Love Giveaways with a Guarantee of a Great Read?

Happy Friday, everyone! As you all know by now, I'm a member over at INDIE Books Gone Wild. Well, we've just had a brilliant idea to get the books by our authors into your hands with greater ease. As you know, we do a little promotion and giveaway of our authors' books (at no extra cost to them) at the end of every edit, formatting job, or proofread.

Well, here's how we're doubling the exposure for our authors, and providing great books to readers:

Every time we list a giveaway on the IBGW blog, we'll shoot our readers an e-mail with the rafflecopter link and details about the book. No more having to keep an eye on the blog to know when another great title has just hit the shelves!

Besides that one e-mail every now and again, you'll get a message every January that recaps the previous year's publications. We won't bug you about anything else, sell your e-mail address, or spam you. No crazy marketing stuff, just books by our authors we know you'll enjoy winning (and reading).

As you may be aware, we're planning to add six new editors to our amazing team! Details about those lovely ladies will come on the IBGW blog next week and the week after. Keep your eyes peeled! This is going to be amazing. I've searched the web to find editors who have a love for the finished product and adoration for their clients. I think you'll all be extremely pleased to get to know them, work with them, and add them to your "go to" editor list. Their way of thinking melds well with ours, and I think you'll all love them as much as we do.

Time to give you that link!

MailChimp signup for INDIE Books Gone Wild Publishing News

If you're one of our authors, signing up for that e-mail will let you know when your giveaway is live.

What do you think? Did you sign up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Marketing Advice via Bella Roccaforte

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm continuing my post about what I learned from UtopYA Con 2014. I started it yesterday, but I'm interviewing for new editors over at INDIE Books Gone Wild and it's time-consuming. Apologies! First, a little bit of information about how I met Bella Roccaforte and what I learned from her. Put down your coffee (Gasp! Did I just say that?), grab your pens and notebooks, and let's get going; because this is going to be epic.

I met Bella at UtopYA Con and we quickly realized we're from the same area in Georgia (North Atlanta). Because I am who I am, I talked about everything marketing. Getting off the elevator, she turns and says, "You should go to the Amazon marketing panel tomorrow. I'll be there."

After all she told me over the previous hour, I would've broken an ankle to get to that panel. So, I went. It wasn't long before Bella found herself ushered to the front table by the moderator.

Things I learned:

• Stay off your book's Amazon splash page. Every click that doesn't equal a sale, gets put into the algorithms (not in a good way).
• Don't make the first book in a series free until you've written at least three. This gives you a loss-leader that starts your sales funnel.
• Keywords matter. Don't hunt for your Amazon keywords in Google (not the same search engine, ya know?).

Pretty cool, right?

Now, most Indie authors have day jobs or other things they do besides writing. Bella happens to be an SEO analyst. After the con was over, she shared the following post with us:

Links that Every Indie Author Should Know

You must go check out that post. You can thank me later.

What was the last thing you learned from someone when you weren't intending to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

UtopYA Con 2014 - Take Me to Your Reader - Images and Information

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Wow! I just spent four days in Nashville, TN at my first writer's con. It was amazing, and I'm gonna share my experience with you.

Let me begin by telling you about the amazing people I met. I may accidentally leave someone off this list (if I do, you have my deepest apologies). I'm also gonna say a little about each one. Beware, this is a long list and in no particular order!

