Month: September 2014

Skating On Thin Ice (Book Blast)

Published on by MM Jaye4 Comments

 

Professional hockey in Seattle by a bestselling sports romance author? Plus a hot giveaway? Game on! This Book Blast is brought to you by Tasty Book Tours.

 

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$20 Amazon Gift Card, Swag Pack &
Winner’s Choice Backlist Romance

 

 

 

 

Jami Davenport presents Game on in Seattle, a new series featuring Seattle sports teams, hot men, and strong women.

He trusts his gut, she trusts her numbers, and neither trusts the other, as a billionaire’s mission to bring hockey to Seattle clashes with his passion for the woman who holds his heart.

Ethan Parker, a billionaire determined to bring a professional hockey to Seattle, will stop at nothing to realize his dream. After signing an agreement to purchase another city’s team, Ethan is anxious to make the move to Seattle, but a gag order by the League forces him to keep the sale a secret until the season ends, leaving him no choice but to go undercover as a consultant to study his team during the playoffs.

Lauren Schneider, Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the Giants hockey team, gets no respect from the team’s testosterone-loaded staff. When Ethan bursts onto the scene, full of charm and genuinely interested in her opinions, she shares the team’s weaknesses and discovers a weakness of her own–for Ethan. But when his true identity is revealed, and he starts cleaning house based on her unwitting input, his betrayal cuts deeply on both a professional and personal level.

Bound by an employment contract, Lauren reluctantly moves to Seattle to work for the newly christened Seattle Sockeyes and her sexy, infuriating boss. Lauren and Ethan must come to terms with their passions–for the team, for hockey, and for each other.

Will their situation build a frozen wall between them, or will their love burn hot enough to melt the ice shielding their hearts?

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An advocate of happy endings, Jami Davenport writes sexy contemporary and sports romances, including her two new indie endeavors: the Game On in Seattle Series and the Madrona Island Series. Jami lives on a small farm near Puget Sound with her Green Beret-turned-plumber husband, a Newfoundland cross with a tennis ball fetish, a prince disguised as an orange tabby cat, and an opinionated Hanoverian mare. She works in computer support in her day job and juggles too many balls, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.


 
WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  |  GOODREADS
 
 
 

Janice Ross – WIP interview

Published on by MM Jaye3 Comments

In today’s WIP edition, I’m pleased to welcome author Janice Ross. Janice was born in Guyana, South America and migrated to the USA in 1980. Although her citizenship certificate now reads the United States of America, she considers herself a citizen of the world. She enjoys writing about social issues and personal experiences. Janice’s debut release was entitled Damaged Girls. She uses the three books in that series to detail the effects of different forms of abuse, discussing issues that are known to be taboo. Her next release, Jumping Ship, is a dedication to her country of birth and an introductory novella to the Island Hopping Series. She has also penned Loving Nate, a novella with an alternate ending, that I reviewed here.

Janice is also a devout supporter and promoter of other authors through social media. She hosts a weekly show, Cultural Cocktails, on the largest social radio network, Blog Talk Radio.

Thanks for having me, Maria! You are truly supportive and amazing!

What are you working on right now?

Oh my goodness, Maria! I am always working on several different projects, at any given time. I’m still attempting to plot out and finalize the next books in the Island Hopping series. And although Loving Nate is a stand-alone novella, I’ve been in talks with Nate (smirking) about telling his side of the story. Those are just two of my current WIPs. And as if I’m not having enough fun, I’ve recently begun writing paranormal stories through an alter ego.

Are you happy with the pace of your work? Do you aim at a specific word count each day?

I am actually pleased with my overall pace. I used to be concerned when I felt that I wasn’t progressing along too well, but I’ve learned to manage my stress much better. Perhaps, this is why I have multiple storylines at any given time. I typically aim for at least 3,000 words/piece/day. There are days when I’m able to achieve this and days when I’m not able to. I try to remain focused on what I produce instead of how many words I produce.

Plotter, pantser or both?

I used to be big on plotting out everything. This method never works out entirely because there’s a certain level of spontaneity that’s needed, so I try to keep a healthy mixture.

