Saturday, June 4, 2016

Kindle Scout Campaign - Week 2

My YA urban fantasy romance, Bitter Envy, is on Kindle Scout! Haven't heard yet? Then I'm not promoting hard enough. I feel like I've crossed that line between promotion and annoyance... but I figure people can just ignore my post if they see it more than once. I read recently that a person has to be exposed to something up to seven times before they act. If I'm exposed to something that many times, I just get annoyed :)

I'm happy to report that Bitter Envy has been in hot & trending every day since launch on May 26. But as time progresses, I have to work harder and harder to keep it there. I've been posting in a lot of groups on Facebook-- if I've annoyed you, I sincerely apologize-- go enter my $25 Amazon gift card giveaway!

I love the cover Amanda designed for me, and I think it really pops in thumbnail size. Not 100% sure about my blurb though. I wrote it in first person to give it an edgy YA feel, but that isn't the norm, so I hope it doesn't end up biting me.

You can read the first chapter and a half on Kindle Scout, but here's an excerpt from later on in the novel:


As I round the corner, my heart slams into an erratic beat. Donovan is leaning against my Camaro, and there’s no Jack in sight. Though the sky is overcast, I consider digging out my sunglasses. But that would be cowardly. I chased away one of Uriah’s hired goons with little more than a flare of magic and a scowl… I can certainly face Donovan head-on without getting lost in his eyes.
When I reach the car, I give him a bright smile. “Hi, Donovan. Something you want?”
“I heard you scared one of Uriah’s henchmen so badly he may have needed clean pants,” he says with a crooked grin. “Are we alone out here?”
“I assume you’re referring to spies?” I ask, not expecting an answer. “As far as I can tell.”
“Let’s get in the car so we can talk.” He walks to the passenger door. “Does Jack sweep for bugs?”
“Mmm-hmm, every morning.” I unlock the door, and slide into the driver’s seat. “Though, with that asinine thug here today… he could’ve planted something.”
Donovan nods but doesn’t say anything as he pulls out a small RF detector from his backpack. I watch in silence as he sweeps the interior of the car for electronic devices. After several minutes, he tosses it back into his bag before leaning back with a heavy sigh.
“It gets so old,” he says, shaking his head. “Can you believe I’ve been sweeping for bugs as long as I can remember?”
“I never really worry about it.” I run my fingers over the leather-wrapped steering wheel. “Jack was shifter special forces for a long time. He’s paranoid enough for both of us. I wonder where he is…”
“I asked for a few minutes alone with you,” Donovan says, pulling one of my hands from the wheel. “He’s lurking nearby, waiting to pounce if needed.”
“So, what’s up?”
“Well, I was planning to take you to see High Priestess Rowena this afternoon. Sound good?” he asks while caressing my knuckles with his thumb.
I bite back a sigh, unwilling to share just how good his thumb feels on my fingers. “Yeah, that’d be great.” My relief from his statement comes out in a slight giggle.
“Did I just hear the Scarlet Angel giggle?”
“I don’t giggle.” Of course another giggle belies that statement.
“I think it’s adorable.” He leans in to rest his forehead against mine. “I feel honored that you’re comfortable enough with me to share the side you hide from everyone.”
“What side?”
My question comes out in a breathy whisper. He’s close enough to kiss… all I have to do is lean forward an inch or two and close the distance. His hand moves to the back of my head, his fingers entwining in the hair at my nape.
“The softer side,” he says, brushing his lips across my cheekbone. “The vulnerable side.” His lips caress my temple. “The side that makes me want to hold you in my arms and protect you from everything… even if you don’t really need it.” He cups my face in both palms. “Why do I feel this way?”
“I don’t know,” I reply in a choked whisper. He just put into words everything I’d been feeling for the last two weeks.
“Since the moment our auras melded together, I can’t seem to stop thinking about you.” He shifts back so he can gaze at me. “At school, at night, my aura constantly searches for yours.”
“Our magic calls to each other… but it shouldn’t.”
“No, it shouldn’t,” he says with a strangled groan. “You’re light and I’m dark.”
“Sun and moon?”
He laughs. “Something like that. Our magic should seek to destroy the other… so why doesn’t it?”
“I’m not the light you claim me to be, and you aren’t the dark you claim to be.” When he continues staring at me like he expects some sage answer, I sigh. “Maybe your Wiccan will know.”
“You ready to go see her?”
