Bill Hiatt's Blog, page 11

Exciting News!

Well, okay, not quite that exciting, but still worth reporting.

Right now I have a book giveaway going on through Elite Book Promotions. You can see the details in the widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Also, there are still some ebook copies of the three Spell Weaver novels and A Parent’s Guide to Parent-Teacher Communication available in a exchange for an honest review through Choosy Bookworm. Their program is a great way to get free ebooks and help out aspiring authors [like me ] at the same time.

I also have some mixed news: bad if you were planning on borrowing any of my work through Kindle Unlimited, good if you would prefer a wider selection of venues. One of the reasons I made all my titles Amazon exclusive was that I wasn’t really getting many sales in the other venues, and indeed KU borrows at first more than made up for what I would have sold elsewhere. However, I had been distributing through Smashwords, and friends who switched to Draft2Digital told me they were getting far more sales that way than they used to get from Smashwords. As an experiment, I’m pulling my books out of KDP Select (and hence out of KU) as their 90 day terms run out and putting them out elsewhere. Within the next few days, Living with Your Past Selves  should be available at Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Kobo, Page Foundry, and Scribd. On or about February 15, I’ll be putting out the other two novels through the same channels. The short works will follow soon after. If I don’t get significant sales that way, I’ll consider moving back to KDP Select, but for now I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.

Finally, the audio version of Living with Your Past Selves should be available some time next week, initially through Amazon, Audible, iTunes and Common Mode, perhaps later through other channels. I’ll keep you posted.

(image is copyrighted by  Petrenko Andriy and licensed from http://www.shutterstock.com.)

A Writer’s New Year’s Resolutions

These are mine, but if you are a writer, you might also want to consider them; in some cases I have learned their importance the hard way!

Make time to write. For me this is the hardest one, since my first priority is my teaching and will remain so until I retire. Many of you have professional obligations, and some of you have a much larger family than I do, so for you it could be even tougher. You don’t necessarily have to write a huge amount each day, but setting some kind of goal and sticking to it is important. Most successful self-published writers succeed not by producing one bestseller but by producing a lot of moderately successful works, preferably related ones, so that a reader who likes one will be likely to try some of the others.
Make time to promote. If you’re like me, you enjoy writing much more than promoting, but the books don’t really start selling themselves until you have a large fan base, so a little promotion is essential. (You’ll notice that, prior to the last couple of posts, I hadn’t posted since early October, so I definitely need to keep this resolution in mind!)
Yes, despite the first two resolutions, don’t spend all day sitting in front of the computer. During the summer I sometimes find myself doing that, and I shouldn’t. Having enough exercise is important, and it’s to get enough when I am joined to the technology like a cyborg. As the ancient Greeks, said, “Moderation in all things,” so I’m going to make an effort to get out more…starting tomorrow.
Promote smartly. Some promotion is worth paying for; other types aren’t even worth doing for free. It did take more quite a bit of experimenting to know which was which, and that process is still a work in progress.
Make time to read. Between teaching and writing, I have lost most of my reading time–at least if you don’t count student essays! Sometimes it takes me months to get through a single novel. In the old days I used to read a book every week or so. Since we improve our writing partly by reading, it is very, very bad for a writer to not also be a reader.

Well, those are mine. Feel free to share yours if you like.

(Image was copyrighted by Iakov Kalinin and licensed from http://www.shutterstock.com.)

 

“Expelled”–Is It Worthy of All the Hype?

If you are expecting Shakespeare, you are going to be disappointed. but if you are looking for some light entertainment, and if you are still a teenager at heart, then Expelled is definitely worth watching.

Yes, as some critics have pointed out, the script could have been more imaginative. If you have seen the much older classic, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, there is no denying that there are some similarities, particularly as far as the basic premise is concerned. That said, I found myself getting into the movie anyway. In the interest of full disclosure, liking high school themed movies is an occupational hazard of teaching high school; I can’t guarantee that you’ll feel the same way about the film.

