Getting Wylde!

Hi, Scribe fans! We have a special treat for you today. I recently discovered Irish author Anya Wylde and now I can’t get enough of her zany historical romantic romps. Anya will be here at some point today to answer your questions. And if you don’t have questions, just say hi to our new friend across the pond.

Tell us a little about yourself, Anya.

I live in Dublin, Ireland with my husband and poodle. I try and write ridiculous books in an attempt to tickle the funny bone which I strongly believe is good for health.

Tell us a little about your latest book, Penelope.

Penelope is a madcap romantic comedy where a clumsy country bumpkin is plunged into a glitzy London society. Along the way people attempt to groom her, help her and try and find a husband for her. What follows is a series of misadventures, love affairs, moonlit balls, fake moustaches, highwaymen, sneering beauties, and the wrath of a devilishly handsome duke.

Are you surprised by how well Penelope and your first book, The Wicked Wager, are selling? To what do you attribute your fantastic sales (other than having written a couple of great books)?

I am stunned. When I published The Wicked Wager I thought only seven of my family and friends would buy the book and thereafter it would languish. They still haven’t bought it but a whole lot of other people have. I think the main reasons it has done well are the low price point, a nice cover and good blurb. Also my husband has been a big help.

Do you have any marketing advice for our readers?

I think bloggers are a great help in getting the word out .Also pricing the book right, having a nice cover and a good blurb.

What made you want to write historicals? Who are some of your favorite authors?

I wrote historical because I enjoy reading them. The first romance book I ever read was Pride and Prejudice and since then the Regency era has become the most romantic time period in my mind. Apart from Jane Austen I love reading Julia Quinn, Wodehouse, Robert Jordan, Agatha Christie, Roald Dahl and so many more.

On this side of the pond there is a fascination with Ireland—and not just on St. Patrick’s Day either! Why do you think there is such a mystique about Ireland?

I am not sure. From where I am standing Ireland has no mystery whatsoever. Now, New York and LA are full of mystique, glamour and Hollywood magic.

How do you battle the Doubt Monster? We define the Doubt Monster as: the nagging feeling that your prose is terrible, your plot is silly, your characters are insipid, and no one in her right mind would read this drivel, let alone buy it.

I am convinced that my prose is terrible, the plot silly and the characters insipid. I don’t battle the doubt monster. I have come to accept him.

Do you have any pets? Tell us about them.

I have an adorable black poodle called Portia. She used to be fat and then we put her on diet and it seems to have worked (sort of). She is still lazy though, can’t do anything about that.

What’s your junk food of choice?

Chocolate éclairs, profiteroles and home-made caramel popcorn.

What are you working on now? When can we expect it to be out?

I am working on another romantic comedy. It is a sort of follow up of Penelope but this time it is her sister Celine who arrives at the Blackthorne mansion in search of love.

Anya Wylde lives in Ireland along with her husband and a fat French poodle (now on a diet). She can cook a mean curry, and her idea of exercise is occasionally stretching her toes. She holds a degree in English literature and adores reading and writing. You can connect with Anya here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anya-Wylde/462621383768241?fref=ts
https://twitter.com/Anyawylde
www.anyawylde.com

Cover Reveal and an Excerpt of WESTERN DESERT

I’m so happy to see the month of April and the light at the end of the long winter tunnel. If you want details about all of my April happenings, stop by my blog at http://www.pjsharonyawriter.blogspot.com. There are contests, prizes, a Beach Book Blast Spring Splash book sale, and an Authors in Bloom Blog Hop on the agenda, so pop on over and check out the fun when you’re done here!

PJ here, if you hadn’t guessed. We still have patches of snow in the Berkshires, but I’m finally seeing signs of spring. The Robins have arrived and the pearly white petals of the snow drops are peeking out of the ground where the snow has melted. I think we’re all looking forward to the lovely face of spring that will soon overtake the gray landscape. And speaking of lovely faces, I thought I would share with you the cover to my next book, WESTERN DESERT, Book Two in THE CHRONICLES OF LILY CARMICHAEL trilogy. The fabulous Melody Simmons designed the covers for the trilogy. I think she has done a great job so far. What do you think?

Cover Reveal!

Taking off where WANING MOON ends, Lily Carmichael and Will Callahan embark on a journey across a sun-ravaged and decimated US in the year 2057, headed for the Western Desert on a dangerous rescue mission. The survivors they meet along the way put Lily’s healing abilities to the test, and challenge Will’s talents for lying and conning his way out of some tricky situations. But even with the weight of life and death on their shoulders, the greatest challenge they face is trusting their hearts to each other.

Here’s an excerpt from WESTERN DESERT:

“Rudy really cares about you.” Will stared out the back window. “You’re lucky…to have so many people who love you.” He glanced my way as he came around to face front, his expression sad and hard at the same time.

