Nancy S. Thompson's Blog, page 10
December 17, 2012
You Can't Get There From Here
I’m on the verge of starting my second book. And by that I mean, literally ready to sit down at my desk and type the whole thing out. I’m almost done with my outline, which, in reality, is more like a first draft, albeit handwritten and sans setting and most dialogue. But, even though I prefer to finish my outline before I get started, I’m a bit antsy and raring to go.
I think it’s because the story excites me so much. But part of it’s because, even though I’m seventy-five percent done—and that doesn’t even include the climax, which I’ve already figured out in my head—I’m just not sure how to get that small remaining percentage down. It’s only like maybe twenty percent of the story, yet, even though I know how it ends, I can’t quite see how to get there from here.
I hope that sitting down and pounding it out from the beginning will enable this small fraction of the story to emerge and complete itself. But I’m worried. I’ve never been blocked before, and I’m not even certain this is actually what blocked looks like. I mean, I sat down last night and handwrote another chapter. And boy was I surprised. It was so dark, so gritty, so violent and emotionally draining, I had to take a step back, it upset me so much. That can’t be blocked, right?
I’ve been worried about this for a while now, yet every time I sit down, I manage to progress, to move forward, to write another chapter. And I still have plenty of notes. But still, this veil shrouding my last few miles concerns me. Hell, it downright disturbs me. But I guess this is what writing by the seat of your pants feels like. Right?
I’ve heard being a pantser is freeing, but I don’t like it one bit.
What about you? Ever had your vision so cloudy,you can’t quite determine the path your story should take?
December 12, 2012
And the Winner Is...
The winner of my Goodreads Giveaway of a signed copy of The Mistaken is...
Alton Dean!
And thanks to all 1,035 of you who entered!
December 11, 2012
Last Day to Enter My Goodreads Giveaway!
Today is the last day to enter mybook giveaway on Goodreads.
Click here if you'd like to join nearly
1000 other people andenter to win a signed copy of THE MISTAKEN
Or click on the Goodreads buttonon my right sidebar.
December 10, 2012
Interview: FINDING CLAIRE FLETCHER's Lisa Regan
(Scroll down or
click here
for my entry in the
Cheers, Cavanaugh Blogfest .)
I’M SO EXCITED! Thursday was the launch of Finding Claire Fletcher, the poignant tale of a young woman who was kidnapped at the age of fifteen and held captive for ten years. This incredible novel of love, loss, and hope was written by my very best friend, Lisa Regan. (Read my review of FCF here.)
I was lucky enough to have read this book as a critique partner a couple of years ago, and since then, I’ve read it an additional three times. That’s how much I love it! I know you’ll love it, too. As a preview, I’d like to give you a bit of insight into Lisa and her novel so you can see just how wonderful and talented she really is. So here is an interview I conducted. Enjoy!
Why the obsession with missing children?
I think it was from being bombarded as an adolescent by missing child stories. Jacob Wetterling and Jaycee Dugard were both abducted within two years of each other and the news coverage was extensive. Certainly something I’ve never forgotten. Right around that time, that TV miniseries I Know My First Name is Steven about Steven Stayner came out and that had a big impact on me. I was the same age as Wetterling and Dugard and I think it was a that-could-be-me kind of thing that started the obsession.
You’ve been writing since you were a child, so what is it about Finding Claire Fletcher that made you want to seek representation and a publishing contract?
It was the first thing I wrote that had a discernible plot! As an adult it was the second novel that I finished. In my first novel I was trying to do too much. But FCF was pretty simple: girl is abducted. Here’s what happens. Man tries to find her. FCF seemed much better written than everything that came before it. I just had this feeling that after all those years of trying, I had written something worth reading.
How long was it from the day you started writing Finding Claire Fletcher to the day you finally signed your publishing contract, and was there ever a time you just wanted to give up, tuck Finding Claire Fletcher into a drawer, and move on? If so, why didn’t you?
I started writing it sometime in early 2004 and I signed my contract on 4/3/12 so it was eight years from first word to contract. If I had a dollar for every time I wanted to give up, I wouldn’t have to work. Yes, there were times I wanted to put FCF into a drawer. There were times I felt like I should put it into a drawer and move on. But Claire’s voice was so compelling to me that I simply couldn’t. The whole time I was writing it, I felt like she was standing behind me with her hand on my shoulder, whispering the words into my ear. She became like a real person to me, and I felt like I owed it to her to see her story through. Maybe because she represents all the children who have lived through an abduction whose stories most people turn away from.
