Megan Morgan's Blog, page 31

It’s Coming!

I realized with a shock this past weekend that January is almost over, and The Blogging From A to Z Challenge will be upon us in three short months! I always try to queue up my posts in February so that when April rolls around, I can sail through the challenge. Last year, of course, my theme was Pandora’s Tacklebox, the worst romance novel ever written in 26 days. I came up with a theme for this year while writing this week’s IWSG post. Now let’s see if I can capture any of the wit and humor of last year.

Nothing is officially scheduled on the site yet, but I hover anxiously, awaiting sign-ups. Are you in this year?

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Edit: There will be a big announcement about the challenge February 6th!

Filed under: A to Z Challenge Tagged: blog hop, blogging, writing

5 Reasons You Should Start A Blog

On Wednesday, I talked about the reasons you should write a book. Even if the industry has too many books and not enough readers, that doesn’t mean we don’t need your book, or that you don’t need your book. If you’re looking for reasons to keep typing, go check it out.

Today, I’m going to tell you why you should start a blog.

I blog three days a week–usually Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, though sometimes it varies. So you may be surprised to hear that I, for the most part, freakin’ hate blogging. More often than not, I’m wracking my brain for the next blog topic and it’s aggravating. I never know what I’m going to write most weeks, unless I already have something lined up. I’m a tour host for Goddess Fish Promotions, because I want to promote other writers, but also because on average it gives me one ready-made post per week. I’m part of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group because it’s an awesome, fun group, but it also gives me a blog topic once a month. I like when it’s easy.

So why do I blog, if I don’t really like it? Well, after you read the list below, maybe you’ll understand.

And here are some reasons why you should add another blog to the internet, because clearly what the internet needs is more blogs:

[image error]Five reasons you should start a blog:

It’s cathartic to talk to yourself. When you start out, probably no one is going to be reading your blog, except maybe a few friends who are too nice to tell you no when you ask them to follow you. That’s okay. Blogging is kinda like a diary when you first start out, and it helps you sort your thoughts and learn how you feel about things. It also gives you time to practice before people actually start reading your blog. The more you do it, the better you get at it, and the more interesting things you have to say. It’s okay to fumble around when you first start. Somehow, miraculously, after two years of blogging I have over a thousand subscribers. That means I have to provide some content instead of just talking to myself–and hopefully, I’m managing that. Talk to yourself first, and you will learn to talk to the public.
If you suck at social media, it will give you a platform. I really suck at Twitter and Facebook. I had a personal Twitter a long time ago, and loved using it, but eventually my Twitter fever went away. I have a personal Facebook I’m much more active on than my writing one, but it’s locked to friends and family. My writing Facebook, Twitter, G+, and everywhere else I’m expected to be are mostly full of promotion and regurgitating my blog posts. At least with a blog I’m still reaching an audience, and I can say more here anyway. I can be present without having to be good at everything.
It’s great for procrastinating on your writing. I should be working on the book I’m writing right now, but I’m blogging instead. And I can still say I’m ‘working.’ Ha! Take THAT, productivity!
You can reach people who don’t even read the kind of stuff you write. I know that most of my subscribers don’t even read romance and erotica, but we’ve made friends and enjoy talking to each other because we’ve found each other through places like the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. This is why I started a general writing blog instead of focusing on one genre of writing. I’m more interested in engaging other writers than specifically engaging other romance writers. This is up to you, though–but remember, if you make your blog very specific, you need to find a way to reach that specific audience. Sometimes broader is better. It also gives you a lot of freedom in topic matter, too.
It provides site content. If your website is lacking content, if there’s not much to put on there, a blog puts some meat on the skeleton of your online presence. Also, it can be really good for driving traffic to your site. People come to read your posts and check out the rest of the site–that’s a big bonus!

