Street Team Smarts: A Book Review and Personal Request

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Kourtney

stsmarts

The Book Review Part: 

Sara Humphreys‘ Street Team Smarts is a wonderful guide to expansive promotion. Leveraging connections in far off places to get the word out about your book.

In this book, Sara talks about how to put out the call to your supporters and give them focused promotional tasks that spread the word about your book without imposing too much on them.

She talks about the importance of creating a cohesive group and making sure to give them a unique and thoughtful reward for their support.

The book is written in a conversational, workshop style that immediately imparts her knowledge to the reader.

It was a quick, easy read and I walked away feeling a little more prepared for my book launch. Thanks Sara!

The Personal Request Part:

I wanted to reach out to my awesome blogger friends and see if anyone is interested in becoming part of my street team. What I’m looking for is 10-15 people in different locations throughout the U.S. and Canada who can spare 2-3 hours of their time around the book launch (5/28/13-6/30/13) to:

  • Put out my bookmarks in 1-3 venues in your area (libraries, bookstores, spas, salons, gyms, etc.)
  • Request your local library carry my book
  • Email me the names of 3-5 possible associations or organizations in your area that I can contact to see if they might be interested in hosting an author event

In return, I will:

  • Give you the inside scoop on me and my book before I post it anywhere
  • Send you a free author swag bag
  • Show you three of the covers that didn’t make it onto my book
  • Be forever in your debt

I’ll happily create a Facebook group or an email group for my street team to interact. Or if you’d rather just interact with me one-on-one, we can do that. Totally your call.

If you’re interested in being part of my street team, please let me know in the comments or email me and I’ll follow up with you. And if you don’t have time to be part of my street team, I really appreciate all your online support. 🙂

Posted in Promotion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 41 Comments

The Six Train to Wisconsin Cover Reveal

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Kourtney

TheSixTraintoWisconsinCover_kindle_Final

Drumroll please….This is my book’s cover!

Jian Chan and I spent hours and hours and then a few more hours on it  in February. He is the most patient and most talented cover designer. He took a couple of my photos and turned them into art. I am absolutely beyond lucky to get to work with him. 🙂

The back cover blurb:

Sometimes saving the person you love can cost you everything.

There is one person that ties Oliver Richter to this world: his wife Kai. For Kai, Oliver is the keeper of her secrets.

When her telepathy spirals out of control and inundates her mind with the thoughts and emotions of everyone within a half-mile radius, the life they built together in Manhattan is threatened.

To save her, Oliver brings her to the hometown he abandoned—Butternut, Wisconsin—where the secrets of his past remain buried. But the past has a way of refusing to stay dead. Can Kai save Oliver before his secrets claim their future?

An emotionally powerful debut, The Six Train to Wisconsin pushes the bounds of love as it explores devotion, forgiveness and acceptance.

Do you like the cover? Do you think it fits the back cover blurb?

Posted in Self-publishing, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 50 Comments

Book Review: The Murderer’s Daughters

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Kourtney

rsmmurderers

Randy Susan Meyers‘ The Murderer’s Daughters has been on my to read shelf since 2010. That’s a crime because this book is so beautifully written. I savored it on my train rides to and from the city in February and March. Finishing it over sushi at the restaurant at my stop last week.

It’s told in alternating POV from the perspectives of the sisters left orphaned when their father murders their mother.

Ms. Meyers does an amazing job fleshing out Lulu and Merry. You sympathize with each of them and understand why they took their different paths with respect to their dad. Lulu refuses to see him and cuts him out of her life. Merry treks to the prison and replies to his letters.

You ache for them to grow up to escape the powerlessness of childhood.

But even then, both are haunted by the violence he brought into their home.

Ms. Meyers writing is smooth and the pages fly by. I forgot I was on the train and nearly missed my stop because I was so caught up in Lulu and Merry’s lives.

Ms. Meyers characters are tragically flawed by what their father did, but they find the strength to face things no one should have to.

This was one of my best reads of 2013. Probably one of the top 10 books I’ve read to date. Truly amazing characters telling a story I had to hear.

If you only have time to read one emotionally honest, gripping tale of survival and acceptance, this is the book to read.

Posted in Book Review, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 34 Comments

Book Review: What To Do Before Your Book Launch

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Kourtney

WTD-cover

I’m a fan of Randy Susan Meyers. Ever since I heard her speak at the 2010 Backspace Conference. Here first novel, The Murderer’s Daughters, is exquisite. I’m 100 pages in and I can’t wait to get back to it. So when I saw she co-wrote What To Do Before Your Book Launch I had to pick it up.

