A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 93
June 20, 2020
Guest Post – Desiree Villena – How to Market a Book Without Breaking the Bank #Bookmarketing #Books
You know what they say: you have to spend money to make money. Or, as the Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus put it in the original Latin, Necesse est facere sumptum qui quaerit lucrum.
That’s right: the financial mind behind this maxim wasn’t some Daddy Warbucks wannabe — it was a writer. And though Plautus wasn’t selling ebooks on the web’s best self-publishing companies, his wisdom still applies to indie authors working today.
Fortunately, investing in your writing career doesn’t have to mean emptying your savings account. Giving your book the perfect, professional cover might require a decent payout up front, but promoting your book is a different story. When it comes to getting your work in front of readers’ eyes, a little DIY can go a long way.
Not sure where to start? Here are three ways to market your book without breaking the bank.
1. Set up an author website
First thing’s first: you need a home base for all your marketing efforts. And that means setting up a killer author website.
You don’t have to get fancy, with all manner of flashy animations and mini-apps. In fact, you should keep in simple, paring away all the distractions so your most essential content stands out. That means putting your work — and links to buy your work — front and center, along with an author bio so readers can get to know the person behind the stories.
In addition to compelling descriptions of all your books, make sure to feature some high-res images of your cover art too. Not only will they lend some visual interest to your site without distracting from your most important content, they’ll help you ensure your books are recognizable right from the thumbnail. Just think of The Great Gatsby, with its lipsticked mouth and glossy eyes, projected in an inky sky over a glowing cityscape. Or The Catcher in the Rye, with its iconic, burnt-orange carousel horse. That’s the level of brand recognition you want for your cover art. And to get there, you’ll have to start by giving it pride of place on your website.
How much will all this cost you? Well, you can set up a no-frills website for free on WordPress. It’s best to register a domain name, though, so you can set up your shop on, say, AnneAuthor.com instead of AnneAuthor.wordpress.com. Don’t worry — a domain name will only cost you .
2. Build out your mailing list
After you fill out your site with tantalizing tidbits about your book — and yourself — there’s one more thing you should make sure to add: a place to collect your visitors’ emails. Once you have them, you can feed them into an email marketing platform like MailerLite to promote your books through newsletters.
Of course, not everyone who stumbles across your website will want to give you their contact information for free. That’s why you should entice them a little with a lead magnet. Think of this as a freebie that will draw them in like iron to, well, a magnet. Offer to send something interesting to anyone who signs up — maybe a short story you wrote, or the spreadsheet that took you from brainstorm to publication when you were first writing your book.
Every email you collect with this bait is marketing gold. Those are all people you can woo over time, so that they’re eager to preorder when your next book is set to launch. And best of all, growing your mailing list won’t require dipping into your bank account, at least at first. MailerLite lets you collect up to 1,000 contacts for free. Once you’ve broken past that barrier, you can move up to a paid subscription tier for $15.00 a month, which will let you handle 2,500 emails. But until you hit that benchmark, all you’re investing is the time it takes to craft your lead magnet.
3. Get more eyes on your site with a blog tour
Now, let’s talk about how to feed more names into your mailing list — for free.
During pre-COVID days, one of the most glamorous (and most expensive) book marketing tactics was the book tour. We can’t all be like sci-fi phenom John Scalzi, hitting up 24 cities in five weeks. We can, however, try to replicate that whirlwind dynamic with a blog tour.
On a blog tour, you’ll write guest posts for a wide range of websites frequented by readers in your genre. In exchange for providing your “hosts” with intriguing content, they’ll give you a platform to promote your work. Just make sure to link out to your website — and tell your visitors there’s something in it for them if they offer up their emails.
Unlike a traditional book tour, with its nightmarish tangle of logistical considerations, a blog tour isn’t hard to set up. Just look for book blogs that specialize in your genre, and see if they’re open to guest submissions. Then, get in touch with any promising candidates and pitch something you’d like to contribute. For a craft-focused blog, that could be an inside look into your writing process. For a book reviewer, you could offer a free copy of your latest title in exchange for their honest impressions. The key is to pitch something each blog’s readers would love to read.
The best thing about this promotional hack? It’s completely free! Now, get out there and start connecting with your future fans.
