Book Feature: Pretty Monster, M. Raye Turner

PREVIEW COPY GETS 3.5 STARS!

(RAW Rating: 3.5) - Feel Good About Yourself

PRETTY MONSTER gives a wonderful first person view of a young woman who knows what she wants and knows how to get it. She learns from her mistakes and keeps going…it is well worth reading.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The Rawsistaz ™ Reviewer

Introducing Tangie Waters -

“I want to paint you a picture and write you a song about the love below the hole in my soul. But I am afraid that you will look at me differently. I am not what you think I am, bitter sweet, sassy and sexy, a little bit of every woman. Nawh, I am the jagged edges of a cracked plate on the way down off the counter.”

A powerfully portrayed story told with raw honesty and love...

Take a laugh out loud, tear jerking ride as you experience the life and times of Tangie Waters, a resilient daddy’s girl and go-getter. This attention-grabbing tale of a young woman’s determination to be at peace leaves one questioning their own maturity. Despite her monstrous ego, Tangie finds humility through her faith in God and the wisdom of her grandparents as she strives towards higher education while overcoming constant setbacks, family woes, and the complexities of being a single mother.

Flowing through life with torrent music Pretty Monster is an alluring tale that speaks to young women everywhere; from the inner cities to the tree lined streets of the American suburbs. 

 To learn more about Author M. Raye Turner and to buy PRETTY MONSTER please visit:  www.mrayeturner.com
 

A Little Flack

[I've edited this post from the original. Thank-you to everyone who left positive feedback]

 This isn't a case of us not having tough skins to wade through the negative feedback, this is a case of wondering, given the results of this year so far and messages received  if there is any point of continuing on.



And to those who do come by, read about the authors and the books we feature, repost books and show support, I am obviously preaching to the converted. 
 You have my heartfelt and sincere grattitude for doing so.

Book Blitz :Tuatha and the Seven Sisters Moon, D.VonThaer, Salem Limited Edition

Buy TUATHA AND THE SEVEN SISTERS MOON

Julius Caesar wrote of the Celts: "The Celts were fearless warriors because they wish to inculcate this as one of their leading tenets, that souls do not become extinct, but pass after death from one body to another..."

Seven Sisters. The infamous collection of stars align with the full moon on Hallo’een, alighting the sky for a destiny that’s waited centuries. Dru, a gifted, but tormented witch living alone on the coast of Ireland wakes to find Ty, her long-time love, mysteriously disappeared. In Paris, Katerina, an oppressed but talented dancer bravely takes the stage in one final performance before escaping a life of tyranny, looking for a freedom she’d only known in dreams. Aodh, The Dagda, a man made of ancient legends, has slumbered for two millennia. Tonight, when the moon is full and the stars are aligned, he rises from his temporary grave to find the world is not as he remembers. His people, his family, his tribe have vanquished, along with the majority of his considerable power.

 
  Chance takes him to Dru, and together they set out to find the key to reopening his world, whilst forming a bond of friendship neither has ever previously known. During their search, Dru learns Ty was no mortal man, but a god with a prophecy to fulfill. Ty died before fulfilling that prophecy, setting off a chain of events that would forever alter the future. Devastated, Dru abandons Aodh and the life that should have already been hers, and finds herself in the company of the worst sort. She begins a sordid affair with Kas, a daemon whose insatiable lust for power is only outdone by his lust for Dru.

 
  Separated from the only friend he knows, Aodh is left to search the world alone for answers. He meets the young and beautiful dancer, Katerina, and is instantly smitten with her grace and purity. He stays near her, pretending to be mortal, gaining her friendship. But on Katerina’s birthday, just as Aodh is ready to concede to a life of mortality, Katerina is ripped from him by Kas. Aodh’s ideas on remaining mortal are no more; he has to unlock the secrets to his world that will open a trove of unimaginable power to save the two women he loves, before time is no longer in his favour, and he loses everything.

