Sunday, November 15, 2015

Not So Silent Night

I am proud to present a cover reveal (though if you are on the ball, you may have seen it yesterday :P) for Sheri Velarde's Not So Silent Night.

It's a gorgeous story that she's upgraded from hot and good to sizzling and great! New edits, new cover, and voila! A tale to warm you at Christmas and beyond! She's done all this fighting major health issues and doing Nano! I'm impressed at how good of a job she has done! Be ready! Time to start your Christmas buying is at hand!

Without further ado, I give you her delicious cover done by the ever wonderful cover artist, Victoria Miller, as well as a few words from Sheri herself. Watch her blog (and likely here lol) for buy links!


 
 
Not So Silent Night is a very special story to me for numerous reasons. It was one of my most successful releases with Breathless Press and one of my favorite to write. Now it is about to become my first self-published book as I ready it for re-release this holiday season under my real name! It has been re-edited with some new bits added to make the story even better, but still retains the steaminess from before!
The world of self-publishing is a little scary for me, but exciting at the same time! As I have had two small publishers close on me this year, I just feel that this gives me a safety net to my career and allows me more freedom as well. The world of publishing is forever changing, and I am learning to go with the flow in order to keep up! I can’t think of a better way to embark on my new adventure than with Not So Silent Night, which will be out November 25th, and with the beautiful cover from artist Victoria Miller!
 
Links:




 

Blurbs:

Another lonely Christmas approaches for Anna and her life of penance—until an otherworldly distraction appears and changes her life.

 

Anna is a lonely woman, running her dead grandmother's flower shop. She hates Christmas and could not feel more lost when a handsome and mysterious Russian, Alexander, walks into her shop and her life. Each has secrets that they are harboring. Just as their passion erupts, the good old boys in town threaten to ruin everything. Getting to know each other is tough for most couples, adding in magic does not make it any easier. Now with a pack of werewolves out to destroy them, things become intense. They find themselves in a fight for their lives. Can their newfound love give them the strength to win against this threat and trust in the future?

 

Bio:

Sheri Velarde, lives in New Mexico with her husband and their two dogs.

Being an avid reader since an early age, she has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. She has been writing all her life, but only recently started to actually try to pursue her dream of writing for a living. She specializes in all things paranormal and that go bump in the night. Her heart truly lies in exploring unknown worlds or adding the supernatural to our world. If it goes bump in the night or has magical connotations, Sheri writes about it.

She is constantly putting out new material with various publishers, so it is best to keep up with her on her website www.sherivelarde.weebly.com.

In her spare time Sheri is an artist, jewelry designer, independent comic writer/artist and freelance non-fiction writer. Hiking in the mountains, going to live concerts, art openings, museums, and hosting intimate dinner parties.

 

 

 

Monday, September 28, 2015

Allison Merritt Tell Cover Reveal

A fellow author of mine at Three Worlds Press is having a release in March. Today is cover reveal day :D Please give her a warm welcome! And perhaps go snag books 2 and 3 while you're waiting!

Welcome, Allison Merritt and kudos on your cover!




Tell (The Heckmasters, Book 3)

Author: Allison Merritt

ISBN13: 9781619233010

Length: 70k

Release date: March 8, 2016

 

Half demon, all male...one woman strong enough to love him.

 

Knowing the day will come when his demon blood will overcome his humanity, Tell Heckmaster has been searching for a miracle. Something, "anything," to counteract the spell. So far, he's come up empty.

 

Just as the town of Berner has finally found peace, Tell's worst fears manifest. Strange, new powers are tearing at his finely honed control. Putting everyone-including the pretty seamstress he's kept at arm's length-in terrible danger.

 

Sylvie Duke has everything she needs. Everything except Tell, who doesn't seem to own a lick of sense. His resistance only strengthens her resolve to stay by his side, driven by a nameless inner knowing that without her, all will be lost.

 

Reluctantly, Tell is forced to admit that the closer he is to Sylvie, the better he's able to quell his demon. But when a cryptic warning from an old ally tips the balance, nothing-not even love-may be strong enough to protect Berner from the raging fires of hell.

 

Warning: Contains a woman who can handle a hatchet with as much skill as a needle, and a man whose touch can transport her to heaven. Or hell. Accidentally, of course. Readers may wish to invest in an asbestos suit. Potholders just aren't going to cut it.

 

Add it on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26715881-tell

 

About the Author:

A love of reading inspired Allison Merritt to pursue her dream of becoming an author who writes historical, paranormal, contemporary, and fantasy romances, often combining the sub-genres. She lives in a small town in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and dogs. It's not unusual to find her lurking in graveyards, wandering historical sites, or listening to ghost stories.

Allison graduated from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri with a B.A. in mass communications that's gathering dust after it was determined that she's better at writing fluff than hard news.

 

Social media links:






 

Read the first book in the series: Wystan (The Heckmasters)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22589377-wystan

Buy links:

Samhain - http://store.samhainpublishing.com/wystan-p-73651.html

Amazon - http://amzn.com/B00L501TJK

B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wystan-allison-merritt/1119847207?ean=9781619222892



Read the second book in the series: Eban (The Heckmasters, Book 2)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25117444-eban

Buy links:

Samhain - https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5394/eban

Amazon - http://amzn.com/B00QZVS0I2

B & N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wystan-allison-merritt/1119847207?ean=9781619222892

 

 

 

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Your Book. Your Busines. Your Editor.


Hello!

 

I took a bit of time off as I caught up from my identity theft loss of time, but it’s time to put blogging back on the menu. Lol

 

We’ve been doing Your Book. Your Business. and it’s time to continue with that. It is your book. But, whether self published or with a publisher, you hopefully have an editor. Now, an editor is a sort of magical being in that they see things that we’re invisible to us no matter how many times we’ve been through it! However, Here are some quick things about editors at small publishing houses:

They usually do not have last say except in terms of house rules and grammar.

