The Rollercoaster

So, as you know, I’ve been absent.  A lot.  Couldn’t be helped really. The past couple months have been a rollercoaster of highs and lows.  First, my dad passed away less than two weeks ago.  With his health as poor as it was, his passing was a blessing of sorts, but that doesn’t make it any easier, especially since we didn’t have the greatest relationship near the end.  He was a very difficult man.  But he’s my dad; I love him regardless, and I’m gonna miss him.  A lot.

But the bad was tempered with a bit of good. A few months ago, I mentioned that my debut, The Mistaken, had been nominated for four, then finaled for three, 2014 eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards. Well, turns out, yesterday, it WON two of those awards—Best Thriller & Best Audiobook!  I found this out not ten minutes before I picked up my father’s ashes.  I’d like to think there was some magic at work there.

But I wasn’t the only winner.  While you can watch the video presentation of all the winners here, and I had many other friends in nearly every single category, I would like to give a special shout out to my Blogger buddies who won or were runners-up:

Lisa Regan - Aberration - "I've Been Shyamalaned" Award (tied for Best Twist)

Michael J. Infinito Jr. - In Blog We Trust - "I've Been Shyamalaned" Award (tied for Best Twist) & - 12:19  - Runner-up Best Horror

Carrie Butler - Strength - Best New Adult & Best Series (Mark of Nexus)

Alex J. Cavanaugh - CassaStorm - Best Science Fiction

Cassie Mae - Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend - Runner-up The Harvey Award  

Congrats to every one of you fabulous authors! 

And now to wrap it all up, I decided to play filmmaker last week.  I put together a little book trailer for my second novel, Leverage, book 2 in The Mistaken Series. Take a looksee, and give it a thumbs up if you like it.  Thanks!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!

My 1000 Likes Giveaway on Facebook

Is that the prettiest graphic?  The awesome

Carrie Butler at Forward Authority created it for me!

And now, I'm sharing it, and my giveaway, with YOU!

I know not all of you are on Facebook, but if you are, drop my my author page & check out my

1000 Likes Giveaway!

Two months ago, after much arm twisting, I finally started an author page on Facebook, and I'm already almost to 1000 likes.  So to celebrate, I'm giving away tons of prizes, including 5 signed paperbacks and swag, 30 ebooks, and 2 gift cards.  

There are dozens of ways to enter, so check it out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: COURAGE (Mark of Nexus #2) by Carrie Butler

Courage

(Mark of Nexus #2)

by

Carrie Butler 

Design: Carrie Butler

Photography: Subbotina Anna & Yuri Arcurs

New Adult (NA)
Paranormal Romance (PNR)

Coming October 15, 2013

(E-Book & Paperback)

Making a deal with the bad guys wasn’t the highlight of Rena Collins’ semester, but, hey, it saved her boyfriend. Now, in order to appease the human-altering organization known as ERA, she’ll crawl under their microscope while they study the Mark of Nexus and plot their eye-glazed version of the future—until she realizes that’s not all they’re plotting.

Wallace Blake has always known his girlfriend is unlike most girls. But now that information has surfaced regarding the two bloodlines that balance his supernatural race, he finally understands why. Rena belongs to one of them. She’s been augmenting his power, all along...

Enter: Corynn Catley. Brought into the country under the guise of an internship, she’s intended to become ERA’s secret weapon. Kind of. Her abilities cancel out Wallace’s, rendering him powerless, but that’s exactly what he’s always wanted. Too bad it only works when his girlfriend’s not around.

All the while, Rena fails to notice the crush her geeky best friend, Aiden Ross, is nursing. He’d give anything for her to see him in a new light—even reinvent himself through questionable means—but there’s a reason people are told to be careful what they wish for. Finding the courage to tell her could put everyone’s lives in danger.

