R.J. Blain's Blog, page 78

Inquisitor is on Sale for US residents

Werewolves, witches, and murders… oh my!

Are you looking for a new book to read for the start of the summer? Have a friend who needs a hot, thrilling new urban fantasy novel? Well, if you’re in the US, you’re in luck. Inquisitor is on sale starting today, for $1.99 for the next two days. After that, the price goes a little, before going back to full price.

You so want in on this action.

What? You’re not sure? Well, go check out what the reviewers have to say. They tell some interesting stories: Someone missed appointments, days were ruined, faith in interesting werewolf stories restored…

You know you want to.

Loved the book? Got a few bucks to spare and a loved one who needs the book? Gift it!

Share this post. Pretty please with a cherry on top?

Author Services Review: The Aftermath of the Promotion

Success is a fleeting, unpredictable thing. When I planned the launch of Inquisitor, I had a few set goals for myself. I wanted to make the top 10,000 on Amazon, and I wanted to make back $250.00 in earnings within the first week.

I failed to reach both goals.

However, my expectations were flawed.

I learned a lot. I took a lot of risks. They all paid off, but in a way I never anticipated and did not know possible.

In terms of money earned, the $539 I invested in the tour was a complete and utter failure. I sold 14 copies of Inquisitor the first day, with 4 additional individuals borrowing the book on amazon. Sales went downhill from there.

I set $250 as my ‘ROI (Return of Investment) goal’ because I figured half was a good value for the insane boosts I got to my social media networking. My facebook got over 300 new likes. My twitter exploded, with approximately 500 new followers. I gained well over 200 new followers on pinterest as well. In addition to this, there were a good number of adds of my book to goodreads. All of these things have value–a lot of value for a writer.

But I was hoping for $250 in the first week of sales.

I made $73.00 in the first week of sales.

If you’re wondering why it took me so long to post this, I was wallowing in the darkest pit of despair I could find. I was expecting failure of some sort, but this was a rather spectacular failure.

I wallowed in self-pity, mostly quietly.

I did not expect what amazon would do twelve days after my book launch. I didn’t even know amazon did this… not until I asked a very successful self-published author. (She’ll make upwards of $70,000+ this year from amazon alone.)

If you browse books, and you add a title to your wishlist, amazon tracks that. It also tracks your behavior in conjunction with other readers. Let’s face it, a lot of people I know read fantasy. I promoted to many sites dedicated to paranormal and urban fantasy.

People didn’t buy the book.

People added Inquisitor to their wishlist.

On Memorial Day, my book sales exploded. I went to bed after seven straight days of 1 or 2 sales and a 65,000 or worse ranking. I woke up with 20 sales.

The day went on, and the sales kept coming.

I googled, I googled, I spent all day googling. I could not, for the life of me, figure out what sort of gremlin had decided I needed a chance at success.

It wasn’t a gremlin. It was my book and my promotion efforts bearing fruit in an unexpected way. Amazon saw I had a lot of wishlist additions. Amazon decided to send a Memorial Day promotional email to a selection of book lovers. It featured my novel.

It featured my novel in the top slot of the newsletter.

Copies sold. 75 copies, for that matter, with 4 borrowed units. On Memorial Day, Inquisitor made $250.00 in royalties. It jumped to the top 3,000 on Amazon.

Since, it has been hovering between 4,000-5,000 in the rankings. Sales are still coming, although at a slower pace.

By May 28, it had paid for all of its promotional costs. I’ve almost earned back the cost of one of my editors for the novel, too.

All because people were interested in the novel and added it to their wishlists. This is a new way you can help authors you believe in and like. You want to read a book but can’t afford it?

Add it to your wishlist. This gives the author a chance to get on one of these amazon email promotions.

Amazon was still emailing people yesterday with my novel. I received a forward of one of the emails from a fan, who was ecstatic to see it.

The price on it made me do a double take, but really? Amazon sold me a bunch of books. So, thanks Amazon!

Because Amazon featured my novel, it started selling. It’s still selling.

I have 17 reviews, with a 4.7* average rating. That’s pretty good. The paid promotion landed me at least 9 reviews that made it to Amazon. There were a lot more reviews that didn’t make it to Amazon, but that’s okay too.

People were made aware of my novel. They added it to their wishlists.

Amazon saw that as a reason to promote my novel for sale.

I’m not a bestseller. I’m not rich by any stretch of the imagination. This isn’t going to make my writing career. It did give me a much needed boost.

But it took twelve hopeless days before the impact of the promotion kicked in. But when it did, did it ever!

Bestsellers are likely laughing at my 83 sales and $250 of income for a single day. Me?

