I’ll be in audio form…….at least for an evening

I do hope I’m not jumping the gun, but I have made plans to be on the radio waves coming at you on Friday night!  It’s not for the faint of heart, or the easy listening crowd, and its no holds barred.  I might be able to get a word in about Rise of a Queen, but no promises, but bonus you get to hear me 😀 And I like listening to them on Friday nights.

The Where: Garage 71 Junkyard with Stretch / based in Georgia.  you can stream it through their main website here. Garage 71 and if all else fails find them on Live365 check below for links to a few of their FB pages.

The When: Friday 4/19/2013 somewhere between 8pm-12am EST

The Who: MEEEEEEEEEEEE and the awesome DJ of the show Stretch and quite possibly his evil minion Supa Sonik Scott

The Why: Because I have a great opportunity to blurt out quite possibly the most interesting or crazy things possible through the waves of the scary tech (massive crazy confusing tech).  Mix that with some Metal music and I’m a happy chick (mind you I have a wide selection of musical taste).  Maybe I’ll be lucky and get a request in!!!!

here are some links, if you can’t check me out please check them out if you like that kind of stuff or just a big ol’ motorhead for the rest of the time.  They’ve got a great team and some good tunes.

Garage71 main / their FB ; Friend them. Put some requests in or check out the other FB is Grease Inc. Magazine

Don’t forget to give me a shout out if you hear me, but no matter what, check them out.

What happens when a character gets too big for their britches?

I’m finishing up one section of my second book in the Vampire Realm series (which by the way for a few I may have to fish around for a good title that won’t give away the big surprise in the first one).  There are multiple ones with a few different story lines that all mesh into one another.  As I have stated before, I don’t just focus on one character and I promise you on this one that there are going to be a few front and center.  We’ve got Tessa, Jason and the advisors on the vampire side.  On the other we have the I.F.F. (Independent Freedom Fighters aka human rebels) with Melinda, Emma, and their expanded army.  There is a 3rd that is a big shhhhhhh at the moment.

THAT BEING SAID.  Emma has gotten quite a strong voice of her own.  I didn’t intentionally do that, and yes I reigned her in, but oh my goodness the writing that just flew out of my brain to my fingers just happened to be more than I ever thought it could be.  Emma is definitely becoming like her mother AND Tessa.  That is good.  She is a true character.  She changes from the first book, which I wanted.  Change happens with growth, but boy is she a strong-willed, more than anticipated.

Here’s the big question.  As I’m trying to reign her in and make Melinda a bigger focus on the human side how do I humble such a young adult?  Obviously she gets reunited with her Melinda.  It was bound to happen and it makes for a great divide and a pinnacle moment in the book.  I just wasn’t expecting such a personality to come from such a character.

I’ve got great character’s, mind you. I just really want to bring Melinda, and even Tessa from the other side out, stronger than I have Emma, Jason, and those who are in the know, Ariana (a key element for the next two books).  

In a quandary and could use a few writer’s perspectives on this one.

Even as Social Media Eludes Me……a point was proven that it does have a positive impact

I gripe and groan and drag my knuckles through the dirt as I grumble under my breath about all the marketing that has to be done and why in this green earth does it have to be a million different social media outlets.

Mind you, I still have a love-hate relationship with it all.  Honestly, when did I stop “getting it”?  I’m a Facebook guru (not author page, thats a new one to me) and I could walk you through almost anything and explain ever bell and whistle, even the moment it arrives.  Its a quick befuddlement and then I grasp the concept and go on.  Wordpress blogging.  All I can say is WOW at how it has grown.  From the very first post where you could tell I was a tadpole in the waters to this very day.  I have grown and my relationship with other bloggers have grown along with it and I wouldn’t change it for the world.  I honestly don’t anything special to contribute but my thoughts and obviously news or information about my book(s) because, you know, I still am an author.  My website itself has grown as I add more insight into Rise of a Queen helping each and every reader get an insight into the characters and the clans, adding more each day.  I don’t do book reviews (I wish I could, its just so tough and my heart goes out to those who work so very hard to get everything they can done), I don’t do fashion, I don’t do celebrities.  I just do me.

I’m still at a standstill regarding my Facebook author page because honestly, Facebook has it where unless its constantly liked or shared or commented on it falls off everyone’s radar.  I’m working on that one.

