Big Plans and an Anthology for Charity

I hope you'll take a look at the upcoming box release from my friend, Michelle Howard. Michelle is a very successful author of all types of exciting romantic adventures. And this set is not only a good bargain, but part of the proceeds go to a good cause.

Embrace the Romance:  Pets in Space 2 Anthology

Release Date: October 10, 2017

 The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!

10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://buff.ly/2xa41Kb | BN: https://buff.ly/2xabZTy | Kobo: https://buff.ly/2x9CMzc | iBooks: https://buff.ly/2xajI3R

On Thursday of this week, my local chapter of CPRW is starting the second of our writing motivation 50/50 projects. The idea is to write at least 50 new words for fifty straight days. Of course, most people write many more than that. Just making yourself sit down at the document and typing a few sentences almost always leads to writing more. We time this second 50/50 to overlap with NaNo for those members who are diving into that craziness. Wish me luck.

Please hope over the Insecure Writers' Support Group. They've been having some terrific guest posts and have another one up today.

If Columbus had an advisory committee he would probably still be at the dock.  ~Arthur Goldberg

Hope you had work off for Columbus Day. If it's not raining, I'll be mowing and raking leaves. And Happy Thanksgiving Day to my Canadian friends. Hope you enjoy a feast today.

Poldark was good last week and a two hour premier special. My daughter and I have watched The Good Doctor together. Interesting so far. Hope the writers can keep it up. Inhumans isn't really catching my interest but I'll give it a few more episodes. Supernatural is back this week. About time.

Are you taking part in NaNo or have you ever? Did you get a long weekend for whichever holiday? Are you a fan of any of those shows I mentioned? Raking leaves yet? Need a good boxed set to read on a cool fall night?

Michelle Howard Talks Kindle Worlds

My daughter and her friends at BU graduation

I've been away for a while. Last week and weekend were really busy as my husband and I traveled to Boston to witness my daughter's graduation. A little motherly bragging here. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with two degrees and received a special honors award. It was a terrific weekend right up until the moment I stepped in a hole in the sidewalk. I ended up in the emergency room with a serious ankle sprain and a few fractured ribs. Fun times but worth it to share my daughter's success. And lucky for me, I have a guest to take care of the work here today while I ice and try to take a deep, painful breath.

I'm always happy to have Michelle Howard guest on my blog. Michelle is a very accomplished and successful indie-author. She's daring and energetic in pursuing every possible avenue to success.

I want to start with a huge thank you to Susan, who is always gracious enough to invite me to share. Writing guest posts is as nerve wrecking as the blurb process for me. I’m never sure which words will catch someone’s interest using such a short format. Then it hit me. So much has changed in the publishing landscape since I ventured into self-publishing two years ago. The changes have had an impact on small press, the Big 5 and indie authors for sure. Sometimes the changes occur at a rate that’s hard to keep track of, let alone adjust to the swing. Because of that, I thought it would be nice to briefly touch on a little bit of the things I’ve tried or done along the way during my very newbie status to increase visibility.

I’m always eager to try something new or to stick a toe in the water of a trend to see if it’s a good fit for me. I’ve been surprised at the results and a few times not so much. I went full in on making all of my ebooks available in print and last year I started on audiobooks. I even experimented with KU (Kindle Unlimited). Print and audio have been surprisingly fun and readers have expressed their pleasure at having the other formats. In terms of ROI, I think that’s genre and author dependant. I’m also sure there are long-term effects that I’ve yet to see but I don’t regret trying these two. KU was not successful for me, though I know many authors who love it and it certainly feeds the demands of voracious readers while saving them from an out of control book budget. I’m not sure I’ll do it again unless I come up with a means of making it more beneficial.

