Category: romance

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Bailey’s Thoughts on Marketing and Hathor Legacy

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Deborah Bailey shares her thoughts on marketing.After your book is published, marketing can be a big challenge, especially if you’re doing it all yourself. It would be great to have help, of course! But I’ve found there are some things you can do to help get your book into the hands of your ideal reader. Here are some methods I’m using.

Blogging – Don’t let a small readership discourage you. If you regularly post weekly or every other week, you’ll be on the way to creating a destination for readers. I’ve blogged about worldbuilding for my Hathor Legacy series, and shared writing tips. If you have information that is interesting to read, you’ll get visitors.

Radio show interviews – Look for podcasts that feature authors in your genre. If you can read an excerpt from your book during your guest spot, even better. I recently had a radio show spot where I read several pages from my new book, Hathor Legacy: Burn. Since the show was recorded, it will always be available for new listeners to hear about my book.

Social media – There are lots of ways to reach out to readers, but it all depends on the platform. Right now I’m on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

When I’m on Twitter, I share links for my books, but I also interact with other writers and RT (retweet) other tweets of interest. On Pinterest, I created a board for Hathor Legacy, where I share pictures that inspired me when I was creating the setting. On Google+ I also share blog posts, and I’ve joined a few communities for romance writers/readers. I don’t have an author page on Facebook, so I share updates about my book on my personal page. On Facebook I also joined a science fiction romance group where I can interact with other writers.

Amazon.com Author Pages – If your book is on Amazon, you can update your page with your twitter and blog feeds. You can also share events as well. A new option is that you can create a URL for your page, using your name or the name of your book series.

Guest Posts – Trade blog posts with other writers. I’ve done guest posts on other blogs, and I have posts from other writers on my blog. You never know where a reader will find you.

One last thing, don’t forget word of mouth. It might seem old-fashioned, but it’s the best way to get the word out. I shared announcements about my book with friends, and they’ve told other friends. People will listen to someone they know and trust, so they’ll be likely to check out your book if a friend tells them about it.

For me, book marketing is a lot of trial and error. When you find a method that really works, keep it up! But don’t be reluctant to stop doing things that don’t work for your book. Just keep at it, and you will connect with your ideal readers.

Debroah Bailey shares her novel, Hathor Legacy, and thoughts on marketing.BLURB:

On the planet, Hathor, an old threat re-emerges that may destroy the fragile alliance between the Guardians and Novacorp. When Nadira is called to investigate a rash of fires throughout the city, she discovers the Deshtu, another group with PSI powers who have been purposely kept in the shadows.

Working to uncover the source of the fires, Nadira learns the brutal truth about the origin of the Guardians. The Guardian Elders have plans to make Nadira more powerful, and she may be forced to sever her psychic connection to her lover, Jonathan Keel.

When an unexpected ally gives Jonathan information about the Deshtu that connects them to the fires, he becomes a convenient scapegoat for the opposing factions. Nadira puts her life on the line to solve the crime, while the Elders make their move to remove Jonathan from her life forever.

As time runs out, the Guardians prepare for a clash with Novacorp that could plunge the planet into chaos, and a final betrayal forces Nadira to risk everything to save herself and Hathor.

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Photo of Deborah Bailey, author of Hathor Legacy.AUTHOR Bio and Links:

As a little girl when Deborah A Bailey was watching Star Trek and Twilight Zone, she was writing and drawing her own superheroine comics. When she grew up, she continued to write and followed her love of technology into a career as a computer programmer and developer. But writing was never far away from her heart, so over the years she wrote and published stories set on other worlds and in Earth’s future. Ultimately she fulfilled a lifelong dream and completed her first novel in the Hathor Legacy universe, Hathor Legacy: Outcast.

