Thursday, December 31, 2015

BIG New Year's Eve Book Blog

      In terms of my favorite books of 2015 I'm calling this year "The Year of the Indie", because out of my top 12 favorite books 42% are written by Indie Authors and of the 13 authors I discovered and loved this year 62% are Indie or Semi-Indie Authors. Note: Not all of these books were published in 2015 - they are just books that I read and enjoyed in 2015!


My Top 12 Favorite Books for 2015:

12. Finding Cinderlla by Colleen Hoover
This is a novella I picked up for free on my Nook. I've heard of Colleen Hoover before but I hadn't read anything by her before. Her writing does remind me of a number of other authors like Abbi Glines and K.A. Tucker. Finding Cinderella is a really great story and I devoured it within hours. Daniel and Six's story is romantic and bittersweet all at the same time. If you like Sky and Holder's story in Hopeless and Losing Hope you'll love this novella. 


11. Just A Little Crush by Renita Pizzitola
Just A Little Crush is a great book. Another one of those quick reads I couldn't put this book down. Brinley Dawson doesn't want to like Ryder Briggs, but the more she gets to know him the less she can resist... until she learns she was part of a cruel game. Is falling for Ryder a huge mistake or could Ryder be someone to hang onto?





10. Chasing River by K.A. Tucker
This book makes me want to buy a ticket to Dublin and fall for a sexy Irish Bartender. Enough said. K.A. Tucker continues to be an amazing author, one of my favorites!







9. Anew (Archers of Avalon #1) by Chelsea Fine

Three curses. Two brothers. One love triangle. Sometimes love is meant to be. But sometimes...love is the death of you. This book and the following two books in the trilogy are soooo good! I can read this trilogy over and over again. 






8. Ghost Hand (PSS Chronicles #1) by Ripley Patton
This book is a whole other level of paranormal. What do you do when you're born with a phantom limb and people are out to get you? Ripley Patton is a great author and I'm happy I discovered this series. 







7. The Haunting of Springett Hall by E.B. Wheeler
What happens when you wake up as a ghost with no memory of how you died or your life before you died? This book reminded me of the movie The Haunting with a love story added in. 







6. Oblivion (Nevermore #3) by Kelly Creagh
The perfect conclussion to Kelly Creagh's Nevermore trilogy and one more trip into the world of Poe's imagination. Will Isobel and Varen get a happy ending?







5. Blur (Night Roamers #1) by Kristen Middleton
A sexy vampire - paranormal romance novel for older teens. This book draws you in from the first page and will have you downloading the rest of the series the minute you finish. 







4. Second Hearts (Wishes #2) by GJ Walker-Smith
Follow Charli as she heads to New York to find her wonder boy Adam. But life in New York won't be easy.. and Adam hasn't told her everything he left behind in New York when he arrived in Australia. I love all of the books in this series by GJ Walker-Smith. They're addictive and you feel like you're part of Charli and Adam's world. 





3. Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
I can't gush enough about this book. One of my absolute favorites this year and quite unlike anything I've read before.








2. Play (Stage Dive #2) by Kylie Scott
Mal Erikson will forever be my favorite guy in the Stage Dive series. He's just plain awesome. Read this book about how bookish Anne and rockstar Mal fall in love. 







1. The Hotter You Burn (Original Heartbreakers #2) by Gena Showalter
Who wouldn't have a soft spot for resident bad girl Harlow Glass after reading even a little bit of this book? Beck Ockley is just plain dreamy, so prepare to fall in love with your new book boyfriend. 







