Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Interview with Kutula from Yassa
Happy Wednesday, dear people of the blogosphere!! Today, I bring you Kutula from Yassa. He's a character I hear a lot of people fall in love with. If you haven't read Yassa, this is the week to do it. It's on sale at Amazon and Smashwords for just $3.99. ONE WEEK ONLY!!
Jo: Hello everyone! I’m so happy to present you with my guest for today’s interview: Kutula. Kutula was integral to the plot of Yassa and became one of Mr. Khan’s right-hand men. Let’s find out how! Hello, Kutula, how are you today?
Kutula: I’m great, Jo, how about you?
Jo: Doing fine. I’d like to start off with questions about Genghis. Are you okay with that?
Kutula: Nothing would make me happier. I love your hair, by the way.
Jo: (blushes) Well thank you (pats hairdo). Yours is fabulous too! Now, Kutula, how did you meet Genghis?
Kutula: When I met him, he was just a boy of ten, named Temujin, who had managed to kill many of the General’s men singlehandedly. I could tell Temujin was up to something – he is a clever one – so I played his little game and pretended to be weak myself. What struck me first was the lad’s looks. He was such a good-looking kid (Kutula smiles and looks a little dreamy).
Jo: Then what happened?
Kutula: (shakes his head a little) We put him in a cangue and took him away to our camp as a slave. He was a murderer and an outlaw. We had every right to claim him. But I did get to see him put on quite a show for the General first.
Jo: What’s a cangue?
Kutula: A cangue is two pieces of wood with holes for the head and hands that we fasten together with a lock on either end. A person can walk but they cannot escape because we also attach it to a rope. If they don’t move when the rope is pulled, they fall and oftentimes break their neck in the process. There are many men who lost the power of speech due to the damage the cangue did to their necks when they fell.
Jo: That sounds horrible (shudders). Was Temujin a good slave?
Kutula: He worked very hard, yes. But I hated to see his strong spirit in the hands of my people at the time. They were a brutal bunch.
Jo: I know you helped him escape and won your own freedom in the process. Could you tell us what really happened the night you let the boys go?
Kutula: I had been planning my own freedom for a very long time, you see. I belonged to the General. I was his concubine. He had bought me when I was just a boy of fifteen and ruled over me with an iron fist. I hated him. But my true love was a beautiful young man, around my age, with long, dark hair and thick, curly eyelashes that lived in a yurt near ours. My plan was to have most of the soldiers follow the boys, who I blamed for cutting the General’s throat, and let the rest of the slaves go so they could overthrow the men left behind. I took a risk, yes, but it was a risk worth taking. I watched those boys run until I couldn’t see them anymore, then I raised the alarm. When the men came to my yurt, I pretended to be upset over coming in and finding the General with his throat cut. I blamed it on Temujin and his friends: Jelme, Jamuka, and Bo’orchu. Those fool soldiers took off, knowing the rains were coming, in the hopes of catching those four boys. Even if they had returned, I would have had control of the camp and could have dispatched them easily with a wave of my hand.
Jo: Wow. That was one elaborate plan. You must have a good head on your shoulders.
Kutula: Of course I do. I may be feminine, but I am not stupid. It was decided that I would be in control of our tribe from that point forward.
Jo: I never meant to imply that you were. Sorry. I… (shuffles papers). You seem to be the backbone of the entire book. You help Temujin escape his slavery, help him by sending a recommendation to Wang Khan, and help him find a potential fiancé for his son, Jochi. How did you know what would happen in that situation?
Kutula: I had no idea what was going to happen. I thought Temujin would make the offer, Wang Khan would accept, and the two tribes would unite. What I got was a big mess of war.
Jo: (laughs) Sometimes what happens leaves us with a question of how in the hell we ended up in a situation. I found you very humorous in the book. You were one of my favorite characters. There was one incident, when Jelme insulted you, that I found particularly funny. Tell me, what made you punish Jelme the way you did rather than breaking his neck for his insult?
