Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 47

Anaiah Press Publicist: Suzanne van Rooyen

Bio:
Suzanne is a tattooed storyteller from South Africa. She currently lives in Sweden and is busy making friends with the ghosts of her Viking ancestors. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When she grows up, she wants to be an elf – until then, she spends her time (when not writing) wall climbing, buying far too many books, and entertaining her shiba inu, Lego.
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzanne-van-Rooyen/304965232847874
https://twitter.com/Suzanne_Writer

1.     Tell us how you came to work with Anaiah Press.

 I already knew quite a few members of staff at Anaiah Press from a previous publicity job. When the opportunity arose to work with this lovely group, I immediately got in touch and was delighted to be able to work with Anaiah Press.

2.     What does your job entail? 

I've had two roles with Anaiah Press. As publicist I have worked more directly with authors in scheduling online promo. For each author, this has included organizing cover reveals, trailer reveals, and blog tours as well as exploring the possibility of in-person events. As a publicist I also help my authors to create a social media presence and with any marketing related queries. As publicity manager for Anaiah Press I worked with the publicists and made sure everyone had what they needed and knew about upcoming deadlines. I was also responsible for making some of the book trailers and managing some of the Anaiah Press social media accounts.

3.     What do you enjoy most about working as a publicist? 

Getting to represent fantastic books by wonderful authors. Helping these authors find and engage with new readers. Helping to spread the word about great books that might resonate in a profound way with readers. 

4.     What have your experiences been like organizing all the authors?
Wonderful. As an author myself I know how time consuming writing guest posts and sorting out marketing can be so I try to alleviate those stresses for the author as much as possible so that they can focus on their job: writing books. The Anaiah Press authors have proven to be a hard-working, enthusiastic, generous team of people not only willing to go the extra mile to make their own book a success, but willing to support other indie authors as well. That has made my job so much easier.

5.     What is the hardest part of running the publicity?
 Deadlines. No matter how in advance you think you've started something or how aware you are of looming deadlines, they still manage to sneak up and attack when you aren't looking. Co-ordinating reveals and tours for specific dates and chasing up posts with both authors and bloggers can be nerve-wracking, but it's also part of the fun.

6.     And what is the best part?
 Seeing a book gain the recognition it deserves whether that's an Amazon sales ranking or a glowing review from a reader the book touched in some way.

7.     Last question; If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be and why?

Wow, what a difficult question to answer! The name that immediately jumped out at me was Beethoven. I've loved his music since I was a child and his music had an indelible affect on me as a pianist and musician. I still do a lot of writing to his piano sonatas and symphonies so I would definitely like to meet the man behind the music.

Bricks by John Davidson (probably my favourite Anaiah Press YA title)

Sixteen-year old Cori Reigns learns that not all tornadoes take you to magical places. Some take your house, your school, and life as you knew it. Struggling to put the pieces of her life back together, Cori learns to rebuild what the storm destroyed by trusting a family she didn't know she had and by helping friends she never appreciated.
Book LinksGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23342608-bricks
Buy Links Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/n6vaqlhB&N: http://tinyurl.com/oto6p6k

Cover Reveal for my NEW Book--Deceptive Cadence!

This book has been i the works for a long time, so I'm very excited to share this new cover with you and say the release is only months away! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for this baby.So, here are the details:
Cadence Anderson has the perfect definition of happily ever after . . .
Until she doesn't. A freak earthquake shatters her life as surely as her home, taking away everything she holds dear. She wakes in a hospital to find that her beloved husband and infant daughter have been killed, crushed by the earthquake's wrath. Disoriented, injured, and alone, Cadence refuses to accept the loss. So when a man claiming to be her guardian angel appears and offers her a chance to go back in time to save her family, she doesn't need to give it a second thought. She accepts.
Thrust back eleven years, she now faces the ordeal of high school all over again. But this time, she's armed with all the knowledge of her adult life and the determined to do everything better, from preventing the loss of her best friend to avoiding her original, drama-inducing boyfriends. She's focused solely on Austin, her future husband, and is content to bide her time until she meets him again.
But then James Gordon crosses her path. Cadence wants to remain single, but James has his sights set. He is determined to win her over, and he's very hard to resist. As Cadence starts to develop unwanted feelings for him, she realizes he threatens to disrupt everything, changing the future and distracting her from her original goal. Now, Cadence must choose: deny the unpredictable and exciting path James offers her, or stay true to the life she had and is trying desperately to resurrect. Second chances are more complicated than they seem.

