Guest Post: Emlyn Chand on Self Publishing

To celebrate being back from my well-needed blogging break, I am having the wonderful Emlyn Chand over today for a guest post, courtesy of Orangeberry Virtual Tours. Without further ado, here is her post!

The Guest Post

The Self-Published Author is No Different than the Salem Witch

Let's face it - the publishing industry is changing. We can all pretty much agree on that, right?

What we've got on our hands is an oncoming era of enlightenment (I prefer that to the often-touted “revolution”). ‘T wasn’t long ago that being a self-published author was practically as shocking and horrific as being a witch in Salem, Massachusetts circa 1700.

“What damnation have you wrought upon yourself? Upon us all?” The traditional pub villagers would cry as they rushed for their pitch forks and torches. “Be gone with you, unnatural creatures!”

And those unkind words were enough to send us packing. They didn’t have to chase us out of the village, for we never had any real magic, we were never any real threat.

Until…

We opened our eyes. We saw the true powers we possessed, and we saw the villagers for what they lacked.

We are able to manipulate our circumstances. We have more control than any who’ve gone before us. Self-publishing truly is magic.

But we can’t just walk around all blasé, showing off our green skin and harry warts while levitating our way through the park. That would be a mistake. We need to put on a little bit of concealer and keep our feet on the ground. We wouldn’t want to scare them away.

Similarly, a self-published or indie author needs to put on a bit of a show. We need to know when to conform to the “village” way of life and when to do our own damn thang. If we can get them to come in for a closer look, they might understand our allure. Then they’ll stop being so afraid.

Our make-up isn’t Maybelline to cover that green skin (I ♥ you, Elphaba). No. We apply our foundation by writing a truly fetching and well-edited manuscript. We dab on the blush when we take the time and expense needed to don an attractive book cover. Our lipstick is a professional, personal, and functional web presence.

Don’t we look pretty? We do, I tell you. And we’re all the more beautiful for knowing that we possess something so much deeper within: creativity, stick-to-it-ness, bravery, and of course – magic.

If you really examine the state of the publishing industry, it’s not the traditional house execs that populate the villages. Oh, they’re definitely the mayors, the cryers, and a few other choice townspeople. But if you want to see who lives in the village, go and knock on a few doors.

It’s the readers, bibliophiles, book addicts. They’re the ones who built this town. The mayor would have no village to govern if ‘tweren’t for them.

And thank God for it!

We arrived on their doorsteps – beaten, bloody, in need of a hot meal and a bit of rest. They may have been put off by our bedraggled appearance, but they ultimately let us in and showed us the true nature of their hospitality.

I kind of like this town; I think I’ll move in ;-)

Book & Bio

From an early age, Emlyn Chand has counted books among her best friends. She loves to hear and tell stories and emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). Her affinity for the written word extends to absolutely every area of her life: she has written two-and-a-half novels, leads a classics book group with over three hundred members, and, of course, runs the whole shebang at Novel Publicity.

Alex Kosmitoras's life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he's blind. Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, an enticing new girl comes to their small Midwest town all the way from India. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to "see" the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they suggest Simmi is in mortal danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex embarks on his journey to change the future.

Guest Post: Barbara Jolie on Common Mistakes While Guest Posting

Because of some bad planning on my part, I'm hosting two guest posts today. They are both interesting in their own way, so I hope you will check the other one out too!

The Guest Post

Three Common Mistakes People Make When Writing a Guest Post

As jobs remain scarce, more and more people are flocking to nontraditional areas of employment. One of the most popular routes people are taking is professional blogging. Newbie college graduates with minimal work experience and a need for more professional exposure are taking their college diplomas to the blogosphere. Blogging is a wonderful way to gain a name for yourself in a professional manner, offering a wonderful avenue for writing and sharing your interests and expertise. Guest posting has become one of the central facets of blogging in many ways in the online world. Not only is guest posting a wonderful way to expand your blogging repertoire, but it is also a great way to drive traffic to your blog. Many bloggers and webmasters enjoy the benefits of guest posting, with increased exposure and free quality content. However, with so many guest bloggers out there vying for a spot, there are bound to be some mistakes made. Keep things common guest blogging missteps in mind the next time you whip up a guest post.

It's Just Bad
Content is king. This little saying has ruled the blogosphere for decades now—and it's true. Blogging is all about quality content. If you write something well and the material is engaging, you're doing something right. Guest blogging is about sharing your writing style, voice, and knowledge with a new audience. You should strive to create well-written, carefully crafted, and thoroughly thought out content for any blog that you are writing for. Though sometimes we can find ourselves in time binds, it's important to realize that hastily throwing something together will only be a waste of the webmaster's time and your own.

You Don't Know Your Audience
One of the most thrilling and interesting aspects of guest blogging is writing for a new audience every time you compose something. As guest bloggers, we have to determine who it is we are writing for and what it is that will best fit with the blog we're servicing at the time. Every blog seeks to speak to a specific target audience. Whether you are writing for a finance blog, a blogging blog, a green living blog, or whatever else, you want to figure out what voice and style would best suit the blog. This is not to say that you are going to write in a way that is not your own—you just want to be sure that you are connecting as best you can with that specific audience. Know your audience and write material that you think would best benefit them.

You Fail to Review Your Post
I'm going to go out on the limb and say that editing is the number one pet peeve of all webmasters when it comes to guest posts. Guest bloggers should turn in material that is carefully crafted and carefully edited. Trust me, I know it can be hard as a guest blogger to catch some of the smaller grammatical mistakes, but you should take your time to revise. Read through your completed post and edit before you send it in. Have a friend or family member read it over briefly to see if they catch something you overlooked. As writers, we do this so often that it can be easy to overlook small mistakes or become over confident in our first drafts. Be sure to stop, slow down, and re-read your post before you send it in.

This guest post is contributed by Barbara Jolie, who writes for online classes.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: barbara.jolie876@gmail.com.

Book Feature & Guest Post: Sleeping Roses by RaShelle Workman

Today I'm featuring author RaShelle Workman here on the blog, as part of an Orangeberry Virtual Book Tour. To find more blogs participating, go here.