What is the most important lesson you learned during this time between writing and publication?
Ask for help. When I was growing up, I approached so many teachers asking for help or direction with my writing, and I was consistently blown off. So by the time I started writing as an adult I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I didn’t want to ask for help because I was sure no one would give it. But my college professors were wonderful, and, later, after I started querying unsuccessfully, I found plenty of other writers willing to help me (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). Unfortunately I didn’t have critique partners or beta readers until after I started querying for FCF. I really believe if I had gotten the type of feedback I got between 2006 and 2010 from CPs and betas before I sent out my first query, my journey would have been a lot shorter. Plus this is not a journey you want to take alone. You need other writers to support and encourage you—only they can understand the unique misery you’ll experience. Get involved in a writing community—in person or online and accept their help and support.
Do you think the subject matter in Finding Claire Fletchermade it a hard sell, and why?
Absolutely. It’s the element of sexual assault that makes it a hard sell. I’ve found that murder and dismemberment are easier for people to deal with than rape. But I purposely did not want to shy away from it. It happens to women all over the world every day. It is real, and it is damaging. We shouldn’t pretend it doesn’t exist. We shouldn’t minimize it. I think that would be a disservice to women (and men, too) who are recovering from it or have survived it—and their loved ones whose lives are also affected by sexual assault. You know, Diane Sawyer asked Jaycee Lee Dugard why she went into detail about the sexual assaults she suffered at the hands of her abductor in her memoir and Dugard said, “Why not look at it? You know, stare it down until it can’t scare you anymore?” I think that is incredibly brave.
With real-life cases like Shawn Hornbeck, Elizabeth Smart, and Jaycee Lee Dugard so well-known, why do think the Big Six turned Finding Claire Fletcher down on grounds they thought it unbelievable that a kidnap victim allowed to leave her prison would not seek help from the authorities?
Well obviously I can’t speak for the Big 6 but I think the real issue is that most people have a hard time believing the real-life instances. I think a lot of people look at kids like Hornbeck, Smart, and Dugard and, in the back of their minds, there is a nagging question as to why they didn’t try to escape. What people don’t realize is that, first of all, these were children. Do you remember how you felt when you were 11 or 14? Do you think you would have been equipped to handle being torn away from everything you knew and systematically tortured, both physically and emotionally for a sustained period of time? Because make no mistake—what happened to these kids was torture. Second, they were completely terrorized and broken down by their captors. By the time people see them on the news, they’re grown up. They look like and they are now adults. People forget that they were just kids when they were taken. So I think a lot of people want to say, “Why didn’t they just walk away?” But no one looks at a Prisoner of War and says, “Why didn’t he just bust out of there like Rambo?” They are kids and they’ve been tortured. I think that’s the point people miss. But to answer your question, some publishers may have reasoned that if people find it hard to swallow that real life kids don’t leave at the first opportunity, then they won’t buy a fictional account.
After all the hard work getting Finding Claire Fletchera home, what’s been the most difficult part since?
Managing my time. I had no idea that this part would be so busy! Don’t get me wrong, I’m ecstatic and euphoric. It has just been hard finding time for everything on top of working full-time and raising a child. But I wouldn’t have it any other way!
What can we look forward to next from you?
More of the same! LOL. Well there is Aberration which comes out on 6/6/13. It’s about an FBI profiler working on a serial killer case where she turns out to be the object of his affection. The WIP I’m working on now is about a single mom who is a detective in Philadelphia investigating a series of sex crimes. After that I had planned on working on a new book that would have Connor and Claire in it, but we’ll see how successful FCF is—if people like it, I’ll bring Connor and Claire back. If not, I’ve got a few other things up my sleeve, but whatever it is you can count on dark and gritty.
Thanks, Lisa! As part of the Finding Claire Fletcher Blog Tour (12/6 - 12/21), Lisa Regan will be giving away:
· $25.00 Amazon Gift Card· 1 signed copy of the paperback of Finding Claire Fletcher· 1 e-book version of Finding Claire Fletcher
All you have to do is visit the Finding Claire Fletcher Blog Tour & Giveaway page and comment on that page letting Lisa know whose blog you’ve just come from. Each commenter will be assigned a number and then the winners will be chosen using random.org. Winners will be announced on 12/24/12!
