Some things in life are more difficult than others. Learning to be an Indie Author is one of the more difficult ones. I love to write and have been doing so almost as long as I can remember. But translating that into ePubbed books is a long process of trial and error, learning all along the way. This is definitely not something for the faint of heart.
First off, you need a book: a short story, novella or novel. Then you have to edit until you don't want to ever see it again as long as you live. And then you have to edit some more. It helps to have other eyes look at it too. But in this busy world, it's not always easy to find someone who will go through your book with a fine tooth comb. At best, a friend or family member will read the story and let you know what they would have done if it was their book. Not sure if this is really helpful.
I've heard authors say they bribe their friends to read and edit. Oh, yeah? And just where did you find those wonderful friends? I don't know anyone who has the time to carefully read and edit a novel, let alone a short story.
Even when I belonged to writers' groups, they only edited anywhere from the first three pages or, if lucky, the first chapter. No one edited a whole book for someone else, not even when I was a member of the Cactus Rose Chapter of RWA. I still have all those old edits on partials that I boxed up years ago. Gee, I really loved the comments like, "I wouldn't put a kid in the story if I was writing it." Well, if I took the "kid" out, it wouldn't be the same story. Sheesh! Or how about, "A four year old wouldn't talk that way, she'd talk baby talk." Huh? My two and a half year old twin granddaughters don't even talk "baby talk." They talk in full sentences and the words are very clear. So edits like that don't help a writer at all. Those kind of edits/comments are just someone else's opinion and nothing else.
For instance, my husband wrote a sci-fi story that was edited by a writers' group. One of the edits was, "Your premise is all wrong." So what are you supposed to do? Throw out the whole story? Another writer said, "I loved your story." So do you keep the story? Or throw it out? Or completely rewrite the thing?
Having friends/family members edit could cause life-long resentments between said parties. I'd hate to lose a good friend over some stupid comments made about my story, novella, novel. Of course, I have some great friends who, for some perverse reason, happen to like what I write.
So now we come to the aspect of having a stranger edit your book. There's the major problem that Indie Authors are usually pretty poor and can't afford to pay a few hundred dollars to have someone edit their books. Yes, there are "starving writers" out there, just like there are "starving artists." Several hundred dollars per book for edits just isn't in my budget right now. This is where I apologize to my readers. I can't afford an independent editor.
There are some advantages though. I have a Bachelor of Arts in English. That has to count for something. I know how to edit and have edited other peoples' writing, so I should be qualified to edit my own. Plus, I did technical writing for years. I mean, I was actually paid to write. So that should count for something. So I can and do edit my own work. It doesn't mean I'll catch everything, but I do the best I can.
Now we're back to square one about learning to be an Indie Author. You've written your book and edited the heck out of it. Now you have to make sure it's formatted correctly. So you go over and over it with another fine tooth comb to correct any formatting problems. You and Word have become close friends and adversaries at the same time. You learn to plead with Word and praise it and, at the same time, curse it's quirks. But eventually you get the formatting right too.
Now, you have to learn how to ePub on Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords and if you're really daring, on other sites. The first few times is often trial and error. What's a vetter error? You'd better read the Smashwords Style Guide. KDP has it's own quirks too, so you have to read the Kindle Direct Publishing Style Guide too. In fact, you start reading style guides and how-to-ePub books like they're going out of style. You learn some things, but mostly just get confused. Eventually, you just jump in there and ePub your first book.
You think the second book will be easier to ePub, but you're wrong. By the time the second book is ready to ePub, you've forgotten everything you learned the first time around. The third book isn't much easier. I'm told that eventually it all starts to click in your "old brain" and it gets easier. I'm still waiting for that moment.
Before I forget, Indie Authors need to learn about book covers. Remember all those gorgeous book covers that you've taken for granted for years? Well, now you have to create one of your own. If you have an enterprising, talented (though very stubborn) husband like I have, then you're halfway to a good cover. I must say some interesting arguments (fights?) can occur over book cover design. In the end, if you're lucky (and still married) you have a great book cover. Then you have to figure out how to add the cover to your formatted book. Nope, nothing is easy in the early learning process, but it has to improve somewhere down the line. Doesn't it?