Randy Susan Meyers and M.J. Rose provide an intimate portrait of what happens to a writer during the book launch process. It reminded me of what Anne Lamott’s book Bird By Bird does for the writing life.

They provide real life examples and insights from insiders in the business. They help authors manage expectations and learn when to speak up and how to put their best foot forward.

I appreciated their chapter on manners for authors–it’s really about being nice. Genuinely nice.

The writer’s launch “ten commandments” are rules every author should live by.

Once my book is published, I know I’ll be re-reading her chapter on consolation for bad reviews, where she doesn’t shy away from talking about the pain of reading them and how hard it is to not be hurt by them.

Many authors will find her timeline for the year before publication useful. If you’re not a great planner, it’s an indispensable guide to when things need to happen.

****

Please stop by the blog on Monday to ask all your burning author marketing and promotional questions! Jennifer Fusco of Market or Die Author Services will be answering my questions and yours all day. 

Posted in Book Review, Promotion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

Author Swag Bags and Giveaways–What Do Readers Want?

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Kourtney

IMG_0393

As I’m starting to plan author events, a big questions looms…

What to put in the swag bag?

There are bookmarks, post cards, mugs, pens, notepads, pen flashlights, t-shirts, totes, candy, sunscreen, sewing kits.

You name it, you can brand it and add it to your author giveaways at events.

I’ve spent hours pouring over sites like customink.com and 4imprint.com. Read tons of blog posts on this.

Trying to determine how much I can get on my budget and what might be the best things to purchase.

So I thought I’d ask you for some insight. And if there’s something I’ve missed please comment and let me know.

I’m definitely going to include bookmarks, but what other item or items are essential to a swag bag/author giveaway for you?

Posted in Promotion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 40 Comments

Indie Publishing Cross Genre Books and AudioBooks: An Interview with Stephanie Queen

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Kourtney

StephanieatGala2011-200x300

Today, the lovely and vivacious Stephanie Queen has stopped by to answer questions on her indie publishing success. I met Stephanie at a Backspace Writer’s Conference in 2010. She was a take-charge woman who fearlessly approached published authors to ask them advice about my book for me.

I’ve watched her indie publishing career develop and could not be more impressed by her! She was one of the first writers I reached out to when I started my indie journey and she graciously answered my newbie questions and pointed me toward fantastic resources.

1) Why did you choose to self-publish?

I did it for the fame and fortune! Kidding. Well, maybe half kidding.

But really, the notion of having creative control of my novels which are hybrid genres was irresistible!

2) What were the most unexpected/gratifying things about self-publishing?

Being Queen of my empire is the most gratifying!  I’m actually not kidding about this. I love being an entrepreneur and that is unexpected.  I realized when I sat down on New Year’s Day to write my detailed business plan for the year that I was a goner—totally sucked into the entrepreneurial spirit of indie Publishing.

3) What do you consider the key elements of self-publishing success?

Patience. Fast writing. Fast everything! I know that seems contradictory, to do things fast and then sit back and be patient, but that’s exactly the way it is. You need lots of product to sell—books—so you need to write fast. You also need to be able to react to market changes quickly—and I don’t mean writing to trends—I mean things like Apple and KOBO coming up with their own distribution platforms, Amazon inventing KDP select and now changing the rules, etc. You need to be on the cutting edge of every facet of the business so you need to be aware of what everyone else is doing and how they’re doing it—like getting audiobooks produced through ACX.

4) If you could go back in time to before your first book was self-published and give yourself three pieces of advice about self-publishing, what would they be?

Learn to write faster.

Hire more than one editor for each book.

Take a chill pill and become zen-like with patience.

5) Last time we talked, you were working on an audiobook. Can you give us an idea of what that process involves (key steps, biggest costs, etc.)?

Truthfully, I could (and will if you want me to!) write a whole ‘nother blog about that process.  But I will say for now that I enjoyed the process immensely. The first key step is finding a narrator who has the right voice for you and who is reliable to work with.

As for costs, that’s complicated. A narrator could cost you from $0 to $5,000+ up front. Depending.

There’s royalty share options, there’s combo royalty share/stipend agreements, there’s straight hourly fee per finished hour, etc. The good thing is that the narrator not only reads/acts your book, but they also take care of the production. As the author, you act as the quality control, listening to the “draft” and making revision requests.