I adjusted the mirror and straightened my shoulders, gripping the steering wheel with both hands as I blinked back tears. “He’s a good friend.” The words came out softer than I intended, choking past the knot in my throat. As lucky as I was to have my family and community, Will had been equally unlucky, having lost his mother and sister in a storm that leveled his house and wiped out his whole town. With no reason to stay, he’d roamed the country for the past two years in search of his father, the only family he had left. My heart squeezed at the thought of all he had been through.

The road changed from gravel to chunky asphalt, cracked and loaded with potholes. Will held onto the grab bar that hung from the ceiling above the door. “You should have let me take the gun Rudy offered.”

“I hate guns. And what if we got caught with one?”

Will ignored me and shook his head. “I’m more concerned about what happens if we get caught without one? Have you figured out a plan for breaking into Industry Headquarters when we get to Vegas, or are we just going to storm the gates? I’m not sure a blow gun and a baseball bat are going to get us in and out alive.”

I felt the cool gaze of his gray-blue eyes on me but I focused on the road. “No specific plan yet, but we have plenty of time to figure it out.” I pressed my foot to the gas pedal, anxious to put some distance between me and the voices of home that echoed in my mind. “And we’ll make do with whatever we have.” Sam’s words flowed out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop them. “Adapt, improvise, and overcome, right?”

“If you say so; you’re the boss.”

I glanced at Will, whose lips twitched before he turned his head away to watch the Stanton town line fade into the distance in the side view mirror.

I hope you’ll join Lily, Will, and the cast of characters who embody the best and worst of humanity in this second book of the dystopian trilogy, THE CHRONICLES OF LILY CARMICHAEL. WESTERN DESERT is scheduled for release June 24th. If you haven’t read Book One, WANING MOON, stop by my website and purchase your e-copy today, or comment below and you will be instantly entered into a drawing for a signed print copy. Good Luck!

Thanks for stopping in. As always, your feedback and comments are welcome.

PJ

A New Face for a New Year

PJ Sharon here wishing all you Scribe’s followers a Happy New Year!

We are so thankful for your support over the past year and hope you’ll continue to join us for fun, informative, and entertaining posts about writing, publishing, and all things books. You’ll be treated to an occasional secret recipe, guest authors, interviews with industry professionals, reviews of our favorite books, and tips on everything from  craft to the everyday pitfalls of trying to manage this crazy writer’s life.

As the first Scribe to post in 2013, I’d like to talk about the most important selling point of a well-written book–aside from it being well-written, that is.

In this day of digital publishing, when as many as 350,000 new books a year are put in front of readers, the burning question is, what will help your book to stand out in the deluge? I can’t help but think the answer goes back to the basics. Most of us judge a book first by its cover, then by the blurb, and then by reading the first page or so. Most readers, many who are buying from their e-reading devices, only see a thumbnail version of a book cover and often decide to look closer only if something about that tiny image pulls them in. Having a breathtaking cover, a well-written and captivating blurb (back cover description), and a grabber of a first line can only up your chances at being noticed.

As you may know, I had moderate success with a FREE promotion last week and I think the results prove my point.  After having my cover redone by a professional cover artist, downloads for Heaven is for Heroes outnumbered my previous bestseller, On Thin Ice, 3 to 1. You can read about my results here.  Since the only thing I did differently to showcase Heaven is for Heroes was a $5 paid ad on Facebook, I’m betting that the new cover had something to do with the increased numbers. My results tell me two things. Facebook ads do work, and cover art matters. Either way, I took the hint and had a new cover made for Savage Cinderella. **Incidentally, I did see a small bump in sales this week after my FREE days, so IMO it’s still worth hopping on the KDP Select gravy train if you’re looking for a boost in sales and visibility.

Although I’d had lots of feedback from friends and fellow writers who liked the original cover, the black and white just didn’t stand out on the thumbnail version. The title and author name didn’t “pop,” and the image didn’t really give a clear impression of the genre or the story, at least not when competing against the cream of the crop with their photoshopped masterpieces.

One of the benefits of independent publishing is that we can easily adapt and change with the market. Young adult cover art has evolved over the past year or two, leaning toward “darker” images, bolder colors, haunted faces with intense expressions, and beautiful young men and women looking tormented but relatable on the covers. The tone of a book should be clearly expressed through the cover art, and there should be some hint as to what the story will entail via the title fonts, tone, and cover image. I’m hoping that my new cover does all of those things, perhaps even tapping into a new readership who previously may have overlooked the other cover simply because it didn’t stand out enough or they didn’t “get” a feel for the book.

There’s no doubt that I’ll run across those who would rather not see a face on the cover, preferring the character’s features be left to the imagination, but the idea is to make an impression–to grab a browsing reader and make them look twice. If you’ve read the book you’ll probably understand why this image is so powerful. If you haven’t read the book, you can find it on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords, or you can read a chapter a week for FREE on Wattpad.