Authors I Discovered and Love in 2015:
1. Kristen Middleton (Author of the Night Roamer books)
2. Gena Showalter (Author of the Original Heartbreakers series and more)
3. Kylie Scott (Author of the Stage Dive series)
4. Ripley Patton (Author of the PSS Chronicles)
5. E.B. Wheeler (Author of The Haunting of Springett Hall)
6. Kelly Creagh (Author of the Nevermore Trilogy)
7. GJ Walker-Smith (Author of the Wishes Series)
8. Chelsea Fine (Author of the Archers of Avalon Trilogy & the 'Best Kind of" trilogy)
9. Susan Vaught (Author of Insanity)
10. Kim Liggett (Author of Blood and Salt)
11. K.E. O'Connor (Author of the School of Exorcists Series)
12. K.A. Robinson (Author of Toxic & it's series)
13. Kimberly Loth (Author of the Thorn Chronicles)

Series / Trilogies That Ended in 2015:
The Marked Men Series by Jay Crownover (6 books)
Stage Dive Series by Kylie Scott (4 books)
The Nevermore Trilogy by Kelly Creagh (3 books)
Dark Elements Trilogy by Jennifer L. Armentrout (3 books)
Original Heartbreakers Trilogy by Gena Showalter (3 books)

That's a wrap! I read a ton of amazing books in 2015, unfortunately if I listed them all this blog would never end. What were some of your favorite books that you read in 2015? Did one of my novels make the list? Let me know in the comments!
Happy New Year! See you in 2016!



Wednesday, December 30, 2015

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #3

This week on "WIR" Wednesday I'm reading...

Crystal Magic (Clearwater Witches #1) by Madeline Freeman
Blurb:
Nothing is safe around Kristyl Barnette. Windows break. Books rocket across the room. Lights flicker. Strange occurrences follow the sixteen-year-old everywhere. She’s an outcast at her school, but everything changes in the blink of an eye. 
When tragedy forces her to move to the small town of Clearwater, Michigan, with her estranged aunt Jodi, Kristyl tries to leave her past behind. She makes friends and catches the attention of Owen Marsh, who accepts her without question and who may be able to understand her better than anyone. 
But Owen isn’t the only one who notices her. The mysteriously alluring Fox Holloway draws Kristyl’s eye whenever he’s around. And Clearwater High’s chief mean-girl, Crystal Jamison, has her sights set on Kristyl and will stop at nothing to prove what Kristyl really is.
 A witch. 
Magic can be as dangerous as fire, and Aunt Jodi wants Kristyl to have nothing to do with it. But when a mysterious illness threatens her aunt’s life, Kristyl will do anything to cure her. Enlisting the help of witches could save Jodi, but is dealing in magic worth the consequences?

Why I Chose This Book:
This is another one of my Ripley's Booklist Newsletter freebie books and I've come to trust their recommendations completely. I love paranormal books involving witches and so far I'm liking Crystal Magic. I've just gotten to the part where Kristyl encounters the mysterious Fox Holloway for the first time. I always go for the sexy, mysterious guys but I already like the Owen character. 

Who this book is for:
So far I think this book is best for all fans of YA, especially those that like books about witches. I sense a love interest coming for Kristyl so I dare to say this book is Paranormal Romance. If that interests you go for it! I like it so far and I think you will too!

Here's what else I've read in the past week...

Kissed (Thorn Chronicles #1) by Kimberly Toth
Blurb:
Trapped in a dark cult, sixteen-year-old Naomi Aren has lived a quiet, albeit unhappy, life nestled deep in the hills of the Ozarks. With uncut hair, denim skirts, and only roses for friends, Naomi seldom questions why her life is different from other kids at school. Until the day her abusive father, who is also the cult’s leader, announces her wedding. Naomi must marry Dwayne Yerdin, a bully who reeks of sweat and manure and is the only one person who scares her worse than her father. 
Then she meets Kai, the mysterious boy who brings her exotic new roses and stolen midnight kisses. Kisses that bring her a supernatural strength she never knew she had. As the big day approaches, Naomi unearths more secrets of about her father’s cult. She learns she has power of her own and while Kai may have awakened that power, Naomi must find a way to use it to escape Dwayne and her father—without destroying herself.