What’s your worst enemy in getting that first draft finished?

I am my worst enemy in getting through the first draft.

Have you ever experienced lack of inspiration or drive to write? If so, how do you motivate yourself?

I’m always motivated to write, though I don’t always have the time to do so.

Could we take a look at your workspace? Is there a particular place you find inspiring for writing? 

photo (7)

 

I love the fruity energy booster! Now this picture is pinned on my Featured Writers’ Workspace board on Pinterest. Apart from Word and Google, do you use any other writing or research tools and apps?

I try to go to the source – people from different backgrounds, regions and experiences.

How do you intend to celebrate writing “The End” on your draft?

I celebrate “The End” of a draft by taking a day or two off from writing. I might also go to happy hour with my friends, as a method of relaxing.

Which book publishing processes are you going to outsource and which are you confident enough to undertake yourself?

Although I enjoy many aspects of editing, I believe in having my work edited by someone else. I also have certain parts of Marketing outsourced.

Do you have any marketing tips or favorite promotional sites you’d like to share?

I came across this site when I first published, and have since used it as a reference point:

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com

Is women’s fiction the genre you will brand yourself with or do you see yourself branching out in the future?

I most enjoy writing women’s fiction, with a twist. I’ve recently taken on an alter ego and ventured into paranormal. I hope to continue to grow and expand.

Would you like to share with us links where we can find you and your work?

You can connect with Janice on

Website: www.culturalcocktails.com

Talk show: www.blogtalkradio.com/culturalcocktails

http://myculturalcocktails.wordpress.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/JGRWriter

FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/Cultural.Cocktails

&

https://www.facebook.com/jgrwriter?ref=hl

Google+https://plus.google.com/104579627944902429382/posts/p/pub?partnerid=gplp0

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/pub/janice-ross/58/691/894/

Thank you, Janice, and best of luck with The Island Hopping series!

14 Examples on How to Sharpen Your Sentences (reblogged)

Published on by MM Jaye1 Comment
Pic picked up right from Jenni with an “i“

Cheeky, cheeky writer Jenni Wiltz finished a draft and all she could think of is “word bloat!” Who hasn’t been there? But Jenni is not one to sit and ponder for long. After some serious line-editing, she shares her takeaway from this process in an excellent blog post I had to share. What drew me to her site? Her clever tagline:

“They say modern writers need a “platform.” I have plenty of these in the closet, but apparently they aren’t the right kind.”

So, without further ado, here’s Jenni for you 🙂

_______________________________________________

I just finished the third draft of a book that’s going to take at least five drafts to finish. The biggest problem until now was sheer word bloat. I knew I couldn’t make the additions the book needs until I made a buttload of subtractions. Imagine trying to evaluate the health of a garden when it’s so full of weeds and overgrown shrubbery you can’t see a single stalk or bloom. All you know is there’s an awful lot of green shit underfoot.

To hack away at that green shit, I focused on sentence-level editing. This meant fixing (or deleting) things like:

  • Sentences that use imprecise verbs or descriptions
  • Sentences that convey the same information in two different ways
  • Bloated sentences with filler words like “just,” “only,” “that,” etc.

This is no small task. And a lot of writers never do it.

These days, a popular piece of advice for self-published writers is to PUBLISH AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, LIKE, A MILLION WORDS A YEAR AND IF YOU DON’T NO ONE WILL EVER DISCOVER YOUR WORK LET ALONE BUY IT AND YOU’LL NEVER MAKE A DIME AND THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO PROVE YOU’RE REALLY COMMITTED.

This strategy might work for some people, but I’m not one of them. For starters, I don’t see how it’s possible to publish that quantity of words that have been edited and polished to perfection. As Miracle Max said in The Princess Bride, “You rush a miracle man, you get a rotten miracle.”

How to Look at Revision: Don't Rush Your Miracle.

For the spot-on examples right from Jenni’s own manuscript, click here for the rest of the article.

When you’re done, come back here to learn about

“The 4 Elements of a click-worthy title” and what to do

“When beta readers come with an agenda“

and if you don’t want to miss any posts, just subscribe on the upper left corner.

