Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 32

Publisher Feature Week: Meet Blaze Founder Krystal Wade

Tell us how you came to create Blaze, and what kind of vision do you have for the company?Creating Blaze came with a realization, a personal revelation of sorts, one that smacked me in the head and said, "Krystal, you don't need anyone's approval. You have the knack for business, and you WANT to run a publishing house. Never mind people always tell you to start one, so what are you waiting for?" Yeah, that was the realization, that I was holding myself back because I wanted approval of some fancy agent, or a posh NY publishing house. But any time I sought those things, my career suffered. The months passed by without more books published, each rejection letter made me crawl backward, into myself, and think I wasn't worthy, and then when the fulls were passed on with little explanation? I thought it was all over. And it was all over, my need for that pat on the back anyway. So I dug out plans I've been putting together since 2012 and launched Blaze. My vision is to have a happy house of authors, readers, and reviewers. Period. I want everyone to know if we say we're putting out a book, that we follow through. And I want that book to be loved.
2.     What does your job entail? Everything! I'm an accountant, web designer, graphics designer, video producer and actress, editor, and answerer of questions. Since we have such a small group, and a small publication schedule, we're all partnering up on our duties. When an offer is made, everyone is involved. When a video is posted, we're all aware. We are open, visible, and always in communication with each other. And I love it, but my primary focus is on finding the books, editing them, and building our business brand.

3.     What do you enjoy most about working with everyone at Blaze? We have fun. Even though publishing is a lot of hard work, we all love what we do, and we do it well.
4.     What have your experiences been like throughout the journey from the dream to founding to now?Rewarding. I'm the type of person to look at every situation as a learning situation. As I've encountered setbacks in my career, I've asked myself what I can take away from them. So, while I'm not rich and living in the mountains with my husband, wearing slippers as I write books and drink coffee all day long--yet--I can't imagine not being where I am right now, publishing others. That doesn't mean the road for me hasn't been bumpy, sometimes washed out, but I've forged new paths for myself, as everyone should. There's no such thing as an impossible dream--unless we're talking teleportation, and even then....
5.     What is the hardest part of running a small press?I don't know that I've encountered anything hard, exactly, but the concern that I do right by my team and the authors we publish weighs heavily on me. Always. Which is why we've crafted lengthy, well-thought out plans for the books we publish.
6.     And what is the best part?Being there to tell an author YES! Yes, I love your book. Yes, I will publish your book. And the ability to share in that excitement with my team. Which is amazing.
7.     Last question; If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be and why?
Does it have to be in history? Can't I just state that I'd like to meet Jensen Ackles, even if we don't exchange words, just so I can drool for a bit? Yeah, enough said!

Cover Reveal: Five: Out of the Ashes by Holli Anderson

FIVE: Out of the Ashes
Holli Anderson
(Five, #3)
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: November 30th 2015
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Their last battle ended with death and despair, but they have no time to mourn. One of their own has been taken and the Quinae Praesidia set out to find and rescue her. In this third and last installment of the FIVE series, the FIVE discover new powers, make a desperate run through the Netherworld, land on an island paradise . . . and find that Brone, always a step ahead of them, is becoming more powerful than ever.

Previous books in the series:

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:
Holli Anderson has a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing--which has nothing to do with writing, except maybe by adding some pretty descriptive injury and vomit scenes to her books. She discovered her joy of writing during a very trying period in her life when escaping into make-believe saved her. She enjoys reading any book she gets her hands on, but has a particular love for anything fantasy.
Along with her husband, Steve, and their four sons, she lives in Grantsville, Utah--the same small town in which she grew up.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Publisher Feature Week: Meet Blaze Designer Eliza Tilton