Kutula: (laughs) He was just a young thing and wasn’t thinking when he spoke. Besides, he was one of Temujin’s best friends; I’m not just the pretty boy who goes around killing people because they made me angry.
Jo: You helped young Temujin and older Genghis. How stunned were you when he was named Khan and changed his name?
Kutula: I was shocked that we accomplished exactly what we set out to do after the betrothal was denied. I was so proud of him. But, that man has some strange notions about loyalty. When that mess with Börte happened… I shouldn’t talk about that.
Jo: What? What happened?
Kutula: None of your business.
Jo: Ugh! Fine! You men are so frustrating. Okay, another question then: Do you believe Genghis spoke to God?
Kutula: I don’t know if he did or if he didn’t. But, I can tell you he knew things no normal person could possibly know.
Jo: Well, that’s all the time we have for today. Thank you, Kutula, for giving us your time today.
Kutula: Thank you for having me.
If you have any questions you'd like to ask Kutula, feel free to put them in the comments and I'll add them to the post.
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Interview with Genghis Khan from Yassa
As the blog post title suggests, I recalled Genghis to my head and did a bit of an impromptu interview with him. If you have any questions you'd like to add, leave them in the comments section and I'll add them to the interview as they're posted. As a special treat, Yassa will be on sale until next Monday. Enjoy the read!!
GENGHIS KHAN from the novel Yassa
Jo: Hello, Mr. Khan, it’s nice to have you here today. Thank you for taking time out of your busy conquering schedule to talk with us. When I’m done with my questions, we’ll take a few from the audience.
Genghis: You’re welcome. You should all count yourselves lucky to have a great man like me in your insignificant presence.
Jo: Yes, well, okay… Let’s get to the questions then. So, tell us about the day you murdered your brother, Bekhter.
Genghis: Half brother. That day is the one that’s most clear in my mind. I drew my first real blood as a warrior. Kill or be killed was the choice; you can see which I chose for I sit before you on this uncomfortable chair.
Jo: Sorry about the chair, Mr. Khan. How old were you when this occurred?
Genghis: I was ten. But I was no longer a child. Circumstances required that I become a man and take over the rule of my family. My father, the great Yesugei, chose me from his children to lead the family when he no longer could. I had been in charge for a year. Bekhter was a pain in my ass from the start.
Jo: Tell us, what happened to your father?
Genghis: He was invited in as a friend and then poisoned by the Tatars. They were a rival tribe. I had just been left at Börte’s tribe, where I was to remain until age twelve when I would marry her. My father was murdered on his way home.
Jo: That’s very sad. I’m sorry to hear of your loss.
(Genghis tears up and his lip trembles.)
Jo: On a happier note: Tell us about your wife, Börte.
Genghis: She is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. I fell in love with her at once. At first, I thought perhaps she would only want my future title to pass to her children, but soon discovered that was not the case. Börte is loyal, smart, and beautiful. I have given her great wealth and status in return for her love.
Jo: That’s so sweet! She sounds wonderful. We’d like to hear a little bit about the struggles you faced in your personal life while conquering Asia. Would you care to share a bit about what made you the man you’ve become?
Genghis: Well, you know about the murder of my father by the Tatars then the murder of my half-brother by me. Then, I was arrested and taken into slavery for killing Bekhter, Börte was stolen from me two weeks after our wedding by the Merkits, my best friend, Jamuka, tried to rape her so I had to cast him from my side, the great Wang Khan betrayed me by refusing betrothal of his granddaughter to my son, and then there was that thing with Börte going crazy…
Jo: What caused that?
Genghis: None of your business. (Genghis grips his sword.)
Jo: Okay then (shuffling papers). Let’s move on to the next question: Yassa Law. Tell us what it is and why it’s so important.
Genghis: Yassa is a law that my people live by. It states: Above all else, you’re to be loyal to those you pledge yourself to. I only hand out one punishment for breaking it: death without honor. In my land, when blood is spilled, it is not an honorable way to die. Honorable would be having your back or neck broken. I turned my back on my own rule and allowed Jamuka to live when he betrayed me. That was the biggest mistake of my life. If I had upheld my law and killed him on the spot, I would have had fewer struggles.