Deceptive Cadence combines the soaring emotion of a heartfelt romance with the innovative storytelling of magical realism, crafting a uniquely moving, intricate tale about love and loss that asks: what would you do if given the chance to right all your wrongs?
Add it on Goodreads
And since you guys know me, I think you know how to find me on my blog (here) twitter, and Facebook. If not, my links are on the right. :-)
I hope you like! I love the simplicity, but yet how pretty it is, and so Cadence!!!
Check out some of the other cover reveal hosts:http://asleuthofbears.com/?p=92
http://www.eventide-barley.com/cover-reveal-deceptive-cadence/
http://summerwier.com/cover-reveal-deceptive-cadence-by-katie-hamstead-2/

Publisher Feature Month: Anaiah Press Introduction

About Anaiah Press from their Website:

Anaiah Press is a Christian digital-first publishing house dedicated to presenting quality faith-based fiction and non-fiction books to the public. Our goals is to provide out authors with the close-knit, hands-on experience of working with a small press, while making sure they don't have to sacrifice quality editing, cover art, and marketing.

Follow along for the Anaiah Press team!Submit to AP here.

REUTS End of Month Wrap Up and GIVEAWAY

Another month over.A huge thank you to everyone who jumped in to make this REUTS feature a success. To all the authors, editors, and staff from REUTS, a special thank you. And everyone who followed along, and especially commented, I love you! Please come back for April's feature to meet more amazing people.

Some quick stats:
Most popular Author post: Valentina Cano
Most popular Staff post: Ashley Ruggirello
Most popular post overall: Valentina Cano
Countries where the most visitors came from: 
1. US
2. Russia
3.Canada

Now, for the big event, the GIVEAWAY!!!

For all those who have commented throughout the month you are instantly in the draw once for each comment you made. To enter, comment below on what you enjoyed about the feature month and what you learned. Winners will be announced the first Saturday of April. Here are the prizes! (books are ebooks unless otherwise stated)

REUTS has donated two hardcover copies of the 2013 Project REUTSway anthology,Fairly Twisted Tales for a Horribly Ever After, and then five additional eBooks of the winners choosing


One read report, and 3 first chapter critiques/polishes by Kisa Whipkey(A read report according to Kisa's site: Curious what reviewers/acquisitions editors think when they read your story? Here’s your chance to find out. Using my talents as a developmental editor, I will read your work and analyze it, from top to bottom, providing you with an in depth response that will help you refine your work and possibly land that elusive publishing offer.
Cover Art* and Five Query Critiques by Ashley Ruggirello*Note: if stock photography needs to be purchased that would fall on the winner to acquire.
Dare to Dream by Carys Green
Golden by Melinda Michaels
Sachael Dreams by Melody Winter
The Rose Master by Valentina Cano


And of course, the left over prizes from the last two months are also available:


Three of Matthew Cox's books, winners choice, of Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, Caller 107, or Operation Chimera

Death, the Devil, and the Goldfish, and Stiltskin by Andrew Buckley
The Undead by Elsie Elmore

Scrapbook by Amy Lynn Spitzley

2 ecopies of Kiss Me Dead by Dale Ibitz
2 ecopies of Protect Her by Sophia Kimble
The Tithe by Elle Hill

Riding for Love by Tina Susedik
Between Land and Sea by Joanne Guidoccio

Cover Reveal: The Black Oracle by Michael Cristiano

I'm so excited for this! I read this as an acquisitions and couldn't put it down. I think I read it in two nights. When I got the email for the cover, I may have dropped everything and not read the email until after I opened the file! So keep an out for this one. Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press Release Date: May 11, 2015
Cover Art: Alexandria N. ThompsonOn a post-apocalyptic Earth, humans are not alone.Joachim is a hunter. Though generations have passed since the Great Death, something has evolved in the trees beyond the giant glowing mushrooms, mutants that want to see human entrails spread along the jungle floor.And now they've taken Joachim’s wife.To get her back, Joachim will have to give the leader of these demons something in return: immortality. A creature knows when he is going to die, after all. Plunged into a world of magic and darkness, Joachim must find the only woman who knows where the ingredients are. She is a prophetess known as the Black Oracle living in the realm of Zalm, but she’s a little preoccupied at the moment. She leads a rebellion against the ruthless High Council, and when Joachim seeks her out, he too finds himself consumed by her struggle.In a story of betrayal, prophecy, and bloodshed, Joachim has ten days to retrieve the ingredients and return to Earth all while evading the High Council’s army, one that wants the Black Oracle and her associates killed — Joachim included.Add it to your to-read list on Goodreads!------- Michael Cristiano is a Canadian writer. His relentless obsession with fiction began long before he could even spell the words 'relentless obsession'. Growing up in endless suburban sprawl, he spent most of his childhood getting lost in fantastical masterpieces and attempting to be published by the age of thirteen.When he isn’t writing or reading, he can be found planning his next backpacking trip around the world. He is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto with studies in Foreign Language and Linguistics. Previously, he attended a Regional Arts high school where he majored in drama. He is fond of all things dramatic.Michael currently resides in the Greater Toronto Area and he is using his years as a twenty-something to establish what he hopes will be a long career in writing. The Black Oracle, his debut novel, is due for publication on May 11, 2015.Website | Facebook| Twitter| Goodreads

