Fire Horse... why NOT a fire unicorn?

I'm A Unicorn!!!

Why else would the fabulous writer's of Unicorn Bell interview me? Oh, okay, maybe because they're fabulous and Marcy is a blog buddy... but anyway, I am over THERE today, so you should go over and see me!!!



As for HERE... My work schedule is terrible until Oct 15, so I think twice a week is as much as I might manage blogging...



But if you visit me over at Unicorn Bell, I will do my best to get back to you!!!





I'm a Fire Horse... why NOT a fire unicorn?

So How Did It Go?

I'm glad you asked... and if you didn't ask and don't know what I'm talking about, let me explain... no, is too much, let me sum up:



Thursday (because it's the most naked day) I released Book 2 (In Short Supply) of my serial and at the same time offered A Flock of Ill Omens (Book 1) for FREE.



Conclusion: People like free stuff.



See. Now you're smarter.





But if you want specifics:



I gave away 227 copies of A Flock of Ill Omens in at least 6 countries (190 in the US, 17 in the UK, and 3 each in Germany, India and Canada). It's actually more countries, as Amazon only has 9 they track. In addition, I SOLD some copies to either side of the free day, and have thus far sold 11 copies of the second. I'm not moving mountains, but if I add that to what I gave away prior to releasing, (and counter for duplicates, as there are some) I think I have nearly 300 copies out there of the first... That's not terrible. And look at THIS:







Did you SEE the #2? I spent all afternoon there!!! I was as high as #68 in free thrillers. Never passed under the thousand mark for free books overall, but I'm pretty happy, considering I have mostly sat over 100,000. Best I can tell, a book a day sits you right on that 100,000 rank mark for the paid store.



I have no idea how the 'bestseller' titles get bandied about. I don't think I'm there, but it was very fun to watch all day.



I plan to offer the first free AGAIN when the 3rd is released (October 10), and again for the 4th (October 31)





I really want to thank all of YOU for helping me out! My friends who helped spread the word really made it all possible.









In Other News...



It's Fall... ACK!



Don't get me wrong. Fall itself is already with me. I like warm days and crisp nights, apple flavored stuff, fall beer options... My PROBLEM with it is this...









And the dreaded winter will arrive well before the 4th season of Game of Thrones or the 6th book of the Song of Ice and Fire series...

DO THESE THINGS!

Net te flog ye wit it... Jes excited.



There be THREE very important things YE need ta do taday!!!











1)  Wish Hermione Granger a Happy Birthday!!!











2)  Talk like a Pirate! (all day!)











3)  Download A Flock Of Ill Omens!!!  (It's FREE!!!) 



(an tell yer mates te do the same)



And if you are interested, 

In Short Supply is up!!!

The Beauty of Stubbornness

And by that, I mean me, of course...
but do I have another point?





Don't I always? *shifty*








On Monday I saw probably very WISE
concern about serials... waiting to buy until they are done because
not everybody finishes them. And I thought WHAT?






TOMORROW!!!





I mean I spent a fair few years writing
fan fiction and I saw a LOT of abandoned stories, so it's probably
totally naïve that it never crossed my mind that serial stories
being SOLD could have this happen. But it didn't. I guess I thought
I'd jumped out of the sandbox and into the naked volleyball pit... or
something.





But I will share something with you
about me that the title of this blog was already a spoiler on... I
NEVER don't finish. Okay, poor sentence structure, two negatives and
all... But that just isn't me. When I was a senior in high school I
was the FIRST one to turn in our huge Government take-home final
because from day one I did a question a day. Every day.





It's how I roll.





If you need further reassurance,
episode 2 goes up tomorrow, and I am WRITING #5, but my intention is
to FINISH my first draft during NaNoWriMo... THEN it is just a matter
of editing, which DOES take me several rounds, but is a place I will
never abandon it.





But I promise to keep all of you
skeptics up to date...









I ALSO have an apology.





For a while here my blog visits are
going to be down—my day job is REALLY needy right now. That leaves
me night, when I am trying to WRITE.







I will definitely keep trying, but it
may be weekend before I get my visiting done.

NakedStorm! Or should we say CassaTart?

Today is a HUGE day! Alex Cavanaugh is releasing his third in his Cassa Trilogy and he let a bunch of his buddies ask him questions... What do you think I asked about?




Tart:  In the future universe you've created, where would a Tart go to find her favorite dress code? Which is to say UNdressed?




Ninja:  I think you’d enjoy visiting Arella. The Arellens wear light clothing and underwear is probably optional. It’s a lush planet with numerous bodies of water, so lots of opportunities for skinny dipping.