For me part of the appeal comes from Felix (Cameron Dallas), the charming rascal that we somehow want to cheer for even though what he is doing is often something we would be appalled by in real life. And yes, that could also be said of Matthew Broderick in the earlier film. However, the basic idea is far older than Ferris. At the risk of sounding like the English teacher I am, the idea has its roots in the ancient trickster myths. Every culture seems to have at least one, like Hermes in Greek mythology, who the very day he was born stole his brother Apollo’s cattle. Ancient Greeks had no more use for cattle thieves than any other agrarian society would have, but they laughed heartily at Hermes’ exploits anyway. Partly their reaction may have been caused by Hermes’ evolution into a beneficial god–will Felix evolve in a similarly constructive direction? The movie does consider that very question.

However, I think an even more powerful appeal of the trickster archetype comes from the fact that the trickster gets to break the rules in ways we can’t; by living through his antics vicariously, we may help to keep our own antisocial impulses in check. This effect is heightened by placing the trickster in a dubious society in which those who preach morality (in this case a wide range of people from the dean of students to some of his own peers) are to some extent morally corrupt themselves, and trickser Felix performs at least some of his mischief in a way that actually exposes this surrounding corruption.

It is also easy to be fascinated by the ways in which Felix extricates himself from trouble. More than once disaster seems inevitable, but Felix (with a lot of help from his friends) manages to get out of some pretty perilous situations unscathed. By the way, the friends are a less static group than in Ferris Bueller. Some of his allies by the end were enemies in the beginning, and the shifting relationships are another factor that keeps renewing the film’s energy. I especially like Vanessa (Andrea Russett), the bitter ex-girlfriend, Whose ambivalent relationship with Felix keeps the audience guessing.

Felix’s morally dubious choices aside, the film has some nice messages about friendship and–wait for it–the importance of actually working in school. How could a teacher not love that?

NOTE: If you are like me and like to watch movies on the largest screen possible, and if you don’t have a device that connects directly or via network to your TV, then you are going to want to download the iTunes version. Much as I like Amazon for most things, I discovered that Amazon instant video cannot be downloaded to a computer. (I bought that 1920 x 1080 display for a reason!) I didn’t feel like watching the movie on the much smaller Kindle screen, and Amazon’s streaming player is pretty small, doubtless for bandwidth reasons. By contrast, iTunes lets you download to a computer with no hassle and thus gives you more flexibility in the way in which you view your purchases.

And now, for those of you who never saw Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, here is the trailer for that movie:

Get Almost All My Books–for Free!

Yes, that’s right. You can get any of the titles pictured above through Choosy Bookworm’s Read and Review program. Yesterday (Monday) Living with Your Past Selves, the first book in the Spell Weaver series, was featured at http://choosybookworm.com/product/living-with-your-past-selves/, but there may still be a few copies left. Today Divided against Yourselves is being featured at http://choosybookworm.com/product/divided-against-yourselves/. On Friday the feature will be the newest release, Hidden among Yourselves, and on Saturday it will be A Parent’s Guide to Parent-Teacher Communication. (That last one is a short booklet designed for parents nervous about communicating with teachers, so it may not appeal to everyone, but if it sounds useful to your, now is your chance to get it free.)

This deal is also advertised via Choosy Bookworm’s social media outlets, and a limited number of copies are available, so don’t wait if you are interested!

I’m Buried in Student Essays, But…

I still haven’t forgotten about you, my loyal fans. Here are some quick news updates:

This coming week the recording for the eventual Audible release of Living with Your Past Selves is being recorded. I’m not sure what the exact release date will be, but I will keep you posted.

Hidden among Yourselves is nearing its ebook release, with the paperback to follow soon after. The release party will run from October 24 to October 31, with sneak peaks, games, and prizes. And don’t forget the related rafflecopter giveaway that also ends October 31. (It’s hard to argue with over $1,000 in prizes and as many as 36 winners!) If you just can’t wait, you might be wondering why the book isn’t available already. I’m still working on the final edits, and Mike Federman is putting the finishing touches on the cover, but don’t worry–this is definitely one book worth waiting for!

 

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Release Party for “Fate”

Fate, the latest release in the New Avalon series, is having a release party September 30, and we all know Andrea Buginsky knows how to party! Be sure and join now. https://www.facebook.com/events/796309873725351/

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“Hidden Among Yourselves” Release Party/Halloween/10,000 Followers on Facebook Giveaway Extravaganza

So many things to celebrate, and so little time to celebrate them! Hidden among Yourselves is going to be released some time in October.  By that point, it also looks as if I will reach the 10,000 follower milestone on my Facebook author page. (Thanks!) And, of course, Samhain (Halloween) will end the month. What else can I do besides have a giveaway?