REUTS Author Interview: C.L. Denault

C.L. Denault is a speculative fiction writer who loves dreaming up tales of adventure and intrigue. A former systems analyst, she gave up her nerdy code-writing skills to care for her family (including a son with special needs), and currently lives among the vast stretches of cornfields in Illinois.
Writing and blogging are her biggest passions, along with drinking coffee and watching sci-fi. When she’s not hanging out with her husband and kids, she can usually be found at a library or tucked away in the shadowy corner of a hip coffeehouse. She’s also been glimpsed sneaking into her garage, late at night, to work on her time machine.
She enjoys connecting with people—especially those from other planets, nearby dimensions, and the future. To find her, just visit www.cldenault.com or The INFJ Café. Or use a Stargate. Whichever is easiest.
Tell us how you came to be an Author with REUTS.
My introduction to REUTS was a classic case of serendipity! I was a member of an online writing community and had some of my material out there for feedback and review. When Kisa Whipkey, Senior Editorial Director at REUTS, started following my work, I noticed her status as an editor. Intrigued, I reached out, and she encouraged me to submit my manuscript. A couple of months later, they offered me a contract.
What do you enjoy most about being a REUTS Author?
I really like the way the REUTS team considers all of us a family. They encourage and support their authors in our journey toward publication, lend their expertise at every turn, and work hard to foster community. They’re not just co-workers, they’re friends, and that’s a huge comfort to someone like me, who’s very new to the publication process.
What have your experiences been like working toward being published?
At first, the whole thing was overwhelming. I walked in a complete newbie with zero experience and a huge learning curve to tackle. Fortunately, the REUTS team was patient enough to show me the ropes. They held my hand and supported me through everything from cover design to coping with line edits. I never dreamed that publication would be such a multifaceted process, but REUTS has gone out of their way to make it enjoyable.
What would you have done differently?
Nothing. I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason, and my journey with REUTS has shaped me in some really unique and important ways. I never argue with serendipity!
How has your book been marketed?
As an introvert and rookie novelist, I knew very little about how to market a book. So REUTS helped me set up a Facebook fan page and Goodreads account to get started. They provided Facebook and Twitter banners, as well as teaser images and a book trailer to draw attention to my release. They’ve also been very good about sharing links, retweeting, and setting up a blog tour to help spread the word.
Any advice on how to better market a book?
Build lots of authentic connections. Especially with extraverts! Word-of-mouth is a powerful tool, and the bigger your community, the more likely you are to have your work in front of the right people.
Last question; If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go, when would it be, and what would you be wearing?
Definitely New Zealand. Auckland’s at the top of my bucket list, and since they have summer in December, I’d leave behind the snowy Midwest and enjoy hiking some trails and jet boating. Stopping first, of course, at Eddie Bauer for some high-quality hiking outfits. And then…bring on the adventure!
Thanks so much for having me, Katie!

In Earth’s battle-ridden future, humans have evolved. Those with extraordinary skills rise to power and fame. Those without live in poverty.

Sixteen-year-old Willow Kent believed she was normal. But when a genetically-advanced military officer shows up in her village and questions her identity, long-buried secrets begin to emerge. With remarkable skills and a shocking genetic code the Core and its enemies will do anything to obtain, Willow suddenly finds the freedom she craves slipping through her fingers. Greed, corruption, and genetic tampering threaten every aspect of her existence as she’s thrust, unwilling, into the sophisticated culture of the elite Core city. To ensure peace, she must leave the past behind, marry a man she’s never met, and submit to the authority of a relentless officer with a hidden agenda of his own.

Her life has become a dangerous game. How much will she sacrifice in order to win?
Gambit releases on March 31st.Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19314543-gambit

Special Guest Leigh Statham, CP and Friend!

So I'm taking a moment to host my good friend and CP, Leigh. She has just released her debut novel, so I wanted to have her come by and share with everyone all about her book.



I'm so excited to be on Katie Teller's blog today! Thank you for having me. And I'm so excited to talk to you about my debut YA novel - The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl from Month9Books.