What I Thought of This Book:
Kissed is a keep-you-up-all-night-reading kind of book. I started this book and before I knew it 3 1/2 hours had passed and I was more than halfway through it. Naomi's love and knowledge of roses is really unique and you like her from the first page. Her parents reminded me of the Duggar parents so I could easily envision them. You're rooting for Naomi's escape after the cruel treatment she receives from her parents and Dwayne (the puke she's supposed to marry) and you find relief when she makes it to Las Vegas. I loved all of the characters Naomi meets in Vegas. Ginny is great and Ricki grows on you. Puck is naturally my favorite character. Anyway, read this book, you're going to love it! And don't blame me if you lose sleep staying up all night to finish it! I can't wait to read the next book!
My rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Friday, December 25, 2015

Christmas Excerpt: FINDING ELIZABETH

          The days came and went, Christmas passed almost unnoticeably in my house. My mom took an extra shift at the bar and my dad tried his best to appear happy.

         Nate came over later in the evening to give me the gift he had gotten me. “It’s a guidebook of Paris,” he explains as I unwrap the book. “It has a lot of places that are more ‘off-the-beaten-path’ listed in it. I figured that since we’ll probably have a lot of free time on the trip that maybe we could check some of them out.” He shrugs as his face turns pink.

       “I love it,” I tell him as I clutch the book to my chest.

        “Really?” Nate looks at me in happy surprise.

         I nod; then go to grab his present. I framed the drawing I had done of him. When he unwraps the drawing he looks at it, then up at me, then back down at the drawing.

         “You don’t like it,” I guess.

         “No, it’s just; wow it’s like living that memory - the one of you drawing me - all over again. The drawing is amazing.” Nate smiles honestly, then leans in and kisses me. Hesitantly at first, then when he realizes that I’m kissing him back instead of pushing him away he deepens the kiss.

          “I’m glad you like it,” I say shakily as I try to regain normal breathing after the kiss ends.

         “So why aren’t you busy spending Christmas with your family?” Nate asks as he plops down onto my bed.

          “My mom had to go to work and my dad is busy working on the new exhibit for the museum. He’s in the kitchen.” I explain.

          “Where’s the kitchen?”

           “It’s in the basement. Why?” I ask. A devilish grin spreads across Nate’s face and I know exactly what he’s thinking. I feel my eyes widening as I say, “We are not doing that.”

           “That? Whatever could you possibly mean? Can you elaborate a little?” Nate replies teasingly.

           I roll my eyes. “You don’t do coy well.” I tell him as I cross my arms over my chest.

          “It’s not like we’ve never done it before,” he insists.

          “Not in this life and I don’t really remember the last time.” I remind him.

          “Have you ever done it?” Nate asks quietly as he leans against my pillows “In this life I mean, with your ex or someone else?”

           “Nope,” I say. “Have you?”

           “Slept with your ex-boyfriend? Definitely not,” Nate jokes.

          I sit down next to him and hit him playfully on the shoulder. “Seriously though, have you?”

          Nate shakes his head, “I don’t want to with anyone other than you.”

         “What if I’m not ready?” I ask as I look into his eyes.

          “I’ll wait however long it takes.”

          I swallow hard at Nate’s intensity, I need to change the subject; fast. “So why aren’t you celebrating with your family?”

        Now it’s Nate’s turn to roll his eyes, “my house is so jam packed with relatives, and when I say relatives I mean immediate family, extended family, and all of my parents partners and employees; that they won’t notices I’m gone for years to come.”

       I laugh, trying to picture it, and then mentally remind myself to sketch it out for real later.

       “I’d rather be here anyway,” Nate says as he turns to study me further. Suddenly I get another weird flashback thing. My room fades away, replaced by another. I can’t see much of the room, but I know that I’m lying on a bed. Nate’s hovering above me, and all around us a violent storm is raging. Suddenly it’s like everything we were just talking about, all the things I couldn’t remember, are coming back to me at rapid speed.