Jo: I see. So Jamuka caused you a lot of trouble?
Genghis: Yes. He fought against me to become Khan, tried to steal my wife after I forgave him and let him live the first time, wrote her letters, and attempted to kill me on more than one occasion.
Jo: Wow. He sounds like a great friend.
Genghis: No. He was a terrible friend. Have you not been listening to me?
Jo: That was sarcasm…
Genghis: Huh?
Jo: Nevermind. Well, I’d like to thank you, Mr. Khan, for being here with me today! Is there anyone you would like to thank or say hello to before we say goodbye?
Genghis: Yes. Thank you to: Quasar, Jelme, Bo’orchu, Kutula, and, most of all, Börte. I love you all. (Genghis gets teary).
Jo: If you'd like to know more about Genghis, go pick up a copy of Yassa today! It will be on sale for $3.99 over the next week (regular price is $9.99) in honor of Mr. Khan paying us a visit! Get it on Amazon or Smashwords. Well, folks, that’s all for today! Join us tomorrow for an interview with Kutula! Until next time, WRITE ON!
GENGHIS KHAN from the novel Yassa
Jo: Hello, Mr. Khan, it’s nice to have you here today. Thank you for taking time out of your busy conquering schedule to talk with us. When I’m done with my questions, we’ll take a few from the audience.
Genghis: You’re welcome. You should all count yourselves lucky to have a great man like me in your insignificant presence.
Jo: Yes, well, okay… Let’s get to the questions then. So, tell us about the day you murdered your brother, Bekhter.
Genghis: Half brother. That day is the one that’s most clear in my mind. I drew my first real blood as a warrior. Kill or be killed was the choice; you can see which I chose for I sit before you on this uncomfortable chair.
Jo: Sorry about the chair, Mr. Khan. How old were you when this occurred?
Genghis: I was ten. But I was no longer a child. Circumstances required that I become a man and take over the rule of my family. My father, the great Yesugei, chose me from his children to lead the family when he no longer could. I had been in charge for a year. Bekhter was a pain in my ass from the start.
Jo: Tell us, what happened to your father?
Genghis: He was invited in as a friend and then poisoned by the Tatars. They were a rival tribe. I had just been left at Börte’s tribe, where I was to remain until age twelve when I would marry her. My father was murdered on his way home.
Jo: That’s very sad. I’m sorry to hear of your loss.
(Genghis tears up and his lip trembles.)
Jo: On a happier note: Tell us about your wife, Börte.
Genghis: She is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. I fell in love with her at once. At first, I thought perhaps she would only want my future title to pass to her children, but soon discovered that was not the case. Börte is loyal, smart, and beautiful. I have given her great wealth and status in return for her love.
Jo: That’s so sweet! She sounds wonderful. We’d like to hear a little bit about the struggles you faced in your personal life while conquering Asia. Would you care to share a bit about what made you the man you’ve become?
Genghis: Well, you know about the murder of my father by the Tatars then the murder of my half-brother by me. Then, I was arrested and taken into slavery for killing Bekhter, Börte was stolen from me two weeks after our wedding by the Merkits, my best friend, Jamuka, tried to rape her so I had to cast him from my side, the great Wang Khan betrayed me by refusing betrothal of his granddaughter to my son, and then there was that thing with Börte going crazy…
Jo: What caused that?
Genghis: None of your business. (Genghis grips his sword.)
Jo: Okay then (shuffling papers). Let’s move on to the next question: Yassa Law. Tell us what it is and why it’s so important.
Genghis: Yassa is a law that my people live by. It states: Above all else, you’re to be loyal to those you pledge yourself to. I only hand out one punishment for breaking it: death without honor. In my land, when blood is spilled, it is not an honorable way to die. Honorable would be having your back or neck broken. I turned my back on my own rule and allowed Jamuka to live when he betrayed me. That was the biggest mistake of my life. If I had upheld my law and killed him on the spot, I would have had fewer struggles.
Jo: I see. So Jamuka caused you a lot of trouble?