So, when people find out I sold a book the first thing they ask me is, "What's the title?"
And I hesitate. 
Because that's a freaking huge title. And titles are a big deal. I have very few writing buddies who just throw out a great title in the first try. Most of us agonize over it as we write, then while we edit, and sometimes even right before it goes to print. I was no different.
My working title was Daughters of the King. Cool right? Sounds European, old world, possibly a bit too fantasy rather than steampunk, but I was ok with that. Then I got deep into my historical research. 
Turns out just about every book written on the Daughters of the King program (a real 17th century French program meant to bolster the French colonies in Canada) was titled... wait for it... Daughters of the King. 
Surprised? Nah, but I should have known that. So for a long time I just called it Marguerite. That's the main character's name and she really is the driving force of the whole book. It's about her life, her choices, her adventure - but I still didn't feel that was a good representation of the work itself. It just didn't feel right. 
So before I started sending out queries, I decided to spend some quality time and really bang out a cool one word title. Because all the hottest books these days have awesome one word titles that some how magically encapsulate all that is their YA novel. 
In order to do this I gathered up chocolate snacks, my thesaurus and dictionary and found a sunny spot to flip around pages and think. 
The first word that I came to was perilous. I thought... that's a great word! And it sums up her journey really well. But I wasn't satisfied. Then I ran into innocuous and I thought... ooooh! That's a great word! And what a great meaning! 
in·noc·u·ousiˈnäkyo͞oəs/adjectivenot harmful or offensive."it was an innocuous question"synonyms:harmless, safe, nontoxic, innocent;
But yah, nothing about this book was innocuous. If I wanted to write a book and call it Innocuous, it would have to be a completely different story. Actually, that book sounded like a futuristic germ warfare kinda thing. Not my style at all, and if anything, Marguerite is not-so-innocuous.
So I was back to square one, looking up words, trying them out, throwing them away. Finally I threw the rest of my M&M's in my mouth, said, "This is stupid!"  and I quickly typed "The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl" in the spot labeled <Kick Butt Title Goes Here!> and started sending out queries. 
I'd heard that most books ended up having the title changed anyway. And by this point, I figured, hey! Maybe they have the perfect one word I didn't think of. In the mean time, maybe this will catch some attention - and it worked.
Turns out, the publisher, my editor, and everyone who's read it loves the title. I still think it's crazy and I still pause for a minute before I rattle it off at unsuspecting would-be fans, but I'm kind of in love with it. It sums up the book perfectly, it uses my two favorite words for the book (and hyphenated phrase) and it definitely gets attention.
Plus I think it captures the steampunk spirit of "more is way better" pretty well. How do you feel about long titles vs. short? How do you feel about finding the perfect title? Has a title ever grabbed you and forced you to buy the book then and there? Leave a comment below and I'll choose a random winner for a free copy of my book in the eformat of your choice. 
Title: THE PERILOUS JOURNEY OFTHE NOT-SO-INNOCUOUS GIRLPublication date: March 17, 2015Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.Author: Leigh Statham Lady Marguerite lives a life most 17th century French girls can only dream of: Money, designer dresses, suitors and a secure future. Except, she suspects her heart may be falling for her best friend Claude, a common smithie in the family’s steam forge. When Claude leaves for New France in search of a better life, Marguerite decides to follow him and test her suspicions of love. Only the trip proves to be more harrowing than she anticipated. Love, adventure and restitution await her, if she can survive the voyage.ABOUT LEIGH STATHAM: Leigh Statham was raised in the wilds of rural Idaho, but found her heart in New York City. She worked as a waitress, maid, artist, math teacher, nurse, web designer, art director, thirty-foot inflatable pig and mule wrangler before she settled down in the semi-quiet role of wife, mother and writer. She resides in North Carolina with her husband, four children, five chickens and two suspected serial killer cats. If the air is cool and the sun is just coming up over the horizon, you can find her running the streets of her small town, plotting her next novel with the sort of intensity that will one day get her hit by a car.Connect with the Author: Website |Twitter | Facebook | GoodreadsLink to the Tour Schedule:http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/tour-schedule-the-perilous-journey-of-the-not-so-innocuous-girl-by-leigh-statham-presented-by-month9books/Link to Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18308621-the-perilous-journey-of-the-not-so-innocuous-girlPurchase Links:Chapters Indigo | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | TBD |

