Thursday, January 24, 2019

Book Publishing Secrets with Fantasy Author Joni Parker @parkerjoni #fantasy


Joni was born in Chicago, moved to Japan, and returned to live in Phoenix, Arizona. After joining the Navy, she lived in Lakehurst, New Jersey where she met her husband, a career sailor. They moved to Jacksonville, Florida, from there to Pensacola, Florida where Joni attended the university. Upon graduation, she returned to the Navy and was stationed in Naples, Italy. From there, the Navy sent her to live in a number of U.S. cities and even spent a year with the U.S. Army at their Command and General Staff College obtaining a Master of Military Arts and Sciences. Upon her retirement, she traveled the country in an RV with her husband until he passed away. She returned to the workforce living in Dallas until she discovered a passion for writing fantasy novels. She retired for a second time and now lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Website Address: http://www.joni-parker.com
Twitter Address: @ParkerJoni


About the Book:

A NATO training exercise goes terribly wrong when five warships from different countries are mysteriously transported to Eledon, the Realm of the Elves. The warrior Lady Alexin is charged to escort the troops back home to London in the year 2031 with the aid of the Wizard Ecstasy and a magic shrinking potion. Yet, when the authorities question her story, Alex is detained and imprisoned under suspicion of terrorism. Caught in a web of politics, betrayal and bungling bureaucracy, the confusing world of the future will push her magical gifts to their limit, and her own future will hang in the balance, caught between “justice” and the place she calls home.
                                                                                               

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon



Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Joni: Several years ago, I was suddenly inspired to write when I developed a character and a bunch of stories. I didn’t stop for three months. After I finished, I wasn’t sure what to do with the manuscript so I decided to publish it. It needed a lot of editing, but eventually, it became my first three books in The Seaward Isle Saga: The Black Elf of Seaward Isle, Tangled Omens, and Blood Mission. The inspiration continued for the next series called The Chronicles of Eledon with Spell Breaker, The Blue Witch, Gossamer, and Noble Magic.
Is this your first book?
Joni: Curse of the Sea is actually my eighth book. It begins the Admiralty Archives, my third series and will have two more books.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Joni: My editor, Teresa Kennedy, runs a small indie press so she’s also my publisher. She published both the ebook and print versions of my first series, but now, she only publishes the ebook version. I publish the print version and post it to Amazon.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Joni: The pros: I have help with publishing the ebook and my editor sets the manuscript up for the print version including formatting and cover design. She also takes care of forwarding any royalties.
The cons: I do all the marketing to promote my book and get reviews. Also, I can’t independently verify how well sales are going since that information goes directly to the publisher.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Joni: Fortunately, I have a good working relationship with my publisher. She doesn’t change my title arbitrarily or pick covers without my approval. That’s not true with the big houses. Once the author turns over the manuscript, the author gets little input on the title or cover. I didn’t know anything when I first started and I was working hard on my writing skills so I appreciated the help. Indie publishing and all that’s involved was more than I could handle at the time.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Joni: It depends on the author. If the author can devote the time and energy into self-publishing, then that’s the way to go. However, most of us can’t do it all and needs help from somebody.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Joni: After I finished my first book, I found out that writing it was only the beginning. An author has a lot more to do in the way of marketing and publishing. At the time, the self-publishing market was only in its infancy and anyone who went that way, was looked down by the industry. My book was even downgraded by a reviewer because it was self-published and she claimed there were a lot of spelling errors in it when there weren’t. Anyway, there are a lot of resources now available to help authors so don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Book Publishing Secrets with Thriller/Suspense Author Rob Kaufman @robkaufmanct #publishing #getpublished


As a child, Rob Kaufman was always fascinated by the stories recited by those around him and the words used to tell them. As he got older, his need to tell his own stories grew, as did his ability to share them in exciting and captivating ways.

However, he wanted to share more than just stories. His primary desire was to create characters with whom people could relate, while at the same time bringing them through a journey from which most would crumble.