Whether you have a blog already or you’re considering starting one, you should know this: the internet is infinite, and there’s room for you. If you want to blog, then blog! You have a right to express yourself just like everyone else. And even if you find it aggravating, there’s a lot of good reasons to keep at it

Have a great weekend!
Filed under: Behind The Scenes Tagged: advice, blogging, creativity, inspiration, technology, tools, writing

10 Reasons You Should Write A Book

If you follow any writing industry blogs and/or news sites, you’ve probably read the disheartening information a million times: less people are reading books these days! Book sales are down! Print/ebooks (whichever one they’re predicting doom and gloom for this week) have had a huge dip in sales and will be obsolete by this time next year! The exact genre you write in is trash and no one is buying those kind of books anymore!

I take most industry ‘facts’ with a grain of salt, largely because I read statistics on one site and the exact opposite projections on another. It’s true we live in a weird age for books because it’s a much more digital age where people are consuming their entertainment in varying forms in ways they’ve never been able to before. I know publishing is very different now than when I first started writing many years ago. It’s true that publishing is easier but it’s harder to get people to read our books, because they’re not a limited commodity that only has one specific path to access anymore.

So under this landslide of books and this lack of readership, why should you still write a book? Because, you’re a writer! And here’s some other reasons why:

[image error]Ten reasons you should write a book:

Because non-writers think it’s cool. Seriously, most people in my life who don’t write, no matter if they’re readers or not, think I’m performing some kind of arcane magic. They think I wave a wand when in reality I grit my teeth and yank my hair out a lot.
It gives you reasons to be on your laptop. When people are like “are you gonna stare at that screen all day?” you can tell them you’re working, and shh, please leave me alone I’m trying to concentrate really hard. Make sure you minimize the tab full of cat memes first.
You can get out of boring social situations. Feel free to turn down that invitation to your aunt’s goat’s birthday party by telling her you have a deadline to meet.
You learn how to write blurbs/taglines. Every time someone asks you what your book is about you get a little bit better at telling them in as few words as possible. This trains you to write those short descriptions that have to encapsulate the entire book in one breath. The WHOLE book, in ONE sentence? Are you playing with me right now, Mr. Editor???
On that note, you learn how to deal with disinterest. When people ask you what your book is about, and you tell them, and their eyes glaze over, this prepares you for when no one cares about your book on release day.
Real life is boring. You get to create the fun, fast-paced, exciting world that you wish this one was, so you don’t go crazy like everyone else.
It gives you something to talk about at social gatherings. At least for the first twenty seconds until people’s eyes start to glaze over.
It’s fun to commiserate with other writers. Like ones who write humor-filled yet harrowing lists about what it’s like to be a writer.
If you don’t write, you’re going to have to find some other creative outlet so your brain doesn’t eat itself. And frankly, no one is impressed by my ability to draw a mean stick figure.
Because even if it’s true less people are reading today, and the book market is oversaturated, and it’s harder than ever to make it, somewhere out there, there’s an avid reader who is longing to get lost in the kind of worlds you create, and you need each other.

It’s a hard knock life being a writer, but most of us wouldn’t trade it for the world.

On Friday, I’ll give you five reasons why you should start a blog. Because like books, what we clearly need is more blogs!

Filed under: Behind The Scenes Tagged: books, creativity, funny, inspiration, writing

Call To Honor by Tawny Weber

Today I’m hosting Tawny Weber and her contemporary romance, Call To Honor. Tawny is giving away a $25 Amazon/B&N gift card. So make sure to comment, check out the other stops on the tour, and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway! Today’s excerpt from her novel is an EXCLUSIVE–as will be all stops on the tour, so make sure to check out the other dates for more!

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Enter to win a $25 Amazon/B&N gift card

Leave a comment and check out the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!

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“No man left behind” is inscribed in the DNA of every SEAL and Lieutenant Diego Torres is no exception. But with a team member killed—and the body missing— Diego’s honor is sorely tested. Now his career and reputation are on the line, and a traitor is hiding among them. Diego wants answers…and only one woman has them.

Single mom Harper Maclean has two priorities—raising her son Nathan and starting a new life. Her mysterious new neighbor may be impossibly charming, but Diego asks too many questions about her past—and about the father of her child. Questions she fears will reveal her burning attraction for Diego, and ultimately put them all in danger’s path.

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

IT PAYS TO be a winner.

And Diego Torres was a big believer in winning.

But it was the winning that he liked.