June 15, 2020
Ivy’s Hot Shots – Book Tour – #Romance #Erotica
Ivy’s Hot Shots
by Dana Littlejohn
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Erotic Romance
Ivy York had always been a hot commodity among the young pilots. She tried not to date them, but having an air force general for a father gave her a challenging social life. Her mother’s only goal in life seemed to be to get her to settle her down with the next available pilot and birth as many babies as possible. Just as Ivy let her mother set her up with an extremely handsome tech sergeant name Steven Jones, she met Jonathan Hayes.
Having spent time with both men, Ivy can’t help but wonder if her mother finally got lucky in choosing Tech Sergeant Jones…or is Jonathan Hayes a better match for her after all?
Goodreads * Purchase Links
Where sensual erotic romance is always waiting for you.
I am Dana Littlejohn, author of sensual erotic romance. You will find that I write contemporary romances with just a hint of another genre to take it away from the ordinary. My stories will touch your heart and your soul and make your body feel like it’s being touched, too.
Imagination will take you places your money can not. I invite you into my world with open arms to see my imagination run wild…
Come along for the ride as I go on an imaginary trip into my world. You’ll enjoy every minute of this wild ride.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads
$5 Amazon
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
June 12, 2020
Vampyre Theatre & Wild Hunt Blog Tour #DarkFantasy
Vampyre Theatre
by Nancy Kilpatrick
Genre: Adult Dark Fantasy
New vampire Cheryl and century-old vampire Nightshade both have had a relationship with the one who turned them into otherworldly blooddrinkers. These two are engaged in emotional and physical battles, charged by hidden agendas, laced with attraction and repulsion, all of it amorous, amusing, dramatic and deadly. The crucible that completes the triangle brings them together but also keeps them apart: Aleron, who is MIA, or is he?
**On sale for 99 cents !!**
Add to Goodreads
Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Indigo
Wild Hunt: a vampire novella
by Nancy Kilpatrick
Genre: Adult Dark Fantasy
A sassy, legally-blind psychic.
A three centuries-old Transylvanian vampire.
Enemies. Each with their own endgame. Compelled to form a fragile alliance where every encounter crackles with as much attraction as repulsion. This fast-paced, modern vampire novella vibrates with danger, treachery and Dark Romance. The plot twists and turns, the stakes are the highest, and nothing is as it seems.
**On sale for 99 cents !!**
Add to Goodreads
Amazon * B&N * Kobo
Nancy Kilpatrick is an award-winning author. Her publishing credits include 22 novels, over 220 short stories, 6 collections of her stories, 1 graphic novel, 1 non-fiction book and, as well, she has edited 15 anthologies. She lives in Montreal and her work is published in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and has been translated into 8 languages. These are the genres in which she has published: dark fantasy, horror, fantasy, mystery, science fiction, erotica. Details can be found on her website below.
Website * Blog * Facebook Author * Facebook Profile * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Nancy Kilpatrick reads 2-minute excerpts:
https://carosoles.wordpress.com/nancy-kilpatrick-tells-a-story/?preview_id=1427&preview_nonce=6b760350a0&_thumbnail_id=-1&preview=true
5 eBook copies of one of the novels in my series Power of the Blood
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
June 11, 2020
Christmas in July Fete – Cross post
NN Light Book Heaven is having a Christmas in July event – see the details here if you want to sign up.
We’re pleased to announce sign-ups are open for our 4th annual Christmas in July Fete. It’s a month-long series of book spotlights (like the Spring Break Bookapalooza and Celebrate Audiobook Month events) in July 2020 where readers can get their fill of Christmas-themed genre books (new releases or backlist) plus enter to win one of five Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift cards.
Note: Your book does not need to be a specific holiday fiction/romance/genre-fiction but as long as part of your book takes place in December, you’re eligible. To see examples from last year, please click here:
https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/bookpromos/categories/christmas-in-july-fete
The price is $11 USD per book and all heat levels are welcome. As an added bonus, you can purchase social media follower add-ons for $6 per platform. Your options are website, newsletter, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Bookbub, Amazon, Goodreads, YouTube, Book + Main and Snapchat. This is an inexpensive way to gain followers the organic way.
When signing up for an add-on, please make sure you already have an account. We don’t create an account for you. The entrants will need to sign up voluntarily, as per GDPR and CAN-SPAM. We don’t collect email addresses and hand them out to you in an Excel spreadsheet. Each book spotlight will be posted on N. N. Light’s Book Heaven on a scheduled day.
Like all of our promotions, the Christmas in July Fete event will be promoted every day and we will hand out promotional materials (like we do for our monthly giveaway program).