The moment I nod, my cell rings—the opening riff to “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” by Judas Priest. Uriah’s ringtone. Jack programmed it in last week as a screw you to the spider shifter. It’s the last thing I want to hear at this moment.
“It’s Uriah,” I say, clenching the phone to the point of pain.
“I suppose it wouldn’t be good to ignore it.”
“Yeah, prob’ly not.” After swallowing around my dry throat, I answer the call. “Envy.”
“Ah, my precious Angel, I have wonderful news.” Uriah’s voice oozes syrupy saccharine.
I flinch from his words. Wonderful news for him is always devastating for me.
“What?”
“So impolite, little one,” he says with a dry chuckle. “All work and no play… well you know the rest.”
“I have tons of homework, Uriah.” The lie rolls off my tongue. Lying has become so easy, almost second nature. The realization makes me sad. “What do you want?”
“Someone has become too meddlesome for his own good,” Uriah says in a flippant tone, like he’s commenting on the weather rather than torture. “Not only that but this particular individual crossed a line last night when he raped Mickey’s fourteen-year-old daughter. No one crosses my people. An attack against them is an attack against me. Kill him.”
“I… uh—”
“That’s an order I expect to be obeyed,” he says in a much harder voice. “Don’t make me regret my decision to waive punishment for your earlier transgressions.”
“N-no. I-I mean yes,” I stammer as childhood traumas resurface at his words. “Please contact Jack with the info, and I’ll get right on it.”
“Tonight, darling Angel. I want Alfonse Dupree dead tonight. He’s one of Heinrich’s scientists. It shouldn’t be too hard for you. The man is closing in on the millennial mark, so I doubt he has much fight left in him.”
He disconnects the call. I stare at the phone clutched in my hand in silence. Another assassination. Is this one legit, or will I kill another innocent man? What choice do I have? It’s this criminal or something so much worse. Hot tears prick my eyes as the memories threaten to surface.
So many lost lives… all because I said no.
“Envy, are you okay?” Donovan asks, breaking my trance.
“Um, yeah. Fine.” My light sniffle betrays my true emotions.
“I’ll call my father. Maybe he can shed some light on this Alfonse Dupree.”
“I’d appreciate that.” Not that I have a choice either way. It’s him or… well I simply can’t deal with the alternative.
“Father, what do you know about one Alfonse Dupree, works for Heinrich?” Donovan puts the phone on speaker, and his father’s voice fills the car.
“Bottom feeder. Scientist willing to experiment on children,” Tiberius says in a booming voice. “Rapist, murderer, Nazi war criminal. He’s been a blight on our society for over nine hundred years… or so he says. In fact that lunatic claims to have created the Black Plague in his laboratory and unleashed it across Europe.”
I’m struck silent for a moment as I contemplate the atrocities this madman committed. How many innocent souls died at his hands? “What a relief,” I finally manage to blurt out.
“Who’s with you, Donovan? No don’t answer that. Scarlet Angel—assassin, inquisitor, and bane to shifter existence.” His blunt words make me flinch. “You were supposed to go see our high priestess today… I suppose that’s off the table now.”
“No one is more disappointed than I am, my lord,” I reply, trying to control the rising anger. Yelling at Tiberius won’t help my situation at all.
“So I guess Uriah is having you play judge, jury, and executioner tonight then?”
“No, sir. Just executioner.”
“As you can imagine, based on what happened with Alexander, Envy is a tad reticent to follow Uriah’s orders without confirming the intel,” Donovan says, cutting through an awkward silence.
I close my eyes as a wave of nausea washes over me. Alexander was innocent, and I killed him. His poor family… how can I ever atone?
“Well, you can sleep easy tonight, Scarlet Angel,” Tiberius says, his voice mocking. “Dupree is a perfect target. Our government protected him after Germany fell in World War II. He’s as bad as they come.”
“I never sleep easy.” My voice is hard, grating. “I always choose the lesser of evils. But even that doesn’t sit well with my conscience.”
“Such the little philosopher.”
“Father, stop mocking her!” Donovan snaps at his father. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“You bet we will, son,” Tiberius replies in a deep baritone. “Now, Envy, I want you to meet with High Priestess Rowena tomorrow afternoon, no matter what… or I refuse to speak with you further. If you pass her tests, we’ll meet for dinner at Jake’s.”
He disconnects the call before I can comment. I really wish I didn’t need his help, but I can’t afford any pride right now.