Thank you for reading!

Karli Rush – WIP Interview

Published on by MM Jaye10 Comments

Karli Rush Author picThis week, I have the pleasure to present to you paranormal romance author, Karli Rush. Karli’s life is as lush as the vegetation surrounding her, so I’ll let her introduce herself.

Hi all! I’m a card carrying member of the Cherokee Nation and live in its capital. Although my Native American heritage is a shadow of who I am, it holds sway more than I want to admit sometimes. Crazy how subtle influences shape the world. I have the patience of a brain surgeon operating under fire in a war zone. You can chalk that one up to being the mom of an autistic kiddo. With the passion of a starving artist, I write. The obsession to tell my tales have led to self-publishing the Crescent Bound series plus the beginnings of two additional series. The Veil Realm series is dystopian based, and the No Death for the Wicked is an alternative vampire romance series. Both currently have book one published.

Karli, thank you so much for being here. Before we talk about your WIP, can you clue us in some more about your life? It sounds toughly exotic if you allow the oxymoron.

I’ve traveled the US from Florida to California and always wind up back in Oklahoma. I’ve worked in Hospice, been an EMT and a dental assistant. I’m an advocate for autism. I love mountain biking, traveling, and experiencing new things. I’ve been as up as the stars and as down as a grave. I’m content and challenged as an author. It’s more therapeutic than I want to admit.

What are you working on right now?

The fifth and final book in the Crescent Bound series is Ice Bound. We get the chance in Ice Bound to experience book one (Crescent Bound) from Marc’s point of view. This is much more than an alternate version of book one. It delves into Marc’s world which holds so much discovery that wasn’t seen in the first book. It really allows me to bring out more of Marc and Alyssa from a different point of view.

Great name choices for your main protagonists! Are you happy with the pace of your work? Do you aim at a specific word count each day?

I like to feel the accomplishment of pumping out several thousand words, but then I ultimately want the best story I can have and therefore kind of throw word count out the window. I’ve written several books that have no ending until they do.

Plotter, pantser or both?

I couldn’t plot my way out of a wet paper bag. I feel the vibe and let it flow out of me.

I’m totally with you on that one. What’s your worst enemy in getting that first draft finished?

We have a fairly chaotic daily existence. Autism tends to create priorities that puts my writing on the shelf several times a day. So, my enemy is the juggling act that comes with being a mother of an autistic child. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life and find the challenge fun and rewardingly exhausting.

(Un)fortunately, I empathize. Have you ever experienced lack of inspiration or drive to write? If so, how do you motivate yourself?

If I don’t feel the vibe then I start looking for a way to get inspired. In most cases several hours of good music and a bottle of pinot noir tends to set things straight when I need. I also will take a long mountain bike ride or trail hiking through the forest.

Could we take a look at your workspace? Is there a particular place you find inspiring for writing?

Writer's Cave

 

Sweet! Now your pic is pinned on my Featured Writers’ Workspace board on Pinterest. Apart from Word and Google, do you use any other writing or research tools and apps?

Not really. Youtube provides my music while I write and that is a must.

How do you intend to celebrate writing “The End” on your draft?

Champagne, chocolate, and a romantic dinner.

That’s refreshing! Most authors reply with a “by starting the next book!” Which book publishing processes are you going to outsource and which are you confident enough to undertake yourself?

I’m not sure that it’s the confidence in me that drives me or is it more of a control issue, but I handle all aspects of publishing (outside of editing). I write, format, revise, design and create the book covers. I handle the uploading, pricing, marketing, print publishing, and social networking. I haven’t seen a publishing house or independent that will give me what I want yet. Although I am considering outsourcing the print formatting, but that’s it so far.

You’re a one-woman-show! Amazing! Do you have any marketing tips or favorite promotional sites you’d like to share?

Marketing? Oh my, this one is my weakest points, I think. I use facebook, twitter, amazon, my blog, your blog to simply give myself the opportunity to be seen. I have an online street team that is very beneficial, you girls rock!!! I also believe that word of mouth is still by far the best form of advertising you can ever get. I also like the 80-20 philosophy, meaning, I love promoting others and sharing about 80% and direct marketing my books about 20%.

