Leigh Talbert Moore's Blog, page 2
December 21, 2014
Merry Christmas - Behind the Stars is coming!
Merry Christmas, reader-friends!
I hope you're all enjoying this time with family and/or friends. I'm actually unplugged for the week to spend this time with my little brood. It's crazy and a little scary with a new release on the horizon, but it's important to me.
I'm sure y'all know my new book Behind the Stars releases in eBook format on Dec. 31. You can pre-order it now, and if you like print books, the paperback edition is out NOW! If you want it for Christmas, it's ready to give or get. (Links below)
The release publicity for the eBook was set for Dec. 31. I couldn't change that, so I decided to release the book in serialized version for anybody who wanted to start it right away.
It's been SO FUN seeing everyone's responses, seeing reader memes, etc. Here are a few of my FAVES from the serialized version...
Serialzied novels have a long history going all the way back to Charles Dickens and Alexandre Dumas (The Three Musketeers)! I LOVE how being indie allows me to play with different ways of novel delivery.
Anyway, I'm rambling. To wrap it up, I hope you all have a fantastic holiday. I hope you're getting everything you want. I'll be around. Hope to hear from you soon!
Here is all the info you need for Behind the Stars ~
"WOW, where do I begin.... Leigh has done it again. This time she has written something that I can't even imagine what is going to happen. I am completely enthralled with this book." --Goodreads Review
"Light and suspenseful, keeping the reader unsure of what is real." --Somertime Book Blog
"I was intrigued by the reference to LOST so I started this the day I received it... The action starts almost immediately to grab you and invest you in the story. I understand the LOST reference--we are as lost as the main character, Prentiss..."--Goodreads Review
"An amazing series, and I definitely recommend reading them all. You will not be able to put these books down."
--Carver's Book Cravings
~ BEHIND THE STARS ~by Leigh Talbert Moore
Pre-Order on Amazon!
Prentiss Puckett is certain of three things:
-Graduation is two weeks away.-Summer only gets hotter in south Mississippi.-She’s getting a job with air-conditioning.
She did not expect to be kidnapped walking to work. And she never expected to become a hero.
Red Dawn meets LOST in this New Adult action-adventure romance from Amazon bestselling author Leigh Talbert Moore.
START THE SERIES TODAY!
On Amazon
Captive (BTS #1) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS1AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS1GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS1iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS1NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS1K
Learning to Spy (BTS #2) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS2AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS2GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS2iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS2NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS2K
Harvest Moon (BTS #3) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS3AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS3GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS3iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS3NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS3K
Jackson (BTS #4) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS4AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS4GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS4iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS4NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS4K
Into the Woods (BTS #5) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS5AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS5GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS5iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS5NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS5K
If I Fly (BTS #6) - Release Date: Dec. 28Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS6AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS6GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS6iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS6NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS6K
Behind the Stars is LIVE 12.31.14!
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTSAMiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTSiBGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTSGPNook: http://smarturl.it/BTSNKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTSK
Print Copies are out NOW! Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTSPBA CreateSpace: http://smarturl.it/BTSCS
* * *
Get Exclusive Sale and New Release Alerts straight to your phone or mobile device—Text "LeighTMoore" to 77948 Today!*
*(Max 6 messages per month; HELP for help; STOP to cancel; Text and Data rates may apply. Privacy policy available, leightmoore@gmail.com)
AND/OR Sign up for Leigh’s newsletter , and be the first to know about sales or new releases!
I hope you're all enjoying this time with family and/or friends. I'm actually unplugged for the week to spend this time with my little brood. It's crazy and a little scary with a new release on the horizon, but it's important to me.
I'm sure y'all know my new book Behind the Stars releases in eBook format on Dec. 31. You can pre-order it now, and if you like print books, the paperback edition is out NOW! If you want it for Christmas, it's ready to give or get. (Links below)
The release publicity for the eBook was set for Dec. 31. I couldn't change that, so I decided to release the book in serialized version for anybody who wanted to start it right away.
It's been SO FUN seeing everyone's responses, seeing reader memes, etc. Here are a few of my FAVES from the serialized version...
Serialzied novels have a long history going all the way back to Charles Dickens and Alexandre Dumas (The Three Musketeers)! I LOVE how being indie allows me to play with different ways of novel delivery.
Anyway, I'm rambling. To wrap it up, I hope you all have a fantastic holiday. I hope you're getting everything you want. I'll be around. Hope to hear from you soon!
Here is all the info you need for Behind the Stars ~
"WOW, where do I begin.... Leigh has done it again. This time she has written something that I can't even imagine what is going to happen. I am completely enthralled with this book." --Goodreads Review
"Light and suspenseful, keeping the reader unsure of what is real." --Somertime Book Blog
"I was intrigued by the reference to LOST so I started this the day I received it... The action starts almost immediately to grab you and invest you in the story. I understand the LOST reference--we are as lost as the main character, Prentiss..."--Goodreads Review
"An amazing series, and I definitely recommend reading them all. You will not be able to put these books down."
--Carver's Book Cravings
~ BEHIND THE STARS ~by Leigh Talbert Moore
Pre-Order on Amazon!
Prentiss Puckett is certain of three things:
-Graduation is two weeks away.-Summer only gets hotter in south Mississippi.-She’s getting a job with air-conditioning.
She did not expect to be kidnapped walking to work. And she never expected to become a hero.
Red Dawn meets LOST in this New Adult action-adventure romance from Amazon bestselling author Leigh Talbert Moore.
START THE SERIES TODAY!
On Amazon
Captive (BTS #1) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS1AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS1GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS1iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS1NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS1K
Learning to Spy (BTS #2) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS2AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS2GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS2iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS2NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS2K
Harvest Moon (BTS #3) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS3AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS3GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS3iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS3NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS3K
Jackson (BTS #4) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS4AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS4GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS4iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS4NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS4K
Into the Woods (BTS #5) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS5AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS5GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS5iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS5NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS5K
If I Fly (BTS #6) - Release Date: Dec. 28Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS6AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS6GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS6iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS6NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS6K
Behind the Stars is LIVE 12.31.14!
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTSAMiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTSiBGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTSGPNook: http://smarturl.it/BTSNKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTSK
Print Copies are out NOW! Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTSPBA CreateSpace: http://smarturl.it/BTSCS
* * *
Get Exclusive Sale and New Release Alerts straight to your phone or mobile device—Text "LeighTMoore" to 77948 Today!*
*(Max 6 messages per month; HELP for help; STOP to cancel; Text and Data rates may apply. Privacy policy available, leightmoore@gmail.com)
AND/OR Sign up for Leigh’s newsletter , and be the first to know about sales or new releases!
November 9, 2014
Start Behind the Stars Today!
