Wednesday, December 2, 2015

IWSG: The Dreaded, No Good, Very Bad Review



It's Insecure Writer's Support Group day, the final one of the year! No worries, though. It's continuous, just like clockwork, and occurs on the first Wednesday of every month, every year, all year long. If you want to join, go HERE. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and this month's co-hosts, Sandra Hoover, Mark Koopmans, Doreen McGettigan, Megan Morgan, and Melodie Campbell! 


Do you have your mediation ears on? Okay, here I go!


I got my first 1-star review on Amazon and it was a bit devastating. It made me doubt myself and my writing abilities. I know I'm not the best writer out there. I'm still a work in progress. But the reviewer was a bit unkind. 

First, she made fun of something I didn't write: 

Let me be clear. The writing is trite...please find a different way to say "right before my very eyes." As opposed to what? My NOT very eyes...my sorta eyes?

She quoted me on "right before my very eyes." I did a search of the final manuscript, even checked every sentence where "eyes" were mentioned, and it wasn't there. Nothing even came close to it

Apparently, here is the crux of the problem:

The story is good. I would have been willing to buy a new story had this one actually had an ending. I just hate being manipulated. This story and all others by the author are hereby banished from my kindle.

Even though the writing is "trite" she thought the story was "good" and would have been "willing to buy a new story". So the story wasn't actually that bad, she was just mad about the ending or what she considered the lack of an ending. 

Here's the dealio: I released the Afterlife series in three separate novellas. I tried to give each novella an ending for that particular story, while at the same time letting the reader know that there was more to the story and they'd have to buy the next book to get the full story. Second Death, the first book and the subject of this review is perma-free (so she didn't buy it). 

I sort of get where she's coming from, but I certainly didn't think in terms of "manipulation" when I set up the marketing strategy, i.e. read the first one for free, buy the other two if you're interested. 

I really do want to be fair, though. I want my readers to be happy and of course I always, always, always want to do the right thing. 

So, here are my questions for you:



Is this a bad marketing strategy?


Should I take books II and III down and only sell the series as a whole so that there is an "ending" readily available?

Thanks so much for your help!


What are your insecurities this month?



Wednesday, November 4, 2015

IWSG: Social Media Marketing Stats



It's Insecure Writer's Support Group day! The first Wednesday of every month is when members of the Group post about our writerly insecurities. If you want to sign up, go HERE. Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh and his co-hosts for making this event happen every month.

Last month I posted about Marketing and what a nightmare it is and how fearful I am of doing it. Well--that hasn't changed. But I did a lot of marketing in October, making one book free and the next two discounted.

I also bought Twitter and Facebook Ads and a lot of you expressed an interest in how it went, so I'll share it here.

Facebook Ad for 2 weeks $5/day budget up to $70.00: 365 new followers. I was able to target a certain age group so now I have some age appropriate followers whereas I had mostly writer friend followers before.

Twitter Ad for 1 month of book (my freebie) promo: Spent $12.00

Twitter Ad for 1 month of follower promo: Spent $22.00 ($2/day budget): 593 new followers

Total Free Books given away: 270

Total Books Sold: 18

RESULT:

Spent $104

New Twitter Followers: 593

New Facebook Followers: 270

I made less than $10 on royalties.

So you can do the math. It didn't do much for me sales-wise but I did pretty well on new followers.

So will the exposure have done anything for me? Being realistic, I doubt it. I'm writing in an in-between age category (tween/teen) that's tough to sell.

Also being realistic, I pulled out of the IWSG Anthology short story contest that I was going to enter. I could have written a story and entered it, but it wouldn't have been my best. Just not enough time for a slow poke like me.

But I'm moving on. I'm working on two outlines (one that I was going to enter in the contest but decided to take more time on it) that are nearly done. One for a novella and one for a novel, both adult. I have high hopes.


I'm just going to keep on writing until I get it right. 

You're going to see new books from me next year!


Have you ever paid for promo? How'd it go?

Entering the IWSG Anthology Contest?