        My bedroom comes back into focus and I shake my head a bit to clear the new found memories away. Nate notices and says, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

       I try to smile, “just more memories.”

       He still doesn’t look convinced. He pulls away a little, “do you want to talk about it?” He asks.

      “It was just about what we were talking about before; the memories resurfaced. I think it was the way you were looking down on me, it reminded me of that.”

       “So now you remember everything?” Nate asks hopefully.

        “Just from that night,” I shake my head.

        “And what do you feel about that memory?”

        “I’m not sure,” I tell him, “I mean I hate the feeling I get when the memories begin. It’s like the rug is being ripped out from under me. As for the memories themselves, it’s a relief to know what my past was like.”

       “I meant how did you feel about that specific memory?” Nate hovers over me, so much like he had in the memory.

       “I think it’s going to take a little bit more than just four days and a memory resurfacing before I sleep with you.” I say firmly as I push a strand of black hair out of his eyes.

Excerpt from Finding Elizabeth      
 Copyright © 2015 by Taylor Fenner, All Rights Reserved.
 
         This is actually one of my favorite scenes in Finding Elizabeth. I hope you enjoyed it, I thought it was fitting for my post for Christmas day. I want to wish you and all of your families a Merry Christmas! 

         Finding Elizabeth is available in ebook and paperback on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Createspace. 


        

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #2

     This Wednesday I'm beginning a new book on "WIR"-Wednesday. This week I'm starting...


Boyfriend from Hell by E. Van Lowe
Blurb:
Fifteen year-old Megan Barnett and her single mom, Suze, have a special relationship—they are friends, close friends, who do almost everything together.

“But come on, guys, she’s my mother… Can I really tell her that while we’re snuggled up on the sofa watching Spider Man Three, I’m secretly undressing James Franco with my eyes? Of course not…”

The special bond takes a turn for the worse when Suze decides to start dating again. She hasn’t had a man in her life since Megan’s father left ten years ago.

Enter two mysterious young men, Megan’s new classmate, sinfully attractive bad boy, Guy Matson, and the dangerously handsome art dealer, Armando. Before long Megan and Suze both wind up in steamy relationships. But neither of the handsome pair is quite what he seems. In fact, one of them is Satan, with his sights set on a new bride. Megan has precious little time to figure out how to stop him. If she doesn’t, either Megan or Suze are quite literally going to HELL.


Why I Chose this Book:

   I first came across this book as a listing on Ripley's Booklist's weekly newsletter. (Every Saturday they send out a newsletter filled with free and/or low-priced ebooks for young adults and I've been addicted since I used them to list my newest release, Finding Elizabeth.) The cover of Boyfriend from Hell called to me first as did RB's recommendation, so I read the blurb and downloaded it. I haven't really gotten too far into it yet so I haven't formed an opinion.
   
   Since I'm only on the first page I can't really tell who I recommend this book for yet (stay tuned for an update). In the meantime check out what I've read since last Wednesday...

Sweet Madness by Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie

Blurb:   
Who was Lizzie Borden? A confused young woman, or a coldhearted killer? For generations, people all over the world have wondered how Andrew Borden and his second wife, Abby, met their gruesome deaths. Lizzie, Andrew's younger daughter, was charged, but a jury took only 90 minutes to find her not guilty. In this retelling, the family maid, Bridget Sullivan, shines a compassionate light on a young woman oppressed by her cheap father and her ambitious stepmother. Was Lizzie mad, or was she driven to madness?

What I thought of the book:
I really liked Sweet Madness. No matter whether you believe that Lizzie Borden did her parents in or not this book shines light on other possibilities as well as the living conditions Lizzie had to endure under the thumb of her cheap, controlling father and her schemeing stepmother. Lizzie is at times pained as being mentally unstable and at points you even feel sorry for Mr. and Mrs. Borden, but don't let their sob stories fool you, there's more than meets the eye. The real victim is Bridget Sullivan (who was actually a real person) who struggled to survive the madness within the Borden house. Read this book if you like a quick, creepy read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars)


Initiation (The School of Exorcists #1) by K.E. O'Connor

Blurb:
Ruby Carmichael is your typical teenage girl, trying to ignore the unusual fact she sees ghosts. After she almost kills someone, she discovers she isn't so typical and has abilities and responsibilities she's never dreamed of.