There are many types of editors. Content editors are there to strengthen the pacing, the words, and point out any obvious oops, like having your Italian friend all of sudden be from France sort of thing. Line editors are there to find the grammar and punctuation and help make your MS clean. Even though many content editors have a strong grasp of grammar and punctuation, you still want this line edit to happen. Copy editors are more in formatting and accuracy of text, not necessarily fact checking for fiction books, but in newspapers, they can and do. They are sort of a line editor of sorts.

They can help brainstorm, give you ideas, etc.

They can be your best friends.

They can help you keep your confidence.

They are not squeamish about marking up your manuscript—even if it’s worrisome to them how the author will take it.

They want you to succeed.

They make suggestions.

They’re usually quirky and believe absolutely in work they acquire in houses that allow them to acquire.

 

What they are not:

 

Your personal punching bags.

Your personal library.

Your research assistant.

Your mom.

Your babysitter.

Your janitor.

Your boss.

Perfect.

The last word on your manuscript. You are. Though in some big houses the editor may have more editorial control, in most small houses, they suggest.

Even if you personally pay for your editor, you do not want to treat them bad. You don’t want to burn that bridge or bad mouth them. Trust me, they’ll hear about it. Also, any editor who hears you totally bad mouthing another editor, will be leery of taking you on if they have any sense at all. Unless that editor took your money and never edited, I’d suggest discretion is valor.

If you aren’t meshing with your editor, hey, no shame on both parts. As head editor, I try to match up personalities as well as books, but you can’t always do that. It’s best to leave it at personalities don’t mesh, or that your weaknesses weren’t her strengths, etc. rather than bad mouthing.

Word gets around, and then you don’t have access to as many editors. The quality available to you will go down.

If your editor says, “Hey, look up the rules for this.” for whatever reason, don’t ignore, don’t half ass it. You may think your editor is overreacting, but I can tell you from personal experience, that though there are sometimes they just don’t know, most of the time, they are right. Or at least, they are right to have you double checking your facts. If they say, the reader needs more/less of something, look into WHY the editor thinks this. As an author, there’s a knee jerk reaction to say, “Not my baby!” and be mutinously stubborn in changes. Let that feeling pass and move on.

If you don’t, you will have readers who say you’re full of it, that you don’t know squat. Like having ice caves in the wrong city/town/state, or not having the BIA in charge of serious things on the reservation instead of state police, or having a native tribe of Arizona be from Washington. Seriously, if your editor says, research this, double check that fact, do it. Period. Even if you’re right, and say you prove yourself right, what did it really hurt? In fact, it could inspire a blog post.

I’m an editor and an author. I’ve had it happen to me both ways…having an editor mark something I didn’t know how to change so didn’t, and having an editor mark something wrong that I knew was right as it pertained to the reservation and the laws involved that the editor had no clue about. Trust me, do your due diligence. Make sure of your facts before bucking your editor. It’s just safer that way.

The thing is, though it is your book, the editor is a reader too. If they’re confused/hung up on something, there’s a good chance your readers will be too. If they’re saying feels a bit slow, then pick up the pace.

Whatever you do, do NOT be a jerk, publically or in emails, to your editor. Do not call them names, rant about what they’re doing, etc. Seriously, you can dislike an edit, and even disagree with things, but do not become unprofessional.

Which brings up, you don’t have to agree with your editor. You can disagree. Just explain why. Don’t ignore them, try to hide their changes, reject without reason. Explain. That will give the editor a chance to explain as well. Dialogue is so important in this stage. You have to trust your editor, but your editor has to trust you. If she can’t trust you to follow directions and communicate, you will get the minimal edits, at least, more likely, but you may not get an acceptance for the next book. The feeling being, why edit what will be ignored? Why deal with someone who bad mouths? Who won’t work with me? Why waste my time?

Editing and publishing is a very subjective business. Especially if your editor is the acquiring editor, don’t make them your enemy. Don’t make them not want to work with you.

If you do have issues, say, it’s been six months in line editing, be professional and respectful in your inquiries. They may be in the wrong, but perhaps it’s a human failing, or perhaps, it was a change. Either way, being respectful will keep you from being blackballed or other bad things happening.

Editors are there to help you shine. Listen to them, communicate with them, work with them, and you’ll have the best story possible.

 

After all, it’s Your Book. Your business. Don’t mess it up.

Monday, June 8, 2015

The Web Cleanser cover reveal


I have a good friend and author, Franny Armstrong here today!! I'm so excited. She's really just a writing monster! I love it! She's prolific and loves her twists and turns.
 
 
 
Here's her guest post and cover :D Have fun!

Would you make love to a computer?

People today meet partners online, some of them going so far as to find their true loves, but there can also be danger when that happens. Imagine you have an online lover who lives many miles away. Now, he talks you into cheating on your husband. Is it your fault or his when you give in. The internet isn't always a safe bet. Sometimes even putting an ad on a website to sell your spare bicycle can lead to more than you'd hoped.

While writing The Web Cleanser, I thought about the consequences of online relationships, and fell into the vortex of a story where love can be deadly. You're cyber lover might not live as far away as he/she says. Stalkers can find their victims on the web easily, getting more information about you than you know. It's better for you to only put the minimal personal information in your profile. Danger abounds in the world you can't see.

My characters find out the true meaning of deceit when a killer lures them to their deaths. It's up to two tough cops to find him. Ryland Sanders chooses to be the bait, while her partner, Kane Nanuq tries to protect her from herself, and the killer. Imagine yourself in a similar situation, and perhaps caution will help keep you safe.

 

I'd love to know what you think of the cover and the tale. You can reach me below at any one of my links. Thanks.