REUTS Editorial Director: Kisa Whipkey

Bio:Kisa Whipkey is a dark fantasy author, a martial arts demo team expert, and a complete sucker for Cadbury Mini-eggs. She's also the Editorial Director for YA/NA publisher, REUTS Publications. She developed a passion for storytelling at a young age and has pursued that love through animation, writing, video game design, and demo teams, until finally finding her home in editing. She believes in good storytelling, regardless of medium, and applauds anything featuring a snarky lead character, a complicated narrative structure, and brilliant/uncommon analogies. Currently, she lives in the soggy Pacific Northwest with her husband and plethora of electronics.
Her personal blog--featuring sarcastic commentary on all things storytelling--is located at www.kisawhipkey.com. Or connect with her via Twitter: @kisawhipkey. And, of course, to learn more about REUTS Publications, please visit www.reuts.com.
1.      Tell us how you came to work with REUTS.
Would you accept destiny as an answer? No? Well, okay then. Here’s how it happened:

I joined Deviantart.com in 2011, intent on starting a freelance art career after graduating college and doing what I did best back then—wandering aimlessly and putting my life on hold. By 2012, I had figured out that I had a penchant for editing. It was something I think I always knew, but editing was a mystical job that I had no idea how to get. It was up there with astronaut and unicorn breeder in my list of awesome jobs that would probably never happen. And then, guess what? It happened.
I had already done a few freelance projects when I stumbled on an ad calling for editors for a new press. Not having the traditional editor background—BA in English/Literature/Writing—I assumed it was a long shot, but I applied anyway. Because I might not have a degree in literature, but I do have one in storytelling (well, visual storytelling). That press was REUTS. Ashley Ruggirello and I hit it off, and the rest is history.
I always hesitate to tell that story, because I really do feel lucky—it kind of fell into my lap—which is why I say destiny or fate must have been involved. But hopefully, it inspires someone out there. Don’t shy away from something solely because you don’t think you fit; it might end up being exactly where you’re meant to be.
2.      What does your job entail? 

A little of everything, really. As Editorial Director, I manage the editorial department. So I make the editor assignments, monitor the publication timeline, assist with marketing where needed (things like book blurbs, excerpts, website copy etc), weigh in on acquisitions, create the editorial plans and write the edit letters for incoming manuscripts we’re signing, (pause for breath), interview any editorial applicants, make connections with writing organizations and bookstores and cool people, proofread the finalized manuscripts before publication, answer editing questions and help problem solve, and, as if that weren’t enough, I take lead on many of the projects myself. (Lead editor is responsible for the entire editing process—from structural edits, to multiple passes of line edits, to proofreading.) So yeah, I wear a lot of hats. Anyone else exhausted just reading that? Imagine living it. :/
3.      What do you enjoy most about being an editor? 

So many things, but if I have to choose one, it would be structural (aka developmental or concept) editing. That’s really my forte, I think, digging down into the bones of a story and fixing it until all the pieces fit. My favorite analogy for the process is medical, surgery specifically, so the term Book Doctor gets thrown around the digital halls of REUTS now and then. And that’s probably pretty accurate. I’m sure surgeons feel the same satisfaction I do when they save someone who was otherwise broken and dying. Structural editing does the same thing for stories, though with less blood, and I find it extremely rewarding.
4.      What have your experiences been like working with the authors?

Good! Everyone I’ve had the privilege of working with has been fantastic. I’m always honored and humbled when they entrust their babies to me, and there’s nothing I like more than watching them watch their stories get stronger. It’s often a messy, terrifying process, and I get that, but at the end, hearing the joy (and sometimes amazement) in their voices when they see their baby, all shiny and sparkly and ready for the world, makes all the stress, the late nights, the freak outs (and occasional verbal lashings) worth it. (Side note: don’t abuse your editor. We don’t like that.)
5.      What is the hardest part of being an editor?