After almost ending the life of her school crush at a dance, Ruby is humiliated and confused. She isn't prepared for the revelation that she's fated to join the School of Exorcists, a mysterious school that trains young Senders in the art of crossing over the undead and protecting the world from dark magic forces.

In this fast paced teen and YA paranormal romance and adventure series, Ruby meets Andreas, an undead member of the School, who introduces her to the weird and magically freaky world of the School of Exorcists.

It's not long before Ruby also meets Zander Ford and falls in love. The road to happiness is thwarted by unstable ghosts, dark magic crazed family members and Ruby's own fears that magic and romance don't combine well.

There's also the issue of Jarrod Deveral, a handsome but dangerous magic using soul freezer, who lingers in Ruby's mind. With the romance heating up between Ruby and Zander, she can't ignore the issue that her birth parents are causing trouble by using dark magic.

But when Ruby and her new friends come under attack from dark magic, she must draw on her new found powers to save herself and the School she has grown to love.



What I Thought of the Book:
 I really enjoyed this book. It's a quick read and it reminds me a little bit of Harry Potter and another trilogy I read by Lee Nichols with its school of magic users. It makes you want to get the next book and see what else is in store for Ruby and the rest of her friends. 

Is it wrong of me if I say I want to see if something happens between Ruby and Andreas or Ruby and Jarrod?
  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 Stars)

Friday, December 18, 2015

My Writing & Publishing Goals for 2016

        2015 was a big year for me. My career as a published author was officially launched, I published two novels, and I started and finished writing the second book in my Eternals Trilogy.

       With those accomplishments under my belt, what do I have in store for 2016?

        1.) Publish Out of Darkness (Eternals Trilogy #1)
                   I finished writing Out of Darkness at the end of 2014 and I'm excited to get started on the publishing process for Out of Darkness. I have a mock cover created with the stock images I want to use (yes I do my own covers with the exception of The Haunting Love, which WCP did) and I'll begin rounds of edits after January 1. Tentatively I'd like to publish Out of Darkness in either April or May 2016.


       2.) Write and Complete Through the Fog (Eternals Trilogy #3)
                   I have started the final book in the Eternals Trilogy. I have the first chapter or two planned out and the overall storyline together, it's just a matter of putting pen to paper. Once I finish my post-NaNoWriMo relaxing I'll dive right in. Hopefully I'll be into the third chapter by the first week of January.

        3.) Publish Into the Light (Eternals Trilogy #2) 
                  At this point this is nothing but a pipe dream. If I do publish Into the Light in 2016 it will probably be toward the end of the year (November or December).

         4.) Participate in NaNoWriMo 2016 
                    I had so much fun doing NaNoWriMo this year, I can't wait to do it again and I already have a great story idea.

         5.) Do a Writing Residency / Retreat or Go Somewhere to Write for a Week or so
                    It would be a dream to be in a cottage in New England or somewhere writing by the ocean. A girl can only dream. Maybe I can have a weekend getaway to Door County (the Cape Cod of the Midwest). 

         6.) Attend a Writing Conference
                    I'd love to attend a writing conference or book festival either here in Wisconsin or somewhere in the Midwest to meet and connect with other authors. 

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday

      Starting now I'll be showcasing what I'm reading through a weekly "What I'm Reading Wednesday" blog. You'll also be able to see my progress in a widget on the side of my blog.