The competition.

The thrill of testing his skills, pushing his limits. Of knowing he was better than his adversary.

Yeah. He liked knowing he was the best.

He didn’t do it for reward.

Especially not when the reward came by way of the pomp and pageantry of a ceremony like today. Standing onstage in front of the various platoons that made up SEAL Team 7, listening to Admiral Cree pontificate was a pain in the ass. What made it worse wasn’t the couple hundred sets of eyes inspecting him or the discomfort of his dress whites, too tight across the shoulders.

It was the damned shoes. Diego’s toes pinched in the mirror-bright black patent leather, begging him to flex. He didn’t, of course. Not while standing at attention. But damn. Give him a pair of combat boots any day.

As the sun baked through his cap and the heat of the morning swirled around, he wondered what yahoo had decided to hold this ceremony outdoors. And why it felt so much hotter standing in the San Diego sun in whites than it did in the Afghan desert in full combat gear. Probably because combat gear fit him better.

Diego had spent a large portion of his life fighting over the wrong things. He’d fought over turf. He’d fought over gang colors. Hell, if the mood struck, he’d have fought over just how blue the sky was. It’d taken a bullet barely missing his heart to clue him in to the fact that maybe the things he was fighting over simply weren’t worth dying for.

BUY LINKS:

http://tawnyweber.com/cth

Amazon: http://tawnyweber.com/CHaz1

B&N: http://tawnyweber.com/CHbn1

iBooks: http://tawnyweber.com/CHiB1

Kobo: http://tawnyweber.com/CHk1

Harlequin: http://tawnyweber.com/CHh1

Goodreads: http://tawnyweber.com/CtHG

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

[image error]New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling author of more than forty books, Tawny Weber loves writing about sexy heroes, most notably her popular Navy SEALs series. Her sassy, emotional romances are filled with men dedicated to being the best—and women determined to have the best. Tawny credits her ex-military alpha husband for inspiration in her writing, and in her life. The recipient of numerous writing accolades, including Romantic Times Reviewers Choice and in addition to the NY Times and USA Today bestseller lists, Tawny has also hit the number one spot on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

A homeschooling mom, Tawny enjoys scrapbooking, gardening and spending time with her family and dogs in her Northern California home.

You can find Tawny on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

Website: http://tawnyweber.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TawnyWeber.RomanceAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TawnyWeber

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tawnyweber/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/513828.Tawny_Weber

Enter to win a $25 Amazon/B&N gift card

Leave a comment and visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!

Filed under: Giveaways, Guest Posts Tagged: books, guests, romance

Available For Pre-Order

The sequel to Black Mountain Magic is available for pre-order now! Get it from your favorite online retailer.

White Witch Magic – Kentucky Haints #2
Available February 21, 2016

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We need peace in the valley, y’all.

City girl and unpracticed witch Lorena Mills never dreamed she’d be living in a small Appalachian town in the backwoods of Kentucky, but here she is. Mated to a handsome, brash, and sometimes aggravating Lycan named Deacon Kelley, she’s slowly becoming a better witch and more of a backwoods kind of gal.

Lorena’s job in the town of Blue Ditch is to study the creatures known as Wolvites—once thought to be feral, mindless beasts, now known to have human forms—in an effort to advance science and magic. However, when Lorena is kidnapped by the nefarious witch Neala, who once tried to destroy Deacon’s family, she discovers she doesn’t know nearly enough about either subject. Neala wants Lorena to cure her Wolvite mate Dafydd of a quick-killing virus that is ravaging their species: except, there is no cure. Lorena has to find one, and fast, or the Wolvites will slaughter Deacon’s family.

Forced to work with the Wolvites, Lorena learns about their culture and gains sympathy for them, thanks to a kinder, gentler, diplomatic Wolvite named Kendrick who would like to see an end to the violence. Lorena would love to facilitate peace between the Wolvites and Lycans, but is such a thing even possible?