Carol and Adam Kunz - These two were like a mini comedy troupe. But, Adam did carry the big bucket of books Tia and I were dragging down the hall to our table. Carol is now in possession of both I, Zombie and Depression Cookies. She was so frikkin sweet!
Casey L. Bond - She was even more amazing in person than she is online! I know, how's that possible, right? But it's true!
Felicia Tatum - Known her online for a while, met her face to face at the con. She's got a wicked sense of humor.
Carlyle Labuschagne - I was thrilled to get to meet this extremely classy lady. She's adorable, fun, and always had the biggest smile. Probably the only time I'll ever get to hang out with her because she's from South Africa. Priceless (like her accent!).
Misty Provencher - She was so cool. Her face was painted with awesome curls and adored with gems. She huggled everyone and handed out amazing salted caramels.
Amy Evans - Adorable! She was so friendly and cute. I wanted to chat with her for hours, but time restraints held us back.
Bethany Lopez - Another author I was sooo very excited to meet! She brought her daughter along. It was awesome to have a young adult there!
Christina Mercer - She sat next to me Friday night for the Fan Invasion event. Very elegant lady and so fun to chat with. Strong sense of self-confidence radiated from her being.
Toni Lesatz - She is my coffee goddess. Seriously, between manning the table and running hither and thither, I had zero time to visit Starbucks. Toni shows up and hands me a cup. I almost died it was such a sweet gesture. Friends for life. Seriously. I adore thoughtful people. If you don't know Toni, get to know her.
Sarah Ashley Jones - Just as amazing in person as she is online. No. More so. She's always laughing, smiling, and having fun. Plus, her dress for the awards was stellar! So beautiful.
Eva Pohler - Wow. She's such an interesting lady. I only got to sit down with her once on day 1, but I'm so glad I had that chance. There was a dinner at the Parthenon in Nashville with her on Sunday that I didn't get to go to, but how awesome is it that she set that up?
Elizabeth Kirke - Loved her dark mark tattoo. She's a humble, sweet soul with a charm about her that you miss once you walk away.
Michelle G Miller - Such a pretty lady! She was soft spoken, very tall, and super sweet.
N. L. Greene - Probably one of the sweetest people on the planet. She's crazy adorable, talks about her baby girls all the time (love), and smiles at you in a way that lights up your soul. Besides that, she's fun to hang out with (yeah, I made her sing, too!). *evil grin*
S. G. Daniels - Had to stalk her in order to meet her face to face, but so glad I did. She was lovely. Ever meet that person who radiates awesomeness? That's her.
Donna Dull - Didn't get but a moment or two here and there, but this lady will melt your heart. She's a recovering introvert who never missed a new connection as she ran around like crazy. Always had a smile on, and was super duper friendly.
Nely Cab - Stalked her down, too! Met her last year at the Decatur Book Festival and said hello, but didn't check out her books until this year. She's petite, cray cray adorbs, and soooo pretty!
Susan Burdorf - I only saw her for a moment as she ran up to collect the prize for the scavenger hunt giveaway she was doing, but we shared a hug and a few words. She loves all her UtopYA peeps so much!
Natasha Hanova - I did a piece on her blog about the writing business, and then I saw her at a table right across the way from me! I squealed, ran over, and gave her a massive hug! We got to chat a couple of times. She's so nice, open, and approachable. Meet this lady!
Chelsea Starling - I think about her and have to smile. She's kinda nutty, sosoooo elegant, always smiling, and delivers joy as she flits from person to person like a butterfly. Oh, and this lady has style! She was always very well dressed (like, to the nines every single day).
Megan Curd - Reminds me a lot of me. Prefers jeans to a dress, is fun and funny, and loves all things creative. She brought her L glass, but I didn't have time to touch it. Sad. I had a moment to chat with her, and she's also very down-to-earth real. Felt like I was chatting with an old friend.
Barbara (BJ) Sheldon - Not someone I knew before UtopYA. Holy wow am I glad I met her. There was never a dull moment. I think I did a little too much preaching at her table, but she was a JOY to hang out with once I talked to her a little. Can you say 80's dance off? Yes we did. She was fun, gorgeous, and so... Well, the only word I can come up with is Princess-like. Yes. Grace. She glittered like runway Barbie at the awards program.
Bella Roccaforte - Possibly one of the most brilliant marketing minds I've ever run across. She has fire-engine red hair and I could feel the smart radiating from her. It took two moments of engagement to realize: This lady has it together. Analyst, real, and classy. Yeah, no way am I letting her out of that lunch she suggested we have!
Lisah Stephens - Just had a moment with her, and it passed very quickly, but she seems really nice. Every time I saw her in passing, she was wearing a smile. All good with me!
Krystal Wade - Yoga teacher! (I have since been informed she was not the yoga instructor. LOL! She was the one talking about yoga early in the morning and my brain made the jump. Incorrectly, I might add). I don't know how people could even move, personally. We discussed snakes (and compared photos) and her three acres. Oh yes. This was one exhausting weekend! But she was centered and relaxed (even without the yoga), always with a smile on her face. Conversation flowed like water over rocks. She smiles and it lights up her whole being. Adore!
Nanette Del Valle Bradford - Her outfit for the awards was amazing! Yeah, she got my compliment. I didn't have a chance to sit down and chat with her, but we were part of some of the same discussions. She's a keen person and has those eyes that show you she's working things out in her head as those around her talk.
Justine Vandale - Came all the dang way from Canada! She was sooooooo nice! Just a tiny little thing with a huge personality. Loved her quick wit and wicked sense of humor. My favorite: "Nice accent you have there." *grin* Yes, she did. I was cracking up.