I'm realizing now that this post is a really long one. So I'm breaking it into parts in order to get Part 1 out there. Part 2 will be posted soon. Thanks for your patience. Oh, did I forget to mention that patience is one of the most important parts of being an Indie Author? Well, I'll get into that later.
(NOTE - Please forgive me for any errors in this post. I don't have time to do a fine-tooth-comb edit of this post. I just wanted to get this info/advice out there for anyone thinking about becoming an Indie Author. I don't intend to discourage anyone. My intent is purely to let you know that it's not easy. Read all you can about ePubbing and it will help you along the way. I would spend more time on this post, only I have my next ebook, Bayou Blues and Other Sorrows, which is running behind schedule. I intended to make the book available online today. Only I was sick for the last week and lost all that time. So please forgive me for the delay. Bayou Blues... will be available in the next week or so. Thank you for being patient. Please check back over the next few days to read more posts about "Learning to be an Indie Author.")
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
JETTING AWAY is Now on the Amazon Top 100 Free eBooks List
If you don't already have my ebook, please use the link below to download a FREE copy of JETTING AWAY on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Jetting-Away-ebook/dp/B005JGE9R0/ref=zg_bs_154606011_39
I had always intended for JETTING AWAY to eventually be offered as a free ebook since it's a short story prequel to my contemporary romance novel, OUTBACK LOVE. Of course, both books can be read as stand-alones, but I hoped my readers would decide to read both books.
I lowered the sales price of JETTING AWAY to free on Smashwords first. Barnes and Noble quickly followed suit and so did Sony. Though I contacted Amazon, they decided to keep the book at .99 cents. I tried to explain to them how important it was to make the book available as a freebie, only I kept getting the same answer back. No.
So I was ultra-excited this morning to find that Amazon finally decided to make JETTING AWAY a free ebook. I must say, it has been really fun today watching the free sales increase and the ranking go up, up, up. The last time I checked the stats, 2192 free copies of JETTING AWAY were downloaded. That was in less than 24 hours. In the morning the sales ranking was #574 out of millions of books on Amazon. By afternoon my book was ranked #89 and on the Top 100 Free list. As the afternoon progressed, the ranking went higher to #82, then #39 and the last time I looked #33. My other two books are selling too. So this is very exciting for a new indie author.
I am excited by this day and humbled too. For someone who has been wanting/dreaming of being a writer since I was of grammar school age, today has been the best of the best. I thank all who have downloaded my books. It means a lot to me that you are willing to try a new writer. I strive to be the best that I can possibly be. I'm sure I have much to learn. This will be an evolving, growing, strengthening process. I have so many stories to tell. Yes, I am humbled by you all being willing to take a chance and read my books. Thank you so very much.
For those of you who haven't yet read one of my books. Please download a FREE copy of JETTING AWAY on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Sony or Apple. Please tell your friends and family members about my books too. It's very difficult for a new indie author to enter the book market, so I need all the support I can get.
A little story about today. I've been sick since last Friday with a sinus infection due to seasonal allergies. I try to avoid doctors and can usually get well on my own. But yesterday I lost my voice. Yep, laryngitis. So when I woke up this morning to all that excitement over my books, I wanted to scream with joy, only I couldn't even squeak, let alone talk or shout. So while all this excitement over sales and rankings were happening this afternoon, I was at the doctor's office to get antibiotics so I can get well. Hopefully in a few days I'll be able to scream and shout with joy. For now, I'd like to get my voice back so I can at least talk. I can't even call my family or friends on the phone today, because no one can hear what I'm saying. I have to admit that it's rather funny than I can't talk about this. Everyone who knows me, know that I love to talk. But for today I have to be quiet and write out my joy and thanks.