 

Blurb

Ryland Sanders is a feisty, no-nonsense cop who protects her heart with her smart mouth. She has no friends, and every partner she's ever had gave up on her long ago. When paired with a new cop, Ry pulls out all stops to get rid of him, but he's not one to run.

Kane Nanuq is from the Northwest Territories on Baffin Island. He's tracking a serial killer who murdered his wife and children. When he meets Ry, his carefully planned revenge is altered. She wants to become bait, but Kane wants to protect her. She cracks open his carefully guarded heart, even as she loses hers.

The duo work together to capture the killer, but neither of them realize they've lost their hearts to each other until it's too late...

Excerpt

Normally, Ry wouldn't give a care in the world about people talking behind her back, but for some reason the gossip cut her deeply. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she saw a bewildered, angry woman, who had no friends, no family, and no one to talk to. For the first time since her teens, tears pricked her eyes. Shocked, she watched in the mirror as they glistened for a moment. Anger finally took over as it usually did when she became vulnerable. Lifting her chin, and throwing her shoulders back, she swiped at the offending tears, finally able to achieve the control she'd been missing all morning.

Nobody—and she meant nobody—could hurt her! Not ever! She gave her reflection a quick nod, squared her shoulders even more, and opened the door with a bang, making her way back to her office at normal speed. This time though, she took a moment to give the cops in the main room her best 'Go ahead, I dare ya', expression. Not a soul would raise their eyes to meet hers. With a sniff of distain, she opened her office door and entered her haven…at least, it had been a haven until her current resident showed up.

Ignoring Kane, she sat back down, and noticed that her computer ran smoothly. About to snarl at him, she found that he'd set a hot cup of coffee down in front of her. Now how could you get mad at a guy, when he'd given you the only saving grace of the whole morning? Deciding it best to keep her mouth shut, she opened up a few files, doing her best to ignore the aromatic brew. It took all of a minute before she gave in, and grabbed the cup. When it sloshed on her pants, she squeezed her eyes shut, and waited for the pain to go away.

Kane took the cup out of her hand, and used his clean hanky to dab at the large stain on her thigh.

Releasing a loud 'whoop', she nearly came out of her chair at his touch, but for his hand on her shoulder holding her down.

"Sit still," he said in a low murmur, continuing his ministrations.

In a million years, she wouldn't ever admit to him or anyone else, let alone herself, that his touch made her belly flutter with a swarm of butterflies. Keeping her eyes on her computer screen, she did her best to appear unaffected.

For a few seconds, he tapped the keys on her keyboard. "There," he said quietly, then returned to his desk.

Angry that she'd found an interest in him, she snapped, "I'm not going to thank you…for anything."

He smirked, saying clearly, "I don't expect you to."

The Web Cleanser will be available on Three Worlds Press upon its release.

BIO

Author of Romantic Suspense and Paranormal Romance, I love a good tale. A full time author, I have plenty of time to work on my projects. I write, promote, and daydream about my stories all day long, fitting in my chores and family in my 'spare' time. Writing has been a healing experience for me. Having Bipolar II disorder, I go through hoops to remain focused, but I love to write and it takes me away from dealing with illness. I've come a long way into good health because of my stories. After all, my characters can do anything! There's no reason I can't.

Franny Armstrong


Love is to DIE for...





 

 

Friday, June 5, 2015

The Beach at the Sea Foam Apartments by D.J. Kozlowski

Three Worlds Press has started a fun series of shorts which is planned to be compiled into anthologies as we go :) They all have to do with the Sea and a little light horror, and the one to launch this week is gothic horror! I have the author guest blogging as well as his buy links and a little som'in som'in from his book!
 
 
 
  • Would you want to live in the world you’ve created and why/why not?
My world (in the book) is our world. The only difference is much of the magic we see in movies or phony "documentaries" is real in the world of the book, though much more subtle than in traditional fantasy. I'd love to live in a magical world. My universe--to which the book provides only a glimpse through a window--has magic, monsters, gods and demons, and many typical fantasy elements, but is otherwise our normal, workaday world. What makes it interesting, I hope, is that nothing is overt. The magical underbelly of reality exists largely unnoticed by most people. 
  • Did you have a favourite book or author as a child? Have you got one now?
I loved a book series called The Three Investigators. I recall them having business cards and thinking that was so cool--there was some kind of power in that. They--much like Scooby Doo--always found a rational explanation for seemingly supernatural phenomena. That is attractive to me in a way. But then I have always been inspired by Poe and Lovecraft (my daughter is Raven and once son is H.P.). In the past decade, I've noticed a theme of Neil Gaiman running through my life--movies, books, and other forms of media had links to Gaiman. Long before I knew who he was (or recognized the value of following authors rater than stories) I was reading comics he wrote (one, Death: The High Cost of Living, is still a favorite). I figured he was one of these ubiquitous writers--a Stephen King who everyone has experienced somehow--but no. Gaiman appeals to a certain community, and those people gravitate toward his projects not necessarily because of him (generally), but because of their temperaments and the style and quality of his projects. I also enjoy the early writing of Orson Scott Card, and who doesn't love Bradbury, Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Dick, Blish, etc. 
  • What do you find hardest to write?
My mind always wants to explore my universe, so constraining stories to the relevant characters and plot lines is a constant battle. I sometimes satiate myself by dropping in Easter Eggs that only I recognize as such (as my body of work grows, maybe they'll be more recognizable). But when you've got a world in your mind filled with interesting characters, it's hard to keep them from popping up at every opportunity. I remind myself to keep a steady pace--over time I will begin to explore more of the people/beings.
  • Do you have any other books in the works?
I have a few in process, most set in this same world. I enjoy world-building, so expect to see at least some of the characters from Sea Foam again. 

 
 
 
Author Bio:

D.J. Kozlowski writes gothic horror, dark fantasy, and magical realism, drawing inspiration from the likes of Poe and Lovecraft. When he’s not writing, D.J. counsels businesses as an attorney. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, 3 kids, and fish, the latter of which is constantly being replaced for the sake of the children. He tries not to take life too seriously.