And please stop by Lisa’s tour to learn more …
Lisa’s Blog Tour:
12/6: Emily Unraveled12/7: Bards & Prophets 12/10: Nancy S. Thompson 12/11: Cassie Mae12/12: Melissa Maygrove 12/13: Libby Heily & J.C. Martin12/14: Falling for Fiction12/17: So, You're a Writer12/18: Julie Flanders12/19: Writing With Hope& Leave it to Livia12/20: Wizardry of Otin& The Serial Killer Files12/21: The Doubting Writer
Find Lisa here :Blog Website Amazon Goodreads Sapphire Star Publishing
Buy the book here:
Amazon (Paperback) Barnes & Noble (Paperback) Amazon (e-book) B&N Nook book
Watch this awesome book trailer for Finding Claire Fletcher
Cheers, Cavanaugh Blogfest .)
I’M SO EXCITED! Thursday was the launch of Finding Claire Fletcher, the poignant tale of a young woman who was kidnapped at the age of fifteen and held captive for ten years. This incredible novel of love, loss, and hope was written by my very best friend, Lisa Regan. (Read my review of FCF here.)
I was lucky enough to have read this book as a critique partner a couple of years ago, and since then, I’ve read it an additional three times. That’s how much I love it! I know you’ll love it, too. As a preview, I’d like to give you a bit of insight into Lisa and her novel so you can see just how wonderful and talented she really is. So here is an interview I conducted. Enjoy!
Why the obsession with missing children?
I think it was from being bombarded as an adolescent by missing child stories. Jacob Wetterling and Jaycee Dugard were both abducted within two years of each other and the news coverage was extensive. Certainly something I’ve never forgotten. Right around that time, that TV miniseries I Know My First Name is Steven about Steven Stayner came out and that had a big impact on me. I was the same age as Wetterling and Dugard and I think it was a that-could-be-me kind of thing that started the obsession.
You’ve been writing since you were a child, so what is it about Finding Claire Fletcher that made you want to seek representation and a publishing contract?
It was the first thing I wrote that had a discernible plot! As an adult it was the second novel that I finished. In my first novel I was trying to do too much. But FCF was pretty simple: girl is abducted. Here’s what happens. Man tries to find her. FCF seemed much better written than everything that came before it. I just had this feeling that after all those years of trying, I had written something worth reading.
How long was it from the day you started writing Finding Claire Fletcher to the day you finally signed your publishing contract, and was there ever a time you just wanted to give up, tuck Finding Claire Fletcher into a drawer, and move on? If so, why didn’t you?
I started writing it sometime in early 2004 and I signed my contract on 4/3/12 so it was eight years from first word to contract. If I had a dollar for every time I wanted to give up, I wouldn’t have to work. Yes, there were times I wanted to put FCF into a drawer. There were times I felt like I should put it into a drawer and move on. But Claire’s voice was so compelling to me that I simply couldn’t. The whole time I was writing it, I felt like she was standing behind me with her hand on my shoulder, whispering the words into my ear. She became like a real person to me, and I felt like I owed it to her to see her story through. Maybe because she represents all the children who have lived through an abduction whose stories most people turn away from.
What is the most important lesson you learned during this time between writing and publication?
Ask for help. When I was growing up, I approached so many teachers asking for help or direction with my writing, and I was consistently blown off. So by the time I started writing as an adult I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I didn’t want to ask for help because I was sure no one would give it. But my college professors were wonderful, and, later, after I started querying unsuccessfully, I found plenty of other writers willing to help me (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). Unfortunately I didn’t have critique partners or beta readers until after I started querying for FCF. I really believe if I had gotten the type of feedback I got between 2006 and 2010 from CPs and betas before I sent out my first query, my journey would have been a lot shorter. Plus this is not a journey you want to take alone. You need other writers to support and encourage you—only they can understand the unique misery you’ll experience. Get involved in a writing community—in person or online and accept their help and support.
Do you think the subject matter in Finding Claire Fletchermade it a hard sell, and why?
Absolutely. It’s the element of sexual assault that makes it a hard sell. I’ve found that murder and dismemberment are easier for people to deal with than rape. But I purposely did not want to shy away from it. It happens to women all over the world every day. It is real, and it is damaging. We shouldn’t pretend it doesn’t exist. We shouldn’t minimize it. I think that would be a disservice to women (and men, too) who are recovering from it or have survived it—and their loved ones whose lives are also affected by sexual assault. You know, Diane Sawyer asked Jaycee Lee Dugard why she went into detail about the sexual assaults she suffered at the hands of her abductor in her memoir and Dugard said, “Why not look at it? You know, stare it down until it can’t scare you anymore?” I think that is incredibly brave.
