Virginia Gray's Blog, page 2
December 19, 2016
7 Must-Read Holiday Blogs #3
It's my pleasure to welcome Author EM Kaplan, mistress of mysteries, to the 7 blogs tour. Along with her snarky sluething series, Emily is one of the funniest bloggers I know. She has Twelve wishes for your Twelves days of Christmas, and I'm onboard with all of them!
My Wish List for You this Holiday Season
While desperate parents try to hunt down the latest must-have Hachimal-Tickle-Me-Cabbage-Patch toy, I'd like to offer you a few wish list items of a different kind. Note that these aren't tongue-in-cheek genie wishes that backfire. They are exactly what they seem to be, so take them at face value.
Behold, my wishes for you this season.
1. Less Paperwork, red tape, or hassle. It's all the same. Let's reduce that mess. Turn that dial way down.
"Ace report, Linda. But I don't caaaaaare." 2. The Return of a Memory You Haven't Thought of in a While
"We're totally remembering the same thing, aren't we?!" 3. A Creepy But Harmless Internet Friend
Not like this guy.
4. A Close Call 
"MapQuest says to go straight." Read On
Emily Kaplan is freezing her tuckus off in Northern Illinois where she lives with her husband, author JD Kaplan, kids, and dog. She's currently working on her fourth snarky Josie Tucker mystery.
Website and Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon Author Page Next Up: Author Matthew Peters
My Wish List for You this Holiday Season
While desperate parents try to hunt down the latest must-have Hachimal-Tickle-Me-Cabbage-Patch toy, I'd like to offer you a few wish list items of a different kind. Note that these aren't tongue-in-cheek genie wishes that backfire. They are exactly what they seem to be, so take them at face value.
Behold, my wishes for you this season.
1. Less Paperwork, red tape, or hassle. It's all the same. Let's reduce that mess. Turn that dial way down.
"Ace report, Linda. But I don't caaaaaare." 2. The Return of a Memory You Haven't Thought of in a While "We're totally remembering the same thing, aren't we?!" 3. A Creepy But Harmless Internet Friend
Not like this guy.
4. A Close Call "MapQuest says to go straight." Read On
Emily Kaplan is freezing her tuckus off in Northern Illinois where she lives with her husband, author JD Kaplan, kids, and dog. She's currently working on her fourth snarky Josie Tucker mystery.
Website and Blog
Amazon Author Page Next Up: Author Matthew Peters
December 18, 2016
7 Must-Read Holiday Blogs #2
Hi! Hope you enjoyed Blog #1. of the Must -Read series.Today, please welcome Mica Rossi. She currently lives in the Frozen Tundra known as the Midwestern US, but the good thing about living where it's frozen nine months of the year is that there's plenty of ice cream. 
2. The Christmas With No Ice Cream
My earliest memories are bound up in the celebrations of my extended family. It was not uncommon to have three or four generations in the house during each holiday, birthday, or anniversary. Every single one of the women was a great cook, and smells would waft out of open windows in the summer or hit you as soon as you walked through the door in the winter. Of them all, Christmas was the best and my mother’s favorite.
This particular Christmas, I was five years old. I’d been having a series of sore throats throughout that year and spent a lot of time home from school. Mom and I made delicate string decorations with crochet thread, starch and lots of glitter. We made taffy and fudge and sprinkle cookies with melted white chocolate icing. Pipe cleaners got bent into figure skaters, and we created frilly little skirts for them out of crepe paper streamers. Yards and yards of construction paper chains hung from the wood moldings and swooped over the tree.
The days dragged until Christmas and my anticipation spiraled. My little sister wasn’t sure what all the excitement was about, but she loved sticking her fingers into the dough Mom rolled out on the table as much as she enjoyed munching on the stray cookie that found its way into her hands. At not quite three, she was way too young to remember the treat I knew was coming on Christmas Eve, the milk, eggs and vanilla my dad would crank together in a frosty steel bucket to make the frozen delight we had only once a year. But I knew, and I marked off each day on the calendar with a green crayon.
That might seem like a lot to remember from such a young age, but I’ll never forget that Christmas, because it was the Christmas without ice cream… Continue Reading
Mica Rossi has been writing since she was in the second grade and barely able to form her letters properly. Her short works have been featured in several anthologies, and she is furiously scribbling through various drafts of her second novel, a contemporary romance set during the Christmas season.
Her first book, Once in a Blue Moon, was selected as a spearhead novel for the ‘White Satin Romance’ line at Melange Books and will shortly be brought in-house to Camelot Publishing and re-released in February of 2016 in a revised edition. Just think about a gorgeous member of the Aos Sidhe running into the one woman in Boston who has a vendetta against all things magical, and you'll understand why sparks fly against the backdrop of hot summer days and starry nights in the city.