Blurb:

Minor magic can have unintended consequences.  At the beach across from the Sea Foam Apartments, the fates of five people are tragically altered through Melinda’s well-intentioned meddling.  Now, Melinda has a chance to help these people find their destinies and restore life to the beach, but she’ll need some help.  Fortunately, someone has been watching.

Quotes:

“She recalled the sun rising from behind the sea, darkening then illuminating the lighthouse and brightening the sands whose sparkle mixed with the shimmering waves to cast all the early joggers in a discotheque strobe. This place had magic to it.”

“The rustling of the curtains was enough to rouse Marc from a dead sleep. When he was younger and living in that apartment at the end of Seaside Avenue, the curtains rustled. At first, he thought he’d left the balcony door ajar, allowing a sea breeze into the apartment. Only later did he realize the curtains moved regardless of the door or the breeze.”

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Sheri Velarde and Gods Behaving Badly


Cover Reveal for Between Love and War: Book 3 of Gods Behaving Badly

When I first thought about becoming and “author” and putting my work out there for others to read, I never thought that I would become published. Then I never thought that I would have a series! How cool is that? I have a book series! It still boggles my mind even though Book 3 of my Gods Behaving Badly series, Between Love and War, is about to come out next month. Truthfully I stumbled into a series. The first book, Looted, was meant to be a short that just kept growing and ended in a way that demanded another story. I guess I should also mention that Looted was rejected before it found its home at Secret Cravings Publishing. Just goes to show that you should never give up. So Stealing Hearts came to be and I introduced a few more gods of old, gods who were just demanding to have their adventures told. Sometimes characters just take on a mind of their own and will not leave you any peace until you listen to them and write about them. The one that screamed at me the loudest was Ares, the god of war just would not be put off. So Book 3 is the story of the true love between Ares and Mania, because of course the goddess of madness is the one true love of Ares. Only makes sense right? Truly, character and books do take on a life of their own and often I am just along for the ride!

Between Love and War was just accepted last week and is being fast tracked for a June release! I will have a release date soon, but right now I am so happy to be able to share the beautiful cover with you all! First round edits are done and we are full steam ahead! I am so excited!
 
 

Blurb:

After the Fall, Ares spent a thousand years searching for his lost love Mania. Thinking he had lost her forever, he settled into the life of a mercenary here on earth. Then the fates, and his sister the goddess of love, showed him Mania was alive and well. He travels to London hoping to regain what he had thought lost forever.

Mania had spent a millennia as a wraith of madness before slowly starting to rebuild herself into a new and independent woman. Art had been her outlet and her savior. Then one night her world is turned upside down when her old love walks back into her life. Can she love him again and still remain the woman that she had become?

Unbeknownst to both of them a mysterious organization is lurking in the background and threatening to unravel the lives of all the gods on earth.

  Links:

Secret Cravings Publishing: http://bit.ly/1BnIMx1

Amazon page for Sheri Velarde: http://amzn.to/1dvAoqb




 

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

The Midwife's Moon re-release and The War of the Weres

*Waves* We are forgoing this weeks Your book. Your Business. posts to bring you news of the exciting sort! My book!!! With beautiful new edits, some words cut, over 1k new words added, a glossary of peeps --including a sneak peek at characters not out yet!--and locations and specialty words as well! So much new stuff. In the first book, I also re-edited and added significant number of words as I also cut some. I rewrote a scene and added a short scene. So you want to get books one and two new versions! And book three is hopefully not too far behind! In the meantime, there will be shorts released!

Here's the EXQUISITE COVERS


 
 
I TOTALLY AM IN LOVE WITH THEM. My cover artist, Victoria Miller, pushed out some more beautiful work! *gives standing ovation*

Right now, I have over 15 full length novels and about 6 chronicles (these are main characters/story bits already moving, some partly written...I have two shorts written, one half written, and others clamoring, half a full length and notes on another full length...from writing in my *spare* time.

I'm so excited to have these back out. Some health issues, partly caused by extreme stress both in my personal life and my professional life, put these on hold. But I'm having new ideas all the time. These books will traverse the world over! Next, in The Panther's Hunter, I stay in my home state of Washington, but move off the reservation to a transplanted werepanther to Mt. Rainier.  Transplanted from New Orleans, where I am planning to go for book four if Sherona and Tom's story will wait. They were planned for book 6, but Sherona is a character to be reckoned with and Tom is her perfect counter point and can quite hold his own against her shenanigans. I just hope I can get the others written fast enough for them!

Barnes and Noble can be found here, All Romance ebooks (ARe) can be found here, and Amazon here. It is also on Kobo, Google Play, and iTunes or books, or whatever it is LOL I always get them mixed up.  Enjoy this continuing saga where each story has the world woven through with continuing stories, but stands on it's own as a novel. You will find yourself both satisfied with the main story and wanting more for the world! :D

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Your Book. Your Business. #4


Your Book. Your Business. #4

Due to recent events, I’ve changed this week’s post to be about pirating.

An aspect of the writing business which I loath is pirating. The sites never really come down. You feel torn up, violated, abused, and half the time, no one is listening anyway. “It’s a victimless crime. Why do you care. Who am I hurting? It’s not like the writers work or anything. The writer should just be glad I want to read their awful work. Books should be free.”

 

I have heard all of this and more, but we can’t give up the fight. It’s not just for writers either. It’s all art. Writing, painting, music, and fashion designs… All of it is sparked on creativity. Oh man, I remember when Metallica took on napster. Everyone was soo upset. “You’re just greedy. Music should be free. Everyone should have the right…” yada yada.