I have to say a special thanks to the gang at Twitter who helped make this all possible. In particular, indie authors Ruth D. Kerce, Russell Blake and David Bain helped along the way. They would RT (re-Tweet) all my Tweets and their Followers would RT and so on. I could never has done this all without you.
Also, indie author Russell Blake fought really hard to get his ebook, ZERO SUM, to go FREE on Amazon, which happened a few days before my book. He fought the good fight for all of us indie authors for price matching on Amazon.
I also need to thank Amazon too for finally making the decision to let JETTING AWAY be a free ebook on Amazon.
I also have to say a special thanks to my friend of many years, author Ruth D. Kerce, for pushing me every step of the way to get my books out there for others to read. Note - Ruth offered lots of advice and moral support too. So thanks to a very special friend.
Special thanks to all my family members, friends and author/friends who forwarded my emails to others who forwarded them to even more. Believe me, it takes a really big village to sell a book. I know I'm forgetting names here, but you all know who you are. As my five year old grandson would say, "We're a team."
I know things will slow down again, but I intend to enjoy every minute of this high. I also intend to get busy writing and finishing my next books. I have two new ebooks that you'll be seeing soon. BAYOU BLUES AND OTHER SORROWS is a collection of short stories and poems that I've wanted to publish for a long time. MOON OVER MISTLETOE is a paranormal novella that should available by the end of November.
(Please forgive all the extra adverbs, adjectives, etc. in this post. I'm too excited to edit them all out.)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The Importance of a Great Book Cover
I realize now the importance of a great book cover. Until I started ePubbling my own books, I never thought all that much about covers. Sure, I was attracted to an eye-catching cover, which always made me look inside the book. Only I never thought about how that happened. I guess it was just an automatic reaction, which I never realized I was doing. Now I study covers voraciously, online and at the bookstores.
I've come to the following conclusions. I've always look at any book with a moon on the cover. Don't ask me why, I just do. I guess it's because I've been totally fascinated with the moon since I was a kid and my dad brought home a telescope. I was instantly hooked. Although, until recently, I didn't realize it made me pick up certain books. Having "moon" in the title is also enough to make me take a second glance at the book.
Well, I love horses, dogs, flowers, seashells, the beach and tranquil landscapes too. So I realized I tend to look at books that have one or more of those elements. It doesn't mean I buy every book, but it does ensure that I stop and look. I now realize that if your book cover doesn't catch the reader's eye, you probably won't sell many books unless you're a big name author. On the other hand, I've been known to buy a book, now and then, just because I fell in love with the cover.
I'm a history fanatic, so I tend to look at books with medieval covers, particularly with knights and/or castles.. I've had a lifetime fascination with the westward movement, maybe because some of my ancestors traveled the Oregon Trail. So I look at books with covered wagons or just about any image that depicts pioneers. Maybe that's why I first fell in love with Louis L'Amour's books? I own just about every one of his books and so far have read more than half of them.
As a kid, I made my mother buy me every one of Marguerite Henry's books because of the beautiful covers of Chincoteague Ponies. I had the whole Laura Ingalls Wilder "Little House Books," because of the pioneer covers. I first fell in love with "The Phantom Tollbooth," "A Wrinkle in Time," "Savage Sam," "The Enormous Egg" and "Island of the Blue Dolphins," because of the wonderful covers. I still have my childhood copies of those books. Of course, it helped that the stories were incredible too.
My husband, Ben Heyer, is designing the covers for my ebooks. We're going through a trial and error period. I'm pretty picky about what I want on a cover and he's just downright stubborn. So, at this stage of the game, my covers are all a compromise. I'm getting better at conveying what I'd like to see on the cover and Ben is getting a bit more patient with all my changes. For now, it's still a learning process.
Ben is already designing covers for some of my upcoming books. I'm excited about what he's creating and anxious to get the books finished just so the cover can be attached to the book. Now isn't that a silly reason to hurry up and finish writing a book? However, it's also a good incentive to keep writing.
