H.R. Holt's Blog, page 2

Marketing Stole My Soul... I Want It Back

The writerly process had always been a refreshing one... until I started going crazy with my promotions, which has left me feeling sick.

Because I've been so focused with the marketing side of it, my writer's block struck - and struck hard... but I broke through with a pirate vampire romance that I intend to focus on, instead of promoting. I feel as though I've sold my soul to the marketing demon, so my intention is to get it back.

From here on out, I'll maintain my humble ways -...

100 Page Book - Free for Five Days

Drum roll, please! Last week's book, Splintered Existence, spent it's 5 days Free, so now it's time for....
Love's Many Roads


The premise:

Nikki Norman receives a letter from her sister, which states that their father is dying, and asks that she return home. What causes her to be reluctant at first is her last memory before leaving Vinewood, which still haunts her several years later. Somehow, she ends up on the road, heading home, knowing deep down that she's needed.

The Vinewood that she left i...

KDP Select, Smashwords, and Gollum Syndrome

My five-day promotional period ended for Splintered Existence yesterday, and I was in the top 50 in two areas, listed somewhere around the 2,000 mark for overall. I'm hoping that people who actually bought my book are intending to read it, not just to have it as a possession. I'm glad most people don't suffer from Gollum syndrome - saying something is theirs and not wanting to share it with anyone, even the author.

One of my sisters read Splintered Existence and said that she loved it - m...

My First Review

Although I'm currently promoting "Splintered Existence," which is #74 in the freebies for Contemporary Fantasy, I want to take a second and say something really important...

I GOT MY FIRST REVIEW!

The review is for "The Absence of Falling Stars" and I received it today from an author I met on Goodreads by the name of Randy Mixter. In exchange, I reviewed his book, but an author's first review is always the most sensational. Trust me: right now, I'm on cloud nine!

This is the review... which...

Freebie for Five Days - Splintered Existence

After working on my book covers for the past few days, I feel satisfied with the results so I am doing a freebie for five days with each of my books currently for sale on Amazon.

The first? Splintered Existence.

The premise:

Midland opens itself onto the world of humans, bringing with it an unfathomable darkness that only few can stop. Jean Strummer, who considers herself "just a secretary", is about to find out that she plays a crucial part in closing the rift.

Along the way, she meets Dalen...

Cover Craze

I have been creating covers like crazy for my novels/novellas. I now have one for "Splintered Existence" and "The Skin Trials," though they are yet to be updated on Amazon. I also have one for another novel I'm planning, titled "The Good Doer Network," and also one for a romance called "Southern Comfort." Although this has proved to be productive - as far as covers are concerned - I would like to stop promoting my work for a while and just focus on my writing, which I will do starting either...

A Poem Alone

Hello and welcome to the end of yet another day in my boring little world.

As life often is best spent not planning a single thing, I wasn't able to do as I wanted yesterday with my cover creating and writing. The characters in my latest story, which is yet to be named, were left speaking to a man who'd arrived with a letter (because he can't talk or communicate via sign language, since he never learned how) that explained his belief that the main character's sister is in grave danger. I want...

The Greatness

There is something great in everyone... even me. I have to keep this in mind after a long day's work, when my best efforts are spent on others seeking to succeed in their climb towards a higher education. I highly commend each of them, because they are what makes life so great, especially at present.

Although dropping from the 100,000 range in the Amazon ranking system to the 400,000 area isn't all too inspiring, I don't care about that. All I want to really do is write, which what I've d...