I cried.

Paid promotion: It worked…

… but for none of the reasons I expected.

Another day, I will go into the specifics of each of the campaigns I participated in, including my speculations on why these campaigns actually worked… and why I suspect some did not.

Today?

I’m going to get other work done and marvel that the publishing industry is even more complex than I imagined possible.

Wishlists.

Who would have thought?!

Conceptualizing a Novel: Journaling, Plots, and Characterization

It’s well known that I love writing journals. I’m a hardcore moleskine junky, but really, I love paper and pen. I become a whole new person on a creative level when I’m given these old-fashioned tools to work with.

Today, I’m going to go over my new way of plotting, characterizing, and organizing my novels. For my birthday, I acquired a leather circa journal. I’ve been lusting for one of these for about a year. I never really could justify it before.

I’ll just say this much: I have learned the error of my ways, and this system is worth every penny. I will say this: Thin, poor-quality stock paper need not apply for use with these journals. It’ll rip and tear if you’re like me, constantly taking out and putting pages back in.

So, before I go into the method, let’s talk about the journaling system. For this method to work, a modular paper system is pretty much required. Here’s why:

When I’m writing out notes scene by scene, I go back and correct things in first scenes. I take out the page I’m currently working on, flip to other sections of the journal, make notes and reference details on those sheets, before flipping back to its appropriate spot and reinserting the sheet. You just can’t do this very well with a regular notebook.

Sorry, Moleskines. You just got outclassed.

Here is the system in action.

My friends, who love me, bought me the red leather journal–and they had it initialed! So glorious! So wonderful.

If you think the outside is pretty, just wait till you see the inside.

I replaced the original rings with green aluminum rings. Blue and Silver aluminum are also available (brand new additions!) The original rings are black plastic.

I just received the green rings in the mail today, so I took photos of the empty journal with three wafer-thin dividers added. The leather journal doesn’t come with them. These are extras I bought on my own, along with the green rings.

The leather journal I has includes some pocket space for index cards and some paper. The space is tight, but considering the nature of the system, that’s perfect for me. Most things will be punched and kept on the rings anyway.

Warning: Click at your own risk. If you read my novels, spoilers of minor nature will be found if you read the notes.

I thought it was worth the risk.

This shows an ‘open’ circa journal system. I have no covers on this, showing that the rings and paper can form a complete archival system. I don’t like throwing out notes, and this will make sure I have plenty of storage space when the notes have been used and a novel has been completed. Better yet, because it still uses the circa system, I can flip through, organize the archives, and switch things around anytime I need.

These are the large green rings I purchased. The larger rings make the pages a little harder to turn, so I decided to keep the 3/4″ rings in my leather journal. The pages flip super easy in the 3/4″ system. which is what I need for really active work.

This shows the circa journal, fully opened, in action. The pages function just like a regular journal, so those who likes ring bound or true bound will likely enjoy this. It has the feel of both types at the same time, partially due to the fact it can lay open totally flat without any issues at all. That’s one thing I really love about this system. Right now, I’ve installed dividers to create covers for the journal. As I mentioned above, covers aren’t required. Of course, covers do protect what is inside, so unless you’re archiving, I really recommend having a cover of some sort.

I have created three different journals: Two archive journals, and the master work journal.

On top is a single-page circa hole punch, which converts any paper into a circa-usable sheet. Levenger has three models, but since I really like their paperstock, I chose the single-page punch. I don’t need any more than that, since I’ll likely only punch and include character sketches for personal reference.

Intermission: So, why the circa system? Why the sudden shift over to faithfully recording information on my novels? Simple: I may often pants my novels, but realistically, I’m plotting in my head as I go.

Because I’m now working on connected books, I need to be able to confirm information easily. I used to do this in true-bound Moleskine journals. Now? I’m doing it in the circa system.

My moleskines will still be used as a major part of the drafting process. But, because I want to really limit the amount of difficult editing work, I’ve taken to doing extensive note taking and preparation before drafting.

Because I’m median in nature, the shift doesn’t bother me at all–I still do a lot of pantsing work and creative work as I’m taking the notes. The wonder of discovery is still there.

As is the organic characterization. Why?

I use the same exact thought process. I just take notes instead of storing it all in my head.

Moving on. The specifics of my note taking.

This is the outline and characterization work for the first scene of Witch & Wolf 3. (Support an author, buy Witch & Wolf 1, Inquisitor. At an Amazon near you!)

The Witch & Wolf series is an urban fantasy thriller type. It mixes mystery, murder, action & adventure, and thriller, with a backdrop of magic, werewolves, and our world… but changed.