If you haven't already, please consider nominating Bitter Envy on Kindle Scout!





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Friday, June 3, 2016

Smoke and Mirrors by Jess Haines - Excerpt & Giveaway


Smoke and Mirrors
Jess Haines
(Blackhollow Academy #1)

Publication date: May 1st 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

A girl who uses her illusions to fool the world into thinking she’s just like all the other magi.
A dragon who sees through her lies.
Together they just might survive a world that wants to control or destroy them both.
Kimberly may wield ultimate cosmic power, but even a mage has to pay the rent. No one will hire her for her magic talents until she’s got the credentials, so she’s stuck in a crappy rent controlled apartment with her mother, yearning for treats she can’t afford at her part time job in a café, counting down the days until she graduates the secret Blackhollow Academy school for magi. Only then will she have the certificate she needs to land her dream job in a coven.
The problem? She needs a familiar to graduate.
As an illusionist, she doesn’t have the ability to summon or create a familiar of her own. Her only option is to convince a supernatural creature to let her bind it instead. Since having a powerful Other at her beck and call would guarantee her a place in a coven after she graduates—and legendary treasure hoards are an added bonus—she thinks binding a dragon as her familiar will solve all her problems…
Because sometimes a girl needs a dragon, not a knight.

EXCERPT:

Viper made a soft hissing sound of irritation between his teeth, pulling back from her. “Cormac has no vision. I know what I want and I’m prepared to offer anything to get it. You have but to ask.”

Well. There was one thing. Her cheeks flared crimson and she squirmed a bit before stuttering out another question, swallowing back her embarrassment.

“You keep a hoard like a dragon, right? I don’t suppose you would consider loaning me a little? I swear I’d pay it back.”

His head tipped to one side, and he looked her up and down anew. She suspected he was just noticing her frayed cuffs and cheap shoes. He’d been so intent on getting whatever it was he wanted out of her that he hadn’t paid attention to the package it came in until now. When she caught the very slight curl of his lip, there and gone in a flash, embarrassed heat filled her cheeks.

Feeling both dirty and humiliated, she ducked her head. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry, I don’t think I can do this.”

“Come now, I’m sure it’s not that hard. All it takes is a yes.”

“No,” she said, this time with a bit more vehemence. Cormac was right. There was something off about Viper, and never mind what a perfect ass she’d just made of herself. Worst of all, that flash of disgust showed he obviously had no respect for her. At least Cormac never made her feel tolerated.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll find some other way of getting what I need.”

He slowly rose to stand, heaving a sigh as he settled back on his heels.

“That’s unfortunate. This would have been much easier if you had agreed.”

Kimberly would have asked what he meant by that, but the look in his eyes froze her in place.
His eyes burned a molten gold as he spread his arms, which were expanding and shifting at an alarming rate. Faster than she might have thought possible, he was growing, his clothing melting and skin disappearing under a layer of metallic scales. Nearby, people were noticing, shouting and screaming in fear as they stampeded in every direction to escape the shapechanging Other in their midst.

When he ceased growing, from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail, he was over thirty feet long, with a wingspan half again that size.

Kimberly sat immobile, unable to so much as squeak in terror as the beast before her lurched back to arch its neck and spread its wings, barbed tail lashing as it growled at her. One thick, talon-tipped paw lashed out, flattening her on the grass and squeezing the air out of her lungs. It gave an awkward, one-legged hop forward to catch its balance before clenching its claws to dig deep furrows in the grass and close around her waist and legs, pinning her.

Then those wide, ribbed wings began to flap, the sun playing off the tones of brass and copper and gold. The ground fell away, people scattering before the airborne monster.
And Kimberly could do nothing but pray, staring up at this great beast that had her in its claws.
She’d gotten what she’d asked for. Now she would have to pay the price.




Author Bio:
I'm a displaced New Yorker with a penchant for the silly, the obscure, and the fantastical. Tampa, Florida is home for the time being. I'm currently working on the H&W Investigations urban fantasy series and the Blackhollow Academy young adult contemporary fantasy series. Find out more about my books, drop me a line, or join my mailing list at www.jesshaines.com!


