Cairn Rodrigues's Blog: The Light Stealers Song, page 9
February 5, 2014
Blog Tour Day 3 – Travellers
Pleasant day, Travellers 
Thanks for checking in and checking out my newest guest post about The Last Prospector on the blog of Cara Lopez Lee.
Today, we are exploring journeys of all kinds, physical and metaphorical. Please join us and learn a little more about the world of Solstice, maybe you’ll become a traveller too!
Come on, you so know you want to buy THE LAST PROSPECTOR ON AMAZON.COM.
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February 4, 2014
Blog Tour Day 2: Question Girl Gets Questioned
Welcome Travellers to the second stop on my blog tour for The Last Prospector!
Please join me today on The Diesel-Electric Elephant Company. Ian Hutson, author of NGLAND XPX, served me some of my own sauce and asked some fun questions.
We hope to see you there
Oh, and I would really appreciate it if you purchased THE LAST PROSPECTOR ON AMAZON.COM.
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February 3, 2014
Blog Tour Kick Off! Getting Sexy
Hello Travellers!
I am delighted to be making the first stop on my blog tour at Blood Red Pencil. It’s February and BRP is featuring literary sex all month long, so make sure to check in daily for steamy reads.
There are a few racy scenes in The Last Prospector. Today’s guest post is about making the decision to include adult situations and I’d love to hear what you think.
If you’re already curious, you can buy The Last Prospector at Amazon.com 
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January 29, 2014
Book Excerpt – The Last Prospector
I hope you enjoy the following excerpt from my book, The Last Prospector. In the chapter titled Treasure Hunt, Prospector and his new friend Tonyo are still getting to know each other. I think this piece says a lot about Prospector’s character and why Tonyo comes to trust him so easily.
Every five years or so in Cyannis, a large fair is mounted. All the breeders bring their finest beasties to show and sell. It’s a grand business and social event. Almost everyone in the blue tier comes to the fair to sell their goods, see the sights and catch up with old friends. When Prospector was nine, Gharyld packed everyone off from the Hearth to spend the duration of the Breeder’s Ball near Leohna.
It was a fine adventure for young Grayme Ceruleya and his siblings. They camped under the stars, competed in the contests and ate all the rare treats exotic vendors sold under the tents. There were magickers making pretty girls disappear and raconteurs from all over the tiers trying to outdo each other with stories. A troupe of acrobats from Roja flew through the air twice daily.
But what impressed Prospector and younger brother Dapamo the most were the Yatagan Brothers. They were two men expert at both throwing and catching knives. Their hands moved like lightning as they threw blades of all sizes at each other in a frenzy of motion. Neither one ever missed as each brother caught a knife with one hand while throwing with the other.
Prospector watched their show as often as possible. He even tried a few moves with Dapamo until Coryne caught them. Their mother put a stop to any more knife play, but memories of those sure-handed brothers stayed with Prospector. He had never since seen anyone move with such speed and dexterity. Not until he met Tonyo.
Now, the boy was standing close to Mak. In his hand was a straw viper. He’d snatched it up from the grass right before the big cat stepped on the well camouflaged snake. Straw vipers were among the deadliest serpents in Solstice. One bite could possibly kill even a large creature like Makyldun.
Prospector didn’t even see the snake. He was telling Tonyo some stories about Tibaryus and how very much he liked to blow things up. It was a beautiful day, the three of them were off exploring the foothills of the Knives. There were many caves and nooks hidden in the rocks. Prospector hadn’t seen any vipers during the many months they camped in the meadows. He didn’t even think to look for them.
But Tonyo’s sharp eyes missed very little. He moved so quickly that Prospector did not even have time to form a question in his mind about what the boy was doing. The nomad’s hand darted down into the grass suddenly. He came up with the three foot snake in a split second and now held the beastie with an expression of disgust. Prospector was impressed for truly. He just looked at the boy with admiration for a few moments. Clearly the boy had gifts that Prospector didn’t fully understand.
“Well, that was,” Prospector searched for a proper word to describe it, “good.” He nodded with appreciation and gratitude that Mak wasn’t bitten.
