by Kasia | Feb 17, 2016 | Writing
During the month of February and March, I am participating in the Eggcerpt Exchange where authors are helping promote authors. Check it out to learn about some great new books to add to your reading list!
Tina Gayle – author of heartwarming romance novels for romance readers.
Fallen Leaves Blurb –
As autumn comes to the Winston estate in Ohio, Amber Harrison learns further lessons in her new position as keeper for the spirits and ghosts who haunt the estate–and further lessons in love, too. She and her love, Carter Miller, grapple with the fears and passions of new love, while caught up in the storm of ancient family drama.
This is the second book in the unfolding saga of the psychics and talents associated with the Winston estate, a sheltered place where past, present, and future are woven into a single dramatic tapestry of love and desire. The tale spans multiple generations, multiple eras, and offers something special for all ages of reader. A sexy, erotic winner, with an assortment of couples to appeal to most tastes.
Excerpt:
“How long before you install the new cabinets?”
He turned on the ladder. His dark brown eyes captured her, engulfing her in an encompassing warmth. She melted under his heated gaze, which ran from the top of her head to the white socks on her feet. He lifted a brow at her attire, but he didn’t comment on her pink sweat suit.
“With the old cabinets out of the way, I need to knock down this wall and tear up the flooring. The electrical work is next on the agenda.” He climbed off the ladder, yanked off his gloves, and slid a hand through his thick, wavy hair.
“It might be awhile before we install the new cabinets. Right now, we’re simply working to remove the old stuff so we can start fresh.” He smiled, which didn’t hide the dark circles under his eyes or the fatigue in the slump of his shoulders.
“There’s no hurry. If you’re busy with something else, this can wait until your Dad and Mattie come home next week.”
“No, Dad doesn’t want her dealing with this mess.” Carter unbuckled his tool belt and placed it on a workbench. “I promised him I’d have it done.”
“Is Grant helping?” Amber stepped around several pieces of sheetrock and stray bits of wood, to the bottom of the stairs.
He walked to the backdoor. “Friday, his classes are over at noon.”
With his hand resting on the doorknob, he appeared anxious to leave. “I’m headed to lunch, and then I need to drop by the office for a while. Are you sure you’re okay here by yourself?”
Amber toyed with the idea of saying no. She missed the taste of his lips and the strength of his arms, but she nodded instead. “Yes, I’m fine.”
After opening the door, he paused. “I guess I’ll see you later.”
She waved and turned to head to her room, satisfied she’d at least gotten him to talk. Her leaden feet trudged up the steps. Unexcited, she contemplated her latest assignment from the family council. How could she achieve such an impossible task of convincing her great grandmother’s ghost to cross over?
Purchase links:
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JOTY270
Character Questions
1. Currently residing in… Hebron, Ohio
2. Favorite place to visit – Disney World
3. Most important goal – to save my grandmother’s spirit
4. Worst fear or nightmare – being kicked out of the family
5. What would you do if you won the lottery? Won’t happen, I never buy a ticket. I’m not lucky.
About Tina Gayle
Tina Gayle loves writing and is currently working on finishing her Family Tree series, a contemporary paranormal suspense series.
When not writing, she enjoys spending time with my family and traveling around the country. She hasn’t hit every state, but she hopes to someday. You might also catch her on the golf course with her husband of 30 years.
Also, you can read the first chapter of any of her books by visiting her website or download an exclusive story “My Future Step Brother” and join her special friend’s list. All on her website www.tinagayle.net
Find Tina everywhere
Home – www.tinagayle.net
Blog – www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
Twitter – https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle
Google + – https://plus.google.com
Linkedin – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tina-gayle/11/689/759
![How To Start An Author Blog On A Budget]()
by Kasia | Feb 11, 2016 | Blogging, Business, Writing
Your job as an author is to write great books.
If you want to sell books, you’re going to have to build relationships with people.
Your readers; your peers.
Building relationships is not everyone’s forte. I know I shy away from people often and this is detrimental to my success. I’m an introvert and small talk drives me insane (although secretly I’d love to do it really well).
This is where blogging enters the picture.