Mica’s latest release, Heart Songs, is a collection of poetry and short stories published in April of 2016. It’s a compilation of the emotional journeys we all take through our lives. From friendship and love to the depths of despair and back again, the author digs into the human experience with humor and grace.
Connect with Mica Rossi!
Email
Facebook
Amazon Author Page
Twitter
Goodreads
2. The Christmas With No Ice Cream
My earliest memories are bound up in the celebrations of my extended family. It was not uncommon to have three or four generations in the house during each holiday, birthday, or anniversary. Every single one of the women was a great cook, and smells would waft out of open windows in the summer or hit you as soon as you walked through the door in the winter. Of them all, Christmas was the best and my mother’s favorite.
This particular Christmas, I was five years old. I’d been having a series of sore throats throughout that year and spent a lot of time home from school. Mom and I made delicate string decorations with crochet thread, starch and lots of glitter. We made taffy and fudge and sprinkle cookies with melted white chocolate icing. Pipe cleaners got bent into figure skaters, and we created frilly little skirts for them out of crepe paper streamers. Yards and yards of construction paper chains hung from the wood moldings and swooped over the tree.
The days dragged until Christmas and my anticipation spiraled. My little sister wasn’t sure what all the excitement was about, but she loved sticking her fingers into the dough Mom rolled out on the table as much as she enjoyed munching on the stray cookie that found its way into her hands. At not quite three, she was way too young to remember the treat I knew was coming on Christmas Eve, the milk, eggs and vanilla my dad would crank together in a frosty steel bucket to make the frozen delight we had only once a year. But I knew, and I marked off each day on the calendar with a green crayon.
That might seem like a lot to remember from such a young age, but I’ll never forget that Christmas, because it was the Christmas without ice cream… Continue Reading
Mica Rossi has been writing since she was in the second grade and barely able to form her letters properly. Her short works have been featured in several anthologies, and she is furiously scribbling through various drafts of her second novel, a contemporary romance set during the Christmas season.Her first book, Once in a Blue Moon, was selected as a spearhead novel for the ‘White Satin Romance’ line at Melange Books and will shortly be brought in-house to Camelot Publishing and re-released in February of 2016 in a revised edition. Just think about a gorgeous member of the Aos Sidhe running into the one woman in Boston who has a vendetta against all things magical, and you'll understand why sparks fly against the backdrop of hot summer days and starry nights in the city.
Mica’s latest release, Heart Songs, is a collection of poetry and short stories published in April of 2016. It’s a compilation of the emotional journeys we all take through our lives. From friendship and love to the depths of despair and back again, the author digs into the human experience with humor and grace.
Connect with Mica Rossi!
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads
December 15, 2016
7 Must-Read Holiday Blogs #1
1. The Craziest Christmas of My Entire Life!
When I was quite young, my father went back to college to finish his degree. With only my mother’s meager hospital salary to support us all, we found ourselves living in a little trailer outside a small mountain town in North Carolina. Though the situation may have seemed dire to my parents, I had a wonderful time exploring fields, taking forest hikes, and playing in and around the rank-smelling creek behind the trailer park. It’s amazing how oblivious children are to such trivial things as economics. There lay a small airplane strip on the other side of the highway, and as it was Christmastime, my father decided it would be a great (and cost-effective) idea to trespass on that private piece of property and cut down our own tree. So off on our quest we marched, bow-saw in hand, rope dragging behind.
Even in my tiny youth, I wanted a tree grand enough to grace Rockefeller Center. Nearing the top of a daunting hill, I found just such a tree; one whose trunk I couldn’t hope to fully wrap my arms around. My father, being a more practical sort, pointed to a somewhat humbler cedar that would actually fit inside our single-wide. After fierce debate, he began merrily sawing away. And that’s when all the trouble began…
My father was a wonderful storyteller and surely responsible for my modern love affair with fiction. Most likely to keep me entertained on our long return journey, he crafted a yarn about wild animals that ended with the straight-faced promise that he may have actually seen a black bear in the distance. On that point, my grossly over-active imagination begged to differ. You see, I reasoned that it couldn’t possibly be a bear, though they were quite prevalent in the area, but rather the legendary Bigfoot (Note: to my knowledge, there have never been any Sasquatch sightings in North Carolina). Further, that Mr. Bigfoot had surely realized by now we’d cut down one of his beloved trees, and his long, hairy-legged strides were eating up the distance between us so he could wreak his vengeance. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the trip looking over my shoulder.
During the following week, a winter storm besieged the area, its raging winds molding giant powdery snowdrifts like static waves in an angry sea. Some of these were so high, in fact, that Dad had to carry me on his shoulders so I wouldn’t drown in icy fluff. I didn’t have to worry much about the bitter cold, however, because our highly overheated aluminum box kept us toasty warm.