Tia Silverthorne Bach - My roomie! She's also my coworker at INDIE Books Gone Wild. I love that she wasn't a huge party animal who kept me awake. Know what she did every night? Worked! I love that kind of dedication to a client. She worked while I read myself to sleep. It was a wonderful arrangement and I couldn't have asked for a better roommate. In the mornings (it was super early) she bounced right out of bed with nary a groan. *win* Finally getting to meet her in person, she was everything I hoped she'd be. I'm very lucky to be able to call her friend. She's just beautiful inside and out.
Terri Barber - Adore! We talked for a long time when she stopped by my table to gather her pre-ordered books. Why did she pre-order them? Because they're different. Not the same old stuff. I'd be willing to bet she and I would have lovely, long conversations about books we've read. She was so open and willing to meet someone new, too! What a sweetie! Oh, and I loved her hair! Too cool!
Megan Toffoli - She had me cracking up on more than one occasion. She smiled the whole time. I don't know how she didn't have a massive headache at the end of the day. But she kept going. I ran into her a lot! It was awesome.
Shelley Custer - For an introvert, she was very outgoing! I loved meeting her and chatting. She's got a big smile and is always bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. You'd love her.
Stacey Nixon - Yeah, from the UK?! She was there and was totally fabulous. When her and her crew got on the elevator to go to the awards, they stole my breath away. Stunning ladies! They were also loads of fun.
Allyson Gottlieb - This is one young lady you have to meet. She's such a ray of sunshine in every situation. Not often you get to meet someone like her. Very giving, sweet, and man was she happy to be at UtopYA. I don't think anything could've erased her smile.
Amber Shawl Garr - Wow. She was radiating happy the whole weekend. I have to say, she's a lovely edition to this list. I could go on and on about how gracious she was. Stopping now before it gets weird. LOL
Kat Nequette - How much awesomesauce can be packaged? Kat. And that's a lot. I was so happy she came by my table to say hello and pick up her books. We also got a picture together! *squee* She was another one I reallllly wanted to meet! So glad I did.
Michelle Hart - She worked the hell out of UtopYA Con. It was completely amazing to meet her. She's such a beautiful young lady with a killer smile and a huggles attitude. Adorbs!
Kelly Risser - One of the lovely ladies who'll be working on "the anthology that turned into a novel with five different sections written by five different authors" with Tia, N. L. Greene, Casey, and me. Kelly was so easy to talk to and her brain was like clockwork. She spit out so many ideas, I wanted to hug her for being awesome!
Chelsea Fine - Just as her name sounds. She's gorgeous, clever, and refined. Like many of the people there, she always had a huge smile and approachable attitude. I only spoke with her for a moment, but she was funny and gracious.
Mary Ting - Made her way over to my table and introduced herself (yeah, she was on my list of must-meet authors). I got a hug and a number of nice words from her before I made her enter our book giveaway for IBGW. Well, she won! Well deserved, too! Mary always had a big smile and a great attitude. Must meet!
Teal Haviland - Beautiful woman with an equally beautiful daughter. They were so stunning at the awards. And that little girl of Teal's completely rocked the dance floor at the after party!
Nancy Byers - Yes. This lady! I'd been waiting to meet Nancy for a long time, too! Luckily, she stopped by my table at the Fan Invasion and I got the chance! *grin* She was lovely. So much fun to chat with.
Kendall McCubbin - Who came all the stinkin' way from Scotland! Yeah she did. It was the most amazing, thrilling, fan encounter ever! She's another youngling I couldn't get enough of. Always had a smile and was having the best time! She's also remarkably brilliant for one so young. I was impressed.
Janet Wallace - She's the amazing woman who created UtopYA Con. I never got more than a moment to speak with her, but she had a lot going on. I'm not one to bog people down with my presence. Janet was a beautiful speaker with a wicked sense of style. I loved her outfit every single day. Besides, she's the one who found us Gennifer Albin as a keynote speaker. I'll get to that in a moment. But if you ever have the chance to sit down with Janet, do it. Then write me and tell me about it so I can pretend it was me. *grin*
Christine Marquette - I spoke with her every chance I got. She's a wealth of information and so very creative. She's so tiny, I was scared I was gonna break her when I hugged her. I do believe we got a picture together, but I can't remember. I look forward to working with her in the future. Yeah, we talked shop. LOL
S. M. Boyce - I was soooo happy to meet her! It was like basking in the glow of the sun from close range. She's bright, sparkly, and has a killer smile. I adore people who are bouncy and full of life. She's one of those people. I can't wait to get to know her better! Wish I'd had more time at the dance party to chat with her, but we were going out as she was coming in. Gah!
Ginny Gallagher - Flooded her bathroom because of a shower curtain misunderstanding, used all her clean towels to soak up the water, and still arrived downstairs looking fab (with a funny story to boot). Spent a lot of time with Gin. She sat with us a lot, chatted when she could, and had a great sense of humor. I adore her to pieces.
Regan Claire - My table neighbor, reviewer of I, Zombie way back when, and bubbly as all getout. She was such a sweetie and you could tell she was there to work her books. Always had a smile, a kind word, and watched our stuff for us a couple times when Tia and I both had to run out. She was great.
Kris Lindemann Seek - I've only had a few people come up and tell me how awesome my blog is. Kris was one of those. It made me feel so good about what I do here. She wasn't afraid of anything (or didn't seem to be), and I loved meeting her so much.