Right now my audiobook, THE THROWBACKS, a romantic comedy suspense, is available on Audible, Amazon and iTunes.  The next in the series, THE HOT SHOTS, is currently in production and should be out by the end of April.

 THRWBKS_audio32

THE THROWBACKS

Blurb:

She’s a vivacious, light-hearted young beauty from Beacon Hill

He’s a world-weary not-so-young exile from Scotland Yard.

She’s an orphaned decorator who longs for a family of her own.

He’s a rogue detective with a superhero complex.

She’s smitten with this superhero who is the last man she sees in the picket-fence picture of her future.

He’s smitten with this fluffy young romantic who he sees as kryptonite to his career and well being.

But if you saw Grace and David in a room full of people, and you had to pick one man and one woman who belonged together, you would pick them. They would be The Throwbacks.

Vivacious young decorator Grace Rogers sets her sights for that picket-fence life she longs for with the unlikely world-weary British exile, the not-so-young David Young. The ex-Scotland Yard detective joins the Boston Police Department to salvage his career. He hires Grace to decorate his Beacon Hill townhouse to salvage his life.

But this rogue detective’s plans for a new beginning are threatened when he can’t resist the seemingly unseemly romance with his too-young bombshell decorator. Grace turns out to be a key witness in his high-stakes kidnapping case–and like Kryptonite to his career and his well-being with her romantic notions of family life.

David put his life on the line to save her from the kidnappers, but now is Grace willing to put her dreams on the line to save her real-life superhero from himself?

My website:   www.StephanieQueen.com

Twitter:   @StephanieQueen

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Queen/198484900209330

Buy THE THROWBACKS:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0067DDUTW

Barnes&Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-throwbacks-stephanie-queen/1107379316?ean=2940013558946

Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/104854

Apple iTunes ebook:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-throwbacks/id488522462?mt=11

Apple ITunes Audiobook:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook/throwbacks-scotland-yard-exchange/id590292831

Audible Audiobook:  http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B00ATF48EK&qid=1362247129&sr=1-1

Posted in guest blogs, Self-publishing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 52 Comments

My Friend’s One Act Play: The Commitment Cure

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Kourtney

Commitment_cure

Sometimes your friends do something so kick ass and so fearless you have to brag about it…

This is one of those times.

One of my oldest and dearest friends, Anthony Dvarskas, has a one act play, The Commitment Cure, premiering on March 1 during the Strawberry One Act Festival at the Riant Theatre in NYC.

In The Commitment Cure, Susan discovers a solution to her boyfriend Jason’s relationship reluctance, bringing their bond to its ultimate test. Deciding on something has never been so easy.

I cannot wait to see his play performed and celebrate in his success.

And if you happen to be free and love one acts, might I suggest you check out The Strawberry One Act Festival. It runs for almost two weeks, premiering several one act plays each night. from February 27-March 10.

 

Posted in Personal, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Beauty of A Woman BlogFest: Lessons from Grandma H

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Kourtney

boaw-2013

This week there will be a Thursday post instead of a Friday post because I am participating in August McLaughlin’s amazing Beauty of a Woman BlogFest tour.

Today, I’d like to share some life lessons from a woman who inspires me, who continually teaches me how to be more comfortable in my own skin, who owns who she is and invites others to do the same:

Grandma H.

1) Grandma H knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to demand it.

We went to the drugstore to get Ambesol to help with her toothache. I suggest Orajel, but she overrules me. She tells me she wants the gel, not the cream. I try to recommend a few, but she wants to know about every type of tooth pain reliever there on the shelves.

She grabs one and demands, “What about this one?”

“Um, well it’s for braces pain.”

“Put it back.”

When we get to the check out counter, she tells me, “Get three cents.”

She pulls out a ten dollar bill and checks three time to make sure it’s only a single ten. Then she tells me to check it again.

Finally, we complete the transaction and the saleswoman says, “Have a nice day.”

Grandma H responds, “Whatever.”

2) Grandma H selects a phrase of the day and employs it throughout our adventures.

“Mother of good God.”

3) Grandma H loves being appreciated

As we drive to the mall, I tell her, “All my blog followers love you. They want me to say hi to you from them. They rush to read your posts.”

She replies, “Oh, my public likes me.”

4) Grandma H isn’t ashamed of where she came from

“Is that the pond you swam in as a kid?” I ask.

“We’d come out of the water covered in bloodsuckers.”

“Why’d you keep swimming there?” I ask.