Tonyo wasn’t much of a talker. He just nodded back impassively and began to search for a rock to smash the viper’s head. He did not care for serpents, the bite of a sand viper killed his father when Tonyo was seven. He had killed many snakes in retribution since then. Prospector watched the nomad searching for something. He saw that look in the boy’s brown eyes.
“Hold on there,” he said gently, “whatcha mean to do wi’ th’ beastie?”
Tonyo looked at Prospector quizzically. “Kill it,” he said simply.
The crease between Prospector’s eyebrows darkened a bit, but his voice was still kind. “Nay, there’s no need to do that is there?”
He pulled his pack off of Mak, looking around inside until he found a burlap sack. Prospector opened the sack beneath the snake. He gestured with his hands for Tonyo to drop it inside.
Tonyo thought this was a ridiculous idea. “It would have killed us.”
Prospector let out an impatient breath and said, “Nay Tonyo, it would ha’ defended itself. It’s nay evil, it’s just a snake out livin’ its life. Defending yourself be a good thing but killin’ something just because you can, well, that’s not a good thing. Do ye understand Tonyo?”
Tonyo did not understand. To him it was just a useless serpent and a potentially dangerous enemy. But Prospector was both soft hearted and stubborn. Tonyo dropped the straw viper into the sack with a roll of his eyes. Prospector smiled happily. The crease disappeared as he carefully closed the sack and mounted Makyldun.
“We’ll be back directly. Jus’ gonna find a safe distance for the little bugger,” Prospector said as he leaned into the cat and cantered off.
Prospector and Mak headed north to deposit the viper safely far away from the exploration zone, finding a suitable spot near a pile of rocks. He left the bag, wished the serpent a pleasant day and rode back to where Tonyo waited. Prospector thought about how quickly the boy moved with the serpent. It was almost supernatural, but very unlikely that the nomad had been magicked or enchanted.
No, whatever gifts Tonyo had, they were as natural to him as all that curly hair. Prospector was very curious. That curiosity ratcheted up a few notches when he returned. The small nomad was easily moving a large boulder from a blocked cave passage.
THE LAST PROSPECTOR ON AMAZON.COM
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Book Reviews – The Last Prospector
I am a happy author today! It’s hard to describe the feelings that come with a good review and I just have to share.
The Last Prospector has garnered a handful of reviews and they like me, they get me
Oh, wait. I CAN describe at least one of the major feelings – RELIEF. I’ve been holding my breath since embarking on my writing venture, wondering if anyone other than me would like the story. As a writer, I know I’m supposed to say that I only write for myself, that being accepted isn’t the goal.
Pffft.
I want everyone to love Prospector as much as I do. So when I read this first review on Amazon, the giddiness was nearly overwhelming. They are saying things I’ve been dying to hear, hoping and praying to hear, for two years. The validation is a huge weight being lifted off me, I’m not an idiot, I’m not a hack. Phew!
Today there is a second review, this time on Amazon.uk. Both readers want more and, oh boy, is there more to come. So, please follow one of the links to Amazon and purchase The Last Prospector because I’m really enjoying being happy and want it to last.
THE LAST PROSPECTOR FOR KINDLE
If you’re still not convinced, check me out on Goodreads and preview the first chapter. Join the world of Solstice, you’ll love it there!
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January 13, 2014
Book Marketing Classroom: Virtual Book Tour
This is part three in a series for first time book marketers. I’m no expert, just a rookie trying to figure it all out, so I’m learning as I go and sharing as I learn.
Having hosted a few authors for their virtual book tours, I had a rudimentary understanding of the process before organizing my own. Now that I’m in the thick of planning a tour for The Last Prospector, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the work required. I am fortunate to have a circle of writing/publishing veterans who are generous with advice and have opened their blog homes to me for tour stops. There are professionals who can whip up a dandy tour, but my finances require a DIY effort. However, if you’re not in a similar situation and want a pro to oversee yours, allow me to recommend Dani Greer of Blood Red Pencil. She runs the writer’s group I belong to, Book Blog Tours, which kind of says it all.