Well, guess what? If Metallica hadn’t done it, then the little guy would have been put out of business long time ago. Concerts don’t just pay the talent. They pay the stage hands, the venue, etc. The money concerts bring in supports the hotels, restaurants, etc. There is a ton of businesses that receive extra money because of these events. It’s not just the musicians that are affected by this. The fact that Metallica took on this role saved hundreds if not thousands of jobs all over the world. You already have access to free music…it’s called the radio!

Art, there are galleries, online galleries, etc. where it is Free to go look. But don’t copy it, don’t print it out for your wall, don’t use it yourself. Also, don’t claim you did it. In music and art, you can “copy” to practice, but don’t put out that it’s yours. In Music, it’s called a cover, and in art, it’s called a study. There are more rules and it is your job to find out those rules if you want to use them. I have a study of Chagall. I went to the extreme of signing it, “Study of Chagall” then my name and year so there is no question of my intent.

The materials needed for both art and music is astronomical. Don’t believe me? Go price equipment. Not cheap as dirt, won’t be worth the space equipment, but that needed for good art and good music. Even middle of the line isn’t cheap. Hell, dirt cheap isn’t cheap. Then there’s the electricity, the practice venue, the studios, the other stuff people don’t think about, ie printing costs, mediums, replacing brushes, website costs, seller fees, etc.

Same goes for books. There’s this thing called a library, and since you don’t have to pay to get a card… yes, it’s free. And, in this day and age, the pirating of books is happening digitally. One, if you can afford an ereader, then shell out the 5-15 bucks for a book, or don’t read it, or go to the library. Two, there are hundreds of contests going on every day on FB, Twitter, Goodreads, and even publishing sites sometimes have them where they are giving out free books. If circumstances have changed, or the ereader was a gift, then spend a little of your time going after the legitimately free stuff. Or “buy” the free books offered on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

I have been poor. Homeless, not enough food, poor. I’m here to tell you there is NO excuse.

Still think this is a victimless crime? Think again. I’ve gone on many blogs trying to show how even the loss of ten dollars can affect a family. I have no thyroid, and for a while, my monthly meds were ten bucks. They’ve gone up, but yeah. I have been so poor that I had to choose between spending ten bucks on meds and buying my kids milk and cereal that would have to work for breakfast and dinner for the weekends. So, don’t give me the I’m poor excuse. It isn’t one. I didn’t go stealing your stuff, burning down your house, making you ill, or any other issue because I was poor, so don’t go stealing my books and keeping me from being able to eat under the excuse that you’re poor. By the way, it’s one of the worst excuses in the world for bad behavior. Anyway, here’s my FB post yesterday. It is highly emotional. Probably should have censored it a bit, but I’d also had my wallet and some car parts stolen over the weekend, so my tact meter was broken about the issue of thievery.

 

 

As many of you know, pirating of art, from books to paintings, to anything else, pisses me off. Well, today was supposed to be a rerelease of book that has been out of print for around 9 months. The pirate sites have them up still, so Amazon is refusing to publish. I was supposed to re-release it today. Instead, I'm wasting time fighting pirates. If I had an actual sword, might be worth the LITERAL DOLLARS AND CENTS I'M LOSING RIGHT NOW. PLEASE IF YOU'VE NEVER BELIEVED ME BEFORE, PIRATES LITERALLY COST THE AUTHOR MONEY. I DON'T CARE WHAT SOME AUTHORS SAY. IF YOU WANT A FREE BOOK, GO TO THE LIBRARY OR SIGN UP FOR THE HUNDREDS OF FREE BOOKS GIVEN AWAY EVERY DAY. OR JUST 'BUY' THE FREE ONES ON AMAZON.


My pre-release and release being put off can also affect other authors as it puts us closer together. At a time where I'm looking to grow fast and furious in all avenues of my life, the loss of money through ANOTHER FUCKING THIEF after the loss of my wallet, etc. and that headache, it makes me want to set them all up in a firing squad. BUT THEY WOULDN'T DO IT IF PEOPLE WOULDN'T DOWNLOAD THEM. SERIOUSLY. I know people who pay 6-8 bucks for a damn cup of coffee, but won't pay five for a book they can reread. Just...


If you are HONEST TO GOD POOR, and in case you're wondering, if you get your hair and nails done, that's not poor, that's whining, for example, then talk to a favorite author. I need so much marketing help etc., and would probably trade work for a copy of my books! A lot of authors are willing. ON top of the contests and giveaways and libraries carrying them, THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR DOWNLOADING PIRATED BOOKS OTHER THAN YOU WANT TO BE A THIEF AND/OR SUPPORT A THIEF. IT IS NOT A VICTIMLESS CRIME. My family IS DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THIS.

 
You want it in the vernacular? I will get paid for these sales right before school starts. So this directly plays into whether or not I will be able to buy my kids clothes, pay the fines, the tech stuff, sports stuffs, and all the other crap of having a special ed kid going to first, another going into middle school for first time and needing freaking uniforms, and one going into high school for the first time and needing god knows what else besides the normal pens and clothes. IT MATTERS.

 

AND NO, THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE RANT. THIS ALSO WILL PUT OF THE PRINT RELEASE OF BOTH THE MIDWIFE'S MOON AND THE ULFRIC'S MATE AS IT IS A MATTER OF TIMING. SCREW ALL PIRATES AND THEIR SUPPORTERS. YOU CHEAT MY FAMILY, MY CHILDREN AND I HAVE NO LOVE FOR YOU.