Author's Note

This Limited Edition of Tuatha and the Seven Sisters Moon will never be reprinted. Not only does it have a special cover dedicated to the Witch City (Salem) it also holds additional content not in the standard version. This Limited Edition houses a secret chapter that will NEVER BE RELEASED in any other volume. This chapter is pivotal in the understanding of a character that weaves everyone together and offers clues up front to the other books in the series. You will also receive your copy before the standard version even hits stores. Every copy will be signed and personalized by the author. This printing will help launch the novel, my publishing firm, as well as the book tour that begins in Salem, Mass during Haunted Happenings in October.

For more information on TUATHA AND THE SEVEN SISTERS MOON 

and Author D.VonThaer please visit: http://www.dvonthaer.com

Ten Reasons to Buy TUATHA AND THE SEVEN SISTERS MOON: 

1. You're a fantasy fiction fan.
 

2. Ancient mythology fascinates you.
 

3. You enjoy stories that are richly detailed and researched.
 

4. Books with characters you can relate to get your attention.
 

5. You like supporting new authors with original work.
 

6. Superstitions, witchcraft, legends and myths tweak your imagination.
 

7. You like books that make you laugh and cry, and cry until you laugh.
 

8. Discovering new worlds and old legends is your cup of tea.
 

9. You need to know the secret content in this volume, and it will drive you crazy knowing you'll never be able to buy it again.
 

10. You collect books, and appreciate the value in a limited edition that will be out of print as soon as it's off the presses.

Purchase TUATHA AND  THE SEVEN SISTERS SISTERS MOON on September 25th, 2009 and receive a free bookmark that matches the Limited Edition Salem Cover.

Book Feature: Cut Short, Leigh Russell

Order from Amazon UK

When a frenzied killer begins slaying young women in parkland in the sleepy town of Woolsmarsh, newly promoted Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel knows it is only a matter of time before the gruesome discovery of another naked corpse.
What began as a straightforward murder investigation is now a desperate hunt for a serial attacker whose bloodlust is spiraling out of control.
But Steel is already battling demons of her own. Her relocation to Woolsmarsh isn’t going as planned, her relationship with her boyfriend is in tatters, and now threatening messages suggest an old adversary is back to settle a score.
As the park monster continues to strike, the grisly trail begins to take some unexpected turns and Steel is drawn deeper into a deadly game of cat and mouse and a horrifying realization that she might be the predator’s ultimate kill.

Buy from Amazon  Visit the Publisher's Website

In the tradition of Ruth Rendell, Lynda la Plante, Frances Fyfield and Barbara Vine, Cut Short is a gripping psychological thriller that introduces D.I. Geraldine Steel, a woman whose past is threatening to collide with her future.


Cut Short is currently riding high in local bestseller charts and reached Number 2 in amazon.co.uk sales ratings in the Female Sleuths category, second only to Alexander McCall Smith.



'Leigh Russell is rapidly forging a reputation as a rising star of female British crime fiction and she has drawn favourable comparisons with Ruth Rendell, Lynda la Plante and Frances Fyfield. She has been invited to join The Curzon Group – a high profile collective of bestselling authors formed to champion the best in British thriller writing.'

CUT SHORT is selling so well do to great reviews that the publisher ad to reprint two months after the launch!

To learn more about Author Leigh Russell, please visit her Blog

****

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of CUT SHORT! 
Winner will be chosen by random drawing. This give-a-way closes September30th, 2009 12:00pm EST.
One extra entry if you Tweet and or/Facebook about this give-a-way.

Our Guest: The Dagda

By: D. VonThaer

Art by: Christopher Chamberlain
Image Copyrighted and can not be used without permission obtained from the artist. http://manyfacesart.blogspot.com/


Dagda. In Celtic mythology, this is the big man. Known as ‘the good god’ not for being morally good, but for being superior at everything, he is also referred as The All Father (Eochaid Ollathair) and the son of the Mother Goddess Danu. His tribe consisted of pre-Christian deities called the Tuatha De’ Danann, means ‘The people of Danu.’ The Tuatha De’ are the fifth inhabitants of Ireland, and their stories are thousands of years old.