If she wants to keep Deacon—and his family, and the entire town of Blue Ditch—safe, she’s going to have to find a way. Good thing her powers may be stronger than she ever imagined…

Pre-order it at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iBooks

Have a great weekend!
Filed under: Kentucky Haints, Promotion, Publications, White Witch Magic, Works Tagged: books, paranormal, release date, romance

Ghost Witching by Ally Shields

Today I’m hosting Ally Shields and her paranormal/mystery romance, Ghost Witching. Ally is giving away a $30 Amazon/B&N gift card. So make sure to comment, check out the other stops on the tour, and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway! Ally is also here today to talk about her paranormal version of New Orleans!

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Enter to win a $30 Amazon/B&N gift card

Leave a comment and check out the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!

MY PARANORMAL NEW ORLEANS

by Ally Shields

New Orleans inside the world of the Maggie York Paranormal Mysteries

Since Ghost Witching and Ghost Walking (book 1) are written primarily from Maggie York’s point of view, it’s important to know what influences her perceptions of the city.

Maggie was born in New Orleans, but her parents took her away as an infant and she was raised without any contact with New Orleans or her relatives who live there. She had a no-nonsense upbringing where magic and the paranormal were never mentioned.

After preparing for a career in law enforcement, she accepted a position with the New Orleans Police Dept. over her parents’ objection. When book one opens, she has been a NOPD homicide cop for several years. Prior to six months ago, she knew nothing about paranormal activity in New Orleans except some of the locals and many tourists believed in all kinds of witchcraft, voodoo, hoodoo, and ghostly beings.

Then she had a near-death experience from a sniper’s bullet, came back seeing ghosts, and a relative arrived claiming her family was from a long line of witches. Maggie doesn’t believe it, and even when forced to accept some portions of this new reality, she remains skeptical and resistant.

So, what the reader knows is only what Maggie experiences and gradually comes to acknowledge.

It begins with a single ghost and a few protection stones, a protective ward or two to keep the ghosts away. By Ghost Witching (book two) more of this underground culture is emerging with other witches, including the Witching Hour Society, a trio of ghostly murder victims, and a warning that other, more aggressive types exist.

Whether there are vampires, werecreatures, elves, demons, or other paranormal beings in the city is currently unknown. Maggie hasn’t seen or heard them…yet. But New Orleans has long been a mysterious city where anything can happen. As Maggie accepts her powers and they begin to expand, who knows what beings may emerge to challenge her?

Ghost Witching Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/cxgb07Wzn7w

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Too many ghosts is never a good thing…

Detectives Maggie York and Josh Brandt’s latest murder case comes at the wrong moment. She just moved out on him and wants to “cool it.” But complications throw them together more than usual. Even for New Orleans, the case is unique—with way too many suspects and creepy things—ghosts, snakes, curses, not to mention the witches.

Maggie and Josh try to make sense of it all and resist finding consolation in each other’s arms. Then Josh’s ex-fiancee, a curvy blonde, arrives from Boston, making a touchy situation impossible.

But this killer won’t wait for them to sort out their personal lives, and the situation spins out of control…

EXCERPT:

Stopping abruptly on the front door threshold, Maggie swept her gaze across the living room of the Garden District Victorian home, taking in the body of the matronly female victim and the carcass of the presumed killer sprawled on the polished floor. She drew in a shallow breath and placed one hand on the door frame, letting the eerie feel of the scene roll over her. It happened every time. She used to wonder why—before she knew her family origins. Now she just accepted it.

Her partner, New Orleans homicide detective Joshua Brandt and currently estranged lover, moved past her, no doubt welcoming the coolness of the air-conditioning. Unhampered by the strange sensations she experienced, he squatted next to the body.

Maggie closed the door, leaving the humid August heat outside, and circled to the far side of the victim. She noted, discarded, or filed away each detail, searching for the ones that would eventually lead them to a human predator.

Interesting scene, to say the least. Two sets of reddened punctures, one on the victim’s neck, the other on the left cheek. But no blood, only a faint odor of death thanks to the hard-working AC. Pleasant features—or would have been if the eyes weren’t wide open and fixed in a vacant stare—a few extra pounds but not excessive, hints of gray at the temples and roots of her short brunette hair. She’d been due for a touchup. A modern grandmother in faded jeans and a white shirt hanging open over a pale blue tank top.