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Thursday, June 2, 2016

Interview with Shirley McLain, Author of Princess Adele's Dragon + Giveaway

Princess Adeles Dragon banner


Welcome to Shirley McLain, author of Princess Adele's Dragon! She is here to tell us a bit more about her writing and herself. The blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours and runs from 31 May 31 through June 13. You can view the tour schedule here.


Tell us about the main character. Who is Adele?
Princess Adele is the headstrong sister of Robert, King of Valdoria. She was raised to be independent and care for herself. When she disagrees with her brother on how to save the kingdom it sets her on a path that changes her life and everyone’s around her.

Adele sounds like such an intriguing character. What inspired you when creating her?
I think the strong independent woman I’ve had around me all my life inspired me.

Where did you find inspiration while creating your fantasy world?
It came from my muse. I sit in front of the computer and it spills out though my fingers onto the screen. I’ve never practiced outlining for any of my books.

Will this be an ongoing series or is this a standalone story?
I haven’t decided yet. I’ve been thinking about doing another one but can’t decide. When the time is right I will know if it’s supposed to happen. It does have potential.

If you could visit any fictional place, where would you go?
If it has to be pure fiction I will say Hogwarts Castle from Harry Potter.  I would like to see the magic at work and be able to explore all the rooms in the castle. I could imagine seeing some great things stored away. Of course, I would want it to be a very peaceful time.

What’s your favorite TV show or movie?
My favorite TV show is Dancing with The Stars. I never miss the show.  If I have to be away from the TV on Monday night I record the program. I’m not into TV, but I do love old movies. I think my favorite movie is The Thorn Birds starring Richard Chamberlain.

What’s your go to comfort food?
It has always been chicken and dumplings.  My Mom made the best, but since she passed away I’ve not gotten any that were as great as hers. Next to that I will have to say steak and baked potato. If I’m desperate it’s anything I can get my hands on.

Where can readers find you online?
Blog Link: Shirley-mclain.net

I want to thank Kimber for giving me this opportunity to share a little bit of myself with you. It has been a pleasure.   Shirley McLain 


Princess Adele's DragonPrincess Adele’s Dragon
By Shirley McLain

Genre: Fantasy
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: 22 March, 2016

Blurb:
Princess Adele lives with her brother, Robert, the King of Valdoria in the castle. There has been a monster terrorizing the Kingdom for months. The King has finally come to a decision on how to deal with the monster but the Princess can't agree with him. For the sake of the Kingdom Princess Adele decides she must be the one to kill the dragon. She couldn't live with herself if her brother went ahead with his plans.

What Adele found on her quest changed her life and the lives of those around her. She was a strong young woman who knew what she wanted and would do whatever it took to get it. Follow Princess Adele as she battles to save her home and her life.
You can find Princess Adele’s Dragon on Goodreads

You can buy Princess Adele’s Dragon here:
- Amazon



Shirley McLainAbout the Author:
Shirley McLain makes her home in Sapulpa Oklahoma with her husband and their fur family of four dogs and three cats. She also has two grown children, six grandchildren and twin great-grand sons. She has/is living a very full life. She retired after working thirty-two years as a RN and then began a full time writing carrier. She and her husband enjoy their five-acre country home. It is a perfect setting to let Shirley’s Muse work it’s magic. Shirley is an eclectic writer and has always enjoyed the writing process. Shortly after her retirement she woke up one morning with the thought that she was going to write a book. She didn’t stop writing until she’d finished her first book. So far she has published four books which are now on Amazon. Her goal is to bring as much enjoyment to her readers as they deserve and want.

You can find and contact Shirley here:
- Blog
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Princess Adele’s Dragon. These are the prizes you can win:
- 15 e-copies of Dobyns Chronicles by Shirley McLain

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

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Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Interview with Christi J. Whitney, Author of Shadow + Giveaway


Welcome to Christi J. Whitney, author of The Romany Outcasts trilogy! She was kind enough to join us today to answer a few questions about her writing and herself.

Tell us about the main character. Who is Sebastian Grey?
 At the beginning of the story, Sebastian thinks of himself as a fairly average teen – a little awkward, perhaps, with a sardonic personality and a great group of friends. He lives with his foster brother, tattoo artist Hugo Corsi. Sebastian has never really cared about his past, choosing instead to focus on his plans to go to work for his brother after high school. But everything changes when he discovers his brother is part of a secret clan of Outcast Gypsies. Suddenly, strange things begin to happen to Sebastian, and he struggles to figure out what’s going on.

