Tuesday Takeover: Free and Inexpensive Ways to Support Authors by Casey Bond

I was listening to the news one morning and heard the funniest story about J.K. Rowling. I love her Harry Potter series (as does my daughter). Rowling decided to put a chair up for auction, but not just any chair, the chair she sat in to write the first two Potter books. Before the auction took place, it was estimated that the chair would bring in $70,000.00. It brought in $394,000.00. Seriously. The newscaster was baffled. But me? I was all like… #smugface. Because J.K. Rowling is amazing and everyone should know it by now. Not only is her series inspiring people from all ages and walks of life to take up the pen, it’s fun and she’s kind and gracious (all the time).

This post isn’t about opening your wallet to buy a chair. It isn’t about chairs or Rowling at all, but about what the average person (who doesn’t have an extra four hundred grand sitting around) can do to support their favorite authors.

I’m by no means famous, but let me tell you what. My readers are amazing. And this post was inspired by them. So if you want to know how to encourage your favorite writers….read on.

Ideas that cost NOTHING:

  1. Tell them that you enjoyed the book! Message them or post a message on their social media accounts telling them how much you liked it! It’s so encouraging and uplifting.
  2. Tell your friends about their work. Word of mouth is HUGE.
  3. Blast social media. If you read xxxxxx book, post about it without spoilers.
  4. Take a pic of the book on your e-reader and post it on your page.
  5. Tag them when someone asks what you’re reading, if you happen to be reading their work.
  6. Send an e-mail! J
  7. Randomly check in with them to see what they’re writing.
  8. Join their fan groups!
  9. Check their pages for new releases.
  10. Have fun! I haven’t met an author yet who hates getting encouragement, who hates a kind word. We love that you love our stories and characters as much as we do. We love talking to people who get it, who consider the characters we write to be real and important. We LOVE it. We fangirl, too. And believe it or not, we fangirl over fans! Authors love to hear from fans.

Ideas that might cost you a little:

  1. Buy their e-book or paperback,
  2. Send a card,
  3. Show up at a book signing with homemade merch that showcases their work (books drawn on a tote/notebook/shirt, photo book with their book covers included in it, canvas with characters drawn on it, etc!). Authors will sign ANYTHING (within reason) so not only do you get to make cool stuff, you get their signature on it! And it’s cool. So…

I hope you enjoyed the ideas. I’m blessed to have such amazing readers and hope to see you all at an event this year! Thanks to everyone who stopped by my tables at Roanoke Author Invasion and UTOPiA con! If you’re attending Carolina Book Fest or Rebels & Readers, please stop by and see me!

bond

Award-winning author Casey L. Bond lives in Milton, West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. When she’s not busy being a domestic goddess and chasing her baby girls, she loves to write young adult and new adult fiction.

You can find more information about Bond’s books via the following links:

Website ~ Newsletter ~ Facebook ~ Twitter & Instagram: @authorcaseybond

Available or Soon-To-Be Released Books:

Winter Shadows

Pariah, Book 1 in The New Covenant Series

Paradox, Book 2, The New Covenant Series

Devil Creek

Shady Bay

Reap, Book 1 in The Harvest Saga

Resist, Book 2 in The Harvest Saga

Reclaim, Book 3 in The Harvest Saga

Sin (Serial Series)

Light in the Darkness (YA Anthology)

Fractured Glass (Novel Anthology)

Crazy Love

Water Witch

Dark Bishop (Serial Series)

Jul 19, 2016 | Posted by in Tuesday Takeover | Comments Off on Tuesday Takeover: Free and Inexpensive Ways to Support Authors by Casey Bond

Tuesday Takeover: Writing a book is just like having a baby by Sarah Negovetich

I’ve just released my third book, and I have to tell you, every release is a bit different, but the first one is the doozy that will make you or break you. I was ruminating back on that first release when I realized just how much it had in common with having my first baby. Here’s what I’m talking about.

Information Overload

New Baby: You read every book in the library and spent countless hours combing internet articles that are one half comforting and the other half terrifying. When you manage to pull yourself away from the computer, you gorge yourself on episode of A Baby Story on TLC.