Blogging is an awesome way for introverts to communicate with their community without leaving their comfort zones. Ok you might have to step out a little bit but with your blog you set the boundaries.
So why do I need a blog as an author?
Writing the book is the easy part. Selling it is where the real work begins.
Thousands of books are published on Amazon on a daily basis. That’s a lot of literature to sift through. Do you think you have high chances of someone finding your book if no one knows who you are?
Didn’t think so.
A blog (on your website), will allow you to slowly build a platform from which you can sell more books. That is your goal as an author: to sell more books. Right?
Right.
The good news is that setting up a website and starting a blog has never been easier. You can do it in under an hour without knowing any HTML or being technologically savvy. I’m the opposite of tech savvy and have learnt everything I know by doing it.
The bad news is that every man (or woman) and their dog have a blog about something. And yes, as an author, you probably want to jump on the bandwagon and join the blogging circus.
As an author in today’s day and age, whether you’re indie or traditionally published, you require a web presence. A website or a blog. Preferably both, as blogging can draw more traffic to your site and more traffic is likely to lead to more book sales. That’s what we all want, isn’t it?
If you’re wondering about the cost of this endeavour, worry no more. You can choose between a free blogging platform or a paid one. After almost eight years of blogging I’d say go to the paid version straight away. It shouldn’t set you back more than $100 to start with and often considerably less.
Blogger and WordPress.com offer a free service. That’s great for hobby bloggers. Not so if you want to sell your books and run an author business.
Free blogging platforms have limitations with theme and design which is a small pickle. The bigger issue arises when they have the power to shut you down.
Do you really want to work your butt off for a year or more only to find that you no longer have access to your blog and you’ve lost all the material you’ve produced and readers you’ve acquired?
Me neither.
When I first started blogging I used the free blogging services of Blogger.com and WordPress.com. At the time they seemed right for a hobby site but when I realised I wanted to take this blogging business a little more seriously, I needed to make the switch to a paid service.
My first choice these days is WordPress.org. To use WordPress.org you need to have a host and a domain name. Sounds technical? It really isn’t.
The host will support your blog. I use Bluehost for all my hosting. I’ve been with them for several years now and have found them to be extremely easy to use and quick to assist when I ran into problems.
The domain name is your internet address. You’re buying a piece of internet real estate and it can be a profitable venture if you decide that’s the course you want to take. As an author-entrepreneur, you probably do.
Some people recommend you buy your domain from someone other than your host. I bought my domain name and hosting from Bluehost because I already have way too many logins to keep track of and felt more comfortable having everything in the one spot.
The choice is yours.
Still not convinced about setting up your author blog? Here are four benefits to taking the plunge:
- Improve your writing. With blogging you can write short and snappy or long and poetic. It allows you to practice your writing craft and constantly work towards improving. If you’re a serious writer you will want to get better with each book you write and every blog article you post.
- Create multiple income streams. Earning a full-time living solely from your books isn’t impossible but it’s difficult unless you write really good books, know how to market them, and produce new ones on a regular basis. I’m talking one every few months not one a year. The way you can make money through blogging is through affiliate sales (like this article), sponsored posts, private advertising, Adsense, courses, or even sell books directly bypassing the retailers and keeping 100% of the profits.
- Build a platform. A blog can be aimed at your readers and relate to your books and the genre you are writing in. It can also relate to you as an author-entrepreneur so you can assist other writers in achieving their writing dreams. We can all learn something from one another and a blog allows you to reach out to your community of writers and readers. The more people know your name, the bigger your platform. Use it to sell more books. This is even more important for non-fiction writers.
- Blogging is fun. You get to write what you think, publish and have other people comment. You can have conversations with people from across the globe, exchange opinions, recipes and tips on everything from writing to craft to personal finance and toilet-training your cat. You’ll meet people with similar interests to yours who are located anywhere in the world. You can have readers stretching from the Arctic to Africa and everywhere in between.That is so awesome.
Ok, ok. You’re convinced that starting an author blog for your author-business is a brilliant idea.
Fantabulous! Here’s what you need to do.