BUY LINK:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ally-Shields/e/B009AKNDZU

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ally Shields grew up in the Midwest along the Mississippi River, still considers herself “a river rat,” and currently resides near Des Moines. After a career in law and juvenile justice, she turned to full-time fiction writing in 2009. Her first urban fantasy, Awakening the Fire (Guardian Witch #1) was published in 2012, and she currently has twelve published novels. She loves to travel in the US and abroad and incorporates many of those settings into her books. Ms. Shields welcomes reader contact through her website and can frequently be found on Twitter.

Website: http://allyshields.com

Blog: http://allyshields.com/blog.html

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShieldsAlly

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6527209.Ally_Shields

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Ally-Shields/e/B009AKNDZU

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/100652807699295011703/posts

Newsletter: http://paper.li/ShieldsAlly/1353941420

Enter to win a $30 Amazon/B&N gift card

Leave a comment and visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!

Filed under: Giveaways, Guest Posts Tagged: books, guests, paranormal, romance

The Good, The Bad, And Somewhere In Between

Every Monday for the #MondayBlogs tag I try to talk about some technical aspect of writing. Today, I’m going to talk about the difference between villains and my favorite character archetype: the antihero.

It should be noted that these two terms are not synonymous with protagonist and antagonist, which are literary terms that don’t convey character morality. A protagonist is always the person at the center, the narrator, the POV character, the one whose story we’re reading about, be they good or bad. Likewise, the antagonist isn’t specifically good or bad, they simply create problems and try to block the protagonist from reaching their goal. In a story about a cop and a criminal, protagonist and antagonist are interchangeable depending on which one of them is telling the story.

[image error]But villains and antiheroes bring a tone and flavor to these two terms. Let’s see how they differ:

An antihero is a protagonist who isn’t necessarily a ‘good’ person in the eyes of the law, society, or the basic standards of morality. Antiheroes are pretty popular in this day and age, that’s why we have so many TV shows and movies about mobsters, drug lords, jewel thieves, serial killers, outlaw bikers, and chemistry teachers turned meth makers. However, even if an antihero does bad things, they usually do it for some relatable or justifiable reason. Relatable in the sense that we get why they do it–most of us like money and power, after all, or would love to live a thrilling and dangerous life. Sometimes the antihero’s plight is justifiable–they’re being bad to protect their family or get out of some terrible situation, or trying to overcome their own nature. We may hate some of the things they do but we relate to their story and feel sympathy for them. Or, they might be doing bad things but are actually a good person caught up in something they can’t control. Being a romance author, I hesitate to lump the ‘sexy bad boy’ character in with antiheroes, because they don’t always fall along those lines. However, the antihero is usually my favorite character in any genre, as I think they’re much more interesting and realistic than a downright good guy.
Villains are an antagonist focused on doing bad, or causing pain and strife, and are oftentimes irredeemable. Not that a villain can’t be relatable or sympathetic–in fact, some of the best, and scariest, villains are the ones we can understand, probably because we hate to see something about ourselves reflected in someone terrible and it makes us uncomfortable. While many villains have their reasons, they cross the lines of morality too far and do things for reasons we can’t so readily excuse as we do with antiheroes. They’re usually much more self-serving and twisted in some way, and their methods of achieving their goals are ruthless. They present a strong force that the protagonist has to overcome. Villains can exist on a huge spectrum depending on the genre, from villains who are evil for the sake of evil, to mentally disturbed people, to people out for revenge or carrying out a sadistic vendetta.

Antiheroes and villains add rich differences and facets to a story. Sometimes the line between good and bad is blurred, on both sides of the equation. This allows for a deeper and more layered sort of storytelling, I feel. After all, real life is rarely black and white, and everyone has their reasons for what they do.

Who are some of your favorite villains and antiheroes?

Filed under: Monday Blogs Tagged: creativity, writing

A Few More Days On Sale!

Just a reminder, Black Mountain Magic will be 99 cents through the rest of the weekend before it goes back to full price on Monday. So if you’d like a copy–cheap–get it while it’s hot!