Dealing with author expectations. Not quite what you were expecting me to say, is it? But it’s the truth. I don’t find the actual act of editing hard. It’s time consuming and mentally exhausting, but I wouldn’t call it “hard.” No, the hardest part of being an editor is navigating the field of landmines that are author expectations. And by that, I don’t mean what they expect of us in terms of editing. More so, the expectation that they’re the center of our universe and the only thing we’re working on.
I know that sounds jaded and harsh, so let me explain. I love my authors, I really do. And I love working with new people and helping them on their publication journeys. But at any given time, I have a to-do list that probably rivals the President’s in terms of length, and am juggling as many as six—yes six—different projects at once. And all six of those are equally important. So constantly being hounded for schedule updates, being barraged with verbal assaults because I’m not working fast enough, being expected to answer immediately, 24/7, via various social media sites, or being expected to basically live and breathe a project is frustrating, to say the least. That’sthe hardest part of being an editor. So authors, if you’re reading this, please, please keep that in mind and adjust your expectations accordingly. Editors are people. Treat us as such, and we’ll love you all the more for it.
6.      And what is the best part?
For all that I sound like a burned out whiner in that last question, there’s a moment that makes it all worth it for me—the “proud teacher moment.” It comes at the very end of a project, after everything’s been wrapped and sent off to production. It’s the moment when I get to sit back and watch my author step into the spotlight; the moment they get to shine and earn the accolades and credit they deserve. I love that moment, not because of my role in it, but because that’s what success looks like, and I genuinely want everyone to experience it.
7.      Last question; If you could bring any book/movie/TV show to life, what would it be and why?
Oh, man! I don’t know that I would bring any to life, honestly. Storytelling is such a brutal thing, filled with conflict and angst and terrible terrible things. I like having the ability to escape into stories, but I don’t think I’d ever want to live them. So many overwhelming emotions. Life’s already pretty brutal, do we really need to make it worse?
But, if I could bring one thing into existence, it would be dragons. Not the scary, destruction-and-death-on-wings kind, though. More like the Toothless kind from How to Train Your Dragon. I mean, come on, who wouldn’t want a pet dragon? 

REUTS Author: Melody Winter

Growing up, Melody Winter showed a natural ability in art, a head for maths, and a tendency to write far too long English essays. Difficult to place in the world when she graduated, she pursued a career in teaching, but eventually ended up working in Finance. Melody is convinced the methodical time she spends working with numbers fuels her desire to drift into dream worlds and write about the illusory characters in her head.Melody Winter lives in North Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two sons. When not dealing with football, rugby, and a whole plethora of ‘boy’ activities, she will be found scribbling notes for her stories, or preparing for another trip to the beach. With an obsession for anything mythical, Melody revels in reading and writing about such creatures.
Sachael Dreams is her debut novel, and the first in her New Adult Romantic Fantasy series—the ‘Mine Series’.Website: www.melodywinter.comTwitter: @melodywinter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melodywinterbookscom
1.      Tell us how you came to be an Author with REUTS.My initial contact with them came about quite by chance on twitter. Kisa Whipkey followed me, and I took a look at her profile and saw her connection to REUTS. I followed them, they followed back. It grew from there—a few DM’s to Kisa about whether she would be interested in seeing my manuscript—a submission following REUTS guidelines and a very quick response for the full. I was lucky with my timing, as they were just starting to be noticed and literally, after I received my request they were inundated. Several tense and nail-biting months followed before I got the ‘YES, WE WANT SACHAEL DREAMS!’Those months were the longest months of my life, but the memory soon faded when I got that magic ‘Yes’.
2.      What do you enjoy most about being a REUTS Author?Without doubt it’s the conversations with staff at REUTS and the other authors signed with them as well as other writers who support REUTS. It’s a growing community, and a very popular one. Everyone is incredibly supportive, and I feel like I’ve made several very good friends since I started talking to REUTS.