Your blog is rushbound.blogspot.com. Do you follow a specific branding pattern with your posts or is it a free writing platform?

My blog is a free platform that I try out new things on. I have done several character interviews with a fictional host and that was fun. I’ve run promotion, interviews, general updates on my work. It is my Pandora’s box of stuff. You’ll never know what I may try on there. Last fall, I wrote an entire story chapter by chapter on there. Then I published it for free on Barnes and Noble. It’s a ghostly novella. Here’s the link  The House .

Thanks! Is paranormal romance the genre you will stick to or do you see yourself branching out in the future? I love paranormal romance, but I already have a contemporary romance brewing in my head along with more sci-fi and futuristic adventure romance stories as well.

Fun stuff now: Let’s do a rapid fire round.

  • Flavored sorbet or chocolate ice cream? Definitely the flavored sorbet.
  • Pizza or sushi? Sushi, sushi, sushi!
  • Twilight or The Hunger Games? The Hunger Games, I love Jennifer Lawrence. I think she’s a badass.
  • Ryan Gosling or Benedict Cumberbatch? Absolutely Ryan Gosling but my husband is a big fan of Sherlock Holmes.
  • Trek in the Andes or snorkeling in Tahiti? I would much rather trek than swim, so the Andes it is.
  • Ugg boots or red-soled designer stilettos? Stilettos, and now you know one of my fetishes.

Finally, please share with us links where we can find you and your work.

Web  http://www.wix.com/crescentbound/karli-rush#!home|mainPage

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/karli.rush1

Twitter https://twitter.com/KarliRush

Blog http://rushboundblog.wordpress.com/

Blog http://rushbound.blogspot.com/

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Karli-Rush/e/B007DJNOMW

Thank you, Karli, and best of luck with your future projects!

If you enjoyed this interview, read what Whitney G, author of the wildly popular Reasonable Doubt erotic romance series has to say on Starbucks, post-it notes, and how writer’s block made her a best-selling author. Click here.

Honest and raw: Shameless by Nina Lemay (NA romance)

Published on by MM Jaye1 Comment

Shameless

by Nina Lemay
Amazon

Goodreads

My Review

Hannah flees her suffocatingly boring Minnesota home town to study art in a prestigious English speaking university in Montreal. With a barbed wire firmly set around her small frame because of a mistake that branded her the wrong way back home, she shuns everyone out and when finances become an issue, she becomes a cliché. She starts stripping to pay for college. She becomes Alicia. Most patrons at the club are your average gross, bald, middle aged guys who, on the one hand want to grope her (not allowed) but on the other want to mend her. Soon, the sensitive skin she has on display becomes thick, and life goes on. But one guy—young and hot—seems to neither want to grope nor mend her. It hurts when it shouldn’t, and she tries to shrug it off, until she sees him again. As the teacher of her Classic Photography class. Where she wears Converse, large sweaters and not a speck of make up. And what’s worse? The hot guy—no, teacher—might not have wanted Alicia, but he sure wants Hannah. A lot. That’s when lots of stuff hit the fan.

This NA really blew me away! The depiction of life in strip clubs was raw and evocative, but it avoided all the clichés we’re fed up seeing in films. The writer paints a vivid but not necessarily ugly picture of the girls. Sure, some of them end in the gutter, but some do not. And Hannah is determined not to. Although the obstacles that are thrown her way are overwhelmingly difficult to surpass, she finds the inner strength she didn’t know she had to fight back. I won’t give you the outcome, but this is one book I wouldn’t mind not having a traditional HEA. It was so good to read a fully fleshed-out character who stands her ground unwaveringly even if it means she’ll lose it all.

The male character, Emmanuel, is sweet and the perfect material to become a book boyfriend, but he was a weak link in the story. I’m not entirely sure I was rooting for him in the end. But I loved the way he treated Hannah (or ‘Annah as he is French) and the trips they took around Montreal and Quebec City were truly beautiful. I also loved the setting. Original, rich and … very Canadian 🙂

The writing is fantastic! One of the best NA I’ve read this year. Gritty and raw but with deep empathy and an ability to delve deep into the main characters’ psyche.