With real-life cases like Shawn Hornbeck, Elizabeth Smart, and Jaycee Lee Dugard so well-known, why do think the Big Six turned Finding Claire Fletcher down on grounds they thought it unbelievable that a kidnap victim allowed to leave her prison would not seek help from the authorities?
Well obviously I can’t speak for the Big 6 but I think the real issue is that most people have a hard time believing the real-life instances. I think a lot of people look at kids like Hornbeck, Smart, and Dugard and, in the back of their minds, there is a nagging question as to why they didn’t try to escape. What people don’t realize is that, first of all, these were children. Do you remember how you felt when you were 11 or 14? Do you think you would have been equipped to handle being torn away from everything you knew and systematically tortured, both physically and emotionally for a sustained period of time? Because make no mistake—what happened to these kids was torture. Second, they were completely terrorized and broken down by their captors. By the time people see them on the news, they’re grown up. They look like and they are now adults. People forget that they were just kids when they were taken. So I think a lot of people want to say, “Why didn’t they just walk away?” But no one looks at a Prisoner of War and says, “Why didn’t he just bust out of there like Rambo?” They are kids and they’ve been tortured. I think that’s the point people miss. But to answer your question, some publishers may have reasoned that if people find it hard to swallow that real life kids don’t leave at the first opportunity, then they won’t buy a fictional account.
After all the hard work getting Finding Claire Fletchera home, what’s been the most difficult part since?
Managing my time. I had no idea that this part would be so busy! Don’t get me wrong, I’m ecstatic and euphoric. It has just been hard finding time for everything on top of working full-time and raising a child. But I wouldn’t have it any other way!
What can we look forward to next from you?
More of the same! LOL. Well there is Aberration which comes out on 6/6/13. It’s about an FBI profiler working on a serial killer case where she turns out to be the object of his affection. The WIP I’m working on now is about a single mom who is a detective in Philadelphia investigating a series of sex crimes. After that I had planned on working on a new book that would have Connor and Claire in it, but we’ll see how successful FCF is—if people like it, I’ll bring Connor and Claire back. If not, I’ve got a few other things up my sleeve, but whatever it is you can count on dark and gritty.
Thanks, Lisa! As part of the Finding Claire Fletcher Blog Tour (12/6 - 12/21), Lisa Regan will be giving away:
· $25.00 Amazon Gift Card· 1 signed copy of the paperback of Finding Claire Fletcher· 1 e-book version of Finding Claire Fletcher
All you have to do is visit the Finding Claire Fletcher Blog Tour & Giveaway page and comment on that page letting Lisa know whose blog you’ve just come from. Each commenter will be assigned a number and then the winners will be chosen using random.org. Winners will be announced on 12/24/12!
And please stop by Lisa’s tour to learn more …
Lisa’s Blog Tour:
12/6: Emily Unraveled12/7: Bards & Prophets 12/10: Nancy S. Thompson 12/11: Cassie Mae12/12: Melissa Maygrove 12/13: Libby Heily & J.C. Martin12/14: Falling for Fiction12/17: So, You're a Writer12/18: Julie Flanders12/19: Writing With Hope& Leave it to Livia12/20: Wizardry of Otin& The Serial Killer Files12/21: The Doubting Writer
Find Lisa here :Blog Website Amazon Goodreads Sapphire Star Publishing
Buy the book here:
Amazon (Paperback) Barnes & Noble (Paperback) Amazon (e-book) B&N Nook book
Watch this awesome book trailer for Finding Claire Fletcher
Cheers, Cavanaugh Blogfest!
Welcome to the Cheers, Cavanaugh Blogfest.
Here’s the lowdown:
Have you ever attended a holiday party where you bump into the one person who's always been there for you throughout the last year? You’d want to thank them for being incredibly stellar, right? If there’s one person in the Blogosphere who you would want to say cheers to, who would it be?
For us, it was a no-brainer - Alex “no hyperlink needed” Cavanaugh!
Without being asked, Alex has become a blogging enigma, always helping hundreds of his fellow authors by announcing book releases, hosting guest posts, guest interviews and always leaving positive comments. We can’t have a live party for the Ninja Captain, but we can host a yuletide BlogFest!
