Jeaniene Frost's Blog, page 22
December 10, 2015
Outtakes, Nola brunch, and Dear New Writers
Before I get to the subject line of this post, I wanted to let everyone know that the new Crescent City Brunch tickets are now available for sale to the public. So, if you want to see me plus two dozen other bestselling authors in New Orleans next year, go here to get your tickets.
Also, if you're a BLOGGER who has previously reviewed the Night Huntress series and you want an eArc of the upcoming Outtakes From The Grave, please contact me at frostlight1 AT yahoo DOT com (obviously replace the AT with an @ and the DOT with a . in your email.) I only have 20 eArcs to give out, so I can't guarantee that everyone who asks for one will get one, but I'd like to give everyone a chance to ask. Important Note: this is for bloggers/reviewers only, and if you haven't read the first four books in the Night Huntress series, don't request an Arc because Outtakes From The Grave won't make any sense to you. For more information on Outtakes, go here. Readers, please don't reply to this offer because I will hold another giveaway for you later, promise. However, this one is for pre-publication review purposes only, so that's why it's only for bloggers or review sites.
And now, to the subject line of my post. I get asked a lot about writing, my process, and publishing, and to cover those topics, I have a bunch of posts here. However, in the past few months, I’ve been getting a similar question from young writers, and I wanted to post a summary of my reply because it applies to writers of any age.
Here’s a paraphrase of the question: “I’m just starting a book and I want to know if what I’ve got so far is any good, so can you read it or recommend a critique group for me so someone else can give me an opinion?”
Now, before I get to my answer, let me preface it by saying there is no “one size fits all” approach to writing. If anyone tells you “You have to write THIS way or you’re doing it wrong!” politely thank them and then do whatever works for you. Some people must plot extensively to finish a book, complete with character boards and detailed outlines for every chapter. That is their “right” way. But some people don’t plot at all and they know very little about their characters when they start a book. That is their “right” way. Some people *raises hand* are a mix between the two, where they know some general plot points before they write and they have some idea about the characters, but most of the story comes to them during writing, not before writing. That’s my “right” way and other people's right way. So, whatever your method is, it’s right if it works for you. That’s why I encourage people to take my advice below with a grain of salt because some writers, guaranteed, won’t fit this mold.
My answer: At this early stage in your novel, especially if this is the first novel you’re attempting to write, I wouldn't recommend that ANYONE look at your book. Contrary to what some people think, it is very hard to finish a novel. Ideas are easy to come by, but taking one of those and sticking to it for the length of a coherent plot with believable characters is much easier said than done. So, first, I applaud you for starting your novel and being determined to finish it. This goes double if you’re in your teens. I didn't start seriously writing until I turned 30, so all of you young writers are way ahead of where I was when I began to seriously attempt a book.
However, one thing I've found after writing over a dozen novels is that getting a critical opinion very early in the process such as before you're even half done with a book) can sometimes kill your progress with your story. After all, you can fix all of your errors later, but right now, I want to encourage you to keep writing until you are finished with your story, or close to it. Also, if for some reason you don't end up finishing this particular book, don't get discouraged. I was over 60K words into a time-travel romance when I got the idea for Halfway To The Grave, so I stopped working on my other book and started writing about Cat and Bones instead. Needless to say, I'm glad that I did *wink*.
That’s why I would discourage you from looking for critical opinions at this point and instead encourage you to keep writing! Furthermore, you might change a lot of things in your book between now and when you finally finish, so don't worry about spending a lot of time on polishing early chapters. They may or may not even make it into the final version of your story. Again, for reference, let me mention Halfway to the Grave. The beginning you read in the published version was actually Chapter Four in my original version, so I ended up deleting the first three chapters during one of my many revisions on the book. In fact, I end up cutting most of my beginnings after I write them, but until I'm done with the book, I usually don't realize what is good enough to stay and what has to go. That’s why I say that getting critical opinions this early so that you can polish and edit chapters that might end up getting deleted later on can be a frustrating waste of time (and a good way to get discouraged about writing in general.)
So, in summary, don’t worry about fixing your book yet. Instead, have fun writing it. This is your chance to make a story exactly the way you'd want to read it (oh, if we only had that control in real life! Lol.) Experiment by trying different writing methods to see which results in the most productivity for you, such as plotting versus organic writing. There will be plenty of time later for polishing your story into the best version that it can be. Good luck to you, new writer, and most importantly, happy writing! :).
Also, if you're a BLOGGER who has previously reviewed the Night Huntress series and you want an eArc of the upcoming Outtakes From The Grave, please contact me at frostlight1 AT yahoo DOT com (obviously replace the AT with an @ and the DOT with a . in your email.) I only have 20 eArcs to give out, so I can't guarantee that everyone who asks for one will get one, but I'd like to give everyone a chance to ask. Important Note: this is for bloggers/reviewers only, and if you haven't read the first four books in the Night Huntress series, don't request an Arc because Outtakes From The Grave won't make any sense to you. For more information on Outtakes, go here. Readers, please don't reply to this offer because I will hold another giveaway for you later, promise. However, this one is for pre-publication review purposes only, so that's why it's only for bloggers or review sites.
And now, to the subject line of my post. I get asked a lot about writing, my process, and publishing, and to cover those topics, I have a bunch of posts here. However, in the past few months, I’ve been getting a similar question from young writers, and I wanted to post a summary of my reply because it applies to writers of any age.
Here’s a paraphrase of the question: “I’m just starting a book and I want to know if what I’ve got so far is any good, so can you read it or recommend a critique group for me so someone else can give me an opinion?”
Now, before I get to my answer, let me preface it by saying there is no “one size fits all” approach to writing. If anyone tells you “You have to write THIS way or you’re doing it wrong!” politely thank them and then do whatever works for you. Some people must plot extensively to finish a book, complete with character boards and detailed outlines for every chapter. That is their “right” way. But some people don’t plot at all and they know very little about their characters when they start a book. That is their “right” way. Some people *raises hand* are a mix between the two, where they know some general plot points before they write and they have some idea about the characters, but most of the story comes to them during writing, not before writing. That’s my “right” way and other people's right way. So, whatever your method is, it’s right if it works for you. That’s why I encourage people to take my advice below with a grain of salt because some writers, guaranteed, won’t fit this mold.
My answer: At this early stage in your novel, especially if this is the first novel you’re attempting to write, I wouldn't recommend that ANYONE look at your book. Contrary to what some people think, it is very hard to finish a novel. Ideas are easy to come by, but taking one of those and sticking to it for the length of a coherent plot with believable characters is much easier said than done. So, first, I applaud you for starting your novel and being determined to finish it. This goes double if you’re in your teens. I didn't start seriously writing until I turned 30, so all of you young writers are way ahead of where I was when I began to seriously attempt a book.