"WOW, where do I begin.... Leigh has done it again. This time she has written something that I can't even imagine what is going to happen. I am completely enthralled with this book." --Goodreads Review
"Light and suspenseful, keeping the reader unsure of what is real." --Somertime Book Blog
"I was intrigued by the reference to LOST so I started this the day I received it... The action starts almost immediately to grab you and invest you in the story. I understand the LOST reference--we are as lost as the main character, Prentiss..."--Goodreads Review
"An amazing series, and I definitely recommend reading them all. You will not be able to put these books down."
--Carver's Book Cravings
~ BEHIND THE STARS ~by Leigh Talbert Moore
Pre-Order on Amazon!
Prentiss Puckett is certain of three things:
-Graduation is two weeks away.-Summer only gets hotter in south Mississippi.-She’s getting a job with air-conditioning.
She did not expect to be kidnapped walking to work. And she never expected to become a hero.
Red Dawn meets LOST in this New Adult action-adventure romance from Amazon bestselling author Leigh Talbert Moore.
START THE SERIES TODAY!
On Amazon
Captive (BTS #1) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS1AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS1GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS1iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS1NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS1K
Learning to Spy (BTS #2) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS2AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS2GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS2iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS2NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS2K
Harvest Moon (BTS #3) - Release Date: Nov. 23Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS3AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS3GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS3iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS3NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS3K
Jackson (BTS #4) - Release Date: Dec. 7Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS4AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS4GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS4iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS4NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS4K
Into the Woods (BTS #5) - Release Date: Dec. 21Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS5AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS5GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS5iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS5NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS5K
If I Fly (BTS #6) - Release Date: Dec. 28Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS6AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS6GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS6iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS6NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS6K
Behind the Stars is LIVE 12.31.14!
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTSAMiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTSiBGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTSGPNook: http://smarturl.it/BTSNKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTSK
Print Copies of the Complete Set will be available Dec. 31!
* * *
Get Exclusive Sale and New Release Alerts straight to your phone or mobile device—Text "LeighTMoore" to 77948 Today!*
*(Max 6 messages per month; HELP for help; STOP to cancel; Text and Data rates may apply. Privacy policy available, leightmoore@gmail.com)
AND/OR Sign up for Leigh’s newsletter , and be the first to know about sales or new releases!
"Light and suspenseful, keeping the reader unsure of what is real." --Somertime Book Blog
"I was intrigued by the reference to LOST so I started this the day I received it... The action starts almost immediately to grab you and invest you in the story. I understand the LOST reference--we are as lost as the main character, Prentiss..."--Goodreads Review
"An amazing series, and I definitely recommend reading them all. You will not be able to put these books down."
--Carver's Book Cravings
~ BEHIND THE STARS ~by Leigh Talbert Moore
Pre-Order on Amazon!
Prentiss Puckett is certain of three things:
-Graduation is two weeks away.-Summer only gets hotter in south Mississippi.-She’s getting a job with air-conditioning.
She did not expect to be kidnapped walking to work. And she never expected to become a hero.
Red Dawn meets LOST in this New Adult action-adventure romance from Amazon bestselling author Leigh Talbert Moore.
START THE SERIES TODAY!
On Amazon
Captive (BTS #1) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS1AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS1GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS1iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS1NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS1K
Learning to Spy (BTS #2) - Out NOW!Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS2AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS2GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS2iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS2NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS2K
Harvest Moon (BTS #3) - Release Date: Nov. 23Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS3AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS3GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS3iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS3NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS3K
Jackson (BTS #4) - Release Date: Dec. 7Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS4AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS4GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS4iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS4NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS4K
Into the Woods (BTS #5) - Release Date: Dec. 21Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS5AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS5GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS5iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS5NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS5K
If I Fly (BTS #6) - Release Date: Dec. 28Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS6AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS6GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS6iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS6NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS6K
Behind the Stars is LIVE 12.31.14!
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTSAMiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTSiBGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTSGPNook: http://smarturl.it/BTSNKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTSK
Print Copies of the Complete Set will be available Dec. 31!
* * *
Get Exclusive Sale and New Release Alerts straight to your phone or mobile device—Text "LeighTMoore" to 77948 Today!*
*(Max 6 messages per month; HELP for help; STOP to cancel; Text and Data rates may apply. Privacy policy available, leightmoore@gmail.com)
AND/OR Sign up for Leigh’s newsletter , and be the first to know about sales or new releases!
November 3, 2014
Behind the Stars - Preorder Links are LIVE!
Happy Monday, reader-friends!
I confess, it's a little surreal for me getting Behind the Stars into the world.
I finished BTS Spring 2012 doing a "30-day Writing Challenge" with my buddy Janet Sumner Johnson, of the Hackey Sack Club.
I was a traditional author at the time, so I took it with me to the state SCBWI convention. I showed it to some editors who liked it very much, then it went to my literary agent along with The Truth About Faking and Rouge.
Fast forward five months and I hit "publish" on my first indie book (The Truth About Faking) and everything changed.
Except Behind the Stars was still with my agent.
Eventually he gave up on it, and the book waited patiently in my virtual drawer through The Truth books, through the Dragonfly series... and my beta readers kept asking and asking when I was going to publish it.
Well, the time has come! And I think it's the right time.
Still, you can't just throw a book out into the world. It needs publicity and a proper launch. A cover reveal and all that.
The Cover Reveal is Sunday (Nov. 9), and the Official Release Party is Dec. 31, but in the meantime, I'm going to give you an early shot at it by serializing it.
Since the book is finished, here are all the pre-order links. If you'd like to start it November 9, here you go...
Also, you can check out the fun Pinterest inspiration board here (link)!
* * *
BEHIND THE STARS - EVERYWHERE DEC. 31!
On AmazonAmazon: http://smarturl.it/BTSAMiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTSiBGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTSGPNook: http://smarturl.it/BTSNKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTSK
SERIES Schedule & Buy/Pre-Order Links
Captive (#1) - Nov. 9Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS1AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS1GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS1iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS1NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS1K
Learning to Spy (#2) - Nov. 9Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS2AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS2GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS2iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS2NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS2K
Harvest Moon (#3) - Nov. 23Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS3AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS3GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS3iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS3NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS3K
Jackson (#4) - Dec. 7Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS4AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS4GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS4iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS4NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS4K
Into the Woods (#5) - Dec. 21Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS5AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS5GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS5iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS5NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS5K
If I Fly (#6) - Dec. 28Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS6AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS6GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS6iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS6NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS6K
Print Copies of the complete set are coming in December.
Want to read "Captive" (#1) NOW? Hop over to Wattpad (link) where it's LIVE and FREE~
Thanks for reading, and be sure to leave a review. I love seeing what you think!
I confess, it's a little surreal for me getting Behind the Stars into the world.
I finished BTS Spring 2012 doing a "30-day Writing Challenge" with my buddy Janet Sumner Johnson, of the Hackey Sack Club.
I was a traditional author at the time, so I took it with me to the state SCBWI convention. I showed it to some editors who liked it very much, then it went to my literary agent along with The Truth About Faking and Rouge.
Fast forward five months and I hit "publish" on my first indie book (The Truth About Faking) and everything changed.
Except Behind the Stars was still with my agent.