Hosted by Mark Koopmans, Morgan Shamy, David Powers King and Stephen Tremp, this blogfest will run from December 10 - 12!
On those days, answer these four questions as creatively as you'd like:
· In +/- 20 words, what does Alex look like?· In +/- 20 words, who could play Alex in a documentary (living or dead)?· In +/- 20 words, who does Alex remind you of?· In +/- 100 words, (excluding the title) write flash fiction using all these prompts: Cavanaugh, Ninja, IWSG, Cosbolt, guitar. · Be a Follower· Join the Linky List· Post your 200 word contribution (on Monday, December 10, if you would)· Have fun!
I chose to write my entire tribute below as a piece of flash fiction, clocking in at 199 words.Interpret it as you will. I just hope you enjoy it, Alex. Thanks for all you do! XOXO~ Nancy
“ Your Pain is Self-Chosen ”
A single light shone down onto the darkened seven-inch high platform The Cosbolt referred to as a stage. A narrow triangle of smoke-filled air glowed above a lone performer’s head. He sat on a wooden stool, one foot propped up, a guitar slung across his knee. His chin lowered, his short, dark hair glistened like a halo. As he raised his hazel eyes to the black space before him, his broad shoulders lifted, and he drew in a measured breath.
Silence surrendered to gentle strums of the metal strings and soft vibrato of Cavanaugh’s recorded voice, a perfect rendition of Layne Staley’s Nutshell. His gaze held firm to the dark form of the actress playing his wife, sitting four feet away at a small round table. A knowing smile split her ruby-red lips and a flash of white dazzled the music ninja as the lyrics trailed away and the music ebbed.
He mouthed I love youbefore the light above faded. The hushed crowd, still cocooned in darkness, erupted into untamed applause and howls of admiration. Spotlights flickered on, illuminating the red IWSG banner behind the stage.
The director yelled, “Cut! Thanks, Mr. Jackman. You’ve done Alex proud!”
December 5, 2012
The Writers4Writers Debut Campaign & More!
The big day is finally here! Well, actually, I'm a few hours early, but I have friends on the other side of the world, so I thought I'd get started. And really, it's a two-fer, at least for me, so before I get started on the Writers4Writerscampaign, I wanted to remind you that Thursday December 6th is launch day for Lisa Regan’s debut novel, Finding Claire Fletcher I’ll be conducting an interview with Lisa on Monday 12/10, but head on over to her place for details on her tour, giveaway, and prizes! Don’t miss it!
Now, for my big news…
Today marks the debut campaign of Writers4Writers.
Hosted by Stephen Tremp, Mary Pax, C.M. Brown, and Christine Rains, this group’s mission is to:
Help writers bring awareness of their book(s) to tens of thousands of new peopleHelp writers reach Amazon Top 100 in at least one category (i.e., suspense, free, whatever)Increase sales of their book(s) after the promo is overDrive new traffic to their blog and increase followingCreate verbal and viral buzz
In a nut shell, the spotlighted author—this week it’s me and my book, The Mistaken—will be promoted via Twitter and Facebook. I’ve posted pre-written Tweets below. At your convenience, simply copy and paste whichever Tweets you prefer into Twitter.
Or go to #W4WS and Retweet other Tweets.
Imagine, a hundred bloggers over a few days, Tweeting and sharing links for the featured books, reaching potentially tens of thousands of new people! I know I’m excited, and goodness knows, I can use the help.
So choose your Tweet below and have at it.I’ve arranged them by categories:
Stephen’s Tweets :
The Mistaken is a first-rate thriller ~Kevin O’Brien, New York Times Bestselling Author http://ow.ly/fMJ12#W4WS #Download #read Please RTThe Mistaken is a fast-paced and emotionally gripping thriller http://ow.ly/fMJdD #W4WS #book #ebook #story #amreading Please RT!The Mistaken is a deliciously slow burn that builds to a ferocious crescendo http://ow.ly/fMJsX #W4WS #fiction #thriller Please RT!Nancy S. Thompson’s The Mistaken: the hell of revenge, the hope of redemption http://ow.ly/fMJDQ #W4WS #novel #Kindle #ebook Please RT!
Tweets from reviews :
Amazon review for @NancySThompson's The Mistaken: “Fast-paced & wildly entertaining” http://ow.ly/fKeC3 #W4WS #ebook #amreading Please RT!