     For my first WIR-Wednesday, I'm reading:
 Onyx (Lux Novel Book 2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Blurb: 

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon's determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I've sworn him off, even though he's running more hot than cold these days. But we've got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense is here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I'm a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who's got a secret of his own. He knows what's happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I've seen someone who shouldn't be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he's never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…


Why I chose this book:


I am completely addicted to this series. I first read about the series on The Book Believer's blog and while I disagree with the post and really like the covers, the post got me interested in reading the books. I got the first book, Obsidian, free on my Kindle and devoured it in one night. Who knew aliens could be so sexy? 

Naturally once I finished book one I needed to get my hands on Onyx (Book 2), and quickly. I needed to find out what happened next in the world of Daemon, Katy, Dee, and the gang. My nearest Barnes and Noble didn't have it so I went to the library and voila! The copy I have is a bit tattered, but I'm tearing through it almost as quickly as I did with Obsidian

Who this book is for:

I recommend this book for young adults, new adults, and anyone who loves a love story (and a sexy alien next door), although I suggest starting with Obsidian so you know the whole story. This book has kept me going all day and I am having to fight to put it down.


Saturday, December 12, 2015

New Release: All Roads Lead To Terror by Richard Schiver

         From the author of White Walker comes horror author Richard Schiver's latest novel All Roads Lead to Terror, Available TODAY!  


         The horrors of the past meet the brutality of the present.

         Four boys strengthen the bonds of their friendship, while taking their first hesitant steps into adulthood, as they face the brutality of an old, new world. They will be tested at every step in their journey, as they travel through a blasted land where the only hope is for a swift death followed by an endless sleep. Survival lay in the firepower they carried, coupled with their willingness to use it, and their ability to trust each other with their own lives.

        The world has become a wild place filled with wild things, and into this new reality each of them had been born. Coming of age at the end of days, where savagery was the norm, and man's inhumanity to man was on daily display. Where the only law was the firepower one carried and the only hope was for a swift death followed by an endless sleep.

        Meat was born at the height of the Zombie apocalypse, upon his birth his mother took one look at him and pronounced him meat. He grew up in a reality where they were all nothing more than walking bags of meat, so in his mind the name fit perfectly.

        Window, his best friend, is very quiet, and ever watchful with a quick hand. To him friendship was the most important thing in the world. His family had perished in the ruthless times after the awakening and his temperament had been forged in the fire that took them from him. His friends were all he had left so he watched over them with a jealously protective nature strengthened by that sense of invulnerability all boys his age embraced. Further backed up by a quick hand with the .44 he'd used to kill the men who had raped his mother.

       The remaining members of this quartet are Einstein who had been born within the compound at Bremo Bluff after the apocalypse. Having spent his life behind the fence he had no first hand knowledge of how brutal the world has become. As his name implies he's the smartest in the group, as well the most innocent. While that innocence helps to soften the ruthlessness of the other three, it will serve to drive a wedge into their friendship. On this trip he will discover just how terrifying the world beyond the fence has become.

       The final member is Billie-Bob, one half of a set of twins who appeared outside the fence several years earlier. Your typical class clown whose mouth runs a mile a minute, if he isn't sharing overused jokes about Zombies, he's whispering the passages from a book his mother used to read to him when he was younger, a chant that provides him with a degree of comfort. Billie-Bob is unique in that at the tender age of eleven he has proven himself to be a natural born sniper with a willingness to use his special talent to protect his friends.

       The trail they follow leads them East, into the Dreadlands, from which those who had dared venture in the past never returned. There are places where the fabric of reality is at its thinnest. Where nightmare creatures roam the shadowy corners of a well lit world. Existing at the edge of man consciousness, an indistinct blur briefly glimpsed in our peripheral vision. Their presence felt on a primitive level that reached our consciousness as a faint whisper in the night. Their touch the soft caress of chilled fingers dancing along the spine like the half remembered terrors lurking within the childhood memories of every person who had ever feared the night.