However, one thing I've found after writing over a dozen novels is that getting a critical opinion very early in the process such as before you're even half done with a book) can sometimes kill your progress with your story. After all, you can fix all of your errors later, but right now, I want to encourage you to keep writing until you are finished with your story, or close to it. Also, if for some reason you don't end up finishing this particular book, don't get discouraged. I was over 60K words into a time-travel romance when I got the idea for Halfway To The Grave, so I stopped working on my other book and started writing about Cat and Bones instead. Needless to say, I'm glad that I did *wink*.
That’s why I would discourage you from looking for critical opinions at this point and instead encourage you to keep writing! Furthermore, you might change a lot of things in your book between now and when you finally finish, so don't worry about spending a lot of time on polishing early chapters. They may or may not even make it into the final version of your story. Again, for reference, let me mention Halfway to the Grave. The beginning you read in the published version was actually Chapter Four in my original version, so I ended up deleting the first three chapters during one of my many revisions on the book. In fact, I end up cutting most of my beginnings after I write them, but until I'm done with the book, I usually don't realize what is good enough to stay and what has to go. That’s why I say that getting critical opinions this early so that you can polish and edit chapters that might end up getting deleted later on can be a frustrating waste of time (and a good way to get discouraged about writing in general.)
So, in summary, don’t worry about fixing your book yet. Instead, have fun writing it. This is your chance to make a story exactly the way you'd want to read it (oh, if we only had that control in real life! Lol.) Experiment by trying different writing methods to see which results in the most productivity for you, such as plotting versus organic writing. There will be plenty of time later for polishing your story into the best version that it can be. Good luck to you, new writer, and most importantly, happy writing! :).
December 2, 2015
Preorder link now available for Outtakes From The Grave!
On my previous posts, many of you asked me if there would be a preorder link available for Outtakes From The Grave. I wasn't sure because self-publishing has different guidelines, but now I have good news! We were able to get a preorder link up and running, and it's listed below:
December 22nd, 2015
Go back to the grave with this new outtakes compilation from the Night Huntress series!
Indulge your love of paranormal super couple Cat and Bones with this ultimate “director’s cut” collection of deleted scenes and alternate versions from the first four novels in the Night Huntress series, complete with author commentary on each selection. Includes: the original beginnings of Halfway To The Grave , One Foot In The Grave , At Grave’s End and Destined For An Early Grave ; a chapter written in Bones’s point of view; alternate versions of sections of Halfway To The Grave , One Foot In The Grave , and Destined For An Early Grave; the “white wedding” scene between Cat and Bones that never made it into the final books, several deleted love scenes …. and much more!
Special holiday price of $2.99 in ebook from December 22nd though January 5th. After that, the price will be $3.99 for ebooks. To learn more and get a sneak peek at some of what you will find in Outtakes, go here .
Preorder Outtakes from the Grave (Night Huntress Book 8)
More retailer pre-order links should be live soon. Also, the audio book has a tentative release date of February 2016, so we are working very hard to get that edition out as soon as possible.
December 22nd, 2015Go back to the grave with this new outtakes compilation from the Night Huntress series!
Indulge your love of paranormal super couple Cat and Bones with this ultimate “director’s cut” collection of deleted scenes and alternate versions from the first four novels in the Night Huntress series, complete with author commentary on each selection. Includes: the original beginnings of Halfway To The Grave , One Foot In The Grave , At Grave’s End and Destined For An Early Grave ; a chapter written in Bones’s point of view; alternate versions of sections of Halfway To The Grave , One Foot In The Grave , and Destined For An Early Grave; the “white wedding” scene between Cat and Bones that never made it into the final books, several deleted love scenes …. and much more!
Special holiday price of $2.99 in ebook from December 22nd though January 5th. After that, the price will be $3.99 for ebooks. To learn more and get a sneak peek at some of what you will find in Outtakes, go here .
Preorder Outtakes from the Grave (Night Huntress Book 8)
More retailer pre-order links should be live soon. Also, the audio book has a tentative release date of February 2016, so we are working very hard to get that edition out as soon as possible.
December 1, 2015
Post-Thanksgiving raspberry cleanse
(Note: This post is written with tongue firmly in cheek.)
Hey friends, feeling bloated after all that Thanksgiving gluttony? Want to purge your body of all those remaining toxins? I have the perfect solution: the raspberry jam ‘cleanse’! Just follow the five easy steps below.
Step 1: When your husband tells you that he had a bad digestive night after eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, don’t take him seriously! Think only, “Hmm, PB&J. That sounds good. I’ll have that for dinner tonight.”
Step 2: Same evening, don’t ask your husband to tell you which of the three raspberry jam bottles in your refrigerator caused his digestive upset. You don’t need facts when you have Women’s Intuition! Boldly choose a raspberry bottle, tell yourself that this can’t be the one that bothered him, and then slather that jam thickly over your bread.
Step 3: Wait a few hours in smug ignorance.
Step 4: Feel an ominous gurgling in your stomach. Only then ask you husband which raspberry jam bottle he used the night before. Find out it’s the same one you used earlier. Take a Zantac and hope that it fixes everything.
Step 5: CLEANSE BEGINS.
And to think, some people pay a lot of money for fancy health food store cleanses! All you need is some obviously funky raspberry jam, a complete lack of common sense, and voilà! I feel like a new person. *passes out*
Hey friends, feeling bloated after all that Thanksgiving gluttony? Want to purge your body of all those remaining toxins? I have the perfect solution: the raspberry jam ‘cleanse’! Just follow the five easy steps below.
Step 1: When your husband tells you that he had a bad digestive night after eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, don’t take him seriously! Think only, “Hmm, PB&J. That sounds good. I’ll have that for dinner tonight.”
Step 2: Same evening, don’t ask your husband to tell you which of the three raspberry jam bottles in your refrigerator caused his digestive upset. You don’t need facts when you have Women’s Intuition! Boldly choose a raspberry bottle, tell yourself that this can’t be the one that bothered him, and then slather that jam thickly over your bread.
Step 3: Wait a few hours in smug ignorance.
Step 4: Feel an ominous gurgling in your stomach. Only then ask you husband which raspberry jam bottle he used the night before. Find out it’s the same one you used earlier. Take a Zantac and hope that it fixes everything.
Step 5: CLEANSE BEGINS.
And to think, some people pay a lot of money for fancy health food store cleanses! All you need is some obviously funky raspberry jam, a complete lack of common sense, and voilà! I feel like a new person. *passes out*
November 25, 2015
My "Jessica Jones" write-up
First, a happy Thanksgiving eve to all my American peeps! I love this holiday because, among other things, it's one of the few times when no one gives you strange looks for getting seconds (or thirds ;)) at dinner.