His degree in Psychology was the first step toward getting beneath the surface of the people in his
life. What followed was a lifelong search for what makes people tick – what forces them to become evil when deep down in their heart of hearts, they are yearning for love. Rob’s characters walk this search with him, deep into the human psyche, creating psychological thrillers from every day events.

Rob’s second book “One Last Lie" continues to receive great praise and is selling well in both electronic and paperback formats. His current book, “A Broken Reality” is much darker than his first, with characters who hold bits and pieces of strangers he’s known, friends he’s had and personal tragedy he’s lived through.

“This book hits home for me,” says Rob. “There were a few pages that made me laugh out loud as I wrote them... and many that made me cry. And the great thing is, I’m finding that many readers of this book are experiencing the same emotions.”

Through social and other media, Rob hopes to get “A Broken Reality” into the hands of millions, so that they, too, can experience the ups, downs, twists, turns and final tragedy that has helped make this book a Five-Star contender.

Website Address: www.AuthorRobKaufman.com
Twitter Address: @RobKaufmanCT


BOOK BLURB:

On a fateful night in the dead of winter, an unimaginable tragedy changes the lives of two families forever. How will they manage to deal with reality while stopping the sociopath who is pushing them toward the edge of sanity?

When Jesse regains consciousness, he has no recollection of how he and his car wound up in a ditch. However, there's a witness: Charles Hastings, the sociopathic kidnapper who chased Danny through the brush and into the path of Jesse's car.

Hastings takes this chance to set up Jesse so he'll take the fall for both Danny's disappearance and death. And so the mind games begin--an onslaught of psychological manipulation that devastates Jesse, his wife, Danny's parents and the cops' investigation. Inexplicably, the torment continues even after the primary suspect is killed and the rollercoaster of emotions and confusion seems never-ending until the final and devastating truth is revealed.

If you like gripping, suspenseful page-turners that keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end, this is a must read!
Ten-year-old, Danny Madsen, has been missing for four days when Jesse Carlton begins his own search for his godson on a frigid, snowy night. Driving along a deserted rural road, Jesse hits a stretch of black ice at the same time Danny appears from the thicket. Unable to control the car, Jesse slams into the boy and watches helplessly as Danny's body flies back into the dark brush.

Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
I’ve been writing stories since I was a child… so becoming an author wasn’t any surprise to anyone – especially me. As far as why I decided to write “A Broken Reality”, it was because the story kept floating around in my head and wouldn’t stop until I sat down and started to type. Of course, it continued to float around within my head, but now it was taking shape.
Is this your first book?
This is my third book. My other two are, “In the Shadow of Stone” and “One Last Lie”.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
I chose Indie because it gives me more control over marketing, copy, and other decisions that a traditional publisher might make for me. Now it’s all up to me. That’s a great thing… and a bit daunting at the same time.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
The pros of publishing Indie is, as I’ve said, the control I have over the process. It’s been exciting and a bit scary at the same time. I learn as I go. Unfortunately that can lead to big (and expensive) mistakes, but I have many groups I belong to which help me get through the tough times. Having these people (i.e. Facebook groups) to lean on is a definite “pro” to self publishing. The biggest con is thinking I’m doing everything correctly and then find out, too late, I made a mistake that either cost me time, money or potential readers. Like any other business, it’s a learning process. I just wish I had more time to write my books rather than market them.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
It’s extremely competitive. You have to use every tool available and listen to both sides of the coin before making any big decisions. There are millions of books on the market today, so how do you make yourself stand out? Besides having a great product and enticing cover and content, you need to have some marketing sense and help. I always take the help where and when I can get it and weigh all opinions before making a final decision.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
I would try traditional publishing first, just to get a taste of the industry and the restrictions that type of publishing puts on you. If you can deal with those restrictions and it gives you more time to write, then go for it. You can always try Indie for your next book to see which method you like better.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
If you have an idea that you think is good and get stuck, push your way through it. There was one point in “A Broken Reality” that I couldn’t get past and I almost gave up. After careful thought, asking friends and 5 tedious months, I came up with the answer and it’s one of my best books yet. So don’t give up if you get stumped. There’s always a way through!