3.      What have your experiences been like working toward being published?Initially I was worried that everything was been left to the last minute. I hate not being in control and found the waiting for it to be ‘my turn’ slightly frustrating. I understand that there are only so many hours in the day and I am not their only author, but it worried me quite a lot. Having said that—it was my first every published book, so I have nothing to compare my experience to. But, everything was completed on time and the finished result is amazing.
4.      What would you have done differently?I’m not sure I’d do anything differently. Perhaps I’ll try not panic as much when book two is released later this year. I’ll try to be more laid back about the whole thing and completely trust their judgment and timings.
5.      How has your book been marketed?I had a cover reveal at the beginning of January, which was very exciting. It was a crazy day—next time I’ll take the day off work! I’ve worked closely with Summer Wier (REUTS Marketing Director) and Tiffany Rose (Marketing Assistant) They’ve helped me pull together some teasers, memes, and an amazing video trailer for Sachael Dreams. They designed a twitter header, and a Facebook header for me using my book cover design. I had a giveaway on Goodreads, and I had a Facebook party for 2 hours on the day of my release. A blog tour is happening all through March, and I’m enjoying the interaction and chat that it’s creating.I’ve also been pretty pro-active myself. I have bookmarks, a limited set of postcards featuring 7 characters from the book, (with 7 new characters for each book in the series) mermaid beaded bookmarks, and key chain fobs, all of which I will be selling on my website. I’ve yet to see how popular these items are, but it’s been fun creating them.
6.      Any advice on how to better market a book?That’s difficult to answer at the moment as my book only released on 24th February, and I’m still busy with the marketing. But, I can say that it takes time to market your book. Is it worth it? Yes, but you need to find the best way to market YOUR book. A lot depends on what avenues you are prepared to take, how much you are willing to do yourself, and how much money you can afford to spare. I see the marketing of Sachael Dreams as my responsibility with assistance from REUTS. Some of the things I’ve done will work, some won’t. But I’ll learn from it, and tweak my efforts with the second book in the series.
7.      Last question; If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go, when would it be, and what would you be wearing?Anywhere? Gosh. I’m not a great traveler, but in the ‘real’ world, I’d love to take a tour of America to meet the people I’ve met while writing. The majority of the REUTS team are spread across the USA, and so is one of my close friends. REUTS keep threatening a meet up convention in Vegas, so hopefully I’ll get to meet everyone there. I’d probably wear something pretty normal although in Vegas, maybe I should invest in a mermaid costume and have some hunky men carry me around in a tank of water!The one other place I’d like to visit would be Damanhur, a series of underground caves in Italy, near Turin. They look amazing, and I’d view it as a privilege to be able to venture underground to see them—they are stunning!If it was a fictional place I’d love to travel to Saicean which is a world deep under the Atlantic Ocean in my books. I’d love to see the world I’ve tried to explain to my readers. There are many things about it that would be completely stunning to see and there’d be lots of ‘hot’ men! Also . . . I want to meet Kaimi J
Twenty-two-year-old Estelle Bailey has had enough of busy city-life and her hot-tempered ex. She escapes to the seclusion and peace of her family’s clifftop home in Ravenscar, where the soothing solitude whispers to her soul as strongly as the sea itself does. But her newfound contentment is interrupted when a mysterious man—a Sachael, master of seduction—joins her midnight swim unexpectedly.Estelle struggles against his charm and the overpowering attraction she feels for him. He offers her a life she never could have imagined, a life beneath the waves . . . but at what cost? Before she can decide, she’s captured, ensnared by the Sect, a secret enemy of the Sachaels, becoming a pawn in a war she knew nothing about.Now, she’s left with a new choice—escape the clutches of the Sect and flee into the ocean, or side with her alluring, intimidating captor and destroy the Sachaels forever. Can she turn her back on the man she might love, or will the secret of her heritage change everything?Set against a picturesque backdrop, Sachael Dreams is the first in a new series, exploring themes of romance, love, and identity, and the struggle that happens when all three collide.
Buy linksREUTS.com  Amazon.uk  Amazon.com