And now, to the subject line of my post. Marvel’s Jessica Jones released on Netflix last week, and per Netflix's usual style, all episodes were available at once (side note: I LOVE this. If I like a show, I want to watch two or three episodes at a time at minimum.) Anyway, back to Jessica Jones. I’ll admit, I wasn’t particularly interested in this show when I first heard about it, even though it had a female lead, which is unusual for a Marvel superhero series. But my husband, a comic book fan, had really been looking forward to it, so I agreed to watch two episodes to see if the show could overcome my general lack of enthusiasm.
It did, in a big way.
(Warning: mild spoilers ahead)
Jessica Jones is described as a “hard drinking, short-fused mess of a woman” and right off, that’s proved abundantly true. However, by the end of the episode, the story teased that there was an intriguing reason behind Jessica’s very abrasive personality. I wasn't wild about the seemingly gratuitous naked shots of other characters in this episode, but since I’d agreed to give it two episodes before I formed an opinion, I watched the second that same night. Then I watched the third one right after that. I would have watched more, but my husband reminded me that it was almost midnight and we had to sleep.
I now only have four episodes left to watch in the series, and I am impatient to see them while also holding off because I am dreading the long wait until season two (still unconfirmed by Netflix, but prospects are looking good.)
I love strong, flawed heroines, which surprises no one who’s read my books, so it probably also isn’t a surprise that I loved this show. It can be hard to watch at times, but those gritty, raw, uncomfortable moments only make it more unforgettable. As the story continues, the reason behind Jessica’s drinking, temper and abrasiveness is revealed, and so is how she still cares deeply about people despite her often harsh attempts to shove them away. The revelation behind what changed her from an aspiring superhero whose main desire was to help the helpless into the broken, frequently drunken mess that she is, is both compelling and heartbreaking. Jessica doesn’t handle the horrors of her past the way we usually want our heroines to handle such things, which is with few missteps. She handles her past trauma, resulting PTSD and deep fears the way a lot of us probably would, which is badly. Yet despite using alcohol, aggression and abrasiveness as a form of self-medication, something within her constantly strives to be the nobler version of herself that she used to be. Her character is complex, deeply layered, and very human despite her superhuman abilities. I want to high-five the writers of this show for portraying a female character in such a flawed, unflinching way. Too often, female characters are merely shoved into the Mother, Whore, Workaholic Bitch or Future Wife mold, and Jessica Jones’s character shatters those molds and then stomps their remains. Well done, writers! And well done to Krysten Ritter for her superb performance as Jessica.
The side characters are great, too. Jessica’s best friend, Trish, first comes off as vapid and spoiled, but as the series progresses, you see that Trish is all steel beneath her sweet, privileged exterior. Though her character doesn’t have any superpowers, Trish has all the courage, loyalty and grit of a true superhero, and I hope that she returns in season two (I’m not done with this season yet, so if something happens to Trish, don’t spoil me by saying anything!)
Jessica’s frequent employer, a successful attorney named Jeri Hogarth, is also a force to be reckoned with. On one hand, Jeri seems to have all of the compassion of a sociopath, but on the other hand, she puts up with a lot of Jessica’s crap when she doesn’t have to, and her taking on a risky client because Jessica asks her to hints at something beneath the exterior. Whether that something turns out to be a hidden softer side or a devious ulterior motive, I don’t know, and wondering makes Jeri’s character all the more interesting to me.
The story’s villain is expertly played by David Tennant (side note: my favorite of the Dr. Who actors) and his portrayal of Kilgrave shows him to be every inch the monster that Jessica fears. Later on, Kilgrave also shows a sense of humor that is witty while also being disturbing when paired with his almost offhand savageness. I also loved Luke’s character, a bartender with big secrets of his own, but I don’t want to say much about him because almost everything I’d mention is a spoiler.
There are other great characters, but this post is too long already. In summary, I highly, highly recommend Jessica Jones, and if you time off over the Thanksgiving holiday, it’s available for streaming on Netflix.
NOTE: If you've seen the show, please DON'T leave any spoilers in the comment section. I'm not done watching it and I'm sure other people who aren't done/haven't started it yet also don't want to be inadvertently spoiled. Thanks!
And now, to the subject line of my post. Marvel’s Jessica Jones released on Netflix last week, and per Netflix's usual style, all episodes were available at once (side note: I LOVE this. If I like a show, I want to watch two or three episodes at a time at minimum.) Anyway, back to Jessica Jones. I’ll admit, I wasn’t particularly interested in this show when I first heard about it, even though it had a female lead, which is unusual for a Marvel superhero series. But my husband, a comic book fan, had really been looking forward to it, so I agreed to watch two episodes to see if the show could overcome my general lack of enthusiasm.It did, in a big way.
(Warning: mild spoilers ahead)
Jessica Jones is described as a “hard drinking, short-fused mess of a woman” and right off, that’s proved abundantly true. However, by the end of the episode, the story teased that there was an intriguing reason behind Jessica’s very abrasive personality. I wasn't wild about the seemingly gratuitous naked shots of other characters in this episode, but since I’d agreed to give it two episodes before I formed an opinion, I watched the second that same night. Then I watched the third one right after that. I would have watched more, but my husband reminded me that it was almost midnight and we had to sleep.
I now only have four episodes left to watch in the series, and I am impatient to see them while also holding off because I am dreading the long wait until season two (still unconfirmed by Netflix, but prospects are looking good.)
I love strong, flawed heroines, which surprises no one who’s read my books, so it probably also isn’t a surprise that I loved this show. It can be hard to watch at times, but those gritty, raw, uncomfortable moments only make it more unforgettable. As the story continues, the reason behind Jessica’s drinking, temper and abrasiveness is revealed, and so is how she still cares deeply about people despite her often harsh attempts to shove them away. The revelation behind what changed her from an aspiring superhero whose main desire was to help the helpless into the broken, frequently drunken mess that she is, is both compelling and heartbreaking. Jessica doesn’t handle the horrors of her past the way we usually want our heroines to handle such things, which is with few missteps. She handles her past trauma, resulting PTSD and deep fears the way a lot of us probably would, which is badly. Yet despite using alcohol, aggression and abrasiveness as a form of self-medication, something within her constantly strives to be the nobler version of herself that she used to be. Her character is complex, deeply layered, and very human despite her superhuman abilities. I want to high-five the writers of this show for portraying a female character in such a flawed, unflinching way. Too often, female characters are merely shoved into the Mother, Whore, Workaholic Bitch or Future Wife mold, and Jessica Jones’s character shatters those molds and then stomps their remains. Well done, writers! And well done to Krysten Ritter for her superb performance as Jessica.
The side characters are great, too. Jessica’s best friend, Trish, first comes off as vapid and spoiled, but as the series progresses, you see that Trish is all steel beneath her sweet, privileged exterior. Though her character doesn’t have any superpowers, Trish has all the courage, loyalty and grit of a true superhero, and I hope that she returns in season two (I’m not done with this season yet, so if something happens to Trish, don’t spoil me by saying anything!)