For the Celts, The Dagda is the man. He is immensely powerful, his limits virtually unknown. He was the King of the Tuatha De’ and fathered many children. Like all Celtic gods, his powers are broad, so broad in fact they cover IT ALL. He is said to be the father of all magic, bounty, music, knowledge, and fertility. He is very often portrayed wearing a small tunic that barely covers his backside, with an enormous uh, ‘member’, that drags in the ground, fertilizing the crops. This man was built to make other men pale in his wake.

The thing about The Dagda is, he not only cared for himself, he cared for his tribe. He had three items of importance: the Undry, the Harp, and the Club. The Undry was a massive cauldron said to be bottomless , always filling back to keep his people nourished. His magically appointed harp, when stroked by his hand, returned the seasons into order to allow the crops to flourish, and also sang a battle cry, calling warriors to fight. His club is known to kill nine men with a single blow, but the handle could return the slain to life. It was so enormous, it was carted on wheels, like a canon, scarring the ground where he drew the lines of battle. He cared about the harvest, and the lives of his people, always making very sure no one starved under his rule.

Dagda’s appetite for good food was matched only by his insatiable appetite for women. The term ‘player’ could have been born from his many escapades. What was born, was a son. Dagda, though married, had an affair with Boann, and he stopped time for nine months to attempt to hide his indiscretion. His son, Aengus, was conceived and born the same day as the sun stayed high in the sky, refusing to set under Dagda’s orders. Another infamous affair was with Morrigan, the war-goddess. They met on a riverbed on Samhain (pro: Sah-Win) where the Morrigan bartered for a taste of The Dagda’s well-known gifts, and she, in return, would stand on their side during the war. Afterward, she bathed in the river, and called for the limbs of those who were about to die.

He is a central figure in their history and myth. Later depictions (namely, after the battle of Gaul with Julius Caesar) show him crude and humorous in comparison to earlier carvings which show him as tall, well built, and very strong. He was highly respected by the druid priests, and as the father of knowledge, he would bestow such knowledge on those who wished to learn. Regardless, he is considered the preeminent father-figure, Druid, leader, and High King, and the most respected. Even the Romans wrote about him, the Egyptians bartered with him, and the people respected him. All the way around, was a good enough guy, he just couldn’t keep it in his non-existent pants. Then again, when it’s the size of an arm...maybe he needed a sleeve?


How he graces the pages of my book, Tuatha and the Seven Sisters Moon:

Aodh [pro: A-Oh] means sacred fire and is another name for The Dagda, as his fires burned strongly for both food and women, never to be extinguished. He slept for two millennia, waking on Samhain (The Feast of the Dead) to find the world he’d known a distant memory. The entire tribe is gone, and he has woken alone, no way to get back home. Instinct takes him to a woman, a witch, a fireball of energy that will become more important than she could have ever realized. She was born important, she just doesn’t know it yet.

Book Feature: Through the Fire, Beth Trissel

At the height of the French and Indian War, a young English widow ventures into the colonial frontier in search of a fresh start. She never expects to find it in the arms of the half-Shawnee, half-French warrior who makes her his prisoner in the raging battle to possess a continent––or to be aided by a mysterious white wolf and a holy man.

"Ms. Trissel has woven a spellbinding, emotionally riveting story of love and adventure. Her writing is mystical, action packed, and heart wrenching, pulling you straight into the thick of it. Prepare to embark on a captivating journey with characters you'll fall in love with, and won't soon forget."

~Eliza Knight, Historical Romance Author

Excerpt from THROUGH THE FIRE: 

 

For a moment, he simply looked at her. What lay behind those penetrating eyes?
Shoka held out the cup. “Drink this.”

Did he mean to help her? Rebecca had heard hideous stories of warriors’ brutality, but also occasionally of their mercy. She tried to sit, moaning at the effect this movement had on her aching body. She sank back down.

He slid a corded arm beneath her shoulders and gently raised her head. Encouraged by his unexpected aid, she sipped, grimacing at the bitterness. The vile taste permeated her mouth.