What's your current insecurity?





Wednesday, October 7, 2015

IWSG: Marketing Mojo



It's Insecure Writer's Support Group day! The first Wednesday of every month is when members of the Group post about our writerly insecurities. If you want to sign up, go HERE. Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh and his co-hosts for making this event happen every month. 

Marketing. Doesn't the word strike fear in your heart? It does mine. If you're an indy author or with a small press then you know the agony of marketing. You're expected to do it yourself. But of course, you can't really do it by yourself. You need help and you have to ask for it. You have to ask bloggers to host you and share your books. It's a lot of social media. Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Wattpad.

That's why I've done virtually no marketing of my books this year. The push and the grind of trying to get sales is stressful. I just didn't want to do it. Blogging has been part of that push and grind for me too. So I took a break.

But, well, I really want to be a writer. A successful writer. So I'm starting to come back around. I'm getting those stirrings where I'm sort of caring again. About writing and even marketing. And maybe when I really get back into the writing (I've only been outlining) I'll care about blogging again and sharing what I'm working on.

So--since I write paranormal and this is October, the most paranormal month of the year, I went out on a limb and took things in hand a bit. I made Second Death free (which wasn't easy, but I'm pretty sure it was the hour I sat at my laptop pasting in the free link from B&N at Amazon so they'd price match) and put books II & III on sale. AND, I'm doing Facebook and Twitter sponsored ads. We'll see how it goes *shrugs*

OH! And I decided to be a real author and start a NEWSLETTER. It'd be awesome if you subscribed up at the top in the sidebar--and receive a free book (See? I've got marketing mojo!).

And...I'm thinking about writing a short story for the A-Z Anthology contest. Not that I'll win, not with all the other awesome authors and submissions, but I think it will be a good experience for me.

How are your marketing skills?

Have you even run ads?

How do you promote your books?

Monday, September 14, 2015

First Impressions and a Revealing Day

 
 
 
Despite the old saying to the contrary, everyone knows you really CAN judge a book by its cover.
I'm nearly always attracted by a cover first. Of course I have to like the blurb about the content, but the cover is the first impression.
 
AND,
 
I am very impressed with these two covers!
 
Check them out...
 
 
 
 
 
Coming soon! From Amazon bestselling and popular science fiction and fantasy authors comes Mayhem in the Air, a supernatural anthology of ten thrilling tales. Meet hot robots, hungry winds and the goddess of chaos. Explore alien planets, purgatorial realms, and a shocking place where people bury the living with their dead.
 
Mayhem in the Air is the second, long-awaited story collection from the dynamic and inventive Untethered Realms group.
 
 
 
 

 

Stephen Tremp writes speculative fiction and his fourth novel, Salem’s Daughters, is a supernatural thriller. A four hundred year old evil is unleashed when souls of the daughters of those killed during the Salem Witch Trials find a new generation of people to murder at a popular modern-day bed and breakfast.
 
For a full synopsis and to pre-order a copy of Salem’s Daughters for $2.99 (price goes up to $4.99 soon after release) Click Here
.

 Are you ready for some Mayhem?

 

How about a little witchy business, hmmm?

 

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

IWSG: Someday Minus The Snort Factor




It's the first Wednesday of the month which coincides with the Insecure Writer's Support Group day, and my monthly post. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and this month's co-hosts for all the work they do on our behalf. Stop by their blogs and say hello to Alex Cavanaugh,  Heather M. Gardner Christine Rains, Dolorah at Book Lover Julie Flanders  and Murees Dupé if you get a chance.

Since I have nothing new to say about my writing insecurities, I thought I'd share about my hopes and plans. I've been working on an outline for a new book/series. It's taking a loooong time. Strangely, I'm okay with that. I want it to be right. 

But I am still really excited to get started on the writing part!

I'm hoping that once I start the writing that I can share bits and pieces of it with graphics here on my blog and on Twitter and Facebook. Maybe build up some interest in the book while it's still in the writing process. And, you know, sort of act like I'm catering to those avid readers who can't wait for my next book to come out. *snort* Someday I hope to say that without snorting.