The Guest Post

Recently, I was asked the question:

Would you choose fame or fortune?
Immediately, I said fortune, of course. I'm a shy person, and I'd rather staple my finger multiple times than speak in front of a large group, or have the spotlight aimed on me. *shudders*

But as I thought about it, another question popped into my head.

Can you have one without the other?
In the writing world, the more you're "known", the more likely your book is to be purchased. When the big 6 market a book, they're marketing the author as much as her novel. It's why we're told to have a platform, and be involved in social media like Twitter, Facebook, blog, Wattpad, Pinterest... and on, and on.

What do you think? Is it possible?

About the Book

Sophie married into a lie.
Sick of her dangerous marriage, Sophie leaves her husband, determined to start a new life.

But her husband isn't going to let her go that easily. If he can't have her, no one can.
It's hunter versus hunted.

Praise for Sleeping Roses:
"It's strange, mysterious, and down right cool! It made me wonder if this really happened." Jek Jamison

"A suspense/thriller where nothing is as it seems." Heartsong Reviews

"From the first page to the last I was captivated by Sophie's journey as told by Ms Workman. Well crafted twists and turns kept me completely enthralled and unwilling to put it down. I found myself empathizing with the characters I closely identified with and feeling compassion, as Sophie did, for those less likable. The author's ability to express the feelings and emotions of the characters transcended the words on the pages." D. Olson


If you think you know how it ends, hold on. You have no idea.

Buy it on Amazon

Author Bio

Lover of books, baking, and toffee-making. The author of Aligned: An Immortal Essence Short Story, Exiled, Sleeping Roses, and the soon-to-be released series, Blood and Snow. Honorary nerd with attitude.

You can find her over at her website, on Facebook and Twitter, or Goodreads.

Guest Post: Reyna Hawk on Character Creation

Characters are what take a book from "good" to "amazing". I always wonder how authors go about creating them. Do they take pieces of the people around them, or do they just come to be inside of their heads? I asked author Reyna Hawk to speak her mind on the matter. Make sure you also check out her website!

The Guest Post

Character Creation

When I’m in the beginning processes of writing a novel or book I tend to begin with a scenario or chain of events and build my characters around the particular events. I will decide in the early stages whether the main character will be male, female, or perhaps a couple of main characters. I will then build the characters from there. I will try to do a small outline for the character’s events as a guide; although I do not always adhere to the outline. From the start I have decided what the characters will look like and their personality types. I have to be able to visualize each character as a person, if I can’t then they usually either get axed from the script or meet an early demise.

Many times the characters will have attributes of people in real life that I know; whether this is physical or personality wise. I may place a family member, friend, or even my own personality or mannerism to the character. I have also put celebrity faces to the characters in order to be able to visualize them in my head as I am progressing through the storyline. I must feel some kind of connection or warmth to the character and have even gotten attached to some of the characters. This always makes it rather sad when the book ends.

Many characters have evolved into the storyline or into a completely different person. As I am writing I may become unhappy with where the story is going; so I stop and completely re-work it and possibly add additional characters to help the progression. I usually have a general idea on what will happen with each character. However, there have been events that came out of the blue, but fit the plot or direction of the storyline.

In my recent book, “Looking Through Blind Eyes”, there are several events that were re-worked numerous times. I don’t want to say too much as not to give any of the details away. I will just say some of the events I didn’t know would happen as they did until that precise moment.

Bio

Reyna Hawk is a 44 year old mother of one son and grandmother to one beautiful 3 year old little girl. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio Reyna has always loved writing and story-telling. From a very young age she was making up stories to tell her school friends. Reyna has an Associate of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology.

Her newest book “Looking Through Blind Eyes” was released on May 17, 2012 and is book one in a series of three concerning the character Janie Valentine. This series follows the twists and turns of Janie’s life when she unknowingly becomes entangled with the Petrilo Crime Family.

Book two of the series is titled “The Reflection of Secrets”; book three is tentatively titled “Shattered Visions Haunted Memories” no release date has been set as of yet for either book. Other book projects Reyna is working on: Angels and Arrows and Family or Foe.

Guest Post: Kelsey on Blogging

Hi guys, I got a very special guest over today. I had a call on Twitter a week ago to find some guest bloggers to stop by on Nyx Book Reviews, and fellow book blogger Kelsey decided to help me out! Kelsey is the mastermind behind Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf. Check out her blog too! (:

The Guest Post

What I've learned about myself from blogging

I've been blogging for almost a year now, and I feel like I've learned so much about it along the way, but here is a little list of the things blogging has taught me about myself.

I can't be forced to read anything. Back in high school they would give us books to read and write reports about, and I really sucked at it actually. I had trouble keeping interest and my book reports always had ok marks, because I had difficulty explaining anything, let alone remembering what I read. Not only were the books not what I enjoyed, but I've just never liked being forced to read anything. I didn't fully realized how much I liked reading and choosing my own books until I started blogging, and realized how many awesome books there are out there!

I need to write for myself. When I first started blogging, I was really worried about not sounding professional or not having anything well written, or people liking my content. But after visiting other blogs and keeping up with my own posts for almost a year now, I realized that it doesn't really matter. As long as I write what I care about, get my feelings out there and be as honest as I can, that's what's important. Otherwise it would get boring and be bland and I would most likely give up on it completely. After all, blogging isn't about impressing others, but sharing your experiences and having fun right?

I'm more confident and less shy than I thought I would be. All those book bloggers out there were the reason for this. When I first started out, of course I had a lot of questions, but I was a bit worried about bugging others constantly. But I did it anyway, and not only would I get many answers to help me out right away, all the comments on reviews and my posts cheering me on just made my day, and help me feel more a part of everything. I think this whole experience has changed me a bit, and I love all of it.

I think just being a part of something and doing what you love is a great thing, but if it can inspire you to change, adapt, or learn, then it's even more worthwhile to keep doing it. Sop hopefully I'm doing this for years to come! Have there been any ways in which blogging has changed you?

Bio

Hi! I’m Kelsey, and I’m a 24 year old Canadian girl.