If you enjoy New Adult romances that are not buttery sweet, and feel you want to take a ride on the wild side, Shameless is what you should try.

I was offered a copy of this book by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Link: Amazon

About the Author

Nina Lemay is a YA writer by day and author of sinfully twisted New Adult…well, also by day. She loves all things dark and edgy and never tires of tormenting her characters. While Nina is a fan of all things scary, Gothic, and fantastic, she doesn’t shy away from a gritty contemporary romance when the muse strikes. She lives in Montreal, a city that never fails to inspire, with her partner and her dog.

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A heart-warming tale of healing wounds: Leaving Liberty by Virginia Carmichael

Published on by MM Jaye3 Comments
LeavingLibertyTourBanner
Book & Author details:
Leaving Liberty by Virginia Carmichael
Publication date: July 1st 2013
Genres: Adult, Romance
Purchase link: Amazon

My review

Don’t you just love libraries? You might own a Kindle like me to fix your need for read, but don’t you get that fuzzy, warm feeling blooming in you when you immerse yourself in the dim glow of a true library? The quiet rustling of paper, the smell of leather and old paper? And won’t you get a sense of loss if your favorite library had to close down? Now, imagine this to have been your shelter from an abusive parent, the only place where you’d find peace and a sense of purpose. Wouldn’t you want to defend its existence with everything you’ve got?

That’s the story of Daisy. She returns to her small town and her childhood nightmares to attend the funeral of the elderly librarian: the only person who saw her potential. It’s supposed to be a one-day trip, but the mayor’s plan to demolish the almost condemned library due to lack of restoration funds, makes her reconsider fleeing. The frustratingly calm and handsome Lane, the police officer with the hero complex, messes with her resolution even more, but nothing good can come of their attraction. His heart has already been broken by an out-of-town girl, and she just can’t imagine reliving the terror of being branded as the town drunk’s daughter. He needs her to stay forever, she needs to go for good. Will their pull heal their wounds?

The story has all the nostalgic, heart-warming elements you’d expect to find in a small-town community; beautiful locations, genuine, fleshed-out characters, but its strongest aspect is the writing. Ms Carmichael can really add bold strokes of poignant emotion to a rather sweet, pastel-colored story of pure love, pure characters and reliance on faith. This is a faith-based clean romance, but the writing compensates with spurts of interesting banter and subtle but effective humor. Although too clean for my own taste—slow-building with frequent references to the small-town self-righteousness you either love or hate—it was a story that I enjoyed reading mainly because the writing was solid and surprisingly evocative.

If you enjoy reading sweet romances with a strong religious streak, you won’t want to leave Leaving Liberty.

Make sure you enter the awesome giveaway to grab the goodies listed below (the links will take you to the products in their respective Etsy stores)

LeavingLibertyCover

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)
Awesome swag pack with the following (will be customized with the winner’s preferred name)

Rafflecopter giveaway

Official Synopsis:

At eighteen, Daisy McConnell left Liberty, Colorado and never looked back. The only bright spot in a childhood of neglect and loneliness was the town librarian, Marie. Now settled as a teacher in sunny Fresno, Daisy does her best to forget everything about Liberty including her drunk father, her MIA mother, and the town she hated with every beat of her heart.
 
Lane Bennett’s life as a small town cop is pretty close to perfect. He’s got his dog, a pretty date when he needs one, and plenty of time to fish on the weekends. No other place can compare to his hometown and he’s happy to devote his life to keeping the folks of Liberty safe. When Marie passes away, Lane knows one of the best parts about living in Liberty is gone, along with the old Carnegie library. It needs repairs the city can’t afford and the city managers won’t pay the new flood insurance. It’s too bad, but safety comes first.

When Daisy comes home for Marie’s funeral and hears the only safe place she knew as a child is going to close, she refuses to let it happen. She hatches a plan to save the old library, run the summer reading program, and keep Marie’s legacy alive.