But mostly I want to enjoy the whole process without feeling the pressure to publish and just take my time to make sure the writing and story is as good as I'm capable of producing.

I might even try to blog once per week instead of once per month!


What are your hopes and plans?
 
Any particular insecurity this month?

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

IWSG: Self Doubt

 
 
It's the first Wednesday of August and time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. If you'd like to find out more about it or want to sign up go HERE. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and the wonderful members of the community who volunteer to make this event happen every month. This month the volunteers are Nancy Gideon, Bob R Milne, Doreen McGettigan, Chrys Fey, Bish Denham, and Pat Garcia! Stop by to say "hey" if you get a chance.

I've taken a huge step back this year and have written very little. I wrote a short story for the anthology with my Untethered Realms group which is a prequel to the series I'm planning. I've written two chapters for novel #1 in the series to get a feel for how it will go and am maybe halfway through with the outline.

I've always written from an outline, but...

After taking James Patterson's Masterclass and paying close attention to the section on outlines and receiving his actual outline (eeep!) for his novel, Honeymoon, I'm trying to follow his model by making my outline more detailed. Patterson's outlines are numbered and each one is a chapter/section. His method focuses on story, and each section is like a movie scene. Just tell the story. Go back and fill in the blanks. Keep fleshing it out, then get rid of anything that doesn't move the story forward. Put in some twists. By the time you're done, the story is set and all you have to do is write it. His method, to me, is more straight forward and less mechanical than other craft books I've read.

So--I'm hoping to write a better novel than I've ever written before!

But I'm riddled with self doubt!
 
Yikes!
 
What are you working on?


Monday, June 29, 2015

Ghost of Death *shivers* and IWSG

You all know how I love my ghosties, so I'm thrilled to have Chrys Fey here today with a guest post in celebration of her new release, Ghost of Death!

It's also (almost) Insecure Writer's Support Group Day so I'm going to combine the two. Gotta have some good stuff (Chrys's new release) along with my same old insecurities!

My last few posts for the IWSG have been about the lack of time, the stress of not writing, and lots of studying of the craft. And so nothing has changed. It's a slowing down and learning year for me. I've given myself permission. Right now I'm taking the James Patterson Master Class (we received a copy of his outline of Honeymoon! Eeep! It's 27 pages long and I can't wait to dig in.)

But moving on...

For more information on the Insecure Writer's Support Group, click on the link.

 
Ever give yourself permission to take a step back?
 
How's your writing going?
 
***
 
And now on to the best part of this post,
 
Chrys Fey!


I love to watch ghost movies, specifically ones about real ghosts...not poltergeists or evil entities. Real ghosts are the kind of ghosts I also like to write about, like Jolie Montgomery in Ghost of Death, my newest short story. For fun, I am sharing my top ten favorite ghosts from fiction.

My Top Ten Favorite Ghosts:
1. Casper
2. The Grey Lady (Harry Potter)
3. The Ghosts from A Christmas Carol (Past, Present, and Future)
4. Sam Wheat (Ghost)
5. Susie Q (Played by Amy Jo Johnson)
6. Penny Halliwell (Charmed)
7. Barbara Maitland (Beetlejuice)
8. Ellen Rimbauer (Rose Red)
9. Samara Morgan (The Ring 1 + 2)
10. Bloody Mary


QUESTION: Do you have a favorite ghost?

 
Title: Ghost of Death
Author: Chrys Fey
Genre: Supernatural/Suspense
Format: eBook Only
Page Count: 41 (short story)
Release Date: April 22nd, 2015
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Blurb:

Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life. Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can...by stalking the lead detective on the case.

Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way.

But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an earth-bound spirit forever.