Or is it?

Unlike many other series, the Witch & Wolf novels are connected standalone novels. Often, a new character is featured in each book. In Witch & Wolf 3, many of the characters from books 1 & 2 make an appearance. Old friends may return in later titles to become the main characters again as they get into more misadventures.

However, I want people to be able to invest in one and only one copy of a book–any one in the series–if they so choose.

Which means I have to be very careful to make sure each title can stand alone. When Victoria (from Inquisitor) returns, returning readers will know her… but new readers will not be left to drown. You’ll meet her all over again, in her new circumstances, facing new challenges. Of course, reading Inquisitor will have benefits, but you won’t need to read it.

And because of that, I have to be really careful in how I plan each and every novel, or I’ll end up relying on previous books in the series. I don’t want that.

Enter my note taking.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

On this page, I have written out various bits of information on the character, things I want to develop, his motivations, and so on. Some of this stuff will never actually be revealed to readers–not directly. It’ll be inferred, hinted at, and lived, but not directly told. It’s information for me, to get a feeling for how Jackson will behave in the novel.

A lot of my notes are speculation on his choices, his feelings, his emotions, and how he changes as a result of his experiences.

That’s characterization and development–justification of actions, and paying the consequences of those actions, followed by reacting to those consequences.

Fears, hopes, and dreams play a huge part in how I develop characters.

Yes, I may create unreliable narrators as a result. Why?

People change. People make bad choices. They make good choices.

They do things, sometimes, they shouldn’t have done–all because they wanted something bad enough.

When I take notes for a novel like this, I want to capture that.

The plot is the consequences of my character’s decisions, partnered to the consequences of other character’s decisions–and sometimes, the character making the decision is the planet Earth itself.

I can’t tell you how to plot and plan your own novel. It is a personal journey, an adventure you must embark on solo. But, I can share with you what I do and why I do it.

At the heart of every book I write are characters. They are the ones who decide the show–or, at least, how I think they would decide the show if they were real people with goals, dreams, and motivations.

They’re always bigger than life. In a way, I create characters who all have the trait to be able to change themselves. That sort of strength isn’t always present in real people. We have a tendency to get lost in our fears, and sometimes, we never act.

My characters are almost always forced to make a decision…

… if they don’t, the consequences for inaction are often far, far worse than the consequences of taking action.

Therefor, they drive the novel forward.

Second, I consider the plot and the events. I want the story to be fun. I want people on the edge of their seats. Those are the types of books I adore reading. I love feeling breathless and satisfied at the end of a novel. I love when an author completely screws with my head and turns my expectations upside down.

I love when they toy with me, take me on a roller coaster ride, inflict emotional bondage on me because of their glorious book. That’s the experience I want to create.

Because that’s the experience I really enjoy.

I love capturing the darkness of the world, and then giving all of the characters a chance to chase after a light in that darkness. I don’t like hopelessly dark stories.

So I don’t write them. Sometimes, a character has to face true evil, true darkness, and experience things that give me the shivers, but I also give them a chance to succeed.

If they use every tool available to them.

I don’t give anything away for free, either. Characters live and die by their choices–and the choices of other characters. I’ve talked about this before, in a discussion over damseling. If a character loves another character so much to risk injury or death for them, if they get in trouble… of course they’re going to come running. No matter what the cost is to them, too.

That’s what people in love often do.

If a character has deserved the love and respect to be rescued when they get into trouble, that’s fine.

That’s part of why I take such extensive notes. I’m accounting for all of these character decisions.

A book is not the story of one character. It is the story of one character, and every other character that character has ever impacted, in past, in present–and in future.

So, keeping that in mind, I want to discuss the differences between plot and characterization in this case. I’m outlining by scene. I have already written up an eight page generic plot summary of events I think the character would cause.

P.S.: In the outline by scene, I’ve already made notable modifications to this because the events I thought would work wouldn’t because the characters wouldn’t do that.

Oops!

So, how is all of this information relevant on how to use the journal? Let me show you.

Warning: Spoilers Head! (Ignore the text on the image and look at the rings to avoid spoilers.)

This is an image of me inserting pages into the circa system. Because of how the pages are punched, you can very easily remove and put sheets back in. So, keeping in line with character decisions and motivations, when I work with a scene, I am flipping through the entire book–scene by scene–and checking to see if the characters would make the decisions they do.

One of the things I notice a lot when I edit for clients is that characters often forget their motivations. Things that were important to them a few scenes ago are forgotten or ignored. They’re no longer important.

By taking out sheets and working my way through the project, I minimize the chance of this happening by carrying through important themes.