I work in the printing industry with a small company, running digital machines, and doing a bit of design. I’m the manager of bindery, and shipping jobs to clients.

I originally started my blog because I wanted to test out WordPress so I could help with my work’s blog. I fell in love with the idea, played around with a few things, and eventually I decided to change it into a book blog August 2011, thanks to a read-a-thon.

Guest Post: Advice for Aspiring Writers by Liz Reinhardt (Blog Tour)

This guest post is a part of the Forgiving Trinity Tour hosted by Amanda over at Letters Inside Out. I asked Liz whether or not she had some advice for all of those aspiring authors out there, and here is her wonderful answer (:

The Guest Post

Advice for Aspiring Writers

I’m actually super glad Celine asked me to write this one, because every author I know gets this question. A LOT! There are huge numbers of aspiring writers, and here’s the cool thing…a few years ago, you could have the most amazing book around, and if you couldn’t get an agent or publishing house to sit up and take interest, it wound up sitting on your hard-drive forever. And ever!

Today there is a revolution in indie writing. More and more authors are opting to self-publish their work, and they’re reaching more readers than ever. So say you maybe have the writing bug? What should you do?! I’ll totally give my advice FOR FREE, and you can read it or ignore it or disagree with it…but I’m sincerely glad you’re on your way. The world needs more awesome books!

1.   Finish your book.



This is funny! You can totally buy the shirt and wear it…but ironically. Because YOU WILL FINISH YOUR BOOK! You will. I know you can do it.

2. Finish your book. You might say, “Hey, Liz! That was rule number one!” It is. It’s so important, it could be one, two, and three. It could even be four and five. And maybe six.
   
   Here’s the thing. I’m not saying you HAVE TO finish every single book you start. Take the book you’re passionate about. Sit down. WRITE IT. ALL. TO “THE END.”
   
   Maybe you’re not totally happy with it. (It’s really normal to not be in love with it…in fact, you should be kind of stumped about some things.) Maybe it’s riddled with missing commas and flat characters and plot holes. ALL. TOTALLY. OKAY! Why? Because you’ve got a FINISHED BOOK to work on!
   
   Some people moan and groan about edits. I LOVE edits! LOVE EM! I don’t want you guys reading my soggy, messy, mistake-riddled crap. I want you to see the book I buffed to a glossy shine. So let’s say you and I wrote a book and it’s DONE!
   
   Well, it’s not done at all ;)! 
   
   



Cause it will have holes and problems and issues…but you’ll solve them! How? So glad you asked. See number three, directly below this terrible picture!

3. Get help! GET HELP!!!!
   
   Thank Kali for the internet! The internet is where I met every single one of my amazing critique partners. One I met through a YA Writers’ club we were both in. One I met through the comments of a blog we both followed. One I met because we’d read each other’s books and loved them. All different ways, all different styles of critique partners, all amazing!
   
   You may think, “No one understands my vision! This is my baby! My words are precious!” Get over it…right now! If you choose critique partners who love you and adore you, they will help you so much. They will tell you what they love about your writing and encourage you to do more. They will point out inconsistencies, mistakes, plot wholes, character weakness, funny wording, and bad dialogue. And then? You go back and fix it all!! WOOHOO!!
   
   Choose wisely. Your book IS amazing (correction: your book WILL BE amazing!), and if you don’t give it to people who will love/cherish/beat-it-up-for-your-own-good-but-sweetly, it will NEVER BE ITS BEST!!
   
   

   

   Doesn’t Rosie just make cleaning up whatev feel like futuristic fun?! Maybe writers of the future will have sassy cyborgs to help them edit!

4. You don’t have to do this alone!!
   
   There are so many people who can help you…and at first you might be poor and can’t afford it all. But get what you can for free/cheap/barter. I have a bunch of awesome friends who do read-throughs for typos. I have beta readers and crit partners who do their thing for my love and support. I would love to one day hire top notch editors, just so I can stop making my friends scream over my missing words and incorrect colon usage.
   
   Cover artists range in price. Find one you like who’s in your price range, and see what you can do! Remember, if you’re indie, you can change your cover/price anytime, so there’s room to play around with any decision you make!
   
   Contact book bloggers and ask them (politely) if they’d like to read a copy of your book (IF your book matches their submission guidelines AND they’re taking books on). Book bloggers are the gods and goddesses of the writing world. Authors swoon over them! And why not?! They are amazing people who READ BOOKS AND WRITE ABOUT THEM JUST BECAUSE THEY LOVE BOOKS!! WHAT?! That’s passion I can get behind!
   
   

   

   You don’t need to have a big, shiny publishing deal to find a whole crew of people who will love and help you!

   I think my main point here is that writing a book is a ton of work…but it’s tremendously fun and thoughtful work, and you have so many lovely people to connect with and make it happen! Find those people! Make them your village!! Oh, and that brings me to my last, most important piece of advice:
   
   
5. Find other writer friends.
   
   Do not make connections with authors and immediately tell them how much they’d love your book. Actually, one of the ways I made quite a few of my friends was by reading their books! I sent them notes telling them how much I loved their work (and I meant it!), and sometimes we really hit it off! Writing can be kind of lonely and confusing, It’s hard to put your work out there and have other people talk about what they don’t like or what they think you did badly. It’s nice to have a shoulder to cry on, especially if that shoulder GETS IT! My greatest happiness is the amazing writer friends I’ve met and grown close to on my journey!
   
   

   

   True that, Calvin. When you find your Hobbes, hold on tight!

Thank you so much for having me on and letting me share my tips, Celine!

Bio

Liz Reinhardt was born and raised in the idyllic beauty of northwest NJ. A move to the subtropics of coastal Georgia with her daughter and husband left her with a newly realized taste for the beach and a bloated sunscreen budget that exist right alongside an intense longing for the bagels and fast-talking foul mouths of her youth. She loves Raisinettes, even if they aren’t really candy, the Oxford comma, movies that are hilarious or feature zombies, any and all books, but especially romance (the smarter and hotter, the better), the sound of her daughter’s incessantly wise and entertaining chatter, and watching her husband work on cars in the driveway. You can read her blog at elizabethreinhardt.blogspot.com, like her on Facebook, or email her at lizreinhardtwrites@gmail.com.