1.      Tell us how you came to work with Blaze.I’ve always been a techy type of girl. I went to college for graphic design and marketing, but based on the job market at that time, I never went into the field. I used my skills for the job I currently worked at to create logos and t-shirt designs. When Krystal approached me about doing the formatting for Blaze, a buzz zipped through me. This is what I went to school for. This is what I’ve always wanted to do. I couldn’t have said yes fast enough.
2.     What does your job entail? I’m a bit of a mixed bag. My main job is to do all the formatting for our books, but I also help out with swag design, social media, videos, and anything else Krystal wants to throw my way.
3.     What do you enjoy most about design? Whenever I do a class visit, I always show the interior artwork in books. While a beautiful cover makes you open the book, flawless formatting can enhance the reading journey. Most readers don’t think of how the words flow on the page, but there is a silent rhythm that can you pull deeper into the story. My job is to find it.
 4.     What have your experiences been like working with authors? There’s nothing more exciting than having an author see your ideas and go, WOW!
5.     What is the hardest part in creating a design for a book? Technology…anytime Photoshop or Indesign decide not to work, I yell and eat more chocolate. Not good for my waist line!
6.     And what is the best part? Creating.
7.     Last question; If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be and why?
I’ve always loved the story of Esther. She was a woman who was prepared to sacrifice her life in order to save her people. That’s the type of role model we need, someone courageous. If we met, I’d ask how she found that courage and what advice she could give our youth when facing extremely difficult situations.

Blog Tour: Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn

Forget Tomorrowby Pintip DunnRelease Date: 11/03/15Entangled Teen
Summary from Goodreads:Imagine a world where your destiny has already been decided...by your future self.
It's Callie’s seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she's eagerly awaiting her vision―a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person they're meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist.
Or in Callie's case, a criminal.
In her vision, she sees herself murdering her beloved -- and gifted --  younger sister. Before she can process what it means, Callie is arrested, treated viciously, and placed in Limbo―a prison for those destined to break the law. With the help of her childhood crush, Logan, a boy she hasn’t spoken to in five years, she escapes this hellish prison.
But on the run from her future, as well as the government, Callie sets in motion a chain of events that she hopes will change her fate. If not, she must figure out how to protect her sister from the biggest threat of all—Callie, herself. 
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Pre-Order Links:Amazon│Barnes & Noble
About the Author
When my first-grade teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I replied, “An author.” Although I have pursued other interests over the years, this dream has never wavered.I graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. I received my J.D. at Yale Law School, where I was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL. I published an article in the YALE LAW JOURNAL, entitled, “How Judges Overrule: Speech Act Theory and the Doctrine of Stare Decisis,” and received the Barry S. Kaplan Prize for best paper in Law and Literature.I am represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. I'm a 2012 Golden Heart® finalist and a 2014 double-finalist. I'm a member of Romance Writers of America, Washington Romance Writers, YARWA, and The Golden Network.
I live with my husband and children in Maryland.
Author Links:Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook
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Publisher Feature week: Meet Blaze Project Manager Kristen

1.       Tell us how you came to work with Blaze.Krystal and I have been talking about opening a publishing company since 2012. For the longest time, it was just a pipe dream. However earlier this year, Krystal came and told me she was going to do it. She wanted to take things into her own hands, and I decided I would do everything I could to help.
2.       What does your job entail? My job is separated into two parts. First and foremost, I am in charge of Author Relations. One thing that we noticed in some other publishing houses is that sometimes you go over a week without hearing from someone after you have asked a question. We definitely did not want that for Blaze. So I act as the liaison from Blaze to the Authors, a personal contact they can reach out to. The second part is Project Management. I have worked extensively in project management for over ten years, and keeping a project on schedule is vital to the success of any business. I work with both the authors and the other blaze members to make sure our production schedule runs smoothly, and completes on time!
3.       What do you enjoy most about being project manager and author relations? My favorite part is working with the Authors, and seeing their book come to life. I get front row tickets to watching someone’s dream come true, and you really can’t beat that.
4.       What have your experiences been like working with the authors?It has been great! I work with three fantastic authors, and we just signed on two wonderful women! I can’t say it won’t be hard at times, as any partnership always has its ups and downs, but I am glad to be doing what I am doing.
5.       What is the hardest part of your job?Waiting. Waiting for submissions. Waiting for the Author to accept our offer. Waiting for the final cover art. Waiting to hold the published book in my hands. Patience was never one of my strengths, and this job is all about patience!
6.       And what is the best part?That’s a tough one. A part of me believes it is working with three fabulous women who truly want to make a difference in the industry. They want to help Authors publish their books. They want to help readers connect with high quality and meaningful stories. Another part of me would say it is helping authors achieve their dream of publication. It is magical to see how excited they are when we offer the acceptance, and with how much excitement they tackle their tasks. Its inspiring. However, if I were being honest with myself, I would have to be selfish and say that the best part is getting to read all the submissions and books. Maybe it will save me some money on my Amazon bill!
7.       Last question; If you could bring any book/movie/TV show to life, what would it be and why?
Harry Potter. Definitely Harry Potter. Why? Because I want to ride a magic broom, and jinx my nosey next door neighbor.