New Book: In preparation for your new bundle of joy, you read everything you can about the craft. Do you want to publish your book with a trusted professional or are you the more DIY, hands on kind of author? There are dream stories about people who sell their first book for millions and then there are those who labor for years before they birth words into the world. You take it all in: books, podcasts, conferences, webinars. And in the end you still have no idea what’s going on.

Unsolicited Advice

New Baby: Everyone who has ever had a baby, knows someone who has a baby, or has thought about having a baby will provide you with all the random advice you never wanted to know. Perfect strangers will begin talking about the most intimate parts of your body as if you were a side-show at a discount carnival.

New Book: Be prepared for Aunt Elanor who hasn’t read a book released in the last three decades to tell you exactly how to write a good book. You will graciously ignore that her last birthday card contained no less than five grammar errors. Even though you didn’t know a single author before you started writing, now that you’re doing it, everyone you know is going to write a novel…some day…you know, when they have the time.

New Obsession

New Baby: This little angel will consume all your waking and sleeping thoughts. Before hand you’ll wax poetic to the lady at the super market about the little flutter kicks tickling your belly and share baby name thoughts with your waiter. People will avoid riding in elevators with you, so they don’t have to hear about your nursery colors one more time. Only other expecting moms will share your joy obsession.

New Book: Your project is all you ever want to talk about. It finds a way into every conversation you have. Your spouse knows more about the intimate details in your head than is advisable. Other writers will gladly join you in your obsession. Plus, there are plenty of online chatrooms and Twitter #wordsprints to keep you happily engaged. Non-writer friends don’t fully understand what you’re doing. You may find that some can’t take it and slowly drift away. Your best friends still don’t get it, but will quietly listen to you talk about your writer’s block for the fifth time this week.

Loss of Sleep

New Baby: Even before the baby gets here, you’ll lose sleep thinking, dreaming and worrying about your precious arrival. Not to mention the frequent trips to the bathroom . After the baby arrives, forget it. You’re up every few hours for diapers and feedings. And if your angel is sleeping, you’re probably up starting at him to make sure he’s still breathing.

New Book:  As a new writer, time is precious. If inspiration hits at 4am, who are you to deny the muse. The deeper you go and the closer you come to publication, the worse it gets. You spend most of your daytime hours wondering around in a plot hole induced faze muttering about second act reversals and character motivation. Personal hygiene will become less important the longer your first draft takes to write. Some people close to you may stage an intervention by taking away your computer and insisting you shower and go outside.

Resource Drain

New Baby: First there’s the doctor’s bill which hits you on the side of the head when you’re least expecting it. And that’s before the baby is even born. Then you have all the gear you’ll need like a crib, car seat, five-in-one super magic sleep, bounce, rocker (it had great reviews). After the baby comes you’ll have more doctor bills and it will be time to get all the supplies you really need, like industrial strength rubber gloves and a giant bottle of Dreft. Your time also seems to disappear, and close friends will assume you have fallen down a hole lined with burp clothes and pacifiers.

New Book: In addition to all the time you’ll dedicate to the perfection of the world’s best manuscript (you have the stained t-shirt to prove it), you may find that writing a book puts a strain on other valuable resources. Conferences aren’t free and a writer can never own too many leather bound journals that you’ll never actually use because they are way too nice for notes. Cute products proclaiming your new “writer” status will quickly replace food in your basic needs list (though to be clear, chocolate and coffee are non-negotiable). You may also find that other relationships may suffer, but don’t let that get you down. You’ll always have your characters to love you.

Can you handle it?

At the end of the day, writing a novel  is not for the weak at heart or the lover of sleep. But once you hold your book in your hand for the first time and gaze onto its shiny bound cover, you’ll quickly forget all the pain and torture. You’ll watch your little book grow into the marketplace and maybe shed a tear for your first review. When that happens, you know you’re ready for book two.

SarahN

Sarah’s Bio:

Sarah Negovetich knows you don’t know how to pronounce her name and she’s okay with that.