(Oh, I know... Ninjas are always naked)











Comment on Alex’s blog this week for a chance to win a Cassa mug, mousepad, magnet, and swag!






CassaStorm

By Alex J Cavanaugh




From the Amazon Best Selling Series!




A storm gathers across the galaxy…




Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.






After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.




Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…




“With a talent for worldbuilding and a compelling cast of characters, Alex J. Cavanaugh combines high powered space battles and the challenges of family dynamics to provide readers a space opera with heart.” 

- Elizabeth S. Craig, author of the Southern Quilting and Myrtle Clover mysteries



“I thought the revelation was going to be one thing and I was completely wrong … CassaStorm pushes the limits…”

- Tyson Mauermann, Speculative Reviews




$16.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 268 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

Science fiction/adventure and science fiction/space opera

Print ISBN 9781939844002 eBook ISBN 9781939844019

$4.99 EBook available in all formats




Find CassaStorm:

Barnes and Noble

Amazon 

Amazon Kindle 

Goodreads

Book trailer







Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. The author of the Amazon bestsellers, CassaStar and CassaFire, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.



(And he's a ninja)




Website – http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

Twitter – http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh  

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4287922.Alex_J_Cavanaugh







Go Alex, Go!!!

A Small Favor and a Bigger One...

So this week I get a reality check. Anyone want to take bets on whether I'm delusional or if I might be onto something. Say WHAT? You say...



Well see THIS WEEK I am offering up my first FOR FREE and releasing my second in my Shot in the Light serial.



The questions go something like this:



Can I give it away? (how many downloads will I get with that FREE pricetag?)



And if I DO give it away, will it lead to PURCHASES?



I could use all of your HELP on that front. [Note: This is the BIGGER favor] Anyone willing to share THIS, would be HUGELY appreciated!





Buy Link



The LITTLER favor:



Could you please, even if I sent you one for free, click BUY on Thursday. It's free. It's easy. And I am HOPING that click will help me get a good ranking on the old free book thing... It is one of those things Amazon adds to their promo algorithm.





In Other Attempts...



I sent a copy of book 2 to anyone who reviewed book 1 by yesterday—I don't know what the 'sweet spot' is for number of reviews, but I DO know that Amazon takes it into account when they are promoting. I think if there are enough reviews, then THEY do my advertising FOR ME. That's where I want to be. But I think the number of reviews needed is like 30.



It got a couple people to post reviews, so it worked on some level.

Tapping My Inner Slut (Indie Life)

So second Wednesday of every month is an Indie Life blog... You should go see ALL the Indie authors, yes?



You know... there are certain advantages some of us have in this Indie world... because when I want to tap my inner slut... I sort of had an outer slut once upon a time (though at the time I called it feminism... you know... what's good for the gander... all that, but I digress).





Anyway.



So last Thursday (actually Wednesday, but only because I wasn't sure it would work the first time) I pushed publish on my FIRST episode of my FIRST self-published work. It's really out there.



And there are terms that just seem really apt...



Giving it away...



Flaunting it...



Putting out...



But then there are other things I am just less familiar with... For instance I've always thought 'teasing' was cheating... that part doesn't translate. HERE teasing is GOOD, not lousy. Though it IS still manipulative... which maybe I want to be? Am I figuring this out right? I don't LIKE manipulation! In fact I HATE being manipulated and usually rebel, tossing POO at said manipulators! But am I unusual that way? I think some people must like it or there wouldn't be so many who DO it.



And I can't give it ALL away or nobody buys anything!? Gads, this is confusing! So I give a little away and hope they marry me? But I don't WANT marriage! I just want really good sex! Okay, you can see how bumbled this whole thing makes me.



I completely come from the WRONG ideology. I'm all good with parts of it, but I never did master drawing the lines. I guess, though, if people LIKE it, they will keep coming back, yeah?



I think I was more adept with the drug dealer analogy. What does that say about me that I can push it as a drug, but not as a sex toy? Are you all feeling uncomfortable yet?





ANYWAY, episode 2 comes out next week. I am offering it free to anyone who reviews A Flock of Ill Omens (honestly)  by Sunday...



Oh, and the reviews are going well! All my actual reviews (4 at Amazon and 1 at Goodreads) come with 5 stars. I only have a 4 star average at Goodreads, but there is a person who gave it a 1 star when I hadn't actually sold any, and since she wasn't on my list of the 60 freebies I sent, she rated without reading (she has a single 4 star review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and 15 one-star reviews—me and a bunch of famous people... I figured it meant I'd arrived.



I haven't sold many copies, but I didn't really expect to--I gave away oodles and plan to give oodles more... first free day is next Thursday when the second comes out to buy. THAT, I would love help shouting about...