The Christmas in July Fete event will go live July 1 so sign-up today. These author events are very popular and there’s a limited number of spots so don’t delay. I don’t want you to miss out on this inexpensive and successful avenue to market your holiday books.
Click the link below to be taken to our general contact page. Put “July Author Event” in the subject line so I know which event you’re signing up for. Please be sure to include: author name, book title(s), how many book spots you want to secure, how many social media follower add-ons you’d like along with which platforms and your Paypal address.
https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/contact
Please share with your author groups and friends. We’d love to have them join us for this Christmas in July event.
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June 10, 2020
Gods of the Earth Series Blog Tour #Fantasy
Influence of a God
Gods of Earth Series Book 1
by Nina R. Schluntz
Genre: LGBTQ SciFi Fantasy Romance
Jesse has a type-the heartbroken. He doesn’t hide this fact, he’s even tattooed a damaged heart on his chest. His partners love the people who left them, which means there’s no fear of them getting attached to him. He showers them with the affection they have been deprived of and in return, he gets no string attached hook-ups.
Except for Ben.
No matter what Jesse does, when he gets drunk, its always Ben’s porch he ends up on. Which is fine, because Ben is still deeply in love with his ex-wife, even though she’s already remarried.
It might have all stayed fine, if Ben hadn’t met Cooper, the twelve-year-old stepson of Ben’s ex. He knows things he shouldn’t. He has a weird quirk of disappearing for hours. He even predicts future events with uncanny luck. And Cooper has a plan for Jesse. He wants himself and Ben’s daughter to live with Jesse and Ben. Which is a problem, because Jesse doesn’t do relationships.
To Cooper that just means Jesse needs to learn things the hard way.
Goodreads * Amazon
Prophet of a God
Gods of Earth Series Book 2
Isaiah has heard voices in his head his entire life, so it’s ironic when his brother declares that he has been chosen as a prophet for a god. Isaiah assists his brother in his search for the messiah and quickly discovers the god chose his brother in an effort to get closer to Isaiah.
The messiah isn’t shy at all in declaring that Isaiah is fated to be with him. But the voice in Isaiah’s head is skeptical and easily finds errors in the god’s claims.
Cooper is a god, one of many on Earth, but he is approved to pose as a messiah. He warps the path he’s supposed to follow in an effort to get closer to a man that is supposed to be his lover for only one night. Doing so has consequences, because Isaiah is not the man he expected. For one, he cuts himself in an effort to deal with the darkness of his past. And second, there’s the pesky sprite that loiters on Isaiah’s shoulder, whispering advice that Cooper would rather it didn’t.
Goodreads * Amazon
Muse of a God
Gods of Earth Series Book 3
Lawrence, who prefers to go by Laurie, is one of those gifted performers that everyone envies because he always gets the lead role.
Carter is a god with a shaded past. He created a planet… and then helped parasite type symbiotes destroy it. His current time on Earth is to prove he is rehabilitated.
He isn’t.
But he is good at manipulation. He wants to stay close to the two scientists who will discover a means to save Earth once Carter brings the symbiotes to it. One of them is Laurie’s roommate in college. Which means Laurie is Carter’s best means to befriending the scientists.
A not so chance encounter and some mocking, gets Laurie to join the lacrosse team Carter is on. Seducing him is easy enough, but Laurie quickly proves refreshingly unpredictable and his quick tongue makes Carter reconsider his choices to stay loyal to his previous love who controls the symbiotes.
But can Carter’s growing affection toward Laurie be enough to convince him to save Earth rather than destroy it?
Goodreads * Amazon
Enemy of a God
Gods of Earth Series Book 4
The world is ending and the gods are abandoning Earth. A strange woman arrives at the same time the parasite symbiotes do. She has no memory of who she is and the question remains, is she an ally to save earth or the enemy of the gods here to destroy them?
Jayson is the first to find her and he forms an immediate friendship with her. They are both outcasts with a dark past. He makes a deal with a god, Cooper, in an attempt to learn more about his alien friend. He doesn’t expect to fall in love with Cooper and worse, learn that his alien friend must die in order to save Earth.
Goodreads * Amazon
Symbiote of a God
Gods of Earth Series Book 5
Stephen, Nick, and Lawrence have been best friends since college. Stephen and Nick are scientists, tasked with finding a cure to the symbiotes which have invaded Earth and use humans as hosts. Removing the symbiote kills the human, and a human doesn’t live long once infected.