As always, I’d love your feedback.

This cover is the work of Melody Simmons, who also did my Heaven is for Heroes and Waning Moon covers. She is super easy to work with and reasonably priced, not to mention, fast. She had this cover and my HIFH cover back to me in a day or two, offering me several options from which to choose, and working with my suggestions to get to the look I wanted.

I hope you’re looking forward to 2013 as much as I am. I have a feeling it’s going to be a stellar year for the Scribes and we’d love for you all to share the journey with us.

Blessings of good health, peace, prosperity, balance, and harmony to all,

PJ

Do you have any exciting plans for the coming year? What do you think about trends in cover art? Too many faces on YA covers, or do you like to see those smoldering and deperate looks?

 

Results of FREE Promo

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas, Scribe fans. It’s been an amazing year. Four YA novels and a short story published, and I’ve learned tons about the business. A huge thanks to all those who have read and helped spread the word about my books this past year. There is no way I could have done all of this without you. I’m truly grateful and humbled by the generosity of my writing community. You guys rock!

I just came off a two day Free promo for Heaven is for Heroes and On Thin Ice. Sales for both books had trickled to a slow drip over the last six months and I thought a run in the KDP Select program might breathe new life into my visibility through the holidays. As with all of my promotional efforts, it’s pretty much of an experiment each and every time since what works one day in publishing may not work the next.

In hind site, my biggest mistake was that I didn’t plan far enough ahead to garner a spot in any of the paid advertising sites like Pixel of Ink, E-reader News Today, Kindle Nation Daily, or one of the newer sites Book Bub, a site that I’ve heard is getting some impressive attention. Some of these sites take one to six months to get an ad, and some cost as much as $200 for a one day advertisement. Pricey, but usually worth it to reach the 10,000+ mark for downloads in a two day period. The consensus seems to be that two days is the charm, as downloads usually drop by day three and if you haven’t hit the top 100 list on Amazon, you’re not likely to beyond day three. The idea is that if you can get enough volume of downloads, it will affect your rankings and set you up for a nice bump in sales once the book goes back into the paid store. At least that’s how it used to work.

Amazon appears to be fond of changing the rules on us Indies as soon as we figure out how to make the system work for us. I’m sure you’ve heard or read about incidents of things like reviews disappearing arbitrarily, algorithms changing to favor traditionally published and higher priced books, and the shifty way they manipulate the rankings after a free promo. In other words, it’s beginning to feel like the cards are stacked against us.

For example, in March I did a two day FREE promo for Savage Cinderella. Granted, I was part of a group of 19 authors giving our books away and cross-promoting the event, clearly able to reach many more readers than going solo, but I had 28,000 downloads, made it into the Amazon top 100, and had an uptick in sales for about three weeks after the promotion, selling about 800 books that month. This week’s promotion didn’t do nearly as well, but I didn’t expect it to given I hadn’t advertised ahead of time and didn’t have the cross-promotion benefits. I did get several new twitter followers and a few new FB “likes” out of the deal and my books are in the hands of a few thousand new readers—always a good thing! Hopefully, it will translate to some postiive reviews.

Here are my results:

Heaven is for Heroes:

2,868 US downloads, 96 (UK), 25 (de), 3(Fr.), 1 (es.), 4 (It.), 1 (Jap), and 7 (Ca.)

Amazon Bestseller Rankings:

#130 Free Kindle store

#8 Kindle store>e-books>teens

#32 kindle store>e-books>fiction>genre fiction>romance contemporary

On Thin Ice:

825 US Downloads, 114 (UK), 22 (de), 2 (Ca.)

#453 in Kindle store

#14 Kindle store>Kindle books>teen>romance

OBSERVATIONS:

Not bad numbers overall, considering there were no paid ads and I basically depended on Twitter and Facebook for advertising. I listed the books on half a dozen Facebook pages that allowed for promotion of free books, focusing on YA sites. I belong to several writers loops and had lots of help spreading the word (THANK YOU Wana Minions, CTRWA buddies, Authors Network and the WG2E Street team folks.)

I had low expectations of this promotion since it was a last minute decision and I scrambled to pull it together. I’ll see over the next week whether sales are given a boost, but I’m not anticipating that since the rankings dropped back to the pre-promo numbers as soon as I came off of FREE. It used to take a few days for this to happen, but Amazon’s new practices seem to expedite this process, making it that much harder for authors to take advantage of short term boosts in rankings. I was hoping I’d stay in the visible top 100 to catch those new Kindle owners after Christmas, but I’m thinking that’s not going to happen either. They’ll likely be loading up on the FREE books going up next week, the zillion .99 cent books that will be available over the next month, and the lucky ducks sitting on the Top 100 list that most people find as soon as they fire up their Kindles.