Book Publishing Secrets with Cozy Mystery Author Debra H. Goldstein



Name: Debra H. Goldstein
Book Title: One Taste Too Many   
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington

Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Author: Before I could read or write, I fell in love with stories listening to those my mother read to me and by attending a children’s storytelling hour at our local library. I began telling my own tales and that evolved into writing short stories and neighborhood skits. By the time I attended college, I was sure I was going to get a degree in journalism and become a globe-trotting journalist. Instead, I graduated with a degree in English and History; went to New York giving myself eight months to obtain two goals – find a job in publishing and become a Jeopardy contestant; goals accomplished, I went to law school and became a litigator and then a federal Administrative Law Judge. During this time, I wrote boring legal briefs, law journal articles, and decisions, but I yearned to write something more fun. For ten years, I played on and off with an idea I had for a mystery set on the University of Michigan’s campus until a friend challenged me to write it or shut up. She softened her words by graciously offering me a beach condo for a week-end of writing. I came home from that weekend knowing I could do it. One Taste Too Many is the fruition of another idea I had for a series featuring a cook of convenience – someone like me – for whom the kitchen is a fate worse than death.
Is this your first book?
Author: No. My prior books are 2012 IPPY Award winning Maze in Blue, a mystery set on the University of Michigan’s campus in the 1970’s and Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Player’s Mystery (2016). I also write short stories which have appeared in periodicals and anthologies including Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Mystery Weekly, the Birmingham Arts Journal, Mardi Gras Murder, and The Killer Wore Cranberry. “The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place,”(AHMM 2017) was an Agatha and Anthony finalist this year.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Author: One Taste Too Many is the first of the Sarah Blair cozy mystery series being traditionally published by Kensington. Kensington’s books are distributed by Penguin-Random House.  Much as I respect people who handle all the details involved with self-publishing, because of my time commitments and limited artistic talents, traditional publishing is a better alternative for me. I’m thrilled to be writing this series for Kensington.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Author: My first book, Maze in Blue, was published by a small publisher who requested it after a friend told the owner “There’s a judge with a mystery that I think you should read.” Not knowing anything about publishers, agents, and queries, this was the only place I submitted it and I was thrilled when Maze was accepted. Six months after publication, when I had just won an IPPY Award and had speaking engagements booked for most of the next year, the publisher ceased operations. It graciously returned my rights and encouraged me to reissue it through Amazon’s Create Space to keep it alive. In the meantime, I sold mass market rights to Harlequin.
After being orphaned, agents and editors I spoke with encouraged me to “write something new.” I wrote Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Player’s Mystery. This time, I sent out queries and pitched the book at conferences. At Killer Nashville, a Five Star editor asked to see the book and a week later offered me a contract. The book came out in hardcover, I sold mass market rights to Harlequin, and the publisher announced it was discontinuing its mystery line.
Orphaned twice, I knew to write something new. Drawing on my loathing for the kitchen, I created a character whose fine china is paper plates and whose greatest fear is being asked to cook. When One Taste Too Many was ready, I queried and obtained an agent. She sold One Taste Too Many to Kensington as part of a three book deal for the Sarah Blair cozy mystery series.  
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Author: Being orphaned twice taught me that the publishing industry is everchanging and evolving and that survival necessitates flexibility and a willingness to move forward after a limited amount of tears. I also learned how wonderful the people in the mystery community are. Their help and support got me through the rough times.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Author: Because of my limited time and distribution mechanisms, traditional publishing was the best fit for me. I would definitely recommend it to other authors.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Author: Don’t stop believing in yourself and your work in progress, but take classes, network, and do everything you can to improve your writing. Finally, pay it forward.

//////////////
About the book:
For culinary challenged Sarah Blair, there’s only one thing scarier than cooking from scratch—murder!