She once vowed never to come home and he’s vowed never to leave. Daisy and Lane discover together that true love happens when you least expect it and you should never say never in Liberty.
 

AUTHOR BIO

Virginia was born near the Rocky Mountains and although she has traveled around the world, the wilds of Colorado run in her veins. A big fan of the wide open sky and all four seasons, she believes in embracing the small moments of everyday life. A home schooling mom of six young children who rarely wear shoes, those moments usually involve a lot of noise, a lot of mess, or a whole bunch of warm cookies. Virginia holds degrees in Linguistics and Religious Studies from the University of Oregon. She lives with her habanero-eating husband, Crusberto, who is her polar opposite in all things except faith. They’ve learned to speak in short-hand code and look forward to the day they can actually finish a sentence. In the meantime, Virginia thanks God for the laughter and abundance of hugs that fill her day as she plots her next book.
 

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Thunderclap: A great, free tool for authors

Published on by MM Jaye2 Comments

Crowdfunding with no payment involved! A great idea to get support and spread the word of your book, campaign etc. Help a great author achieve her goal and get to know what this is all about through this post by Effrosyni Moschoudi.

Effrosyni's blog

The other day, I had an email from award-winning author and friend, Jackie Weger. She wanted to let me know she’s releasing a new book later this month and asked me to support her campaign on a site called Thunderclap. Of course, I clicked on the link she gave me right away, where Thunderclap has listed the details of her upcoming book, ‘No Perfect Secret”. It looked like she had set a target of a 100 people to share the news of her new book on their social media accounts, all at the same time, on the release date of September 24th. Jackie has already managed to get over 80 people to sign up. This means she stands a rather good chance of getting her message out on the big day in a rather booming voice.  I was intrigued – what a genius idea! It’s like employing a…

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Tour book companies: Host them before you hire them!

Published on by MM Jaye5 Comments
Source: depositphotos.com
Source: depositphotos.com

Okay, your manuscript is complete, edited and proofread, and a launching date is dancing in your head. Bravo! In the meantime (hopefully) you’ve spent serious time building your platform. You’ve connected with like-minded authors, hosted them in your blog, made use of “pay it forward” in the most generous way since you still have no wares to hawk, and you know that these kind people will be more than happy to help you when your time in the spotlight comes. But will that spotlight shed enough light on you?

Unless you’ve been extremely lucky to have a big name, same-genre author with a massive following at your beck and call, most likely, you’ve connected with talented but recently published or aspiring authors, who, like you, have been seeking information on how to build an author platform on solid foundation.

I have made wonderful friends these past ten months, and they are more than willing to host the upcoming cover reveal for Fate Accompli, my debut novel, but only two of these nice and generous friends are established romance writers with a specific genre following. How much can I rely on my fantasy/paranormal/thriller/horror friends’ readers taking more than a cursory look at a book that’s been meticulously branded as a contemporary romance?

On the other hand, being active on Goodreads, I know there are dozens of hyper-active bloggers who promote and review books in my genre. But they’re not writers. I can’t say, “Hi! Your book sounds interesting. Hop on my blog for a nice WIP interview,” and connect. I tried connecting through Twitter or Facebook, but this was time consuming, and I didn’t feel it got me anywhere.

Enter virtual book tour companies. These companies thrive on bloggers, and bloggers feast on them. The tour operators need their clients’ book to get as many stops on the tour as possible (or as many as the plan the client has purchased allows) and the bloggers are reading addicts who need tons of books that they couldn’t possibly afford to pay to curb their “need for read”. (I say that in the best possible way as I’m just like that.)

What I suggest, if you’re a blogger/soon-to-be-published writer/reader like me, is to search for book tour companies in your genre and sign up as a blog host before hiring them. Check out the advantages:

  • You instantly become part of their entire bloggers’ network
  • You get easier access to other bloggers’ sites through commenting on posts regarding a book you also hosted
  • Other bloggers, doing the book tour rounds, will stop at your blog and connect.
  • You get more traffic on your own blog.
  • You get to check out soon-to-be-released books of your genre and also gauge the competition.
  • You can get tons of free books that you choose to review or promote on your blog.
  • Through reviewing you connect with same-genre authors (all authors love to connect with readers who spent time reading and reviewing their books).

and last but not least…

  • You evaluate the book tour company’s services (how many bloggers sign up, how responsive they are, the quality of the material sent to you) BEFORE you hand them your good money to promote your book.