Weren’t deadly herbs acrid? Dear Lord. Had he tricked her into downing a fatal brew? She eyed him accusingly. “’Tis poison.”

He arched one black brow. “No. It’s good medicine. Will make your pain less.”

Unconvinced, she clamped her mouth together.

“I will drink. See?” he said, and took a swallow.

She parted her lips just wide enough to argue. “It may take more than a mouthful to kill.”

He regarded her through narrowing eyes. “You dare much.”

Though she knew he felt her tremble, she met his piercing gaze. If he were testing her, she wouldn’t waver.

His sharp expression softened. “Yet you have courage.”

 

To learn more about Beth Trissel please visit her website.

 

 

 

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of THROUGH THE FIRE. 

(Printed copy awarded to someone in the US, if outside the US winner will receive a digitial version of THROUGH THE FIRE).

Winner will be selected by random draw and notficied by email. Give-a-way closes September 17, 2009 12:00pm EST

Author Interviews: Fiona Ingram, author of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab

By: D. VonThaer


This week, I’m reminded of APA’s reach. I’m reminded how books, much like music, cross cultural lines, blurring things like age and class, transporting us into a new world. This week I traveled to South Africa (ok, via internet) with Fiona Ingram, author of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab. Try saying that five times fast!

I read the first chapter which is available on her website, and instantly thought my sons would love it. The story follows cousins Adam and Justin, aged 13 and 14 respectively, who get to visit Egypt. They are accompanied by their eccentric, adventurous aunt and grandmother, who plant a seed of mystery and into the boy's heads before they even get past tea and cookies. Ideas of treasure and foul play swirl into their minds before their feet hit sand, and already you can hear the gears turning in the boy’s minds.

Like so many of our brethren, it took about 2-3 years for Ms. Ingram to complete this project. (A number I’m finding to be rather commonplace across the board.) The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is the first in the series, having begun as a short story that blossomed, as many great ideas do, into a full fledged adventure.

What I found to be so interesting, is that the writer actually traveled to Egypt with her two nephews and mother, and used those experiences throughout the story. I love when you open a book and you can taste and feel what is happening, something this book is likely to provide with such intimate personal experience of the writer.

As a huge fan of mythology, and especially Egypt, I was pleased to find that she did her homework. Not only did Fiona do it, she wrote the lesson plan. Her first non-fiction title was Ancient Egypt from the Time Life educational series, which of course gave her an even broader knowledge when writing this book.

I’m imagining spicy scented oils burning in her newly built office, blaring classical music blocking out the silence, a dancing flame bouncing off coppery artifacts, lighting a glimmer in her eye as she scribbles down her next idea. Like most writers, she writes daily, though admits to not having a problem with writer’s block. I’m starting to believe the more you write, the easier it is to break down those blocks, and keep them down. Perhaps it’s the fact technology is not something with which she is not comfortable. This fascinates me, just a little as technology has turned from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde for me recently.

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab was nominated for the Finalist in the New Generation USA 2009 Indie Book Awards, and has gotten rave reviews on Amazon. Though the book is meant for children, prepubescent children at that, I’d like to remind you all of a certain boy wizard story that was meant for kids in the same age group. One of the reviewers, Barbara Milbourn of Writers in the Sky, may have hit the nail on it’s proverbial head, “The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is entertainment for readers up to around age fourteen and for those who wish they were fourteen again. It is at once adventure and history, art and architecture, humor and redemption, travel writing and social studies, and great fun.”

Fiona Ingram lives in South Africa with her family, books, and fondness for ancient legends and archaeology. Visit her website for a very cool contest she’s hosting there. You can buy your copy of Ms. Ingrams' novel, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, and other book retailers across the globe. Please visit her website for more information. Below, the lovely Fiona Ingram bearing a striking resemblance to her character, Aunt Isabel. Curious.