One interesting note is the number of downloads of Heaven is for Heroes verses On Thin Ice. On Thin Ice has been my best seller for several months, selling twice as many in the UK as here in the US, and outselling my other titles three to one. Since the only thing I did to change the game was to change my cover for Heaven is for Heroes, I’m wondering if that might be what gave the book a boost.

My favorite takeaway from this promotion is seeing downloads in Italy, Japan, and Canada, new markets previously untapped for me. Very exciting!

I hope Santa was good to you all and that whatever you’re doing today, you’ll find some downtime to escape into a good book. Merry Christmas everyone!

Any questions? Thoughts? Ideas?

Marketing Makeover

As the end of 2012 looms on the horizon, I’ve been working on my first quarter marketing plan for 2013. Being a relative newbie to indie-publishing with much more to learn, I’ve been studying the results of my first year efforts, and in retrospect, I can say I’ve definitively learned one thing. Well, I’ve learned a LOT actually, but one thing in particular stands out for me. I’ve learned that there are no constants in this business. What worked for one book didn’t work for others. What worked yesterday might not work today, and no matter how hard I work, there is an element of luck and timing that I have no control over. PJ Sharon here, welcoming you to the Writing Secrets of Seven Scribes. Today, I’ll be sharing what I think is a more focused approach than my previous “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” marketing plan.

Not that I haven’t had some moderate success with this approach, but like any business, the only way I can survive is if I trim the fat so to speak, and look for areas where I am wasting my time, effort, and resources. To that end, here is what I plan to do differently in 2013.

1) KDP Select-The exclusive 90 day enrollment that I did last spring with Amazon for Savage Cinderella was by far the most successful (at least in the short term) promotional tool I found. With 39,000 downloads, a temporary spot on the top 100 list, and a significant uptick in sales for several weeks after my FREE days, I felt like I was seeing some real progress forward. However, shortly after coming off the Select program, my sales declined in June, and the numbers tumbled every month after that for my first three books. I heard from industry veterans that the best way to rebound was to publish another book, which I did in September. Despite a month long blog tour and several group promotions, I have not seen much improvement in sales since then.

I resisted continuing with the KDP Select program because I didn’t like the idea of exclusivity, and I was hearing that results for the Select program had reportedly not been as good as they were last spring. That being said, I’ve decided to take the plunge again—for several reasons. I would be foolish not to tap into the Amazon pot that is set aside monthly to be divided amongst Select participants, paid out for “borrows” from the Kindle Lending Library. With 1.5 million dollars available for December (twice the norm), “borrows” should offer authors a nice Christmas bonus. Being able to offer my books for FREE for five days during that 90 day period without jumping through all the hoops of playing the “price matching” game is a simple and effective marketing tool. It also helps me to increase my reader base and my visibility, which are probably the greatest challenges that an author must focus on.

So I’ve revamped my cover for Heaven is for Heroes and enrolled both it, and On Thin Ice, into the program for the next 90 days. That means Only Savage Cinderella and Waning Moon are available on all platforms. If all goes well, when my 90 days are up, HIFH and OTI will go back onto all distribution channels and I’ll put Waning Moon into the Select program for a few months prior to the release of Western Desert, book two in the trilogy. I hate feeding the Amazon “monster,” but until I see real sales on B&N et al. I can’t pass up the opportunity. I literally have made an average of $15 a month from B&N—and less through Smashwords–hardly worth giving up potentially hundreds of sales through Amazon.

This is where I was supposed to mention earlier that both Heaven is for Heroes and On Thin Ice will be available for FREE on Amazon this Friday and Saturday, December 22-23. If you haven’t read them, I’d love it if you would download them or tell anyone you know who might enjoy some YA romance drama. The more downloads I have, the closer I’ll get to that top 100 list so all those new Kindle owners can find me after Christmas. I appreciate it!

2) I’ll keep exploring available social media platforms-I now have almost 500 FB likes and nearly 1000 Twitter followers, which is where I have put my focus over the past year. I’m not sure how that translates directly to sales, but it sure helps me connect with some great authors, bloggers, readers, reviewers, industry professionals, and some all-around awesome people. Since word of mouth is still the best advertising, it’s clear that social media is here to stay and is a useful medium to help get the word out. I would like to try to focus on finding what works for me and best helps me connect with my target audience. That will include more time on sites like Good reads, Pinterest, Tumbler, Wattpad, and Kindle Boards.

3) Budget funds for paid advertisements and production costs. Short cuts are not the way to go in this business. It’s a very competitive industry and becoming more so every day. Hiring a cover artist, quality editors, and paying for advertising that has proven to be effective are worth budgeting funds for. My husband and I doing everything ourselves at first seemed like a way to save money and maintain control of my product, but in the long run, I can see I didn’t give my books their due.

The nice thing about Indie publishing is that I can make changes whenever I want. The books won’t be taken off the market if they don’t sell in a month or two. My backlist can become my front list if I want to start a new advertising campaign and change up the cover, try a new venue, or target specific groups of potential readers. The sky is the limit, but it all costs money, so I’ve realized that I have to budget money to give the books their best chance to succeed.