REUTS Author Interview: Drew Hayes

Author Bio:

Drew Hayes is an author from Texas who has written several books and found the gumption to publish a few (so far). He graduated from Texas Tech with a B.A. in English, because evidently he's not familiar with what the term "employable" means. You can read more of his growing work at his website, www.drewhayesnovels.com, send him mail and movie offers at Novelistdrew@gmail.com, or just follow his twitter: DrewHayesNovels. Drew has been called one of the most profound, prolific, and talented authors of his generation, but a table full of drunks will say almost anything when offered a round of free shots. Drew feels kind of like a D-bag writing about himself in the third person like this. He does appreciate that you're still reading, though.

Drew would like to sit down and have a beer with you. Or a cocktail. He's not here to judge your preferences. Drew is terrible at being serious, and has no real idea what a snippet biography is meant to convey anyway. Drew thinks you are awesome just the way you are. That part, he meant. Drew is off to go high-five random people, because who doesn't love a good high-five? No one, that's who.

1.      Tell us how you came to be an Author with REUTS.
                You ever have a bender so epic that you wake up three days later with nothing save for handcuffs on your ankles, arrest reports in your pocket, and a laundry list of things you did but don’t remember? That’s not pertinent to the discussion, I just wonder if I’m the only one sometimes. But anyway, we aren’t here to talk about why I’m banned from the Santa Monica Zoo, we’re talking about joining REUTs!                Despite my flippant and irresponsible personality, I actually took submitting one of my pieces to a publisher very seriously. I dug around a lot, looking not only for ones I thought I’d get along with, but also a company that didn’t have whole sections of the internet talking about their terribleness. REUTs was a rare gem that fit those requirements, as every author I talked to spoke of how much care they’d shown for both the work and creator. They were smaller than some of the others I was looking at, but I decided I liked what they seemed to be all about and took a risk, sending them Fred, The Vampire Accountant, which was one of the only works I’ve done I expected a legitimate publisher to touch.                As an aside, since I am now, and have been for over a year, a REUTs author, I can confirm what I was told before: the level of respect and care shown to those they work with is unparalleled.
2.      What do you enjoy most about being a REUTS Author?
                I’d have to say the interactivity. Through REUTS’s social media network and writer contests I’ve met many of my internet friends, one of my freelance editors, and several fellow authors I can talk shop with. REUTS took a page from what we in the web-serial world work hard to do, whether they meant to or not, and focused on building a community more than a brand. Brands are good at a macro level, they build reputation and desirability, however for companies that don’t run billion dollar marketing campaigns, I’ve found a community is far more effective. Communities offer support, word of mouth, interest, and sometime specialized skills when odd needs come up.                Plus, they’re a lot of fun to be a part of!
3.      What have your experiences been like working toward being published?
                Hoo boy, people are going to hate me for this one. I’ve actually had a very smooth road in terms of being published. I started my first web-serial back in 2008, and spent around five years just working on my craft and growing my site’s community. When I finally went into the e-book market, it was with a small but dedicated group of readers spreading the word, and they helped get me enough exposure to where my works actually started gaining ground outside the site’s community. From there things just sort of snowballed.                You also might have meant that question to be about being traditionally published rather than indie, which is what my other works are classified, but I already told that story in Question #1. I wanted to try the other way, looked until I found someone who I thought would be a good fit, and submitted. I got very lucky that they also saw something in me, and the path to publication kept on being smooth.                If you’re wondering, yes, “stumbling ass-over-teakettle lucky” has been used to describe me more than once.
4.      What would you have done differently?
                With writing? I’d have started earlier. I wasted a lot of time not writing in my twenties because I was so scared that deep down I had no talent and would fail. I might be so much further along in my art and career if not for the time pissed away on self-doubt.                With publishing? Pretty much nothing. Like I said, I’ve gotten stupidly lucky in how things have gone so far. Don’t want to change something and butterfly effect myself back into a cubicle job.                With life? Buy stock in Google. Other than not being a billionaire, I’m pretty happy with how things are rolling so far.
5.      How has your book been marketed?
                Vigorously! Wait… is that word dirty? I mean, not inherently, I don’t think. It’s probably only dirty if someone adds extra emphasis or draws lots of attention...to…it. Damnit.                *Ahem* What I meant what that REUTS has marketed through a blog tour, social marketing, giveaways, and probably other methods that I am unaware of. They’ve also made a significant effort to get local and indie book stores stocking it on the shelves, which would be preeeeeetty rad in my humble opinion. All in all it seems to be working, so whatever they are doing I hope they keep it up.
6.      Any advice on how to better market a book?
                Super Bowl ads are still a thing, right? They seem to do well, anyway. Maybe try one of those?                In all seriousness: Holy hell no. I am so not a marketing specialist it’s not even funny. I have negative knowledge about marketing. Talking to me on the subject for too long with actually make people dumber about it. You need a cocktail mixed or a spreadsheet made, I’m your guy. Marketing… you’re better off asking the pros. Or the amateurs. Or drunken high school students. Seriously, it’s hard to do worse than me on this topic.7.      Last question; If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go, when would it be, and what would you be wearing?
                Five star all-inclusive resort in Hawaii, early summer, and none of your business disembodied text I’m treating as an entity. I know writers are supposed to be all “unique” in our desires and passions, but you cannot over estimate how much I love beach environments. When I finally buy a house, I want it to be a beach house. I got to live in a beachfront condo for a few months in the dead of winter and I loved every freaking moment of it.                So I’d go all-inclusive cause I like food and booze, five-star cause I like quality, Hawaii cause it would be new, and early summer cause that’s just the right amount of heat. If you insist on knowing I’d likely be wearing a t-shirt and either shorts or a swimsuit, which is just waterproof shorts. To be fair, that’s what I wear most of the year anyway though, so it’s not much of a stretch. Under it all I’m simple man who loves a warm breeze, the smell of saltwater, and a cold fruity drink in his hand.
                …damn, now I want to write a book in a tropical locale so I can write off a trip as a “business expense”. Way to contribute to my impulsive decision making. Geez!

Fred blurb:

Some people are born boring. Some live boring. Some even die boring. Fred managed to do all three, and when he woke up as a vampire, he did so as a boring one. Timid, socially awkward, and plagued by self-esteem issues, Fred has never been the adventurous sort. 

One fateful night – different from the night he died, which was more inconvenient than fateful – Fred reconnects with an old friend at his high school reunion. This rekindled relationship sets off a chain of events thrusting him right into the chaos that is the parahuman world, a world with chipper zombies, truck driver wereponies, maniacal necromancers, ancient dragons, and now one undead accountant trying his best to “survive.” Because even after it’s over, life can still be a downright bloody mess.