Blog Tour: Holly Hearts Headlines by @kenleyconrad @chapterxchapter @swoonromance

Holly Hearts Headlines(Holly Hearts Hollywood Book 2)by Kenley ConradPublication Date: Oct 27, 2015Publisher: Swoon RomanceGenre: YA, Romance

Holly Hart has it all: designer clothes, affluent friends, a recording contract, and she’s dating the biggest pop star in America.
It’s too bad he can’t be seen with her in public. It’s even worse that he seems so very cozy with Lacey, the girl who seems to enjoy stealing Holly’s dream and taking all the credit for their platinum-selling album.
And Lacey? Well she couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, but that hasn’t stopped her from basking in the glow of the fame and fortune that comes with pretending to be Holly.
Yet, Holly signed a contract vowing to never reveal her true identity as the girl behind the hit songs. Her record label doesn’t want anyone to know their teen dream is really a chubby, insecure girl from Iowa.
Holly needs to focus on finals. She can’t let herself be distracted by the extremely hot and talented Grayson Frost or his prevailing attachment to Lacey. This is the deal Holly made, and she has to honor it no matter how much she hates it.
As if that’s not enough pressure, her grandparents have come to stay, her mom is dating a guy who makes his own deodorant, Shell Shocked Records want Holly to distance herself from Grayson, and she’ll probably end up failing Driver’s Ed.In a town full of gossip and secrets, Holly wonders just how much longer she can continue to live a double life.
When the media gets a little too close for comfort, both Holly and Lacey are at risk. Soon Holly realizes her dream isn’t only about her and if she is to ever be truly happy, she’ll need to find a way past her insecurities.
Filled with laugh out loud and hold your breath moments, Holly Hearts Headlines is the follow-up to Holly Hearts Hollywood by Kenley Conrad.


Link to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26108040-holly-hearts-headlines
Purchase Links:
Amazon 

Author's Favorite Scene: It’s hard for me to say exactly what my favorite scene is because there are lots of little moments in the book that I love. I also don’t want to ruin anything for you guys. But, my favorite thing to do with Holly is write lists. I love lists, and so does Holly. In Headlines Holly has several quality lists, my favorite list being one she writes of her most influential women. Prepare yourself for lots of chuckles over her silly lists. They’re A+ quality lists.



Holly Hearts Hollywood (Holly Hearts Hollywood #1)by Kenley ConradPublication Date: September 2014Publisher: Swoon RomanceAMAZON | IBOOKS

Holly Hearts Hollywood is the first book in a series.Seventeen-year-old Holly Hart wants to be a star. She moves to Los Angeles from the small town of Cedar Junction, only to hear she’s too fat and ugly to be a famous singer.But when Shell Shocked Records looks past Holly’s plus-size and less-than-graceful-personality to offer her a recording contract, Holly cannot believe her good fortune. On closer inspection, however, the the record execs want Holly to do all the singing, and a thinner and more beautiful girl, Lacey, would lip-sync and get all the credit. Holly goes for it because after all, she wanted to sing.Contractually bound to secrecy, Holly is more than happy to sit backstage and write in her journal while Lacey shimmies in the limelight and basks in the fame. Before she knows it, Holly is friends with Serena, the pop-star daughter of a music-mogul, flirting with an intern, and developing a strange half-friendship with Lacey.When Grayson Frost, the biggest country star in America, and coincidentally, a former school bully begins dating Lacey, Holly hopes that he won’t recognize or torment her.Through a series of embarrassing and weird events, Holly gets to know Grayson and learns that he is much nicer and more mature than he was four years ago. Holly is horrified when she starts falling for him. When Grayson admits he fell for Lacey’s voice, what is a girl to do when she can’t legally tell the truth at the moment when the truth matters the most?