On that particular Christmas Eve, I don’t remember attending church services—though I surely did, what I wore, or even what presents I’d asked for, primarily because those memories were thoroughly obliterated the following morning. Awakened by a loud crash and the sound of frenzied screams, my brother and I raced into the den, fully expecting Santa, in all his blood-red glory, to be standing in the middle of the room ho-ho-hoing. Instead, we were treated to a wildly confusing scene: the tree lying listlessly on its side, my mother batting wildly at the ceiling with a straw broom, and my father doubled over, red-faced with laughter.
Though the tree had seemed innocuous enough as it solemnly stood on that steep hillside, little did we know it had played proud host to a colony of praying mantises, and that their eggs, in that warm and cozy environment we so enjoyed, had set about the task of hatching. On the ceiling, walls, and at our feet through the scattered and broken ornaments, green creatures with beady red eyes and gangly limbs, much like the visage of The Grinch himself, crawled sluggishly in search of their first meals.
Did they steal my Christmas? No. Did they steal the show? Oh, absolutely! And to this very day, I can promise you that that was the craziest Christmas of my entire life!
I wish you all a far less eventful holiday season…well, unless you really like bugs.
~VG
Virginia Gray writes contemproary women's fction. A member of Romance Writers of America, she is known for her bestselling series The Susan Wade Saga. Please visit her on social media and sign up for her fan-appreciation newsletter.Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Fan Appreciation Newsletter Next up: Blog 2 by Author Mica Rossi If you have a memory you’d like to share, please do so in the comments section below. Laughter is perhaps the greatest gift we can give one another!
January 30, 2016
BOOK OF THE MOMENT CLUB
The Interview by Virginia GraySusan’s personality, attitude and snarky comments kept me reading wanting to see what would happen next. I laughed, giggled, held my breath, and felt so many different emotions while reading the book.
Get ready to fall in love with Susan Wade: goddess of business, woman of mystery, ruler of the free world…if she can land a job, that is. A real one. Like, one that pays!
With graduation looming, Susan Wade’s job prospects are bleak. Following her semi-boyfriend to the bowels of Texas or managing a dilapidated diner are her only options until she’s unexpectedly offered the interview of a lifetime. But when a corporate shark challenges her integrity, will she blow her chance at this dream job or swallow her ego?
Find out in this hilarious comedy, rife with psychotic roommates, questionable fashion choices, and an epic search for the perfect cup of coffee.
Review by Doug Burns:
Virginia GrayVirginia Gray is a great writer. ‘The Interview’ had me so hooked that I read it from start to finish in one sitting. The plot flows perfectly. Love the characters and the dialogue between them that keeps you laughing almost non-stop.
The main character, Susan Wade, somehow gets it together even with the bumbling events that take place as she strives for an interview with a top company. Susan’s interactions with her roommate and with an unlucky barrister at a coffee shop are priceless, so funny and witty.
You will find ‘The Interview’ positively entertaining, as is Virginia’s other book which is ‘The Carrot’, a continuation of Susan Wade’s adventures as she navigates the corporate world. I once said The Carrotis one of the best books I have read this year, and will say the same about ‘The Interview’. Whether the reader is male or female, The Interview and The Carrot are a total joy to read.
Review by Sherrie Fry:
This book is well written, smooth flowing and easy to read. It is a quick read. The characters, their emotions and the experiences they go through are depicted extremely well.
The main character of the book is Susan Wade. Susan was born and raised in North Carolina. As soon as she graduates college she is off to bigger and better things. She despises everything about the south and is determined to put as much distance between her and the south as possible. She accepts a partial scholarship to a college in Chicago, IL.
She is determined to work her butt off to make good grades and do what is necessary to get the kind of job she has always dreamed about. Double majoring and working full time doesn’t leave much time for fun, but it is a sacrifice she is willing to make. Will all of her hard work pay off? Will she be able to get her dream job, or any job, fresh out of college?
I really enjoyed this book. Susan’s personality, attitude and snarky comments kept me reading wanting to see what would happen next. I laughed, giggled, held my breath, and felt so many different emotions while reading the book. After being in a bit of a reading slump it was exactly what I needed.
I look forward to reading The Carrot to find out how the story will continue.
For more... Venture Galleries
January 28, 2016
The Crown of Stones
Magic-Borne Cover Reveal 
My favorite (currently living) fantasy author is C.L. Schneider. I discovered her Magic series and, much like her protagonist, Ian Troy, became a Magic addict. As a friend, and moreover a fan of her series, I've been basically stalking her for months, hoping for crumbs. It's truly a beautiful thing when you have die-hard fans, but a terrible burden when they hound you day and night, demanding their next fix.
Ms. Schneider, can you not hear me banging out here?!
Well, C.L. Is finally giving me a tiny taste of what's to come, and I'm frothing...
(Plus, I have a terrible crush on this delicious and surly creature!)