Something for you to think about when you’re plotting or pantsing.

Note: The theories here are usable with both types of writing. If you’re pantsing, you’re keeping track of this stuff in your head, and you may not even realize it! Plotters are just writing it down before they draft… but many neglect to consider these key elements of writing a strong, character-driven novel.

I just used a marketing phrase, but I’m going to hammer it home. It is not marketing vomit. It actually means something. It means that your novel  is founded on the choices, decisions, motivations, successes, and failures of your characters, not on random luck, random events, or shallow stereotypes and tropes.

But that is a bridge you need to build and cross. It’s a personal journey, in a lot of ways.

I can’t tell you how to capture characters… it is something learned through reading, studying people, and ultimately doing.

Phew. I hope that this gives a glimpse into how I write books, and maybe offer some insight on how you can improve or clarify your personal writing method.

Random Rambles: Memorial Day Giveaway

My father served in the armed forces in the Corps of Engineers. My father’s father served in the armed forces.  My mother’s father served in the armed forces. My mother’s father’s father served, as did my mother’s uncle.

My family line, since the time of the Revolutionary War–and even prior–has served in the military in some capacity. I’m an eligible for membership in DAR (the Daughters of the American Revolution) although I’m not one. I grew up traveling the eastern seaboard of the United States, seeing the landmarks where American history was made.

I have been to almost every single battlefield of the Revolutionary and Civil wars. I have seen trees bearing the scars of bullets from hundreds of years ago, and been to places where I could feel the impact of war on it. You can see it in the pockmarked rocks, you can feel it in the air, as if perhaps the ghosts of the fallen do still linger where they fell in battle. I have walked through forests, pausing to find a bullet from two hundred years ago. I still have one upstairs, irrefutable proof of what people will do for what they believe in.

Tomorrow, no matter what country you live in, no matter which country you swear allegiance, it is a time to stop and remember those who have come together. It is a time to stop and mourn.

It is also a time to celebrate. Their sacrifice was not without cause, not without reward, and never forgotten.

I will be giving away a set of my novels, in format of choice, in celebration of memorial day.

Who in your life has served? Who in your life has made that ultimate sacrifice? Who in your life is serving now, laying it all on the line for what they believe in?

This giveaway is for those who serve in the armed forces, have served, or are preparing to serve. This giveaway is for the spouses and children of those who are serving, who have served, or are preparing to serve.

To win, simply tell your story in the comments below–or write a blog post about it and link it to me on twitter, facebook, or google+. I will read all of the stories pick one to win the main prize.

Paperback copies will go to US addresses. If you do not live in the US, you will receive e-copies of the books. (Arrangements may be made for active members of the armed forces, but I don’t know the costs or details of shipping overseas!)

Thank you for your sacrifice and everything you have done for your country–no matter which country it is for, or what you believe.

The Diary of a Sad Cat: This is the Story of my Ball.

My name is Princess, and once upon a time, I was the Queen Kitty of the Ball Kingdom. But my crown is gone, and my rule is coming to an end.

My balls are gone.

It began a while ago. Once upon a time, my human servants kept a basket full of my balls. On demand, they would come and throw them all for me. I would, at my leisure, bring them back. All was well in the world.

Then the female human started up her bad habits again. This time it was something about some Inquisitor. She has no idea what she’s in for if she doesn’t get her act in order. What does she need some stupid Inquisitor for? She has me.

You know how it is, just as you think you get your servants properly trained, they go and do something stupid… like work. On things you don’t tell them to do.

I have learned the names of these things preventing me from ruling my ball kingdom.

The humans call them books. I have managed to steal away one of them. Apparently, it is called Storm Without End. I also stole away the things she does this foolish work on. I’ll teach her not to play with me and throw me my balls. I’ll teach her not to replenish my ball supply. You know what a storm without end is? What I’m going to do to those servants if I don’t get new balls–and quick.

I have two left, and they are both blue. I know these cheap, lazy creatures could buy me new balls–there is a sacred temple place they go to. They acquire them there. But when I bring the ball to the human, which is absolutely filthy–I mean, doesn’t everyone throw balls into the porcelain throne? She gets so worked up about this. Nonsense, really. She threw out the balls I put in the porcelain throne. How dare she!! How dare she!! I brought it to her, partially cleaned,  because she was muttering some garbage about how dirty the balls were getting... and she throws them out when I do the work for her! Ridiculous.

In order to evaluate this situation, I have had to do something called math. Terrible, really. Absolutely horrific. What does my servant think I am? Human?

Preposterous.