 

 

As you can see, this directly affects my bottom line in a way that’s very personal. I did what you must all be prepared to do. I sent out the DMCA notices, my publisher is assuring Amazon that she has the rights to my book, and that I am the author, yada yada. But it’s costing time and money that would be better spent being creative or resting for the next bout of creativity, or playing with my kids. That's not to say it's okay to do it to someone who's rich. The authors and publishers are still paying others (editors, managers, etc all get paid from this work) from the money made on each sell. And don't forget, the big bad boogie man Amazon takes about a 70% cut on anything under 2.99US. So, that makes it even harder for everyone to get paid. But Amazon, Barnes and Noble, they all deserve their cut for providing space (yes, even online space) for readers to buy the work, and they, of course, take it. The money you pay doesn't go straight into the authors' pockets. Hell, it doesn't even go straight into the publishers' pockets. It first goes into the third parties pockets, to then be distributed. (Why I will never be on Amazon's side when they try their BS with big pubs and make it look as if they are doing it for poor little you. They're not. They want control over it and hope to bring people to their own publishing company. Don't be fooled. You getting anything cheaper is a by product, not the end game, and would change if places like Books a Million, Barns and Noble, ARe ever went out of business. Though they are domiciled in my home state, they are not the underdog. But that is a post for another day LOL)
 
 

 

But, it is a cost of doing business nowadays. You have to fight them. If we authors all flooded the FBI with these sites and complaints, they’d be shut down faster. You have to not ignore it. There are programs out there that will do it for you (which I suggest if you can at all afford it. I hate the business end of writing. I want to create. So I get that lol). However you choose to deal with it, whether hiring someone, buying a program, or doing it individually, you must deal with it. I’ve sent out multiple forms. I hate it with a passion. But it must be done.

 

Your creativity is your money maker. You cannot let anyone destroy it. Not by piracy, not by drama, not by criticism. You must hone it, learn to make it stronger, and protect it. You can do this.

 

After all, it’s your book, your business.

 

For the readers out there. Please, if you are not paying for a book on a site when Amazon is charging, it’s likely pirated. It’s not a lucky break or a deal. They are stealing. Don’t support them, don’t use them, etc.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

KD Rose ~ Brevity of Twit

Hello World!  No really. This isn’t the rote WordPress hello, it’s me, author KD Rose saying “Hi.”  I’ve been absent awhile due to illness and now I’m back. I’m here, maybe not running with the bulls but at least hobbling with the um, well, chronically pretty darn god-awful ill.  But enough about that. I’m all about keeping it positive (except when I’m not). But see- things are looking up! Literally. This is a view from my yard so life can’t be all bad.

Add to that a wonderful husband, family, and even a wonderful publisher and I have a reason to dig out the old keyboard again. Ok, it was actually replace the new wireless keyboard which didn’t work worth squat with the old wired up keyboard that still works just fine, but that’s technical life for a plebian.
 

I’m posting on this date to mention that despite everything I have a new book coming out on May 21st, 2015- exactly one short week from now. Titled The Brevity of Twit, this humorous book is everything I used to be. Using the Twitter forum as a scroll, The Brevity of Twit yields humor, insight, and poetic vigor in a light read that will both lift your spirits and make you ponder. So take a gander. My publisher decided to publish it despite the absence of the entire being of the author (me). What more can an author ask for? The book will be on Amazon and other neat sites. I’ll post the links once the book is live.

In the meantime I’m going to un-pause and reinvigorate. It’s been awhile since I’ve sipped the creative nectar and I’m sure it will be as sweet, tangy, and ironic as I remember.

Blurb:

Humor in 140 characters or less.

A witty walk through the minefield of tweeting, twitter, and the many uses we have socially for it. From serious poetry to a scandalous take on improper grammar, this fast paced take on the brevity of chatting in 140 characters or less will have you falling in love with tweeting all over again.

 
 

Excerpt:

Trending

Trending is when thousands of people across a state, country, countries, or continents, (depending on your settings) all decide to tweet about the same topic. This usually involves hashtags, a topic listed under "Trending," and many, many people looking for their moment in the spotlight. Generally, trends are about something happening on social media, the news, movies, music, or taking place in the world at the moment. New releases, and celebrities often dominate. Celebrity deaths and death hoaxes also make their appearance. For example, as I write, #royalbaby is trending because that news was just announced and 3— not 1, not 2, but 3 trending subjects are about 1Direction. There is also a #HappyBDayCamCam trending about someone named Cameron Dallas who has 3.4 Million Twitter followers, and I don't know who he is because, well, I'm old.

Not that these aren't THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS EVER, but occasionally, just occasionally something will trend that is interesting to writers, or nerds, or writer-nerds like me. Sometimes these are more local trending subjects, but occasionally even God arises and says- "I am TIRED of Chris Brown, and Margaret Atwood is not tweeting today— Let the Higgs-Boson Particle be found!" Then suddenly science nerds and writer nerds and wordplay nerds form a bond. Higgs-Boson trends, writers have a field day, scientists nash their teeth at all the incorrect explanations going around, thunder claps, rivers overflow, and for a brief moment, even science makes twitter news.

Higgs-Boson Tweets:

•Higgs Boson- "The Force is strong with that one."#laymangeekbutIcanthelpit

•Ok Kids: Higgs, Top Quark, Ultra High Energy Ray, TOE. In that order. I'll be waiting for a report at dinner. Higgs Boson

•Wow- articles are now out saying US sees stronger hints of Higgs. Way to grab the spotlight for a dead collider. CERN is EU. Higgs Boson

•True- the US found hints of Higgs Boson too, but wasnt up to more so it was kind of expected from CERN. Atom Smasher suffers collider envy.

•They might have found Higgs Boson. They might have not. Schrodinger is happy.

•Oh my- Higgs is now trending without Boson. Seriously!

•People who can make Higgs Boson jokes return my faith in humanity.

•Higgs Boson? How quaint. Where's the (S)top Quark? What- did I just suck all the air out of CERN? Oh no wait that's another experiment.

•Higgs Boson Why Science Works: There is no religion around supersymmetry.

 

Author Bio:

K.D. Rose is an author and poet. With fellow authors around the globe, KD was also a founding member of the e-magazine, INNOVATE. K.D.'s book, "Inside Sorrow" won the Readers Favorite 2013 international Silver Medal for Poetry.