Jessica’s frequent employer, a successful attorney named Jeri Hogarth, is also a force to be reckoned with. On one hand, Jeri seems to have all of the compassion of a sociopath, but on the other hand, she puts up with a lot of Jessica’s crap when she doesn’t have to, and her taking on a risky client because Jessica asks her to hints at something beneath the exterior. Whether that something turns out to be a hidden softer side or a devious ulterior motive, I don’t know, and wondering makes Jeri’s character all the more interesting to me.
The story’s villain is expertly played by David Tennant (side note: my favorite of the Dr. Who actors) and his portrayal of Kilgrave shows him to be every inch the monster that Jessica fears. Later on, Kilgrave also shows a sense of humor that is witty while also being disturbing when paired with his almost offhand savageness. I also loved Luke’s character, a bartender with big secrets of his own, but I don’t want to say much about him because almost everything I’d mention is a spoiler.
There are other great characters, but this post is too long already. In summary, I highly, highly recommend Jessica Jones, and if you time off over the Thanksgiving holiday, it’s available for streaming on Netflix.
NOTE: If you've seen the show, please DON'T leave any spoilers in the comment section. I'm not done watching it and I'm sure other people who aren't done/haven't started it yet also don't want to be inadvertently spoiled. Thanks!
November 21, 2015
Updated cover for Outtakes From The Grave and more about covers
About ten days ago, I released the cover for Outtakes From The Grave. The next day, I was looking at it lined up next to my other book covers on my website and I realized that the model looked a little small in comparison to the models on the other covers. So, I contacted my agent and requested that we "zoom in" a bit on the model since most readers will only see the cover in thumbnail size while they're scrolling through ebooks, and that tiny thumbnail size means a lot of detail will be lost.
That resulted in some slight changes. Helsing, Cat's cat, had to be moved, as did the title. My name shrank a little, too. So, below is the new cover for Outtakes From The Grave. It really doesn't look much different than the old cover, except that it makes me happier, and since I'm self-publishing this, I can make changes based on my happiness whether those changes are totally necessary or not :). In case you missed hearing about this on my other post, here's the info, too:
December 22nd, 2015
Go back to the grave with this new outtakes compilation from the Night Huntress series!
Indulge your love of paranormal super couple Cat and Bones with this ultimate “director’s cut” collection of deleted scenes and alternate versions from the first four novels in the Night Huntress series, complete with author commentary on each selection. Includes: the original beginnings of Halfway To The Grave , One Foot In The Grave , At Grave’s End and Destined For An Early Grave ; a chapter written in Bones’s point of view; alternate versions of sections of Halfway To The Grave , One Foot In The Grave , and Destined For An Early Grave; the “white wedding” scene between Cat and Bones that never made it into the final books …. and much more!
Special holiday price of $2.99 in ebook from December 22nd though January 5th. After that, the price will be $3.99 for ebooks. To learn more and get a sneak peek at some of the contents, go here.
As I explained in the prior post, the model is different from the other Night Huntress books because the model for books 1 - quit doing book covers, and we couldn't find copyright-free images of the model who was on books 6 - 7. Hence, the new model for this cover, who I think exudes a lot of Cat's toughness, even if she doesn't look like the other models from the other books.
Since I get a lot of questions about book covers, and there are a lot of incorrect assumptions about them, I'm going to spend the rest of the post talking about the process behind book covers when you're traditionally published. Skip the rest of this post if you don't want to see the behind-the-scenes look.
Myth 1: The author controls what's on the cover of their book.
Mythbuster: Unless that is specifically written into your contract (and publisher most often do not do this) my experience with three different publishers has gone something like this: Before the publisher has their cover conference meeting, someone (usually the editor) asks me if there's anything particular that I would like on the cover, or anything particular that I really wouldn't like. I then reply with my Wish list and my Please Not This list. Then, months later, I am emailed an initial mock-up of the cover. That cover usually has at least one item included from my Wish list, but generally not all or most of what I requested. On the plus side, it usually doesn't have anything from my Please Not This list. At this stage, regardless of whether I love the cover or not, neither the models nor the background will change. I can make small change requests regarding the font color, shading variances, and/or picking between two cover images, if two cover images were sent to me, but nine times out of ten, that's about it.
Myth 2: If an author is a bestseller and she/he really hates their cover, it WILL get changed.
Mythbuster: Maybe for some bestselling authors, but not for most of the ones I know, myself included. If I really hate something about a cover, I can request that a change be made, but the likelihood of it happening is slim. Overall, I've been very lucky with my covers, but there have been a few times that I've requested drastic changes, and out of those times, I've only gotten what I asked for once. The rest of the time, I received a polite "Sorry, but we disagree with you, so the cover stays" reply. You see, an author is only one cog in the wheel when it comes to covers, and most times, the author is the smallest cog. The art department is a major contributor in what goes on the cover, as is the editor, but there is also the marketing department, the publicity department, and retail vendor reps, and they all outrank the author when it comes to opinions.
[caption id="attachment_1874" align="alignleft" width="151"]
The knife that almost never was.[/caption]
For example, the cover for Halfway To The Grave was almost changed because the Walmart rep didn't like the knife that Cat held. The concern was that the imagery the knife conveyed might be too violent. The knife stayed because the rep finally decided that it would be okay, but if she/he hadn't, my publisher would have taken it off and changed the cover before risking the chance that the book wouldn't be sold in Walmart.
Conversely, the cover for First Drop Of Crimson was originally going to be what is now the stepback of the book. My publisher thought that the image of the woman with the fang marks in her neck had a great True Blood vibe and wanted to capitalize on the show's popularity. I had preferred the image of the man/woman from the stepback more, but I was overruled. Then, the Barnes and Noble rep said that she, too, liked the image of the man/woman more than the solo neck-bitten image, and presto! The cover and stepback switched.
[caption id="attachment_5164" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Former original cover image[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_304" align="alignleft" width="174"]
Former stepback that became the published cover[/caption]
Myth 3: But if an author suggests a cover idea that the publisher loves, that idea WILL be used for their book cover.
Mythbuster: Usually, but not always. Once, for a cover chat about a Night Huntress book, I suggested a pose and image similar to this screen shot from the move Underworld because I thought that Cat would look great on a high perch looking as though she were about to jump down and start kicking ass. I was given another cover instead, so I thought that the art department/marketing/publicity/my editor had simply disagreed with me. Then, about two years later, I saw a similar pose and setting on the cover for another author's book from our same publishing division. *grins* So, sometimes the art department, marketing, publicity and editorial might all agree that your cover idea is great, but just not great for your book ;).