The Crown of Stones: Magic-Borne Cover Reveal
He’s paid for his addiction. He’s been scarred by his spells. He’s borne magic’s weight, its pleasure, and its guilt. But will he surrender to it when the realm needs him most?
Magic-Borne, the final installment of my epic fantasy trilogy, The Crown of Stones, is almost here! The Crown of Stones follows the trials of Ian Troy; a man struggling with an inborn addiction to magic in a world where magic is reviled, not revered.
The cover of Magic-Borne was designed by artist Alan Dingman.
Synopsis:
In one fell swoop, the resistance was shattered. Lives were taken. Hope was lost. Peace slipped like grains of sand through his fingers. So did the Crown of Stones. Now, forced into hiding, Ian Troy grapples for a way to save the realm—and free its people—from the sadistic clutches of Jem Reth; Mirra’kelan’s new self-appointed emperor. Plagued with the knowledge of a tragic future, he strives to influence events and save those he cares for. But his magic has betrayed him, and Fate has other plans.
Scarred by the crown, hindered by the transformation spell contained within, each cast brings Ian one step closer to becoming more beast than man. Each move brings the death and destruction foretold in his vision inexplicably nearer. With Langor on the brink of war, and King Malaq’s plan for peace hanging in the balance, Ian returns to the ancient past; seeking an end to the eldring spell and a means to thwart Jem’s growing domination. What he finds there sets off a chain of revelations that leads Ian places he never thought to go.
Entrusted with the future of his race, Ian becomes the linchpin for lasting change. But how much weight can one man carry? And how much is he willing to sacrifice in the name of peace?
I MUST KNOW!!
Bio:
C. L. Schneider is a self-published author of adult epic and urban fantasy. The first two books in her Crown of Stones trilogy, Magic-Price and Magic-Scars, are available on Amazon. The third installment will be released in February 2016. She is currently working on Nite Fire, an urban fantasy featuring a shape-shifting dragon hybrid named Dahlia Nite. C. L. Schneider lives in the scenic Hudson Valley of upstate New York with her husband and two sons. She spends her days torturing characters, overdosing on coffee, and daydreaming about the zombie apocalypse.
Catch up with C. L. Schneider on social media
Website http://www.clschneiderauthor.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/cl_schneider
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CLS.Author
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomCLSchneider
Amazon Author Page http://bit.ly/CLAmazonPg
Google + http://www.google.com/+CLSchneider Haven’t read book 1 yet? You Absolutely MUST!
Dive into the adventure before book 3 is released!
To celebrate the cover reveal, Magic-Price and Magic-Scars are both on Kindle Countdown from 1/28 to 2/4. Download Magic-Price (book 1) for only .99 & Magic-Scars (book 2) for $1.99!
Book 1
Magic-Price Kindle
Magic-Price PB
Book 2
Magic-Scars Kindle
Magic-Scars PB
Visit my Website for excerpts, teasers, reviews, and more!
My favorite (currently living) fantasy author is C.L. Schneider. I discovered her Magic series and, much like her protagonist, Ian Troy, became a Magic addict. As a friend, and moreover a fan of her series, I've been basically stalking her for months, hoping for crumbs. It's truly a beautiful thing when you have die-hard fans, but a terrible burden when they hound you day and night, demanding their next fix.
Ms. Schneider, can you not hear me banging out here?!
Well, C.L. Is finally giving me a tiny taste of what's to come, and I'm frothing...
(Plus, I have a terrible crush on this delicious and surly creature!)
The Crown of Stones: Magic-Borne Cover Reveal
He’s paid for his addiction. He’s been scarred by his spells. He’s borne magic’s weight, its pleasure, and its guilt. But will he surrender to it when the realm needs him most?
Magic-Borne, the final installment of my epic fantasy trilogy, The Crown of Stones, is almost here! The Crown of Stones follows the trials of Ian Troy; a man struggling with an inborn addiction to magic in a world where magic is reviled, not revered.
The cover of Magic-Borne was designed by artist Alan Dingman.
Synopsis:
In one fell swoop, the resistance was shattered. Lives were taken. Hope was lost. Peace slipped like grains of sand through his fingers. So did the Crown of Stones. Now, forced into hiding, Ian Troy grapples for a way to save the realm—and free its people—from the sadistic clutches of Jem Reth; Mirra’kelan’s new self-appointed emperor. Plagued with the knowledge of a tragic future, he strives to influence events and save those he cares for. But his magic has betrayed him, and Fate has other plans.
Scarred by the crown, hindered by the transformation spell contained within, each cast brings Ian one step closer to becoming more beast than man. Each move brings the death and destruction foretold in his vision inexplicably nearer. With Langor on the brink of war, and King Malaq’s plan for peace hanging in the balance, Ian returns to the ancient past; seeking an end to the eldring spell and a means to thwart Jem’s growing domination. What he finds there sets off a chain of revelations that leads Ian places he never thought to go.