4) More than anything, though, I’d like to become more organized about my time management-This is a business. But without writing good books in a timely manner, I will have no business. That means that the writing has to come first. I’m not kidding myself into thinking I’ll be able to keep it all under perfect control, but I will budget my time differently, allowing for 50-60% of my time to go towards production of new material, with only 40% of my time spent on administrative details.

There have been times over the past year where I haven’t written a word on a WIP for weeks because of getting caught up in all the crazy business chores and responsibilities. I’m finally beginning to let go of all that, and bring my focus back to the writing. If it means less time building my network or promoting the books, then so be it. And if I only get one quality book out this year, then that’s okay with me, too–though I’m planning for two and possibly another short story.

Most importantly, staying healhy, sane, and having some fun along the way is much more important to me than sales figures these days. When I start stressing about all the “to-do’s,” I remind myself to relax and enjoy the ride. You never know what’s going to come over that next big hill.

What will you do differently this year?

Cover reveal for WANING MOON

Oh happy day! PJ here, and I’m thrilled to share with you the cover for my upcoming release, WANING MOON, Book ONE in The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael trilogy. In the past, my husband and I have designed my covers. But this time, I enlisted the help of the wonderful and fabulous Melody Simmons, who has been very accommodating, I must say. Because WM is part of a trilogy, I wanted a cohesive look to the books and I was ready to take my covers to the next level.

We’re still tweaking fonts for the back cover,  but she came up with this front cover after I gave her my ideas for a concept and picked out the stock photo of the model. I think she did great! Let us know how you like it, and if there’s anything about it you don’t like. We’re thick skinned and there’s still time to make changes. Have I told you lately that I love Indie publishing?

Meet Lily Carmichael!

Here’s the back cover blurb to give you an idea of what the story is about:

In the year 2057, in a post-apocalyptic world where a global shift threatens the remainder of the population with extinction, sixteen-year-old genetically enhanced Lily Carmichael has more immediate problems. Her uncle is dying of cancer and her healing abilities are ineffective against the blood ties that bind them. In order to find a cure, Lily must leave the protection of her quiet town and journey into the trading city of Albany, all while avoiding the Industry, an agency that would like nothing better than to study and exploit her abilities.

Seventeen-year-old Will Callahan has been searching for his father since severe storms blasted through the Midwest, killing his mother and sister. When he learns that his father may be in the city, he catches a ride with Lily, a girl who has come to his rescue more than once. As the two embark on a dangerous journey, the tension between them grows. But the secrets Will’s keeping could put Lily in far more danger than traveling to the city with him, and if he was any kind of man, he would have told her to run the minute she found him.

Enjoy this short excerpt:

We both groaned as we lifted the heavy iron cover. I dropped down into the icy churning water, sucking in a breath while Will climbed down the ladder. He paused, grunting as he pulled the heavy cover in place behind him.

 

Just in time. We heard rushing footsteps overhead, voices loud and angry. Will and I exchanged a look and then turned toward the dark tunnel. Will’s hand slipped into mine as he took the lead. “Stay with me. Don’t let go, okay?”

 

I let him pull me forward. The water deepened as we dragged ourselves along. The sound of rushing water ahead had me backing up against the current. “This is not a good idea.”

 

Will tugged me by the hand, wincing in pain. “It’s the only way out. Trust me. It’ll be alright.”

 

“Trust you? That’s a joke, right?” 

 

 “Can we fight about this later?” 

 

Before I could argue, a wave of turbulent water rushed in from a connecting pipe, and swept us off our feet. Will’s hand tightened around mine and we dropped abruptly downward. As the slope steepened, the water picked up speed. Darkness and the stench of sewage overwhelmed my senses. I prayed a quick prayer that the end of the tunnel was near. What I worried for next was how far of a fall it would be to the murky waters of the Hudson below when we reached it.

 

Another rapid decent shot my stomach to my throat and Will’s hand pulled free. “Noooo!”

 

But the thunderous roar of the cascading waterfall swallowed the sound of my scream.  It launched us into the darkening horizon like a torpedo, and then dumped us thirty feet into the icy roiling waters of the Hudson River.

Well, that’s it for today, folks. Stay tuned for more exciting excerpts from WANING MOON, which is set to release September 28th. Let me know what you think of the cover, and if you want to get in touch with Melody Simmons or see some of her pre-made covers, check out her website @ http://ebookindiecovers.com/contact/.

My TOP 5 Indie Picks for 2012

Hey Scriblers, PJ Sharon here and as promised, this week I’m spreading some Indie love. As an independently published author, I’ve had the good fortune of meeting bunches of other Indies like me. Since I write YA (young adult) fiction, I read mostly in that genre, but there are plenty of excellent self-published authors of all kinds out there.  Here are my top five indie books I’ve read this year.