And that's your behind-the-scenes glimpse at book covers. Have a great weekend, everyone!
That resulted in some slight changes. Helsing, Cat's cat, had to be moved, as did the title. My name shrank a little, too. So, below is the new cover for Outtakes From The Grave. It really doesn't look much different than the old cover, except that it makes me happier, and since I'm self-publishing this, I can make changes based on my happiness whether those changes are totally necessary or not :). In case you missed hearing about this on my other post, here's the info, too:
December 22nd, 2015Go back to the grave with this new outtakes compilation from the Night Huntress series!
Indulge your love of paranormal super couple Cat and Bones with this ultimate “director’s cut” collection of deleted scenes and alternate versions from the first four novels in the Night Huntress series, complete with author commentary on each selection. Includes: the original beginnings of Halfway To The Grave , One Foot In The Grave , At Grave’s End and Destined For An Early Grave ; a chapter written in Bones’s point of view; alternate versions of sections of Halfway To The Grave , One Foot In The Grave , and Destined For An Early Grave; the “white wedding” scene between Cat and Bones that never made it into the final books …. and much more!
Special holiday price of $2.99 in ebook from December 22nd though January 5th. After that, the price will be $3.99 for ebooks. To learn more and get a sneak peek at some of the contents, go here.
As I explained in the prior post, the model is different from the other Night Huntress books because the model for books 1 - quit doing book covers, and we couldn't find copyright-free images of the model who was on books 6 - 7. Hence, the new model for this cover, who I think exudes a lot of Cat's toughness, even if she doesn't look like the other models from the other books.
Since I get a lot of questions about book covers, and there are a lot of incorrect assumptions about them, I'm going to spend the rest of the post talking about the process behind book covers when you're traditionally published. Skip the rest of this post if you don't want to see the behind-the-scenes look.
Myth 1: The author controls what's on the cover of their book.
Mythbuster: Unless that is specifically written into your contract (and publisher most often do not do this) my experience with three different publishers has gone something like this: Before the publisher has their cover conference meeting, someone (usually the editor) asks me if there's anything particular that I would like on the cover, or anything particular that I really wouldn't like. I then reply with my Wish list and my Please Not This list. Then, months later, I am emailed an initial mock-up of the cover. That cover usually has at least one item included from my Wish list, but generally not all or most of what I requested. On the plus side, it usually doesn't have anything from my Please Not This list. At this stage, regardless of whether I love the cover or not, neither the models nor the background will change. I can make small change requests regarding the font color, shading variances, and/or picking between two cover images, if two cover images were sent to me, but nine times out of ten, that's about it.
Myth 2: If an author is a bestseller and she/he really hates their cover, it WILL get changed.
Mythbuster: Maybe for some bestselling authors, but not for most of the ones I know, myself included. If I really hate something about a cover, I can request that a change be made, but the likelihood of it happening is slim. Overall, I've been very lucky with my covers, but there have been a few times that I've requested drastic changes, and out of those times, I've only gotten what I asked for once. The rest of the time, I received a polite "Sorry, but we disagree with you, so the cover stays" reply. You see, an author is only one cog in the wheel when it comes to covers, and most times, the author is the smallest cog. The art department is a major contributor in what goes on the cover, as is the editor, but there is also the marketing department, the publicity department, and retail vendor reps, and they all outrank the author when it comes to opinions.
[caption id="attachment_1874" align="alignleft" width="151"]
The knife that almost never was.[/caption]For example, the cover for Halfway To The Grave was almost changed because the Walmart rep didn't like the knife that Cat held. The concern was that the imagery the knife conveyed might be too violent. The knife stayed because the rep finally decided that it would be okay, but if she/he hadn't, my publisher would have taken it off and changed the cover before risking the chance that the book wouldn't be sold in Walmart.
Conversely, the cover for First Drop Of Crimson was originally going to be what is now the stepback of the book. My publisher thought that the image of the woman with the fang marks in her neck had a great True Blood vibe and wanted to capitalize on the show's popularity. I had preferred the image of the man/woman from the stepback more, but I was overruled. Then, the Barnes and Noble rep said that she, too, liked the image of the man/woman more than the solo neck-bitten image, and presto! The cover and stepback switched.
[caption id="attachment_5164" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Former original cover image[/caption][caption id="attachment_304" align="alignleft" width="174"]
Former stepback that became the published cover[/caption]Myth 3: But if an author suggests a cover idea that the publisher loves, that idea WILL be used for their book cover.
Mythbuster: Usually, but not always. Once, for a cover chat about a Night Huntress book, I suggested a pose and image similar to this screen shot from the move Underworld because I thought that Cat would look great on a high perch looking as though she were about to jump down and start kicking ass. I was given another cover instead, so I thought that the art department/marketing/publicity/my editor had simply disagreed with me. Then, about two years later, I saw a similar pose and setting on the cover for another author's book from our same publishing division. *grins* So, sometimes the art department, marketing, publicity and editorial might all agree that your cover idea is great, but just not great for your book ;).And that's your behind-the-scenes glimpse at book covers. Have a great weekend, everyone!
November 11, 2015
Outtakes From The Grave cover and audio news!
The subject line speaks for itself, so let's get right to it :). Here is the cover for Outtakes From The Grave. Click to enlarge. Haven't heard me mention this before so you don't know what this is? Go here for all the details.
December 22nd, 2015
Indulge your love of paranormal super couple Cat and Bones with this ultimate “director’s cut” collection of deleted scenes and alternate versions from the first four novels in the Night Huntress series, complete with author commentary on each selection. Includes: the original beginnings of Halfway To The Grave , One Foot In The Grave , At Grave’s End and Destined For An Early Grave ; a chapter written in Bones’s point of view; alternate versions of sections of Halfway To The Grave , One Foot In The Grave , and Destined For An Early Grave; the “white wedding” scene between Cat and Bones that never made it into the final books …. and much more!
Special holiday price of $2.99 in ebook from December 22nd though January 5th. After that, the price will be $3.99 in ebook.
To get a sneak peek at what you can expect from Outtakes, go here.
As a reminder, Outtakes From The Grave is not available for preorder because of self-publishing technicalities, but if you want me to send you a reminder once it releases, sign up for my newsletter (links on my website.)