Also, remember you can get an Authorgraph for this or any of my books!

Black Mountain Magic – Kentucky Haints #1

[image error]Witches and Lycans and hillbillies, oh my!

Lorena Mills is a witch, but she’s not very good with potions and incantations. Working for a government agency that puts down dangerous uprisings of supernatural creatures, she does much more paperwork than spell casting. When her less-than-magical job lands her in the small Appalachian town of Blue Ditch, Kentucky, in the shadow of Black Mountain, her life starts to get a whole lot wilder.

In the forests surrounding the town, Wolvites—twisted, bestial creatures who hunt and kill humans—are posing a threat. When handsome, charming, and altogether reckless local Deacon Kelley insists on taking matters into his own hands, Lorena has more than monsters to worry about. He won’t stay out of her way, and he won’t take no for an answer.

Deacon is a Lycan–in modern terms, the non-shifting descendants of werewolves–and he and his family have protected Blue Ditch for generations. But now, something too sinister to be controlled by their efforts alone is stirring, and the Wolvites are far more vicious than they’ve ever been. Will Lorena be able to stop the threat and uncover the deadly secrets surrounding it before it’s too late?

To keep the town, and Deacon, safe, she’ll have to—and she’s really starting to like this town.

Buy it at:
Amazon| Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iBooks

 

Have a great weekend!
Filed under: Black Mountain Magic, Kentucky Haints, Promotion Tagged: books, paranormal, romance, updates

Self-Pubbing Check In

[image error]I have about two months under my belt now with my self-publishing experience. My first self-published book, Black Mountain Magic, went live November 15th and I put it on sale for 99 cents on December 15th. I made a post talking about what I learned when I first started this adventure and I’m going to make another update now.

As of today, I’ve sold 218 copies on Amazon, 22 on B&N, 4 on Kobo, 5 on iBooks, and 1 on Smashwords, for a total of 250 books sold. About 75% of those sales have been the result of paid advertising, which I haven’t broken even on, so don’t cheer for me yet!

Here’s where I’ve done promotion. If you’re looking into doing paid promotion, my experiment may help you out:

KBoards Book Discovery $15 (Nov. 22nd, to promote as a new release)
Bookscream $5 (Dec. 15th, the first day of the 99 cent sale)
Genre Pulse $17 (Dec. 15th)
BKNights $11 (Dec. 15th)
Ereader News Today $35 (Dec. 30th)
Books Butterfly $50 (Jan. 1st – 2nd)
Bargain Booksy $70 (Jan. 9th)

Total: $203 spent on promotion.

Out of all these promoters, the only two who were any good and worth the money were Ereader News Today (which is ALWAYS gold) which netted me 106 sales on Amazon, and Bargain Booksy, which netted me 73 sales on Amazon. However, I paid twice as much for Bargain Booksy for less sales, so take that as you will. Would I use them again anyway? Absolutely.

The others got me between 0-10 sales. BKnights gave me back my money (I didn’t ask for it) but in the form of a credit to use on Fiverr. Books Butterfly guarantees your sales or your money back, but in the introductory email they tell you this is just ‘store credit’ to try their services again (also they weirdly track your visits to their site and list them in the email). Since they didn’t work for me I’m not even going to bother asking for a refund and chalk it up as a learning experience. Maybe it was my genre or the timing of running the promotion on a holiday (I didn’t pick the date of the promotion, they did).

Ereader News Today (usually referred to as ENT) continues to be the BEST site for promotion outside of BookBub (which is incredibly difficult/expensive to get into) and I’ve used them for almost all my books in the past. Some authors don’t use them because they mistakenly believe you have to have a certain number of reviews for them to accept you.  This isn’t true, you simply have to have an overall decent rating if  you have any reviews at all.

What I’ve learned so far: you gotta spend money to make money. But spend it in the right place!