I have done this math to learn how to rebuild my ball kingdom. I want red ones, yellow ones, green ones–all colors! My kingdom is down to two blue balls.

I don’t really understand why the male servant started snorting. Foolish humans.

It works like this. The female gets this thing called money when people buy her books. This ‘money’ then goes to the cat temple. She picks up new balls from the shelf, and hands the other human servant thing this money.

It worked with the kibble bag. Observe the evidence of the brand new kibble bag. Most importantly, notice how much delicious, wonderful Kibble is present within the confines of the bag.

Thank you, humans-who-are-not-my-servants. Your sacrifice has been noted. You will be rewarded in your afterlives.

Now, back to the issue. With this math, and this money, I will order the human servants I own to go to the cat temple.

I get new balls.

My humans aren’t killed in their sleep.

It works well for everyone, right?

My balls need liberated! I cannot rule in such terrible conditions.

So this is my master plan. You look like a cunning human. Much smarter than my servants. Let’s face it, mine need so much handling, day in and day out, it amazes me how they ever survived without me. But you, oh you, I bet you’ll go far.

I have observed the habits of humans. It seems that when one human tells another human of something, news spreads. I have been spying on this work my human has done, and it seems other humans are actually enjoying this ‘writing work’ she does. Frankly, it looks like a lot of muttering, hair pulling, and gibbering for me, but I’ll let it slide. This time.

So, human. Using this strange thing called ‘social media’, it is up to you to spread word of my plight, my need for new balls, and this so-called new book my female human servant has written, apparently, for lovers of ‘urban fantasy thrillers’. I hear people tossing around murder mystery, supernatural suspense, and some other nifty descriptors too.

But, don’t just take it from me. Check out what others of your species have been saying about this book. Now we’re talking. This human says something about the book ruining their day, and something about the inability to do anything other than my human’s bidding  reading this book.. That’s my female human servant! Maybe she learned something from me after all.

Oh, this one looks promising too. This human was compelled into missing several appointments. I approve.

What are you waiting for? I need new balls.

Go forth and share. Make the whole world know of my need for all of the balls!!!

Random Rambles: Writing a Unique Series

While I’m classifying this as a random rambles, it is also a writing-related post. When I normally write about writing, I try to put a little thought and effort into it. (Shocking, I know.)

Because I’m just talking, without that care, this is a random rambles. Even if I’m talking about writing. So there. I’ll try to interject something about my cats for a random element or something. And spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and other blasphemies. (le gasp!)

Everyone wants to be unique. We want to write original stories, or a unique series, and stand out from the rest of the competition. We want people to see our art or read our tales, and say, “Well, that’s different!”

It’s in our nature. We want to feel validated. Being different, in a good, positive way, is one of the ultimate forms of validation. I’m no different. Every time someone says that ‘I’m different’ but in a positive way, I feel a lot better about myself.

When someone says that ‘I’m different’, I’ve done something unique. I’ve done something only I can do or have done. It’s egotistical, no doubt about that, but it’s natural. Some of us, of course, go out of our way a lot more to stand out.

Apple’s famous ad was all about being different. Yet, it touched so many of us.

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers…

Writers are the round pegs in the square holes. We’ve always been that way.

We see things differently.

There have been many comments, quotes, and beliefs that creative types are mentally ill. That might be true. We do things differently. And that, in and of itself, is often viewed as an illness. When many others of our species fall into groups, obeying a natural instinct to form herds, creative types are often loners. A lone wolf in a society where pack means something–where cliques, circles, and fellowships are formed and break down every day.

Humans like groups. We gather to become nations. When we collectively believe something, be it right or wrong, we form religions. We form classrooms to learn. We have packs of friends. We are social by nature. We’re both predators and prey. We are, despite the common belief we are somehow superior because we speak ‘known languages’, a product of nature, complete with instincts.

We’re animals, but we don’t like admitting it.

We strive to be different, yet we vilify those who succeed at it too well. It’s okay to be different–if you’re different within the thresholds set by society’s standards.

And maybe that’s why some of us write. We want to be different, but we don’t want to be vilified. We’re frightened of being ostracized. We don’t want to be ignored, but we don’t want to pay the price for being different. We want to be seen as geniuses in our own right, but we don’t want to be viewed as crazy. Not in that negative way.

We want to be the good crazy, the good different.

We want to change the world–or at least someone’s world.

Yet by writing, we manage to often be ostracized and vilified for doing something different. ‘Writing isn’t a real career,’ some say. ‘Writing is something to be done in a dark corner, away from real people,’ others say.

‘Writing can’t be a job,’ people say.

‘Well, screw them,’ I say.