Find Carrie on:
WEBSITE  |  BLOG  |   TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS  |  GOOGLE+  | NA ALLEY | PINTEREST

Find Courage (Mark of Nexus #2) on:

BOOK PAGE  |  GOODREADS  |   BOOK TRAILER

Book Bloggers may start requesting e-ARCs via this form. :)

___________________

Today is the VERY LAST DAY to purchase an e-book copy of

for only

Get yours on:

Amazon Kindle  |   B&N Nook  |  Amazon UK Kindle  |  Amazon CA Kindle

Smashwords   |  Kobo 

On Tour Today: CARRIE BUTLER, author of STRENGTH, Offers Marketing Tips

It’s my great pleasure today to my have pub-sister, Carrie Butler, over during her blog tour.

So, take it away, Carrie…

Marketing Voodoo - Selling the Experience, Not the Product

Back in college, I had a harsh marketing professor. He had a voice like a megaphone, loved to single students out, and rarely admitted he was wrong. But you know what? His lessons stuck with me.

"We're not just selling features," he'd always bark. "We're selling benefits."

One day, he had us go around and try to pitch whatever writing utensil we'd used to take notes on his lecture. Right there. On the spot.

Of course, the first unlucky few floundered about, grasping for a quick summarization. "Well, it's a Papermate mechanical pencil. I found it in the hall. It says it's, uh, one-point-zero millime—"

"Next!"

As he went around the classroom, the lesson became glaringly apparent. He was waiting for us to sell the benefits over the features—the experience over the product. "This isn't just a pen," I declared when he called on me, thrusting my cheap-o clicky pen into the air. "It's a statement."

He rubbed his chin. "How so?"

"It was handcrafted in India," I lied. "Eighteen-karat gold clip, refillable cartridge, polished... uh, barrel. Do you know what this pen says about me? It says I have good taste. It says I'm a professional who's willing to invest in her career. It says... I'm just a little more successful than you are."

Plus, it says I love BS-ing people. That pen cost me ninety-nine cents.

Now, mind you, the exercise was just for fun—and we all had a good laugh about it—but it does beg the question: Are you selling benefits or features?

What do you love about your book? Is it the fact that it's a 389-page paranormal romance that's making strides in the new adult category? Of course not. You love the way it made you feel the first time you daydreamed about it. You love how your heart raced alongside your characters' as the scenes unraveled. So, what if you started pitching it that way?

Don't spam-tweet us that your book is available on Amazon for $3.99. Invite us in to experience your world. Give us a teaser. Share a reviewer's first impression. Take my fabulous host, for example:

Nancy S. Thompson ‏@NancySThompson

“Thompson writes cinematographic scenes of violence that contrast perfectly w/ those of tenderness & love.” 5 stars http://ow.ly/hj8V9 

Doesn't that make you want to read THE MISTAKEN? If I didn't already own two copies, I'd check that link out!

So, if you take nothing else away from this post, remember that your readers are people—not numbers. They want to share the experience of that daydream. They want to connect with it on an emotional level. You just have to reach out to them. :)

About Strength

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, she’s stunned. Wallace Blake is everything she’s ever wanted in a man—except he can’t touch her. His uncontrollable strength, a so-called gift from his bloodline, makes every interaction dangerous. And with a secret, supernatural war brewing among his kind, there’s no time to work it out. To keep Wallace in her life, Rena will have to risk a whole lot more than her heart.

Where to buy:

AMAZON | KINDLE | BARNES & NOBLE | NOOK

KOBO | ITUNES BOOKSTORE | DIESEL | BAKER & TAYLOR

About the Author

Carrie daydreamed her way through college—until they thrust a marketing degree into her hands, slapped a summa cum laude seal on the corner, and booted her out into a less-than-stellar job market. Instead of panicking at the prospect of unemployment, she used her Midwestern logic to steer into the skid and point her life in the direction she really wanted to go: writing out those daydreams.