Eventually he gave up on it, and the book waited patiently in my virtual drawer through The Truth books, through the Dragonfly series... and my beta readers kept asking and asking when I was going to publish it.
Well, the time has come! And I think it's the right time.
Still, you can't just throw a book out into the world. It needs publicity and a proper launch. A cover reveal and all that.
The Cover Reveal is Sunday (Nov. 9), and the Official Release Party is Dec. 31, but in the meantime, I'm going to give you an early shot at it by serializing it.
Since the book is finished, here are all the pre-order links. If you'd like to start it November 9, here you go...
Also, you can check out the fun Pinterest inspiration board here (link)!
* * *
BEHIND THE STARS - EVERYWHERE DEC. 31!
On AmazonAmazon: http://smarturl.it/BTSAMiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTSiBGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTSGPNook: http://smarturl.it/BTSNKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTSKSERIES Schedule & Buy/Pre-Order Links
Captive (#1) - Nov. 9Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS1AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS1GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS1iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS1NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS1K
Learning to Spy (#2) - Nov. 9Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS2AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS2GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS2iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS2NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS2K
Harvest Moon (#3) - Nov. 23Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS3AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS3GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS3iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS3NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS3K
Jackson (#4) - Dec. 7Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS4AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS4GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS4iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS4NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS4K
Into the Woods (#5) - Dec. 21Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS5AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS5GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS5iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS5NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS5K
If I Fly (#6) - Dec. 28Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BTS6AMGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/BTS6GPiTunes: http://smarturl.it/BTS6iNook: http://smarturl.it/BTS6NKobo: http://smarturl.it/BTS6K
Print Copies of the complete set are coming in December.
Want to read "Captive" (#1) NOW? Hop over to Wattpad (link) where it's LIVE and FREE~
Thanks for reading, and be sure to leave a review. I love seeing what you think!
October 27, 2014
ROUGE on Sale for #99cents & My NEW Book!
Happy Monday, reader-friends--I've got TWO BIG announcements for you today...
For starters, my swishy, romantic suspense novel set in a turn-of-the-century New Orleans cabaret is ON SALE for just 99 cents this week!
Grab your copy, and remember to leave a review if you like it~
On Amazon
This week only - Get ROUGE for 99¢
►Amazon: http://smarturl.it/RgeAA
►iTunes: http://bit.ly/15Cm8m2
►B&N: http://bit.ly/Z9518R
►Kobo: http://smarturl.it/RgKo
►ARe: http://smarturl.it/RgARe
* * *
And What's This? I have a NEW BOOK coming December 31!
Yes. But you don't have to wait that long if you don't want to. I'm going to mix things up a little bit and release the whole thing as a SERIAL starting out!
It's called Behind the Stars , and I'll give you the blurb followed by the Official Release Schedule:
Add it on Goodreads!
BEHIND THE STARSBy Leigh T. Moore
Prentiss Puckett is certain of three things:-Graduation is two weeks away.-Summer only gets hotter in south Mississippi.-She’s getting a job with air-conditioning.
She did not expect to be kidnapped walking to work. And she neverexpected to become a hero.
Red Dawn meets L O S T in this new action-adventure romance from Amazon bestselling author Leigh Talbert Moore.
Official Release Schedule
Nov. 9 – COVER REVEALNov. 9 - CaptiveNov. 9 - Learning to Spy
Nov. 23 - Harvest Moon
Dec. 7 - Jackson
Dec. 21 - Into the Woods
Dec. 28 - If I Fly
Dec. 31 – BEHIND THE STARS Release & Release Day Blitz!
So there you go! My exciting news.
YOU can be a part of the Behind the Stars COVER REVEAL on Nov 9!
Fill out this form, and we'll send you everything you need to post on your Facebook page, twitter, blog, Pinterest--wherever you share fun news: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YP2iqBy1Cjh51x0Kz9Q9e51GFsINKekItlMs6cR0lCg/viewform?usp=send_form
► Add it on Goodreads Today:BEHIND THE STARS (complete set): http://smarturl.it/BTSGR
SERIES:Captive (#1): http://smarturl.it/BTS1GRLearning to Spy (#2): http://smarturl.it/BTS2GRHarvest Moon (#3): http://smarturl.it/BTS3GRJackson (#4): http://smarturl.it/BTS4GRInto the Woods (#5): http://smarturl.it/BTS5GR If I Fly (#6): http://smarturl.it/BTS6GR
Buy and pre-order links will all go live on November 9!
* * *
While I'm busy getting all this together, stay tuned here and on my Facebook page (Facebook.com/LeighTalbertMoore) for updates!
And remember you can get Sale and New Release Alerts straight to your phone or mobile device by texting "LeighTMoore" to 77948 now!*
OR
Sign up for my New Release Newsletter and NEVER miss a New Release or Sale: eepurl.com/tzVuP
That's it! Fun stuff for the holidays.
Have a super week, reader-friends~
*(Max six messages per month; HELP for help; STOP to cancel; Text and Data rates may apply. Privacy policy available, leightmoore@gmail.com)
For starters, my swishy, romantic suspense novel set in a turn-of-the-century New Orleans cabaret is ON SALE for just 99 cents this week!
Grab your copy, and remember to leave a review if you like it~
On Amazon
This week only - Get ROUGE for 99¢
►Amazon: http://smarturl.it/RgeAA
►iTunes: http://bit.ly/15Cm8m2
►B&N: http://bit.ly/Z9518R
►Kobo: http://smarturl.it/RgKo
►ARe: http://smarturl.it/RgARe
* * *
And What's This? I have a NEW BOOK coming December 31!
Yes. But you don't have to wait that long if you don't want to. I'm going to mix things up a little bit and release the whole thing as a SERIAL starting out!
It's called Behind the Stars , and I'll give you the blurb followed by the Official Release Schedule:
Add it on Goodreads!BEHIND THE STARSBy Leigh T. Moore
Prentiss Puckett is certain of three things:-Graduation is two weeks away.-Summer only gets hotter in south Mississippi.-She’s getting a job with air-conditioning.
She did not expect to be kidnapped walking to work. And she neverexpected to become a hero.
Red Dawn meets L O S T in this new action-adventure romance from Amazon bestselling author Leigh Talbert Moore.
Official Release Schedule
Nov. 9 – COVER REVEALNov. 9 - CaptiveNov. 9 - Learning to Spy
Nov. 23 - Harvest Moon
Dec. 7 - Jackson
Dec. 21 - Into the Woods
Dec. 28 - If I Fly
Dec. 31 – BEHIND THE STARS Release & Release Day Blitz!
So there you go! My exciting news.
YOU can be a part of the Behind the Stars COVER REVEAL on Nov 9!