Entrusted with the future of his race, Ian becomes the linchpin for lasting change. But how much weight can one man carry? And how much is he willing to sacrifice in the name of peace?
I MUST KNOW!!
Bio:C. L. Schneider is a self-published author of adult epic and urban fantasy. The first two books in her Crown of Stones trilogy, Magic-Price and Magic-Scars, are available on Amazon. The third installment will be released in February 2016. She is currently working on Nite Fire, an urban fantasy featuring a shape-shifting dragon hybrid named Dahlia Nite. C. L. Schneider lives in the scenic Hudson Valley of upstate New York with her husband and two sons. She spends her days torturing characters, overdosing on coffee, and daydreaming about the zombie apocalypse.
Catch up with C. L. Schneider on social media
Website http://www.clschneiderauthor.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/cl_schneider
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CLS.Author
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomCLSchneider
Amazon Author Page http://bit.ly/CLAmazonPg
Google + http://www.google.com/+CLSchneider Haven’t read book 1 yet? You Absolutely MUST!
Dive into the adventure before book 3 is released!
To celebrate the cover reveal, Magic-Price and Magic-Scars are both on Kindle Countdown from 1/28 to 2/4. Download Magic-Price (book 1) for only .99 & Magic-Scars (book 2) for $1.99!
Book 1
Magic-Price Kindle
Magic-Price PB
Book 2
Magic-Scars Kindle
Magic-Scars PB
Visit my Website for excerpts, teasers, reviews, and more!
January 20, 2016
Readers Entertainment Magazine Interview
Radio Interview with Virginia Gray 
One thing you’ll remember about Virginia Gray when you speak to her is her excitement. She truly loves her characters and it shows. If you love romantic comedies, you’ll definitely want to catch the recap blog for Bestselling Author, Virginia Gray’s show. Her latest novel, The Interview, is the prequel for Amazon #1 Bestselling novel,
The Carrot
! Virginia Gray is graduate of Wake Forest University, and a former university professor. And while much of her adult life has been spent writing nonfiction, she decided to pursue a career writing fiction instead. And readers will be very happy she did! Her latest novel,
The Interview
, is a prequel to her highly acclaimed novel,
The Carrot
, book two in the Susan Wade Saga... Continue reading Listen to Radio Podcast
One thing you’ll remember about Virginia Gray when you speak to her is her excitement. She truly loves her characters and it shows. If you love romantic comedies, you’ll definitely want to catch the recap blog for Bestselling Author, Virginia Gray’s show. Her latest novel, The Interview, is the prequel for Amazon #1 Bestselling novel,
The Carrot
! Virginia Gray is graduate of Wake Forest University, and a former university professor. And while much of her adult life has been spent writing nonfiction, she decided to pursue a career writing fiction instead. And readers will be very happy she did! Her latest novel,
The Interview
, is a prequel to her highly acclaimed novel,
The Carrot
, book two in the Susan Wade Saga... Continue reading Listen to Radio Podcast
January 13, 2016
The Road to Publication: Cover Design
The Interview
My last blog in this journey we're taking focused on series creation. We're moving on to letter K in our nonsensical alphabet. K = cover design. The old adage “a picture paints a thousand words” is quite true, but for an author, that picture paints more like several hundred-thousand words, so it needs to be as spot-on as possible. It should give you a feel for what you’re getting yourself into, what you’re about to spend many hours reading. As a writer, I’m very much about the details—the little things that come together to create an excellent experience for the reader. Covers are an important part of it.
In this crazy industry, you may have little idea what goes on behind the scenes in creating the book images you tap on your reader or hold in your hand. In many cases, authors have little or no say about the images that dress their manuscripts, others have some, a few have all.
Friend and colleague, Matthew Peters, author of Conversations Among Ruins, was offered two designs by his publisher. Neither pleased him, but he had no real choice. His wonderful book (and soon to be play) about a drug addict clawing his way from the dark well is fantastic, and I hope you'll check it out. Like him, I don't believe the cover does this powerful book justice.
Harlequin gives New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Romance Author Lori Foster the opportunity to meet and choose the male models whose rock-hard chests beckon to her readers. Boy Lori, that must suck!
Unfettered when it comes to covers, I have free reign, which is both exhilarating and truly terrifying. I trade my author hat for a marketing one and pretend I know something about consumer research and current design trends (PS I did not major in marketing in college, so eek!) My choices may lead to glorious success or abject failure. Regardless, it falls on my shoulders.
The Interview: Susan Wade Saga Book 1 needed a cover, of course. I mean, it can't go around naked! So, I turned to my designer extraordinaire, Ashley Fontaine of One of a Kind Covers for her sage wisdom and a kickin' design. After providing her with a summary of the story, she came up with a look that fit the title and context perfectly.