Our Guest: Kiki Howell, A Tip for Creative Marketing

When I first started marketing my books doing all the usual book cover ads and blog tours, etc; I thought there had to be a way to incorporate something I loved to do into my marketing endeavors. At the time, I was always complaining that with writing and edits and marketing, I never had time to knit anymore. A little while later I stumbled upon the Etsy store, www.etsy.com, “the place to buy and sell all things handmade.”

So, I created an etsy shop I called Kiki Howell’s books & things where I sell products made by me and inspired by my books which are magical erotic romances. For example, for the release of my Torrid Twisted Tale, The Witch’s Beast with Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, I created a knittd book thong which has a witch’s hat which flaps over the top of the book cover and a broom which hangs out the bottom of the book. While this release was only sold as an eBook, I thought at least I was getting my name out there and giving people something physical to remember me by. Plus, I had an excuse to knit again! I see it as a way to sell my handiwork and advertise my books at the same time.

I also use the book thongs as give away items when the book released giving me a chance to promote both my book and my Etsy store. Etsy is also linked to Facebook allowing you to have your newest listed items posted to your wall with a link. Etsy also provides you a code to embed on your website, so your listings are shown in thumbnails there as well. Mine is at the bottom of my home page at www.kikihowell.com

My ideas then just seemed to take off with each contract I got! I also took to beading, a craft my mother is wonderful at, to create a gemstone book thong for the release of my Mystic Stones print anthology. I am selling a combo autographed book with the gemstone book thong on the site, as well as a knit mug cozie with a gemstone button to keep warm that cup of tea or coffee while reading. Another creation is a beaded book bracelet with a witch’s hat book charm for my coming release, A Modern Day Witch Hunt. Also, I just created a book sweater with an attached corded bookmark for my September release of Rituals and The Healing Spell & Other Stories anthology. If you would like to see these items, you can go to KikiHowell.etsy.com

My point in telling you of my journey here is to challenge you. Just as you let your creativity show in your stories, let it show in your marketing. Maybe you are good at technical or non-fiction writing as well, you could write articles for magazines or websites to get your name out there. If you have another creative talent, there are always places to sell your items like Etsy or Ebay or even a local craft fair. If you can tie them into your books, it is double the promotion at all times.

My words of wisdom: Marketing is truly selling yourself as well as your product—so, utilize all of your talents in doing so!

*

To learn more about Author Kiki Howell please visit her website: http://www.kikihowell.com/ 

 Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win an Authographed Copy of  Bloodlust & Redemption  with Dripping Blood Bookthong. 

  "It is a non-erotic short story in print in the genres of paranormal/vampire and historical/regency"

Winner will be notficied by e-mail-please include that in your comment and this give-a-way will close September 15th, 12:00pm EST.

Book Review: The Rasner Effect, Mark Rosendorf

The Rasner Effect, by Mark Rosendorf

Publisher L&L Dreamspell

ISBN 978-1-60318-084-9

http://www.lldreamspell.com/TheRasnerEffect.htm 

The Rasner Effect by Mark Rosendorf is more than a thrilling, suspenseful read.

It is a book that will challenge your perception, leaving you wondering

if those good guys are truly good and if the bad guys are really all that bad.

The Rasner Effect opens with a prologue about events which took place seven years ago. Laying groundwork is nice but I feel this book could easily have done without it. Reading the first two chapters, felt very repetitive at times.

Fortunately, I kept reading.

Rick Rasner survived a violent situation and is making the best of his circumstances, despite the blanks in his memory. When he starts work at the Brookhill Children’s Psychiatric Residence and begins to feel stirrings of memory, how can you not want someone to come in and help put the pieces of his life back together?

Clara Blue is a fifteen-year-old patient at the residence. She also has a troubled past and has done a thing or two that is frowned on by society but that in no way warrants the treatment she and the other patients receive at the horrifying institution.

 The only reaction to her situation is to hope someone will rescue her.

The Duke Organization knows Rick Rasner and they are capable of filling in his blank memories. Put aside the fact they are merciless in their chosen jobs and you have heroes to the rescue.