Amazon review 4 @NancySThompson's The Mistaken:“Wow! I was completely hooked from page one!” http://ow.ly/fKfcw #W4W #amreading Please RT
Amazon review 4 @NancySThompson's The Mistaken: “Total excitement from start to finish.” http://ow.ly/fKeMO #W4WS #Kindle #ebook Please RT
Amazon review 4 @NancySThompson's The Mistaken:“Wow! I was completely hooked from page 1!” http://ow.ly/fKfcw #W4WS #amreading Please RT!Amazon review 4 The Mistaken: “A dark & twisty plot. Great first book by this new author. More please!" http://ow.ly/fRDEz #W4WS Please RT
Tweets with quotes:
"I was no longer a man simply broken. I was destroyed."The Mistaken http://ow.ly/fKeg6 #W4WS #thriller #Kindle #ebook #amreading Please RT“It was the saddest look I’d ever seen in a man’s eyes & I knew I was the cause.” The Mistaken http://ow.ly/fKeuL #W4WS #ebook Please RT!“At the sight of her, months of rage & bitter loneliness blazed to fiery life.” The Mistaken http://ow.ly/fKfX8 #W4WS #Kindle Please RT!
“I faced down every facet of the monster I’d become & vanquished him forever.” The Mistaken http://ow.ly/fKeAN #W4WS #Kindle Please RT!
Bonus Tweets:
He doesn’t know her, but he’ll find her & when he does, he will make her pay ~The Mistaken http://ow.ly/fKe8X #W4WS #Kindle Please RT!
The Mistaken by @NancySThompson A psych-thriller w/ great reviews, fast-paced page-turning action http://ow.ly/fKe2D #W4WS #ebook Pls. RT
Thank you all so very, very much for your support!I absolutely could not do this without you!
If you're viewing this in its web version, click on the Goodreads Book Giveaway on the right sidebar to enter to win a signed copy of The Mistaken or click here if you're on a mobile device
And don't forget to head on over to Lisa Regan’s place for details on her tour, giveaway, and prizes!
Finding Claire Fletcher:
Amazon (Paperback)Barnes & Noble (Paperback)Amazon (e-book)Barnes & Noble (e-book)
IWSG: Reflections, Frustrations, Gratitude, & Advice
It’s the first Wednesday of the month.Time for Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group
Today is my birthday, the last before I hit the cringe-worthy half-century mark, and here I sit, six weeks passed The Mistaken’s debut, and I’m feeling a little…oh, I don’t know… deflated, perhaps. I know, this is a marathon, but still, the momentum has eased and I’m working hard to regain it.
Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect following the launch of my book, either from me, or from the book itself. What I’ve learned is something I’ve heard many times but never truly took to heart:
An author needs to connect with readers.
That probably seems fairly obvious, but I’ve spent most of my time connecting with other writers. This was done out of necessity, you see, to learn all I needed to someday get published. But that journey went a bit faster than I anticipated, and I didn’t take the proper time to make more connections, the kind I should’ve made in order to help sell my book. Writers make great friends and give wonderful support and advice, but, for the most part, they're not really buyers. Readers are buyers.
I could blame it on my genre, talk about how hard it is to break into anything that’s not romance or YA, but that’s only partly true and, frankly, comes off as whiny. And I’m tired of whining. It doesn't help a dream come true. So now it’s time to buckle down and make those reader connections.
I’m not quite sure how to do that, but tomorrow, Writers4Writers, the group led by Stephen Tremp, Mary Pax, C.M. Brown, and Christine Raines, will be lending me a hand and featuring me and The Mistakenon its debut campaign. Participants will join in and help bring awareness to my novel and hopefully increase sales, as well as drive new traffic to my blog, increase my following, and create a verbal and viral buzz.
Besides that, and in addition to those my publisher has arranged, I’m lining up my own regiment of book reviewers to read, rate, and review The Mistaken on their blogs, Goodreads, Amazon, and the myriad of other reader resources, because...
Reviews and ratings are the fuel that drives sales, so authors, like me, crave them.
I’ve been learning all about Amazon algorithms and what it takes for a book to make an Amazon list and how beneficial that is to future sales. It’s quite a science, it seems, but what it comes down to is…I need readers, those willing to shell out $3.99 for the ebook, who will rate and hopefully review on it Amazon.