Where to find Carrie:

WEBSITE  |  BLOG  |  PUBLISHER  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS  |  GOOGLE+

Where to find Strength:

BOOK PAGE  |  GOODREADS  |  PUBLISHER  |  FACEBOOK  |  PINTEREST  |  BOOK TRAILER

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Big Release Day: Carrie Butler's STRENGTH

I am SOOOO excited!!
Today is the Big Release Day for Carrie Butler’s
New Adult paranormal romance debut…

Title: Strength

Series: Mark of Nexus – Book 1

Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing   
Category: New Adult (NA)
Genre: Paranormal Romance (PNR)
Release Date: March 07, 2013
Available at: Amazon, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, and Nook. More retailers will be added in the coming weeks, i.e. Sony Reader Store, iBookstore, Kobo, etc. Be sure to keep an eye on Carrie's Pinterest "Retailers" board. She updates it whenever STRENGTH pops up somewhere. :)

Here's the scoop:

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, her rumor-laced notions are shattered. Handsome, considerate, and seemingly sane, Wallace Blake doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, screaming and banging on the walls of his dorm room. Hell, he doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, period.

Too curious for her own good, Rena vows to uncover the truth behind Wallace’s madman reputation—and how two seconds of contact had left her with bruises. Of course, there are a few minor setbacks along the way: guilt, admiration, feelings of the warm and fuzzy variety…

Not to mention the unwanted attention of Wallace's powerful, supernaturally-gifted family.

They’re a bloodline divided by opposing ideals, two soon-to-be warring factions that live in secret among us. When Rena ends up caught in their crossfire, Wallace has no choice but to save her by using his powers. Now they’re really in trouble. With war on the horizon and Rena’s life in the balance, he needs to put some distance between them. But Rena won’t let go. If fighting is what it takes to prove her own strength and keep Wallace in her life, then that’s what she’ll do—even if it means risking a whole lot more than her heart.

Seriously, this book is so freaking awesome and Carrie is crazy talented!  The voice is unlike any I've ever read, and Rena, the protagonist, is one bad-ass chick, just like Carrie!  Make sure you enter Carrie's giveaway below.

Carrie daydreamed her way through college—until they thrust a marketing degree into her hands, slapped a summa cum laude seal on the corner, and booted her out into a less-than-stellar job market. Instead of panicking at the prospect of unemployment, she used her Midwestern logic to steer into the skid and point her life in the direction she really wanted to go: writing out those daydreams.

Where to find Carrie:

WEBSITE  |  BLOG  |  PUBLISHER  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS  |  GOOGLE+

Where to find Strength:

BOOK PAGE  |  GOODREADS  |  PUBLISHER  |  FACEBOOK  |  PINTEREST  |  BOOK TRAILER

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK LAUNCHES: M. Pax's BOOMTOWN CRAZE and Carrie Butler's STRENGTH...Plus a little something extra

Please join me in celebrating the release of  M. Pax's

BOOMTOWN CRAZE

A Grand New Age of Boom or Dust?

Boomtown Craze, Book 3 in the Backworlds series is here!

In the far future, humanity settles the stars, bioengineering its descendents to survive in a harsh universe.

To secure his future, Craze must propel his world into a more prosperous era. Only days away from the grand opening of his new and improved tavern, he is confronted by a loony Backworlder intent on mucking up his plans. Gaunt and trembling, she claims her spaceship is possessed. She also has a connection to the underworld that shakes loose the dark past of one of Craze’s closest friends. It all threatens to end Craze’s prosperity before it begins.

Meanwhile off world, Captain Talos works desperately to outwit the mercenary Jixes and lure them away from his and Craze’s budding prospects. The mind-control weapon Talos uses against them is wearing thin, and his next move may be his last.

Will Craze and Talos’s efforts bring about a grand new age of boom or damn them to forever struggle in the dust?

Ebook available at:

AmazonUS / AmazonUK / B&N / Smashwords

It will also be available in paperback from Amazon shortly.

Other Outlets can be found at http://mpaxauthor.com

M. Pax is a Browncoat and SG fan, she’s also slightly obsessed with Jane Austen. In the summers she docents as a star guide at Pine Mountain Observatory where the other astronomers now believe she has the most extensive collection of moon photos in existence. No fear, there will be more next summer. She lives in stunning Central Oregon with the Husband Unit and two lovely, spoiled cats.