So afraid I left someone off! If I didn't mention you in my list and we met, please accept my apologies! That's a long list and there were seven hundred people at the con. Besides all that, I'm getting wordy. LOL

Moving on!

Now, I'm gonna talk about the two keynote speakers!
First up, Sylvia Day!
Her message was inspiring and women empowering. She was so real to me as she stood at the podium and spoke about how she made it in the business. We got some great advice on what to (and not to) do with/during our careers. I didn't get a chance to meet her because I was behind a table for her signing, but everyone said she was a very cool lady.

Next, Gennifer Albin!
You may recognize her name from the cover of Crewel. Yup, the same Gennifer came to our conference. Boy do I have a lot to say right now. Stay with me! She was supposed to be the Friday morning speaker, but her plane was delayed seventeen hours, and she had to sleep in the cruddy airport on a crummy cot. Saturday morning, there she was, bright and bubbly for the con attendees. What got me was she could've turned around and gone home, and not a single person there would've blamed her. But she didn't. She arrived and told us a terrifying story of falling to the bottom of life before clawing her way out to rise to where she is today. It was moving, beautiful, and every woman in the room cried. She's the epitome of everything I want to be when I grow up. I'll shout her accolades from every rooftop.

I got to meet her at her signing the next morning. I put her book down for her to sign, and she started chatting with me like we'd been friends since we were in diapers. She's real, she's beautiful, and she's funny as hell. Time for a photo!

In order: Me, the awesomesauce that's Gennifer Albin, and the amazingness that's Barbara (BJ) Sheldon.