Her first love is Young Adult novels, because at seventeen the world is your oyster. Only oysters are slimy and more than a little salty; it’s accurate if not exactly motivational. We should come up with a better cliché.

Sarah divides her time between writing YA books that her husband won’t read and working with amazing authors as an agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency. Her life’s goal is to be only a mildly embarrassing mom when her kids hit their teens.

You can learn more about Sarah and her books at www.SarahNegovetich.com or follow her antics on Twitter @SarahNego.

Rite of Redemption Blurb:

Rebecca escaped the PIT, found a family among the Freemen…and watched too many loved ones die. All she wants is the Cardinal to leave her in peace, but he’s made it clear that’s never going to happen.

When the Cardinal attacks other Freemen villages, she finally understands that no one is safe from his wrath. As the only one who’s stood up to the evil that is the Cardinal, it’s up to her to convince the others that they can’t hide forever. It’s time to fight.

The Machine predicted Rebecca would become the Cardinal’s enemy. It may have gotten that one right.

In the conclusion to the Acceptance series, enemies become allies and old friends emerge, but in the end, sacrifice may be the price of freedom.

Book Links:

Rite of Redemption Amazon order link: https://www.amazon.com/Rite-Redemption-Acceptance-Book-3-ebook/dp/B01F50EZ3C

Rite of Redemption Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30166592-rite-of-redemption

Rite of Rejection link (free from Jun 2nd to 6th): https://www.amazon.com/Rite-Rejection-Acceptance-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00P26DB08

Rafflecopter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NDJiNzM3Y2E1YzRlMDgzY2E2ZDg0Y2E3YWFjOTM4OjY=/?

Rafflecopter HTML:

<a class=”rcptr” href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/42b737ca6/” rel=”nofollow” data-raflid=”42b737ca6″ data-theme=”classic” data-template=”” id=”rcwidget_7gceje4r”>a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

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My social media links:

Website: www.SarahNegovetich.com

Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/sarahnegovetich

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahDNegovetich/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/SarahNego

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahnego/

Jun 28, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tuesday Takeover: Writing a book is just like having a baby by Sarah Negovetich

Tuesday Takeover: Secret Ingredient For Writers Listed Below by Caroline A. Gill

You know this already. You do. You see it every day, maybe even more often: that sense of wonder. We try to capture it over and over. Whether it’s depicted in a film, in commercials, or in a book, that feeling, that moment of discovery: that’s the magic.

In the contemporary fantasy/fiction writing, we are all under the influence of giants, standing on the shoulders of Tolkien, Lewis, Carroll, and Poe. And that sense of wonder they found in a wardrobe, down a rabbit hole, on the other side of a mirror, in a hobbit hole; that is what we all seek. That is modern magic.

The surprise in a child’s eyes at a birthday party that moment charms us, pulling at our own memories. When our main character finds a skill they didn’t know they had, or a marvelous item that unlocks a door to a new world, it’s all the same.

Discovering the new, finding the magic: we all search for that definable moment of wonder. It is the core of every journey we take, that hope that we will discover something new. That feeling becomes amplified if mixed with love. Or if it is blended with righteous defending anger. Over and over, we wait to be surprised. And we love those who manage to do just that.

Think about your favorite books and movies. It’s those scenes that pull you in, the ones that mirror the wonder you once felt. A return to innocence, the feeling of rightness in the world, the hero who rushes in regardless of personal cost these are primal human emotions.

These are how we connect with the reader. And how the reader connects with us.

Not everyone searches for the same emotions either, which is why even well written books do not appeal to every reader. As fallible, broken beings, we seek a glimpse into the Greater Good. Wonder. Magic. Surprise.

These are the things worth dying for. The friendships worth saving. Treasure beyond price.

In my novel Flying Away, Iolani Bearse encounters loss after loss. First, her father dies in a faraway war, then her mother in a car accident. Lani sees death up close, blood dripping down her mother’s face. And there is a fly there, in the car. Just like there have been flies on the windowsill of her bedroom where she waited for years for her father to return home.