        In Richmond they will be confronted by a savage cult of children who worship a creature of the night. A nightmare being that feasted upon the fear of its victims, delving into their innermost secrets, revealing half forgotten terrors that lay like a rotting carcass at the heart of their souls. For these creatures, that were once considered nightmare imaginings, are now awake in a world where the population that once served as their food source has been reduced.

       Awake and very, very, hungry.

Buy Links:







Want to *WIN* an ebook copy of Richard Schiver's brand new novel All Roads Lead to TerrorComment on this post and tomorrow (Sunday, December 13, 2015) I'll draw two winners at random to win an ebook copy of All Roads Lead to Terror! Leave your contact info so I'll be able to notify you if you win!

About the Author
Richard was born in Frostburg, Maryland, in the winter of '58' and currently lives eight miles away. A five-year stint with the military allowed him to see what he wanted of the world. Married with four grown children and eight grandchildren, he and his wife provide a home to four pets that are spoiled beyond rotten.

In addition to writing daily he works a full-time job in retail and piddles around in his wood-shop making one mess after another when time permits.

Richard can be found online at:


Facebook: http://www.facebook/RichardSchiver

Follow Richard on Twitter: @RichardSchiver

Written in Blood is Richard's personal blog where he shares his thoughts on writing, and whatever else that might strike his fancy. http://www.richardschiver.com

He can be contacted directly at rschiver@gmail.com and would be delighted to hear from you.

Sign up to be notified of publishing updates and new releases as they become available. He promises to never share your contact info, nor will he swamp your inbox with unnecessary crap. He’ll also toss in a free copy of White Walker when you sign up.

Friday, December 4, 2015

How My Writing Career Changed in 2015

        With 2015 being only twenty-seven days away from being nothing more than a memory, it is time to begin looking back on all that happened to me in terms of my writing career.
  
      I went from an unpublished author waiting for my first novel to be released to now being the author of not one, but two novels; The Haunting Love (WCP, February 17, 2015) and Finding Elizabeth (Self-Published, September 15, 2015), with the first two books in a new trilogy on deck for release in 2016.


       It's been a great year for me creatively and I continue learning more and more about the publishing world every day. It feels like I've grown so much in the past year, the seven months in between The Haunting Love's release and Finding Elizabeth's release in particular. 
  
     I've made mistakes and I've learned from them. I've been lucky enough to have experienced publishing through both a small publisher and self-publishing.
  
     Marketing didn't come naturally to me. I had to learn the fine line between promoting my book and turning people off by over promoting. It was shocking to learn it took more than my early efforts of promoting my novel on Twitter and *hoping* my publisher would promote my book to bring in sales. I guess it's true what they say: if you want something done right it's best to do it yourself.

       During the process of self-publishing Finding Elizabeth, I learned to make connections with fellow indie authors and bloggers. I can't emphasize that enough. Build a support group, make friends, and always help others whenever possible. It makes you feel so good when you can help other indie authors and it's good karma in your favor. 

        Another area of growth for me in 2015 was interacting with the public and my readers at book signings. I am quite possibly the shyest person I know. Talking in public terrifies me. I like to think of my book signing for The Haunting Love (May 9, 2015) as a trial run. It was held at a small coffee shop in a small town near where I live and 80% of my sales were to people I have known most of my life. I am grateful for their support and patronage, but I needed more exposure. My book signing for Finding Elizabeth was held at a bookstore chain I love in a medium sized city (See my blog post "A Great Place for Authors to Hold Book Events") and I thrived. It was such a positive experience. I connected with and sold to a broader group of people that I had no prior meetings with. I smiled so much I thought my mouth was going to be frozen like that forever, but I felt so empowered afterward.


       One of my favorite accomplishments of 2015 was participating in and completing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month - November 1-30, 2015). 50,000 words in a thirty day period seemed daunting at first, but I am so proud that I reached and surpassed the goal and completed my novel.

        Fellow writers/indie authors: how did your writing career change in 2015? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to head what you got up to this year! 

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