C.N. Faust's Blog, page 13

Free signed bookmarks!

Hello my darlings,

I am signing and sending off free bookmarks! Would you like one? Let me know! Comment here or email me at cnfaust@outlook.com !

Pimping out Pharun to sell his own books

Hello my darlings,

A quick sketch of Pharun I did earlier this evening.

They say sex sells. If there is any merit to that, I have no trouble pimping out a half-naked Pharun in order to announce that The Dragon’s Disciples and The Heretic Priest are on Smashwords and Kindle for .99 cents for a limited time! (The Heretic Priest is not on Smashwords yet, my mistake. It will be up on September 12th).

The Heretic Priest’s cover SHOULD be updated by now on Amazon.com. If it isn’t, just give it a little while (it went live today). But all the files should be updated, shiny, and new!!

I know I haven’t shown you the new cover yet. Here is what it looks like!

Isn’t it lovely?!? My favorite detail of this cover is that if you look closely, Felix’s hands are dark, almost black. Like they are actually Pharuns hands. Get it? I love this artist so much!

One cover left to go, this time for The Hollow Living… maybe seeing the cover will give me motivation to finish the book. The storyline is progressing, and that is all that matters. I want to finish it by November so I can use NaNoWriMo as an excuse to kick The Bitch King into gear. We shall see!

The Dragon’s Disciples and The Heretic Priest – .99 cents on Amazon and Smashwords! Want a print copy? Email me at cnfaust@outlook.com for the best deals!

Daydreamers

I have been feeling kind of down lately. Can you tell?

–

Daydreamers

by C.N. Faust

Sucking on hot tits of nicotine

Tripping on dimes, it’s my Dramamine

Watching smoke curl like the

Unfurling of my sweetest fantasies

Haunting fever dreams of a delusional

Man, who is lost in a land of his own

Creation, he wants nations raised on

Top of his head, as he lies in bed and

Paints wars on the ceiling, lost in a

Feeling he can’t put into words

Secret trysts, duels and duality

On his bedside table sits reality

Books and papers of things he should

Know, his pathway to real life travels

So slow, and in his mind he is already

King, does he really need anything

More? Daydreamers can’t pay the bills.

OMG Weddings

Hello my darlings,

Weddings, weddings, weddings. That is all that is floating around this household these days! We finalized our venue location today (paid for it n’all) and now there are only … a million other things to do. Cake, guests, chairs, tables, decorations, invitations, vows, music, this, that, and the other. Did I mention cake?

http://pinterest.com/pin/386817055465599760/

So much about weddings all over the place. So many people getting married, /I/ am getting married, and I have spent the last few days trying to perfect the sequence of scenes that depict the marriage of Adriel and Olympia. I have barely been able to focus because of it all … it is in less than two months (that’s being insanely generous) and I have this feeling that all of this planning is incredibly last minute.

What I need is a checklist. I do so much better with checklists.

I just thought I would let you know what is going on. I am still trying to promote The Dragon’s Disciples re-release – tweeting every day, checking my Goodreads giveaway to see how things are progressing. Have I mentioned that I am going to have some hard copies on the shelves of a bookstore close to campus? It will be an easy place to direct people to buy my books. The internet is so crowded.

The illustration for The Heretic Priest’s cover is underway, so I am told. The illustrations for the special limited edition hardcovers are in the sketching phases also (SUPER excited!). Of the special editions, I think there are only going to be 13 (lucky number 13). I MIGHT give one of them away on Goodreads (if I can afford it). But I am super excited about that whole idea. 

I updated The Dragon’s Disciples on Smashwords (just because the print copies haven’t been released yet doesn’t mean the ebook cannot be bought). So it is available on there as well as Kindle. All of the copies should now be the updated edition. 

I have fallen behind on my networking due to wedding planning (which has also put us on a stricter budget) so if you are at all interested in helping me promote, please let me know! Until things settle down I doubt I will have my shit together. So tell your friends, tell ALL your fantasy (or vampire) loving friends that the ebook is available for purchase, the print copies are available for pre-order, and there is a Goodreads GIVEAWAY which is always fun to do.

For more frequent updates, as well as random statuses and pictures from me, there is my Facebook page.

Thanks in advance in anyone who promotes!

Your most adored,

C.N.F.

Author Q&A Video Blog

Goodreads Giveaway! The Dragon’s Disciples

Hello my darlings!

I have created my first Goodreads Giveaway for the re-release of The Dragon’s Disciples! Click on the picture below to enter, or just follow this link! http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/64194-the-dragon-s-disciples . The giveaway ends October 1st! 