Fill out this form, and we'll send you everything you need to post on your Facebook page, twitter, blog, Pinterest--wherever you share fun news: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YP2iqBy1Cjh51x0Kz9Q9e51GFsINKekItlMs6cR0lCg/viewform?usp=send_form
► Add it on Goodreads Today:BEHIND THE STARS (complete set): http://smarturl.it/BTSGR
SERIES:Captive (#1): http://smarturl.it/BTS1GRLearning to Spy (#2): http://smarturl.it/BTS2GRHarvest Moon (#3): http://smarturl.it/BTS3GRJackson (#4): http://smarturl.it/BTS4GRInto the Woods (#5): http://smarturl.it/BTS5GR If I Fly (#6): http://smarturl.it/BTS6GR
Buy and pre-order links will all go live on November 9!
* * *
While I'm busy getting all this together, stay tuned here and on my Facebook page (Facebook.com/LeighTalbertMoore) for updates!
And remember you can get Sale and New Release Alerts straight to your phone or mobile device by texting "LeighTMoore" to 77948 now!*
OR
Sign up for my New Release Newsletter and NEVER miss a New Release or Sale: eepurl.com/tzVuP
That's it! Fun stuff for the holidays.
Have a super week, reader-friends~
*(Max six messages per month; HELP for help; STOP to cancel; Text and Data rates may apply. Privacy policy available, leightmoore@gmail.com)
October 20, 2014
Happy Birthday, Lenny Lee!!!
Time flies when you're having fun...
It's hard to believe FOUR years ago, I met Lenny Lee (link) , an eleven year-old boy who liked playing outside, raccoons, and writing, and whose icon was (and is) a happy sunshine.
Lenny was dealing with health problems, and his family wasn't sure he'd survive them. Fast-forward to today, and here we are celebrating--Lenny Lee is FIFTEEN! Holy driver's license!
We're all just celebrating and doing the happy dance!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Lenny!!!
*throws confetti*
You're no longer playing with toy cars... soon you'll be racing your own! (Ha ha--just teasing!)
Have a great day, my YA friend, and a super week, reader- and writer-friends! Hop back tomorrow for another important announcement... #squee
It's hard to believe FOUR years ago, I met Lenny Lee (link) , an eleven year-old boy who liked playing outside, raccoons, and writing, and whose icon was (and is) a happy sunshine.
Lenny was dealing with health problems, and his family wasn't sure he'd survive them. Fast-forward to today, and here we are celebrating--Lenny Lee is FIFTEEN! Holy driver's license!
We're all just celebrating and doing the happy dance!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Lenny!!!
*throws confetti*
You're no longer playing with toy cars... soon you'll be racing your own! (Ha ha--just teasing!)
Have a great day, my YA friend, and a super week, reader- and writer-friends! Hop back tomorrow for another important announcement... #squee
October 8, 2014
Get Your #Steampunk on and #WIN!
Happy Wednesday, reader-friends! Today I've got TWO fab author-friends here to help you get your Steampunk on, and you can WIN!!!
Gear up for GEARS OF BRASS!
A world like ours, but filled with gears of brass, where the beating heart is fueled by steam and the simplest creation is a complex clockwork device.
Within this tome, you’ll find steampunk fairy tale re-tellings, as well as original stories that will send your gears turning.
Welcome to the steampunk realm, with eleven authors guiding your path.
GEARS OF BRASS is a steampunk anthology published through Curiosity Quills. It will be available for purchase on November 10, 2014. Within the pages, you’ll come across clockwork inventions and steampunk-ified fairy tale retellings. Eleven authors will guide you through worlds
filled with airships, top hats, and corsets.
Meet the authors:
Jordan Elizabeth writes young adult fantasy for Curiosity Quills, including ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW which was published in October and the upcoming TREASURE DARKLY; she’s represented by the Belcastro Agency.
J. Million
is the author of Last of the Giants and can always be found reading or writing.
Lorna MacDonald Czarnota is a professional storyteller and author of several books including, Medieval Tales That Kids Can Read and Tell, Breadline Blue, Legends Lore and Secrets of Western New York, Wicked Niagara, Native American and Pioneer Sites of Upstate New York, and Dancing at the Crossroads: Stories and Activities for At-Risk Youth Programming.
SA Larsen is represented by Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary and is the author of published short stories, community-interest stories, and magazine articles focused on children.
Grant Eagar is an Engineer who would take the tales he told his children at bed time, and transform them into fantasy stories.
Clare Weze is the author of The House of Ash (forthcoming) and the co-author and editor of Cloudscapes over the Lune.
Eliza Tilton: gamer, writer and lover of dark chocolate; author of the YA Fantasy, BROKEN FOREST, published by Curiosity Quills Press.
Heather Talty's stories have been featured in Enchanted Conversation, as well as her own fractured fairy tale site, Mythopoetical (www.Beatrixcottonpants.com).
W.K. Pomeroy is a third generation writer who has published more than 70 short stories/articles/poems across many genres and styles, which now includes Steampunk.
Christine Baker is the author of Lana's End, The Guild of Dagda, and many more.
Natalia Darcy: a bookilicious reader, tea drinker and Zumba aficionado who enjoys playing cards against humanity and washing her hair with ice cold water.
You can get your steampunk fix before GEARS OF BRASS is released in November. To enter for your chance to win a copy of GEARS OF BRASS, you will need to share the cover. This can be on your blog, Facebook, Twitter…
Each time you share the cover image, log it into Rafflecoper (#insert link) to record it. It will give you more chances to win. The drawing for the winner will be held on October 27th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
* * *
Also, my good author-friend Susan Kaye Quinn has THIRD DAUGHTER, the first in her Bollypunk series, currently FREE!
Check it out...
Third Daughter
by Susan Kaye Quinn
Steampunk Fantasy Romance - (suitable for ages 13+) - the first book, Third Daughter, is FREE
Assassins, skyships, and royal intrigue...The Third Daughter of the Queen wants to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon force her to accept a barbarian prince's proposal of a peace-brokering marriage.Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iTunes, Google Play
To find out more about The Dharian Affairs trilogy
CLICK HERE
Hope you're having a super week, reader-friends! Remember to check in on my Facebook page for a NEW, fun giveaway every Friday~ #muwah
Gear up for GEARS OF BRASS!
A world like ours, but filled with gears of brass, where the beating heart is fueled by steam and the simplest creation is a complex clockwork device.
Within this tome, you’ll find steampunk fairy tale re-tellings, as well as original stories that will send your gears turning.
Welcome to the steampunk realm, with eleven authors guiding your path.
GEARS OF BRASS is a steampunk anthology published through Curiosity Quills. It will be available for purchase on November 10, 2014. Within the pages, you’ll come across clockwork inventions and steampunk-ified fairy tale retellings. Eleven authors will guide you through worlds
filled with airships, top hats, and corsets.
Meet the authors:
Jordan Elizabeth writes young adult fantasy for Curiosity Quills, including ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW which was published in October and the upcoming TREASURE DARKLY; she’s represented by the Belcastro Agency.
J. Million
is the author of Last of the Giants and can always be found reading or writing.
