Jacqueline E. Smith's Blog, page 6

Authorfest 2016

paulawalkerbaker

I am excited to announce I will be involved in Authorfest  this year . This will be the second year I will have participated. The event is located in Denison, Texas on their Main St. Friday night will boast dinner and author readings at the Paper Plate Catering Center located at  205 West Main. Authors will read from their books and it is always interesting and fun. I have not been to this restaurant before, but if it is anything like last year’s choice, it will be a night to remember.

The next day, the authors will have book booths along different places on Main St.  and will be able to sell and  autograph their books for you. Saturday afternoon will bring another author reading for the people of the city and the Bark and Paw event.

It should be noted that portions of the sales of the books will benefit…

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Social Limits

Hi, friends!  Happy Wednesday!  I hope your week has been spectacular thus far.

My week has been okay.  Not terrific, not awful, just mediocre.  The weather’s been gross.  I’ve been feeling kind of gross.  I’ve been burning a lot of fall candles and catching up on reading to combat the gloom, but I’m definitely ready for some sunshine and adventure and excitement.

All of this being inside has resulted in a lot of time spent on social media.  A lot of wasted time.  True, I do some marketing and some networking, but a lot of it is just mindless creeping.  And today I realized I’m kind of sick of it.  So I’m going to try my best to limit my browsing time.  I need to get more active, more productive.  I need to read more.  I need to get back to de-cluttering and organizing my office (it looks pretty awesome so far, I must admit).  And I need to keep working on all my books!  I’m really excited with how they’re all coming along, but I need to work faster.

In other news, tonight is Boy Band‘s one year bookiversary!  This silly little book has changed my life and I have all of you to thank for that.  I love you all so much.  You’ve made my dream come true.  You make my dream come true every single day and I’ll never be able to truly express how grateful I am to all of you.

Have Reading!  Happy Writing!

Still Writing

Hi, friends!  Wow, life has been kind of hectic lately.  In a good way, thankfully.  But still quite busy.

I’ve been so distracted talking about this past weekend and all the new books that I get to read that I totally forgot to share my own bit of news.  This month, Boy Band celebrates its first book birthday!

It’s been an incredible year, to say the very least, and to show my appreciation for all the love and support that my little NaNoWriMo book has received, I’m hosting a special GoodReads Giveaway!

Enter Here!

I’m giving away five signed copies of both Boy Band and its sequel, Backstage.  Please enter and spread the word!

And yes, I am still hard at work on finishing up Worldwide, the third in the series.  I’m still hoping to get it out there by June at the very latest, but the days seem to be speeding by a little faster than I had anticipated.  Worldwide, I think, will be a little longer than the first two, and it’s a different sort of setting, since most of it takes place on the tour bus, in between shows, etc…  It’s a very fast-paced book.  The characters don’t have a lot of time to really sit around.  They’re quite busy and distracted.  And although I want to get it out as soon as possible for all y’all, I also want to make sure it’s the book you deserve!  But please know that it is coming!  And I LOVE it.  I’m having so much fun with it.

I’m also working on the next book in the Cemetery Tours series, Lost Souls, and a possible new project.  I have so many books in my head, y’all.  I want to write them all.  And I’m going to.  I have no doubt.

Thank you all so much for everything.  I don’t think you’ll ever know how much I appreciate having you all in my life.

Three Cheers for Indie Authors

On Saturday, I attended the North Texas Book Festival for the second year in a row, and it was even more fun this year than it was last year.  I had several friends there and I was privileged to make the acquaintance of even more wonderful readers and writers.

I may have come home with one or two new books…

Hey, it’s networking.

Currently, I’m in the middle of reading Still Alice by Lisa Genova.  I loved the movie, so I’ve really been looking forward to reading the book.  The thing is, however, I’m so, so, so excited to start reading all my new books that I got on Saturday that I’m finding myself kind of speed-reading through Still Alice in order to get to my new ones.  There’s something so special and remarkable about reading books that have been produced and published by the author themselves, especially authors you’ve met in person and who’ve shared their personal stories and experiences.  The best way to get to know an author is to read their book.  And I can’t wait to dive in.