Her design is clearly geared toward the female audience, my primary readership; though a percentage are male and like my writing enough to look past the, well, “look” of the book. The design has the semblance of our heroine, Susan Wade, crossing the cover with a determined stride, briefcase in hand, going somewhere in a hurry—a city, based on the backdrop. She’s wearing a professional-looking outfit and some mighty fine heels. Hmm…she’s probably en route to an interview, as the title suggests. Beyond the feminine, the pink edging has story significance, as readers will soon discover. Ashley's also chosen a font that's contemporary and and a little quirky, which suits the theme and hints at Susan Wade's personality. Unlike Lori Foster, I didn't have the opportunity to meet the woman whose lovely legs grace the cover, but her images now live on the first two books of The Susan Wade Saga , The Interview and The Carrot . There's continuity for you!
When you view The Interview’s cover, you immediately think Chick lit —a term currently unpopular in the publishing world. The industry now favors “Women’s Fiction”. In fact, Amazon Almighty does not actually have a category termed “Chick lit”. You can search the words, and a number of books will pop up in no particular order, but that's because the author has incorporated said term in his/her metadata (we’ll talk about that at a later time). Interesting, no? But readers are not bound by such terms or fads. We know what we like to read.
So, whether you're looking for Chick Lit or Contemporary Women's Fiction, this cover fits the bill, and the story will give you exactly what you've paid for.
What thoughts do you have on cover art? Please leave them in the comments section below. I’d love to know.
Also, don’t forget to put yourself on my Readers List. I’m always giving away wonderful items to thank my fans for their support. In celebration of the January 2016 release of The Interview, I’m offering up a Kindle Fire. Don’t miss out on that action!
Part 3 of our series focuses on the pages in between.
In the meantime, I hope the next book you read is outstanding!
~Virginia Gray
My last blog in this journey we're taking focused on series creation. We're moving on to letter K in our nonsensical alphabet. K = cover design. The old adage “a picture paints a thousand words” is quite true, but for an author, that picture paints more like several hundred-thousand words, so it needs to be as spot-on as possible. It should give you a feel for what you’re getting yourself into, what you’re about to spend many hours reading. As a writer, I’m very much about the details—the little things that come together to create an excellent experience for the reader. Covers are an important part of it.In this crazy industry, you may have little idea what goes on behind the scenes in creating the book images you tap on your reader or hold in your hand. In many cases, authors have little or no say about the images that dress their manuscripts, others have some, a few have all.
Friend and colleague, Matthew Peters, author of Conversations Among Ruins, was offered two designs by his publisher. Neither pleased him, but he had no real choice. His wonderful book (and soon to be play) about a drug addict clawing his way from the dark well is fantastic, and I hope you'll check it out. Like him, I don't believe the cover does this powerful book justice.
Harlequin gives New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Romance Author Lori Foster the opportunity to meet and choose the male models whose rock-hard chests beckon to her readers. Boy Lori, that must suck!
Unfettered when it comes to covers, I have free reign, which is both exhilarating and truly terrifying. I trade my author hat for a marketing one and pretend I know something about consumer research and current design trends (PS I did not major in marketing in college, so eek!) My choices may lead to glorious success or abject failure. Regardless, it falls on my shoulders.
The Interview: Susan Wade Saga Book 1 needed a cover, of course. I mean, it can't go around naked! So, I turned to my designer extraordinaire, Ashley Fontaine of One of a Kind Covers for her sage wisdom and a kickin' design. After providing her with a summary of the story, she came up with a look that fit the title and context perfectly.
Her design is clearly geared toward the female audience, my primary readership; though a percentage are male and like my writing enough to look past the, well, “look” of the book. The design has the semblance of our heroine, Susan Wade, crossing the cover with a determined stride, briefcase in hand, going somewhere in a hurry—a city, based on the backdrop. She’s wearing a professional-looking outfit and some mighty fine heels. Hmm…she’s probably en route to an interview, as the title suggests. Beyond the feminine, the pink edging has story significance, as readers will soon discover. Ashley's also chosen a font that's contemporary and and a little quirky, which suits the theme and hints at Susan Wade's personality. Unlike Lori Foster, I didn't have the opportunity to meet the woman whose lovely legs grace the cover, but her images now live on the first two books of The Susan Wade Saga , The Interview and The Carrot . There's continuity for you!
When you view The Interview’s cover, you immediately think Chick lit —a term currently unpopular in the publishing world. The industry now favors “Women’s Fiction”. In fact, Amazon Almighty does not actually have a category termed “Chick lit”. You can search the words, and a number of books will pop up in no particular order, but that's because the author has incorporated said term in his/her metadata (we’ll talk about that at a later time). Interesting, no? But readers are not bound by such terms or fads. We know what we like to read.
So, whether you're looking for Chick Lit or Contemporary Women's Fiction, this cover fits the bill, and the story will give you exactly what you've paid for.