Her short stories have won awards from the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference and her work has been published in US1 Magazine and the Sun. In 2013 she published a short story collection, Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales. In her “other” life, she’s a freelance writer who’s published three non-fiction books and countless articles that have appeared in print and online. Visit her blog for writing tips, interviews and updates. http://www.BrightStreetBooks.com

Website: http://www.brightstreetbooks.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AuthorDeborahB

http://www.amazon.com/Deborah-A-Bailey/e/B003MD0J4Y/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1401830133&sr=8-1

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Debroah Bailey's Hathor Legacy features science fiction.Excerpt:

A blast from a stunner shot out, illuminating the darkness. It hit the wall above Nadira’s head and sent out a shower of sparks.

Out of the darkness, a woman dressed in grey coveralls ran out of the shadows. In her fist she clutched a long, metal cylinder. The woman raised her arm to strike, as a screeching cry that sounded like the whine of a mining drill escaped her lips.

Nadira reached out and sent an energy blast in the woman’s direction, sending her flying. She fell and slid across the floor.

In front of her, on the other side of the warehouse, she saw three figures struggling under the overhead lights. One of them was dressed in security garb. “Lt. Lin!” As she ran towards them, Nadira saw the glint of an oversized, mine-issue stunner, then bright blue light shooting out.

A man leaped towards her. Gripping a smaller stunner that fit in the palm of his hand, he aimed at her head. She sent out a blast that pushed him back. He crumpled on the ground, gasping.

Piercing screams echoed through the area, followed by stunner fire. Lt. Lin stood in the lighted area.

When she spotted Nadira, she rushed towards her. “Nadira! Watch out!”

But before she could get far, two bright blue and white stunner blasts hit her. She swung and managed to get off a shot before she went down.

“No!” She moved towards her, but stopped short as four figures emerged out of the shadows. All she could see was the outlines, and hear the rustle of their coveralls.

“Who are you?” A gruff, male voice demanded.

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When the Devil’s in the Details

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Twilight Healer features vampire fiction by Barbara Custer.These last weeks, I’ve taken marching orders from my Mylar balloons regarding the manuscript reformatting and new cover for Twilight Healer. If something’s off, I’ll hear about it. As a writer buddy once told me, the devil’s in the details.

The process began with me reading each chapter and correcting mistakes the way the balloons instructed me. I imagined the manuscript with page headers and numbers, when the rustling of the balloons by my chair caught my attention.

Balloons, frowning: That manuscript isn’t ready, Bar-ba-ra.

Me, smiling: It will be after I do the pagination and headers.

Balloons: How about changing the spelling of “okay” to “OK” the way Gemini Wordsmiths taught you? Are you sure you’ve got consistent spelling for the last names? What about extraneous adverbs?

Me, with a sigh: Want me to do a Search and Find for these items?

Balloon, patting me on the head: Dats wight, wabbit. And while you’re at it, ask Teresa Tunaley to look over your back cover. Betcha she’ll have good suggestions.

Of course, the balloons had it right, as you can see by the final version of the back cover above. As for the other chores, Word’s Find, Search and Replace feature served as my best friend. Search and Replace made it easy to change a character’s name. It provided an easy fix for a word I’ve consistently misspelled. For example, Wordsmiths had me use Search and Replace to change “okay” to “OK,” and I did the same for Twilight Healer. Be aware, though, that Word will change every word that has the letters chosen, so you may realize changes you hadn’t planned. Twilight Healer was missing commas in sentences that included the adverb “too,” when I meant “also.” So I did a Find, examining every sentence that used “too,” and found about seven missing commas. The Find feature takes longer to do, but you get more accurate results.

I’d like to mention Word’s Track Changes, a popular tool for editors and authors. Alas, I’ve seen a lot of people shy away from using the Track Changes. They don’t bite, folks. To access the Track Change on Word 2007, I go to the “Review” tab on the ribbon and right below, click where it says, “Track Changes.” This enables me to recommend changes and the text I delete or add will show in the color chosen (usually red). If I have more revising in mind, I’ll highlight the text in question, select “New Comment,” and a pretty balloon pops enabling me to comment, make a suggestion, or ask questions. If the author agrees with my changes, (s)he can hover the cursor over the added text, right-click on it, and a box will come up, giving the option to accept or reject the change. Once the author addresses the issues noted in my balloons, (s)he can click on the balloon for the option to delete the comment.