Book Links:

Excerpt:

            With the sound of her mom’s grief wafting up to her, Jolie came to terms with her present state. I’m dead and now my mom knows it. She eyed the door in front of her. She hadn’t yet walked through a door, but if her hand could pass through metal then she knew she could move through wood.
     If I have to be a ghost then I’ll be a damn good one. All across the afterlife I’ll be known as the Ghost of Death! And I’m going to start by walking through this damn door!
            She would’ve taken a deep breath to brace herself if she could have, so she mentally pumped herself up instead. You can do it! Easy-peasy. Nothing to it. And she took a step forward. Solid matter slipped around and through her form. On the other side, a familiar site confronted her: a black and white bed, the bright green shag carpet in the middle of the room, and a white desk.
            Stepping up to her desk, Jolie eyed her ancient desktop computer, the one she used before her dad gifted her with a laptop when she announced she was accepted to the local university. Wanting to send out the first ever tweet from the afterlife, she pushed the button to bring the device to life, but her finger poker straight through it. Resigning to her Twitter-less fate, she moved toward the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. She saw nothing. Not even a shimmer in the air hinted at her presence.
            Being a ghost sucks!


Also Available:


Blurb:

Detective Reid Sanders doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but when he’s faced with a crime scene that defies the laws of nature, he has no other choice but to start believing. And solving a magical murder involves working with a witch.

Liberty Sawyer embodies the look of your classic evil witch, so, it’s no surprise when she uncovers the murderer is a witch that she becomes Reid’s number one suspect. If she can’t convince him otherwise, more people could lose their lives to dark magic, including her.

Book Links:


BIO:

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30 Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series.

When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next hurricane to come her way.

You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers! 


Author Links: 
Facebook / Blog / Website / Goodreads

Thank you all for visiting and hopefully commenting. ;)


Wednesday, June 3, 2015

IWSG, Nightmares and Backworlds


It's the first Wednesday of the month and that means it's Insecure Writer's Support Group day. If you want to join this awesome group, go HERE. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for hosting this monthly event and a big shout out to all who help make this event happen every month.

Also, welcome to what has become my monthly blog post. Sad, but true, it seems. I don't want to post if I can't comment and return visits. And since I've had to prioritize, if it's a choice between working on my next novel and blogging, then the novel writing wins. I know you can all relate.

When I win the Time Lotto, I'll do more blogging.

So on to my insecurity. I'm actually feeling pretty good about what I'm doing. I've read several books on craft recently and have a couple of outlines started. I need to get more organized and combine what I've learned into something that works best for me. I've actually started writing, because whichever outline version I use, they start out the same. Beginning the writing process has eased my anxiety about not getting any writing done.  I feel good about it, so it's all good!

How's your writing life going?

 
Even though I'm not getting a lot done, I know some awesome writers who are!
Check these out:
 
Precipice
by M. Pax
 
 
In the far future, humanity settles the stars, bioengineering its descendants to survive in a harsh universe. This is the sixth book in the science fiction series, The Backworlds. A space opera adventure. 
The Backworlds hang by a Quantum string, a thread about to snap. Annihilation is coming if Craze can’t stop it.
The genocidal alien he had trapped breaks free, destroying a ship belonging to the Backworlds’ oldest enemy, the Fo’wo’s. The murderous alien wants to overtake the galaxy. The Fo’wo’s want another war.
The Backworlds’ best chance to survive is to overcome a century of hate and forge an alliance with the Fo’wo’s. Because of his history with the alien, Craze is recruited to represent his people. Now he’s the most hated man in the galaxy.
The looming war will be a holocaust unless Craze can stop it, knowing salvation comes at a price. 
 
Sounds awesome, right? Well, here's another interesting bit from the main character, Craze:
Question: What is the most expensive drink in the Backworlds?
Craze:  Hot chocolate. A tiny bar of chocolate can buy you a spaceship in the Backworlds. Not a top of the line deal, but a working spaceship all the same.
 