This giveaway is for a paperback copy. I am hoping to do one for a hardcover as well. We will see! 

 

 

Your most adored,

C.N.F. 

Acquire a Personality

Hello my darlings,

Do you ever come across moments where you look at your cast of characters and all you see is this?

I’m different, yo.

Don’t lie, because you know you do. Unless you have a cast of five characters or under, chances are you are going to run into that “same-ness” that haunts every single author at some point during their careers.

I don’t think I can put a number on how many characters have come and go since I started writing. There are numerous faces that have come and gone during The Age of Waking Death series to the point where I have to keep a glossary at hand just to see who I have and have not introduced. I like to think that this is not my burden alone. I imagine that George R.R. Martin, R.A. Salvatore, and Laurell K. Hamilton (god, Hamilton) all have the same issue of “too many fucking characters”. But the number isn’t always the problem.

I am fairly certain that Dragoloth’s Verian race is one of the most homogeneous races in the history of fantasy (besides, you know, the obvious. Like dark elves). You could sit down with a basic formula and generate as many family members as you wanted with varying degrees of attractiveness. Think on it … pale skin, curly black hair, purple eyes, strong bone structure. That is almost everyone in the Mahtrador family. 

How could Encarz ever doubt his legitimacy?

But that is what happens when the family tree doesn’t have too many far-reaching branches. But when multiple characters have the same basic appearance, how do you set them apart as individuals?

It was difficult for me, at first. When I began writing I had a handful of character archetypes who all acted more or less the same (it doesn’t help that there are very few personalities I actually enjoy). It took years of re-writing the same storyline and re-populating the same country for me to discover the secret for making my characters sound like they were all playing different notes.

Kind of a bizarre analogy, I will admit.

Here are some tricks that help me develop a character.

I name them first. Names have power, and if I stick a name on a character their face / personality will immediately jump to mind. My favorite name site is  for when I don’t feel like just making shit up. (It saves you from having to read names like Arvyhaueaar).
I assign them all tics. Shrukian massages his temples whenever he has a massive stress headache coming on. Encarz puts his fingertips together. Cyrano pinches the bridge of his nose. These small gestures are key to figuring out how your character handles and processes different situations.
I assign everyone a ‘signature’ color. A person’s favorite color speaks volumes about their personality. You could pick a color, decide what it means to you, and then assign it to a character. Or, you could use a color meaning chart. Worse comes to worst, you could just let your character pick their favorite.
Assign them three animals. This is more like an exercise. Look at your character and name the first three animals that come to mind. The first will be how other people see them, the second will be how they see themselves, and the third will be how they really are. Once you come up with your animals, think about what you think they are like. (It’s not as if the reader is going to see your notes and challenge you. “NO! I do NOT think Shrukian has any manatee in him!”).

Those are just a few things that usually get me started. Once I have those basics down, the character is not so shy anymore and is usually willing to open up. There should be a whole other blog post dedicated to shutting them up…

Your most adored,

C.N.F.

Website Makeover

Hello my darlings,

My official website got a makeover! Still saving up to purchase the domain as my own. Until then, it lives on wix.com. Click on the picture below to get there!

And just to make things easier, I have tweaked it so that there is a page for pre-orders and a page for reviews. Check them out, I’d love to receive your feedback! Tomorrow I am answering some Q&A questions I received in a video. If you have any you want me to add, it’s not too late! Comment here and ask me anything! Some sample questions I have received are:

What is your writing ritual?
Is there a set time and place where you write?
Is there something you do to get your mind into writing mode?
How do you stay focused when you write?
You mentioned writing a couple thousand words a day–how do you keep yourself from getting distracted

There is also a funding campaign I am starting to raise money for the print production of my books. I would like to see them in stores and I am going to make it happen!

Your most adored,

C.N.F.

 

The Dragon’s Disciples Re-Release!

Hello my darlings!

Well, the cover for The Dragon’s Disciples is finally here!! Next up, The Heretic Priest! But I am getting ahead of myself.

That is a preview of the new cover, I will release the full thing in a few days. Isn’t it GORGEOUS? I am SO excited, as you can tell. And yes… that is Pharun on the cover. I love the entire piece, but I am especially enthusiastic about the ambiance, and the color scheme. The artist perfectly captured the soul of my books in this snapshot. I am in love with it. Happiness will prevail.

With that being said, I am EXCITED to go ahead and promote the re-release of The Dragon’s Disciples! I am making a few tweaks to the actual book, as well (one of them being a character / word glossary in the front. I had a few reviews mention that that would have been helpful).