My latest try as an author is Kindle Worlds. For those who’ve never heard the term, the easiest way to explain KW is fanfiction. Simple. LOL. Authors of series have made their universes available for other writers to dabble in. Of course, there are rules and guidelines to follow but for the most part it’s pretty easy. The books are exclusive to Amazon and the prices are tier based on the length of the book you submit. SE Smith invited me a few months ago to participate in the new launch of her Magic, New Mexico-KW, which is based off of her Magic, New Mexico series that involves paranormal and sci-fi romance. Along with 8 other authors I jumped at the chance to play in the sandbox with others in my genre. We were given a due date and a series bible with details of SE Smith’s series, character sheets, background and everything we needed to know to set our stories in her world. I’m not sure if everyone does it the same but it was a pretty smooth process. The books went live last week, scheduled on the same day and at the same price.

I’m not sure what the results of this will be but I’m glad I tried it. I discovered authors I’ve never interacted with and renewed social connections with authors I’ve only met once. The ladies were amazing and none more so than SE Smith. Readers’ feedback has been positive for the most part and if this introduces my books to new eyes, I’ll count it a win.

If given the chance, I highly recommend the experience. You don’t have to wait to be invited as Amazon has a KW page with a list of participating series listed by author names. There’s a vetting and approval process but it certainly doesn’t hurt to take a peek. Below is my Kindle World paranormal romance release, Taste of Magic, which features my warlock hero and his ordinary human heroine.

Thanks again to Susan for having me back and thanks for letting me share a little. 

Michelle's latest is getting excellent reviews. Check out the reasons for her success! She writes a great story!

Next weekend, I'll be attending the annual Pennwriters Conference. I'll be back on Monday with a lot of great information I gather up and hopefully rope in some guests.

Did Michelle's wisdom clear up any of the confusion of any of the Kindle programs? Have you tried KU or Kindle Worlds? What was your experience?

   

   

   

Infrastructure Work and Michelle Howard

Not infrastructure like roads and bridges. I'm talking about my blog and the work I need to do on my blog, my Facebook pages and every time I get on Twitter. Over the next month I'll be following some recommendations given freely by numerous workshop presenters at the conference I attended almost two weeks ago.

Last year, one workshop on promotion was all about Facebook and how an author MUST have at least 1000 followers on their FB author page. Once that happens, your career will take off. I scoffed then and it seems this year that many of the professionals at the conference feel the same way. Many of them do nothing on FB. Instead, they concentrate on blogging, Twitter, Google+ and Goodreads. For today, here are a few general ideas to improve your SEO. I'm sure many of you already use them and none of this is breaking news.

1. Keep your bios on all those different media sites and author pages updated. And make sure they match for the most part. (I'm very guilty of not updating. Getting to it.)

2. Link everything to everything and link it all back to your website (blog) and use relevant consistent keywords in your profiles on every site.

3. Feed Google. Make sure you post there and share links there. Announce everything on Google+.

4. Don't bury you identity on your blog or website. Make sure you name is obvious and have your latest book cover there.

Those are a few generalities. I'm guilty of not feeding Google. But it's on my list to make sure I'm following the four ideas above.

5. Link to other writers. So to follow that bit of advice, for just a few cents, you can check out Michelle Howard's Torkel's Chosen.

What would you do if Earth didn’t have enough men?

Would you take a chance and leave the only world you knew behind?

This is the decision Faith Reid faces. Placing all her hope in a new government program, she seizes the opportunity that offers a chance for the women of Earth to find love among the stars, on a world beyond the one they know.

How many times can one man risk rejection?

Would you give up on your dreams?

Torkel Alonson has had enough of being ignored and looked over by females on his adopted home world of Enotia. His pride has suffered and he must accept the painful truth. Females will never choose a male with his evil lineage despite his honorable service to his government’s military.

 Can two people looking for the same thing find not just what they want but what they need in one another?

Amazon  AmazonUK  B&N  I-Tunes   Kobo

Michelle Howard enjoys a crazy life that involves wild kids, a loud dog, and a husband who tolerates the madness.  Like many authors, she’s dreamed of writing since reading her first romance novel many years ago.  She loves paranormal and contemporary romances and is a fan of the classic romances by Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood.
I love to hear from fans so please reach out to me. If the mood hits you, leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. 
michellehowardwrites@gmail.com      Twitter  Website   Facebook

Do you update your bios on a regular basis? Do you think Facebook should be a center of promotion? Do you like Google+? How do you feed Google?  Have you tried Michelle's book?