Buy links: Amazon / B&N / iBook / Googleplay / Smashwords / Kobo / Other
 
And,
 
Once Upon A Nightmare: A Collection
 
 
A monster hunts us. After hibernating for a decade, it’s ravenous. We long to stop this nightmare, but the end of the road is far. There is no waking up once a legend sets its sights on you.
Disappearances every ten or so years make little impact on the small town of New Haven, Virginia. Hikers get lost. Hunters lose the trail. Even when a body is discovered, the inhabitants’ memories last about as long as the newspaper articles.
No one connects the cases. No one notices the disappearances go back beyond Civil War times. No one believes a legendary monster roams the forests in Southwestern Virginia.
I don’t either until the truck breaks down on an old mountain trail. Cell phones won’t work in this neck of the woods. It’s amazing how much a person can see by starlight alone. So what if we can’t feel our fingers or toes as we hike toward the main road. How many more miles left to go?
Crrraaack!
Hear that noise?
I'm shivering already!
 
Purchase Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection by Cherie Reich at Amazon.
 
 
 
How's your writing going?
 
Got any good book recommendations to share?
 


Wednesday, May 6, 2015

IWSG: Behind My Time

Well that was the fastest April in history! I took the month off from this blog, but participated in the 2015 A-Z Blogging Challenge with Untethered Realms. I think it's pretty darn cool that bloggers do this every year. It's a chance to touch base with old blogging friends and meet new ones. All in all, it's quite the success!



So, onto the business of May, and in particular the first Wednesday of the month when members of the Insecure Writer's Support Group post about writerly stuff. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and his minions for hosting this every month and making sure that hundreds of writers receive a supportive visit.

After publishing three books I wanted to up my game by learning more about pacing and writing a better book. I read Save the Cat by Blake Snyder and learned a lot. Even though it's for screenwriters, it's a great tool for any writer. Then I heard about Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker. Both are basically the same premise, but TOYP is specifically for writers. I'm learning a lot, even though most of what I've read I already knew, just never really applied it, at least not in an organized manner.

So, what's my problem? I've gotten no writing done this year. Just bits and pieces. I keep telling myself I'm investing in learning time to become a better writer. But I'm getting antsy because, well, I haven't written anything! I thought I'd get a book out this year, but now it's May and I'm thinking maybe not. Probably not! I feel like I'm behind in my time, as Scrooge accused Marley in A Christmas Carol. *big sigh*

Thanks for listening!

What's your writing insecurity this month?

Did you participate in the A-Z Challenge?

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

April Fun!

Happy A - Z Blog Challenge 2015!

 
 

I'm doing the A - Z with my buddies over at the Untethered Realms blog. We're doing graphics with lines from our books or WIPs. They're pretty darn good if I do say so myself!

 

Hope you can stop by!

 
*****

Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day!




Now to the Insecure Writer's Support Group post. If you want to sign up, go HERE. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for hosting every month, and a special thanks to this month's minions,The awesome  Suzanne Furness, Tonja Drecker, Toi Thomas, Rachna Chhabria, Fundy Blue, and Donna Hole!
 


I'll keep it short in case you want to slip over to Untethered Realms. My only complaint is....wait for it (LOL)....TIME! No big surprise, right? Summer is my busy season at work (Why yes, it is summer in San Diego right now! Inland, where I live, we're already reaching 90 degree temps) which, when you're in the swimming pool business, means long hours and too tired to do anything in the evenings except sip on a glass of wine.

And because it's also April Fool's Day, I thought you might like a couple of jokes!

 
How many science fiction writers does it take to change a light bulb? Two, but it's actually the same person doing it. He went back in time and met himself in the doorway and then the first one sat on the other one's shoulder so that they were able to reach it. Then a major time paradox occurred and the entire room, light bulb, changer and all was blown out of existence.

And another oldie but goodie...




How many mystery writers does it take to change a light bulb? Two. One to screw the bulb almost all the way in, and one to give a surprising twist at the end.
 

*****

 

I guess I'm a Weekend Writing Warrior now.

 How about you?

Are you doing the A-Z?

 

P.S. this blog is on hiatus for the month of April!

But! I'll still be lurking...