This giveaway features over $1000 in prizes and could have as many as 36 winners. See the widget below for details. But wait–that’s just the Rafflecopter part. There will also be contests at the online release party from October 24 to October 31. During that time, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/736056289795600/ for details.

This is also the post on which you comment as one of your entry options. For details, see the rafflecopter widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Image is copyrighted by  Koroleva Katerina and licensed from http://www.shutterstock.com/.)

What does a statue of Alexander the Great have to do with the book? Stick around and find out!

 

“Fate,” Second Book in the New Avalon Series, Will Be Arriving Soon

The second book in the New Avalon series will be arriving soon! Here’s a look at the beautiful cover, designed by Natasha Brown.

 

Synopsis:

Elena Baxter’s second year at New Avalon may be more challenging than her first. The demons she was warned about show up, a visitor who greatly affects her arrives, and her best friend, Izzy, has to deal with her painful past. Can Elena survive everything that’s coming at her at once? Or will the future Lady of the Lake take on more than she can possibly handle?

Excerpt:

Elena ran through the dark woods, tree branches leaving deep, angry, red scratches on her arms, legs, and face. Her legs were heavy and her feet were cold and damp. The moist dirt of the forest floor began to seep through her shoes. She desperately wanted to look behind her to see if the dark figures were still there, but she dared not, afraid it would slow her down and they would catch up to her.

She kept running; she felt as though her lungs were about to explode and her heart would burst out of her chest at any moment. Cold sweat broke out all over her skin.

Just when she thought she couldn’t run anymore, she reached the edge of a cliff that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Peering through the heavy mist, she realized she had run to one of the far edges of Avalon, and knew the only thing below her was the icy cold ocean.

With nowhere else to go, Elena turned to await the dark figures chasing her. She prepared to use her magic on them, even with the knowledge that the few spells she had learned so far would barely touch her oncoming attackers. She would defend herself – she would not let them see how terrified she was.

As she watched ahead of her, three dark figures appeared, and when they saw her, they came rushing at her. They reached out their hands, casting their own spells faster than she could react to them. As several fireballs headed toward her, Elena began to scream.

Releasing September 30

Andrea Buginsky is a freelance writer with a BA in Mass Communication-Journalism from the University of South Florida. She has always wanted to be a published writer, and decided to try to write children’s fantasy books a few years ago. The Chosen is her first book, and was released on December 14, 2010, to her delight.

Andrea has written three more books since:

* My Open Heart, an autobiography of growing up with heart disease.

* Nature’s Unbalance: The Chosen, Book 2

* Destiny: New Avalon, book 1, a YA fantasy

She is currently editing the third book of The Chosen series, and writing the fourth.

Andrea lives in Kansas with her family, which includes her two precious puppies.You can visit Andrea on her website or Google+

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Divided against Yourselves Wins Again!

Divided against Yourselves just received two Global E-Book Awards: Bronze Medal for Contemporary Fantasy, and Honorable Mention for Young Adult Fiction.

This recognition brings to five the number of awards for this particular title, perhaps with more to come (fingers crossed). Trivia tidbit: I always enter both fantasy and young adult fiction if both categories are available, but this is the only time so far that I have ever won awards in both for the same book in the same contest.

You can view the complete list of winners here.

Kindle Unlimited!

It’s official–all of my titles are now available on Kindle Unlimited, so  if you happen to have a KU subscription, you can read them all for free! (It is also worth noting that KU has a 30 day free trial plan, in case you aren’t sure whether or not that kind of approach is for you. Personally, I like to buy the books and read whatever the spirit moves me to read whenever I have the time, so I’m not getting a KU subscription. However, if you read a lot, but on more of a library model–read it and return it–then KU is a good deal for you. You can have up to 10 books out at a time, in case you like to adapt your reading to your mood.)

 

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Kindle Unlimited is a Subscription Service for Books and Audiobooks