To set up your own blog tour, start at the beginning. Get a calendar and decide the tour dates, two to three weeks is an average number, but it can be as long or short as you want. If you already set up your media file, make sure to add the tour dates and update it regularly as hosts are found.
Finding hosts is not all that easy for beginners. Dani’s advice is to find at least two or three high traffic blogs. You can use Google PageRank Checker to input the URL of any site to find its rating (1 – 10, 10 being the highest), so that part is easy, at least. However, finding enough well trafficked blogs can be daunting for newbies, it’s a problem I’m running up against. I can only advise to keep using all your social media resources until every spot is filled, canvass Twitter, put a query on your Facebook page – use what you’ve already got. My tour is still only half full of hosts, but I’m the cocky sort and still proceed as if everyone is clamoring for a bit of my time
Another Dani tip is to do keyword searches to find hosts for the tour. The trick, that I’m still learning, is to use keywords that are neither to general nor too specific. I wrote a fantasy book, but just try Googling ‘fantasy book blogs’, hundreds upon hundreds of hits. So I’m going with terms like ‘fantasy magic’, ‘color symbolism’ and ‘world building’. Take some time to make a list of keywords tailored to your book and set aside a block of time to do quality searches.
Putting on a blog tour is labor intensive. Not just setting up the tour, but producing content for all those stops. Since you want the most metaphorical bang for your buck, those high traffic sites will ensure the greatest amount of eyes on your book. From my viewpoint, even a small blog offers new eyes to see my work and a small time promoter needs every scrap of help she can get.
There are many blog owners that don’t know what a virtual tour entails, and that might very well keep them from joining up. How long has it been since I called out Holly J. of It’s All A Matter Of Perspective in this space? Too long! She is a smart cookie about most things interwebz, and – wouldn’t you know it? – she wrote a handy guide to blog tour hosting that you can find here in this clicky space. Download a copy and make it available to your hosts and potential hosts to help smooth the road.
Once you’ve got some firm commitments, it’s time to think about content for all those tour stops. We’ll take a look at that tomorrow along with some tips for keeping it all organized. Until then, this woman has to get about rustling up a few more stops. If you have a blog and would like to host a stop, please contact me. If you’re a veteran of a tour and want to add your thoughts, please feel free to use the comments section to help spread the word.
Oh, and if you’re looking for a great read, may I recommend The Last Prospector?
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January 9, 2014
Book Marketing Classroom: Update Yourself
This is part two in a series for first time book marketers. I’m learning as I go and sharing as I learn!
How many social media sites do you belong to? Probably quite a few, which means there are several different versions of your bio along with an assortment of avatars. If you’re like me, you just made stuff up as you went along without giving it too much thought. Now that we are trying to sell a few books, it’s time to look at all those profiles as advertising venues and act accordingly.
I spent yesterday scouring my footprints on the internet, updating all the sites I frequent with pictures and bios. It took most of the day and I’m still not completely done, but all the major outlets (Facebook, G+, etc) are freshly updated with coherent bios, a recent picture and (most importantly) links.
All of those sites, even the small ones, add up to exposure for you. If you’re book marketing on a shoestring, every little bit helps and it’s silly to squander any opportunities. Before you start, gather up all your relevant information into one easily accessible place, such as your media file. Didn’t make a media file yet? Go do that, it will really streamline things in the future. Until then, have this information at your fingertips:
Recent photos of yourself OR an image of your book cover
At least one competent biography
Links to your book, all the links
Links to you, list all the places you can be found online
Put them all together and get to work. If you’re book is available on Amazon, then Author Central should be your first stop. Next, hit all your favorite social media sites and edit the “About Me” sections in all of them. Do the same thing for any other site that allows you to promote yourself. Lastly, update the signature line on all your email accounts with the name of your book and a link.
If you have a blog, I recommend creating a buy page for your book. Let it be the ultimate resource for potential readers to find your work online and update it occasionally with links to reviews and reader quotes about the book. Updating your profiles across the web is not glamorous fun, but it goes a long way towards people taking you seriously as an author. Build a strong platform and you’ll always have something to fall back on.