Lorna MacDonald Czarnota is a professional storyteller and author of several books including, Medieval Tales That Kids Can Read and Tell, Breadline Blue, Legends Lore and Secrets of Western New York, Wicked Niagara, Native American and Pioneer Sites of Upstate New York, and Dancing at the Crossroads: Stories and Activities for At-Risk Youth Programming.
SA Larsen is represented by Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary and is the author of published short stories, community-interest stories, and magazine articles focused on children.
Grant Eagar is an Engineer who would take the tales he told his children at bed time, and transform them into fantasy stories.
Clare Weze is the author of The House of Ash (forthcoming) and the co-author and editor of Cloudscapes over the Lune.
Eliza Tilton: gamer, writer and lover of dark chocolate; author of the YA Fantasy, BROKEN FOREST, published by Curiosity Quills Press.
Heather Talty's stories have been featured in Enchanted Conversation, as well as her own fractured fairy tale site, Mythopoetical (www.Beatrixcottonpants.com).
W.K. Pomeroy is a third generation writer who has published more than 70 short stories/articles/poems across many genres and styles, which now includes Steampunk.
Christine Baker is the author of Lana's End, The Guild of Dagda, and many more.
Natalia Darcy: a bookilicious reader, tea drinker and Zumba aficionado who enjoys playing cards against humanity and washing her hair with ice cold water.
You can get your steampunk fix before GEARS OF BRASS is released in November. To enter for your chance to win a copy of GEARS OF BRASS, you will need to share the cover. This can be on your blog, Facebook, Twitter…
Each time you share the cover image, log it into Rafflecoper (#insert link) to record it. It will give you more chances to win. The drawing for the winner will be held on October 27th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
* * *
Also, my good author-friend Susan Kaye Quinn has THIRD DAUGHTER, the first in her Bollypunk series, currently FREE!
Check it out...
Third Daughter
by Susan Kaye Quinn
Steampunk Fantasy Romance - (suitable for ages 13+) - the first book, Third Daughter, is FREE
Assassins, skyships, and royal intrigue...The Third Daughter of the Queen wants to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon force her to accept a barbarian prince's proposal of a peace-brokering marriage.Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iTunes, Google Play
To find out more about The Dharian Affairs trilogy
CLICK HERE
Hope you're having a super week, reader-friends! Remember to check in on my Facebook page for a NEW, fun giveaway every Friday~ #muwah
October 6, 2014
Play and #WIN a #Free Book!
GUESS THE TRUE STATEMENT & WIN JESSICA BELL'S THRILLER, WHITE LADY! (Statement #46)
To celebrate the release of Jessica Bell's latest novel, WHITE LADY, she is giving away an e-copy (mobi, ePub, or PDF) to the first person to correctly guess the one true statement in the three statements below.
To clarify, two statements are lies, and one is true:
The following is a line from the book:
a. I envision the look of calm on a dead face, relax my jaw, and take a deep breath.
b. There is nothing more relaxing than witnessing one’s breathing to cease.
c. What I need is good cutting spree to calm myself down.
What do you think? Which one is true?
Write your guess in the comments, along with your email address. Comments will close in 48 hours. If no-one guesses correctly within in 48 hours, comments will stay open until someone does.
Want more chances to win?
You have until October 31 to visit all the blogs where Jessica will share a different set of true and false statements on each one. Remember, each blog is open to comments for 48 hours only from the time of posting.
If you win, you will be notified by email with instructions on how to download the book.
Click HERE to see the list of blogs.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
*This novel contains coarse language, violence, and sexual themes.
Sonia yearns for sharp objects and blood. But now that she's rehabilitating herself as a "normal" mother and mathematics teacher, it's time to stop dreaming about slicing people's throats.
While being the wife of Melbourne's leading drug lord and simultaneously dating his best mate is not ideal, she's determined to make it work.
It does work. Until Mia, her lover's daughter, starts exchanging saliva with her son, Mick. They plan to commit a crime behind Sonia's back. It isn't long before she finds out and gets involved to protect them.
But is protecting the kids really Sonia's motive?
Click HERE to view the book trailer.
Click HERE for purchase links.
Jessica Bell, a thirty-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, is the Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal and the director of the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca.
She makes a living as a writer/editor for English Language Teaching Publishers worldwide, such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, MacMillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.
Connect with Jessica online: Website | Retreat & workshop | Blog | Vine Leaves Literary Journal | Facebook | Twitter
To celebrate the release of Jessica Bell's latest novel, WHITE LADY, she is giving away an e-copy (mobi, ePub, or PDF) to the first person to correctly guess the one true statement in the three statements below.To clarify, two statements are lies, and one is true:
The following is a line from the book:
a. I envision the look of calm on a dead face, relax my jaw, and take a deep breath.
b. There is nothing more relaxing than witnessing one’s breathing to cease.
c. What I need is good cutting spree to calm myself down.
What do you think? Which one is true?
Write your guess in the comments, along with your email address. Comments will close in 48 hours. If no-one guesses correctly within in 48 hours, comments will stay open until someone does.
Want more chances to win?
You have until October 31 to visit all the blogs where Jessica will share a different set of true and false statements on each one. Remember, each blog is open to comments for 48 hours only from the time of posting.
If you win, you will be notified by email with instructions on how to download the book.
Click HERE to see the list of blogs.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
*This novel contains coarse language, violence, and sexual themes.
Sonia yearns for sharp objects and blood. But now that she's rehabilitating herself as a "normal" mother and mathematics teacher, it's time to stop dreaming about slicing people's throats.
While being the wife of Melbourne's leading drug lord and simultaneously dating his best mate is not ideal, she's determined to make it work.
It does work. Until Mia, her lover's daughter, starts exchanging saliva with her son, Mick. They plan to commit a crime behind Sonia's back. It isn't long before she finds out and gets involved to protect them.
But is protecting the kids really Sonia's motive?
Click HERE to view the book trailer.
Click HERE for purchase links.
Jessica Bell, a thirty-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, is the Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal and the director of the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca.She makes a living as a writer/editor for English Language Teaching Publishers worldwide, such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, MacMillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.
Connect with Jessica online: Website | Retreat & workshop | Blog | Vine Leaves Literary Journal | Facebook | Twitter
September 29, 2014
Get Undertow for Just 99 Cents!
Reader-friends! I hope you're doing FAB!
I'm hard at work on my next release--an action-adventure story set in the deep woods of south-Mississippi.
If you'd like a sneak-peek, the first chapter draft is up on Wattpad here: http://www.wattpad.com/story/4328563-21-days-work-in-progress
My Target release date is December 29. I need a title for it. #conundrum
In the meantime, I've put Undertow on sale for 99 cents!
I know, "That's CRAZY!" you say, but I have a lot of teen readers, and they want to read the whole series. So I'm doing my best to be accommodating.
Grab your copy today and get lost in this bestselling romantic family-saga all set on the gorgeous beaches of south Alabama.
Purchase links are here:
UNDERTOW(currently 99 cents!)