But now, in Lani’s lowest moment, in the chasm of her grief, watching her mother’s eyes glaze over, shattered by her death the houseflies speak to her. Perhaps this is the first time she really listened. And they show her a magic that the insects have always kept hidden.

You’ve seen flies, zipping in the middle of the air, hovering for no apparent reason? Well, that was just so you wouldn’t see what they can do: flying fast enough they can open a portal to anywhere. If a fly has seen a location, any fly can find it. And Lani needs the houseflies and their magic, far sooner than anyone would have suspected. Because the memory thieves are coming. The green lanterns shine in dark of night, harvesting amino acids and draining away whole families, suburbs, and towns. Only the flies protect Lani. Only Lani sees the Stealers. With their help, one orphan girl can save our broken nation.

Caroline Gill

Bio:
Caroline A. Gill went to school at UCLA and NIU. She married the love of her life. Facing the world with children made her aware of how vulnerable they are. Weaving tales of courage, she tries to find hope. Living near the great California Redwoods, she finds a sense of the finite and infinite touching. The creative world is like that, especially when authors feel inspired.  She’s the author of Flying Away, a YA dystopian, supernatural paranormal fantasy. www.authorcarolineagill.com

 

May 24, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tuesday Takeover: Secret Ingredient For Writers Listed Below by Caroline A. Gill

Tuesday Takeover: How authors choose their characters by Kyle Perkins

First of all, I would like to start off by saying that I am no expert on the matter and this is not so much a guide to creating characters, as it is my own personal experiences.

A little bit of backstory on me, I never actually aspired to be an author. I was more into gaming my entire life, and I joined a text based role playing group centered around some of my favorite games. From there, I learned everything you SHOULDN’T do with a character, as well as things people really respond well to. When you filter through dozens of characters a day, and read their stories, and actively participate with them, you learn who is universally hated and who is loved. That being said…

Never make your characters invincible. They need to be roughed up a bit. This is what is known as “God Modding” in the community and it is hated more than anything else. No one is interested in characters that can pull abilities out of thin air to get past an obstacle. We look at that as cheating, and so do readers. Instead, use what you have at your disposal in your character’s history. Make it fun, unexpected and exciting to read.

What I like to do is make a character sheet for all of my characters. It’s a basic bio full of their stats and history. So, if I need to know how tall my guy/girl is, I have it. If I need to know what special abilities he/she possesses, I have it. It details their personal story for me, so that if I ever need to get out of a situation I put myself in, I can refer back to the character sheet to decide how I could get it done, based on the character.

People want characters that are down to Earth and relatable. Think back to any TV show, book, or movie you really enjoyed. Chances are, the reason you enjoyed it was due to a character or two you really liked. The reason you like them is because you can relate. You see aspects of yourself in them. How many times when you were little did you say “I’m Leonardo!” or “I’m Optimus Prime,” Chances are a ton. You liked those characters and emulated them because you liked their personalities. Even as an adult I am sure people have said, “This character soooo reminds me of you,” and you liked them based on that alone without even seeing the character. That is what makes a character well rounded. All of your favorite characters are relatable and have flaws, because in real life, we all do too.

Another thing to watch out for is making your character too “edgy.” Which is defined as “Taking coolness to its extreme and generally beyond the realm of actual possibility, while at the same time seemingly unaware of how ridiculous it is.” Your character of course can be cool and funny, but when it imposes on reality and becomes farfetched, again, you have a problem with your reader finding them relatable. For instance, if your guy speaks in cool one liners, dresses in all black all the time, has armor on and carries around a samurai sword in Manhattan, chances are he is a bit too edgy.

When a reader reads your story, the most important thing you can do for them, is make it as easy as possible for them to put themselves in your character’s shoes. Otherwise, they lose interest. Making a character relatable will actually keep a reader reading in a genre they wouldn’t normally seek out, just BECUASE they can relate to it. Let’s face it, we all want to be the star of our own movies in our mind.

Now, I am not above any of this. When I started out roleplaying, I had the edgiest characters around, because it’s a game and you typically go out of your way to win games. When people stopped wanting to play with me, I sought out answers as to why. That’s when I learned it was more about a mutual story than winning, and when you make a great, relatable story, everyone wins.