1 – DECIDE ON YOUR DOMAIN NAME
As an author this could be your name, your pseudonym, or something else that relates to what you’re writing about. I use my own name as I plan to write numerous books under it and feel this is the best choice for me. If you have a common name and can’t get a domain you can add the word ‘books’ or ‘author’ beside it.
Your domain name is your internet address. Mine is www.kasiaradzka.com. I was fortunate that no one else with that name had taken it.
My site however has a different title. At the moment I used Writerly Pursuits. That title has nothing to do with the domain name. So you can have a different domain to your website title.
A domain name will set you back as little as $11.99 if you register it with Bluehost. If you’re earning a living from your blog you should check with your accountant if this cost is tax deductible.
Pick a domain name that you will be happy with indefinitely. You don’t want to be switching and swapping as it can get costly and lose you long term traffic. Do it right the first time and never worry about it again. Hence for authors, using your name seems like the easiest way to go.
I recommend Bluehost. But you can use other services also. If you already have a domain name with another provider and want to change, you can usually transfer them over.
2 – CHOOSE YOUR HOSTING
Once you have your domain name, you need to decide on the host you would like to use. Again, I use Bluehost for all my websites. Bluehost has hosting starting from just as little as $5.95 per month. Keep in mind that when you sign up, you have to pay for at least a year up front, and the price goes down for the longer you want to sign up for.
When you choose a host you want to use someone that will have a control panel that is simple to navigate. They need to have a helpline that is available hopefully 24/7, and a decent reputation.
Bluehost has all that and more.
3 – INSTALL WORDPRESS
Once you’ve purchased your domain name and paid for your hosting you can move to the next stage of installing WordPress. Fortunately, it’s not as complicated as it sounds.
From your Control Panel you can find the Install WordPress button and follow the instructions. You can do it yourself for free or Bluehost also offer a paid service. It’s up to you. I’ve always opted for the free option and have managed just fine.
4 – CHOOSE A THEME
WordPress has an endless amount of themes. It’s easy to lose track of time and spend an entire day exploring the themes for your blog. I’ve done it numerous times.
Don’t do it.
Figure out what you want your blog to offer and choose a theme based on that. Stick to simple, elegant and effective. Make sure that the theme you use has all the capabilities you require. You can always change it later down the track.
There are free themes and premium themes. I’ve always used free themes but am looking for a paid one so that I have more options. With premium themes you also get to customise me to suit your needs so that you end up with a unique sight rather than one that someone else already has.
5 – SET UP YOUR PAGES
As an author you want to have a few tabs at the top of your blog directing your audience to where they want to go. The main pages are ‘About’, ‘Contact’, ‘Books’ and ‘Blog’. You can always have more but it’s probably best to stick to less than eight. Any more and the top of your page website starts looking like a mess.
The About page, should have a little bit about who you are. This is your space after all. You can use the bio you use on your books or at the end of your articles or add some more information that your readers might like to learn about you.
Readers come to your blog because they want to not only learn what you’re offering or like your books but to also find out about you. Sometimes that’s creepy, but it’s the way the blogging world works. I know I love reading about personal experiences and useless pieces of information about people I follow. Sometimes it makes it easier to relate.
Your Contact page should have your contact details. You can set up an automated form where people can leave their name, number, email address and query. Or you can just provide the best email address you can be reached on.
The Books page will have a list of your books that are currently available. You can add links to the different retailers like Amazon, Kobo, Nook, Smashwords, or even offer to sell them directly from your website.
You can also list your ‘soon to be released’ collections too. That way if readers check out these pages they’ll be able to anticipate your next book. Awareness is key in being a successful author. You want people to know you’re not a one hit wonder.
Your Blog is where your posts are going to be showing. The latest posts go at the top and the oldest at the bottom. When a reader clicks on this tab then they should be taken directly to your blog and your latest post.
6 – SET UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
You need social media to get ahead as a writer even more than your blog. But what you want is to have your social media buttons to be linked to your blog post so every time you write a post it will get automatically shared on all your platforms.
You also want your readers to find it easy to share your content. People love sharing cool stuff on the Internet. Let it be easy for them to share yours too.