Find M. Pax at:

Website / Blog ~ Twitter ~ FB ~ Goodreads

LinkedIN, Pinterest, YouTube, and Wattpad

From March 4 to March 22, folks can enter to win 1 set of signed Backworlds paperbacks, including The Backworlds, Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge, and Boomtown Craze. Will only ship to US residents.

a Rafflecopter giveaway One of five free ebooks. All countries eligible. Enter the rafflecopter for a chance. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations, Mary!

__________________

And one more very important thing you CANNOT forget...

This Thursday, March 7th, is Carrie Butler’s launch of her debut

New Adult paranormal romance,

Strength

from Sapphire Star Publishing

Here's a small taste:

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, she’s stunned. Wallace Blake is everything she’s ever wanted in a man—except he can’t touch her. His uncontrollable strength, a so-called gift from his bloodline, makes every interaction dangerous. And with a secret, supernatural war brewing among his kind, there’s no time to work it out. To keep Wallace in her life, Rena will have to risk a whole lot more than her heart.

JOIN THE TOUR!

Check out her tour schedule here and enter the giveaway

for a chance to win an awesome prize package.

__________________

And one last thing…

My Partners In Crime Book Tour started March 1st and runs through the end of the month. 

The first review for my book posted here last Friday, and boy did it scare the bejeezus out of me.  Here was a reviewer who rarely reads and enjoys books in my genre, coming right out and saying she was “utterly convinced that [she] was going to absolutely hate this book.”   

YIKES!

But, while she did have a couple small criticisms, she said she was wrong, that she enjoyed the book, and was glad she read it, giving 4 out of 5 stars.   

WHEW!

On Saturday, an article I wrote for Writers and Authors about the marathon of publishing and marketing a book posted here, so drop by and leave me a comment.

And today, there should be a new review over at Reviews by T ammy and Kim, but it hadn’t posted by the time I scheduled here so I have no idea what they thought of The Mistaken.  I’m shaking in my boots!   

There should be posts up nearly every day this week and all through the month.  Just click here for the schedule if you’re interested. 

Laura Eno's Cover Reveal for JEWEL OF SHAYLAR, plus Carrie Butler's STRENGTH Paperback is Out, and a Quick Note

Today, it’s my pleasure to share another cover reveal,

this time for Laura Eno’s

Jewel of Shaylar. 

 

Wicked beautiful, isn’t it?

Here’s the skinny: 

Archaeologist David Alexander investigates the cave where his father disappeared and hurtles into another world, one filled with magic and bizarre creatures. The mad ravings in his father's journals of icemen and dragons may not be fantasies after all.

Convinced his father may still be alive, David begins a treacherous journey to find him and discover a way home. Along the way, he encounters a few unlikely friends. A Dreean warrior, a beautiful thief and a satyr join him as he searches.

David's arrival into this new world sets off an explosive chain reaction of events. Faced with powerful adversaries and few clues, he may not get the chance to rescue his father before disaster strikes, condemning both of them to death. Or worse.

Find Laura on: Website - Blog - Facebook - Twitter – Goodreads

_________

Sorry for today’s super short post.  What am I saying?  You must be thrilled! 

I won’t be around the blogosphere much for the next few weeks while I pound out the first draft of my next book.  It’s called Leverage and will be the sequel to The Mistaken.

By the way, if you happened to have read The Mistaken and liked it, I could really use a review on Amazon and Goodreads.  Some readers do one and not the other.  A review on Amazon is the most helpful for sales.  Thanks for your consideration! 

Next week is my pub sister, Carrie Butler’s big launch for her book Strength, but the paperback is available now here on Amazon for $15.99 or here on Barnes & Noble for $10.34.  The ebook will be available everywhere on March 7^th and I’ll have her here for an interesting guest post on March 11^th.   

Thanks for dropping by.  Have a great week!

THE MISTAKEN Blog Tour: Day Three

Wow, the love is simply amazing here in the blogosphere!  I had way better than expected sales as a result of Alex Cavanaugh's generous post last Friday, as well as Arlee Bird's at Tossing It Out, and now, some great reviews have trickled in, and after only a few days, too! Thank you to all those who stopped by and to those who actually bought my book.  I am forever grateful.  Man, I really know how to pick awesome friends!