Nothing, except perhaps Jake Scarberry stands in their way of resurfacing success. He has given a lot of himself to the good guys and has a personal vendetta against The Duke Organization.

Jack Scarberry left me rather disappointed, I kept waiting for something more to happen to him and in comparison to the other characters, he seemed awfully one-dimensional. I felt the secondary characters that made up the Duke Organization had more pull.

Overall, The Rasner Effect is an engaging read.

Never have I come across a book where the word “psychological” describes a work of fiction so aptly.

The plot is flawless and layered with intrigue. The ending is unexpected-though pleasant in a scary-psychological way.

Mark Rosendorf is an author whose work I will enjoy again and again.

I recommend The Rasner Effect as a definite read.

Buy The Rasner Effect    

To learn more about Author Mark Rosendorf, please visit his website

Reviewed by Tina-Sue Ducross  
Authors Promoting Authors

Thoughtful Thursday: A Smattering of Fate

 

Artwork Courtesy of Christopher Chamberlain. All Rights Reserved. http://manyfacesart.weebly.com/

Fate is nothing but the deeds committed in a prior state of existence.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise, for the result is waste of time and general stagnation.~Sun Tzu 

Fate is not the ruler, but the servant of Providence.~Edward Bulwer-Lytton 






Let us follow our destiny, ebb and flow. Whatever may happen, we master fortune by accepting it.~ Virgil

Past, present, and to be,
All bow to thy decree,
All that exceeds the mean by Fate
Is punished, Love or Hate.

Strange are the ways of Fate, her power
Nor wealth, nor arms withstand, nor tower;
Nor brass-prowed ships, that breast the sea
From Fate can flee.~Antigone

Men at some time are masters of their fates...~Shakespeare

Curse of the Tahiera, Wendy Gillissen

To learn more about Wendy Gillissen please visit her website.

A journey through haunted forests, through dreams and time.

A story of love, magic and the power of forgiveness.

A Tzanatzi outcast and an Einache shaman are on the trail of an ancient curse.

Will they save their people from destruction?

Excerpt from Curse of the Tahiéra  by Wendy Gillissen 

Prologue

Dead silence spanned the plain. They came with the failing of the
light. Their slender swords gleamed in the pale light of the moon.

On the other side of the plain young, inexperienced hands clutched their swords, and old men held their breath. A dark horror crept over the battlefield and smothered everything in its path.
A dark figure stood at the top of the cliff. The wind lifted strands of
midnight hair. They floated about his head as if they had a life of their own.
He steadied himself and drew his sword. His voice was a whisper.

Now.


Read the full excerpt here. 

Buy Curse of the Tahiera by Wendy Gillissen

For a chance to win a copy of Curse of The Tahiera, leave a comment telling us what country Wendy resides in and what instrument she plays (hint: check out her website). Winner will be chosen by random draw, contest closes Thursday September 10th 2009, at 12:00pm EST.

Author Interviews: Kenneth Weene, author of Widow's Walk

By: D. VonThaer


This I’ve learned: modern technology is not my friend. And to Kenneth Weene, semicolons are the very personification of a frenemy. I spoke with him this week about his new book, Widow’s Walk. I found the interview with Mr. Weene intriguing as he seemed to ask as many questions as he answered. I thought about this after our chat, chuckling to myself that as a retired psychologist, some habits must die hard.

In fact, I had a lot of thoughts after our chat. I started thinking about a widow’s walk. There I was, my imagination bubbling like a stream, thinking of Mary walking solemnly on the roof of some old house in Ireland, contemplating the choices life has put in her hands.

His character, Mary, is very embedded in her faith, and desperately seeking happiness. Her children are riddled with problems, fighting their way through life, hoping to end on the right side of peace. Though Mary may have an unbreakable bond with her faith, her creator (like myself) is not always so sure. Kenneth spoke about this with candor and the inspirations for this book and how those discussions with one’s faith that brings up questions and sometimes, not many answers. He said, “They are my creations, my children. I sometimes feel that the author's connection to his/her characters is very much like God's to humanity. Like God, the author has to give the characters free will even though they can suffer terribly.”