Some of you might wonder why we didn't use the same model that's on my other Night Huntress covers, so let me explain. For starters, the model who did the first five covers quit doing book covers, which is why there's a different model on books six and seven. I didn't use that replacement model because I have no idea who she is, and although both me and my agent spent hours looking at red-haired models, we didn't find her. So, we picked this model instead. She doesn't look the same as the other models, of course, but I thought she exuded a little bit of Cat's toughness and attitude, which I loved. We also made the cover "Cat only" instead of showing Cat and Bones to be consistent with the other covers. And of course, I loved having Cat's cat, Helsing, on the cover to keep her company. Who says that only dogs can be a person's best friend? ;)
Now, onto the audio news! I'm very happy to report that there WILL be an audio edition of Outtakes From The Grave. Blackstone Audio, the company that produced the first several audio books in the series, will also be producing the audio edition for Outtakes. We have requested the fabulous Tavia Gilbert to narrate since she's done all my other audio books, so fingers crossed that Tavia will have time in her schedule to do so. Now, we are trying to get the audio book out as soon as possible, but it will not release on the same date as the ebook. I am sorry about that, but it's a much longer process to have the story acted out in narration and produced than it was to have my files edited. As soon as I know the release date for the audio edition, I will let everyone know.
And I have more good audio news: Blackstone Audio is also producing an audio edition of Pack, my werewolf romance novelette that I released in August. No release date on yet, either, so more news once I have it.
December 22nd, 2015
Indulge your love of paranormal super couple Cat and Bones with this ultimate “director’s cut” collection of deleted scenes and alternate versions from the first four novels in the Night Huntress series, complete with author commentary on each selection. Includes: the original beginnings of Halfway To The Grave , One Foot In The Grave , At Grave’s End and Destined For An Early Grave ; a chapter written in Bones’s point of view; alternate versions of sections of Halfway To The Grave , One Foot In The Grave , and Destined For An Early Grave; the “white wedding” scene between Cat and Bones that never made it into the final books …. and much more!
Special holiday price of $2.99 in ebook from December 22nd though January 5th. After that, the price will be $3.99 in ebook.
To get a sneak peek at what you can expect from Outtakes, go here.
As a reminder, Outtakes From The Grave is not available for preorder because of self-publishing technicalities, but if you want me to send you a reminder once it releases, sign up for my newsletter (links on my website.)
Some of you might wonder why we didn't use the same model that's on my other Night Huntress covers, so let me explain. For starters, the model who did the first five covers quit doing book covers, which is why there's a different model on books six and seven. I didn't use that replacement model because I have no idea who she is, and although both me and my agent spent hours looking at red-haired models, we didn't find her. So, we picked this model instead. She doesn't look the same as the other models, of course, but I thought she exuded a little bit of Cat's toughness and attitude, which I loved. We also made the cover "Cat only" instead of showing Cat and Bones to be consistent with the other covers. And of course, I loved having Cat's cat, Helsing, on the cover to keep her company. Who says that only dogs can be a person's best friend? ;)
Now, onto the audio news! I'm very happy to report that there WILL be an audio edition of Outtakes From The Grave. Blackstone Audio, the company that produced the first several audio books in the series, will also be producing the audio edition for Outtakes. We have requested the fabulous Tavia Gilbert to narrate since she's done all my other audio books, so fingers crossed that Tavia will have time in her schedule to do so. Now, we are trying to get the audio book out as soon as possible, but it will not release on the same date as the ebook. I am sorry about that, but it's a much longer process to have the story acted out in narration and produced than it was to have my files edited. As soon as I know the release date for the audio edition, I will let everyone know.
And I have more good audio news: Blackstone Audio is also producing an audio edition of Pack, my werewolf romance novelette that I released in August. No release date on yet, either, so more news once I have it.
November 4, 2015
A grateful look back
Note: This post has nothing to do with my books, appearances, or professional updates. Skip if you're only looking for business news.
Around this time four years ago,I blogged about how I went to the Emergency Room with severe chest pain that I thought was a heart attack. EKGs eventually showed that it wasn’t, but then I had to undergo tests and wait a few hours to find out if it was a pulmonary embolism instead. It wasn’t, and although I was incorrectly diagnosed with pleurisy, I later found out that I had suffered an acute case of costochondritis. Thankfully, that wasn’t a life-threatening or debilitating condition, but I will never forget those hours when I didn’t know.
Every once in a while, something will happen that cuts through the camouflage of my busy life to remind me what really matters. Now, subtlety goes right over my head, so I’m not surprised that it took something drastic like thinking I was having a heart attack or a pulmonary embolism to cut through my camouflage. As I waited that night to find out if I had something that could kill me on the spot, I wasn’t worried about any of the anxieties that normally eat up my day. In fact, I was focused on only three things: I wanted more time with my husband, I wanted more time with my family and loved ones, and I needed my faith. Most days, I merely lean on my faith. Some days, I collapse onto it. That was definitely one of those days. When everything else was stripped away and I felt like my next breath was a “maybe” instead of a definite, I had nothing except my faith, and I thank God that it was enough. Not because of me, since I am as flawed a believer as you can find, but it was enough because of Him.
Yes, I still get distracted, worried, and preoccupied by things that, in the grand scheme of things, aren’t really important, but I wanted to pause now and once again give thanks. Why in public, on my blog? I can’t remember when I first read it, but a little section of Luke has always stuck with me. In it, ten lepers ask Jesus to be healed. All ten had their request granted, but while nine ran off, one turned around, went back to Jesus, and thanked him. It seemed like such an obvious thing to do, but the other nine didn't bother, and when I thought about it, I was reminded of all the times I’ve wanted something enough to pray for it, yet if I did get it, how I would often overlook taking the time to express my gratitude. So, approaching the four year anniversary of that day in the ER, this is me turning around, going back to that memory, and again saying thank you. I am more grateful than I can express to still be here to do it, so it sharing the story of my gratitude is also the least that I can do :).
Around this time four years ago,I blogged about how I went to the Emergency Room with severe chest pain that I thought was a heart attack. EKGs eventually showed that it wasn’t, but then I had to undergo tests and wait a few hours to find out if it was a pulmonary embolism instead. It wasn’t, and although I was incorrectly diagnosed with pleurisy, I later found out that I had suffered an acute case of costochondritis. Thankfully, that wasn’t a life-threatening or debilitating condition, but I will never forget those hours when I didn’t know.
Every once in a while, something will happen that cuts through the camouflage of my busy life to remind me what really matters. Now, subtlety goes right over my head, so I’m not surprised that it took something drastic like thinking I was having a heart attack or a pulmonary embolism to cut through my camouflage. As I waited that night to find out if I had something that could kill me on the spot, I wasn’t worried about any of the anxieties that normally eat up my day. In fact, I was focused on only three things: I wanted more time with my husband, I wanted more time with my family and loved ones, and I needed my faith. Most days, I merely lean on my faith. Some days, I collapse onto it. That was definitely one of those days. When everything else was stripped away and I felt like my next breath was a “maybe” instead of a definite, I had nothing except my faith, and I thank God that it was enough. Not because of me, since I am as flawed a believer as you can find, but it was enough because of Him.