Yassa totally photobombed this. Do you see it? *grin*

Every day we were there, was a marathon. There wasn't a spare moment to make time to find anyone. Had I not come in the day before, I would've missed out on a lot. I'll share tips and hints about my trip over the next week in case you're thinking of attending next year. Then, we'll get back to our regularly scheduled program.

Do you know any of the ladies listed above?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tia Silverthorne Bach - Guest Post

Happy, happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have a super special guest post for you all from my sister from another mister, Tia Silverthorne Bach. She's got some awesome advice for you. At the end of this post, you'll find two things: A Rafflecopter entry form for a chance to win Tia's book, Chasing Shadows, and the winner(s) of my personal share contest for the author interview series I didn't tell anyone I was running. Sometimes, I like to surprise people by doing something they didn't know was planned. I kept a spreadsheet of each share, retweet, post, and comment on every interview I did. Only the people directly involved in the interviews were eligible to win a prize. I wanted them to be organic with their shares, and not be doing it with the hopes of winning anything. An unexpected prize is the best kind you can receive, in my humble opinion. Isn't that lovely? Anyway, kick back, relax, and get your read on! I now give the floor to Tia.

Squashing the Bugs

by Tia Silverthorne Bach

UtopYA is less than a week away!

Thanks to the alien theme this year, I’ve had all kinds of creatures on the brain: everything from the kind ET to the gross bug-alien from Men in Black.

Bugs gross me out. I could be having a perfect picnic on a beautiful summer day, but it’s over if I see a bug. That’s the same way I feel if I see constant errors in an otherwise amazing novel.

Yes, I managed to go from bugs (and an alien theme) to editing mistakes. It’s a gift.

So, what’s a writer to do?

Read Out Loud
Not only will you catch mistakes (left out words, poorly written sentences, misused words), but it’s also an excellent tool for discovering and fixing awkward dialog.

Simplify
Have you ever struggled with a long sentence that becomes a punctuation nightmare? It might be time to simplify. Either break the sentence into two shorter ones or write a tighter, less wordy, sentence.

Search & Find
Every writer has words they overuse. When you are done with your manuscript, do a search and find for your problems (e.g., just, that, all, and ly words). It’s also a great tool to make sure character names are spelled consistently. Then, as you edit, mark down overused words outside the initial search. Then, it’s time to hit the Thesaurus and make some changes. Which brings me to…

Internet
Don’t forget to use this valuable tool when editing. On the first read through, mark any issues which require an Internet search and then go back through and do them all at once. If you go to the Internet with each question, at least if you are like me, you’ll end up distracted. Use the Internet to check spellings, punctuation rules (Grammar Girl is a great source), and other references. Example: Is it Crock Pot or crock pot?

Hire a Professional
Yes, even after all of the suggestions above. You are too familiar with your own work to find everything. At the very least, please hire a proofreader. When I proofread, I will usually do a full edit of the first chapter or so many pages to show the author what it would look like. Whether you get a full edit or a proofread, you really need a trained pair of eyes on your hard work.

Now, go squash some bugs!

Can’t wait to see everyone at UtopYA.

*No bugs were harmed in the writing of this post. If squashing bothers you, feel free to imagine catching the bugs, putting them in a glass jar, and setting them free.*

~ Tia Silverthorne Bach

That was an awesome post. Guess what? It's gonna stay up as the top post until the end of the con. I'll be back next Monday with a goodies post about what I saw and learned at the con.

Why not give Tia a follow on these social media sites?
Pinterest: TiaSBach
Google+: Tia Bach
Goodreads: Tia Silverthorne Bach
Website: Tia Bach

As promised, here's the Rafflecopter entry form!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now for a very cool little add-on to my author interview series!

As I posted, tweeted, shared, and shouted about these authors from the rooftops, there were three people who helped me out at every turn. Because I'm a crazy author, I decided early on to award prizes for the person who shared the most. Well, turns out there were three people who really embraced the Indie author code and shared their butts off. Who are they and what did they win?

Well...