In the #5 slot, FREAKS OF GREENFIELD HIGH, by Maree Anderson.

Loved this story about Jay, a teenaged cyborg trying to fit in and fade into the background at a new high school. As she fends off the popular kids, deals with her new found “feelings” about Tyler, a boy who is as much an outcast as she is, and tries to stay hidden from the agency set out to find and destroy her, she discovers that being human is much more complicated than she imagined. This wonderful indie story got “discovered” on Wattpad, and is now being optioned for television in Canada! Go Maree! 

#4 on my list was RILEY’S POND by Harley Brooks

A sweet and steamy teen romance, this one kept me up all night. The main character, Riley Martin is the middle boy between two brothers—an older one who is the classic rebel, and a younger brother who is nearly perfect. But finding his own way gets complicated when he stumbles upon Taylor Wilson, a beautiful teenage girl who has a heap of her own trouble, and has found her way to Riley’s pond. Harley Brooks captures the angst of the teen boy in a voice that is real and engaging as he struggles with first love, and trying to be the son his parents expect him to be.

The #3 spot goes to RUNNING, by Patrice Fitzgerald

Not a YA! This fast paced political thriller had it all. I loved the main character, Catherine Young, the Vice president and newly-selected Democratic nominee, who gets a chance to prove herself when the President is hospitalized and she has to take over. But just as the White House is within reach, Catherine’s romantic entanglement from decades ago comes to light and someone is blackmailing the Vice President. Excellent debut novel and very well written.

My #2 pick is OFF LEASH, by Renee Pace.

OFF LEASH is the first book in the Nitty Gritty series by Pace, another Canadian author who proves herself a top notch Indie as she delves into the teen psyche without holding back. This story grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go. An emotional read about a boy living in poverty with a drug addicted mother and a younger sister who is dying of cancer. When Jay is forced to get a job to help support his family, he takes up dog walking. Ollie, the pit bull, is a fabulous character and Pace does an amazing job telling the story from both Jay’s POV and Ollie’s. In an incredibly effective chapter by chapter POV switch, Ollie and Jay’s first person accounts are powerful and prove once again, that taking a risk on the page is as rewarding as taking a risk in life. I look forward to reading OFF LIMITS and OFF STROKE by this author.

AND MY #1 FAVORITE INDIE BOOK OF 2012 is PRIDE’S RUN, by Cat Kalen.

This YA paranormal is as different a werewolf story as one could get. Pride is held in captivity by an evil master—a man who trains the wolves to hunt and kill humans. To control them he starves them and threatens their loved ones. Pride submits to his demands to protect the others, until her master goes too far and expects her to breed with a wolf she despises. Her only option is escape. While out in the wild, trying to figure out how to free the others, she meets Logan, a young alpha with secrets and a mission of his own. I won’t tell you anymore, but this first book in the Wolf’s Pride series left me waiting impatiently for the next one, PRIDE UNLEASHED, coming soon.

Don’t feel bad if you are an Indie author and you didn’t make my short list. It probably just means I haven’t gotten to yours yet. So many great Indie books, so little time. I’m currently reading a traditionally published book by my friend, debut author Huntley Fitzpatrick, called MY LIFE NEXT DOOR. Congratulations Huntley. Another wonderfully written story!

 

Notice all these fabulous covers!

And speaking of covers, WANING MOON, Book One of The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael trilogy, will be exclusively revealed right here next week!

Have you read any outstanding Indie published books lately?

 

Romance Review: Devil’s Bargain

Hello Everyone!  Vivienne Ylang, here.  I just finished a wonderful book and I wanted to tell you about it.  Devi’s Bargain by Jade Lee was delightful.  There is even a puff on the back by our very own Thea Devine saying that it was “A luscious bonbon of a read – the education of an innocent; hot, sensual, romantic and fun!”  I couldn’t agree more, and likely wouldn’t express it as well.

Now, I didn’t actually choose this book.  A friend gave it to me and I’m not sure where she got it.  To tell you the truth, I’m a bit of a romance snob.  I’ve read hundreds of romances, quite probably more than 1,000, over the last 25 years.  I often judge books by their cover.  At least when it comes to selection.  If the author is not one I recognize, then the cover is what gets me to decide whether or not to pick it up and read the back.  It may not be fair, but it’s the truth.  I suspect that’s the case for a lot of people, which is why publishers put so much effort into the covers.  This cover is not one that would have prompted me to pick it up off the table in Barnes & Noble.  In fact, I selected it off my To Be Read shelf in the dark with no thought to what book I would have in hand. 

But I ended up with Devil’s Bargain the other day and I’m thrilled it worked out that way.  The characters, Lynette and Adrian, quickly became quite likeable.  I doubted it in the first chapter or so, but again, I was likely still influenced by my erroneous, snap, pre-judgement of the cover. 