Guest Post: Sheryl Steines on Strong Heroines (Blog Tour)

It's been a while since I participated in a blog tour, but today I present to you Novel Publicity's Whirlwind tour of Sheryl Steines's book, The Day of First Sun. Read on to see how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour (including $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire and more).

The Guest Post

The Strong Female

I am always amazed to hear that, in the year 2012, women are still talking about strong female characters. It’s funny that we’re always surprised when one comes along. Even in Hollywood, actresses still can’t find roles to sink their teeth into. As a reader, I look for characters that I can relate to in some way; a character who is more than a damsel in distress but less than an unfeeling, mean, witch. I’m putting it gently, but I’m looking for someone, who when facing a problem, doesn’t necessarily need a man to bail her out--a woman who can take care of herself in spite of her vulnerabilities. Because in reality, women are multi-layered and complex. We don’t fall to one end of an extreme or the other.

When I was younger, I started reading Danielle Steele, but I couldn't read her for long. Her female characters were far too needy and always put themselves in a position of requiring a savior. Even as a child, I couldn't help but wonder why these characters always needed a man to improve their lives. Why couldn’t they simply take care of themselves? It seemed as though female characters fell into two camps, and only two. They were either villains, witches, someone to be hated and despised, or they were weak, pathetic, your classic damsels in distress. Why is fiction lacking real women, women who can simply be human and celebrate all that they are?

As I got older, I found myself drawn to shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I saw in Buffy a strong character. Yes, she could kick ass, kill the vampires and fight the demons. She also had a brain, could plan, and could save the world each week. But she wasn't uni-dimensional. She also has a side that liked clothes, shoes and boys, a side that was feminine, a little vulnerable; a side that, okay, sometimes needed to be saved. She was a complex female character, real and human, a character with whom I could definitely relate.

The strong female character isn’t a caricature or stereotype. She’s not a total wimp like Snow White, and she’s not a total monster like the evil queen. She falls somewhere in the middle. She’s reactive, emotional, human, sexual, confident and sometimes unsure of herself.

When I originally wrote my character Annie Pearce in The Day of First Sun, I wrote her as a no-nonsense person, strong and smart, the girl who could survive on her own. But she didn’t feel genuine. As the story unfolded and changed, I rewrote her, gave her friends and family with whom she could interact. I gave her feelings, gave her stress. I let the other characters take charge once in awhile and offer some support. I melded two halves into one woman--a strong woman, who can take care of herself and ask for help when necessary. We’re not perfect, so why should our characters be? Instead, why can’t we make them simply authentic?

Charlize Theron made a really compelling comment regarding her character in the movie Young Adult. She said, "Women are usually either really good prostitutes or really good mothers. Maybe women are finally getting the chance to play more honest characters," Theron said. "We usually don't get to play bad hookers or bad mothers -- or anything in between."

Maybe it’s time to be a little more real and a little more honest.

The Tour

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Day of First Sun eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes, including: $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes you can find here. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win!

To win the prizes:

> Purchase your copy of The Day of First Sun for just 99
cents
> Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity
> Visit today’s featured social media event

Help Nyx Book Reviews win:

The tour blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card. (That is one hell of a big gift card!)When you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to vote for me! <3

Book & Bio

About the book: When Princess Amelie of Amborix is murdered by magical means, Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard are called in by the FBI. Their job is to help solve the crime while keeping the non-magical world from discovering the existence of the Wizard Council.

During their investigation, Annie and Cham discover that Princess Amelie’s death is connected to a series of other crimes in the Chicago area. A larger plot involving, a vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soul-less zombies is revealed, but can Annie and Cham discover who is responsible before The Day of First Sun? Get it on Amazon.

About the author: Sheryl Steines’ mind is chaotic and surprising and it shows in her writing. Never one to sit back and see what may come, Sheryl is driven to write everyday. Somehow, amidst the chaos, she finds the time to volunteer and give talks to book clubs and students about her writing. She even walked the Avon Breast Cancer walk two years in a row.

Sheryl’s series Annie Loves Cham is full of surprises and mystery. Refusing to be restricted by genre Sheryl has taken the characters she loves and set them in new situations which test them and their friendships. The second book in the series is set to release in late summer 2012.Visit Sheryl on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

Guest Post: Darke Conteur on Book Bloggers

With the rise of indie and self-published ebooks, there is a different way of bringing the books to the public needed. Traditional media doesn't cover these books yet. That's where we come in, book bloggers! Darke is here today to share her view as a writer on this all.

The Guest Post

Book Review Bloggers; the backbone of Ebook marketing?

If you've been floating around the writing world over the last couple of years, no doubt you've been bombarded with 'experts' telling you to join as many social sites as possible, as this is the key to marketing your book. I say, forget Twitter or Facebook for promoting your novel. In the new digital age, the book blogger can be the strongest tool a writer has to promote their work.

With the tsunami of indie and self-published books washing over the publishing world, many things are changing. One of them is the way people find new books among the piles of hopefuls. I read an article online that stated the majority of readers find books through recommendations by book store employees, but many of those are geared toward traditionally published books, overlooking some of the smaller indie or self-published novels. This is where the book blogger comes in.

Book blogging has exploded over the last few years. These fanatics of reading take to their keyboards and give their honest opinions of books. To some, that might seem intimidating. The thought of getting a bad review sits in the forefront of every writer's mind, but part of writing is accepting and dealing with criticism. Not everyone is going to like your work, and how you handle these reviews tells a lot about how well your writing career will proceed.

Another reason book bloggers are becoming so popular--their honesty. How often have you bought a book through Amazon/Smashwords/Apple/Nook/Kobo on the high recommendations of the comments from other readers, only to find it's not worth the money you paid? It's a sure bet the author's friends put up those reviews trying to be helpful and supportive, but any writer will tell you that close friends and family are the WORST people to review our work (unless, of course, they're professional writers). Their attachment to us is what fuels their comments and many don't understand that a high-praised, raving review does more harm than good.