I know I’m also an independent author, so what I’m about write may sound a bit self-congratulatory and egotistical, but I am so proud of the work I’ve done, and I’m so proud of my colleagues for their dedication and passion.  There’s this stigma that independent publishing is the “easy way out.”  Let me tell you now, there is nothing easy about taking matters into your own hands and learning skills that you never thought you would need practically overnight.  Independent publishing is real work, work that I would never have even considered if I didn’t truly believe that my books were worth sharing.  This is why I say three cheers for all my fellow indie authors.  You do not believe in limitations.  You will not accept no for an answer.  You conquered your own mountains, you made your own dreams come true.  I am so honored to be in your company.  And I can’t wait to read your books.

Perfection

Happy Wednesday, friends!

As usual, there’s a lot going on.  I’m beta-reading my friend Paula’s new book, which always takes longer than actual reading because I’m trying my best to catch things and make comments.  I can’t just zip through like I usually do.  I’m also preparing for my first book event of the season this Saturday!  I’ll be participating again in the North Texas Book Festival in Denton!  I’m really excited about it.  I just loved the Festival last year and I met so many amazing people.

For the occasion, I designed and ordered some brand new bookmarks to hand out to readers.

I’m also still hard at work on Worldwide, which I’m really loving.  I think it’s going to be my favorite book in the Boy Band series.  I’m hoping to have it out early summer.  I’m also working on a new project.  I love my series, but I also want to branch out.  I have so many stories and characters in my head.  I wish I had eight arms.  Then I could work on four stories at a time instead of just one.

I saw a post on Facebook the other day.  It was in one of the writer groups that I’ve joined over the years.  The writer claimed that they wanted to write, wanted to publish a book and become an author, but they never finished a manuscript because it was never good enough.  They wanted their work to be perfect.  This is very understandable.  But I think it can also be very detrimental.

Allow me to explain.  I’m not saying you should publish a mediocre manuscript.  Never.  Your book should always be the very best that it can be.  You should always be happy with it.  But you should never let a fear that it won’t be good enough or that it won’t be perfect hold you back.  There is no such thing as perfect.

I’ve also heard of aspiring authors worrying that no one will read their work, or that no one will like it, or that it won’t sell.  My question to them is so what?  Write what you love.  Write what you enjoy.  Write a book that you would want to read.  Of course, as an author you desperately want people to read and enjoy your books, but write the story that you want to write for you.  Don’t worry about what other people might think.  If you write what you love, with genuine joy and passion, then others will love it too, because they’ll be able so feel that same joy and passion when they read your story.

Don’t worry about achieving perfection.  It will come to you.

For the Love of Art

For some reason, WordPress is being a bit of a stinker and not allowing me to reblog at this time, but I’d like to start off by welcoming the newest member of the Wind Trail Publishing family, April L. Wood!  April is known by many as one of the finest book bloggers around, and I am thrilled to announce that Wind Trail will be publishing her first book, Winter’s Curse, in October 2016!

There seems to be a lot of discussion in the literary world this week about publishing, both traditional and independent.  On the one hand, there’s been an article circulating that lists all the reasons why the author would never consider self-publishing.  I’m not going to go into what she said, because quite frankly, it was insulting and altogether untrue.  It was also very disheartening.  The independent author community is so open and loving and supportive.  Other writers are our friends, our colleagues, not our competition.

On the flip side, however, there is another author, Rachel Abbott, who is giving hope to indies everywhere.  She’s just sold her 2 MILLIONTH book.  How cool is that?  I love her positivity and her modesty and her sheer love of her craft.  That’s the thing about writers, artists in general, that I think a lot of people misunderstand.  The ones who genuinely love what they do and love their work are not in this for the money.  I’m in it because I think I would go crazy if I couldn’t write.  I can’t not write.  It’s just part of who I am.  I love to tell stories.  I love to make up characters.  I love using my imagination.

Time and time again, I’ve found myself obsessed with one thing or another.  The ocean.  Mountains.  Fairy tales.  Aliens.  Ghosts.  Camping.  Scotland.  Mermaids.  Mythology.  Romance.  Magic.  Texas.  Boy Bands.