Today, I'm turning my blog over to C. Lee Mckenzie. Read about her release and join her contest. You can find me at Michelle Howard's blog as she helps me celebrate the reissue of Keepers of Sulbreth from Musa Publishing. Also, if you didn't check in on my post yesterday at Dianna Gunn's blog, The Dabbler, I would love to hear your thoughts as I share who and what helped my career in the early days.

AMAZON

There's nothing’s more dangerous than a wizard-in-training. And Pete Riley, has just proven it. He's worked a bad time spell--a very bad time spell.

No YouTube, no smoothies, no Manga. Not ever again. Not unless Pete figures out how to reverse his spell and free Weasel and him from Victorian England. 

He has until the next full moon. Only a few days.

Tick. Tock.

Here’s how the story starts, and it only gets worse.

One minute the clock was tick-tocking on the mantel and the next it was a smoldering mess.

“No,”􏰁Harriet shouted. Then she braced one hand on her desk and covered her eyes with the other.

Pete froze, not blinking, not breathing, but waiting to see if Harriet would point one of her long, bony fingers at him and turn him into a turnip or something slimy.

SEQUEL TO ALLIGATORS OVERHEAD

To celebrate the launch of The Great Time Lock Disaster I'm giving 20 eBooks away. Hope you'll jump in to the copter and go for a ride!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Usually, C. Lee takes on modern issues that today's teens face in their daily lives. Her first young adult novel, Sliding on the Edge, which dealt with cutting and suicide was published in 2009. Her second, titled The Princess of Las Pulgas, dealing with a family who loses everything and must rebuild their lives came out in 2010. Double Negative (2014) was her third young adult novel. Researching it turned her into a literacy advocate. Her fourth YA, Sudden Secrets came out in December 2014. 

When she really want to have FUN, she writes middle grade books. Alligators Overhead and The Great Time Lock Disaster are now available.

WEBSITE   BLOG   FACEBOOK  TWITTER  GOODREADS

Are you familiar with C. Lee and her books? Have you met Michelle Howard or Dianna Gunn yet? What are your plans for the weekend? Are you thawing our or deeper in the freezer like us?

Cyber Coworkers by Michelle Howard

For my first guest, I'm honored to have Michelle Howard here. I first met her over a year ago through blogging. She is one of those amazing people with an inspiring amount of energy. My word count grows at a snail pace compared to hers. Here's Michelle....

I used to think that writing was a lonely profession. It had to be, right? You sit in a room or your designated space with your notebook or laptop and just tune out the world while you create magical splendor. (Or some other form of splendor) No one popped their head in your office to ask you to lunch, no one cruised through the halls laughing loudly, (unless the kids are out of school or the spouse is hungry) and no boss checked the progress of your latest project.

Boy was I wrong and glad of it. LOL. I ventured into the self-publishing side of writing about a year ago. I worked my 9-5 or 7 at the office depending on the day and came home to grind out my prize winning novel/s. During all of this, I met a new friend who wrote contemporary romances and we emailed daily. Sometimes we called one another to talk about plots or characters for hours. (Once for 3 hrs no kidding) As I continued to navigate my way as a new author I met other writers, beta readers, editors and cover artists. Suddenly, I had this whole community of ‘coworkers’. Sure not in the traditional sense but as with everything in the digital age this was the new-new.

When I’m on my laptop working it’s not unusual for an email from one of my cyber coworkers to pop up. I have the choice of chatting then or later just like when I’m in my corporate office. I receive joke emails or funny memes via my author email just like the email chains and endless what tree would you be questionnaires at my day job. As for the boss checking on my latest project…well that’s me and I try to hold myself to a word count before I’m officially done for the evening.

It took a few months into this process before I realized that writing wasn’t lonely at all. In fact, I had an internet full of coworkers and like with any job there were good days and bad days. The best part is that I never know what to expect. Just like my ‘other’ job.