In the meantime, Ben just redesigned the covers for "Jetting Away" and "Moon Over Madness." I like these covers better than the original ones. He just made a few changes here and there, which made all the difference.
So it comes down to this. I look at a book because of the cover. I may even buy it just for the cover. But finding a great story inside is what makes me keep the book and continue to rave about it for years and years.
My goal now is great stories with great covers. Gee, that's asking for a lot. Will I succeed? I certainly hope so. I have lots of stories to tell, so Ben will have lots of book covers to design.
I've come to the following conclusions. I've always look at any book with a moon on the cover. Don't ask me why, I just do. I guess it's because I've been totally fascinated with the moon since I was a kid and my dad brought home a telescope. I was instantly hooked. Although, until recently, I didn't realize it made me pick up certain books. Having "moon" in the title is also enough to make me take a second glance at the book.
Well, I love horses, dogs, flowers, seashells, the beach and tranquil landscapes too. So I realized I tend to look at books that have one or more of those elements. It doesn't mean I buy every book, but it does ensure that I stop and look. I now realize that if your book cover doesn't catch the reader's eye, you probably won't sell many books unless you're a big name author. On the other hand, I've been known to buy a book, now and then, just because I fell in love with the cover.
I'm a history fanatic, so I tend to look at books with medieval covers, particularly with knights and/or castles.. I've had a lifetime fascination with the westward movement, maybe because some of my ancestors traveled the Oregon Trail. So I look at books with covered wagons or just about any image that depicts pioneers. Maybe that's why I first fell in love with Louis L'Amour's books? I own just about every one of his books and so far have read more than half of them.
As a kid, I made my mother buy me every one of Marguerite Henry's books because of the beautiful covers of Chincoteague Ponies. I had the whole Laura Ingalls Wilder "Little House Books," because of the pioneer covers. I first fell in love with "The Phantom Tollbooth," "A Wrinkle in Time," "Savage Sam," "The Enormous Egg" and "Island of the Blue Dolphins," because of the wonderful covers. I still have my childhood copies of those books. Of course, it helped that the stories were incredible too.
My husband, Ben Heyer, is designing the covers for my ebooks. We're going through a trial and error period. I'm pretty picky about what I want on a cover and he's just downright stubborn. So, at this stage of the game, my covers are all a compromise. I'm getting better at conveying what I'd like to see on the cover and Ben is getting a bit more patient with all my changes. For now, it's still a learning process.
Ben is already designing covers for some of my upcoming books. I'm excited about what he's creating and anxious to get the books finished just so the cover can be attached to the book. Now isn't that a silly reason to hurry up and finish writing a book? However, it's also a good incentive to keep writing.
In the meantime, Ben just redesigned the covers for "Jetting Away" and "Moon Over Madness." I like these covers better than the original ones. He just made a few changes here and there, which made all the difference.
So it comes down to this. I look at a book because of the cover. I may even buy it just for the cover. But finding a great story inside is what makes me keep the book and continue to rave about it for years and years.
My goal now is great stories with great covers. Gee, that's asking for a lot. Will I succeed? I certainly hope so. I have lots of stories to tell, so Ben will have lots of book covers to design.
Monday, October 17, 2011
On Contests, eBooks, eReaders and More
My "Moon Over Madness" Contest was a bust. Apparently no one wanted a free copy of my ebook. Okay, I understand, I think. Who wants to take a chance on a new author? I can understand not wanting to pay an enormous amount of money for an unknown. But free? That surprises me.
As I've said before, I'm a voracious reader. So when I discovered the Kindle eReader, I had to have one. What an incredible invention, to be able to carry hundreds, thousands of books in one little device that fits in your purse. Believe me, I carry my Kindle everywhere I go. Gee, I might get stuck on the top of the three mile bridge going over the bay. Hey, that's happened to me before, twice. So I just pull out my trusty Kindle and start reading until the traffic starts moving again.