Book bloggers give an honest opinion not only the story, but everything about the book; from the cover design and grammar (or lack of), right down to how the book made them feel. For a writer this is invaluable information. It shows the author where the weak points are, and in the long run, helping them to become a better writer. As these bloggers aren't paid, it puts more credibility on their honesty. The only thing that's motivating them is their love of books and a good story. The same thing that motivates writers.

Bio

I am a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM) with a passion for writing. At the mercy of my Muse, I create stories ranging from paranormal to science fiction, or whatever she decided to whisper into my ear. When not writing, I look after one Husband, one son (Sithboy), two cats and a ghost dog.

You can visit Darke on her blog, her other blog, or find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Guest Post: Emily Cale on Writing

Being a writer is such a mystical job. And the world usually thinks it must be easy, just write some words on paper and make money. Well, Emily is here today to disprove all of the writing myths!

The Guest Post

You might think working from home and writing is all fun and games. Who doesn't want to spend their day sitting at a fancy desk, typing, sipping coffee, and chatting with their author friends? I almost forgot to mention the fun of not having to deal with traffic, coworkers, or an angry boss. When I first imagined being an author, I figured it would be the most glamorous life possible. I forgot about a few things.

1. You actually have to write. Don't get me wrong, I love writing and adore my characters. The problem is that some days they don't love me. In an ideal world, I want to write 5000 words a day when I sit down. I fall short of that goal a lot. Sometimes it is because I'm goofing off on the internet or watching TV. Other times it's because the book simply won't behave and even though my hands have been on the keyboard all day, I have less than a page to show.

2. You have to do more than write books. Yeah, I never thought about that part either. There are multiple sets of edits that take up a huge chunk of time (self edits, content edits, line edits, proofreading). Then there is all the promotion after a book comes out. Writing blog posts (like this one) and dealing with email all take up a huge amount of time, but have to be done. Then there is all the social networking. Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and whatever sites you are involved on are important ways to network and meet new friends, but they can also turn into a time suck.

3. It gets lonely. Sure, I have friends and a husband, but sometimes living in your head becomes a very solitary place. When I'm at the office for my day job, the other people in my office stop by to chat, my office mate and I complain to one another, and there is a general sense of shared suffering. When I'm in my office at home, it's just me and my cat.

Despite these things, I wouldn't change a thing. Being an author was a dream of mine since I was in elementary school and I am so lucky that I got to make my dreams come true. The truth is that if I was to make a list of the things I love it would take up more space than my general host would allow me.

Okay, question time. Ask me anything. I reserve the right not to answer if the question is too personal, but I'm pretty open.

Bio

Emily Cale spent the majority of her childhood as a visitor to the worlds of her favorite authors. With encouragement from her English teachers, she put pen to paper and began imagining her own stories. Preferring the fascinating lives of her characters, she majored in creative writing. When not lost in a manuscript or a good book, she enjoys crocheting, rock climbing, and playing board games. She
currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and a very spoiled cat. You can find her on her blog (http://www.emilycale.blogspot.com) or on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/emilycale).

Her Book

Emily's LGBT erotic short Public Display of Affection is out now through Decadent Publishing. Click on the image to read the blurb & to find information on buying it. (I decided not to post the blurb here as it contains content that might offend some of my readers ^^)

You can also find this book on Amazon and on All Romance.

Guest Post: Shannon Mayer on KDP Select

Amazon has a new initiative called KDP Select. What is this and what will this mean for us as readers? And what will this mean for authors? Author Shannon Meyer is here today to explain this all for us.

The Guest Post

Amazon’s KDP Select and Prime- What this means for Readers and Authors

Mid December 2011, Amazon launched their new program, KDP Select alongside Amazon Prime. These two programs changed the face of the publishing industry AGAIN.

I was leery at first. The whole premise behind KDP select for authors was that you put your book EXCLUSIVELY through Amazon for a period of 3 months. During that time, READERS could choose to “borrow” your book through the lending library for FREE.

Amazon set aside $500,000 to be distributed between all the lends during the month of December (which ended up being $1.70 a lend). For authors who were only selling their book at .99 this is a great return as normally they would only get .34 profit per sale. But for any author selling at 2.99 or better, it was a loss in the profit department.

But how does Amazon keep up with this pot of money for their authors? Amazon Prime, a program you can try for FREE for 1 month, is where this question is answered. After your free month with Prime, unless you uncheck the subscription button (which I found with QUITE a bit of searching, they sure don’t make it easy to get out of the loop) you will be billed $80 for the year. You then can BORROW up to 1 book per month along with some other perks, which I’ll let you check out yourself.
Now, Amazon has announced that they have upped the “pot” for the authors to $700,000 for the month of January. Again, will encourage more authors to take part in the program, ultimately dropping the amount of money per lend, as well as how many of your books would be “borrowed”. IMO.

This also has opened a whole new can of worms because Amazon has set it up that every 3 months you are signed up with KDP Select as an author, you can put your book for FREE for up to 5 days. As you can imagine, this is causing quite a kafuffle in the Free Ranks.

Okay, but WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS ALL MEAN? It means that Amazon is going to push out their competitors unless they make a move in the subscription route REAL fast. It means that authors are going to have to figure out if it’s worth it for them and get on board fast if they’re going to.

My reaction? As an author, I signed up 2 of my 4 books with KDP Select. Sundered, A Zombie-ish Apocalypse and Dark Waters, Celtic Legacy Book 1, are available for lending for free to a reader who is signed up with Prime.

Will I put them up for free? Still weighing that out.

For readers, I think if you don’t have a Kindle or a device that you can read Kindle books on (like an iPad) you might just want to. A lot of authors are taking this route, which means that a number of books won’t be available anywhere else. Hell, I’ve seen BIG names signed up for Prime. Like Suzanne Collins, you know, of Hunger Games Fame?