Getting back to Twilight Healer, I finished the pagination and was about to convert the file to a PDF, when something soft as a feather brushed my shoulder.

Balloons: Did you forget something, Bar-ba-ra?

Me, after looking at the front matter: Dang! I forgot the ISBN.

Balloons: Wight, wabbit. It wouldn’t do to omit the ISBN from the front matter.

Smiling, I typed in the ISBN and converted the file to PDF. The PDF is good to go. I’m waiting for Teresa to put finishing touches on the cover. Now it’s on to redoing the eBook, and of course, proofing a physical copy of the book. My Mylar balloons wouldn’t have it any other way. Like my friends said, the devil’s in the details.

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Book Covers Make the Author (and Publisher)

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A few nights ago, while I was admiring the latest book covers on my web page, a voice issued from the Mylar balloons next to my office chair: “Bar-ba-ra! Bar-ba-ra!”

The night before, a relative emailed me saying they wanted to buy a copy of Twilight Healer. That must have gotten the balloons’ attention. When they call me by their pet name for me, I know they’re up to something. The rustling from my balloons came next, and then the dialogue started.

Balloons: Look it this! You’re posting a book with an inferior cover and slipshod formatting. That book has enjoyed great reviews. How could you?”

Me: That was the first book I released through NTD and my first attempt at formatting. It looked pretty good to me.

Balloons: Oh, yeah? Go through that book and take a hard look at the cover. See if we’re not right.

Me, after glossing through TH’s pages and cover: You’re right. The formatting I use now looks better. So do the covers because of great artists like Teresa Tunaley, Marge Simon, and Sandy DeLuca.

Balloons: Dat’s wight, wabbit. A mediocre cover will reflect poorly on you and your company. People looking at the page might think you don’t care how your books look. Some of your authors have opted for new covers. How about following their lead?

Oh, dear, they’ve caught me, I thought, fetching a deep sigh. A book cover is the first thing people notice when they shop for books. Most people come in with limited funds, so what they get had better be worth the money. Of course, they’ll bypass a so-so looking cover. A poorly made cover and formatting might intimate that the writing needs work, too. It won’t matter if thousands of dollars went into editing the book. What’s more, if I were a publisher selling that book, people might think that all my books look bad. Appearances and first impressions count.

I thought of it this way. If I went on a job interview, I wouldn’t show up in dungarees and sneakers. I would wear a suit and good shoes. So what makes a professional book cover? The cover should communicate the book’s content to the reader. Look at other covers for books with a similar genre. What common element do the covers have? You want to use good images – at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) for good resolution. Best to hire an experienced designer. I know that now, but not when I did TH’s cover.

So I’ve begun reformatting Twilight Healer’s interior, and attempting to decide between two images what I’ll use for the new cover. Because I want what looks best. An appealing cover will reflect nicely on all the NTD books. The Mylar balloons would agree.

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Paul DeBlassie III’s The Making of a Horror Writer

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The unholy features dark fantasy.I have to state something that I hope is not a cliché. But, I really believe writers are indeed born and not made. Of course, it takes years and years of work, reading, writing, and editing and editing and editing before things come together. This is definitely the making of a writer, but the initial stuff needs to be there. I couldn’t be a computer programmer or software engineer for all the oolong tea in China. It’s just not in me. However, I do have it in me and have had it in me to write and write till I get it right. If we’re born with the inspiration, if we want to write, then something is there. In The Unholy I had to keep going, the inspiration and compulsion were so strong that the energy literally felt as if it was electric and going to shoot out my fingertips and the top of my head if I didn’t write it out. The making of a horror writer, one who wants to write about the dark side and thrills of the psyche, is about doing what you feel when it comes to putting words on the page and letting no one dissuade you. There is discouragement, but that only comes when we need to step back a bit and rest. If we are patient and don’t enter into the Hades Hall of Abandoned Hope then we’ll find that energy returns. The making of a writer is about writing and never stopping the writing, letting it come together as it does in its own way and in its own time.