K.D. has an eclectic mind and loves language, physics, philosophy, photography, design, art of all kinds, writing of all kinds, symbolism, semiotics, spirituality, and Dr. Who.

K.D. Rose values the question more than the answer and loves creativity and innovation.

KD Rose is an avid supporter of music, the arts, cutting edge science, technology, and creativity in all forms that encourage us to expand and explore past the artificial limits we often set for ourselves in order to see the everyday connections that exist among all things.

She also currently has "Heavy Bags of Soul", "Inside Sorrow", and "I AM" - on sale at Amazon and other retailers.

Join K D Rose on the following social media sites:

Twitter: @kdrose1


 

Friday, May 15, 2015

Jessica Bayliss cover reveal and more


This went out on my other blogs yesterday, but as my laptop and FB decided to screw with me, this gets to go up today for her as well :D Just spreads all the love around.
Please welcome Jessica Bayliss with her debut short with Three Worlds Press. The first in the Sea Mist series.
 
 
1)      Share with our readers a little about your book. (Remember to make it so they want to read more LOL)

“Breathless” is a romantic ghost about a young woman, Leah, who is traveling alone in the British Virgin Islands. The action begins during a scuba dive at a sunken wreck, supposedly haunted, when Leah discovers her oxygen tank is empty. This story is inspired a little bit from my own experience. I actually ran out of air during a dive about two years ago. Obviously, I survived. But, I’ll tell you, it was pretty darned freaky. In Leah’s case, she turns to one of the dive instructors, Dale, an Operation Enduring Freedom veteran, to get her back to the surface safely. The shared exhilaration of their experience forges a connection between these two. I bet you can see where this is going …

As the tour group moves from the boat to the beach for an overnight campout, Dale and Leah are drawn to each other. They discover they’re each searching for ghosts, but for very different reasons. Throw in a moonlight hike, a salt pond, a bonfire …

I love a little supernatural with my romance, so I set out to give readers a contemporary, real-world story, with paranormal flair.

It’s up to you to decide if Leah’s and Dale’s ghosts are real.

 

2)      Tell us about yourself and what brought you to writing?

I have a career that is very different from writing, but writing is something I’ve done since I was a kid, although not seriously until 2010. I tried to write my first book in high school, and even got a bunch of chapters done. I have it somewhere in my house. I should dig it out and see how awful it was. I started another one right around the time I began grad school, which took over my life, and I totally forgot about the book. Years later, I got the writing bug back. I found the book I started in grad school, threw out almost all of it, and then finished it a year later. I’ll confess: it was not good, but it was one of the best moments of my life. I wrote my second book the next year while rewriting the first—a task that took three years, and I’m sure an editor would still give me plenty to do on it. Now, I’ve written four novels and a whole slew of short stories, one of which is “Breathless.” In the last five years, I’ve grown so much as a writer, largely from meeting other writers and from practice. I must state: the network I’ve built—these people are incredible. I could never do this without them. We’re there for each other every single day.

 3. Do you believe in Bigfoot?

Absolutely not. But we’re Bigfoot fans in our house. My husband, Eric, bought us our very own garden Yeti, complete with a sign, warning everyone to beware. Eric’s Bigfoot impersonation is superb, by the way. Despite my skepticism, one of my future projects will contain a Yeti. My second book is called “Therapist of the Damned,” and it’s about a psychologist who discovers her patients are vampires and all manner of supernatural creatures. I love this concept, although I’m well aware that vampires are a tough sell these days; if I’m never able to get it published, I’ll probably continue to develop the stories, because they’re pure fun. So, one night, over dinner, Eric and I were brainstorming characters for my book. He suggests I add a Yeti to my series, and I’m like, no way. Then, I realize the brilliance of his idea. A yeti in treatment for social phobia! Too perfect. My main character will definitely need a larger couch.
 
Now, ready for the cover and blurb? Here you go!

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. These shorts are so much fun. I can't wait for everyone else to read them.

Thank you Jessica for being on my blog today!

 

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Your Book. Your Business 3


Your book. Your Business.

 

We’ve been doing this series of business things, mostly on contract details that are often overlooked. Now, I’d like to talk to you about the author community. (Since my assistant reminded me to blog! Flu is running through my family in a very strange manner! I'm exhausted, so bear with me, and hopefully, you'll understand what I'm saying.)

 

Your author friends can be some of the best friends you’ll ever find. However, sometimes, there is a snake in the grass. He/she may be seen as someone grand, but, if you do research, you may find a lot of things wrong with what they’ve told you. Others, who don’t want to see or who drink the koolaid won’t see it until it’s too late. Sometimes, even then, they can’t see it.

 

So what do you do when you have two opposing sides? Mostly, I recommend staying out of it. The community is a large one. However, there are times, when you must pick a side for your own conscience. Even then, I’d go with class. Be forthright in your opinions. Share sites that you found your information on, copies of legalities, screen shots, etc. as needed, but try to keep your opinion professional, regardless of how angry you are at the time.

 

How many times did we see backlash for authors rioting with readers? Or, let’s take it to the TV Realm for a bit. Who has seen Chef Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares (trademarks, etc. I’m not claiming any affiliation for or to them. This is used in fair use policy as an icon to deliver a point.)? The one with the ABC Baking Company? The people who went absolutely beserk on national social media? Even international? Just for the record, I want to be famous, but not in that way!

If you push people far enough, claim contracts say this when legally, they don’t say any such thing, you’re going to start looking like that. And while you may have your Sammy in your corner, well… think of how he comes off? Brute, bullish, and not very nice. He’s been eating’ Amy’s sauce too long…ie, drinking her Koolaid ;)

I have said things I regret. We all do. But, when it’s in the community, be extra careful. One, you don’t know who’s going to say what where, or, if you give an opinion in confidence, who that person may tell, or who will choose a person in another country over a longstanding friendship with you to be that spy or to give away your confidence. You don’t know who will turn down a friendship as close as sisters for a business or a person not worthy of the trust or loss of friends. You don’t know when it will come back to bite you in the a$$. You just don’t know.