You can get a social media plugin by installing one on your site.
7 – START BLOGGING
Excellent. You’re all set. You can start blogging now. All the best. Adios.
Wait!!! What the hell am I supposed to blog about?
Absolutely anything you want to.
That answer makes it a little harder. But to get you started here are a few quick ideas for your beginning stages;
– Why did you get into writing in the first place?
– What made you wite your first novel?
– What books you are currently reading and would recommend? (cross promotion is awesome!)
– A picture of your writing space
– An interview with your favourite author
You can be general or pick a tight niche. Think about what you want to achieve with your blog and the audience you want to attract.
Click here to get started on your WordPress blog!
Happy writing my friends!
Do you use Bluehost? Have you started an author blog? Do you have any tips for setting up an awesome blog? Share your comments below.
*This article contains referral links.
by Kasia | Feb 10, 2016 | Writing
Discovery (book 1 in the Ruins Trilogy)
By Janie Franz
Anthropologist Kate Ferguson stumbles upon desert ruins, ancient rituals, and psychic gifts, awakening a love that could prove deadly.
EXCERPT
Though some of Kate’s fellow graduate students would probably have noticed the superb fit of the stranger’s designer suit, it was his black hair, beginning to gray at his temples, which caught her eye. That was an odd quality in someone his age with his obvious Spanish lineage and apparent refinement. She scanned his features, taking in his sensitive mouth and a nose hinting at an Aztec hawkishness.
She quickly rejected the comparison as she turned to Dr. Swartz, her employer as well as her faculty advisor. He had accused her on more than one occasion of trying to find Aztecs under every rock as she researched Aztec/Maya links with the Arizona prehistoric peoples.
Embarrassed at the memory, she turned back to the stranger. His dark gaze concentrated on her intently for a few seconds, and then he retreated into his thoughts as if he could only focus on the world around him in brief glimpses. It didn’t seem like the muddleheaded preoccupation she’d seen among physics majors. And, it definitely wasn’t drugs—or any she had read about—since he just exhibited a piercing moment of clarity and after that withdrew. It seemed a controlled act or one repeated so often it had become habit. His ability to turn on a single moment of intense interest and concentration like switching on a floodlight—and quickly turn it off—fascinated Kate. She wondered if he had family problems preoccupying him—an errant wife or a child flunking school.
BUY LINKS
https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museitup/romance/contemporary-romance/ruins-detail
http://www.amazon.com/Ruins-Discovery-Janie-Franz-ebook/dp/B00548AKBM/ref=sr_1_15?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1453756644&sr=1-15&keywords=Janie+Franz
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ruins-janie-franz/1103376903?ean=2940011310928
About Janie Franz
Janie Franz comes from a long line of Southern liars and storytellers. She told other people’s stories as a freelance journalist for many years.
With Texas wedding DJ, Bill Cox, she co-wrote The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Book and The Ultimate Wedding Reception Book, and then self-published a writing manual, Freelance Writing: It’s a Business, Stupid! She also published an online music publication, was an agent/publicist for a groove/funk band, a radio announcer, and a yoga/relaxation instructor.
Currently, she is writing her tweveth novel and a self-help book, Starting Over: Becoming a Woman of Power.
Character Interview
1. Nickname or name? Kate Ferguson. My full name is Kathyn but I’ve always been Kate
2. Job? I’m currently an anthropology grad student, studying connections between Aztec/Mayans and native cultures in Arizona
3. Most important goal? I want to write the definitive book on ancient peoples in Arizona.
4. Worst fear or nightmare? I have a secret—actually two. I have a gift of psychometry. That means I can sometimes feel things when I hold objects in my hands. But it is a small gift now. I just get whispers, faint feelings. My fear is that I’ll be found out and that I’ll be made fun of. The other is that even at my age, I’m still a virgin.
by Kasia | Feb 3, 2016 | Writing
Shocking Finds (A Finder’s Keepers Novel)
-Tracey Clark
Here are a few treats for readers interested in Paranormal/Fantasy Romance (New Adult)
A blurb, a quick excerpt, some links for buying options and author info… and
Lastly… a fun little Q&A session with the main character Marin!!