“It was so refreshing and so close to home. You just had to yank them out.”

5) Grandma H doesn’t give up

We have a routine at the mall. We go in and immediately hit the lotto seller. Then we sit on a bench so she can scratch them off. If she wins, we buy more. If she loses, we buy more. Then we make our way to Ihop.

At Ihop, Grandma H and I split a meal. I start to place the order and realize this breakfast doesn’t include pancakes. So I ask her, “Is that okay?”

She says, “I don’t want the god damn pancakes, they’re usually cold.”

The waitress says, “It comes with toast.”

I’m lowcarbing and Grandma H has a toothache so nothing hard to eat. “No toast.”

Grandma H says, “I’ll take the toast.”

“With your teeth?” I ask.

“Just bring lots of butter to soften it up,” she tells the waitress.

6) Grandma H isn’t afraid to make a mistake

We are talking about Grandma H’s teeth problems.

I say, “Mom said you had scarlet fever when you were younger.”

Grandma H says, “Two o’clock.”

“What?”

“Two.”

“When you were two?”

“Yes, when I was two years old,” she explains like I’m the ninny.

Later she tells me, “Your uncle went into the tunnel.”

“He went where?”

“The tunnel. For his back.”

“You mean the MRI machine?” I ask.

“Yeah that tunnel thing.”

7) Grandma H can joke about anything

Grandma H keeps repeatedly taking ice cubes from my glass.

I tell her, “If it falls in your cleavage, I’m not going to get it out.”

She looks at me, “I’d rather stick it in your cleavage.”

We both burst out laughing.

In celebration of the Beauty of a Women BlogFest, here’s a list of the other  bloggers participating in this epic event! If you have a second, please check them out.

Posted in Personal, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 60 Comments

Indie Publishing Q&A with K. L. Schwengel

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Kourtney

klschwegelphoto

Today, the lovely and talented K.L. Schwengel has graciously stopped by to talk about her indie publishing experience and share her book launch with us. The release date was February 4, 2013. I’m so thrilled for K.L.!

1)   Why did you choose the indie route for your novel?

 

Ultimately, because I believe in the story and I think people will enjoy it. Which also became a timing factor. To go the traditional route takes a lot (A. Lot.) of time. Months to years to find an agent, just as long or longer for the agent to find a publisher, another year beyond that for your book to hit the shelves. Call me impatient, but I’m already working on book 2 (and 3). Also, let’s not forget I’m a bit of a control freak. Indie publishing allows me to control every aspect of my books success or failure.

2)   What do you consider to be the main pros and cons of indie publishing so far?

 

The biggest con for me right now has been time. Time I could/should be spending writing, for the past month has been spent formatting, formatting, editing, did I mention formatting? Also, I created my own cover, so that took another chunk of time. The there is getting the word out, all the marketing that needs to be done.

The pros? See the last bit of my answer to number one. Being in control of every aspect is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it.

3)   What’s the biggest lesson you learned from indie publishing? What would you do differently next time? Any tips for first time indie authors?

 

The biggest lesson so far is don’t rush it. Bad editing, bad cover, bad press, will all garner bad reviews and lost readers. It’s easy to get caught up and want this out there NOW, darn it.

The only thing I’d do differently next time, start planning a little sooner. I really wanted an early January release, but I didn’t allow enough time. (There’s that word again!) I’ll be planning the release of Book 2 before it’s actually done. But then, until Book 1 was complete, I had never even considered going Indie.

For first time indie authors: Research, research, research. Then research a little more. Find some Indies you trust, build a relationship, and pick their brains. And don’t compromise. Don’t skip editing or beta readers because you *think* your book is ready and you want to be published. It stays out there forever. Make it the best you can, learn from it, write another book.

4)   What were the most important aspects in choosing a cover designer and editor?

 

I have a fine arts degree and a background in graphic design, so I created my own cover. (Control freak, remember?) That was harder than one would think. I knew what I wanted it to say, and I knew every facet of the book, that at first I tried to put too much into it. I’m actually quite happy with the finished cover. When looking for a designer, look at other work they’ve done, talk to authors they’ve worked with. You want someone who can take a bit of direction, but who also can get across the essence of your story.

As for editing, I have a good friend who soundly beat the snot out of my manuscript more than once. But again, if I had to go out and hire one I’d shop around, do some research, ask questions. Never be afraid to ask for references either.

 

5)   What was the hardest part of the e-book formatting process across platforms? How much time should be allocated to the formatting process?  What tips would you give to anyone creating an e-book for the first time?

 

I downloaded Smashwords formatting guidelines and read it cover to cover and that helped worlds! The most important thing is to have a totally clean copy to start with. Word likes to hide formatting in the worse places.

Smashword’s guide suggests the nuclear method, and I’d recommend it. The guide is free so I won’t bore you with long-winded descriptions. Go to Smashwords, get the guide, read it. Basically, if you do that, it’s just a matter of following each platforms directions, they all have them.

I haven’t had a lot of problem with formatting. I know for other people it’s been a nightmare. It’s definitely tedious, which is the problem I think most folks have with it. As for how much time . . . hours. Several. Many. Maybe make that days. Better yet, give yourself a week to work on it. Undoubtedly, no matter how careful you are, you’re going to miss something.

FOHKcover

Back Cover of First of Her Kind

Everyone, it seems, wants to dictate what Ciara does with her life: Serve the Goddess, destroy the Goddess, do as you promised your aunt. All Ciara wants is to keep the two magics she possesses from ripping her apart.

And that won’t be easy.

Not only are they in complete opposition to each other, blood ties pull her in divergent directions as well. And then there’s Bolin, the man sworn to protect her. There’s no denying the growing attraction between them, but is it Ciara he wants? Or her power?

None of which will matter if Ciara can’t overcome her fear and learn to use her gifts.No one knows the depths
of the ancient power she possesses, or what will happen if it manages to escape her control.

Will she lose herself entirely? Or be forever trapped between darkness & light?

Bio

K. L. Schwengel lives in southeast Wisconsin on a small farm with her husband, a handful of Australian Shepherds, Her Royal Highness Princess Fiona the Cat, and assorted livestock. She has been penning wild tales of magic and mayhem as long as she can remember but opted to follow her artistic muse first. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts and spending many years working as a freelance artist, grocery clerk, art teacher, graphic designer, stable hand, advertising account coordinator, dog trainer, and process technician (among other things) she answered the call of her writing muse. When not writing, Kathi trains and trials working Australian Shepherds, still paints, dabbles in photography, graphic design and anything else creative her assorted muses send her way.

Connecting with K.L.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kl.schwengel.5

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KLSchwengel

Blog:  http://myrandommuse.wordpress.com

Amazon Page:  www.amazon.com/author/klschwengel

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6871795.K_L_Schwengel

Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/kls

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/pub/k-l-schwengel/34/56a/389/

Where to Purchase Her Book

First of Her Kind is currently available in print at Amazon & Barnes & Noble, and in e-book formats at Amazon & Smashwords.

Posted in guest blogs, Self-publishing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 25 Comments

Book Review: A Killer Maize by Paige Shelton

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Kourtney

paiges

In Paige Shelton’s 4th book in The Farmers’ Market Mystery series, A Killer Maize, jam-maker Becca Robbins heads to the Swayton County Fall Festival to sell her jams beside carnival rides and corn dog vendors.

The fair has less than stellar turn-out and rickety rides, but that’s not the worst of it. Becca’s second ex-husband is there, running the shooting gallery. That’s makes for some deliciously tasty backstory smeared across Becca’s already complicated love life.

But the worst happens when the ferris wheel operator, Virgil is found dead. Whispers of  gypsy magic surround the festival and the murder.

Becca begins to wonder if her ex-husband might be keeping more secrets than he did during their marriage.

Ms. Shelton does a fantastic job re-creating the sights, smells, and sounds of a local county fair. Made me long for my town’s fair next summer.

Each new character was introduced with such telling details, they came to life in my mind.

I must confess I wasn’t quite sure who the killer was or why until the very end. Thanks, Paige. I love a good, well-plotted mystery.

Paige’s writing is very clean and makes for a very quick, smooth read. Reminded me of a nice sake. You forget you’re drinking it and just enjoy its effects.

I loved learning more about Becca and watching her love life evolve further. This is my favorite part of a series: coming back to characters I love.

After this book, let’s just say I will never ever set foot in a corn maize. 🙂

You can pick up a copy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

******

And for everyone that participated in Wednesday’s poll–a big thank you!!!  Excellent advice! Special thanks to Marc and JM for their terrific insight into how #1 & #2  could be melded together.

And drumroll please….(humor me–tap on your desk)

When Kai’s telepathy spirals out of control, her husband Oliver brings her to the quiet hometown he abandoned a decade ago, where he must confront the secrets of his past to save their future.

Posted in Book Review, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 24 Comments