 

While you don’t have to be a sheep and bleat all the latest fads, neither can you burn your bridges with bad manners and back stabbing because you never know when you will need that bridge to cross to a new level, and instead, are stuck. If you’re lucky, the material will still be there to build the bridge. But, if you wait too long, the materials will rot away into the landscape, or be swept away in an ocean of moving on with people who aren’t stuck on stupid or back stabbing you when you’re not looking.

 

In your social media contacts, marketing, ads, etc., be someone you can be proud of. Be someone whom the readers are going to flock to. Don’t become angry and sullen and hateful because you’re upset about something. Remember, the authors/readers/publishers will hear about it at some point, and you need to be able to honestly say you weren’t the one who started stuff, but you’ll finish it.

 

Er, I mean, don’t take stuff lying down, but don’t make a public debacle that will make the readers turn from you. Even if you’re right. Find the middle ground of sticking up for yourself, but not letting drama queens make you look bad for their bad behaviour and having their cronies come in and attack you too. Just, stand the high ground. Like Obe Wan in Star Wars. You’ll win on the high ground. You may lose friends you cared about more than yourself, but at least you didn’t compromise your moral standards and droop to their level of defending what they have no clue of which they speak, or of a free for all name calling douchebaggery.

Keep it classy. Keep it real. After all, it’s your book, your business.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Your Book. Your Business. Number 2


Your Book. Your Business. Number two in a series.

 

It’s Tuesday and my assistant tells me I’m to write about writing. *hangs head* I forgot to do my art one yesterday, so writing this early and getting it ready on time. We started talking about reading your contract. Remember, don’t get suckered into paying for something that’s already yours, or signing away rights that are yours.

Continuing on in the same vein, I had a situation. As many know, I’ve had a lot of health issues over the last five years. I still found time to write. I had a couple of contracts finally come about the same time from a publisher I’d already signed with before. I didn’t read it because I was so sick. In order to feel more business like, I signed it sooner rather than read it. Ironic, eh? I even told him, I’m too sick to read and comprehend, but I trust you. I’m sure it’s the same as before. He never disabused me of that notion when I very much needed to be told it wasn’t the same. However, it is on my own head I didn’t wait until I felt well enough to read it, or at least take enough meds for short term comprehension, at least.

And, it taught me something. Even people you think you can trust may not have your back when it comes to business. I have also learned, that some people will choose business over friendships, but that’s a mountain to climb another day.

In the meantime, let’s go over having multiple contracts from the same publisher. Check it side by side. See if there are any difference, like having early release payments added that weren’t there before—a per month, when before, if your book was selling for, er, wasn’t selling, you could pull it and re-release it elsewhere, or self publish it. Of course, these options would be after you’ve rewritten/edited it more and added/took out bits that may have needed adjusting. But, if you all of sudden have a per month fee, and no, I don’t think you should always be able to get out easy, but if it’s a change, see why not.

Or, if you had recourse if your publisher wasn’t doing their end, like not doing their end of the job, or not keeping to things they promised. I mean, as an author, you need to realize stuff can go wrong, but if someone says April, then, with no warning, changes it to August even though you’ve had it turned in for months, well, you should have the option to get out. Or, if they put it out, and it doesn’t sell more than 4 copies in 6 months, then again, you should have the option to pull. Not every book is going to be a best seller, but every book should sell something, if only to family and friends. Also, you can ask for changes like that. Say, if I don’t sell 100 in the first year, I want my rights back. If you’re last four books sold a thousand copies in three months, then perhaps say 500 in a year. Something. You have right to expect some sales and promotion. You also have the responsibility to promote and try to sale as much as possible. Take marketing classes, read blogs, etc. Anything to learn the best ways that work for you.

If there are changes, open up dialogue between yourself and the publisher. And have a friend, or best yet, an attorney look at it. Now, most of us authors don’t have the funds to have an attorney on hand, but there are many who aren’t as expensive as you may imagine. Also, there are literally hundreds of blogs written that legally explain your rights about clauses. Educate yourself, but educate yourself even more so if you can’t afford help.

As I’ve said and will continue to say, you don’t have to know how to do everything. However, if you’re not comfortable doing it, then you need to hire someone who can do it for you and help you out with whichever area you need the most help with, and reading a contract is no different. Don’t worry about feeling embarrassed you don’t understand all the clauses.

Read. Your. Contract.

What all are your responsibilities? Are they something you can live with? Sometimes, the publisher acts as if you are the only one responsible for everything, yet won’t help out, won’t give leads, doesn’t provide a place for support and questions. Other times, they do something when it’s first out, then nothing. Some fall in between. What are you comfortable with? Work with your publisher, and you’ll have the best experience. But don’t let them make you do work that they then don’t use. I had a publisher for whom I was required to write a specific number of blogs for, a specific kind of blog post for a specific site, and it never got used. Happened more than once to a lot of us. That just wastes everyone’s time.

Ask around. Who’s used them, what have they done for the authors? If they’re less than 2 years, you’re just going to have to take your best guess and decide if you want to give them a chance. That can be a great thing. New businesses have a lot to prove and may work harder for you.

But above all, the publishing arena is a business, just like your book rights, so read your contract. Publishers want to make it as much as authors do. When things work together, author and publisher can have a long, happy career with each other.
 

I, for one, never want to have to work any day job that’s not related to the arts. I don’t mean for Michael’s, or other supplier. *grins* If you’re happy with your contract, sign up and do everything you can to make your book the best it can be.

 

After all, it’s your book. Your business.