I, too, want to be different. To think different. To be that crazy person, a world changer. I’m not rich, nor do I expect to be. I can’t buy change. Others can. I won’t–because I don’t believe change should be bought. It should be earned. It should be a result of people thinking differently. About their world, about their beliefs, about who they are, about who they want to become.

When I set out to write Inquisitor, I wanted to write something different. I wanted people to make guesses, wonder, and think about the people I created–and then be surprised by the last page. I wanted to see if I could pursue society’s expectations and prove things can be different.

But I didn’t want to throw a left hook out of nowhere. I wanted my readers to stare at the last chapter, and then see all of the things they may have missed, and realize it wasn’t a out-of-the-blue conclusion–that all of the pieces were there all along.

I wanted to challenge my readers, giving them a puzzle they could solve–if they were really clever, if they thought outside of the box, and thought differently. I didn’t want to dumb the story down because that is what society expects. I wanted to tell something difficult. Something different.

Because being different is difficult. It means facing the status quo, turning around, and rejecting it. It means looking at things a layer deeper.

Inquisitor challenged me because I wanted to write something different.

Witch & Wolf is going to challenge me because I want to write an entire series differently.

I want to capture the tension and heart-pounding excitement of a thriller novel, but I want to challenge society. I want to see the world differently. That’s why I write speculative fiction.

I want to be different.

But let’s face it, urban fantasy is a very popular genre, and writing differently, and being different, it’s a very difficult thing. You can randomly create races or types of magic, but that’s not enough to stand out. That’s not enough to bring notice to yourself.

If you write about werewolves, while the species is ultra popular, there are so many stories about werewolves that creating something different is almost impossible.

But it can be unique to you, which is almost as good as being different. Different is a word for a purple orange. You don’t expect to see a purple orange. Unique? Unique is having an orange orange that just tastes so much better than the other oranges. It stands out, but it is an orange–a regular, orange-colored orange. At first glance, you may not see the difference.

But you can taste it.

That’s what reading a unique book is all about–tasting and experiencing that difference, even if the orange isn’t the color purple. Once the first bite is tasted, do you care that the orange wasn’t purple in color? No.

It tastes good.

It’s enjoyable.

When I write, I want to make my orange tasty–unique in its flavor.

With Inquisitor, I wanted to tell a story about what it would be like to, theoretically, live forever–and the story about those who want to protect the normal people of the world from those who are different. The paranormals, the supernaturals–the world changers. And in turn, I wanted to explore how people can be conflicted, divided, wear masks, and be human–even when they aren’t.

Especially when they aren’t.

I wanted to create a woman who lived differently, but wore masks to hide among the status quo. If anything, it’s a novel about masks, who wears them, and why those masks are worn.

And it’s, of course, an action adventure, because I love action, thrills, adventure, and the breath-holding suspense.

Winter Wolf is the second installment of the Witch & Wolf series, but it comes before Inquisitor in chronological order. The two books are connected by the world they live in. A character from Winter Wolf–the Winter Wolf–is mentioned in Inquisitor. Some of the resolution is already known, too. Therefor, some of the consequences are known before Winter Wolf was written.

And that’s where Witch & Wolf is different. It’s a series, but it isn’t a series in the usual sense.

For each novel, the main characters are different. They’re all standalone novels. They may reference events from other novels, but if it is–the context is included. Some characters may never meet. Others will become life-long partners.

I’m writing about a world, not one specific character. Already, readers want to see the next Victoria Hanover novel. Victoria is a character I will write again–a second novel from her perspective–but her time for her second book isn’t now. And when it does come, while reading Inquisitor might give you a little more depth to who Victoria Hanover is, a new reader can pick up the book and enjoy it.

I can have a series without necessarily forcing investment on each and every book in the series.

Readers should have the freedom to read only the standalone novels they want. They should have the freedom to read all of the novels, and see the subtle references–the Easter eggs–to the other books in the ‘series’. I don’t want to create a series where you need to read every book–unless you want to.

I want it to be like an amusement park, where readers can pick the rides they want to ride, without having to ride every single one to enjoy the ride they choose.

When someone reads Winter Wolf, reading Inquisitor is not a requirement. When reading Inquisitor, reading Winter Wolf is not a requirement.

I love reading first books in a series. There is always a sense of joy and discovery with each and every one of them–a new world. New faces. The second books, unless it is a direct continuation of the first book… it often falls short. Flat. I want to avoid that with my second of my actual series, but we’ll see.

Witch & Wolf novels are the books I’m using to break free of the chains of a series.

With these novels, I want to think differently.

Will it work?