Monday, March 9, 2015

The Real Elizabeth Seckman!

I'm so happy to have the marrrvelous Elizabeth Seckman here today. Her son interviewed her and if you have kids, you know how direct and to the point they can be. We all know Elizabeth because of the awesome romances she writes. She has a new one out, by the way.  You can check it out below. But there is no doubt about what's important to Elizabeth...


My son, Cole, interviewed me (his darling sweet mother) for a class he was taking and here's what he came up with...

I was born in Barberton, Ohio...a city south of Cleveland. Moved to Middlebourne (a tiny town without a redlight or a crosswalk) when I was a few weeks old...hence the nickname...Grit...my parents shamefully turned a Buckeye into a Grit.

School years...I practiced basketball...did one year of track in order to stalk their father...found him offensive and berated him for the next three years, then asked him to prom...on to college...went on scholarship, worked as a cashier, a waitress, did some catering (fancy waitressing in heels and a skirt), then went to work as an resident advisor...graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Went to work. Did case management then family preservation for at risk youth...had four kids then quit to raise them.

"Soooo, you ever feel like once you had us, you sort of became, well, just a mom?" Cole asked.

Short answer. YES.

BUT....Nothing in this world compares to being a mom. Raising my kids hasn't been an afterthought. It's not something I've done on my way to something else. If I die tomorrow and I've done nothing more than raise good kids, then I die successful.

"Soooo, if I start using drugs, you're a failure?"

Short answer. NO.

I don't exppect my kids to be perfect. I expect they'll have their share of screw ups.

But as a mom, I will be right there to hold their hands...or put a foot in their butts. I'll do whatever it takes to move them from childhood to adulthood with as few scars and as many advantages as possible.

Cause I am a mom...that's what I do.



The Blurb:

Jo Leigh Harper comes from a long line of trouble-making, white trash stock.
Tanner Coulter comes from a longer line of wealth-creating, blue blood stock.
Jo graduated college top of her class, moving toward a future full of possibilities.
Tanner dropped out of college, trading a law degree for drinking games and one night stands.

A family crisis throws the rich party boy and the poor genius girl together. The attraction is immediate, though neither one is a heart-in-the-sand-drawing believer in true love. But as the summer sun heats up along the shores of the Outer Banks, so does the connection between them. Maybe, just maybe, they can win at love by defying reason.

 
Author Bio:

Elizabeth is a multi-published author of books for people who are believers in happily-ever- after, true love, and stories with a bit of fun and twists with their plots. The mother of four young men, she tackles laundry daily and is the keeper of the kitchen. She lives along the shores of the Ohio River in West Virginia, but dreams daily of the beach. 


FacebookBlogWebsiteBuy Link

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

IWSG: Book Building

 
 
The first Wednesday of the month is Insecure Writer's Support Group Day, where writers confess their writing fears and woes. If you want to sign up, go HERE. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and this month's co-hosts, Chemist Ken, Suzanne Sapseed, and Shannon Lawrence!


Things are going well for me so far this year. I haven't gotten a lot of actual writing done, but I read Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, and WOW! I love what he has to say and how he organizes his work. As someone who appreciates organization and writes outlines before I can begin to write a book, his book was an eye opener. And not only organization, but a system to insure that each scene has emotion and conflict.

It's a slow process and I've found myself getting anxious that I'm not getting any actual writing done. Then I reminded myself that I don't need to be in a hurry. The only deadlines are in my head. That a good story takes a lot of planning in order to work, at least for a plotter like me. Now pantzers are another story...

The truth is, I'm enjoying this process of basically "book building" immensely (even though it's for screenwriting, it's an excellent tool for a novelist). By the time I through planning, I figure the story will be in place and the only thing left to do will be the actual writing.

I'll let you know how it's goes.

How's your writing life going?

Monday, March 2, 2015

Magick is in the Air! Where Will It Lead?



I loved Alligators Overhead and can't wait to dig into this one!
 
Check it out...
 
 
 
 



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!


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.