Overall, this is a big shift, one that can benefit both readers and authors alike if they get the facts and read all the fine print. However this all falls out, will be fascinating, a ride that may make us all get a white knuckled grip going on. ;p

Bio

After a 2 year period waiting on her agent to actually do something, Ms. Mayer dropped the agent, and self published her first trilogy, A Zombie-ish Apocalypse which includes Sundered, Bound and Dauntless. Her latest book, Dark Waters: Celtic Legacy Book 1 centers on the bonds of sisters while delving into the world of nightmares and magic.

For more info on Shannon Mayer and her writing go to http://shannonmayer.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter @TheShannonMayer.

Friday Meet & Greet over at Books, Biscuits & Tea!

Today I'm visiting Books, Biscuits & Tea, where I got interviewed by the always awesome Vicky. Hop over there and find out how I thought of my blog name, why I decided to start blogging, and my advice for new bloggers!


~Read my post here~

Guest Post: Lynna Merrill (The Seekers of Fire)

A little later than planned, I would like to introduce author Lynna Merrill! She has written a character interview for NBR. If you're interested in her books, feel free to visit her on her website.

The Seekers of Fire

The Bers have ruled Mierenthia with fire magic and an iron fist for hundreds of years, but now their magic is failing. The firepipes are dry. The firewells gape cold and empty, and the factories are shutting down. Light, warmth, and food are scarce. Strange creatures appear not only in the distant forests but even in the cities, the Bers' own strongholds.

Amidst this chaos arises Linden, a young commoner woman who dares oppose a Ber with forbidden magic of her own. She is joined by Rianor, the High Ruler of Qynnsent, who defies what the Bers call a noble's greatest responsibility. The two tamper with the half-ridiculed, half-forbidden idea of science and believe that there is more to science than the Bers and mentors would have people think.

Dominick, a young mentor, one of the priestly class who keep people from thinking aberrant thoughts, starts to question the Ber world even as he is trying to save it.

Merley, a young Ber woman who sees things that others cannot, saves a condemned boy and seeks out a reprobate old witch.

As these young people choose the paths rarely taken and make paths of their own, others try to pull their strings and shape the world according to their own wills.

The Interview

Interviewer: So, tell us about yourself. What are your dreams? What are your fears?

Linden: You must know that already. You must have already tried to breach my mind. For the eighteen years of my life I have learned that those who ask the questions already know the answers. At least, they attempt to. There is no safe place in Mierenthia. Not for those with thoughts even slightly diverging from what the Bers and mentors claim we must think. There is no safe place for those who want to make their own choices.

Interviewer: But no one could ever breach your mind.

Linden: None of them ever succeeded. Even the Ber who attacked me could not make me fall.

Interviewer: Why would a Ber attack you? The Bers protect people. They give you all fire and warmth. They are Mierenthia's caretakers and guardians, the ones who make sure that the unspeakable ones who lurk by the world's edges do not creep closer. They are the ones who protect you from your own selves.

Linden: Ask the Bers why. Ask them what happened to the world. Ask them why the firepipes broke in people's homes, or why the factories are failing even though the Bers torture wretches so that Ber magic would continue to exist. This magic does not exist any more. Not really. It is weak, so very weak---and yet we have nothing to replace it with. Ask the Bers why there is no warmth, no food, why the rites of master crafters, which used to give us food, clothes, and even canned food, produce nothing these days.

Most of all, ask the Bers why even the master crafters have no idea how their rites are supposed to work. Ask why even basic tools are denies to us, and why science is rudimentary and ridiculed as nothing more than a trifling pursuit for those with too much time to waste. Magic was what used to run our world. Now, magic is dying, and yet it has gripped the whole world tightly in its fist like a falling giant clutching madly at something, anything.

Even a dying giant's grip can be deadly.

Ask your questions of the Bers. Perhaps they will give you an answer. They gave none to Rianor and me. So, we are taking matters into our own hands.

Bio

Lynna Merrill was accused at an early age that she lived in a world of her own. Since then she has changed the country, continent, and language—but she still lives in worlds of her own. One of these is the world of Mierenthia. A part of it, together with some of its people and conflicts, has recently been chronicled in the first three books of Lynna’s fantasy series, The Masters That Be. Nine books are planned. Lynna also makes her own cover and interior art.

In the real world Lynna has a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the Ohio State University and has worked on various open source software projects, both as a volunteer and as an employee. She wrote the almost 300,000 words of her first three books in the VIM text editor.

Lynna is interested in books (of course),  computers, and “what if” questions. She lives by lake Ontario with her husband and soulmate, Alex.

What Makes a Good Cover?

Quite a while ago, Pavarti asked me to do a guest post on her blog, preferably about book covers. Now, a few months later, the post is finally there! I would like to thank Pavarti for letting me talk about my biggest passion of all time: books!

When you are standing in front of your local bookstore's fantasy section, or romance section, or whatever section is your favourite, there is one thing that immediately will catch your eye. The book covers. They all have different shapes, different colours, that make them unique. They will try to draw you in, mysteriously hinting at their insides. Some of them you will love instantly. Others will make you frown, or more likely, you won't even notice them. What makes a good cover?


Read my post on Pavarti's blog! >>

Books I Love: Sword & Sorcery Fantasy

Books I Love is a weekly feature hosted by Nyx Book Reviews where a guest blogger can gush about his or her favourite genre of choice. 

This week's Books I Love guest blogger:

Sabine about Sword & Sorcery!

Fantasy has many sub-genres, such as epic, high, low, sword and sorcery, urban, etc. Sword and Sorcery is one of my favorite genres in fantasy. If you have read Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane (1970) novels, then you know what I am talking about. I also think Terry Brooks’s The Sword of Shannara (1977) series is more of sword and sorcery than epic fantasy as it is normally classified.

The main difference between epic and sword and sorcery is the scale on which the story is set. Epic fantasy has a larger than life hero who fights for the survival of his world. There are grand battles and there are many other characters who play vital roles in order to bring about the victory for the hero. Since the story is set on a big scale, it usually becomes a trilogy or a series and in the end, the hero saves the world from destruction. Sword and Sorcery might have a hero who saves the world but the story usually starts with the hero’s quest for personal gain or motive. The overall scope of the story remains centered around the main character and the adventures he has.