BUT, I need your help, readers!! I want to spread the word and make this a successful re-launch to give my series a new beginning. I would love to be able to do a blog book tour, a Goodreads giveaway, and start selling some print copies as well as extend my e-book market. There will be some fun tidbits thrown into the mix every now and then as well, such as free signed bookmarks and other goodies.

This is where you come in! Things that would be of tremendous help:

1) If you are interested in your blog being a destination for my virtual tour, please let me know. And you can count on me returning the favor, should you ever want to do the same!

2) Once the full cover is released, start building the hype on blogs / Facebook pages and groups / Twitter / and Pinterest. Awesome hashtags are optional. Things like #thedragonsdisciples #cnfaust and #pharunswag. (Maybe that last one is too much. But I’d be in love with anyone who used it, because shouldn’t that totally be a thing?)

3) If you want to distribute any physical promotional items to your friends / neighbors / family (such as bookmarks, samples) then get a hold of me through email or Facebook and we will talk!

4) Like my Facebook page and link back to it whenever the situation arises! That alone is a great help to build hype.

5) If you would like to receive an ARC in exchange for a review, let me know and we can make it happen!

6) Scout out any local bookstores in your area who would be interested in carrying the series.

I would REALLY appreciate any help or suggestions you may have, and I never forget a favor!

One more thing before I go. The Dragon’s Disciples will be available for pre-order from now until its re-release date (set tentatively at September 30th but no sooner than then). This mostly applies to print copies (though if you would like to pre-order an eBook, that would be cool as well). I will be selling the print copies for $10 per trade paperback and $30 per hardcover, that INCLUDES shipping and handling (unless you are international, prices may vary in that case. Email / contact me and we will talk!). That is a WAY better deal than you will get on Amazon! All $$ interactions will be made through PayPal, all payments must be sent by September 30th (in order for me to order the copies). If you are interested, email me at cnfaust@outlook.com with your information! (Name, address). When you send the money via PayPal, please write that it is indeed you sending the payment (in case your Paypal email and your contact email are different).

Your most adored,

C.N.F.

GUEST POST: How to Choose the Right Cover Art for Your Book by Saoirse O’Mara

This guest post is right in time and on topic for what has been at the forefront of my mind lately! Enjoy these excellent points from the fabulous Saoirse O’Mara!

———————————————————————————————————————————————————

Some writers already know exactly how their book cover should look like before the book is even finished. If you are one of them, congratulations!

If you are not, then you belong to those writers this blog post is for.

So you have written a book, and you want to publish it. You did your homework and know that a good cover is your number one sales tool. But how do you go about choosing a cover that’s just right for your book?

1)      Genre: Do you write in a particular genre? Most genres have certain cover trends that make genre books easy to spot in a shelf (or on a website). Check out the latest releases of trad publishers in your genre. Can you make out common elements, colour schemes, styles? Maybe similar-looking fonts? If yes, try to implement those elements into your cover too. Make it easy for genre fans to notice your book!

2)      Series: Do you write a series? Then make sure that readers can easily recognise your books as part of one. Maybe add the series title and volume number to the cover. Definitely use the same “look” for all your covers in that series. Stick with your font(s), your cover style, your layout.

3)      Professional Look: Are you a cover designer? If the answer is no, go find one to help you with your cover. True, some people just have the talent, but chances are you’re not one of them. At least get professional feedback.

4)      Your Book Theme: You think this point should be at the top of the list? Sorry to break the news to you, but catering to the readers’ “sensors” sells more books than to nail your book’s topic on the cover. Of course, your cover should still fit your book, but keep in mind the other three points when you’re deciding on your cover. If you’re not writing romance, for example, think hard whether your main prot really needs to kiss the half-naked warrior queen on your cover. Misleading cover art is a good way to collect negative reviews from disappointed readers.

That being said, choosing the right cover art isn’t always easy. If you’re unsure, a good cover designer should be able to work with you to find exactly the right cover for your book. For fantasy, I can highly recommend my own cover artist, Svenja Liv. Check out her website http://svenjaliv.com and then just send her an email, she’s easy to work with and delivers top quality covers!

 

Saoirse O’Mara is a children’s and YA writer and home mostly in the fantasy and mystery genres. Check out her website http://saoirseomara.wordpress.com for more information on her and her books, or become a fan of her two series Miro the Dragon (http://facebook.com/MiroDrakonia) and A Rogue’s Tale (http://facebook.com/ARoguesTale) on Facebook.