Today, I’m letting my protagonist, Tyler Karras, take the reins over at Carrie Butler’s blog, So You Think You’re a Writer, where he will try to work things out during an interview with his therapist.  Carrie is not only a much-loved critique partner, she’s also my pub sister at Sapphire Star Publishing.  More than that, of her own accord, she designed my blog header, my blog tour badge, and my book trailer.  Besides being altruistic and a talented writer, Carrie has mad, mad design skillz.  May I just say how much I love this young woman?  I do, I do!!

I also stopped by Jeff O’Handley’s The Doubting Writer today.  Jeff is also a critique partner, and a talented one, at that, but more than anything, he writes some of the most beautiful prose I’ve ever read.  Ever!  And because of his talent, he pulled more out of me as a writer than I ever believed possible.  Every writer should have a CP like Jeff.  So if by chance you want to know a little more about me, drop by his place. 

Remember, every follower who comments here during my tour will be entered into a drawing for an ARC of The Mistaken and a bookmark.  Plus, 5 runner-up winners will each receive an ebook copy.  Winners will be determined using Random.org and notified via email.   

Day 4 tomorrow at Julie Musil’s, an interview about process and publication.  Drop by and say hi.  She’s a real gem!

__________

THE MISTAKEN  ~  the hell of revenge, the hope of redemption

Available at:
Kindle   Barnes and Noble   Nook   Amazon   Kobo   iBooks

Coming soon to Sony, Diesel Bookstore, and Baker & Taylor.

The Mistaken Blog Tour:

10/18:  An interview at Mark Koopmans’

10/19:  A discussion on theme & symbolism over at Alex J. Cavanaugh’s 

And my book trailer at Arlee Bird’s Tossing It Out

10/22:  Some court-ordered therapy for my MC over at Carrie Butler’s So You’re a Writer 

Plus a different interview with Jeff O’Handley, The Doubting Writer

10/23:  Questions and answers about writing and publishing with Julie Musil

10/24:  Voice, 1^st person perspective & multiple POVs at Weaving a Tale or Two

An author spotlight & an excerpt at Melissa Maygrove’s

And some SSP over at Hope Roberson’s Writing With Hope

10/25:  Discussion on organized crime in literature at Matthew MacNish’s The QQQE

10/26:  Killing off major characters at LG Smith’s Bards & Prophets

10/27:  Some one-on-one with Aimee Jodoin at A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman

10/29:  Compromising on content at Heather M. Gardner’s The Waiting is the Hardest Part

10/30:  Learn why I chose the Russian mafia as my antagonists over at Lisa Regan’s

           Find out more about where I live at Falling For Fiction

10/31   My thoughts on villains over at Jennifer Hillier's The Serial Killer Files

11/1:    Why building a platform is so important at Livia Peterson’s Leave It to Livia

            Another author spotlight and excerpt at Angela Orlowski-Peart’s

11/19:  Arlee Bird’s Tossing It Out for a follow-up on my launch and tour.

Getting tired of me yet?  Hope not.  I still have nine days left!  

THE MISTAKEN Blog Tour: Day Two

Man, I can’t believe all the love and support I’ve received already for the release of my debut novel, THE MISTAKEN.  Thank you all so very much!  It’s been a humbling experience, and I’ve only just begun. 

Hang on tight.  Today we have two stops on the tour, both very popular.  First, a guest post over at Alex J. Cavanaugh’s then a bit of S.S.P. over at Arlee Bird’s Tossing It Out

Alex was one of the very first blogger-writers I ever met, and I simply cannot say enough good things about the man.  If I tried, this post would at least 5000 words, and then some.  He’s easily the most generous person I know, devoting all of his blogging time to the promotion of others.  He’s helped me more on my tour than anyone, giving me advice at every turn.  He even blurbed my book!  Trust me, if you want to make it in the blogosphere, get to know Alex.  He is the absolute BEST!  Which is why I'm always crushing on the guy. (I'd blush but I'm not at all embarrassed.  Alex knows I love him.)