I love that you write from the male point of view. What’s it like for a female author writing from the male perspective?
The decision to write from Sebastian’s point of view felt natural to me – maybe because I have boys or because the character reminded me so much of some of my students when I taught high school. Mainly, I think, it was just the way the story needed to be told. I share a lot in common with Sebastian, so getting into his head was actually pretty easy.

What are some interesting things you learned while writing/researching The Romany Outcasts Trilogy?
 I spent a lot of time researching Roma culture for my series. I wanted to create my own fictional world of Gypsies, but at the same time, I also wanted to be respectful and to present my characters in a way that felt both real and believable. I found the culture to be so rich, with great importance placed on tradition, and I really loved that.

When can we expect the third installment?
I currently writing book three now, and HarperVoyager has a tentative release date of early 2017, so we’ll see what happens!

If you could visit anyplace in the world (cost is no object), where would you go?
 Oh, hands down, I would go back to London. It’s just my favourite city. And since cost is no object, let’s say all of the UK and Ireland. That would be fantastic. I also would really love to visit New Zealand, but we’ll stick with my first answer!

What’s your favorite TV show or movie? Your Netflix addiction?
Wow, that’s a tough one to narrow down. Doctor Who will always be at the top of my list. I tend to watch a lot of fantasy and sci-fi. My all-time favourite movie is The Princess Bride. My Netflix addictions vary. I recently finished Daredevil, and now I’m juggling watching Dark Matter by myself and How to Train Your Dragon: Race to the Edge with my boys.

What is your favorite fairy tale, myth, or fable?
The story of Beauty and the Beast has always held a very special place in my heart, and I love reading and watching different retellings of the story. I actually wrote The Romany Outcasts Series to be a little bit of my own take on the tale.

Where can readers find you online?
I definitely use Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, but I also use Tumblr and Pinterest for my fangirling and geeking out.



Shadow
The Romany Outcasts #2

Christi J. Whitney


YA Urban Fantasy
HarperVoyager
June 2, 2016


Goodreads   


The second volume in this incredible YA trilogy.

Sebastian Grey used to be a normal teenager.

Now he’s become a creature whose sole purpose is to act as guardian for secretive gypsy clans.

When the Romany gypsies claim Sebastian as their guardian, he is given a second chance to protect Josephine Romany, the girl he thought he might never see again.

But Sebastian is having his own problems. His transformation is still ongoing, and not everyone trusts the new gargoyle within their clan.

Then a tragedy pushes him to make choices to fulfil his duty, choices that might cost him everything.

Book One

Can you still love with a heart of stone?

Sebastian Grey always thought he was a fairly normal teenager – good friends, decent grades and a pretty sweet job in his foster brother’s tattoo shop.
  
But when Romany gypsies arrive in town, Sebastian discovers that his world is not what it seems. There is an age-old feud between his family and the gypsies – and this isn’t the only secret his brother has been keeping from him. His life is not his own. The girl he’s been dreaming about has just turned up at school, and he feels compelled to protect her at all costs.
  
Even if that means life might never be normal again.



About the Author

Christi J. Whitney is the author of The Romany Outcasts Series (HarperCollins/HarperVoyagerUK).

She's a former high school theatre director with a love for the dramatic. Christi lives just outside of Atlanta with her husband and two sons.

When not spending time with them or taking a ridiculous number of trips to Disney World, she is usually directing plays, geeking out over Doctor Who, making costumes for sci-fi/fantasy conventions, watching superhero movies, or pretending she's a tad bit British.

Connect with her on Twitter @ChristiWhitney 


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Cover Reveal: Darkness Savage by Rachel A. Marks + Giveaway


Darkness Savage
Rachel A. Marks
(The Dark Cycle #3)
Published by: Skyscape
Publication date: October 13th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
The fate of humanity hangs in the balance as Aidan faces a crushing choice: give in to the demands of the forces of Darkness in order to save his sister, Ava, or fight on the side of good and risk losing her forever. With so much at stake and so little time, Aidan embarks on a mission to finish assembling a team of “Lights,” other teens whose special abilities are linked to his own.

Meanwhile, Rebecca discovers that she’s more than just a normal teen, and that the power awakening inside her may be stronger than she ever could have imagined. As the city plunges into chaos and Aidan doubts his plan of attack, Rebecca’s newfound gift may tip the balance in the wrong direction.

In this thrilling final installment of The Dark Cycle trilogy, will Aidan find the help he needs to release the world from Darkness’s grip? Or will he lose everything he's been desperately trying to save, including his soul?  

Previous books in the series:
25010747 25690185




Author Bio:
Rachel A. Marks is an award-winning author and professional artist, a SoCal girl, cancer survivor, a surfer and dirt-bike rider, chocolate lover and keeper of faerie secrets. She was voted: Most Likely to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse, but hopes she'll never have to test the theory. Her debut series The Dark Cycle, described as Dickens' Oliver Twist meets TV's Supernatural, is now out through Skyscape, beginning with DARKNESS BRUTAL.



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Tuesday, May 31, 2016

New Release: The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter

TheDarkestTorment - RWB banner    
The Queen of Paranormal Romance, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter, returns with THE DARKEST TORMENT, the eagerly anticipated twelfth novel in her Lords of the Underworld series, available now! Grab your copy today!
   
TheDarkestTorment - cover

Get your copy of THE DARKEST TORMENT here!


THE DARKEST TORMENT Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with her most explosive Lords of the Underworld tale to date, about a fierce warrior on the brink of sanity who will stop at nothing to claim the exquisite human with the power to soothe the beast inside him…

Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he’s back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he’s unable to withstand the touch of another…and he’s quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride—just not his own.

Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she’s taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she’s plunged into a war between two evils—with a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them…and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart.

But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she’ll have to teach him to love…or lose him forever.

    TheDarkestTorment - Available Now - teaser 2    

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

    Lords of the Underworld Series banner

And don’t miss the previous titles in the Lords of the Underworld Series!

THE DARKEST NIGHT

THE DARKEST KISS

THE DARKEST PLEASURE

THE DARKEST WHISPER

THE DARKEST PASSION

THE DARKEST LIE

THE DARKEST SECRET

THE DARKEST SURRENDER

THE DARKEST SEDUCTION

THE DARKEST CRAVING

THE DARKEST TOUCH



Author pic- Gena ShowalterAbout Gena Showalter:
        Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series–Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles–and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader’s Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she’s appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black–if you ask her about it, she’ll talk for hours…hours! Her books have been translated in multiple languages. She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfan    

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 




Monday, May 30, 2016

Kindle Scout Campaign - Part 1

Many of you may have noticed that I started a Kindle Scout campaign for my novel, Bitter Envy. At least I hope you noticed since I have been actively promoting it since it started on Thursday. Honestly it all happened so fast that I haven't had time to stop and plan an effective campaign. I read in several forums that Amazon can take days to decide on a submission, so when I submitted last Tuesday, I wasn't expecting to be approved within hours and have my campaign live two days later. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled! I hope the quick decision means that they liked my cover (which I adore-- thanks, Amanda!) and the blurb (I had to cut out 2/3 to fit their guidelines, so maybe my blurb is too long).

Well, I've spent the last two days scouring the internet for information on Kindle Scout and checking out other authors' success and fail stories. What shocked me is that some authors with amazing stats aren't being offered contracts. So obviously when Kindle Scout says that nominations are only part of the decision, they aren't kidding. And that does make sense since I'm sure they want a mix of genres and plots. If five mysteries are all burning up the hot & trending for their entire campaigns at the same time, I doubt Kindle Scout would pick more than one or two.

So, this brings me to my next dilemma: how to keep Bitter Envy hot & trending after I've exhausted my limited marketing avenues. Many authors spend money to advertise through Facebook ads, Twitter campaigns, Goodreads ads - to name a few. But I'm loathe to sink money into a campaign that may or may not make a difference. I can't help but wonder how much is timing and luck. What to do... what to do...

I did spread out my marketing ideas and have plans through the end of this week. Then I also have plans for a final push at the end. Now I just need some ideas to get through the saggy middle. I'll keep you posted on my campaign. Thanks for your support :)

Want to check out my campaign? Here's the link:
https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2GETN8KN3WE8

Tell me what you think!