IABB addict Felita Daniels

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Author: Felita Daniels

Title: Book Reviews: How to Get Them & What to Do with Them

Pages: 73

Genre: Non Fiction

Date published: January 26, 2016

Synopsis:

Authors in today's environment are finding that they have to be their own marketing and public relations department. Many could use some guidance with these skills. This book grew out of a workshop I have done for local writer's groups. 
Inside you will find: 
* Tips on approaching blogs and reviewers 
* What not to do 
* Should you read your reviews? 
* Keeping out of Amazon 'jail' 
* Approaches to getting reviews- some common, some off the beaten path 
* Current Amazon review policies and what may be coming down the road 
Having a game plan to garner reviews will certainly get better results than doing nothing. This book will help you find some avenues you may not have thought of, or didn't know about.

AMAZON

EXCERPT

Review Etiquette with Bloggers
You want to get this marketing stuff out of the way and get back to writing the next book. It is tempting to get an email list of book bloggers and blast to everyone you can. One email out to 30,000 bloggers and reporters and done in the time it takes to hit the send button.
I can tell you from being on the bloggers end opening the emails requesting a review, this is not an effective method. Bloggers consider their site unique and spend many hours on content, computer geekiness, and growing their traffic. It is their baby, just like your novel is a part of who you are.
Improve your response rate to your review requests by personalizing your emails to the writers of the blog. For a blogger, getting a pitch for an erotica novel, when their review policy clearly states they don’t cover that genre is the fastest way to put a bad taste in their mouth. Not only do you not get a review out of it, you come off as unprofessional. It’s easy to tell yourself you don’t need that blogger anyway if that’s the case. What if next year you decide to try your hand at contemporary romance? You have just shot that potential relationship opportunity.

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IABB Addict Suanne Laqueur

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Author: Suanne Laqueur

Title: Here to Stay (Book 3 of The Fish Tales)

Pages: 350

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance

Date published: January 14, 2016

Synopsis:

Suanne Laqueur’s Fish Tales series follows the extraordinary romance of Erik Fiskare and Daisy Bianco. When they meet in college, she is an aspiring ballet dancer and he is learning the behind-the-scenes art of stagecraft. Quickly they are drawn into a romance both youthfully passionate and maturely soulful. Their love story thrives within a world of creativity and artistry until it is changed forever by a shocking act of violence on their campus.

Laqueur has chosen a unique slant on an issue sadly prevalent in today’s world, by focusing on the victims of violence and the effect of trauma on human connection. The first book in the series, The Man I Love, won a gold medal for realistic fiction in the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Awards. Told from Erik’s point of view, it follows his emotional journey to salvage the relationships he destroyed, including his estrangement from Daisy which never ceased to haunt him. He equated the end of a love affair with desertion, but now he sees leaving isn’t the end of loving. He must go back and finish, or he will never be free to go forward and start again.

Amazon // Goodreads

The second book, Give Me Your Answer True, inverts the narrative and tells Daisy’s side of the story, as she works to separate her evolution as an adult from the unresolved guilt and grief of her youth. The loss of Erik’s love weighing heavy on her heart, she must learn to hold onto her accountability without letting it become her identity. To find and give her answers true.

Amazon // Goodreads

The third book, Here to Stay, is a continuation of Daisy and Erik’s remarkable love story, as they begin a new phase of life together, knowing now that happily ever afters are built, not found. Though separated for twelve years, the extraordinary bond forged in their youth has endured. But when your soulmate has caused you indescribable pain, how easy is it to forgive? How much trust is needed to place your heart back into the hands that once broke it? How much faith does it take to ask the question, "Do you still want me?" and believe in the reply: “I still want us.”

Amazon // Goodreads

This gripping series has been hailed as a new kind of “emotionally intelligent romance.” The books explore themes of love and sexuality, the effects of trauma, the burden of unfinished business and the power of reconciliation. Through Erik and Daisy’s experiences, we reflect on what it means to be a soul mate, a partner and a lover. What it means to be a hero, not a victim, and fight for what you love. What it means to live the truth of who you are and what you feel.

Excerpt from Here to Stay

It’s a strange thing to find a lost lover in your hands again. Like finding your childhood baseball glove in an attic box of memories. You’re sure it won’t fit. But the heat of your palm, a flex and a bend. A cautious knead of the leather and a tentative reach into the furthest recesses… It knows you. It remembers you.

It fits you.

“Do I feel the same?” Daisy asked, her voice a silken caress.

After twelve years, Erik thought, of course not. He had loved a girl. It was a woman’s body up against him now, with the heft of wisdom and the weight of experience. He ran his fingers up her backbone and felt all the bits of new fused steel, overlaid with the strong assurance in her muscles and the soft aplomb of her skin. She was a hundred times more beautiful. A thousand times more thrilling.

And as her blue-green eyes stared into his, he was keenly aware of her vulnerability.

“You feel more,” he said, his hands moving along her body, trying to remember how she felt when he last touched her. Thin. Beyond ballerina thin—she was drugged thin at the end of their days in college. Yet beautiful to him. Never anything but stunningly easy on his eyes and liquid in his embrace and sweet in his mouth.

“You feel right,” she said, her own hands gliding along his limbs, in and out of him. “Maybe a little thinner.”

“I probably am. I lost and gained weight over and over. Depending on how I was feeling at the time. When the dark times came around, I’d stop eating.”

“I know, but…” Her delicate, arched eyebrows flickered in her brow. “I think over the years, in my head, I made you bigger than you were. Or maybe I beat myself down into something smaller. But now I remember your body. I remember mine with it.”

She was kissing him, pulling him to roll on top of her again. The digital clock on her bedside table read 2:06 in the morning. They had been going at it like possessed demons for hours now and no matter how tight he held or how hard he clung, Erik could not get both arms around making love to her. Too much feeling grabbed at him, clamoring for attention and precedence. Euphoria, lust, guilt and sadness were four wild stallions chained to each limb, intent on tearing him apart. Yet at the center of the jerking, pulling emotion, his heart was calm and accepting. Quietly riding out the storm, safe in the knowledge he was living his truth, living the life he was born to live.

“Don’t leave me,” she whispered under him.

“I can’t,” he said. “I’d never breathe again.”

About the Author

Suanne Laqueur’s first novel, The Man I Love won a gold medal in the 2015 Readers' Favorite Book Awards. Its other 2015 accolades include the Beverly Hills Book Award, a gold medal from the eLit Book Awards and a current finalist with the Kindle Book Awards.

Suanne graduated from Alfred University with a double major in dance and theater. She taught at the Carol Bierman School of Ballet Arts in Croton-on-Hudson for ten years. She lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband and two chil-dren. An avid reader, cook and gardener.

Author Links:

Website // Facebook // Twitter // Pinterest // Instagram

Giveaway – 1 Signed Copy of Here to Stay

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The Reapers re-release & Flirting With Death Release party!

Author: Ali Winters
Title: The Reapers
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal
Release date: May 31 2015 (re-release: Nov 02 2015)
Blurb:
The balance of life and death must be kept at all costs.


Having been a reaper as long as she can remember, Nivian knows that what she does is essential in maintaining balance. After being assigned to a rushed mark she finds that there is more to this human than any other she has encountered.


Kain had been living an ordinary life without a second thought until he meets Nivian who turns his world upside down. He is thrust into a world of hunters and reapers. The keepers of life and death have been feuding for centuries over a reason no one can even remember.


With Kain having been marked for reaping, and Nivian being hunted, they forge a friendship and together must find the truth in order to keep balance in check. Wrong choices could destroy everything. As they journey they discover hidden histories, powers, and lies and truths that have been spun since the beginning of time. The consequence of failure, unimaginable.


Excerpt:
Nivian leaped over the edge of the bridge and landed with a soft tap on the surface of the water. She reached down, pulled the soul of the driver up by the collar of his shirt, and stood him up next to her on top of the water. She took the driver’s hand, palm up, in hers and waved her other hand over his. Pinching the air, she pulled and lifted up to expose his life thread. His wide eyes stared unblinking, hypnotized by the glowing string of light. Nivian reached behind her and grabbed the scythe strapped to her back, and swung. With a slow, deliberate movement, Nivian sliced the human’s life thread. The light formed into a ball and hovered between them. She pulled out a small pocket watch and guided the life energy down to the watch. It sunk into it and disappeared. She snapped the watch closed and returned it to her pocket. 
“You should know better than to drink and drive. You could’ve seriously hurt someone.”
He gaped at her, his mouth opened and closed like a fish.
“Yes, you really are dead,” she confirmed and gave him an apathetic look as she turned away.
“Are you … the devil?” he managed to sputter. 
“No, of course not. I am just the natural order of things,” she said, looking back over her shoulder. “Wait here. Your spirit counselor will be here soon to guide you to your afterlife. I have other jobs tonight.” She spun on her heel and walked away, as she pulled her hood back up over her head and vanished.

Buy links:
Amzn: http://amzn.to/1eT66OjB&N: http://bit.ly/1JcleOL
ITunes: http://apple.co/1TtVip6
Oyster: http://bit.ly/1gvpIsP
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1O3xrcQ
Page Foundry: http://bit.ly/1ITqyuo

Author: Ali Winters
Title: Flirting With Death
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal
Release date: Nov 02 2015Blurb:
Being a reaper has its perks, but also its downsides.

While on an assignment, Evander is caught of guard by an unmarked human. Captivated, he is unable to tear himself away.

This is why reapers don’t associate with mortals.

Piper was ordinary, just a girl looking for love. And all she knows is that her current boyfriend isn’t it. An unfortunate incident and a series of remarkable events turn her world upside down. But what she finds is the last thing she ever expected—She finds herself falling for the least likely candidate.

Excerpt:  
“Stop. He is gone.” Evander said calmly. Why would she waste so much energy on someone who had no chance.
“Don’t tell her to stop,” Tony snapped.
Oh, right. That guy was still here. Where was a spirit counselor when you needed one? And at that moment, she showed up.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Don’t tell me. I’m late, am I right?” She waved a hand in the air dismissively.
“I should have known it would be you, Cassandra. Please take him.”
“Don’t boss me around, you fancy assassin. I know how to do my job.” She bit out, then turned to her assignment. “Come on, life loser, this way.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Tony backed up and stepped on his body, trying to slide back in. Evander’s gaze flicked upward, the difficult ones always tried to return to their bodies.

Buy links:
Amzn: http://amzn.com/B017I5UHFC
B&N: http://bit.ly/1ls8ijf
Oyster: http://bit.ly/1l1dB8W
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1MyrKBB
Page Foundry: http://bit.ly/1Lj7MJd

Event: Jan 9th 6pm-9pm MST.

Facebook party!

Come find out more and enter to win prizes!

About the author: 
Ali grew up in the Pacific North West. She attended Oregon State University for photography. After many adventures, she moved to Colorado, earned a second degree, and met and married her husband.
She currently lives in windy Wyoming with her husband and two dogs. When not writing, Ali is either, photographing, knitting, reading, dancing, or staying inside where it’s warm with a hot cup of coffee. She dreams of traveling the world someday soon.

Author links:
Amazon | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Website | Newsletter | Blog 




-Ali
xoxo

Why it didn't take "balls" for me to pull The Reapers & republish.

I've received a lot of praise for pulling my first novel, when it was realized that my original "editor" had lied about her credentials, and for me to spend several months reediting it before I republished. I will be the first one to admit that I could never self edit. I know my story too well, and when reading it, I don't see the words but the images in my mind. This is why I count on my editor.

I published May 31st 2015, I pulled my book in mid July when the issues became apparent that it wasn't just a simple fix.

This was my first book. I did my best at finding an editor. I failed. It happens to many authors. But I kept going. I looked again, and again, and  again--until I found one. It was painful and stressful. I hated every second of it. 

I was told I was brave, strong, and a bunch of other inspiring type words.

I'm not saying they are wrong, because who am I to tell anyone else what they believe? 
However, I, personally, do not agree.

The reapers is my first published book. I love the story, I think it's so different from anything else out there and that people will love it once they pick it up and read it.

It is this belief in my book, my story, that lead me to the path of pulling it and editing it again. I wanted the story to be what people remembered, not the fact I messed up picking an editor.

I did it for me. Sure there was a small part that did it for the readers, but 99.9% of it was for me. I wanted my story to reflect the story in my head to the best of my/it's ability.
I did it because I have a vision for this book, and the series it is a part of. I won't be satisfied with saying "Oh well! Moving on to the next book." and being done with it. I want it to be finished, then I will move on. The story is worth that time and effort. It is worth the stress, the pain, the tears, and everything else that came along during my journey. I learned a lot from it.

I did it for me, my piece of mind, and my vision. Not to make anyone happy, other than myself. It didn't take "balls" as some have said, it took my belief in my story and my vision.

Thanks to Mae Williams at Ye Olde Ink & Quill Editing Services, for encouraging me as I made my edits, and editing my MS to be amazing. 




-Ali
xoxo

DIY Swag - Mini book charms & Ornaments. (Tons of images!)

For my first book, I made these adorable mini books, then I saw the super cute idea to turn them into Christmas ornaments.

I made a TON of these  mini books. I use them for key chains, these ornaments, and charm bracelets. I'm sure there are a slew of other things you can do with them too.

I love to give cute things like this to friends and family, and use them for giveaways, (and have some for me!) but if you're like me, then you can't afford to spend millions of dollars paying someone else to make them for you. 

So here is my tutorial, with a bunch of crappy pictures.

<3 Enjoy!

The pile of mini books. (Excluding all the ones with covers that aren't public yet.)

What you need:

Book:
Scissors
Mod podge
Sculpey III (I used the original Sculpey but it was weird, and a little TOO soft to work with for my tastes.)
Jump rings
Scalpel
Needle nose pliers
Flat pliers
Coaster, or flat object
Self healing mat
1 2in Head pin, (If you want the jump ring through the corner - this is where Sculpey III comes in handy.)


Ornaments:
80MM ornament ball
Tinsel /confetti/both/whatever floats your boat.
Ribbon

Instructions:

1.
Print out 1" high covers of your book. With at least 1-3 extra for you to use in creating the "pages" of the book.

I noticed they lasted a lot longer with Sculpey III because it wasn't as oily as the original.

2. Break of little globs of Sculpey, and place on your self healing mat - the lines come in handy. :D

Flatten it to 1/4" I used a coaster.

3. Slice along one side. This will be the spine. Then  wrap the cover around it, and trim.

4.Use the scalpel to lightly score lines around the 3 exposed edges.

This is where you decide where the jump ring will go. If you want it in the top. just insert, and press the edges of the book together until they are straight again.

 if you want it in the corner like I use for most of mine, then you will need your needle nose pliers and that headpin.
(Sorry no photo of it!)

Bend the end of the pin until it's slightly rounded, a bit larger than the jump rings. (Image of it in step 8.)

5. Now, gently peal the cover off, and place thebook insides in a clean pyrex dish.

Bake at 275F for 15 minutes. Let it cool completely before doing anything with them. (It's a good time to finish cutting out your covers, or read a chapter or two in whatever you're reading.)


6. Paint the book with Mod podge.

place the cover over it and position it where you want it. Gently press down on the spine to conform.

Then Paint over the top of the cover.
Probably be a little less messy than I was.

7. Set them to dry so the covers wont get stuck to anything. And let them dry OVERNIGHT. they will be dry to the touch, but you can still mess them up.

(Sneak peak of the spine of one of my covers.)


Don't forget to wash your brush with warm soapy water when you're finished.











8. Okay then. If you chose to do the top mounted jump ring, move along to the ornament bit, or be happy and call it finished.
For those who like the corner. Use the headpin to pierce the cover, spine first, and wiggle it around in there to make sure the way is clear for the jump ring.

The jump ring should slide in easy, if not, wiggle the headpin around. (Don't floss it all the way through, the flat part of the head will be too big)





















So that's it. It's pretty easy, and you'll get the hang of it once you make a few.

Ornament instructions!!

1. Dismantle it, take the top off the ornament, and take the metal dohicky out.

I added 6 jump rings to my book to make it hang in the middle.


2. Chop up some sparky things, add glitter, confetti, whatever you picked. some big and little pieces are good.



3. Thread a piece of ribbon through the tiny tiny holes in the top. - Hook the top jump ring through it. - Tighten the ribbon and tie it in a pretty little bow. 


4. Put the metal doohickey back in place.
Then gently stuff the book through the opening, and You're almost done.


Take a hook or another piece of ribbon and tie it in a loop through the doohickey. 




Now you have an custom and wicked awesome ornament to give to fans, family, friends, or keep for your own tree! Enjoy! 

 

Super blurry photo of my 4 in action, being all Christmassy and whatnot.  And my husband's Bruins light up ornament. 

IABB addicts spotlight: A. M. Leibowitz

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Join us every Thursday for IABB #Confessions

About the Book

Author: A. M. Leibowitz

Title: Passing on Faith

Pages: 276

Genre: General Fiction, LGBT

Date published: November 1, 2015

Synopsis:
Following his father’s death, Micah Forbes believes he can finally put the family who rejected him and their religious bigotry behind him. In a cruel twist, his older brother calls to tell him he’s inherited their father’s abandoned vacation home.

Micah discovers the house comes complete with a long list of repairs, boxes full of family secrets, and a handful of quirky neighbors. Despite not wanting to get in too deep, he can’t help the spark of interest stirred when the sexy redhead next door offers his help. Everything about the enigmatic Cat Rowland throws Micah off-balance, from his gender-bending sense of fashion to his handy repair skills to his deep spirituality. Before long, Micah is swept up by Cat and his friends, but Cat himself keeps his heart carefully protected.

When Micah’s past and his present collide in a painful way, his self-destructive coping habits threaten to overwhelm him. To save himself, he needs to open his soul and let someone in. Cat has the key to unlock him, if he can let down his guard and trust his faith enough to catch Micah as he falls.

AMAZON // GOODREADS

Excerpt

Micah stared up at the old house. It was nicer than he’d remembered, at least on the outside—other than the overgrown lawn and garden. He wondered if there was a lawn mower in the shed. Then he wondered if there was a shed. Just one more thing to worry about. At least he had the entire summer to figure out what he did and didn’t have available to him.
His mind ran through all the possible scenarios of what could go wrong during his tenure there, from the house falling down around him to his friends having a crisis while he was unavailable. He tried not to imagine that the students renting his own home had merely been putting up a front and were actually throwing a wild party even as Micah stood on the front porch of the lake house. None of that would do; they were his way of finding excuses not to stay in Concordia.
While he was thinking about all of that, a voice behind him said, “Hey, there.”
Micah nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned around slowly and came face-to-face with a gingery-blond young man. He was average height, perhaps an inch or two shorter than Micah, and had a wiry build. There was a dusting of freckles across his pale skin, and he had a row of small hoops down one ear. In the other ear, he wore a dangling earring that looked like some kind of leaf. He had on a trendy pair of black knee-length pants and a fitted white t-shirt with a rock band logo Micah didn’t recognize. His gray-green eyes were wide and held a spark of mischief, and his mouth curled upward in a charming smirk.

 Giveaway

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IABB addict - Valarie Savage!

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Join us every Thursday for IABB #Confessions

About the Book

Author: Valarie Savage

Title: Slither

Pages: 217

Genre: Paranormal Horror

Publisher: Twisted Core Press

Date published: July 2, 2015

Synopsis:
We're often told tales of the underworlds to feed the darkest corners of our nightmares. We tuck them away with the sunlight and laugh away the fear our minds created. But the daylight offers no relief for Zari. She's hidden her waking nightmare as nothing more than a damaged past. The venom of her secrets consumes her, as well as those she cares for most. Emmett, the love of her life and the only one with a past dark enough to respect her space, becomes a pawn in the war against the demonic force which is her bloodright. Can Zari overpower those out to get her to feed on the innocent? Can she save Emmett from the evil of Slither?

AMAZON // GOODREADS

Excerpt

Zari clawed at her sister, Gianna, in a desperate attempt to escape. Gianna ran her forked tongue slowly across her upper lip. The slimy, berry-colored muscle dripped hot saliva onto Zari’s face as she turned away from Gianna’s menacing glare. “Please don’t make me watch! I don’t want to see this again!” Zari cried, curling into a ball on the hard, cold floor of the shed.Nan stomped on Zari’s stomach, anger flushing her grizzled features. “Listen, you little bitch. You will sit still and watch, or I will see to it your father beats you senseless…again. Remember the last time?” Zari did remember. She’d not been able to walk for two days after the last beating. The pain in her gut now was so great it knocked the air from her lungs as she wheezed.
Zari whimpered. Pain, shame and disgust clenched her stomach as the young man tied to the pallet in the corner screamed for mercy. Pop straddled the man, laughing as his prisoner frantically thrashed about. Nan and Gianna gripped Zari’s arms and forced her to a sitting position. Roughly grabbing her chin, Nan yanked her head forward. “Watch!” Nan hissed.The man’s body had stilled and dark, thick rivers of blood dripped from his mouth and nose down the side of his face. Pop’s mouth pressed against the lips of the stranger as the serpent fed. When her father finally rose, the snake slid back into his mouth and Pop wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. He met Zari’s gray-green eyes with his own, and grinned. His teeth were stained dark red.
Terror shook Zari’s bones, leaving her shivering as she raised her eyes to the scene in the corner of the shed. Pop ran his thumb over the lips of the man, who cried out once more but was quickly silenced when the snake burst forth from Pop’s mouth and slithered down the throat of the man, a drifter who had stopped by the farmhouse the day before, looking for work.Gianna’s split tongue flicked against Zari’s ear; the feel of the wet, dual points of it against her skin made Zari flinch. “Soon,” Gianna whispered, tracing the outer edge of Zari’s ear with her tongue. “Soon, it will be your turn to feed.” Pop shoved the limp body of the young man onto the pile of human shells stacked along the wall of the shed.Overwhelmed by the stench of blood and decaying flesh, Zari began to vomit. Vile chunks of rancid meat erupted from her mouth and bile burned her throat and nose as she heaved. Grimacing, she dragged the hem of her shirt across her mouth, resolving never to eat meat again.

About the Author

Valarie Kinney is a writer, fiber artist and Renaissance Festival junkie with a wicked caffeine addiction. She resides in Michigan with her husband, four children, and two insane little dogs. Author of Slither and Just Hold On. Editor and narrator for Dragons of Faith.

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