Arlee Bird is a prolific writer with a slew of blogs, the most popular of which are Tossing It Out and The A to Z Challenge.  Benevolent to a fault, he constantly hosts other writers and bloggers to guest post on his sites.  He was extraordinarily attentive to me even as he was going through a family tragedy.  He's a good soul.  And if you’ve never participated in the A to Z, you don’t what you’re missing.  Boy, do I have the best friends or what?!  Check them out today!      

And don’t forget, every follower who comments here over the next two weeks will be entered into a drawing for an ARC of The Mistaken and a bookmark.  Plus, 5 runner-up winners will each receive an ebook copy.  Winners will be determined using Random.org and notified via email.   

Monday, Day 3 at Carrie Butler’s So You Think You’re a Writer, a psychiatric interview with my protagonist, Tyler Karras, and an interview with me over at Jeff O’Handley’s The Doubting Writer.  Please stop by and leave a comment.

__________

THE MISTAKEN  ~  the hell of revenge, the hope of redemption

Available at:
Kindle   Barnes and Noble   Nook   Amazon   Kobo   iBooks

Coming soon to Sony, Diesel Bookstore, and Baker & Taylor.

The Mistaken Blog Tour:

10/18:  An interview at Mark Koopmans’

10/19:  A discussion on theme & symbolism over at Alex J. Cavanaugh’s 

And my book trailer at Arlee Bird’s Tossing It Out

10/22:  Some court-ordered therapy for my MC over at Carrie Butler’s So You’re a Writer 

Plus a different interview with Jeff O’Handley, The Doubting Writer

10/23:  Questions and answers about writing and publishing with Julie Musil

10/24:  Voice, 1^st person perspective & multiple POVs at Weaving a Tale or Two

An author spotlight & an excerpt at Melissa Maygrove’s

And some SSP over at Hope Roberson’s Writing With Hope

10/25:  Discussion on organized crime in literature at Matthew MacNish’s The QQQE

10/26:  Killing off major characters at LG Smith’s Bards & Prophets

10/27:  Some one-on-one with Aimee Jodoin at A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman

10/29:  Compromising on content at Heather M. Gardner’s The Waiting is the Hardest Part

10/30:  Learn why I chose the Russian mafia as my antagonists over at Lisa Regan’s

           Find out more about where I live at Falling For Fiction

10/31   My thoughts on villains over at Jennifer Hillier's The Serial Killer Files

11/1:    Why building a platform is so important at Livia Peterson’s Leave It to Livia

            Another author spotlight and excerpt at Angela Orlowski-Peart’s

11/19:  Arlee Bird’s Tossing It Out for a follow-up on my launch and tour.

Did you stop by Mark’s yesterday?  Are you friends with Alex or Arlee?  Aren't I surrounded by the best men?  Oh yeah!

THE MISTAKEN Book Trailer!

I’m so thrilled to share my book trailer with you today.  I’ve wanted one for ages, but I’m so technologically challenged, I had no idea where to start. 

A few weeks ago, my dear friend, fellow author, and beloved SSP pub sister, Carrie Butler, revealed not only the spectacular book cover for STRENGTH, but the trailer, as well, which, in all honesty, absolutely blew me away!  

Carrie knew I desperately wanted one of my own, so she generously offered to put one together for me.  I gave her the script, the link to the soundtrack I’d found, and an idea of what I was looking for as far as the background video goes.  Carrie mashed it all up, tweaked it here and there, and…viola!  

I love it so much!  And I want to share it everywhere.  If any of my lovely followers has a spare day available on their blog and wouldn’t mind hosting me, I’d love to post it for all to see.  And you know I’ll pay it forward.  Just let me know if you’d like me to host your guest post or anything of the sort, and I’m so there for you.  Email me anytime.  My address is available here or in the Contact Me tab above. 

I hope you enjoy the trailer for THE MISTAKEN and find the story intriguing.  The book will be available 10.18.2012 from Sapphire Star Publishing.  You can add it to your Goodreads TBR list today!