What I love about having a Kindle, or any eReader for that matter, is the fact I have a whole library at my fingertips. So I can switch what I'm reading to fit my mood of the moment. My Kindle currently contains 429 books, everything from classics to history to romance to mystery to paranormal, to mystery/suspense, you name it. I have another 640 books in my Kindle archive, which I can transfer back to my Kindle at any time.
So here's the thing. New indie authors, and occasionally big authors, offer a book for free. Sometimes it's via a contest and other times on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Apple, etc. I'm always looking at the freebie books. It's wonderful to discover a book I may never have noticed. So I download freebies that catch my eye and I've discovered some wonderful books. I also enter book contests whenever I can, even though I've yet to win one of those contests. Oh well, there's always a first time.
I've discovered some really wonderful indie authors by reading a freebie ebook first. I've also come across some big authors I used to read, but who sort of slipped by the wayside. So my Kindle has a goodly number of those freebie books. But it also has bunches of ebooks that cost .99 cents to $3.99. That's my impulse price range. If the book looks interesting I buy it with a click and give it a try. Wow! It's like stepping into paradise, a world of books and all there by a single click.
Okay, I admit, I'm a book addict. I can't get enough books. I have bookshelves all through my house. Shelves of old favorites to be read again and again. Shelves of history books. I absolutely love reading history. Shelves of classics. I've been reading classics since I was a kid and still love them. Shelves of art books. Yep, I love to paint (landscapes and still-lifes in oils or acrylics), so art books and art magazines are a must. I have bookshelves just for paperbacks and others for hardbacks.
Yep, I'm definitely a book addict. Even though I own more books than I could possibly read in a lifetime, I still buy more. My husband grumbles from time to time. After all, he doesn't enjoy reading, unless maybe a science or travel magazine from time to time. Though he's a voracious reader on the Internet. Huh!? And why did I marry a non-reader? Well, that's something I'll have to write about on a later post. Anyway, he grumbles from time to time and then continues to ignore all my books.
Well, I could ramble on and on about books. Suffice to say that I'm disappointed no one wanted to enter my contest for "Moon Over Madness." It's a really fun book, so I hope there are readers out there willing to take a chance on this ebook by a new indie author. The price for "Moon Over Madness" is only .99 cents and it's currently available online at Amazon and Smashwords. My two other books, "Outback Love" and "Jetting Away," are available online at Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Sony.
For those who have already taken a chance and have started reading my books, I can't thank you enough. It's nice to know my books are getting read and enjoyed by other readers. For my, as yet, small following, I have many more books in the works. So please check back to hear about my latest releases. I should have two more books out there before the end of the year. One is "Moon Over Mistletoe," a paranormal novella sequel to "Moon Over Madness." I've yet to decide what the second book will be. I have several different books in progress. It will depend on which of my characters insist that their book has to be released next.
Once again, many thanks to my readers. Thank you too for letting me take this time to rant. Oh, before I forget, my ebook, "Jetting Away," is currently a free download on Smashwords and Sony. It should soon be a freebie on Amazon, Apple and Barnes & Noble. "Jetting Away" is a short story prequel to "Outback Love." As I've mentioned before, they can be read as stand-alone books, though I hope you'll enjoy reading both.
As I've said before, I'm a voracious reader. So when I discovered the Kindle eReader, I had to have one. What an incredible invention, to be able to carry hundreds, thousands of books in one little device that fits in your purse. Believe me, I carry my Kindle everywhere I go. Gee, I might get stuck on the top of the three mile bridge going over the bay. Hey, that's happened to me before, twice. So I just pull out my trusty Kindle and start reading until the traffic starts moving again.
What I love about having a Kindle, or any eReader for that matter, is the fact I have a whole library at my fingertips. So I can switch what I'm reading to fit my mood of the moment. My Kindle currently contains 429 books, everything from classics to history to romance to mystery to paranormal, to mystery/suspense, you name it. I have another 640 books in my Kindle archive, which I can transfer back to my Kindle at any time.