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Paul DeBlassie III is the author of dark fantasy the unholyAuthor Biography:

Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D., is a psychologist and writer living in Albuquerque who has treated survivors of the dark side of religion for more than 30 years. His professional consultation practice — SoulCare — is devoted to the tending of the soul. Dr. DeBlassie writes fiction with a healing emphasis. He has been deeply influenced by the mestizo myth of Aztlan, its surreal beauty and natural magic.  He is a member of the Depth Psychology Alliance, the Transpersonal Psychology Association and the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy.

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Author Links

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Paul-DeBlassie-III/e/B00E5TBJXY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Website: http://www.pauldeblassieiii.com/

Blog: http://pauldeblassieiii.blogspot.com/

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Unholy-Novel-Paul-DeBlassie/dp/0865349592/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379592287&sr=8-1&keywords=the+unholy+paul+deblassie

BN.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-unholy-paul-deblassie/1116061527?ean=9780865349599

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Paul DeBlassie's Dark fantasy features The UnholyBLURB:

A young curandera, a medicine woman, intent on uncovering the secrets of her past is forced into a life-and-death battle against an evil Archbishop. Set in the mysticlandofAztlan, The Unholy is a novel of destiny as healer and slayer. Native lore of dreams and visions, shape changing, and natural magic work to spin a neo-gothic web in which sadness and mystery lure the unsuspecting into a twilight realm of discovery and decision.

Excerpt:

“Help me? Help yourself! Face what is yours to face,” Elizabeth hissed. She yanked the door open then forced it to slam behind her.

Claire stood still for a moment, feeling as if a tornado had swept through the room. Elizabeth’s demand had left her shaken. She drew a deep breath, then went to her desk and picked up her tea, noticing her trembling hands.

Turning toward the window, Claire saw a muscular orderly accompanying Elizabeth to the locked ward at the far end of the hospital compound. A flock of crows circled high overhead, seeming to follow the two receding figures. As they arrived at the outer doors of the locked unit, the orderly reached for his keys. The crows circled while the two crossed the threshold of the unit, Elizabeth suddenly pausing, turning, and looking outside, her gaze riveted on the flock of birds.

All but two flew off, disappearing into the piñon-covered hills. The two that remained came to rest on the red brick wall adjacent to the locked unit, their black eyes boring into Elizabeth. She looked panicked then enraged and, shaking a finger at the creatures, yelled something. Her frantic gestures told Claire that she was screeching curses to ward off evil.

Claire took a step back from the window, from the impact of Elizabeth’s rage.

The orderly grabbed Elizabeth roughly by the arm and pulled her inside.

The crows waited, watched, then flew away.

 

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Terrible Beer and Awful Employers –Strandberg’s Motivation for Tarot Card Killer

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Tarot_Card_Killer_Banner_copyBack in 2009 I was sitting in my Chinese dorm room drinking my umpteenth bottle of Qingdao, perhaps the worst beer known to man.  Yeah, I taught English in China.

I hammered out a couple pages about a detective in an office, you know, 1940s black & white, P.I., all that jazz.  Well, I didn’t do anything with that for the next 4 years but think of it from time to time.

If you’ve ever had a Qingdao headache you know they’re terrible.  But they’re not as terrible as people who won’t pay you for writing.

A woman in Australia gave me a job writing a non-fiction Tarot How-To book.  She didn’t pay me, and after being miffed for a while I started thinking of a Tarot Card Killer.

Why not bring back that detective and get him on the case?  And hey, I’m right across the border from one of the largest and most-storied metropolises in the world – Hong Kong!  What better setting?

After that it was just filling in the details – 70,000 words worth!  It wasn’t easy, but I did it with the help of NaNo (National Write a Novel Month).  It forced me to finish the book quickly, which was great.

Since then I’ve started on the second volume in the planned trilogy, getting up to about 10,000 words.  For now I’m letting it sit so the story can unfold in my mind.  Or until another Qingdao headache or unscrupulous employer strikes.