What thoughts do you have on cover art? Please leave them in the comments section below. I’d love to know.
Also, don’t forget to put yourself on my Readers List. I’m always giving away wonderful items to thank my fans for their support. In celebration of the January 2016 release of The Interview, I’m offering up a Kindle Fire. Don’t miss out on that action!
Part 3 of our series focuses on the pages in between.
In the meantime, I hope the next book you read is outstanding!
~Virginia Gray
December 24, 2015
Twelve Blogs of Xmas - Martin Crosbie
Twelve Drummers Drumming
Every Light on Every Street
Last year on the night after Christmas, even though it had been an exceptionally busy day, I drove a car-load of family members around the streets of our town. For two and a half hours we drove up and down roads searching out the brightest, most illuminating lights on people’s houses and lawns. My eighty-six year old passenger in the back seat, wrapped in a blanket and clutching a mug of hot chocolate, smiled the whole time and asked me to pull over and look at every light on every street. Two days later we took her into hospital and three weeks after that we lost her.
Doreen Clark was diagnosed with cancer when she was thirty years old. It was a form of cancer that took ninety-five percent of its victims. She beat it. In the following fifty-six years she lost a kidney, suffered heart failure, lost the ability to walk without a walker and overcame it all. She beat everything that was thrown at her. Some people are resilient, she was more than that. She was unbreakable.
Read more…
In a press release, Amazon called Martin Crosbie one of their success stories of 2012. His self-publishing journey has been chronicled in Publisher's Weekly, Forbes Online, and Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper . He’s the author of six books including the Kindle Scout winner “The Dead List – A John Drake Mystery” .
Martin was born in the Highlands of Scotland and currently makes his home just outside Vancouver, on the west coast of Canada.
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This concludes our wonderful Twelve Blogs of XMAS . Thanks to Martin Crosbie for gathering a fascinating and diverse group of Authors together for this fun-filled event. If you've missed any blogs during the series, please consult THE LIST . Thanks for reading and sharing the holiday spirit with us!
Every Light on Every StreetLast year on the night after Christmas, even though it had been an exceptionally busy day, I drove a car-load of family members around the streets of our town. For two and a half hours we drove up and down roads searching out the brightest, most illuminating lights on people’s houses and lawns. My eighty-six year old passenger in the back seat, wrapped in a blanket and clutching a mug of hot chocolate, smiled the whole time and asked me to pull over and look at every light on every street. Two days later we took her into hospital and three weeks after that we lost her.
Doreen Clark was diagnosed with cancer when she was thirty years old. It was a form of cancer that took ninety-five percent of its victims. She beat it. In the following fifty-six years she lost a kidney, suffered heart failure, lost the ability to walk without a walker and overcame it all. She beat everything that was thrown at her. Some people are resilient, she was more than that. She was unbreakable.
Read more…
In a press release, Amazon called Martin Crosbie one of their success stories of 2012. His self-publishing journey has been chronicled in Publisher's Weekly, Forbes Online, and Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper . He’s the author of six books including the Kindle Scout winner “The Dead List – A John Drake Mystery” .
Martin was born in the Highlands of Scotland and currently makes his home just outside Vancouver, on the west coast of Canada.
_______________________________________________________________________
This concludes our wonderful Twelve Blogs of XMAS . Thanks to Martin Crosbie for gathering a fascinating and diverse group of Authors together for this fun-filled event. If you've missed any blogs during the series, please consult THE LIST . Thanks for reading and sharing the holiday spirit with us!
December 23, 2015
The Twelve Blogs of Xmas - Cate Pedersen
Eleven Pipers Piping
A lovely post by Cate Pederson
My Christmas Mystery Man
There is certain magic I experience right at midnight on Christmas Eve. The entire world seems to pause and the air is different somehow. I relax completely, despite the recent whirlwind of activity over the past few days and the maelstrom which is to come Christmas morning and continue until New Year. My spine tingles with anticipation as the hour and minute hands join; I almost want to cheer, “It’s here, it’s here!” I look forward to it every year. I cannot recall ever going to bed earlier than midnight on that auspicious night— especially as a child, waiting up for sounds of bells and scraping hooves on the roof.
When my son and daughter were young, it was the same performance each Christmas Eve; I knew my cues perfectly and waited until I heard regular breathing through my daughter’s bedroom door. She was always last to fall asleep. Her father had been the first. I collect the presents hidden under my bed, in closets, above bookcases and wedged between storage containers. I tiptoe towards the tree with an armful of brightly papered boxes with colour-coordinated bows (and extra tape) . . . then freeze as the ball of my foot puts pressure on that part of the floor that squeaks. I imagine the cracking of wood sending shudders through the hall, and under the beds of my sleeping children, jarring them awake . . . Read more
Cate Pedersen is a freelance writer, editor and social media manager. She recently published her first novel and is working on books two and three in the Sister Spirit Series . She is also a contributor in It’s Really 10 Months: Special Delivery, an anthology of birth stories (Special Xmas Sale NOW on Amazon) and an upcoming anthology: Adventures in Potty Training . Cate’s children are now almost grown, so Christmas is not quite as busy, but will always hold a magical place in her heart. Read her “12 Blogs of Christmas” post to find out why!