If you like a good romance story pick this one up.  If you like a bit of heat with your romance, without the overt eroticism of a Beatrice Small or EL James (both of which I enjoy from time to time), buy the Devi’s Bargain. 

And the thing that pushed me to write this review – Ms. Lee does a wonderful job of adding complication and higher stakes for her characters.  I read this in paper form (as opposed to an e-book) and there was a thin stack of pages left when I remembered the classic line, “How’re you gonna write your way out of this one, Joan Wilder?”  But Ms. Lee did it quite well with just a handful of pages left.

I’ve started writing my new WIP (currently titled Some Times) and while I’m writing the beginning, I’m plotting the middle.  I had skipped the middle when I was writing my outline because that’s the hardest part of the story for me.  I know how it starts, I know how it ends, but the piece after the second turning point up to the third has me flumoxed.  I know I need to add complications and raise the stakes for my characters but for the life of me I can’t think of any.  

Isn’t that terrible?  What kind of a writer am I?  Hello Doubt Monster, long time, no see! Ugh!  And the worse part is, being stuck plotting the middle has caused me to lose motivation in writing the beginning.  Sigh.  So the next thing I’m going to do is go back to the drawing board.  Literally.  I shall go somewhere with delectable eats (Panera?)  and brainstorm things that could complicate the lives of my main characters.  I shall re-read their GMC statements (Goal, Motivation and Conflict) and find nuggets of problems to throw their way. 

Perhaps I’ll review some work by Suzanne Collins.  She’s meaner to her characters than anybody I’ve read in a while.  All Peeta wants is to live happily ever after with Katniss.  All Katniss wants is to save her little sister.  All Gale wants is for Katniss to pick him.  If you’ve read the Hunger Games trilogy, you know how all that works out.  Stephenie Meyer did a nice job with complications, too.  Just when you think everything is hunky dory, ooops, Bella gets a paper cut. 

Today’s Secret: Read Devil’s Bargain by Jade Lee.  I really liked it.

Today’s Question: How do you come up with complications and higher stakes to challenge your characters?

The Cover of REAL VIRTUE is Revealed

Hello, Katy Lee here. This week I passed the next milestone to publication. After months of waiting on bated breath to see how the graphic artist of my publishing company envisioned my story, my book cover came in. YAY!

It took me three months to write Real Virtue, and then a year and a half to sell it. All that time I had some ideas of what my story would look like. I thought maybe a split-face on the cover would be intriguing; half avatar, and half real life. But that might make the story look too game-like, and that’s not the whole premise of the book. It’s not just about a virtual reality game, but also a discovery of what really matters…and let’s not forget the romance, and the hero’s role in all this. Without Jeremy, Mel would still be locked up in a fake world, missing out on the blessings that awaited her in her real life.

When I was asked to give the artist some ideas of what the story was about, I rattled off a bunch of things that I’m sure baffled her completely. But she didn’t just ask me what I like to see on covers. She also asked what I don’t like to see on them. And in the end, I think she summed it up very well.

So, without further ado, here’s Real Virtue…

And just so you know, the key is part of the game; the tree…well, come April 4th, you’ll just have to read it to find out.

The Unlocked Secret: Receiving the cover of your book is one of the most exciting things that will happen to you as a writer. If you haven’t completed your manuscript yet, let this motivate you to keep at it. You could be next!

Question: What do you or don’t you like to see on a cover?

Australian Visual Artist – Glenise Clelland

Happy Friday everyone! Casey Wyatt here.

Regular visitors to this blog know that I am huge fan of Twitter. And thanks to Twitter, I connected with a wonderful and talented artist from Australia. She was kind enough to visit a writer’s blog to tell us about her artwork and books. One lucky commentor will win a copy of her book – LOVE FALLS IN LOVE WITH LOVE. Please be patient, due to the 18 hour time difference, Glenise will respond to comments on Saturday!

Let’s hear what she has to say:

As an Australian visual artist, sculptor and writer I have had many exhibitions and 5 books published over the past 40 years.   My paintings are in Government, Corporate and private collections in Australia and overseas.   Art has taken me to interesting places always with a sketch book in hand.   Returning to my studio, I have the ability to recall details of colour and light and to rekindle the emotions first experienced when I did the sketches.  Memory training is an important part of any art education.

 I have a particular love affair with the Pacific Islands and their people and have travelled and worked in Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa ,Tonga, Solomons and PNG.  Some of my paintings of the South Pacific, Australia & Europe, can be seen on  www.gleniseclelland.com.au & www.australianpaintingsales.com.au. 

 Many people ask ‘how long did a particular painting take to do?”  My answer is simple – 66 years.  From the first moment we open our eyes we absorb and feel everything around us.  For me all my paintings/creative endeavours are imbued with my life experiences.   If I can translate some of my wonderful experiences and love of life onto a canvas or in my writing for others to share then I have been a successful artist/writer.  If someone pays good money for my art then that is a bonus!  I paint for the love of it – but I do get a buzz if someone loves it too.  Andy Warhol said  “Business art is the step that comes after ART.”  Do you agree?  Or do you paint to sell?