I could never figure out, however, which one I was supposed to be focused on.  How to tie all those fascinations together.  One day, I think I’m supposed to be a Scottish Princess.  The next, I’m planning to live my entire life on a remote tropical island.  Writing is the only thing now that makes sense to me.  It allows me to explore all my passions and ideas and interests.  I don’t have to settle for just one.  And I love that.  I’d do it for free.  Heck, I wish I could just do it for free.  I hate that money has to factor into anything to do with love or passion.  But it does.  And I’m adapting.

Happy Wednesday, friends!  Keep reading.  And most importantly, keep writing.

Updates and Plans

Hi, friends!  I realize it’s been over a week since I last posted.  Sorry about that.  Life got kind of busy all of a sudden.  Not to mention I wanted to spend some time with my friends and family for Easter.

Now that the holidays are over, however, it’s time to get back to work.  And there is a LOT going on, my friends.  There’s so much, I’m not even sure I’ll cover all of it in one blog post.  But I am going to try!

First of all, April marks the beginning of book event season!  For me, anyway.  Most of my events take place between the months of April and October.  I might have a few here and there in November and December, but for the most part, this is my busy time of the year.  I have four events scheduled for the next two months, and I am so excited about all of them!

I’ve ordered the first round of books to be signed and sold, but hopefully I’ll have to order more!  Wink, wink.

Even though I have all my books, I’m not fully prepared for these events.  I want to design some new swag to give away; bookmarks, post cards, magnets, etc…  I might even see if I can scrounge up something really cool like keychains.  Who knows?

As far as new books go, I’m still hard at work on Worldwide and Lost Souls, but I’ve also had the idea for a new book (isn’t there always an idea for a new book?) which I’ve begun working on as well.  This is probably a terrible idea to be working on three books at once, but oh well.  Worldwide and Lost Souls are my first priority since they are already part of established series and readers genuinely seem to enjoy them, but as a writer, I really enjoy writing new things.  It gives my brain a nice break and allows me to stretch my creative muscles, so to speak.

Oh!  I’ve also entered Boy Band in the Kindle Book Awards.  I have no idea if it will actually win anything or even place, but I thought, why not?  It’s worth a shot.

In other new book news, my cousin’s book, Poems, Dreams, and Memories will be released on April 1!

I’m also really excited to announce that Wind Trail Publishing will be publishing a new Urban Fantasy novel in October!  This will be my first publication that isn’t one of MY books, so I’m really stoked about it.  I’ve already read the book and loved it.  The author is a wonderful friend and colleague and I’m so thrilled that I get to help her publish her first book.  I’ll be able to formally announce once I get the contract thing figured out.  The contract is more for formality’s sake, but I want to do this right.  It’s always been my hope to expand Wind Trail Publishing beyond my own work, and that dream is quickly becoming a reality!  I can’t wait!

Let’s see, what else is going on?

Personally, I’ve been trying to stay healthy.  Ever since getting sick for three weeks, I’ve been eating better and trying to exercise regularly.  I’d love to lose about fifteen or twenty pounds by the time swimsuit season rolls around.

I also really need to tidy up around my home.  I’ve been a total slob since getting sick.  There’s just always something so much more important to do than clean, you know?  It’s like, do I clean my bedroom or write the next chapter?  Writing is always going to win, hands down.  But I’m getting to the point where I really need some organization.  I wish my obsessive compulsive disorder was the cleanliness kind.  Instead it’s the dwell on all the horrible stuff that could happen forever and ever until I actually die kind.  If I’m going to have an anxiety disorder, I might as well get something out of it.  But no.  I still live in a mess.

Maybe I’ll go and do something about that.

Happy Monday, y’all!

Book Review: Boy Band

Love this review! Thank you, Christine!

The Book Maiden

Title: Boy Band

Author: Jacqueline E. Smith

Genre/s: Young Adult

Pages: 196pages

Buy it: Amazon

“ Maybe they all knew before we did. ”

SYNOPSIS:

Sam Morneau is Melissa Parker’s best friend. He’s also a member of The Kind of September, basically the hottest boy band on the planet.