Again, this made me think a little, okay a lot, about the words on the page; the environments we create for our characters, their personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Do we, like God, make them all in our image? I can’t even count the number of times I’ve heard or said, ‘Each character has a piece of me in it.’ How often have you laughed or cried as you write, wondering what the character is going to do next? Kenneth said the process itself can feel ‘scary.’ I agreed, and put out there that perhaps our characters merely choose us to be their scribes. “Writing just makes your soul ache; the rest makes your head pound.”

Kenneth’s other book, Songs for my Father , is a collection of poems and short stories written over a period of years. He said it was written as a way to “psychologically….get on with my writing life.” I imagine that as his catalyst into Widow’s Walk. I thought of my own springboard, and I wonder: Is it like this for us all? Is the process basically the same for writers? I felt like a mad scientist putting together some long and complex formula: start with imagination and creativity. Set the negative control (distraction) against the positive control (time), catalyzed by inspiration and you have the first draft. Set your variables, replicate your samples, split your solution into equal parts (query letters), go in double blind, (neither you nor the publishers know what’s coming) subtract the background value (rejections) and you just may equal published!

(Perhaps it would have been easier to use a baking analogy.)

Kenneth Weene lives in Arizona with his wife, Roz, who shares his passion for the theater. In fact, he’s so ‘obsessed’ (his word) that his next project is a play where, once again, the characters took over, forced his hand to paper, and now has me craving cantaloupe.

Widow’s Walk is available NOW at Amazon or through his publisher’s website: http://www.allthingsthatmatterpress.com/buynow.htm

You can friend Kenneth on Facebook or visit his website .

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of Widow’s Walk ! Contest ends September 30, 2009.

Our Guest: Nancy Da Silva

Thanks very much Authors Promoting Authors for letting me play in your sandbox today. I write erotic romance as E. Jamie for both Amira Press and Sugar & Spice Press. My first published work was an erotic historical short story called To Love A Knight. Now since then I have published a few more short stories, a novella and a full length novel. You can find out more about me and my books at my website www.ejamie.net

It's been roughly a year since that first acceptance so I thought I would pass on to all of your lovely readers what I have learned in my short time as a 'published' author. In no particular order of importance, here are the top five things I have learned this past year.

1. You'll never be published if you don't submit your work. It sounds like a no brainer but there are 'writers' out there who dream of being published yet never send in their work. A publisher is deluged with submissions every day. They don't have time to seek out your brilliance. If you have a story that will make them salivate and praise they angels, you have to make the first contact.

2.A rejection does not mean you suck and should burn your book. I read a post from a successful author on a message board whose most recent submission got rejected, by her own publisher! Even established authors get rejected. So what do you do when you get that dreaded 'no'? You submit somewhere else, again and again until you get a yes.

3. Sometimes a rejection doesn't mean you suck as a writer, but your writing might. The best thing for a writer next to an acceptance by a publisher is a personalized rejection. If a publisher takes the time to tell you what's wrong with your book, that means there was something about it he/she liked. You are not beyond hope. If you just fix a,b, and c you might have a sellable manuscript on your hands. So take that rejection and get to work fixing a,b and c and then get it out there again.

4. Patience is a virtue. Yes, I just heard your teeth grind. But really if showbusiness is the 'hurry up and wait' business, publishing is the 'submit and wait and wait and wait business. I've been pretty lucky in that I've worked primarily thus far with smaller presses so the waits aren't as long as the bigger NY pubs but waiting is waiting. Look at it as a gift of time. There's no better feeling than having a manuscript come back (ideally with a yes but even if not, send it out again!) and having a new one ready to go out. The more manuscripts you have out, the better your chances of acceptance so while you wait to hear on Book A, get to work on Book B!