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Tarot Card Killer features mystery and intrique.BLURB:

Jim Sharpe is sick of life, sick of being a cop, and most of all sick of Hong Kong. He’s one of the few not on the take, yet he’s being charged with corruption. By the end of the week he’ll be kicked off the force – no matter what.

All that changes when a dead body’s found next to Victoria Harbour, a bloody Tarot card in its hand. Jim’s called onto the case, and what he discovers promises not just to upend his world, but the whole city as well.

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Strandberg is the author of Tarot Card Killer.AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Greg Strandberg was born and raised in Helena, Montana. He graduated from the University of Montana in 2008 with a BA in History.

When the American economy began to collapse Greg quickly moved to China, where he became a slave for the English language industry. After five years of that nonsense he returned to Montana in June, 2013.

When not writing his blogs, novels, or web content for others, Greg enjoys reading, hiking, biking, and spending time with his wife and young son.

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/gpstberg

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Tarot-Card-Killer-Greg-Strandberg-ebook/dp/B00H7THK14

Greg will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

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Strandberg authored mystery and intrique of Tarot Card KillerExcerpt:

Suddenly the Barracuda passed in front of him, going at a regular pace. Obviously the driver thought he’d lost the unmarked car with the flashing red light, but he’d been mistaken. Jim slammed on the gas and headed quickly down the hill.

He made it just half a block when the Barracuda spotted him and sped up, high-tailing it faster toward Connaught Road, three blocks ahead of him. Jim reached it easily, cutting straight through one lane of onrushing traffic and taking a hard right onto the busy street. There, just four blocks ahead of him, was the Barracuda.

They were speeding down Connaught and farther up ahead Jim knew it’d turn into the busy interchange with Des Voeux, branching off in two directions. This time of the morning and Jim knew it’d be clogging up fast with early commuters, and he wanted to end this chase now before it became dangerous. He slammed on the gas and closed the distance between the Barracuda and himself, and had another two blocks before the change.

He got closer to the car, but also closer to the turn up ahead. There was a barrier, forcing the traffic to go either right or left, and Jim could tell there were cars backed-up.

Suddenly he saw the passenger side window of the Barracuda roll down and an arm with a handgun extend. Jim tightened his grip on the steering wheel, waited, and then swerved to the right.

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What Motivated Close Liaisons?

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Close Liaisons features Mylar balloons and evil aliens.In a word, balloons. I’m referring to “Familiar Stranger,” which takes up two-thirds of the novella. Like me, the protag Cassandra can’t pass a gift shop without stopping in to buy a Mylar balloon. Her apartment is a rainbow-colored forest. It contains balloon trees in each room and Cassandra admires the Mylar fruits that grow on them. At night, nightmares about her uncertain past trouble Cassandra unless she’s got six to eight balloons surrounding her head. Their soft feel and shushing sounds lull her to sleep. Believe me, I know. I used to have a lot of nightmares about Mike’s health until I started sleeping with balloons around my head.

People have said they’re looking for a good juvenile balloon tale from me. I’ve got balloons galore in “Familiar Stranger,” but it’s not a kiddie tale. The helium in them serves as a lethal weapon. Good thing, too, because the bite of the alien centipedes, or hydeons, carries a deadly poison. “Familiar Stranger” originally appeared as “Echoes from a Different World” in Alien Worlds. The anthology got a four-star review; but thought nagged at me that Cassandra developed this close friendship with Yarol, and he traveled all the way to Earth to warn her about the evil Kronos. Cassandra, a nurse, didn’t have political connections. Why didn’t he contact the President or other US official? There had to be some romance to motivate his approaching her. Cassandra and Yarol didn’t exactly play Tiddlywinks when they were alone.

“Familiar Stranger” explores the romantic angle, but the danger remains. Cassandra’s survival depends on whether she’s willing to face her past. To find that out, you’ll have to read the book.

Close Liaisons is available on Kindle. You may download it here.

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