Months after the initial invasion, Lawrence becomes infected and seeks the help of his friends. The rush to find a cure is now paramount, but something is strange about Lawrence’s infection. He is still in control of his body, and he can now understand the symbiotes. Nick and Stephen realize he may hold the cure to finally ridding the world of the symbiotes.
Goodreads * Amazon
Resurrection of a God
Gods of Earth Series Book 6
Earth is the second planet Carter has created, and now the same symbiotes that destroyed his first planet, are here, destroying Earth. Afraid he will only aide in Earth’s destruction, since it’s his soulmate and lover behind the invasion, he goes into hiding.
Jayson knows Carter is the only god who can save Earth and he is done waiting for him to come back. He resurrects the god and saves the planet, but its something not just any human can do. Jayson realizes there’s more to his relationship with Carter than he thought. He’d assumed he was Cooper’s soulmate, he loves Cooper, but when he keeps running into Carter he realizes the truth. A god has a different soulmate on every planet, and on Earth, he is Carter’s soulmate.
But Carter doesn’t want him. His soulmate from his first planet was destructive and Carter fears what Jayson will become if he bonds with him. Jayson has to convince the god that he is different, and that your past does not determine your future.
Goodreads * Amazon
Nina Schluntz is a native to rural Nebraska. In her youth, she often wrote short stories to entertain her friends. Those ideas evolved into the novels she creates today.
Her husband continues to ensure her stories maintain a touch of realism as she delves in the science fiction and fantasy realm. And their kitty, a rescued Abyssinian, is always willing to stay up late to provide inspiration.
Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads
$10 Amazon gift card – 3 winners!
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
June 8, 2020
Guardians of Erin – Blog Tour
The Cauldron Stirred
Guardians of Erin, Book One
by Judith Sterling
Genre: YA Fantasy, Paranormal
Ashling Donoghue never dreamed moving to Ireland would rock her perception of reality and plunge her into a mystery that brings legend to life.
At seventeen, she’s never had a boyfriend, but she feels an immediate connection to Aengus Breasal, the son of the wealthy Irishman who’s invited her family to stay at his Killarney estate. For the first time in her life, a guy she likes seems attracted to her.
But Aengus is secretive, with good reason. He and his family are the Tuatha Dé Danann, ageless, mythical guardians adept at shifting between this reality and the magical dimension known as the Otherworld. Evil forces from that world threaten the Breasals, the Donoghues, and all of Ireland. Ashling must open her heart, face her fears, and embrace a destiny greater than she could ever have imagined.
**On Sale for only .99cents June 1st – 25th!!**
Add to Goodreads
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo
The Stone Awakened
Guardians of Erin, Book Two
Since moving to Ireland, Ashling Donoghue has tackled one challenge after another. Now the mystery of her parents’ disappearance seems unsolvable. Are they dead or only missing? No one—not even the godlike Breasals—has a clue. Hope and fear war inside her, but she’s determined to find answers and stay strong for her siblings. Even as she hones newfound powers, her banshee-in-training sister Deirdre needs her support.
Ashling could use a little help herself. She’s struggling to navigate her first romance, and while Aengus Breasal stirs her body, mind, and soul, his nemesis Lorcan does too. Both men harbor secrets about her past life as Caer. One has ties to Aoife, the scheming wind demon whose influence is on the rise.
As the Stone of Destiny awakens, so does the conflict within.
**On Sale for only .99cents June 1st – 25th!!**
Add to Goodreads
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo
The Sword Unsheathed
Guardians of Erin, Book Three
Ashling Donoghue is no closer to finding her parents than she was the night they disappeared. But hope returns as her brother Kian channels the Sword of Light, revealing past-life secrets and truths long suppressed.
The more she learns, the greater she fears the darkness that drowns the Netherworld also drives her. Is Aengus her true love, or is it Lorcan? Does her future wait in shadow or the light?
One point is clear: the threads of her past-self are woven inextricably into the tapestry of her soul. An impossible choice looms before her, and all the while, evil is poised to strike.