After two and a half years, Mel is all too familiar with the day-to-day occurrences that come with being a member of the band’s inner circle, including hectic schedules, passionate fans, and gossip-mongering celebrity girlfriends.

Now, with the release of the group’s third album just weeks away, their lives have never been crazier and Mel is doing everything she can to keep up, all the while trying to cope with the ridiculous rumors that follow the band everywhere they go and pretending that she isn’t harboring a secret and hopeless crush on Sam.

It’s weird enough being in love with your…

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Spring Has Sprung

Hello, friends.  I’m sorry I haven’t been updating as much as I should.  Life, as usual, is quite busy.  My sister is home for spring break so I’ve been spending as much time with her as I can.  We went to see the stage production of The Little Mermaid on Sunday and once again, I cried my eyes out because Ariel is my childhood hero.  Then yesterday, we spent the morning at the Arboretum.

It was a beautiful day and the best way to welcome spring.

As for book updates, I’m having so much fun writing the third book in the Boy Band series.  I think it’s going to be my favorite.  I can’t wait to share it with all of you.

I’m also helping my cousin (whom I only recently connected with on Facebook) publish her book of poetry/memoir.

The photo on the cover is hers as well.  It’s been a new experience.  This is the first time I will have published a book that is not my own.  I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best way to publish it so that the royalties go directly to her.  I think I’ve finally got it all sorted, but it’s been a challenge.

Of course, I’m hoping to one day get to the point where I publish a LOT of books, not just my own and my family members, and I’ve had some requests.  The thing is, I can’t work for free.  With Margaret, it’s different since she’s family.  Even still, I don’t want to be a pay-to-publish company, or a vanity press, if you will.  I want my authors to get paid.  Unfortunately, I don’t have the sort of money that would allow me to make an offer or a payment up front.  I think the best way to do it would be to publish and keep 25% of the royalties while the other 75% go to the author.  But that’s not going to happen for a while.  I’m still trying to make a name for myself as an author.  That’s my ultimate dream.

On the other hand, I am very seriously considering offering my services as a cover designer.  I have thousands of images that would work for book covers (NOT stock images) and it’s something I really and truly enjoy.

What do y’all think?

Kindle Unlimited

As an author, I’ve never been all that sure how to feel about Kindle Unlimited.  I’ve heard mixed reviews.  Some authors love it and think that the pay-off is great.  Others think it is Internet robbery and claim that their sales and royalties have taken a major hit.  I didn’t have any books enrolled in KU, so I had no idea if or how it would affect me.  I chose to keep it that way.

Then I published the Cemetery Tours Series Box Set.  The set includes the first three books in the Cemetery Tours Series: Cemetery Tours, Between Worlds, and After Death.

I knew I was only going to post it to Kindle.  I haven’t had a whole lot of luck formatting for Nook and sales haven’t been at all good enough to make the effort worth it.  So I uploaded the box set exclusively to Kindle.

Yesterday, on a complete and total whim, I thought, “You know… I’m going to give Kindle Unlimited a shot.”  At this point in the game, I’m curious.  It will be a learning experience if nothing else.  It’s not permanent.  It’s only for six months.  If I decide I don’t like it or that it’s not worth it, then I simply won’t re-enroll.

However, for the time being, the Cemetery Tours Series box set IS available on Kindle Unlimited.  That means that if you have a subscription, you can read ALL THREE novels in the series for FREE.  It’s over 700 pages, but then again, it’s three books.  It should be a bit lengthy.

Read the Cemetery Tours Series for FREE!

So if you have Kindle Unlimited, hop on over and download the Cemetery Tours Series.  I don’t think you’ll regret it.

In other exciting news, the new Lurking Anthology, Lurking in the Shadows, has an official release date!  It will be available on June 28, 2016!  We don’t have a cover just yet, but I’m super excited about this anthology.  My contribution, An Empty Building, is by far the darkest thing I’ve ever written.  I had to write it in short increments in order to keep my own sanity.

Have a happy Thursday, y’all!  Keep reading!  Keep writing!