So, in closing, make your characters relatable, down to Earth, flawed and realistic. If you follow those four things, it won’t matter what genre you write in, because people will keep coming back for more.

Kyel

It was only recently that Kyle Perkins discovered his love of putting his imaginative daydreams in writing for others to enjoy. He founded and managed some of the largest text-based roleplaying groups on Facebook, which sparked his passion for storytelling and helped him sharpen his skills as an author. Since the January 2016 release of his debut dystopian novel, Reddened Wasteland, Kyle has published three other works with plans to release several more in the upcoming months, including the second installment of the Reddened Wasteland series. He’s a dog person, an Aquarius, and he lives in Florida, though he’ll tell you he lives on the internet.

Facebook ~ Amazon

Apr 26, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | 1 comment

Tuesday Takeover: Literary Prejudices by RJ Blain

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From an early age, we’re taught a lot of things. We learn to tie our shoes, we learn to follow the morals of society, and we’re taught to adhere to a certain set of beliefs. What is popular often comes before our personal interest and likes, and literature is no different. We’re taught we should appreciate literature because it’s old or appropriate, not because we enjoy it.

Too often we’re taught to read, not taught to read what we love. Even from an early age, we’re not given many choices in the types of books we can read.

As often as not, our personal interests fall second to the strict standards of our family and society, resulting in children, teens, and eventually adults adhering to the preferences of others. Fashion is a good example of this. We wear what society teaches us is popular, not necessarily what we want to wear. Young girls are encouraged to like the color pink and pursue interests ‘suitable’ for their gender. As early as pre-teens and early teens, clothing is sexualized to conform to society’s standards of popularity. Merchandise from popular franchises, especially within the superhero genre, are skewed heavily for male audiences.

Literature is no different, and it should be. This trend is most obvious when it comes to the interests of the young, highlighted by novels like Twilight and Fifty Shades of Gray. Women are scorned for having interest in these types of books. Men, young or old, are discouraged from having any interest in the romance genre at all. Perceptions of a story’s intended audience often result in the culture of interest shaming.

Twilight has become a showcase novel of this syndrome, with lovers of this book often facing the scorn and ridicule from others, particularly among those who consider themselves more literate. This problem is present in every genre of fiction, resulting in alienating potential readers, which in turn harms everyone.

This is a problem, especially in fantasy and science fiction genres, which heavily rely on people thinking outside of society’s norms. While certain elements of the science fiction and fantasy genres have become mainstream, many still have a negative reputation, particularly paranormal romance. Other targeted sub-genres include shifter fiction, vampire fiction, and many types of space opera.

These genres of fiction have a unique quality; they attract new, young readers, which is why readers should consider putting aside their prejudices to recommend these titles to the young audiences beginning to explore fiction as a viable source of entertainment.

While many readers may not consider Twilight, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and similar books to be good fiction, they share one important advantage: they capture the imagination.

Unfortunately, too many learning to read for enjoyment are being scorned for their interests. The only message this sends is that they are not allowed to love the books they enjoyed and that their interests do not matter.

Literary prejudices hurt us all, restrict the type of literature written and released to the market, and prevent people from feeling comfortable trying a new story or genre from fear of being scorned for their interests.

Change begins with each and every one of us. Instead of scorning those who enjoy a book you don’t like, embrace them and their interests. Encourage them to read, even if you don’t find their type of book to your liking. When you review, if you think you’re just not the right audience for the title, say who you think is the audience, without prejudice.

It’s okay to dislike a book, and it should be okay to love a book, too.

Many of us love books. I, for one, would rather recommend a book I hate to someone who will love it. They’ll be reading, and that’s the most important thing of all.

RJ Blain - Author Photo

RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.

When she isn’t playing pretend, she likes to think she’s a cartographer and a sumi-e painter. In reality, she herds cats and a husband, and obeys the commands of Tsu Dhi, the great warrior fish.

In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied. Discover Blain’s books here.

Apr 4, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tuesday Takeover: Literary Prejudices by RJ Blain