Other things I’ve learned from self-publishing:

If you think understanding your sales with KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) will be easy, you’re gonna have a bad time. Amazon continues to lead the market in not making a lick of sense, so don’t expect the various confusing parts of your sales dashboard and your sales rank to correlate or reflect each other accurately at any given time. Just smile and nod, and understand if you want to get anywhere with self-publishing at all, you need to be on Amazon.
Smashwords has a hilarious attitude about Amazon, to the point I’m pretty sure they try to gaslight their customers into believing there’s no such thing as a Kindle. Don’t mention the word Amazon anywhere in your book. In fact, if you wrote a book about the Amazonian jungle, you’ll probably want to avoid publishing it on Smashwords. They seem to believe they’re going to be bigger and better than Amazon. Just smile and nod.
Send your book to reviewers and review sites yourself. Don’t pay for reviews, as this could get you kicked off Amazon for life. Of the 1,000 sites you send a review request to, about 10 will say they’ll review it and 2 will. However, don’t believe the scare tactic of “Reviews are the only way to sell books! Ooooh!” It’s not true. I’ve sold 250 copies with one review. I would rather get them organically than pander.
Trying to size book covers correctly is the devil.
If you’re not a super-duper popular author, the only real reason to produce a paperback copy of your book is so you can buy insanely discounted copies for yourself to not sell to people who don’t want them (also so you can run a Goodreads giveaway because you can only give away physical books).
Just keep writing.

So that’s my two-month report. The second book in the series, White Witch Magic, will come out February 21st and I’ve already racked up a wonderful 16 presales for it! I’m a superstar!

Filed under: Behind The Scenes, Black Mountain Magic, Kentucky Haints, Publications Tagged: advice, books, information, publishing, tools, updates

Worlds Reclaimed by Maggie Mundy

Today I’m hosting Maggie Mundy and her paranormal romance, Worlds Reclaimed. Maggie is giving away a digital copy of Worlds Reclaimed. So make sure to comment, check out the other stops on the tour, and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

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Enter to win a digital copy of Worlds Reclaimed

Leave a comment and check out the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!

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Clare and her group of vampires, fae and werewolves want to live on Earth. To do that, they must heal the worlds they have been visiting through the portals.

Vesi, is an albino vampire and Heln, is a white werewolf. Neither has been accepted by their people. This unlikely couple tries to fight their growing attraction to each other while helping to save two worlds.

On one world, a mist is closing in so nothing will survive. On the other, the High Priestess Sari is at war. Her power is failing and she wants to use Vesi’s blood so she can live forever.

Can Heln save his love and help his friends save both worlds. Will their group ever get to Earth?

EXCERPT:

Vesi could sense, as always, when the sun was going down. Like all bloodsuckers, she could survive in daylight, but her skin would burn and the recovery was slow and painful. Her body was always cool, but she could detect the dip in the temperature outside the barn as the sun dipped below the horizon. She could also still feel the heat of the werewolf Heln, who cradled her back.

This new world seemed to be bringing more surprises than she expected. She thought back to the first time she had seen Heln in the Temple of Paqua. She had felt he was the only person in the room. It was as if no one else existed and her body had yearned for him. She was no prude and had taken many human partners over the years, but this strong urge was new to her.

She had never understood why the other bloodsuckers saw the werewolf clans as subhuman, and playthings for their entertainment. She would never kill anyone or anything for sport. What she was considering now was different. The thought of mating with this werewolf was enticing. What concerned her was that the imprinting was for life, and she was not sure she was ready for that kind of commitment. Then again wasn’t it what she and Torvan had wanted. For now she would just enjoy the closeness of another person.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

[image error]Maggie Mundy lives in Australia and is a member of Romance Writers of Australia. She recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and English at Flinders University. She had a short story published in the RWA Topaz Anthology Little Gems in 2010 called Sea and Vines. She has four books with Rogue Phoenix Press. Two erotic novellas called Blood Scent and Blood Oath and two paranormal romances called World Change and World Apart.

She has also performed for many years in corporate entertainment for which she wrote her own sketches, which probably explains why her head is so full of characters. She loves writing romance but thinks falling in love can be scary, especially in her stories where creatures of the night exist.

Website: http://www.maggiemundy.com

Blog: http://maggiemundy.blogspot.com.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaggieMundyAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MundyMaggie

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/maggiemundy/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5428101.Maggie_Mundy?from_search=true

 

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