The Last Prospector is now available for Kindle download! Only $4.99!!
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January 7, 2014
Book Marketing Classroom: Media File
This is the first in a month-long series about DIY book marketing. This is my first book marketing experience, so I am by no means an expert. However, I am surrounded by seasoned veterans who have graciously offered their time and expertise. I belong to a fantastic group on Facebook called BBT Cafe and the setting up of my first blog tour has been turned into a classroom experience for others like me.
Howdy Travellers! The Last Prospector is published and now the hard work begins – getting it into the hands of readers. If you’re anything like me, you’ve already read hundreds of blogs on the topics of marketing and promotion. Everyone has an opinion, a system, and a rookie can find it difficult to chart her own course.
So, where to start? I’m a big believer in infrastructure, that building a solid foundation will protect one in the face of disaster. Infrastructure is boring though, I know, laying the stones of the foundation is tedious, back-breaking work. It lacks glamour and it’s way more fun just to move in to a house that’s already been built, put out a vase of fresh flowers and call it done. DIY writer/publishers can’t afford those splashy homes in a nice gated community, we have to build our own. Which brings us back to infrastructure.
Over the weekend, I put together the media file for The Last Prospector. A media file very closely resembles a press kit, it contains all the pertinent information regarding the writer and book so that information is easily accessible by people wishing to give exposure. A basic media file should contain a description of your book, images of the cover and author, and information about where to buy the book. Since I’m setting up a blog tour, my media file starts with the dates of my tour along with the corresponding blog hosts that can be updated as more hosts are found.
Even a very basic media file is a solid asset for your efforts. Dani Greer of BloodRedPencil.com gave me some tips to improve mine. The best tip was to include three questions about your book in the file, it gives your hosts a place to start and some insight about the contents of the book. Instead of questions, I went with five talking points, but the end result will still be the same. Ian Hutson of The Diesel-Electric Elephant Company helpfully recommended me adding a media file page to this blog, which makes the information very easily available to all interested parties.
It took me nearly three days to put my media file together, but it was an investment of time that will reap rich rewards in the future. Here is a handy list of suggestions for your media file and please feel free to peruse the media file page on this blog.
Promotional tour dates
A description of the book – such as the blurb
Author bio – I did two, one straightforward version and one that is a little silly
Links – Not only where to buy the book, but all links about you such as Twitter handle and Facebook pro page
Questions or talking points – Give your host some different angles to base their promotion around
Images – Book cover, your smiling face, any memes you’ve created, put them all in.
Contact information – Especially if you don’t have your own blog.
Those are the basics, but there’s always room for improvement. As writers, we are always getting critiqued, so be open to helpful suggestions regarding your media file. Do you have a suggestion for my media file? I’d love to hear from you!
P.S. It would be heinously irresponsible of me not to add this…
Buy The Last Prospector on Amazon!
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January 5, 2014
The Finish Line
I did it!! Lung cancer and I were in a footrace. It moves fast, but this time I moved faster, I broke the tape, I get the trophy and no one remembers who came second.
A while back I wrote a post about my father’s fight with stage four cancer. He wanted to make sure my book got out into the world before he left the world. We’ve lost many battles since then, we’re going to lose the war. But today we have a shining victory, a win that trumps all the losses.
The Last Prospector is published and available for purchase RIGHT HERE ON AMAZON!
WOO HOO!
There is still much work to be done. The formatting for eReaders is in progress and the Kindle version should be ready by the end of the week. Come February, there will be a splashy promotional tour and updates will be coming regularly. I did think about waiting to release the book in February, but time is a precious thing and cancer is capricious. In order to cement my victory, I had to get the book on the virtual shelf as quickly as possible.
So here we are World, me, my dad and Prospector. We could not have done it without the aid and support of more people than I can count. Without the encouragement, technical assistance and generosity of many, I’d still be flailing around like a spastic kitten. But today, I am a very cool cat – a very cool published author cat – and it feels GREAT to do some meowing.
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