Twitter……I’m kinda sorta maybe possibly getting the point of it, on my end that is.  I’m working more on it and I find it was a great way for me to get a surprise short term book giveaway.  It wasn’t planned, I just felt the need to show the twitter followers my love.  And I do hope the winner enjoys the book as well as I enjoyed writing it.

Don’t think I have an Instagram, do I?  I have an about.me but not sure what the use for that is except just to tell you….well about me.  That is what everything is going towards nowadays right?  Me, me, me, me, me, hey look something sparkly, something I might be interested in, me, me, me again.  It’s like going tops on the bullet train never getting a chance to really catch a glimpse of what really is going on.

WHAT THIS POST IS REALLY ABOUT.  Through all of that, through all of the confusion I deal with and pushed on all of you, I realized that it at least serves a few good purposes, yesterday being a perfect example.  Obviously I am talking about the incident in Boston.  It was amazing on how quick the information came at me.  I had twitter open and I have to say it was amazing to see who was tweeting what with updated information, the questions that came about, and yes I do follow the Writer/Director/Actor Kevin Smith and I would say he was the one that gave the best info out.  As I had twitter open, I watched site after site being posted on facebook and peoples thoughts, prayers, anger, all of that.  I streamed from a great news source that didn’t report something they didn’t understand or speculate but as it went and what info they had so no panic or assumptions.I was hearing people pouring in information on site from cell phones and tablets, which they shared with the police and everything was instant.  I would say we, as media was concerned, were more on the ball than we had ever been in the past.  

So as much as I complain, and I do have that right because I’m still hanging upside down in the tree of social media scratching my head like a monkey, I do agree there is a big need for it in the right situations.  Hopefully in the future those situations will not be devastating and we will all be Jedi’s of the web.  A girl can dream, right?

A bit of Somber Humbleness

Image

I was going to post something else today, something about the writing process I have surprised myself with writing book #2.  I am setting that aside in sight of what happened in Boston, Massachusetts  USA.  I am certain most have heard at this point of the explosions, deaths, and injuries at the finish line of a marathon being run, I believe for Alzheimer’s but I’m still sifting through all the facts before making any assumption.

My first thought was shock, then confusion, followed by the most venomous anger, finally ending at a decent place in myself.  As bad as the situation was, and good grief anything of such hatefulness if done by a person is a bad situation indeed, the good to bad ratio was still significant.  

Let me clarify.  Everything is foggy, but we do know deaths and injuries. Suspects, question mark to most of us, reasons are unknown. Thoughts should go out to the lost ones, the hurt ones, the loved ones, the confused ones.  I want to extend that.  I want good thoughts for the people on the scene first to help.  All Emergency response, all the fast acting people, all the blood donors, all the caretakers, every single one of those need be thought about and looked after in thoughts or prayers or whatever a person does during a time like this.  

Tomorrow will be another day and hopefully a better day for the bulk of those people and we will, as a human race, keep moving forward being strong, smart, and through everything else be survivors.  Tomorrow will bring forth new concerns, new measures, new information.  Terrorist, single incident, what the reasoning was, everything will come to fruit leaving only confusion in its place no matter the answer.

There is good out there, just look for it even in the most unlikely place and do not give up on humanity just yet.  I am waiting to see how it will be, though.  

 

Why does it have to be Us and Them?

photo by Charles Blackhall via Shambhala Times

Why can’t we just BE. I know deep thought.  Light the incense, turn on the nature sounds and think hard with me.  The world is a tough place to be.  Economy sucks, life is fast paced, things change, and people have their nostril hairs tickling the privates of whatever tech they seem to get a hold of (myself included when I can find the right buttons).

There are so many people out there that just really could care less about you, and honestly you tell yourself “It’s okay, you suck, good day sir!”  and to be on your merry way.  As an author, and YES I DO USE THAT TERM (I’m trying my hardest to own it, its tough with the way people react when they’re told though), we love to hear words.  We like to read them, we like to hear them, we love, and I mean ABSOLUTELY LOVE, when someone has read your work and written a review.  It is better than water from the fountain of youth for us, we dislike silence unless you see us in such deep thought because we’re about to reveal the next *gasp* in the book we are writing. The funny thing is even authors fall prey to the society that is out there.  