Sword and Sorcery has two key elements: sword, that is a magical talisman or weapon and sorcery, that is magic.

Let’s talk about sorcery. The use of magic involves creating a magical system and rules. Without that, a writer will simply end up blundering in the dark. A good sword and sorcery fantasy book requires a well-developed magic system with limits. You cannot have a sorcerer doing everything possible with a simple shake of his hands. Magic needs to have boundaries so that sorcerers are not invincible. Instead, they are vulnerable and mortal. They can be injured or killed. They make mistakes and live ordinary lives but do extraordinary things.

Sword is the magical weapon. It doesn’t have to be a literal sword. It can be a stone, a dagger…or anything that grants its user special powers. Usually the hero (or heroine) will have to first acquire this sword, then learn to master it and finally wield in an epic battle that will decide the fate of humanity. In some cases, the hero actually makes or creates this magical weapon or it is created for him by his companions or some other person in the story.

I like the fact that Sword and sorcery fantasy does not always have to be about good versus evil. It can stem from the hero’s desire to avenge his family or for some other personal reason…but it does usually end up being about good versus evil and sometimes the hero is the reluctant protagonist dreading every step to the final battle. It does not make the hero weak. Instead it makes him stronger because he is doing something for others even though he personally does not want to do it.

My fondness for Sword and Sorcery stories stems from the fact that there is usually a lot of action, a fast-paced plot, characters who are forced to undergo intense changes in their lives and need to achieve extraordinary goals.

I would like to thank Sabine for her clear explanation of the Sword & Sorcery genre!

(don't forget to leave her a comment and to visit her blog)

Read more about Books I Love

Books I Love: Crime Noir

Books I Love is a weekly feature hosted by Nyx Book Reviews where a guest blogger can gush about his or her favourite genre of choice. 

This week's Books I Love guest blogger:

Troy about Crime Noir!

“Do you ever notice you talk a lot, but never get to the point?” – Karen DiCilia, Gold Coast

Language spoken in crime noir is different than other novels. They have a rough cadence when they speak, rarely from the good district of town, and fewer still have had the opportunity to better themselves in any way possible rather than by the end of the gun. Crime noir is an alternative to detective/murder mysteries. Crime noir keeps to its roots as a base level of humanity, edgier in its style because the good guy has to fight to win and may never do so.

The way Elmore Leonard’s characters speak is remarkable because it keeps the education level at where you would guess a criminal would be at. That doesn’t mean all criminals are idiots, but few talk with the proper grammar that an academic would care for. Jim Thompson does everyone writing crime noir one better by making his characters depraved to the point of no return. He ended up taking a wide turn right when everyone else decided to go left.

In the 1950s, Thompson wrote several crime noir books, some in less than a month with little rewriting. That appeared to add to his style. His characters spoke in forms, cut off half way through sentences, and never with the proper inflection to their tone. Deputy Lou Ford who narrates The Killer Inside Me (1952) speaks in clichés, and talks of his addiction to “the sickness.” These types of characters showcase a base that society is typically unwilling to acknowledge but must admit is out there. Thompson continued this streak of character and language on in the 1957 book The Getaway. It is where no one person in the story is innocent, nor incapable of doing harm to another person for the benefit of greed.

When I select a book to read, I look for the honesty of the writer. Thompson and Leonard possess that honesty that their characters are as real as it gets. Most are mill workers or people without means. Those are the people I know. And few, if any of them, speak proper grammar. Mostly, they speak as themselves, which is the best type of writing, and character. Hopefully, Karen DiCilia would be relieved that I got to the point in this article.

Troy Kirby is a writer in the Pacific Northwest, author of the crime novel “Crunk” and horror novella “The Deity.” His blog www.troykirby.com touches on random topics, from writing, to the world in general.

I would like to thank Troy for his interesting choice!

(don't forget to leave him a comment and to visit his blog)

Read more about Books I Love

Books I Love: Contemporary Young-Adult

Books I Love is a weekly feature hosted by Nyx Book Reviews where a guest blogger can gush about his or her favourite genre of choice. 

This week's Books I Love guest blogger:

Tracy about Contemporary Young-Adult!

My name is Tracy Marchini, and I love contemporary YA.

There are several reasons that I could give you for my love of contemporary YA – the ability to explore a tough situation that may have affected myself or a friend, the ability to go back to a cooler, most exciting version of high school, or even as a way to vicariously rebel like I wished I could as a teen! But in celebration of my new short story Effie At The Wedding, I thought I’d let my character Effie give us a few words about her love of contemporary YA.

7 Reasons Contemporary YA Is Better Than Being Trapped In A Bathroom Stall

  7.) Contemporary YA novels tend to smell better.
  6.) If I had a contemporary YA novel with me right now, I might be slightly less embarrassed about being trapped in the bathroom stall, because the character would be suffering something far more embarrassing. (It would also distract me from what’s happening in the stall next door. Just because a wedding is open bar, doesn’t mean you have to DRINK THE WHOLE BAR.)
  5.) It can be handy for new playlists. I mean, not that I live under a rock or anything, but I wouldn’t have heard of the Smiths if it wasn’t for David Leviathan.
  4.) Contemporary YA novels don’t have dragons in them. I don’t really like dragons, unless we’re describing my Uncle Leo who occasionally tries to breathe fire at family functions.
  3.) Number four is probably happening AS WE SPEAK, and I’m totally missing it.
  2.) I usually know EXACTLY how the protagonist of a contemporary novel feels. As you can probably guess by my stuck-in-the-bathroom-situation, I am a bit on the clumsy, unpopular and unlucky side. But the protagonists of contemp YA stories tend to win in the end because they are so clumsy and weird. Here’s hoping that I end up on the other side of that line (and the other side of the stall!)
  1.) Okay, okay, ANY book is better than being trapped in a stall. If you can’t get me out, could you please pass a book under the door?

I would like to thank Tracy for her amusing top 7!