So here's the thing. New indie authors, and occasionally big authors, offer a book for free. Sometimes it's via a contest and other times on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Apple, etc. I'm always looking at the freebie books. It's wonderful to discover a book I may never have noticed. So I download freebies that catch my eye and I've discovered some wonderful books. I also enter book contests whenever I can, even though I've yet to win one of those contests. Oh well, there's always a first time.
I've discovered some really wonderful indie authors by reading a freebie ebook first. I've also come across some big authors I used to read, but who sort of slipped by the wayside. So my Kindle has a goodly number of those freebie books. But it also has bunches of ebooks that cost .99 cents to $3.99. That's my impulse price range. If the book looks interesting I buy it with a click and give it a try. Wow! It's like stepping into paradise, a world of books and all there by a single click.
Okay, I admit, I'm a book addict. I can't get enough books. I have bookshelves all through my house. Shelves of old favorites to be read again and again. Shelves of history books. I absolutely love reading history. Shelves of classics. I've been reading classics since I was a kid and still love them. Shelves of art books. Yep, I love to paint (landscapes and still-lifes in oils or acrylics), so art books and art magazines are a must. I have bookshelves just for paperbacks and others for hardbacks.
Yep, I'm definitely a book addict. Even though I own more books than I could possibly read in a lifetime, I still buy more. My husband grumbles from time to time. After all, he doesn't enjoy reading, unless maybe a science or travel magazine from time to time. Though he's a voracious reader on the Internet. Huh!? And why did I marry a non-reader? Well, that's something I'll have to write about on a later post. Anyway, he grumbles from time to time and then continues to ignore all my books.
Well, I could ramble on and on about books. Suffice to say that I'm disappointed no one wanted to enter my contest for "Moon Over Madness." It's a really fun book, so I hope there are readers out there willing to take a chance on this ebook by a new indie author. The price for "Moon Over Madness" is only .99 cents and it's currently available online at Amazon and Smashwords. My two other books, "Outback Love" and "Jetting Away," are available online at Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Sony.
For those who have already taken a chance and have started reading my books, I can't thank you enough. It's nice to know my books are getting read and enjoyed by other readers. For my, as yet, small following, I have many more books in the works. So please check back to hear about my latest releases. I should have two more books out there before the end of the year. One is "Moon Over Mistletoe," a paranormal novella sequel to "Moon Over Madness." I've yet to decide what the second book will be. I have several different books in progress. It will depend on which of my characters insist that their book has to be released next.
Once again, many thanks to my readers. Thank you too for letting me take this time to rant. Oh, before I forget, my ebook, "Jetting Away," is currently a free download on Smashwords and Sony. It should soon be a freebie on Amazon, Apple and Barnes & Noble. "Jetting Away" is a short story prequel to "Outback Love." As I've mentioned before, they can be read as stand-alone books, though I hope you'll enjoy reading both.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
"Moon Over Madness" Contest
I am excited about the recent release of my paranormal novella, "MOON OVER MADNESS." If you love quirky characters, witches, vampires, ghosts, dragons and dogs, then this is the book for you.
Here's a link to read a free excerpt of "Moon Over Madness" on Amazon.com (when you get to the book page, click on the "Look Inside" feature on the book cover).
http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Madness-ebook/dp/B005T8MQD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318115374&sr=8-1
I had a lot of fun writing "Moon Over Madness." Some characters weren't planned and just wriggled their way into the story. I swear, I didn't even know the dragon lady's name was Sabilla until my characters told me. Sometimes they know things I don't.
Since I love dogs, particularly big ones, most of my books will include a colorful doggie character. Jake, the overgrown puppy in "Moon Over Madness," is modeled after a real life dog that I met at PetSmart. The real Jake was shopping for new toys that day. He was a big, lovable guy with soulful eyes and giant puppy paws. Like I said, I love big dogs.