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/UTAAiTunes: http://bit.ly/17fVcZKGoogle Play: http://bit.ly/1bWeieuB&N: http://bit.ly/15fYMBPKobo: http://smarturl.it/UTKobo
Print copies Amazon: http://smarturl.it/UTAApb CreateSpace: http://bit.ly/18yKqTb
DRAGONFLY (eBook is FREE!)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ldmNG5iTunes: http://bit.ly/13ixoDAGoogle Play: http://bit.ly/NlB2cbB&N: http://bit.ly/1fJJaLNKobo: http://smarturl.it/DFKobo
Print copies Amazon: http://smarturl.it/DfAApb CreateSpace: http://bit.ly/Zrglyq
If you haven't noticed, I'm not blogging as much these days--I'm writing more! But you can always check in with me on my Facebook page (link)!
Have a super week, reader-friends, and remember to leave reviews~
I'm hard at work on my next release--an action-adventure story set in the deep woods of south-Mississippi.
If you'd like a sneak-peek, the first chapter draft is up on Wattpad here: http://www.wattpad.com/story/4328563-21-days-work-in-progress
My Target release date is December 29. I need a title for it. #conundrum
In the meantime, I've put Undertow on sale for 99 cents!
I know, "That's CRAZY!" you say, but I have a lot of teen readers, and they want to read the whole series. So I'm doing my best to be accommodating.
Grab your copy today and get lost in this bestselling romantic family-saga all set on the gorgeous beaches of south Alabama.
Purchase links are here:
UNDERTOW(currently 99 cents!)
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/UTAAiTunes: http://bit.ly/17fVcZKGoogle Play: http://bit.ly/1bWeieuB&N: http://bit.ly/15fYMBPKobo: http://smarturl.it/UTKobo
Print copies Amazon: http://smarturl.it/UTAApb CreateSpace: http://bit.ly/18yKqTb
DRAGONFLY (eBook is FREE!)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ldmNG5iTunes: http://bit.ly/13ixoDAGoogle Play: http://bit.ly/NlB2cbB&N: http://bit.ly/1fJJaLNKobo: http://smarturl.it/DFKobo
Print copies Amazon: http://smarturl.it/DfAApb CreateSpace: http://bit.ly/Zrglyq
If you haven't noticed, I'm not blogging as much these days--I'm writing more! But you can always check in with me on my Facebook page (link)!
Have a super week, reader-friends, and remember to leave reviews~
September 4, 2014
Happy (Book) Birthday SALE!
Two years ago, I hit "publish" on my very first novel--a sweet YA romance with heart and a little message about tolerance.
I've noted in other places it was partly inspired by the movie Clueless , and entirely inspired by my love of romantic comedy. So today I'm wishing a....
BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! To The Truth About Faking!
And it's ON SALE for only 99 Cents right now!
I have always loved Jason & Harley and Harley's harebrained view of the world. I can't even express how happy it made me that thousands of readers loved them too. To date, Faking has sold more than 44,000 copies worldwide!
Something I haven't publicized is that all profits from The Truth About Faking since Day 1 were donated to charity. Every ebook, print book, audiobook, whatever--I only keep what's needed to cover production costs.
Originally, it was whatever needed help--from hurricane relief to Samaritan funds, to individuals I knew about who were struggling. For the past year, I've focused on The Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana--Click here for about that. (What a coincidence, today kicks off Hunger Action Month! Click here for info about that. )
I used to tease that here's how you know God has a sense of humor: My biggest seller is the book I dedicated to charity. Ha! No, the Truth is (*wink*), I've been extremely blessed in my publishing career, and I'm glad to have been in a position to help others in need.
YOU have been a part of that if you've bought the book, so Thank You, too!
I'll wrap it up now, but if you haven't read Faking, I hope you'll give it a shot! If you have, you can give it as a gift. And even when the sale ends, the giving continues. So grab your copy today~
Thanks for reading--I appreciate all of you~
► Get The Truth About Faking for only 99 cents Today:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/XvCnPJ
B&N: http://bit.ly/RcSyPA
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/10hwBQF
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-truth-about-faking
iTunes: http://bit.ly/WZVY6p
I've noted in other places it was partly inspired by the movie Clueless , and entirely inspired by my love of romantic comedy. So today I'm wishing a....
BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! To The Truth About Faking!
And it's ON SALE for only 99 Cents right now!
I have always loved Jason & Harley and Harley's harebrained view of the world. I can't even express how happy it made me that thousands of readers loved them too. To date, Faking has sold more than 44,000 copies worldwide!
Something I haven't publicized is that all profits from The Truth About Faking since Day 1 were donated to charity. Every ebook, print book, audiobook, whatever--I only keep what's needed to cover production costs.
Originally, it was whatever needed help--from hurricane relief to Samaritan funds, to individuals I knew about who were struggling. For the past year, I've focused on The Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana--Click here for about that. (What a coincidence, today kicks off Hunger Action Month! Click here for info about that. )
I used to tease that here's how you know God has a sense of humor: My biggest seller is the book I dedicated to charity. Ha! No, the Truth is (*wink*), I've been extremely blessed in my publishing career, and I'm glad to have been in a position to help others in need.
YOU have been a part of that if you've bought the book, so Thank You, too!
I'll wrap it up now, but if you haven't read Faking, I hope you'll give it a shot! If you have, you can give it as a gift. And even when the sale ends, the giving continues. So grab your copy today~
Thanks for reading--I appreciate all of you~
► Get The Truth About Faking for only 99 cents Today:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/XvCnPJ
B&N: http://bit.ly/RcSyPA
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/10hwBQF
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-truth-about-faking
iTunes: http://bit.ly/WZVY6p
July 28, 2014
Why Being Independent #ROCKS
If you've kept up with this blog since the beginning, you know I'm a crazy movie-buff.
My maternal grandmother, who we called "Bobie," loved movies, and she got me started watching them with the old noir detective films.
These old movie posters are amazing.My best memory is of watching The Big Sleep with her, and I've seen it so many times since, I can practically quote the whole thing.
It's also cool that William Faulkner was one of the screenwriters. (Yes, that William Faulkner.)
It's a crazy, twisty super-fun movie with fantastic, unforgettable characters doing unexpected things.
And you really have to watch it about five times to understand what all's happening...
After watching it several times, you might get more insight into my own characterization and plot twists. (JRM points to Footloose as being, "everything you ever write"--LOL! That's not so true anymore.)
So what does all this have to do with being an Independent Author? I'll tell ya!
I was reading an article about Roger Ebert in Entertainment Weekly (link), and it had a listing of his "Movies of the Year," going all the way back to 1967's Bonnie & Clyde. (I totally agree with his assessment of that film, btw.)
In the listing were JFK, Malcolm X, and Schindler's List. About Schindler's List, Ebert says, "The movie is 184 minutes long, and like all great films, it feels too short." Spot on.
That got me thinking about the battle Spike Lee had over the length of Malcolm X was, and how the Big Studios wanted him to cut it.