I’ve been hosting for some months now, more actively during the summer, and my experience can only be described as positive. First off, I got to read Truly, Ruthie Knox’s new contemporary romance for FREE! (Sorry, that had to top my list as I’m a huge Ruthie Knox fan.) I’ve connected with bloggers, and I feel that when they see me coming out as an author, they’ll be inclined to pick up my book and blog about it. I’ve connected with the book tour operators on a personal level, and I feel more confident approaching them as a client. I read six free books in August alone! Need I say more?

Actually, I do. How do you go about finding virtual book tour companies? Here are some suggestions:

  • Google them. E.g. “science fiction virtual book tours”. You will get results.
  • Ask same-genre authors for suggestions.
  • Join Facebook or Goodreads groups on your genre and ask the members directly.
  • Ask a company that focuses on a different genre to suggest a promoter that accepts yours. They are well connected.

Important notice: Always check a site’s Alexa ranking before doing business with them. For more on that, read Effosyni Moschoudi’s post: Do you check with Alexa before parting with your money? Solid advice there!

If you’re a romance writer, I recommend the following companies for which I’ve hosted (random order).

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Since you’ve come this far, see if these blog posts are helpful:

When beta readers come with an agenda

5 ways new writers can chase away potential readers

The life of an author as lived by his wife (or husband)

Published on by MM Jaye4 Comments

Hilarious guest post by the wife of sci-fi/fantasy writer, Nicholas Rossis, who lives and breathes the writer’s life. Loved it!

Nicholas C. Rossis

We shall read on the beaches, we shall read in the fields and in the streets, we shall read in the hills... - Photo: sxc.hu We shall read on the beaches, we shall read in the fields and in the streets, we shall read in the hills…
– Photo: sxc.hu

Today was not a good day for writing. I woke up early, as usual, to do some writing, but a myriad of things required my attention, breaking my concentration. Before I knew it, the day had begun and an unprecedented number of clients called up, interrupting me  every five minutes.

None of this would matter, of course, if I hadn’t already missed yesterday’s writing. As I aim to have the fourth Pearseus book ready by Christmas, this means I have to write 1,500-2,000 words daily to have any hope of meeting my target.

Then, I made the mistake of expressing my frustration to my wife, Electra. An expression of deep care and sympathy failed completely to appear on my beloved’s face. Instead, she announced she’d be writing…

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Burning Memories by Rory Keeling (Book Blast)

Published on by MM JayeLeave a comment
She’s an FBI arson investigator, he’s the fire chief. Together they set the small town of Pecan Creek ablaze. Okay, an arsonist lends a helping hand too… Brought to you by Tasty Book Tours.

Burning Memories
Banks of Pecan Creek # 1
By: Rory Keeling
Releasing September 10th, 2014
Three Owl Press

Enter to Win
$10.00 Amazon Gift Card

 


Ten years ago, he saved her life … and she’s never forgiven him for it.

Claire Masters never planned to return to Pecan Creek. After a suspicious fire killed her mother and sent her own life up in flames, she was ready for a fresh start – far away from the small Texas town.

Ethan Banks never asked to be the fire chief, but it’s the family business. Asking the FBI…and Claire Masters for help is the last thing he wants to do.

When a series of fires strikes the town, as one of the FBI’s top arson investigators, Claire reluctantly returns before the fires take a fatal turn.

Now the pair is forced to work side by side, and they’re reminded the heat between them has nothing to do with fire.

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Not quite as Southern as sweet tea…but pretty close. I’m the mom to two teenagers and two furry kids. My blood is probably 50% coffee. When I was in first grade, I convinced my teacher my mother made my father sleep in the barn. And the stories have just continued from there…

 
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