(don't forget to leave them a comment and to visit her blog)

Read more about Books I Love

Blog Tour: The Demon Kiss by Lacey Weatherford (Book Excerpt)

Today I would like to welcome back Lacey Weatherford, author of the Witches and Warlocks series! She is sharing a part of her wonderful book, The Demon Kiss, today. This tour is part of The Bookish Snob Promotions. Click the banner to find more blogs participating in this tour!

Chapter 2

The emotions hit me all at once, and suddenly everything was spinning out of control. I took off running down a narrow hallway and into a large shipping area, looking frantically around the enormous room the second I entered it.
There he was, standing across the huge space in front of me, rifling through an old filing cabinet. His back was to me, but I knew his leather and jean clad physique anywhere.
My breath caught, and I could feel my pulse racing in my neck at my reaction to seeing him.
He straightened suddenly, stopping what he was doing. Slowly, he turned to face me with a puzzled look on his face.
Our eyes connected instantly across the room.
“Portia?” he breathed out softly, looking at me in confusion, as if he couldn’t believe what his eyes were showing him.
“Hello, Vance,” I replied, trying to sound calm and collected, but I couldn’t keep the tiny tremor out that crept into my voice.
I couldn’t judge his reaction to tell whether or not he was happy to see me standing there in front of him.
He hesitated for a moment, before he started moving toward me, quickly then, and my heart began pounding hard in my chest.
I matched his pace then, crossing the room toward him, meeting him in the middle, with all sorts of thoughts tumbling in my mind, relief and anger being the foremost ones.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, stopping just short of me, as if he was afraid to touch me, and I saw the uncertainty flash over his face.
“I came to do this,” I said, my emotions threatening to boil over the surface in that very moment.
I swung back and punched him in the jaw as hard as I could.

Official Book Blurb

Can someone else's past come back to bite you?
After being drained of nearly all the blood in her body, novice witch, Portia Mullins, wakes up to find that her warlock boyfriend, Vance Mangum, has fled in search of his demon father. Determined to keep him from facing the evil alone Portia follows after him, unknowingly setting herself on the path of a new adventure that will take her, Vance, and their coven over international borders, into a foreign place where they will discover that the black magic which awaits them is far worse than they ever imagined. Portia finds herself tangled up in a web of lies and deceit in another's quest for demonic power in the excitingly romantic second paranormal novel in the Of Witches and Warlocks Series, The Demon Kiss.

Buy This Book

• Smashwords
• Amazon (Paperback)
• Amazon (Kindle)
• Barnes & Noble (Paperback)
• Barnes & Noble (Nook)

The Demon Kiss Tour Grand Prize
The Grand Prize winner will receive swag, signed copies of books 1, 2, 3, & 4, AND will be written into an interactive scene with VANCE in book four too! Want extra entries? You can get 1 more entry for every time you comment on the tour, and 5 more entries for every time you send a Tweet or Facebook the link to that day’s blog post. Make sure you keep track of those as you will be asked to submit verification links when you enter the giveaway.
Good Luck! May the “Vance” be with YOU!

Author Bio
Lacey Weatherford has always had a love of books. She wanted to become a writer after reading her first Nancy Drew novel at the age of eight.
When she is not reading, writing, blogging, or doing book tours for her current series, she can often be found out at sporting/musical events which her kids are in or texting like crazy with her best friend.
Lacey resides in the White Mountains of Arizona, where she lives with her husband, six children, one son-in-law, and the family dog Sophie.

Visit the next stop: Book Lover's Hideaway

See full tour schedule

Guest Post: Graham Parke on Publishing

As you probably know, to become an internationally best-selling author, you need to sell three books. This is not an easy task, but once you’ve managed to rack up these three sales, the rest is more or less a done deal.

Now, these sales themselves will not put you on the best-seller lists. They won’t even put you within a million spots of the bottom of the lists, but what they will do, and what they do every time, is spark a slowly growing buying frenzy that will get you there.

These three people will love your book, they will tell another five people, who in turn tell another seven. Within roughly four-and-a-half weeks, you finally make your first million.
That’s how it happens. Every single time.

But, how does an author tackle this monumental task? Where does he find these three readers?

I myself was quite lucky. When my novel appeared on Amazon I already knew over five people! What’s more, some of these people even liked me... somewhat. So I set out to become an internationally best-selling author by convincing at least three of these five people to buy my novel.

I started with my mother. Of all the five people I knew, I probably knew her the longest. I showed her my Amazon page and she nodded approvingly. She did not, however, make any attempts to buy a copy. So I logged on for her, navigated back to my novel’s page, and left the mouse pointer conveniently positioned over the BUY button.

She read the novel description again, searched-inside-this-book, and nodded some more. When I asked her if she’d like to buy a copy, she scrunched up her nose and said;

‘But what if I don’t like it?’
I told her not to worry. ‘It’s a really good book,’ I said. ‘I should know. I’ve re-written it like 50 times. It’s really funny and interesting.’
My mother wasn’t convinced. ‘I’m not really into comedy writing, though,’ she said.
‘It’s not just a comedy,’ I pointed out. ‘It has a real story; it’s a mystery. And it has twists and turns and believable characters.’
My mother hesitated. ‘Maybe I should just play it safe and buy another Stephen King novel…’

I ended up having to offer a personal money-back guarantee, and purchase a copy using my own credit card for the time being, but she finally cracked. I’d made my first sale!

Next, I prodded my wife. Although she did like words in general, she wasn’t sure she was up for reading and entire book full of them. ‘Is this like your usual stuff?’ she wanted to know.
‘What usual stuff?’
She shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Is it like listening to you talk?’
‘What’s wrong with they way I talk?’
‘Nothing. It’s just, well, sometimes you talk a lot of nonsense.’
I waved it away. ‘Don’t worry,’ I said. ‘I am much more interesting and ‘telligible’ on paper.’

Long story short; my second sale is almost in the bag. Now I just need to find one more person to buy my novel, and I’ll be set for life!


Check out the Summer of Gomez!


Get free books and win a Kindle or iPod.

As reviewers have been calling “No Hope for Gomez!” the perfect summer read - light, fast, fun - I decided to give this summer's Gomez readers some exclusive content and the chance to win prizes.