  It is an anxious time before every exhibition for any artist when the public (and critics) will view the work that has come from my thoughts and feelings.  Every thought you have is your own and when you make a painting it lays bare your very soul.  Sometimes I look around an exhibition of my own work and wonder whose hand has made the marks?  No one else can make the marks you make –every artist is different.   Even the master forgers who try so hard to copy a masterpiece are usually found out because they do not make exactly the same mark as the original artist.  So I am now confident that my art is unique to me.  Matisse once said “It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like anyone else.”   It has taken me many years to say with confidence, after 40 years of  exhibiting and writing , “ art is what I do”.

 In 1980’s I wrote 3 Children’s books with the Queensland Cancer Society promoting sun cancer awareness for children.  The theme was ‘put a hat on your head, and cover up when playing in our harsh Qld sun’.  The books had 2 children having adventures with Australian animals –the children and animals all wearing hats – and the books went into kindergartens for preschool kids.  I still meet adults now who remember and enjoyed the ‘Sunny Solar’ books.   The books can sometimes still be found on ebay –as ‘rare and collectable’!  Google my name and see!

One thing that does ‘peeve’ me these days, with artists posting their art work on the computer, is the unscrupulous people on the internet who steal artist’s images.  With no Australian copyright deal with China, two of my prints were stolen by a company in Hong Kong and distributed worldwide with no royalty to me!  They also appeared to be stealing images from famous artists such as Andy Warhol, Matisse, Picasso & Gauguin.   I believe after threats to sue the company it went out of business.  I am now very wary and mark my images with (C) or my name.  It was good for my ego to be selling worldwide -but not for my bank balance.

Has anyone else had this problem?

 My recent collaboration with award winning Australian poet Mocco Wollert on 2 art/poetry books about love and sensuality was a departure from splashing paint onto large canvases!   Mocco and I are from very different backgrounds but as wives, mums and grandmothers we have shared many of life’s experiences. 

Mocco and I were introduced by a gallery director who was familiar with both my paintings and Mocco’s writing.  She thought we could combine art and poetry into a successful book.   Un-beknown to me at the time Matisse illustrated 2 books of poetry and now our books are being sold at the Matisse exhibition in Gallery Of Modern Art in Brisbane!    For many years Mocco has been writing and winning awards for her emotive poems and has had 5 books published and her work has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers.   From my early days at art school I have always found working with a live model breathes life and feeling into my work resulting in many exhibitions of my nude paintings and drawings.  We harmoniously married together the photos from my large collection of work and Mocco’s large volumes of poems to create our 2 quality books “Of Loving and Sensualities” and ‘Love Falls in Love with Love’ . This was in itself a creative process – with no room for egos!   And we have 3 more books ready to go!  Unlike Matisse’s illustrations, I did not illustrate Mocco’s words and she did not write to my art work.   This makes our 2 books unique and different with 40 expressive images and 40 emotive poems.  The words evoke pure emotion and the sensitive images are diverse visions of the human form drawn from life.

One of my favourite poems from “Of Loving and Sensualities” is     

Don’t wake me                                

from  Love’s  dream

I want to hold

my  dreams  of love

not  you.

 

Love is golden

 in the inky blue

of  midnight,

 sleep has  drawn the curtains

 to stop the dawn. 

 

Don’t wake me

 Leave  me my dream

to  ride the horse

 of  love’s  imagination

 tomorrow.

Our books have been described as ‘gently erotic’.   I would love to know what you think. 

You can follow me –ArtyGlen-on twitter. Visit my website www.gleniseclelland.com.au  for more information and read more poems from the books on authorsden.com.

14^th February is Valentine’s Day and it is a celebration between couples of their love for each other usually by an exchange of gifts.

My 2 books “Love Falls in Love with Love” and ’ Of Loving and Sensualities” are perfect romantic books with loving words for couples to give to each other to celebrate their love on Valentine’s day .

Books for lovers (or would be lovers!) to cherish.

The books are hard cover 21cmx21cm and can be sent from Australia to anywhere in the world for special price A$20 +postage.  Or can be ordered from your local book store, or POD on line from amazon, B&N, etc.+ ebooks.

Love Falls in Love with Love   ISBN  9781921479618   

Of loving and Sensualities       ISBN  9781921479595      

These are books to cherish. 

My advice to all creative people is to dream –but dream with your eyes wide open. Then translate your dreams into a vision we can all enjoy.

Glenise Clelland

Thanks Glenise!! Remember, one lucky commentor will win a copy of Glenise’s book.  Don’t be shy!! Ask away! To see more Glenise’s stunning artwork, please visit her website.