Kenley is a twenty-something cat lady who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. When she’s not working her office day job or writing books, you can find her either singing and dancing or binge-watching TV shows on Netflix.
Connect with the Author:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads



 http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/blog-tours/
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Publisher Feature Week: Meet Blaze's Marketing Director Mara Valderran

Earlier in the year, I brought you publisher feature months. This week I'm doing a compressed version of that for a brand new up and coming publisher: Blaze.

This is preceding a special announcement next week. So get the low down on the Blaze staff, and stay tuned.
Meet Mara!
1.     Tell us how you came to work with Blaze.Krystal asked, and I said heck yea! Marketing has always been such a fun experience for me as an author. Before I published, I was highly involved in blog tours and pimping books in general. Then I started organizing my own blog tours for my books, group promotional tours like Fall into Fantasy, and Facebook parties for myself and other authors. I've gone from being terrified of marketing to loving it. I love coming up with new ideas to market books and helping those books find their way into new readers' hands. So when Krystal asked if I'd be willing to do that for her new publishing company, I jumped at the chance.
2.     What does your job entail?  As the Marketing Director, I'm responsible for organizing and launching all of our marketing campaigns and reaching new readers through social media. We're very hands on with our marketing for Blaze books, so I'm working right there with the author to get their name and their book out there and help them to build or grow their author brand.
3.     What do you enjoy most about working in marketing? I get to let my inner fangirl out! Marketing is exciting and thrilling, so I get to stay in this constant state of giddiness when I'm working on marketing for Blaze. There's no need to contain my enthusiasm and no shyness or uncertainty about it since these aren't my books. We get a book, I get excited about it, and then I find new ways to tell the world about that book.
4.     What have your experiences been like organizing promotion for Blaze? The amount of support we've garnered in such a short time frame has been overwhelming, so organizing our events has been a blast. I love that I can send out an email to our promotional network about an event and they jump on board. It's been incredibly rewarding and inspiring.
5.     What is the hardest part of running the marketing?Probably the same thing that most authors struggle with--finding a balance between promoting your books on social media without spamming and connecting with readers in new and unique ways. You don't want to have the same boring posts all the time, but at the same time, you also don't want to go too long without posting. Since that's a daily thing, I'd say that's probably the hardest thing. I'm an organizational nut and a planner, so I love those aspects of marketing.   6.     And what is the best part?Connecting with new people in our promotional network! We're like one big family, and seeing so many people join up (which you can do here) has been awesome. I love meeting new people and seeing how they fit into the book world and what we all have in common. Writing can be such a solitary career, and this allows me the opportunity to connect with new people almost on a daily basis.  
7.     Last question; If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be and why?Oh, that's a tough one. I was always inspired by Audrey Hepburn from a young age. Her grace, her talent, but most of all her giving heart. She lived such a fascinating life from childhood on, and put her abilities to good use with her activism. But, as a writer myself, I'd also throw Jane Austen's hat into that ring. Not only was she immensely talented with a knack for creating compelling, character-driven stories, but she was also very brave. In a time where women writing, or doing anything besides getting married and having kids, was unheard of, she defied the social standards and decided to live by her pen. Her bravery and perseverance drive me to keep going on my writerly path. 

Blog Tour: Into Darkness by @Hayley__Barrett

Into Darknessby Hayley Barrett
Release Date: August 17th 2015
Double Dragon Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:

Fifteen-year-old Alexandra Spencer’s life was not supposed to turn out this way. She was not supposed to go on trial for a crime she did not commit. She was not supposed to be found guilty. And she was not supposed to be sent to Elder Grey Detention Centre, a place of horrors many don’t survive.

She is however, supposed to be the daughter of the wealthiest, most influential man in the post-apocalyptic New Zealand city of New Phoenix.

But apparently, she isn’t.

Shell-shocked and struggling to understand why she is no longer a member of the city’s ruling family, Alexandra is torn from her privileged life by the churlish young guard, Will Metcalfe, and forced to trek for three weeks through deadly wilderness to her place of imprisonment. Her journey with Will is a constant battle for survival, where she is never sure who is the real enemy. It is also journey into the truth about the safe and lavish world from which she has been cast. Through Will, she learns of a mutant race called Drifters living in the wilderness who are being preyed upon by New Phoenix’s guards—Drifter’s blood being a life saving cure-all elixir for the city’s inhabitants.