Oliver Stone had managed to get away with 188 minutes for JFK the year before, and as expected, Lee had some choice words about that. But at the time the Controlling Powers had established "norms" about "what audiences wanted," and long films about controversial black icons were not it.
The next year, Big Fish Steven Spielberg made a 184-minute, black and white film, no sweat.
Flash Forward many years, and I'm thinking about how all of this relates to Independent Publishing v. Traditional Publishing.
Film, like music, and now books, went through a revolutionary "independent" period that played out differently in each medium. (I should say "is playing out" with regard to books.)
Personally, I just wrapped a series of books that I can't even imagine trying to get through the Traditional process.
The Dragonfly Series starts with Book 1, Dragonfly, which is written in the standard mature-YA manner: first-person, female POV. (It's how you wrote books like this in 2009.)
The next book Undertow takes a completely different turn. The bulk of the story is told through three journals, but regular journal-style felt inhibiting to my process... so I didn't follow the rules. I wrote it like a narrative, but unfolding it epistolary-style.
It's told in three different POVs--Meg, Lexy, and Bill's--and it's the story of an affair that led to a birth and a death. It does not have a happy ending... and most readers seem to love it.
It's a layer to the series that goes to the heart of everything happening, of Anna and Julian's relationship, of all the secrets and lies, and readers really, really need to know that story. The style fits into the overall series arc, and it was how I chose to write it.
The content of Undertow is also decidedly New Adult to Adult--one of my beta readers even said, "This reads more like women's fiction." Another said, "You should write more adult fiction."--LOL!
It makes sense, and I think my readers of all ages get it. I trusted them to get it.
Watercolor (#3) is back to the present, it's Anna and Julian's love story, first-person POV, female lead and more strict NA, a'la Jessica Sorensen, Colleen Hoover, or Katja Millay books. (I.e., the main characters are seniors in high school.)
Then we get to Mosaic...
It's the end of the series, and I really wanted to tie the whole thing together both from a story perspective and a stylistic one. So right slap in the middle of that book, sandwiched between the present--which is 20 years after Watercolor ends--is Anna's "private blog."
It's her journal (told Undertow-style), and it follows her and the gang through college all the way to the break... where it stops, and we see what happens next.
When I started writing this series in 2009, there was no "Independent Publishing." Amazon hadn't truly launched the Kindle yet, and at that time, self-publishing meant Vanity Publishing.
Vanity Publishing is bad , reader-friends. It means you pay thousands of dollars to jerks like Author Solutions (now owned by Random-Penguin) and they take you for a ride that ends with them dumping a pile of paperbacks on your doorstep for you to figure out how to sell.
It isn't legitimate in any sense of the word. It's a racket that many well-meaning authors got sucked into because they didn't want their stories to die in a drawer. (And they didn't have Thelma Toole, Walker Percy, or LSU Press, link. Geaux, Tigers.)
Of course, I'm sure Traditional Publishing doesn't consider Independent Publishing legitimate to this day--unless you start banking Amanda Hocking, Hugh Howey, E.L. James, Colleen Hoover, Jasinda Wilder, Abbi Glines... the list goes on... dollars. Then suddenly you're very legitimate.
(I hope you're catching my sarcasm. I drank the "not legitimate" Kool-Aid for way too long before I jumped off that merry-go-round.)
I feel like I'm losing my point--my point is, to me, the greatest thing about being an independent author is I can write my books the way I want to write them, the way that makes sense to me. I don't have to worry about established norms or "what readers want" when I sit down to write.
Okay, being a smart businesswoman, I do consider "what readers want" when I'm looking at which projects to focus the most time and energy on. (Hint: The ones that are selling!)
But take for example a book I've been sitting on since 2012. It's another NA contemporary romance, but it's an action-adventure story set in the woods of south Mississippi.
I loved this movie when I was a kid.Since it's written by me, it's fer sure a romance, but the focus is on the transformation of this incredible character I love named Prentiss Puckett from everyday-country girl to a Red-Dawn-meets-L O S T-style action-hero.
Being trapped in a prison camp during what seems (to her) to be a Russian invasion of the U.S. will do that to a person.
This book, which is currently titled 21 Days, was with a literary agent for a year. He shopped it around, and we got the usual compliments on my "strong writing" followed by the reasons it "wouldn't work."
First, I was told it was "too dated." The problem is Prentiss fears it's the Russians holding them captive. It made sense to me in 2012, given where she lives and the persistent fear of "Russians" in certain pockets of the deep south.
I was told "nobody cares about Russia anymore" and given the "how very 1950s of you" treatment. (Oops! Ukraine just called.)
Second, after being kidnapped, *something* is happening to Prentiss, and it's causing her to have very vivid flashback-style dreams, which taper off as the plot unfolds. I won't spoil it here, but I was told "readers won't like that"--jumping back and forth.
It's funny because all six of my beta readers--all six of them--said that was their favorite part. One even wanted more!
Guess what I'm going to do?
I'm going to polish that baby up, add a few ideas that I've had since I finished it 2.5 years ago, and put it out there for you all.
And that's why I love being an Independent Author.
Now, I'm not going to go all *banging my fist on the table* insisting I'll "never go traditional." There are very legitimate reasons for plugging in and using that established book-selling machine--for example, none of my indie books will ever be reviewed in Entertainment Weekly.
I have managed to get into some high school libraries through NetGalley, which is amazing. But I won't be in any Scholastic Book Fairs at schools. (Scholastic is a traditional publisher, fyi. Those are all their books.)
It's incredibly difficult for independently published authors to get into places like Target or Sam's Club or Costco. (I won't say impossible b/c my indie-author friend Cindy Hogan does it all the time.)
This post has gotten very long. I apologize. I haven't blogged in a while...
One last thing that I love about being an Independent Author: As my one-degree-of-separation buddy Hugh Howey explains in detail here (link), being independent means for the first time in history, authors can make a living--an actual living that includes paying bills, feeding children, buying clothes, paying for college--through writing books alone.
Many, many authors are doing just that, and it has never been the case in all of book publishing recorded time... until now. Only a handful of "stars" have ever been able to make that claim.
So yanno. Vive la Revolution... or whatever.
I'm just so lucky and blessed to be living in this time. I'm not knocking anybody's choice or the path they follow. Whatever path you chose, traditional or independent, whatever books you read, do it because you love it. Otherwise, what's the point?
Thanks for being such FAB reader-friends. Love you guys~
My maternal grandmother, who we called "Bobie," loved movies, and she got me started watching them with the old noir detective films.
These old movie posters are amazing.My best memory is of watching The Big Sleep with her, and I've seen it so many times since, I can practically quote the whole thing.It's also cool that William Faulkner was one of the screenwriters. (Yes, that William Faulkner.)
It's a crazy, twisty super-fun movie with fantastic, unforgettable characters doing unexpected things.
And you really have to watch it about five times to understand what all's happening...
After watching it several times, you might get more insight into my own characterization and plot twists. (JRM points to Footloose as being, "everything you ever write"--LOL! That's not so true anymore.)