I suppose there is a stigma attached to Independent authors,come to think about it I know a few musicians, poets,artists, etc…..they all fall in the same category.  What makes it different in this world today?  Is it that we are not caught up in the tech as well as we could be? Why I’m certain there is someone Independent out there that could help you with that.  Is it that you need better cover art? I bet there is an artist starving to get that done for you.  See how it’s done?  A society, a community, a village, a world at our fingertips and the bubble we look into from the outside looks so in reach.

The THEM, that’s the one’s I worry about.  The one’s that like things in their place and do things because it’s always been that way.  If they want a painting, the will go to an art show instead of ask someone to paint you one. If they like a band, they will pay hundred’s of dollars to sit up front to enjoy the music instead of go down to the local pub and see who might be just as entertaining and quite possibly see them before they get famous.  If they want to read a book, it MUST be by a big publisher and that it MUST go through all the correct channels so that the author has their work proven worthy while they probably bring home .50 taxable cents per book at the end of the day (a tad over-dramatic but still).  Break free from those moments of comfort and try something new every now and then.  Open the eyes to what is out and and eat up all the talents a person has to offer.

Big House Publishing has great things to offer. Small House Publisher’s do too.  Independent publishers/authors (hey that’s me and a bunch of you) have a lot to offer, just not as many resources to go about it.  But the one thing we all have in common?  It’s that big big secret people like to keep people from hearing.  The scary word :MARKETING!!!!! Everyone has to market what they do, and here is where a person like me falls flat on my face thanks to technology and the brick and mortar’s stubborn ways.

Think about the accomplishment’s we could come up with if we all worked together? Word of mouth/virtual mouth, a suggestion, idea’s, even working on an entire project together.  I’m about ready to say the last few words before we snuff out the incense, turn off the music, and brighten the lights.  Give PEOPLE (ha I didn’t say peace) a chance.  Take a minute to read their thoughts or listen to their sound or look at their masterpiece.  Slow your roll baby and enjoy it so the us’s and the them’s become We’s.

*grammar run amok but I do have a few to reign me in*

 

Feeling Down and Irritable

He’s obviously put some great thought into what he’s done and has worked hard, I can see the frustration and want to share some love and maybe some insight

Legends of Windemere

Sundays have become infamous for low (or no) sales days for my book.  Not sure why, but today is looking like it will knock off all those Amazon lists completely.  I’ve been preparing myself for this and trying to find a way to soften the blow.  I was doing okay until a thought crossed my mind:

I’ve seen a lot of self-published authors talk about how important ‘word of mouth’ is and I’ve preached it too.  I use social media, support other authors, and do whatever I can to spread the word of my book and the books of other authors.  I greatly appreciate the hep and advice I’ve received from all of the WordPress friends that I’ve made.  Yet, there is a piece of my puzzle that’s lacking and it’s finally hitting a point where I’m annoyed.

Back when I set out to be an author full-time, I announced…

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Had a surprise e-book giveaway on twitter

and my winner was @TerriKing1221.  It was a twitter only special, but we never know when the next giveaway me be or how I will do it. Twitter, Facebook, here, surprises galore!!!!

I’m thinking of new ways to have great giveaways and one day soon there may be a paperback in someone’s future!!!!!!!!!! (exclamation points galore).

Share me, enjoy my book, spread the word if you like Rise of a Queen or have yet to get a copy for yourself

You learned a little about Tessa, how about getting to know Melinda?

I have put up a little bio of Melinda, another key character in The Vampire Realm series.  Rise of a Queen is truly only the beginning for her and she holds a strong presence in the unnamed second book that is getting finished, I promise.

Follow the link HERE to read about Melinda

Sale Time!!!!

yep, this is actual author stuff so hold onto your hats and groan silently or clap with glee!!  Those who haven’t read Rise of a Queen  it’s for sale for $2.99, limited time only!!!!!  This is for the ebook only, but this give you a chance to grab it when you didn’t get a chance to during its opening week at the price of $2.99. 

Here it is: Rise of a Queen for all your ebook options and enjoy, tell a friend, review, all those wonderful things

(Have I used enough exclamation points yet?)

Rise of a Queen author interview

An Interview with me 🙂 Love the questions

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