I guess we’ll find out.

P.S.: Cats.

Random Rambles: Lifestyle Choices & Changes

Change is a funny thing. It’s something many people want to do, few people accomplish at doing, and the reason why there are so many bestselling self-help books in the world.

Change is many things.

Change is different for each and every person.

Change is personal.

Change doesn’t just impact you.

But the only person who can make you change is you.

Yet, somehow, we try to change each other, even though change is so personal.

My husband and I decided we needed to change. He wants to see change, but he often doesn’t want to be the one to make the changes. He likes things easy and simple. I can’t really blame him for that–who doesn’t like easy and simple? I sure do.

He wanted change, but didn’t need it.

I needed change, but didn’t want to do it.

As a result, neither one of us wanted it or needed it bad enough. Thus, there are, as always, consequences.

I had been so busy working and preparing for Inquisitor’s launch that I hadn’t kept up on the house cleaning. I was never all that good at house cleaning to begin with. Cleaning wasn’t a chore my mother hounded me on when I was little. The same applied to my husband. We just didn’t have any of the good habits that good homekeepers have.

Yet we ended up with a house of our own, and we both lacked the skills to really be good at keeping a house.

He wanted that to change. I needed that to change. As I said before, he didn’t need it, and I didn’t want it bad enough.

And that is what needed to change before we could change.

Change is complicated.

This is an image of change. For everyone who isn’t me, it probably just looks like a clean, empty sink. For us, it’s a marvel.

This sink is the first stainless steel sink my husband and I have ever had in our adult life. The apartments we lived in all had fiberglass sinks, as did our condo. We bought a stainless steel sink for the condo when we sold it–because stainless steel sinks sell condos. (True story: Before we installed the sink, no offers. Day after we installed the sink? Three offers. Want to sell a house? Install a brand new sink and paint your cabinets.)

A habit in our house, and a bad one, was to let the sink fill to overflowing, then let the counters fill to overflowing… and then thinks about running the dishwasher.

Change, for us, was a small first step. It looks a little like this:

Empty the dishwasher.
Fill the dishwasher with dirty dishes.
When dishwasher is filled, run it.
Empty the dishwasher after the dishes are cool enough to handle.

We’re adults. Something with these four simple steps shouldn’t be that hard, right? But it is. We’re, by nature, lazy people. We’re lazy people who had one piece of the puzzle, but lacked the other. My husband is the opposite side of my coin in many ways.

Yet, somehow, this one simple task wasn’t something we could easily do. Were we defective as adults? Why was something so easy so difficult?!

When you fail at something as easy as emptying and filling a dishwasher, it isn’t just your house that suffers–you suffer. I suffered. I’d walk past my filled sink and feel nothing but disgust–usually about myself. Sometimes at my spouse, who wanted the dishes done, but didn’t need it done bad enough to do it himself. And mostly at me, who saw the need to do it, but didn’t want to do it bad enough.

And once you fail at something that simple, getting back on the horse and trying again is really, really hard. All I saw was the failure.

I couldn’t handle running a dishwasher.

Maybe I deserved a cluttered house.

This, like all doubt does, reached out to impact all facets of our life. We ceased caring as much if we overspent–we already screwed up elsewhere. What’s a bit of extra debt? The house is already cluttered–what’s a bit more added to the mess?

Today, instead of letting change just slip through our fingers, he decided he needed it, and I decided I wanted it. It started with a discussion. I got a really cool writing tool for my birthday, and I wanted to get a few upgrades and supplies for it. I wanted to replace the plastic ring system with metal for longer durability. I also liked the color. I wanted a hole punch for the system too.

We started talking. You know, like adults. Discussions. Things we wanted to do–and most importantly–things we needed to do.

We have debt. So how do we pay it off?

I pointed out I have a habit of encouraging bad spending on the weekends. Sometimes over $50 in excessive junk we don’t need or want in our lives.

That’s up to $200 a month in savings, all from one simple change. Something that takes almost no effort at all. We had a retrospective moment, and we both realized it was a change we could actually accomplish.

So, I took it a step further. I said I could change a bad habit of mine–not cleaning the dishes promptly. So I got up, unloaded the clean dishes from the dishwasher, put the dirty dishes in, added the little pod thingie, and hit the start button.

Progress, in less than five minutes, had been made.

Change had been made.

It was a small change. For people who are good at cleaning, it’s something so insignificant that it wouldn’t surprise me if I was mocked or looked down at for having this bad habit.

But change happened, and it was because we both wanted and needed it bad enough.

My clean sink is a moment of success. I can walk into my kitchen, look at its stainless steel glory, and think, I can change.