So what does all this have to do with being an Independent Author? I'll tell ya!
I was reading an article about Roger Ebert in Entertainment Weekly (link), and it had a listing of his "Movies of the Year," going all the way back to 1967's Bonnie & Clyde. (I totally agree with his assessment of that film, btw.)
In the listing were JFK, Malcolm X, and Schindler's List. About Schindler's List, Ebert says, "The movie is 184 minutes long, and like all great films, it feels too short." Spot on.
That got me thinking about the battle Spike Lee had over the length of Malcolm X was, and how the Big Studios wanted him to cut it.
Oliver Stone had managed to get away with 188 minutes for JFK the year before, and as expected, Lee had some choice words about that. But at the time the Controlling Powers had established "norms" about "what audiences wanted," and long films about controversial black icons were not it.
The next year, Big Fish Steven Spielberg made a 184-minute, black and white film, no sweat.
Flash Forward many years, and I'm thinking about how all of this relates to Independent Publishing v. Traditional Publishing.
Film, like music, and now books, went through a revolutionary "independent" period that played out differently in each medium. (I should say "is playing out" with regard to books.)
Personally, I just wrapped a series of books that I can't even imagine trying to get through the Traditional process.
The Dragonfly Series starts with Book 1, Dragonfly, which is written in the standard mature-YA manner: first-person, female POV. (It's how you wrote books like this in 2009.)
The next book Undertow takes a completely different turn. The bulk of the story is told through three journals, but regular journal-style felt inhibiting to my process... so I didn't follow the rules. I wrote it like a narrative, but unfolding it epistolary-style.
It's told in three different POVs--Meg, Lexy, and Bill's--and it's the story of an affair that led to a birth and a death. It does not have a happy ending... and most readers seem to love it.
It's a layer to the series that goes to the heart of everything happening, of Anna and Julian's relationship, of all the secrets and lies, and readers really, really need to know that story. The style fits into the overall series arc, and it was how I chose to write it.
The content of Undertow is also decidedly New Adult to Adult--one of my beta readers even said, "This reads more like women's fiction." Another said, "You should write more adult fiction."--LOL!
It makes sense, and I think my readers of all ages get it. I trusted them to get it.
Watercolor (#3) is back to the present, it's Anna and Julian's love story, first-person POV, female lead and more strict NA, a'la Jessica Sorensen, Colleen Hoover, or Katja Millay books. (I.e., the main characters are seniors in high school.)
Then we get to Mosaic...
It's the end of the series, and I really wanted to tie the whole thing together both from a story perspective and a stylistic one. So right slap in the middle of that book, sandwiched between the present--which is 20 years after Watercolor ends--is Anna's "private blog."
It's her journal (told Undertow-style), and it follows her and the gang through college all the way to the break... where it stops, and we see what happens next.
When I started writing this series in 2009, there was no "Independent Publishing." Amazon hadn't truly launched the Kindle yet, and at that time, self-publishing meant Vanity Publishing.
Vanity Publishing is bad , reader-friends. It means you pay thousands of dollars to jerks like Author Solutions (now owned by Random-Penguin) and they take you for a ride that ends with them dumping a pile of paperbacks on your doorstep for you to figure out how to sell.
It isn't legitimate in any sense of the word. It's a racket that many well-meaning authors got sucked into because they didn't want their stories to die in a drawer. (And they didn't have Thelma Toole, Walker Percy, or LSU Press, link. Geaux, Tigers.)
Of course, I'm sure Traditional Publishing doesn't consider Independent Publishing legitimate to this day--unless you start banking Amanda Hocking, Hugh Howey, E.L. James, Colleen Hoover, Jasinda Wilder, Abbi Glines... the list goes on... dollars. Then suddenly you're very legitimate.
(I hope you're catching my sarcasm. I drank the "not legitimate" Kool-Aid for way too long before I jumped off that merry-go-round.)
I feel like I'm losing my point--my point is, to me, the greatest thing about being an independent author is I can write my books the way I want to write them, the way that makes sense to me. I don't have to worry about established norms or "what readers want" when I sit down to write.
Okay, being a smart businesswoman, I do consider "what readers want" when I'm looking at which projects to focus the most time and energy on. (Hint: The ones that are selling!)
But take for example a book I've been sitting on since 2012. It's another NA contemporary romance, but it's an action-adventure story set in the woods of south Mississippi.
I loved this movie when I was a kid.Since it's written by me, it's fer sure a romance, but the focus is on the transformation of this incredible character I love named Prentiss Puckett from everyday-country girl to a Red-Dawn-meets-L O S T-style action-hero.Being trapped in a prison camp during what seems (to her) to be a Russian invasion of the U.S. will do that to a person.
This book, which is currently titled 21 Days, was with a literary agent for a year. He shopped it around, and we got the usual compliments on my "strong writing" followed by the reasons it "wouldn't work."
First, I was told it was "too dated." The problem is Prentiss fears it's the Russians holding them captive. It made sense to me in 2012, given where she lives and the persistent fear of "Russians" in certain pockets of the deep south.
I was told "nobody cares about Russia anymore" and given the "how very 1950s of you" treatment. (Oops! Ukraine just called.)
Second, after being kidnapped, *something* is happening to Prentiss, and it's causing her to have very vivid flashback-style dreams, which taper off as the plot unfolds. I won't spoil it here, but I was told "readers won't like that"--jumping back and forth.
It's funny because all six of my beta readers--all six of them--said that was their favorite part. One even wanted more!
Guess what I'm going to do?
I'm going to polish that baby up, add a few ideas that I've had since I finished it 2.5 years ago, and put it out there for you all.
And that's why I love being an Independent Author.
Now, I'm not going to go all *banging my fist on the table* insisting I'll "never go traditional." There are very legitimate reasons for plugging in and using that established book-selling machine--for example, none of my indie books will ever be reviewed in Entertainment Weekly.
I have managed to get into some high school libraries through NetGalley, which is amazing. But I won't be in any Scholastic Book Fairs at schools. (Scholastic is a traditional publisher, fyi. Those are all their books.)
It's incredibly difficult for independently published authors to get into places like Target or Sam's Club or Costco. (I won't say impossible b/c my indie-author friend Cindy Hogan does it all the time.)
This post has gotten very long. I apologize. I haven't blogged in a while...
One last thing that I love about being an Independent Author: As my one-degree-of-separation buddy Hugh Howey explains in detail here (link), being independent means for the first time in history, authors can make a living--an actual living that includes paying bills, feeding children, buying clothes, paying for college--through writing books alone.
Many, many authors are doing just that, and it has never been the case in all of book publishing recorded time... until now. Only a handful of "stars" have ever been able to make that claim.
So yanno. Vive la Revolution... or whatever.
I'm just so lucky and blessed to be living in this time. I'm not knocking anybody's choice or the path they follow. Whatever path you chose, traditional or independent, whatever books you read, do it because you love it. Otherwise, what's the point?
Thanks for being such FAB reader-friends. Love you guys~