As Alex struggles to cope with her new life in Elder Grey, an act of friendship ends in tragedy. When someone she thought was an enemy pulls her from her despair, Alex discovers that old friends cannot be trusted, prejudice is another word for fear, and trust, not blood ties, make a family.Add to GoodreadsBuy Links:Amazon│Kobo Books│iBooks
Excerpt – Into Darkness
Will tried to speak, but no sound came from his mouth. He looked at me as if he wanted an answer, but I couldn’t know what he’d asked me. He touched the top of my arm, his lips moving but not his vocal chords. This time when I didn’t answer, he shook me by the shoulders.I wriggled free, hating his hands on me after what Eton had been about to do. Will tried to speak again. His lips moved. Alexandra. I understood, but he wasn’t making any sound. He threw me a spare shirt from his pack and I vaguely recalled mine was ruined. Worse than ruined, it had a rip down the centre. I took his shirt, but couldn’t move my eyes from the ghastly sight of Eton’s fatal wound, let alone think about getting changed.Will shook his head, and closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, I swear he said, “I’m sorry, Alexandra.”Then he slapped me.Everything came back into sharp focus—the river babbling, birds singing, sand flies buzzing around my face, and the fact that my shirt was wide open. I quickly pulled Will’s light blue guard’s shirt over my head, and registered for the first time the faintly metallic smell of blood.“Alex,” said Will. “Are you okay?”“You hit me.” I touched the place he’d marked my cheek, as if that was the worst thing that had happened to me in recent minutes.“I had to do something to stop you screaming.”“I wasn’t screaming.” Someone had been though—perhaps it was me. “Is he dead?”Will nodded once, and then crouched over Eton’s pack, his dark curls falling onto this cheek. He riffled through the contents, intent on finding something within.“You killed him?” I could hear the rising panic in my voice. “You killed Eton?” Will didn’t answer. “Why?”“To stop him, of course.” He spoke quietly, radiating silent anger.
About the Author

Hayley Barrett began writing in the aftermath of the devastating Christchurch earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 as a way of escaping from the ongoing terror of the natural disaster. Not totally happy with her efforts, in 2012 she commenced a novel writing course. Into Darkness, her first novel, is the result of the course and two years hard work.

Hayley lives in Rolleston, ten minutes south of Christchurch, New Zealand, with her husband and three children. When she isn’t driving her kids to their sports practices, games and other after school activities, she enjoys playing squash, relaxing in the sun and reading. Most days she wishes there were more hours available to spend writing. 
Author Links:Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

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YA Bound Book Tours

#PitchSlam #TeamSlytherin!

I like doing comps. I always enter quietly, not wanting to draw attention to myself, especially because I rarely get through to final rounds. I'm pretty sure it's the New Adult that's not borderline erotic contemporary. My books are clean, mostly, and usually not quite contemporary.
But... I MADE IT INTO PITCHSLAM! Go Team Slytherin! I'm pretty excited as you can tell. My manuscript is a Historical Romance, which is going back to my Kiya bestselling roots, but yet, it gets endless form rejections. So this tells me that I shouldn't give up yet.
I know my preferred age group is flooded with tropes and everyone believes it's all about the contemporary romances about sleeping around, but I truly believe New Adult can be so much more than that. My books sell relatively well, and get a majority of positive reviews, so I must be onto something.
I'm not going to change what I write to fit trends or expectations. I write from the heart, pure and simple. I'm not going to conform to please others. I want to write something that opens people to new things and makes them feel good when they're done.
So I want to thank the Team Slytherin mentors, for seeing the potential and giving me a chance. I think my book rocks, but I really do feel like I'm swimming against the current. Having my manuscript make the final round makes me feel as if someone has finally thrown me a paddle.

Son of a Pitch: List of Publishers

As well as our awesome Agents, we have a huge line up of publishers for you. I will be posting about these publishers and the requesting editors over the ext few weeks. But for now, here they are!



Blaze
Bloomsbury Spark
Carina
City Owl
Elephantine
Future House
Jolly Fish
Omnific
REUTS



Tigearr