Read On...
Website: www.copycate.ca
Facebook: Copycate Writing, Editing & Communications
Last up Martin Crosbie (or Santa). You never know!
A lovely post by Cate PedersonMy Christmas Mystery Man
There is certain magic I experience right at midnight on Christmas Eve. The entire world seems to pause and the air is different somehow. I relax completely, despite the recent whirlwind of activity over the past few days and the maelstrom which is to come Christmas morning and continue until New Year. My spine tingles with anticipation as the hour and minute hands join; I almost want to cheer, “It’s here, it’s here!” I look forward to it every year. I cannot recall ever going to bed earlier than midnight on that auspicious night— especially as a child, waiting up for sounds of bells and scraping hooves on the roof.
When my son and daughter were young, it was the same performance each Christmas Eve; I knew my cues perfectly and waited until I heard regular breathing through my daughter’s bedroom door. She was always last to fall asleep. Her father had been the first. I collect the presents hidden under my bed, in closets, above bookcases and wedged between storage containers. I tiptoe towards the tree with an armful of brightly papered boxes with colour-coordinated bows (and extra tape) . . . then freeze as the ball of my foot puts pressure on that part of the floor that squeaks. I imagine the cracking of wood sending shudders through the hall, and under the beds of my sleeping children, jarring them awake . . . Read more
Cate Pedersen is a freelance writer, editor and social media manager. She recently published her first novel and is working on books two and three in the Sister Spirit Series . She is also a contributor in It’s Really 10 Months: Special Delivery, an anthology of birth stories (Special Xmas Sale NOW on Amazon) and an upcoming anthology: Adventures in Potty Training . Cate’s children are now almost grown, so Christmas is not quite as busy, but will always hold a magical place in her heart. Read her “12 Blogs of Christmas” post to find out why!
Read On...
Website: www.copycate.ca
Facebook: Copycate Writing, Editing & Communications
Last up Martin Crosbie (or Santa). You never know!
December 22, 2015
Twelve Blogs of Xmas - Jordan Buchanan
Ten Lords A Leaping
Queen of Christmas
Happy holidays to all and a huge thank you to Martin Crosbie for inviting me to be part of the 12 Blogs of Christmas. It’s quite an honor for me, a fledgling author, to be included in such accomplished company, and I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to share a tale of my Christmas past.
At an office holiday party a few years ago, I decided to forego the ubiquitous Santa hat and donned a fur-trimmed tiara instead. One of my co-workers dubbed me the “Queen of Christmas”, but I’m merely a pretender to the throne, a princess at best. The title was always owned by my mother who reigned over our family Christmas party like a benevolent dictator. She did all the decorating, the cooking, the cleaning—everything necessary for us to eat, drink and be merry. She provided the playground; we came to play.
Read on...
Jordan Buchanan was born and spent most of her life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Now residing in northern Michigan, she misses the Shenandoah Valley but living in the home state of the mighty Detroit Red Wings helps ease the pain.
4Play , her debut publication, is a collection of erotic romance short stories. She is currently working on two novels -- For Love or Money and Xander's Garden .
When she’s not reading, writing, or watching hockey, she enjoys time spent with her charming husband and their three Lab mixes.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JordanBAuthor
Blog: www.eroticablues.blogspot.com
Queen of ChristmasHappy holidays to all and a huge thank you to Martin Crosbie for inviting me to be part of the 12 Blogs of Christmas. It’s quite an honor for me, a fledgling author, to be included in such accomplished company, and I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to share a tale of my Christmas past.
At an office holiday party a few years ago, I decided to forego the ubiquitous Santa hat and donned a fur-trimmed tiara instead. One of my co-workers dubbed me the “Queen of Christmas”, but I’m merely a pretender to the throne, a princess at best. The title was always owned by my mother who reigned over our family Christmas party like a benevolent dictator. She did all the decorating, the cooking, the cleaning—everything necessary for us to eat, drink and be merry. She provided the playground; we came to play.
Read on...
Jordan Buchanan was born and spent most of her life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Now residing in northern Michigan, she misses the Shenandoah Valley but living in the home state of the mighty Detroit Red Wings helps ease the pain.
4Play , her debut publication, is a collection of erotic romance short stories. She is currently working on two novels -- For Love or Money and Xander's Garden .
When she’s not reading, writing, or watching hockey, she enjoys time spent with her charming husband and their three Lab mixes.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JordanBAuthor
Blog: www.eroticablues.blogspot.com