So when you’re hunched over your masterpiece and chewing on the tip of an eraser while guzzling a Starbucks, remember that you’re not alone. Feel free to cyber knock on my office door any time. I’ll be glad to hear from you and I’m sure the boss won’t mind. J  

A King’s Revenge Blurb:

When you lose what you loved most…

 Tarik Sabarn, King of Desani, thought he’d lost everything when his Queen was murdered.  In the years following her death, he gave up on love and focused on ruling his Kingdom. When he meets Lea at a United Alliance meeting, he finds what was once lost.

When you find what you’d always been searching for…

Lea never imagined a random night of passion would lead to answers she’d spent years searching for. After a night with Tarik, she learns more than she bargained for and finds love. But if she’s not careful, they’ll both lose out again.

About the Author

Michelle Howard enjoys a crazy life that involves wild kids, a loud dog, and a husband who tolerates the madness.  Like many authors, she’s dreamed of writing since reading her first romance novel many years ago.  She loves paranormal and contemporary romances and is a fan of the classic romances, such as Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood.
I love to hear from fans so please reach out to me.
Buy links:
Amazon
Smashwords

Email:  michellehowardwrites@gmail.com

Twitter: @mhowardwrites

Website: www.michellehowardwrites.com

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

Sign up for my newsletter via my facebook page or blog

    

IWSG: Little Things

Welcome to March's IWSG post. Thanks to Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh for starting this wonderfully supportive group where we can all share, whine and encourage each other. If you haven't joined the IWSG Blog or the IWSG Facebook Group, give it a look. You can find the entire list of today's bloggers on this site page.

I just submitted the last book in my Recon Marines series to my publisher. I'm giving myself a little breathing room before diving into the next series. During this time I'll be preparing my posts for April's A to Z blogging challenge, doing some promo for my friends here and also doing bits of promo for my latest releases.

Promotion stresses me. I don't like the time it takes away from my writing. I'm not comfortable with blitzing Twitter or Facebook. (Won't mind if you like that page) I feel like I'm imposing on my friends when I ask them to promote for me. And I certainly don't like spending money to do it. I've been trying a different approach lately.

Little things. An appearance here and there. A mention now and then on Facebook or Twitter. Today, the very generous Michelle Howard is hosting me on her blog. I'll be talking about dragons to promote my latest fantasy release, First Dragon. Two weeks from now, I'll be somewhere else. Is it enough? Maybe not but I feel comfortable and less stressed. During this month, I'm trying to find one new thing to try each week. I have long lists of ways and places to promote.

My advice today is find your comfort zone. Take charge but don't stress yourself. Please visit Michelle Howard today. She's also running a giveaway during the week with an entry for all comments.

Does promotion stress you out? Any little thing you advise to do? Did you join IWSG blog or Facebook yet?

Always Something

Today is a good day to remind myself that there is always something I can be doing to help my writing career. My pesky sore throat, probably the flu, is dragging me down physically and I don't feel even a little bit creative. But there are other things I can do besides sip hot tea and huddle under blankets.

Today Alex J. Cavanaugh is a guest at How to Write Shop. Lori Devoti runs a site that has so much information I can spend hours there reading and learning. Please visit and check it out. You'll want How to Write Shop as a resource.

Also today I've posted 10 Signs You Might Be a Professional Writer at the IWSG blog. I hope you'll stop by and visit. There are more resource links on this blog than you can visit in a week. But find the right page and narrow your search to what you need to help you along.

If I'm still not up to par I can troll through the giveaways on Goodreads and score some free books. Or I can read some of the great free books I have on my Kindle already. I don't need a lot of energy to read good stories.

I also want to thank Michelle Howard for her shout out for The Marine's Queen on her website. I wish I could bottle up her enthusiasm and use it for myself.

So today I'll probably be visiting blogs and generally taking it easy. Have you visited How to Write Shop? Did you check out your sign on the IWSG blog? Do you know Michelle?