5. How sucessful your book is is directly proportionate to how much promotion you do. Even the bigger pubs have authors doing their own promotion. granted, their marketing budget is considerably larger than smaller presses but the fact remains that an author who sells her book will make more money than one who sits back and just expects the money to roll in. I've noticed in months where I work more on promotion, sales are higher than on months that I don't do as much. It really is a numbers game. You get out what you put in.


So those are just a few of the things I have come to learn about this crazy but wonderful business and I hope that you guys get some encouragement from them to get your own work out there and then get busy working on your next one!

In celebration of my latest erotic short story Top Guns by Sugar & Spice Press:  http://www.sugarandspicepress.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=37

I thought I'd give one lucky commenter a free copy! Here's a wee blurb:

 It all started with a bet. Now Allie has to fulfill her partner Jimmy's every desire. Being Allie's partner on the force at the NYPD, Jimmy's greatest desire is for Allie to be his partner in life as well, and this by the book cop is not above getting down and dirty to convince her.

 Just comment or ask me a question about something I may not have covered here and if I know the answer, I'll be glad to help! I'll pick a winner from all entries on Tuesday!

 

Weekly Something: Follower Contest

I follow a lot of blogs. Some blogs (like those that have to do with the publishing industry) I follow because I think they are valuable resources that other authors would appreciate. Other blogs I follow are from writers and authors whose work I truly enjoy and some have to do with personal interests. 

And I do make an effort to read the blogs I follow-even if I don't stop to comment. 

  But I do not auto-follow. 

Authors Promoting Authors has quite a handful of Followers and some of you have been with us from the very beginning back-when an idea of mine was just an experiment. 

To show my appreciation for our Followers, today I would like to announce a contest:

Authors Promoting Authors Follower Contest! 

Runs from September 4th-November 22nd 2009

Open only to those who Follow APA through Google Friend Connect.

Here is how to enter: 

1. Write a blog post about Authors Promoting Authors. 

   Three extra entries given if this sentence is filled in: "I follow Authors Promoting Authors because...." 

2. Two extra entries given if you Twitter or Facebook about this contest.

3. Five extra entries given if you write two blog posts about Authors Promoting Authors. 

Email me with the link to the blog posts at: apasuggestions@gmail.com with "Contest" in the subject line. 

  Extra entries will be given for visibility, creativity, enthusiasm and cleverness. Those with the most entries win. First, Second,Third and Grand Place winners.

Here Are the Prizes 

First Place
The first place winner of this contest will receive a weekend promotional spot-if you are an author of a book this is a Book Blog Tour. If you are not, then we will profile you. 

Second Place

The second place winner of this contest will receive a copy of No Shadows Left Behind and a copy of a book APA has reviewed.

Third Place

The third place winner of this contest will receive a writing critique on a query letter or synopsis (and yes, it will be kept confidential), limit of ten pages.

Grand Place

 A grand place winner will also be decided amdl receive all three prizes. 

Good luck to everyone who decides to enter Authors Promoting Authors Follower Contest!

Book Feature: Color Me Jazzmyne, Marian L. Thomas

Excerpt From COLOR ME JAZZMYNE, By Marian L. Thomas:

"There are moments in our lives when we are forced to open our boxes and expose our colors. For me, that moment had arrived. I woke up one morning with the sun glaring into the corners of my eyes, and the light from it burning a sense of reality in my head. It was at this precise moment, that I realized it was time to open my box, pick up the phone, and make a call to a son whom I hadn't seen, since birth. I knew it would be difficult, hard and very emotional. For both of us. And yet, this was a moment that neither could run from. It was a moment that we both would have to face. That was the beauty of reality, the nature of a moment."

To learn more about Author Marian L. Thomas please visit: http://www.marianlthomas.com

Learn about L.B. Publishing here           Buy Color Me Jazzmyne from Amazon!.

How to Win A (1) Copy of Color Me Jazzmyne:

1. Log on to Facebook and become a fan:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/#/pages/Marian-L-Thomas/84296481499

2. Leave a comment

We will put each name registered on September 2, 2009 as a fan into a random drawing. (1) Name will be selected and (1) copy of Color Me Jazzmyne will be given to the winner.