First prize (a $50 Amazon gift card): Casey L. Bond
I swear, every time I turned around, I was thanking her for retweeting, sharing on Facebook, or sharing on other media. She was really a force to be reckoned with. Thank you for all you do, Casey!

Second and Third prizes (a $25 Amazon gift card): Carlyle Labuschagne and N. L. Greene
These ladies did a ton of sharing. Not only of their own posts and interviews, but of other authors' as well. Thank you both so very much for spreading the Indie love!

I'll be handing out these fab prizes at UtopYA.

I can't wait to see you all!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

UtopYA Con 2014

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Well, you all know I'll be at UtopYA Con this coming weekend. What you may not know is some of the facts about that event. I'm gonna share those now, as well as give you information on where you can find me and my awesome table mate, Tia Silverthorne Bach.

First up, the super awesome Fan Invasion event!

This event is completely separate from UtopYA Con. Even if you don't have tickets to the con, you can still attend the Fan Invasion on Friday, June 20, 2014, from 6-9pm. Attendance is free IF you bring a new or gently used children's book. Otherwise, you can get in for just five bucks. More about the sponsor here in a moment.

First, here's a little video I made to promote it:



It includes information on all the authors I did interviews with here on the blog. Here's a list of authors that'll be at the signing:
Charlotte Abel
Jennifer Armentrout
Amy Bartol
Stacey Marie Brown
Jacinda Buchmann
Susan Burdorf
Nely Cab
Chelsea M. Cameron
G. P. Ching
Kristie Cook
Shelly Crane
Anna Cruise
Megan Curd
Silvia Day
Rebecca Ethington
Amy Evans
Lila Felix
Sherry Ficklin
Michelle N. Files
Chelsea Fine
Amber Garr
Nichole Greene
Chanda Hahn
Rachel Harris
Amanda Havard
Teal Haviland
Erin Hayes
Andrea Heltsley
Heather Hildenbrand
Erin Horn
P. K. Hrezo
S. A. Huchton
C.C. Hunter
Ella James
Amanda Jason
Carmen Jenner
Sarah Ashley Jones
Tiffany King
Heather Love King
Elizabeth Kirke
C. A. Kunz
Anna Kyss
Carlyle Labuschagne
Cydney Lawson
Quinn Loftis
Liz Long
Bethany Lopez
Heather Lyons
Kelsey Macke
Jen McConnel
Christina Mercer
Jo Michaels
Amy Miles
Michele G. Miller
Christal Mosley
K. C. Neal
Rhiannon Paille
Melissa Pearl
Eva Pohler
Misty Provencher
C. J. Redwine
Kristina Renee
Sharron Riddle
Kelly Risser
Sarah Ross
Mindy Ruiz
Heather Self
B. J. Sheldon
Chelsea Starling
Nancy Straight
Felicia Tatum
Keary Taylor
Raine Thomas
Paulina Ulrich
Magan Vernon
Rysa Walker
Annie Walls
Devri Walls
Stacie Wilson
Morgan Wylie

We're listed (and will be seated) alphabetically.

This event is sponsored by Book 'Em. Here's a little info about them:

Book’em, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2014, is a nonprofit 501c3 organization focusing on two core areas: the collection and distribution of books to children and teens in lower-income families who might not otherwise have books of their own; and providing volunteer readers to local preschools and elementary schools. 

Now, the con kicks into full swing that morning, so be sure you get there early if you have tickets.

Here's the information about where you can find Tia and me Friday and Saturday:

We'll be in Area 51 at table number 27. If you get lost, look for the big banner on the front of our table with the INDIE Books Gone Wild logo front and center, and our logos on either side with our book covers.