Add to Goodreads
Amazon * Apple * B&N
Judith Sterling is an award-winning author whose love of history and passion for the paranormal infuse everything she writes. Whether penning medieval romance (The Novels of Ravenwood) or young adult paranormal fantasy (the Guardians of Erin series), her favorite themes include true love, destiny, time travel, healing, redemption, and finding the hidden magic which exists all around us. She loves to share that magic with readers and whisk them far away from their troubles, particularly to locations in the British Isles. Her nonfiction books, written under Judith Marshall, have been translated into multiple languages. She has an MA in linguistics and a BA in history, with a minor in British Studies. Born in that sauna called Florida, she craved cooler climes, and once the travel bug bit, she lived in England, Scotland, Sweden, Wisconsin, Virginia, and on the island of Nantucket. She currently lives in Salem, Massachusetts with her husband and their identical twin sons.
Website * Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads * The Wild Rose Press * The Captivating Quill
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Noobs’ Guide to Self-Publishing – Reviews on KDP/Amazon
I haven’t done a Noob’s Guide article for ages, but during lockdown I’ve spent a lot of time on the KDP forums. If you’re unaware of these they’re the forums for Kindle Direct Publishing and offer guidance from other author/publishers to their kindred souls. There’s a corps of veterans (including myself) who have been around long enough to answer most of the questions – Hitch runs a service for newbies and knows a lot about formatting, Booknookbiz, Notjohn and Levi’s Companion are always willing to help out.
That said there are dozens of newbie authors who simply don’t read the help pages. Most of the answers to the regular questions can be found there, or a simple check on the forum pages – for the hundreds of similar questions asked every month.
READ THE DAMN FAQ AND HELP PAGES! Seriously. It will save a lot of bother.
One of the recurring questions is about reviews. An author posts up that review he or she knows about can’t be posted or has been taken down. Why?
Let’s start with a bit of history: several years ago a whole host of authors were gaming the system. Getting reviews by paying people to leave dozens of fabulous five-star reviews, and other rather underhand methods. It caused a storm. After that the big bad Zon got a little sensitive about product reviews, particularly in relation to e-books.
A review is only of value to the customer looking at it (and hence to Amazon) if it is impartial. A review from your mother is NOT impartial. A review from your mate Dave who thinks your book is great is NOT seen as impartial.
Think about it. You go to buy a product and all the reviews say it’s the most awesome thing ever created do you stop and think, ‘Really?’ There will ALWAYS be someone who doesn’t like a product, and that is especially true of books. Most books, if they have been reviewed, have a mix – some readers will love the book, some will be meh, and some will hate it. All are perfectly valid opinions. Do you love every book you read or movie you see? No, of course not. And that’s the other thing – what I like in a book is great worldbuilding and awesome characters. I can overlook the odd typo or editing issue. Some readers will hate a book with technical problems. Some readers will like a book with juicy sex scenes, and some won’t. Some readers will not mind violence, and some will put the book down for this.
How much is too much? That’s subjective.
Would you buy a product if you thought those reviews might be a bit dodgy? Maybe? Probably not?
Amazon changed their review process in 2017 as a result of this scandal (see link for the official guidelines).
A customer has to have spent $50 (or equivalent) in the last 12 months to leave a review.
Persons who share a household or are well known to the author cannot leave a review
The author cannot review his/her own book (although I’ve had a few emails suggesting I review my own books – well done bots).
The guidelines state that social media friends or followers are allowed to leave a review. In reality, this is a very grey area. There are several posts a week from people who say follower so and so has told the author they cannot leave a review for book X. Where is the degree of separation on such relationships?
How do you define a friend on Facebook? Someone who is in the same groups as you and you comment on their posts? Do you chat to them in messenger? Do you share links? You can bet Amazon tracks this stuff and pulls reviews if it feels there is too much of a relationship there.
Personally, I’d say if a reader contacts you to say they can’t post it may be BECAUSE they feel they know you well enough to do so that they cannot post.
Reviews are for customers – not for authors. It is NOT an author’s job to contact KDP, or whine on the forum that a review doesn’t post. Advise the customer to email community-help@amazon.com and ask why. If an author does it the likelihood is Amazon will take a hard look at the other reviews on that author’s book.
Amazon does, in theory, allow review copies to be given out – but you cannot demand a review. If any incentive is offered it invalidates the review and reviewers are supposed to state they had a free copy for an unbiased review.
‘You may provide free or discounted copies of your books to readers. However, you may not demand a review in exchange or attempt to influence the review. Offering anything other than a free or discounted copy of the book—including gift cards—will invalidate a review, and we’ll have to remove it. To learn more, see our Community Guidelines.’
‘Additional Guidelines for Customer Reviews
The following guidelines apply to Customer Reviews in addition to the other guidelines given above:
If your review is removed or rejected because it does not comply with our guidelines concerning promotional content, you may not resubmit a review on the same product, even if the resubmitted review includes different content.
Reviews may only include URLs or links to other products sold on Amazon.
Customers in the same household may not post multiple reviews of the same product.
We may restrict the ability to submit a review when we detect unusual reviewing behavior, or to maintain the best possible shopping experience.
You may not manipulate the Amazon Verified Purchase badge, such as by offering special pricing to reviewers or reimbursing reviewers.
To learn more about Amazon Verified Purchase views refer to About Amazon Verified Purchase Reviews.’
Customers can remove or amend their own reviews (and I have done this).
‘We remove reviews that violate our Community Guidelines. We also remove reviews if we unlink two titles that were incorrectly linked. The reviews will only appear on the detail page of the book for which they were first posted. To protect our customers’ privacy, we only share information about specific reviews with the customer who posted the review. If a customer contacts you about their missing review, ask them to write to community-help@amazon.com. Customers can also remove their own reviews.
In short – it is NOT the author’s job or business to deal with reviews that can’t be posted.
Do not expect reviews just because a reader has bought your book. Reviews on books are about 1%.
As a reader I don’t review every book I read. I doubt many readers do. Do you?
Ratings can be left without a text review.
If the review is not complementary – tough luck. Not everyone is going to like your book. Move on. Do not react, do not comment. It’s none of your business.
Other useful links about the review process on KDP and some of the articles on the issues of dodgy reviews.
Other products have been subject to these shenanigans:
https://www.authorimprints.com/amazon-book-review-policy-authors/
https://www.lovemoney.com/news/52275/amazons-battle-with-unbiased-product-reviews
Phone Chargers https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/01/which-uncovers-fake-five-star-reviews-flooding-amazon/
https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/07/exposed-the-tricks-sellers-use-to-post-fake-reviews-on-amazon/
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-bad-review-practices-crackdown-2018-4?r=US&IR=T
June 7, 2020
Contos de Erana – Tales of Erana Portuguese Edition
Em um mundo onde a magia é ilegal, e os elfos escravizados se atrevem a ouvir as histórias da antiguidade? Cinco contos de mito, magia e monstros
A lua na água: o conto do amor entre uma deusa e um guerreiro e a terrível maldição que ele trouxe.
O Conto de Treyna, a Amada: Quando uma mulher mortal é perseguida por dois deuses rivais, até os céus são forjados por magia.
Nascido na Tempestade: Um mágico solitário encontra companhia de uma criatura da tempestade, mas a magia exige um preço, que preço será?
O Frasco Azul: Uma lição para ouvir atentamente as instruções, para que ninguém cometa um erro embaraçoso.
A Lenda de Oeliana: Uma história de ninfa e sapo, magia ciumenta e dívidas pagas.
https://books2read.com/ContosdeErana
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Dirty Dozen Author Interview – Kari Kilgore – Suspense/Crime/Thriller #Bundle #Author
Author name: Kari Kilgore
How did you become involved in book bundles? Would you recommend it?
BundleRabbit happened to start up around the same time my first novel came out, so I’ve been in since the beginning. I make sure everything I publish goes in right away.
I’d absolutely recommend making your stories available for bundles! It’s a wonderful way to work with other authors you may not otherwise meet, and to introduce your readers to other great storytellers. And if other writers introduce you to their readers as well, that’s a bonus.
Are you a ‘pantser’ or a ‘plotter’?
I’m a pantser through and through. I love the adventure and discovery of telling myself the story. I truly do keep writing so I can find out what happens.
What does writing bring to your life?
The adventure of getting to live different lives, to get inside the perspective of different people. Sometimes they’re not even people! I’ve unconsciously explored things that bothered me through writing, often upsetting things from my past. I usually don’t realize what I’ve done until someone points it out. I’ve consciously approached difficult things in writing as well. Setting out to deal with a situation, or try to figure something out.
But most of all, it’s just the fun and joy of telling myself the story. That truly is the best motivation and the best reward for me. I’m delighted to bring happiness, a thoughtful moment, or escape to readers as well.
How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at?
Most of the time, I take a pause in writing, look up the one thing I need, and get right back into the story. I’m not a big fan of noting things to look up later, because whatever new information I learn about that seemingly trivial item often changes the course of the story. I’ve gotten more and more in the habit of trusting that little voice in my head that wonders “How does that work?” That voice is driving the writing engine, and she knows what she’s doing.
I don’t know how wild it is, but I recently spent a few minutes reading about poisonous plants in North America for a story. I was shocked by how many there are, and the huge variety of symptoms they can cause.
How influential is storytelling to our culture?
I think it’s an integral part of our culture, one of the ways our civilisations have risen and fallen, grown and changed. We use it for exploration, for healing, for cautionary tales, for escape, for adventure, for teaching. Heck, we tell ourselves stories all night long when we’re dreaming. And the fun thing is I can’t even say it’s a human-only trait. I’ve seen our dogs and cats dream constantly. And have you ever watched cats or dogs or other critters playing? Your cat knows that bottle lid skittering across the floor isn’t actually a mouse, and your dog knows the squeaky toy isn’t alive. But they tell themselves that story so vividly.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing?
There are two that I’ve reminded myself of so often that they’ve become second nature. Write the next thing, and have fun.
For me, immediately jumping in and writing the next thing gets me out of the trap of worrying about the thing I just finished or submitted. If I’m deep into the new story right away, I don’t have time for fretting or stress. And, by the time the response comes back on a submission, I’m far enough into the new story that it doesn’t cause me trouble whether the news is good or bad.
And the whole point of telling stories for me is having fun. Otherwise, there are SO many other ways to make a living. I want to always be writing a story that I’m eager to get back into. If I’m forcing myself to sit down and get started, I’m going to turn what should be all kinds of joy and excitement into drudgery. I figure there’s enough of that in life already.
What’s the worst piece best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing?
Someone told me more than once that my creativity would dry up, and I had to be prepared for that. From this person’s history, they meant for years and years at a time, and potentially forever. To me, that’s such a negative self-fulfilling prophecy, to expect that to happen and spend all kinds of time dwelling on it. The idea of trying to convince other people to think that way for some reason really bothers me, too.
Of course, we all have challenges, and times in our lives when writing or other forms of creativity are difficult or quite reasonably impossible. Personal or family illness, job changes, moving, deaths in the family or among friends. We’re all living through some major challenges all over the world right now that have affected many of us when it comes to our productivity.
But I don’t see any of these slowdowns or even stops in my own creative life as permanent. In fact, the more often and the more routinely I get words on the page, the easier it is to do the same thing day in and day out. In my experience, creativity is like a muscle. Sure, I may need to rest during times of illness or injury. But most of the time, the more I use that muscle, the more I can use it. During times like 2020, I’m grateful every single day for that escape from reality!
Tell us about your latest piece?
I’ve been writing all kinds of Romance in 2020, probably because the guaranteed Happily Ever After sounds extra good right now. At the moment, I’m a way into a Romantic Suspense novel set in one of my fictional towns. All the other stories set there have been light-hearted. It’s so much fun seeing the settings and people in a different mood and light. There’s a heavy dose of Mystery and darker elements, but I still expect that happy ending.
What’s your next writing adventure?
For novels and novellas, I have a few series-in-progress that are ready for sequels, so I think now would be a great time to jump into those. They range from near-future Science Fiction to Dark Fantasy to Romantic Suspense to Space Opera, so all kinds of fun ahead. As far as short stories, I have a long-term Mystery project going, so I’ll be doing a lot more crime writing of all kinds.
What is the last book you’ve read?
I just finished Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts, book two in The Chronicles of The One. It’s a treat to read the work of such a skilled and prolific writer, and the story is right up my alley for sure. With someone as great as Nora Roberts or Stephen King or Dean Koontz, I always read for pleasure of course. But it’s well worth the time to go back through the stories and see what all I can learn.
Is this the age of the e-book? Are bricks and mortar bookshops in decline?
I happen to be an avid e-book reader. I have an e-reader and a tablet, but I’ve gotten firmly into the habit of reading on my phone. I love having a story to read in my pocket at all times. That way whenever I have downtime or I’m in line or waiting for whatever reason, I can escape.
That being said, the answer about brick and mortar bookshops has gotten far more complicated because of COVID-19. I don’t think print books are on the way out, no. I have a good number of sales on the print side, especially Large Print editions. I’ve even had a surprising number of sales of print versions of short stories, in-person and online. I think the big, traditionally bookselling industry has taken a major hit here in 2020, and the structure will likely have to change. But I believe print will endure well past all of this.
Are indie/self-published authors viewed with scepticism or wariness by readers? Why is this?
I haven’t experienced this at all, and other indies I know who are getting high-quality, professional work out there haven’t either.
The truth is readers are interested in great stories, most of all. And since indies can deliver great design and reading experiences that are much more fairly priced to go with great stories, what’s not to like? We also have the flexibility to write in a huge variety of genres and subgenres and cross-genres that are often not available through traditional channels.
Of course, quality matters. Clean copy that tells an entertaining or thought-provoking or scary story matters. Covers and good readability in print and electronic matters. Indies can do all of this, with more and more tools available to us every day.
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Links
Bio
Kari Kilgore started her first published novel Until Death in Transylvania, Romania, and finished it in Room 217 at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, where a rather famous creepy tale about a hotel sparked into life. That’s just one example of how real world inspiration drives her fiction.
Kari’s first published novel Until Death was included on the Preliminary Ballot for the Bram Stoker Award for Outstanding Achievement in a First Novel in 2016. Until Death was also a finalist for the Golden Stake Award at the Vampire Arts Festival in 2018.
Kari’s short myth The Spider Who Ate the Elephant placed 2nd in fiction in the 2019 Virginia Writers Club Golden Nib contest.
Her professional short story sales include several to Fiction River anthology magazine and three stories in a holiday-themed anthology project with Kristine Kathryn Rusch due out over the holidays in 2020, as well as one for Valentine’s Day, due in February of 2021. Her first professional publication was Fiction River: Superstitious in 2019, and she has three more Fiction River stories on the way.
Kari writes first and figures out the story’s genre later. That’s resulted in fantasy, science fiction, romance, contemporary fiction, and everything in between. She’s happiest when she surprises herself. She lives at the end of a long dirt road in the middle of the woods with her husband Jason A. Adams, various house critters, and wildlife they’re better off not knowing more about.
Kari’s novels, novellas, and short stories are available in ebook, paperback, Large Print, and hardcover formats at http://www.spiralpublishing.net, which also publishes books by Frank Kilgore and Jason A. Adams. For more information about Kari, upcoming publications, her travels and adventures, random cool things that catch her attention, and The Confidential Adventure Club, visit www.karikilgore.com.
June 4, 2020
Celebrate Audiobook Month 5th-29th June – NN Light’s Book Heaven – Cross Promo
Are you an audiobook addict? June is audiobook month and there’s a huge event going on at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven Celebrate Audiobook Month. 41 audiobooks featured plus a chance to win one of the following:
I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. My audiobook, Echoes of a Song, will be featured on 16th June. Wait until you listen to my audiobook clip. My narrator nails the characters and I’m so proud of it. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.
Bookmark this festival and tell your friends:
https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/bookpromos/categories/celebrate-audiobook-month
Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $25 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $15 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $10 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
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June Schedule –
Note: Date is for Eastern Standard Timezone (East Coast US/Canada)
Authors involved are
5- Mona Sedrak, Helen C. Johannes
6- Becky Villareal
7- (none)
8- Pamela S. Thibodeaux (Hearts), Ilona Fridl
9- Kayla Krantz, Ashley Capes
10- Gini Rifkin (Delivery), Barbara Whitaker
11- Marie Tuhart (Passionate), Kimberly Beckett (Dressage)
12- Lyn Cote, D.E. Haggerty
13- Kat Green (Second), Charlotte O’Shay
14- Karen Michelle Nutt (Lost)
15- Pamela S. Thibodeaux (Dreams)
16- Joe Hiestand, A.L. Butcher
17- Judith Sterling (Cauldron)
18- Gini Rifkin (Cowboy)
19- Kimberly Beckett (Racing), Amanda Uhl
20- Lin Wilder, Elsie Davis
21- Donna Simonetta
22- Karilyn Bentley
23- Pamela S. Thibodeaux (Fire), Daniel Greene
24- Kat Green (First), Kathryn Knight
25- Susan McCormick, M.L. Erdahl, Charlotte Stuart
26- Mary Morgan, Karen Michelle Nutt (Magic)
27- Kimberly Beckett (Lionel)
28- Marie Tuhart (Red Club)
29- Judith Sterling (Stone)
30- (none)
Giveaway Information –
https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db775060
Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $25 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $15 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $10 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Open internationally
Runs June 5 – June 30.
Drawing will be held on July 1.
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