Even more importantly, when I see that I can change, because I did change, my next line of thought is often a tentative ‘what else can I change?’

It is little steps for us, because we’re so used to failure that success is a fleeting mistress. In a way, we’re so accustomed to failing that the concept of actually succeeding at something is pretty foreign.

But we need and want change… so we’re giving it a try.

It started with a clean sink.

We’re looking at our finances now, and looking for simple and easy ways we can change–ways that don’t cost us a whole lot in personal sacrifice, but make a big difference to our bottom line.

We’re investing $20 from every income to our savings account. It is a little change–we’re not really going to miss the $20, but it’s the fact we’re taking the money and moving it to the other account that really matters.

If we need it, we’ll take it out, but it’s that all-important first step.

that’s likely $60 a month–two paychecks, and $20 from my royalty payments.

That’s not a whole lot, but it’s a start.

We’re also going to cut back on stupid purchases on the weekends. We tend to waste somewhere around $50 bucks on snacks, sodas, and expensive dinners when we’re out with friends… when a single bottle of Coca Cola and a pair of frozen dinners would suffice.

That’s in the ballpark of $10 versus $50. That’s somewhere between $160 to $200 a month–or more.

The change isn’t all that big, but it makes a big difference.

Most importantly?

It is a change we’re confident we can make.

And that makes all of the difference in the world.

We can change.

And for once, we’re not looking at failure in the making. We’re thinking: and we will.

And maybe that’s the most important change of all.

Inquisitor — In the Wilds!

Much to my surprise and complete pleasure, paperback copies of Inquisitor have made their way into the wilds! Lindsey was kind enough to take a selfie with her copy of the book!

Do you have a picture of yourself reading your favorite books? What books have you loved receiving so much you just had to take a selfie to show it off?

I’m just a little sad that my copy of the book hasn’t arrived yet–shipping to Canada is sadly slow. Next week I should have mine…

… and it wouldn’t surprise me if I took a selfie with it. I’m allowed, right?

As a reminder, there is still time left to get in on some great giveaways celebrating Inquisitor‘s launch.

Giveaway #1 – $50 Amazon or Paypal Cash

Check out I’m a reader, not a writer for more details!

Giveaway #2 – $50 Amazon or Paypal Cash

Find out more details here!

Good luck, everyone!

Giveaway #3 – $10 Amazon Gift Card

Love books? Here’s a chance to enter to win a $10 amazon gift card. Visit Bewitching Tours page for Inquisitor and locate the raffle tool at the bottom of the page.

The giveaway ends in 3 days.

The Dairy of a Sad Cat: The Kibble Bag Dilemma

Preface: This was originally posted on May 16 on Google+. I thought it was so much fun these diary entries belonged on the main blog.

My name is Princess. All hope is gone. Save yourself.

Only dust and stray treats remain in our kibble bag, and the humans seem unconcerned. We, my brother and two sisters and I, will surely starve before the sun sets. In the effort of making our plight known, I have attempted to dust the floor with my thick, luxurious coat.

Instead of immediately going to the Holy Temple of Cat Food and Toys, the human took out the black box of doom, mocking my misery.

In protest, we have tracked kibble and litter everywhere we can, scattering it over the floor the humans cooed over the day before.

The humans, especially the female, have not seemed to notice. She has taken to muttering something about books and bestsellers, with a crazy gleam in her eye.

All hope is lost. Save yourself.

My human has lost her mind.

Maybe if I look cute enough, she’ll spare me–at least for today.

I have taken the liberty of investigating this strange illness that has inflicted my primary human. I felt it necessary, as she rescued me from the Shelter of No Toys and brought me to the Sanctuary where I now reside. While I must share my Temple with three others of my kind, I accept this misfortune–for now.

The illness that has taken my human seems to involve a place without cat photos. A travesty. An Abhorrent existence. However, I must let it exist–for now. Until I can do further studies on the impact of this activity and its role in ensuring the kibble bag is replenished… tonight.

It may be too late for us. Save yourself.

The cure to my human’s vile illness can be found here. Funding is required for adequate study of the plague and the impact it will have on my household–and the status of my kibble bag.

Save me from starvation.

Buy this sacred object my human calls ‘a book.’

P.S.: My human has a box that takes moving pictures, and she keeps mumbling something about dancing and cleaning the floors after us… This may prove adequate revenge for the state of my kibble bag.

If you support the replenishment of my kibble bag, please share this post, like it, or otherwise do those things you humans do when presented with an adorable photograph of the supreme being that is a feline–in particular, me.

Signed,

Princess, the Kitty Inquisitor