Yes, I still get distracted, worried, and preoccupied by things that, in the grand scheme of things, aren’t really important, but I wanted to pause now and once again give thanks. Why in public, on my blog? I can’t remember when I first read it, but a little section of Luke has always stuck with me. In it, ten lepers ask Jesus to be healed. All ten had their request granted, but while nine ran off, one turned around, went back to Jesus, and thanked him. It seemed like such an obvious thing to do, but the other nine didn't bother, and when I thought about it, I was reminded of all the times I’ve wanted something enough to pray for it, yet if I did get it, how I would often overlook taking the time to express my gratitude. So, approaching the four year anniversary of that day in the ER, this is me turning around, going back to that memory, and again saying thank you. I am more grateful than I can express to still be here to do it, so it sharing the story of my gratitude is also the least that I can do :).
October 28, 2015
Happy Halloween
Ah, the last week of October, the time of year when no one looks at you oddly if you say you're going to binge-watch horror movies, or you buy too many bags of candy, or you dress yourself, your children, or even your pets up in garish costumes. I don't have kids and my dogs hate wearing anything - seriously, remind me to video them the next time I put booties on their paws because it's below zero outside, and they contort themselves in extreme ways attempting to shake them off - but these people dressed their pets up for Halloween and the results are hilarious:
https://youtu.be/wtV5u32UAjw
Happy Halloween, all! May it be filled with many treats and no tricks for you and yours :)
https://youtu.be/wtV5u32UAjw
Happy Halloween, all! May it be filled with many treats and no tricks for you and yours :)
October 22, 2015
Outtakes From The Grave update
Back in July, I mentioned that I was compiling the best of the deleted scenes and alternate versions from my first four Night Huntress novels into a pseudo-anthology called
Outtakes From The Grave
. I’m happy to tell you that Outtakes comes in at over 117K words, making it longer any of my previously-published novels, so I found a lot of never-before-posted material. It is currently being copy edited, and it will release in ebook on December 22nd, 2015, so just in time for the holidays :). I'm also working on having it out in audio and print as well. More info on that once I have it.In the meantime, I wanted to give everyone a teaser of what Outtakes From The Grave will contain, so I’m sharing my author commentary on the below chapters. Of course, in the collection, these commentaries will be followed by the deleted scenes or alternate versions, but I’m not posting those here (Evil Author strikes again! ;)). I pulled these chapters at random, but in the anthology, everything is laid out in chronological order according to the Night Huntress series timeline. Also, each deleted scene or alternate version is broken into its own, individual chapter, and the author commentary provides a description of the content. That way, readers can decide which parts they wanted to read, and which parts they wanted to skip. So, without further ado, here is a sampling of what you can look forward to in Outtakes From The Grave. As mentioned, what I have below is pre-copy edits, so if you see spelling or grammar errors now, they'll be fixed in the published version.
Chapter Three
Bones’s point of view after their “first time.”
Author’s note: Readers have often asked me if I will ever re-write Halfway To The Grave through Bones’s point of view. The answer is probably not. For starters, when you’re in a character’s head, that character loses a lot of mystery because readers know what he or she is thinking or feeling. Second, I’ve also found that being inside a character’s head paints them in a much harsher light for the reader. Not only do readers experience the character through action and dialog, they hear everything the character doesn’t say, and unfiltered thoughts can be ugly at times. So, if I rewrote Halfway To The Grave through Bones’s point of view, I fear that Bones would lose some of his mystique and sensual edge. After all, Cat might have thought that Bones was sexy and irresistible, but Bones would never think of himself that way. What character would? (Oh, okay, Ian would, but that’s another topic ;).
However, years ago, I did take a stab at writing a chapter from Halfway To The Grave from Bones’s point of view, and I’m including it below. It takes place immediately after the first time Cat and Bones slept together, for context, and I was surprised by how sentimental and introspective Bones turned out to be.
Chapter Eleven
When Cat Met Belinda, a.k.a Sunshine
Author’s note: Some readers might remember that Belinda was one of the vampires that Don had kept captive at the compound so that his scientists would have a steady supply of vampire blood in order to make Brams. Readers might also remember that Bones had a history with Belinda, and Cat was not happy when she found out about that. The scene where Cat first caught Belinda was in the original version of One Foot In The Grave, but it ended up being cut because I thought that readers would rather have Bones appear on the page sooner than see Cat on another hunt with her team. However, I loved Cat’s interactions with Tate, Juan, Dave and the rest of her team, so I’m glad that I saved this instead of deleting it entirely.
Chapter Fifteen
Bones and Cat, alternate rekindled passion
Author’s note: In the published version of One Foot In The Grave, Bones and Cat go on several dates before giving in to their passion. At one point shortly after Bones returns, Cat even tells Bones something like, “I’m not going to fall back with my legs open while declaring my undying love to you.” *grin* That line was me being a smart-ass to my editor, because in the original version below, that’s pretty much what happens. Cat had never stopped loving Bones, and she’d made herself a miserable, self-destructive mess without him, so I couldn’t imagine her putting him off for any length of time once he was back in her life. I also couldn’t imagine Bones wanting to take things slow now that he’d finally found her after years of searching. He’s a patient man, but not that patient.
However, I did end up rewriting what happened when Bones returned because my editor reminded me that new readers who started with One Foot had never “met” Bones before, and thus had no background for their romance. Having Cat and Bones jump right back into bed would therefore diminish the tension that could otherwise be used to introduce new readers to Cat and Bones’s relationship. Since I’d written this well before I had any readers, that thought had never occurred to me, but I could see her point, so I revised. So, in this original draft, you’ll see an alternate version what happens when Bones first finds Cat, an alternate version of their first sex scene, and a little more of Bones’s temper with regards to Noah.
Chapter Nineteen
The Dress Shop
Author’s note: This deleted section from At Grave' End shows Cat, Denise, Annette and Justina going dress shopping for Cat’s upcoming wedding. Sound like a recipe for disaster? *grins* It was. It ended up being cut because although it was funny, we were trying to get to the main plot faster. As you can tell, a lot of scenes were cut in an attempt to keep the pacing as tight as it could be. I understood the reasoning, but I admit that I hated cutting scenes like this. I love showing the characters doing “normal” things – or at least, attempting to - and in hindsight, I think At Grave’s End could have used a few more light scenes to balance out the darker ones.
Chapter Twenty-One
White Wedding
Author’s note: I can’t count how many times readers asked me if Cat and Bones would ever have a “real” wedding. In the published books, they only had the vampire binding ceremony because their plans for a traditional wedding were ruined by events in At Grave’s End, but in the original version, they did have their white wedding. It ended up being cut because of – you guessed it – pacing concerns, and also because my editor felt that it signified a happy-ever-after even though the series was far from done. I’d intended to put this scene in a later book, but I could never find a place where it would fit. Ultimately, I decided not to put it the final books because it seemed to trivialize their prior blood-binding ceremony. Bones always considered that as the only wedding that mattered, and it took Cat a little longer to feel the same way, but she eventually did. In the scene where Don dies in This Side of the Grave, Cat thinks about how that strange, very unconventional blood binding ritual was so much more important than any fancy dress or extravagant traditional wedding, but both did happen in these deleted section, and I’m glad to finally get to share them you.