Well, I've decided to try another CONTEST. I tried this before with my novel, "Outback Love," but no one seemed interested. So maybe I can do the contest the right way this time? So HERE'S THE DEAL. All you have to do is COMMENT BELOW and make sure you leave your email address.
There will be THREE WINNERS, picked at random by my giant puppy, DUDE, who turns one year old this month, weighs over one hundred pounds, and you can see photos of him on my blog. I'll read off all the comments and see which three he responds to. Yes, Dude is very vocal and "ah-roooooos" all the time. He also tips his head from side to side in listening and is in love with tapping my keyboard with his giant head. ( NOTE - Since Dude will be the judge in this contest, it might be to your advantage to mention something about dog biscuits or treats in your comments.)
The CLOSING DATE on the CONTEST will be SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16th, 2011 at MIDNIGHT. The WINNERS will receive an eBook Kindle Copy of "MOON OVER MADNESS," which is why I need your email address.
Thank you so much to everyone who enters my contest.
I love hearing from my readers.
(Please note, my eBook, "Moon Over Madness" is available at Amazon (US/UK/DE/FR) and Smashwords. "Outback Love" and "Jetting Away" are available at Amazon (US/UK/DE/FR), Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and Apple. They should soon be available on Sony, Kobo, Diesel and Scrollmotion.)
Here's a link to read a free excerpt of "Moon Over Madness" on Amazon.com (when you get to the book page, click on the "Look Inside" feature on the book cover).
http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Madness-ebook/dp/B005T8MQD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318115374&sr=8-1
I had a lot of fun writing "Moon Over Madness." Some characters weren't planned and just wriggled their way into the story. I swear, I didn't even know the dragon lady's name was Sabilla until my characters told me. Sometimes they know things I don't.
Since I love dogs, particularly big ones, most of my books will include a colorful doggie character. Jake, the overgrown puppy in "Moon Over Madness," is modeled after a real life dog that I met at PetSmart. The real Jake was shopping for new toys that day. He was a big, lovable guy with soulful eyes and giant puppy paws. Like I said, I love big dogs.
Well, I've decided to try another CONTEST. I tried this before with my novel, "Outback Love," but no one seemed interested. So maybe I can do the contest the right way this time? So HERE'S THE DEAL. All you have to do is COMMENT BELOW and make sure you leave your email address.
There will be THREE WINNERS, picked at random by my giant puppy, DUDE, who turns one year old this month, weighs over one hundred pounds, and you can see photos of him on my blog. I'll read off all the comments and see which three he responds to. Yes, Dude is very vocal and "ah-roooooos" all the time. He also tips his head from side to side in listening and is in love with tapping my keyboard with his giant head. ( NOTE - Since Dude will be the judge in this contest, it might be to your advantage to mention something about dog biscuits or treats in your comments.)
The CLOSING DATE on the CONTEST will be SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16th, 2011 at MIDNIGHT. The WINNERS will receive an eBook Kindle Copy of "MOON OVER MADNESS," which is why I need your email address.
Thank you so much to everyone who enters my contest.
I love hearing from my readers.
(Please note, my eBook, "Moon Over Madness" is available at Amazon (US/UK/DE/FR) and Smashwords. "Outback Love" and "Jetting Away" are available at Amazon (US/UK/DE/FR), Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and Apple. They should soon be available on Sony, Kobo, Diesel and Scrollmotion.)
Thursday, October 6, 2011
"Moon Over Madness" Released
I am really excited to announce that my latest ebook, "Moon Over Madness," a paranormal witch/vampire/ghost novella was released today. It is now available online at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com. This was a really fun book to write with lots of twists and turns and interesting characters, including a hundred pound puppy named Jake.
Amazon link to "Moon Over Madness"
http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Madness-ebook/dp/B005T8MQD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317957417&sr=8-1
Smashwords link to "Moon Over Madness"
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94451
Amazon link to "Moon Over Madness"
http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Madness-ebook/dp/B005T8MQD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317957417&sr=8-1
Smashwords link to "Moon Over Madness"
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94451
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