So let my naïveté be a lesson to all you pre-published writers out there. While difficult, the hardest part is not writing the book, or landing an agent, or signing a book deal. It’s finding those readers who will hopefully be interested in your book. So while connecting with other writers is beneficial and extremely gratifying, connecting with your potential reader before you even launch is downright critical.
Do any of you have words of advice or wisdom for this anxious author?I sure could use it!If you’re interested in the Writere4Writerspromotion tomorrow,please feel fee to sign up using the Linky Tool.I could use that, too!!
December 4, 2012
FROM HEL, WITH LOVE Book Trailer
Hel hath no fury like her Raven scorned...
All hell is breaking loose. The first ever true born Fallen Valkyrie, Raven Aquilus, and her motley crew find out that the guardians of the Nine Gates of Yggdrasil are being murdered one by one, landing them in the middle of an ancient war between the Valkyries and the Fae.
FBI Paranormal Agent Duncan O'Brien is brought in to investigate the brutal murders, but he is completely blind to the fact that he has landed in a Eldr Dygo's domain. Time is running out and Raven must enlist Duncan and his team to help discover the killer before she loses another one of her precious Guardians.
Duncan is the epitome of control, but even he is not immune to Raven's beauty and magnetism. Raven is an enigma wrapped up in the body of lust, and attracted to a human. Both must fight their emotions to work together.
Raven faces losing everything from her life to a new found love in order to save the Underworld from being ruled by a jealous half-breed.
Welcome the XIII Hour™ series. Betrayal, Lust, Love, Murder, Jealousy and Revenge. The faery-tales that your mother never told you about just came true.
Native of Santa Maria, CA, Blue Remy is the author of The XIII Hour™Series, and the raw, gritty series Twisted In Love. When she’s not writing, Blue lives to ghost hunt whenever she can, which tends to help her imagination and outrageous character ideas.
She was first introduced to the paranormal world through her Grandmother and her haunting bedtime stories. Blue then found the Grimm’s Faery Tales, and fell in love with spinning wild stories about the evil characters that everyone hated, giving them their own past and history to be told. Blue is a total fan girl when it comes to anything Wonder Woman. She collects Living Dead Dolls, rubber duckies, Sugar Skulls, stuffed animals and tarot cards which she is an adept reader of.
Blue currently resides in the paranormal hub of the South with her husband, who feeds her gourmet coffee and cupcake addiction.
Blue Remy is a member of The Paranormal Romance Guild.
Find Blue here:Website Facebook Sapphire Star Publishing
December 3, 2012
Goodreads Giveaway of THE MISTAKEN
Today, I'm guest posting over at Livia Peterson’s Leave it to Livia,
but I just wanted to give you all a heads-up that I am giving away a signed copy of THE MISTAKEN on Goodreads starting today, December 3rd and running untilWednesday December 12th.
Just click the button and enter to win!
(Button only visible on web version.
If you are viewing on a mobile device, scroll down to the bottom and hit Web Version)
See you over at Livia’s
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Come on back tomorrow.I'll be sharingBlue Remy’snew book trailerfor her paranormal romanceFrom Hel, With Love, from the XIII Hour Seriescoming soon fromSapphire Star Publishing.
Keep scrolling down for Lynda R. Young's announcement earlier today.
Lynda R. Young's MAKE BELIEVE Tour
Please join me in celebrating the release of my friend,Lynda R. Young's short story in the Make Believe Anthologypublished by J. Taylor Publishing, to be released on December 3rd, 2012.
Purchase links can be found HERE.
Birthright by Lynda R. Young:
Christa can mask the pain and hide the scars, but running from a birthright is impossible.
She’s tried to escape her grief by fleeing to a small town in Florida. Much to her frustration, the locals think they recognize her even though she's never been there before. To make things worse, a man named Jack spouts outrageous theories about her.
Both spur Christa to bolt, to start fresh yet again, but there’s something about Jack that intrigues her enough to stay. The only problem? Someone else wants her to leave, and they won’t stop until she’s dead.
Blurbs from all the stories included in Make Believe can be found on the J. Taylor Publishing website HERE.
Make Believe Excerpts :
An excerpt from Lynda R Young's short story, Birthright, can be found HERE.
Excerpts from all the short stories included in Make Believe can be found on the J. Taylor Publishing website HERE.
Find Lynda here:BLOG FACEBOOK TWITTER