The end of this also contains a never-before-published sex scene where I broke a worldbuilding rule, so if it reads like what Bones and Cat do isn’t possible according to previously-known vampire abilities, you’re right :). That’s why I’ve never tried to duplicate this scene in any of the other books. And for those of you who might be thinking “ANOTHER sex scene?” because yes, there have been quite a few in this collection, this shows that I probably end up deleting more sex scenes than I publish. When I write, I let the characters lead, and then edit out later what I think might be too gratuitous.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Original beginning to Destined For An Early Grave
Author’s note: This original beginning was cut to get to the main plot point of Cat’s dreams about Gregor sooner. It was also set about a month before Cat and Bones take their boat trip, and features Cat and Bones’s first meeting with Geri, the woman who ended up replacing Cat as “bait” on Don’s team. This was an enjoyable scene to write because I got to show Cat and Bones having a little fun with the new recruit. As I’ve said before, a lot of the “just for fun” scenes got cut in the name of pacing, but it wasn’t all blood, danger, jealousy, and despair at Cat’s former job, and this scene gets to showcase some of the lighter moments between Cat, Bones, Dave, Juan, Tate, and the rest of her team. Even Denise came to help out, and as you can see, Denise had a great time moonlighting as a temporary team member.
Because I'm self-publishing this, there aren't any pre-order links available, so you can't order your copy until the on-sale date of December 22nd. However, if you want me to remind you when Outtakes From The Grave releases, sign up for my newsletter (hosted by CoffeeTime Romance) here and your reminder will come right into your inbox.
October 13, 2015
Important update
As many of you probably know from my previous post, I'm co-hosting a reader convention called Nola StoryCon along with authors Melissa Marr, Ilona Andrews, Kelley Armstrong, and Jennifer L. Armentrout. We posted an important update on our Facebook page today, and I wanted to also share it with you since tickets go on sale the day after tomorrow. Copied from Facebook:
"IMPORTANT UPDATE for # NolaStoryCon : Many of you have expressed concern that the event you want to attend might sell out before you can get your ticket. If this does happen, it is important that you PUT YOUR NAME ON THE "WAIT" LIST on the Eventbrite page. If there are a multitude of readers on the Wait list for a particular event, we have a contingency plan to make additional tickets available at a later date. The size of the "Wait" list will let us know if we need to enact this contingency plan, so if you can't get the ticket you want, be sure to add your name to the "Wait" list. Thank you.
As a reminder, our Eventbrite page is now up. Once tickets go on sale at 12:01am EST on 10/15/15, you will be able to buy directly from this site :http://www.eventbrite.com/e/nolastorycon-tickets-18576713450 "
[end Facebook message]
If you haven't heard about Nola StoryCon before today, that means you're not on my newsletter and so you're missing all kinds of stuff! Sign up here so you don't miss out on more cool stuff (newsletter hosted by CoffeeTime Romance.) I've also recapped highlights from Nola StoryCon below:
Nola StoryCon, A Mardi Gras for readers featuring book lovers and the Big Easy, hosted by Jeaniene Frost, Melissa Marr, Ilona Andrews, Kelley Armstrong, and Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Check out our amazing guest author lineup! Lara Adrian, Jeanette Battista, Jenna Black, Rachel Caine, Kresley Cole, Zoraida Cordova, Cora Carmack, Jay Crownover, Kimberly Derting, Sonali Dev,Kami Garcia, Molly Harper, Kevin Hearne, Wendy Higgins, Beverly Jenkins, Sophie Jordan, Laura Kaye, Katie McGarry, Chloe Neill, Jana Oliver,Pamela Palmer, Aprilynne Pike, Kristen Proby, Gena Showalter, Rachel Vincent, Jaye Wells, Sarah Wendell, and Samantha Young .
With special guests: Charlaine Harris, Nancy Yost from NYLA, and Merrilee Heifnetz from Writers House.
Nola StoryCon has a two-day schedule filled with panels, a mass signing, a dessert social, full dinner, After Party with games, tours, and more. To find out the dates, events, hotel, and all that other stuff, go to the official website at: http://nolastorycon.com/
If you know someone who's planning on getting a ticket, please share this post with them so they know about the update, too. Thank you so much, everyone!
"IMPORTANT UPDATE for # NolaStoryCon : Many of you have expressed concern that the event you want to attend might sell out before you can get your ticket. If this does happen, it is important that you PUT YOUR NAME ON THE "WAIT" LIST on the Eventbrite page. If there are a multitude of readers on the Wait list for a particular event, we have a contingency plan to make additional tickets available at a later date. The size of the "Wait" list will let us know if we need to enact this contingency plan, so if you can't get the ticket you want, be sure to add your name to the "Wait" list. Thank you.
As a reminder, our Eventbrite page is now up. Once tickets go on sale at 12:01am EST on 10/15/15, you will be able to buy directly from this site :http://www.eventbrite.com/e/nolastorycon-tickets-18576713450 "
[end Facebook message]
If you haven't heard about Nola StoryCon before today, that means you're not on my newsletter and so you're missing all kinds of stuff! Sign up here so you don't miss out on more cool stuff (newsletter hosted by CoffeeTime Romance.) I've also recapped highlights from Nola StoryCon below:
Nola StoryCon, A Mardi Gras for readers featuring book lovers and the Big Easy, hosted by Jeaniene Frost, Melissa Marr, Ilona Andrews, Kelley Armstrong, and Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Check out our amazing guest author lineup! Lara Adrian, Jeanette Battista, Jenna Black, Rachel Caine, Kresley Cole, Zoraida Cordova, Cora Carmack, Jay Crownover, Kimberly Derting, Sonali Dev,Kami Garcia, Molly Harper, Kevin Hearne, Wendy Higgins, Beverly Jenkins, Sophie Jordan, Laura Kaye, Katie McGarry, Chloe Neill, Jana Oliver,Pamela Palmer, Aprilynne Pike, Kristen Proby, Gena Showalter, Rachel Vincent, Jaye Wells, Sarah Wendell, and Samantha Young .
With special guests: Charlaine Harris, Nancy Yost from NYLA, and Merrilee Heifnetz from Writers House.
Nola StoryCon has a two-day schedule filled with panels, a mass signing, a dessert social, full dinner, After Party with games, tours, and more. To find out the dates, events, hotel, and all that other stuff, go to the official website at: http://nolastorycon.com/
If you know someone who's planning on getting a ticket, please share this post with them so they know about the update, too. Thank you so much, everyone!