Happy wordage everyone
Blurb:
An act of rebellion, Marin doesn’t think that running into the new store in town will hurt anything. Her aunt will never know… right? One car wreck later, her aunt is hospitalized, Marin is forced to spend her twenty-first birthday fighting for her life, and magic – the very thing her aunt has always sworn to be for fools – is real. And so is the irresistible Fae dedicated to Marin’s protection.
Kyland has searched Earth-side and all the other realms, looking for a missing Fae child. A child his Queen prophesied would be able to one day save the Fae people from the Danshue, as the evil Fae threat tries to overwhelm the entire Supernatural Community. A child that would know nothing of her blocked gifts, or her Fae heritage waiting to be claimed. A child that has grown into a curvy, delicious morsel he would love to taste
Together Marin and Kyland will fight Fae assassins, overcome betrayals, and if they’re lucky … they will find the Danshue responsible for their plight. That’s if Marin doesn’t shock him to death with her erratic new gift, and her out of control emotions.
Buy your copy today!!
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shocking-Finds-Finders-Keepers-Novel-ebook/dp/B014UA6XV0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1441420146&sr=8-2&keywords=shocking+finds
Barns & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shocking-finds-tracey-clark/1122614922?ean=2940152332964
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/shocking-finds-a-finder-s-keepers-novel
Indigo:
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/shocking-finds-a-finders-keepers/9781310309090-item.html?ikwid=shocking+finds&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0
Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/574301
Excerpt: (from chapter two Shocking Finds)
Marin needed answers. Like why had they been targeted? The parking lot hadn’t exactly been lacking for vehicular violence victim contenders. There had been a group of at least four women, standing by their cars, chatting. If there was a target more deserving of vehicular rage, it had definitely been that group of women. They had finished shopping, and courtesy demanded that their parking spots were to be relinquished as soon as possible. Why not them?
The man—and Marin was only guessing that the driver was a man—had bypassed those without parking lot etiquette and zeroed in on Lindal. If she had continued her slow progress through the parking lot, would Marin be in this horrible room with its beeping monitors and bleached air instead of Lindal.
Staring down at her aunt’s unmoving form, Marin tried to find a place to rest her hand. She needed to touch her. She needed to know that the only person willing to take her in, after the death of her mother, was really here and still alive.
“They will find him, Lindal. He won’t get away with this,” Marin made her vow as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb Lindal’s recovery.
Glancing up to keep tears from falling from her eyes, Marin noticed something swinging off of Lindal’s oxygen line. “What the…” It looked like a Barbie doll with wings, perhaps six inches tall. The odd little creature wore a loin cloth and sported some overly obvious male attributes. Was it wrong to be checking out the abs of someone no larger than a child’s toy?
His arms tugged and his muscles bunched as he attempted to make a knot in Lindal’s oxygen line. His silver skin tone went beautifully with his tri-colored wings— a mix of light purple, maroon, and gold. The little man didn’t seem to realize that Marin was staring at him.
“Stop,” Marin shouted. Dammit, this was a hospital. She needed to lower her voice. She also needed to go upstairs to the psych ward. Head trauma, shock, or hallucinations… something wasn’t right. If she told Lindal about this, her aunt would call her every kind of fool.
Hallucination or not, she grabbed the little man by the wings, pulled him from Lindal’s oxygen line, and tried to speak more calmly. “What do you think you’re doing?”
She finally had her figment’s attention. A striking, though small, pair of lavender eyes glared at her through overly long sandy brown bangs. On closer inspection, she could see that his hair was actually multicolored. It seemed to go from crystal white sand to bronzed gold.
“Well, answer me. What do you think you’re doing?”
“Waiting for you, of course.”
“What are you?” She was losing it. The buzzing in her temples was increasing. And she was now speaking to a figment of her imagination. Yep, she needed to be medicated.
The creature put its tiny fists on narrow hips. “A Sprite, of course. Don’t you know anything? I have my work cut out for me.” Now she was being insulted by her imagination. Great.