Here's a picture of those logos:

We'll have a huge prize pack of books for a giveaway at the con. Titles include:
Keepers of Arden - The Brothers, Volume One by L. K. Evans
Tbinkerknese 101 - Poetic Enrichment for Teens - Book One by E. L. Thomas
First Visions - Second Sight, Book One by Heather Topham Wood
A Pair of Docks - The Derivatives of Displacement, Book One by Jennifer Ellis
Borrowed Things by Doris Schneider
I, Zombie by Jo Michaels
Chasing Shadows by Tia Silverthorne Bach
Sixty Days of Grace by Dorothy Ruppert

As you can see, it's a great bundle of books. We've worked on all of them in some way (may have been a small way, but we did something for each one). You can enter by stopping by our table and filling out a quick entry slip with your name. We'll draw the winners on Sunday morning.

We're so excited to meet everyone! Come on by and say hello because we aren't the shy type!

Come back tomorrow for a wonderful guest post by Tia, and find out who won my super secret sharing prize!

Are you going to UtopYA Con this year? Are you excited about next year? Planning to join us then?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Heather Topham Wood's 4K Likes Giveaway

Happy Monday, everyone! Today, I'm sharing an awesome giveaway with you from the always fabulous Heather Topham Wood. You may see some books on here you're familiar with. Get to entering and good luck!

I now turn the floor over to Heather!

Thank you all for helping me reach 4,000 fans on Facebook and Twitter! To celebrate, I'm hosting a huge giveaway with tons of prizes: gift cards, paperbacks, eBooks and book swag! A big thank you to all the authors who have decided to take part. Giveaway is international and ends June 30. Best of luck! Prize List:

$15 Amazon Gift Card

$10 Amazon Gift Card

$5 Amazon Gift Card

Choice of eBook (up to $5.00)

Falling for Autumn by Heather Topham Wood Signed Paperback

Speak of the Devil by Shawna Romkey Signed Paperback and Swag

Dakota Captive eBook and Paperback by Alythia Brown

Gemini Rising by Louann Carroll eBook

A Shadow of Time by Louann Carroll eBook

Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux eBook

Wasteland by Lynn Rush eBook

Death Lies Between Us by Jody Kessler eBook

The Grave Winner by Lindsey Loucks eBook

The Grave Winner Signed Bookmark

Son of a Mermaid eBook by Katie O’Sullivan

Chasing Shadows eBook by Tia Silverthorne Bach

I, Zombie by Jo Michaels eBook

The Bird by Jo Michaels eBook

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo 

A Single Swim

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Well, it's less than a week now until I'm at UtopYA Con. I have to admit, my nerves are starting to get frazzled. As you all know, I'm a Klutz with a capital K. At my college graduation, I was the only person to drop their name card when handing it to the announcer. *head/desk* If one can fall over a pebble, I'll be the person to do it (and probably break an ankle in the process). Needless to say, I'm worried I'll do something idiotic like that and become the buffoon of the weekend. There are 695 confirmed attendees this year. People don't scare me--I've worked in retail for many years. But we all have our own fears; even if they're unfounded or ridiculous. There's no way to express how happy I am that my dear friend, Tia Silverthorne Bach, will be joining me.

Anyway, enough about all that. Let's get to the good stuff. What I'm about to share with you may scare the heebie-jeebies out of you. Well, maybe you need that. Grab a cup of coffee and let's get going!

A Single Swim

by Kristina Circelli

On August 13th, 2011, sixteen-year-old Courtney Nash passed away after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba that lurks in warm waters. This is her story.

A Single Swim follows Courtney's life and death, while taking a closer look into an amoebic infection very few people ever hear about - until it's too late. Tracing as far back as 1960s, Naegleria fowleri and the resulting infection of this parasite have taken more than a dozen lives, with a fatality rate of nearly 100%.

Through an examination of Courtney's case along with stories of other victims across the United States, A Single Swim offers a glimpse into our waters' rare silent killer. From ecology to symptoms, hospital care to awareness, find out what can happen ... after a single swim.

Here are the buy links for the book:
Amazon Kindle $1.99
iBooks $1.99

I don't know about all of you, but this scares the bejezus out of me. One swim? Well, what you don't see here is the fact that Courtney is related to the author. So, raising awareness means a lot to Kristina.

I do hope you'll check out the book and learn more about Naegleria fowleri.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo