Friday, December 21, 2012

Last Post and A Christmas Carol

Today will be my last post of the year. My next post will be on January 2, 2013, when the Insecure Writers Support Group meets again.

I hope you all have a safe, happy and healthy holiday season.


As a point of interest, Givin' Up The Ghost takes place in a modern day medieval village called Sabrina Shores. Sabrina Shores is modeled after the town of Shrewsbury in England, where George C. Scott's version of A Christmas Carol was filmed. If you read Givin' Up The Ghost, you might enjoy the photographs of what Sabrina Shores looks like HERE.

And now, I'll leave you with my favorite quote from Charles Dickens', A Christmas Carol:

“And how did little Tim behave?” asked Mrs Cratchit, when she had rallied Bob on his credulity and Bob had hugged his daughter to his heart’s content.


“As good as gold,” said Bob, “and better. Somehow he gets thoughtful, sitting by himself so much, and thinks the strangest things you ever heard. He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

"God bless us, every one!"

~Tiny Tim, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Promoting: Amazon, GoodReads and PIP Newsletter

Amazon

You might recognize some of the books on this list as belonging to authors you know. That's because some of us YA indie authors teamed up to do an event. Check it out!

Best Sellers in Fantasy Series
Top 100 Free
December 15, 2012


Forged by Greed (The Forged Series)1. Forged by Greed (The Forged Series)
Angela Orlowski-Peart
4.4 out of 5 stars (25)
Auto-delivered wirelessly
Free











Julie Cassar
4.8 out of 5 stars (104)
Auto-delivered wirelessly
Free









Wicked Sense (The Singularity Series, #1)3. Wicked Sense (The Singularity Series, #1)
Fabio Bueno
4.5 out of 5 stars (31)
Auto-delivered wirelessly
Free










4. Neverlove (Shadow Jumpers)
Neverlove (Shadow Jumpers)
Angela Brown
4.9 out of 5 stars (8)
Auto-delivered wirelessly
Free










5. The Soulkeepers (The Soulkeepers Series)
The Soulkeepers (The Soulkeepers Series)G. P. Ching
4.3 out of 5 stars (290)
Auto-delivered wirelessly
Free








 6. Givin' Up The Ghost (An Indigo Eady Paranormal Mystery)
Givin' Up The Ghost (An Indigo Eady Paranormal Mystery)
Gwen Gardner
4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
Auto-delivered wirelessly
Free












Turns out, giving your book away for free pushes it further up the list, however fleeting.

Here are some of the deets for Givin' Up The Ghost:

Downloads

US 1093
UK    66
DE    15
ES      1
CA     2

    1177 Total downloads for 12/14 - 12/15.

This was a definite improvement over the Black Friday freebie when I had 679 downloads for two days. But the Gifts Aren't Only From Santa event was a bit more high profile, and it helps when you've teamed up and are promoting each others books as well.

I have to say it - I suck at promoting. I find it really hard to promote / push / pimp myself. I'd be the vacuum cleaner saleswoman at your door saying, "You don't want to buy this vacuum, do you?" Honestly, I'm better behind the scenes. Give me something to organize and lists to make and things to check off. You know, books to write, that sort of thing.


But I have seen a direct correlation between those who are really good at promoting themselves and sales.

So what happened after the promotion?

The day after the promotion, on 12/16, I went down to #281,289 in the Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store.

On 12/17, I sold 2 ebooks and my ranking went back up to 79,162 in the Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store.

And now I'm back up to 148,236. Probably more by now. But I had started out over 400,000.

I'm thinking none of the numbers makes sense, but hoping that the giveaways get my book more exposure.


GoodReads

I had a giveaway on GoodReads of two autographed prints books. It's really fun to watch the number of people entering to win my book go up everyday. (They want my book!!! WooHoo!!!). It's over now, and here are the details:

Entered to Win: 969
Added to TBR:   499


PIP Newsletter

Coming in 2013

Because Angela Brown and I don't have enough to do
(Sarcasm? Why no, what makes you think that?), we're starting a
Partners in ParanormYA newsletter.

You can sign up using the link in my sidebar to find out the
latest news and other awesome stuff we're up to.

If you enjoyed our blog tour, you'll enjoy our newsletter! 


*****


How do you feel about promoting?

How much is too much?




Tuesday, December 18, 2012

1301 The Marquis: Writing Paranormal Romance


Superstitious? Ever been to the 13th floor? I have to say that this book and series is so intriguing based on the title alone. So I am thrilled to have the author, Christine Rains, here to talk about her new book, 1301 The Marquis.

Take it away, Christine!

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WRITING PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Despite what my husband thinks, paranormal romance isn't about vampires and werewolves getting it on. Well, maybe a little, but that alone does not make a great story. It's about intriguing characters, twisting plots, and intense emotions mixed with an equal dose of mythology and the supernatural. Balance is key to writing good paranormal romance. Fall to one side or the other, then it becomes something else and you lose your audience.

Paranormal stories are still in high demand. Though the best sellers are about vampires, readers and publishers are looking for something new. Do some research and dig up some rarely seen supernatural creatures, or take certain aspects of a few beings and make one of your own. Originality is vital to standing out in this genre, but make it believable in the rules of your world. Have a solid mythology with many details. Yes, sometimes when writing about the paranormal less information is better to create a compelling mystery, but too little will confuse readers and leave them disappointed.

Romance continues to be the best selling genre. The main character's relationship must be central to the plot. Readers love experiencing the whirlwind of emotions along with the protagonist. It's important to create a deep emotional connection between your protagonist(s) and your readers. Though we read these stories to escape reality, there needs to be something real about your characters for your readers to relate to. Tragic flaws and embarrassing weaknesses. Strengths and morals to admire.

Remember paranormal romance is a blended genre. The supernatural and the relationship both need to drive the plot. If one or the other doesn't exist, the story cannot move forward. There is also the expectation of a Happily Ever After (HEA) ending or, at least, a Happy For Now (HFN). Failure to provide one will outrage your readers.

I love to write and read the fast-paced stories with women who are as strong as the men in extraordinary situations. The supernatural has always fascinated me, but so have relationships. I found my niche long before I knew it had a name. And with the 13th Floor series, I hope to offer something unique to paranormal romance fans.

Thanks so much for hosting me today, Gwen!

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Title: 1301 – The Marquis


Author: Christine Rains

Genre: paranormal romance

Release date: December 13th, 2012

Buy Links:
Amazon . Smashwords . Kobo . B&N

Blurb:

Life after Hell isn't more exciting than watching football and fixing a busted pipe. Once a powerful demon, Marc enjoys his quiet existence and a good cup of coffee. With big ambitions to gain his master's favor, a trickster demon named Vetis shatters Marc's peace and vows to deliver Marc's head to the fires of Hell. Not before he destroys everything Marc cares about, of course.

Marc's power has diminished over the years. Heaven will never grant him absolution, and he refuses to return to Hell. Running isn't an option. The city of Carmine is his territory. It's also home to his favorite cafe owner, Mae Hopkins. The dame has a lovely smile, but it's her heart and soul that shine bright.

While his city burns and his love is captured, Marc must decide to surrender or let hate and anger fuel him to become the fearsome beast he so loathes: The Marquis. If the Marquis rises, Vetis can be defeated and Mae saved, but Marc would be lost to his demon forever.

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Author Bio:

Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She also has two novellas and sixteen short stories published.
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