“Nope. Too Much,” Marin said and tossed the little man with wings out of the hospital window. She needed coffee. Either that or a large dose of Thorazine. Maybe both.
All About Tracey Clark!!
I am a country-twang gal from the bluegrass state. Kentucky is a hot bed of horses, cave systems, and whiskey. And I love all three. With my pugs and bossy kitty cat, I spend my days writing and working social media. I write with the help of the voices pushing me to create worlds for them to live in. Fantasy Romance, Contemporary Romance, and eventually some cowboys (because cowboys live in a group all their own, yummmm)… These are the genres that I love best. Oil paints, crafts, dealing with Multiple Sclerosis, and writing into the dead of night… this I my life!!!
To Find out more about Tracey here are some links…
Author Page (Main):
http://traceylclark.com/
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/103301.Author_Tracey_Clark
MS Page:
https://multiplesclerosisnewsblog.wordpress.com/
Facebook Author Page:
https://www.facebook.com/traceyclark.finderskeepers/?ref=hl
Anddddd…. Twitter Page:
https://twitter.com/traceylclark11
Now… without further ado… here is Marin Yarthine…
Interviewer: You’ve had quick the introduction to the Fae world, Marin… Can I call you Marin..
Marin (reddened cheeks): Uhh… sure… I mean, that’s what most people call me… Kyland has been call me, Minzet, but I’m pretty sure that’s something just between us since it means Sweet One… but…yeah… Marin would be best.
Interviewer (light chuckle): Great. Well, I nice to finally get to sit down with us… and as the new Princess to the Fae people, with such an odd upbringing… the Fae would love to know a little pit about you… Tell us a little bit about day to day life in the royal world…
Marin: Pfft… Most of the time I think they have the wrong girl… I mean… I was home schooled, and have worked at Finder’s Keepers since I turned 17… for the past four years I have been slipping into Finder’s Trances in order to locate everything from pets to abduction victims… from car keys to family heirlooms… it sounds like important work but really, I mostly had to pull a bunch of information together so that other Finder’s could go out on Mission to locate whatever the client had misplaced…
Interviewer: That sounds like important work to me… also, something that would take a toll on your emotions… do you have someone to cuddle up to at night to help you get through the day???
Marin (Cheeks now flaming red): Kyland… he came out of nowhere and changed my life… and he doesn’t even mind when I accidentally shock him with this new power that has a tendency to get out of control when I’m upset…
Interview: …. (shuffles through questions) … (scoots chair back and grits her teeth)… What goals and hardships do you face… what do you want for the Fae?? I mean… what are your plans to keep the Fae community safe?? (scoots back a little further…)
Marin (head cocked to the side): I’m still learning about the Fae world.. but I would say my goal is to keep as many people safe as I can… (fists clench) … if the evil Fae, those Danshue ********… sorry for my language, but if they would just stop getting in the way, I could learn a little faster… someone needs to stop the Danshue before this community I’m just getting to know dies out…
Sparks light up on Marin’s hands, but Interviewer merely gets a white
Knuckled grip on her set and continues…
Interviewer: One final questions and we will let you get back to your new duties as Princess… Can you tell us what fears you are facing in this new chapter of your life???
Marin: … (Deep Breath…) Lindal… that the woman that pretended to be my only family, that kidnapped me as a child (sparks on her fingertips) … that she will find a way to finish what she started… (more sparks) … that she will find a way to hurt the people I am coming to care about… that she will hurt KYLAND … (small explosion blowing out all the lights)
Interview warily pulls herself up out of the floor, where she dove to avoid flying glass…
Interview(voice shaky) : Alright… I think that’s all we have time for… thanks for stopping by Princess…
by Kasia | Feb 2, 2016 | Writing
During the months of February and March (lead up to Easter!), I will be hosting various authors from different genres here- starting tomorrow. This is a great opportunity for you to learn about new authors, check out some great books, and widen your reading horizons.
Check out Tina Gayle’s website, who initiated the idea. It’s a great opportunity for author to cross-promote and for readers to discover books they might not always reach for.
You’ll get to meet authors and their books from various genres including fantasy, romance, paranormal, erotic, suspense and more.
Happy Reading!