Married at eighteen, divorced at twenty‑eight, Sarah Blair reluctantly swaps her luxury lifestyle for a cramped studio apartment and a law firm receptionist job in the tired town she never left. With nothing much to show for the last decade but her feisty Siamese cat, RahRah, and some clumsy domestic skills, she’s the polar opposite of her bubbly twin, Emily—an ambitious chef determined to take her culinary ambitions to the top at a local gourmet restaurant.

Sarah knew starting over would be messy. But things fall apart completely when her ex drops dead, seemingly poisoned by Emily’s award-winning rhubarb crisp. Now, with RahRah wanted by the woman who broke up her marriage and Emily wanted by the police for murder, Sarah needs to figure out the right recipe to crack the case before time runs out. Unfortunately, for a gal whose idea of good china is floral paper plates, catching the real killer and living to tell about it could mean facing a fate worse than death—being in the kitchen!


Books-a-Million:  https://www.booksamillion.com/p/One-Taste-Too-Many/Debra-H-Goldstein/9781496719478

Monday, January 14, 2019

Book Publishing Secrets with Adventure Thriller Author Mark H. Jackson @markjackson883


Mark is a qualified solicitor who splits his time between protecting the rights of academics, writing thriller fiction and raising five mostly lovely children. He studied Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Birmingham with a nod towards alternative theory, focusing on the relationship of the Giza complex to the stars; portolan maps; and the origins of civilisation and religion. It was within this flame the plots for his future novels were born.

Mark’s writing career extends back over a decade and his diverse portfolio includes three novels, a number of short stories and even a six-part sitcom. Long listed for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, he is currently a featured author on the popular writing website, Wattpad, with over 6,000 followers from all around the world and well over one million reads of his first novel. Aside from Wattpad, Mark is an active member on a number of other writing websites, spending his spare time offering editorial and structural advice to fellow authors. Up to now Mark has considered writing as a creative outlet for the myriad of characters and ideas roaming about his head. The time has come to tease them out of hiding and breathe a little life into their lungs.

His latest book is the adventure/thriller The Atlantis Deception.





Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Mark: I suppose my mother is possibly to blame for fueling my interest in reading and writing, but I always wanted to read. I was that child under the sheets late at night with a torch and my latest book. I loved reading and writing just seemed a natural bedfellow. I remember attempting to write an Enid Blyton style mystery at primary school so I guess it was in me from an early age. I was quite a solitary child and just enjoyed the escapism it offered. In what feels like a different lifetime, I studied Archaeology and Ancient History at university with a nod towards alternative theory, focusing on topics such as the relationship of the Giza complex to the stars; portolan maps; and the origins of civilisation and religion. It was within this flame the plot for The Atlantis Deception was born.
Is this your first book?
Mark: The Atlantis Deception is indeed my first foray into the tumultuous world of novel writing, and a book I started writing way back in 2009. The journey to publication has certainly been lengthy and one scattered with numerous moments of elation, despair and lashings of writer’s block.
A German property developer stumbles upon a mysterious and ancient artefact. Enigmatic Cambridge academic, Dr John Hunter, is commissioned to investigate. Hunter's acceptance leads him on a trailblazing adventure from the headquarters of a clandestine organisation in England, to a lost city in the heart of the Brazilian Rainforest, before climaxing deep under the sands of Egypt.
Pioneering theory is spliced by epic battles, daring escapes, and elaborate schemes aimed at unravelling a secret history hidden from humanity for the past twelve thousand years. Although imagined, many of the conclusions are cutting edge and written in such a way so as to blur the line between fact and fiction.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Mark: I am published by the crowdfunding publisher, Unbound (which had links to Penguin at the time). The route is still in its infancy and certainly cannot be considered an easy option. Unbound set its authors a target figure to publish, somewhere between £4k and 20k depending on how the novel is published, digital only, paperback, hardback and/or audio. As an author, it is then up to you to market and sell your novel on the basis of customers receiving a pre-order and additional rewards depending on the pledge level (art prints, name in the novel or even dinner with the author). In return for successfully negotiating the perilous ups and downs associated with crowdfunding, Unbound offer a much more author friendly contract, particularly in terms of royalties.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Mark: The application stage is no different to any other traditional publisher although as a result of the funding mechanism I understand around 1 in 10 books are accepted and of those accepted, around 1 in 10 make it through to publication. It is certainly a tough introduction into the world of publication and certainly sets you up for the even tougher post-publication marketing phase.
In terms of the pros of the cons, once through the crowdfunding stage, they are much the same as the usual arguments always cited in the self-publishing vs traditional publishing debate. In a nut shell, self-publishing can reap higher rewards (since the royalties are not shared) whereas a traditional publisher could take up to 90% of any sales you make. However, in return for that 90%, a traditional publisher might give you an advance and at the very least will provide you with all the tools needed to generate a professional product (editors, cover artists, illustrators, proof readers etc). Obviously you can have all this as a self-published author, but you will need to fund everything yourself. These days both routes require authors to market their own work. 
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Mark: The publishing industry as a whole is in a state of transition and I’m not convinced the traditional publishers have really come up with a plan to combat the rise of the self-published author. It is bleak for new authors signing publishing contracts – advances are more and more scarce, marketing budgets for all but the most established names are non-existent. It is crazy that new authors (even when armed with a deal from Penguin) with no following and generally little marketing experience, are expected to almost get on with it themselves. This can include organizing and paying for their own adverts and book/blog tours. It is almost as though they are being set up to fail.
Unbound sit somewhere between self-pubbing and traditional publishing and at the moment I’m quite happy. I’m still aggrieved I have to fund and lead on the marketing of, The Atlantis Deception, but at the same time it has been fun engaging with blogs such as this and working out how to build a following on Twitter and Instagram. Facebook is next on my agenda! 
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Mark: It isn’t easy and if you don’t hit the ground running you will fail pretty quickly, but crowdfunding does fill you with an enormous sense of achievement if successful. Once successful you then receive all the benefits of having your book published by a traditional publisher but with a greater share of the royalties. If you have the money to fund yourself I think self-publishing in this climate is almost a no-brainer, but if you don’t have a spare 5-6k or have a burning desire to see your manuscript in your local Waterstones, then Unbound are a great option.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Mark: Never give up and take any criticism on the chin. Not everyone will appreciate what you do and you will need the hide of a Rhino to survive in this industry!
BOOK BLURB:
A German property developer, Hans Hoffmann, revels in the belief he has discovered the key to unleashing the weapon responsible for sinking Atlantis. Hoffmann requests the help of Cambridge archaeologist, Dr John Hunter to validate his mysterious find. Hunter's acceptance leads the maverick
academic on a journey from the headquarters of a clandestine organisation in England, to a lost city in the heart of the Brazilian Rainforest, and climaxes inside a chamber hidden deep beneath Egyptian Heliopolis. Pioneering theory is spliced by epic battles, daring escapes, and elaborate schemes aimed at unravelling a secret history hidden from humanity for the past twelve thousand years.

Atlantis is a very visual word. A word evoking mystery, forgotten realms, underwater palaces… the list goes on. I find this Plato inspired concept of Atlantis fascinating and read anything and everything I can lay my hands on. The theories are diverse and range from the feasible to the outlandish, but certain concepts keep reoccurring. The Atlantis Deception takes the ideas of accepted and alternative theory, weaving them together to create a believable universe where our past still dictates our future.

The novel follows the trials and tribulations of a fictional Cambridge academic, Dr John Hunter. The focus is not on Atlantis itself, but rather on what happened to its people it the wake of the loss of their homeland. The Atlantis Deception is a classic action adventure tale with heroes, villains, shadowy organisations and self-serving plots, each underpinned by progressive archaeological theory. The novel is written with the aim of both exciting and making readers think in equal measure. Although imagined, many of the conclusions the characters reach are cutting edge and described in such a way so as to blur the line between fact and fiction.

ORDER YOUR COPY:


Amazon: http://bit.ly/Atlantis-Deception