Genghis: Yes. He fought against me to become Khan, tried to steal my wife after I forgave him and let him live the first time, wrote her letters, and attempted to kill me on more than one occasion.
Jo: Wow. He sounds like a great friend.
Genghis: No. He was a terrible friend. Have you not been listening to me?
Jo: That was sarcasm…
Genghis: Huh?
Jo: Nevermind. Well, I’d like to thank you, Mr. Khan, for being here with me today! Is there anyone you would like to thank or say hello to before we say goodbye?
Genghis: Yes. Thank you to: Quasar, Jelme, Bo’orchu, Kutula, and, most of all, Börte. I love you all. (Genghis gets teary).
Jo: If you'd like to know more about Genghis, go pick up a copy of Yassa today! It will be on sale for $3.99 over the next week (regular price is $9.99) in honor of Mr. Khan paying us a visit! Get it on Amazon or Smashwords. Well, folks, that’s all for today! Join us tomorrow for an interview with Kutula! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Meeting the Characters
This week I'm planning to take a page from other blogs I've seen and do open interviews with the main characters in my books.
Better yet, I'm going to allow my readers to participate in said interviews! How am I going to do that, you ask? Great question! It's easy. I'll give you a list of characters here with their scheduled day to appear. You ask questions and give me your links either on today's post or the post on the day of the interview. I will answer them during the interview and give you a mention and shout out for asking (with links to your stuff).
How frikkin' cool is that?
So, without further ado, here are the characters you will see appearing on my blog this week:
Tuesday: Genghis Khan from Yassa (grown up)
Wednesday: Kutula from Yassa
Thursday: Abigale from The Abigale Chronicles
Friday: Bronya from Mystic ~ Bronya
If there is anyone else you would like to see interviewed, leave me a message. I have enough characters to fill at least nine posts. Here is a list of other people in my books:
Yassa: Borte, Jelme, Bo'orchu, Jamuka
The Abigale Chronicles: Emmett, Kristy, Ada
Mystic series: Markaza, Lily, Shelia
If you want to hear from any of these characters, feel free to ask! I'm hoping we can have some fun with this!
Don't forget, Mystic ~ Bronya is available now at Amazon for just $3.99 (and there's a preview of Lily in the back).
Enter the contest on Goodreads to win a free copy of Mystic ~ Bronya!! The link is right up there on the sidebar.
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Better yet, I'm going to allow my readers to participate in said interviews! How am I going to do that, you ask? Great question! It's easy. I'll give you a list of characters here with their scheduled day to appear. You ask questions and give me your links either on today's post or the post on the day of the interview. I will answer them during the interview and give you a mention and shout out for asking (with links to your stuff).
How frikkin' cool is that?
So, without further ado, here are the characters you will see appearing on my blog this week:
Tuesday: Genghis Khan from Yassa (grown up)
Wednesday: Kutula from Yassa
Thursday: Abigale from The Abigale Chronicles
Friday: Bronya from Mystic ~ Bronya
If there is anyone else you would like to see interviewed, leave me a message. I have enough characters to fill at least nine posts. Here is a list of other people in my books:
Yassa: Borte, Jelme, Bo'orchu, Jamuka
The Abigale Chronicles: Emmett, Kristy, Ada
Mystic series: Markaza, Lily, Shelia
If you want to hear from any of these characters, feel free to ask! I'm hoping we can have some fun with this!
Don't forget, Mystic ~ Bronya is available now at Amazon for just $3.99 (and there's a preview of Lily in the back).
Enter the contest on Goodreads to win a free copy of Mystic ~ Bronya!! The link is right up there on the sidebar.
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Author Interview: Janiera Eldridge
Happy Thursday, everyone! Today, I have the pleasure of bringing you an interview with Janiera Eldridge, the author of Soul Sisters. It's available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords for just $2.99 and in paperback on Amazon for $10 and CreateSpace for just $9.99.
Enter to win our rafflecopter giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
First, a little about Janiera:
Janiera enjoys feeding her book addiction when she not writing. She is also a book blogger at Beauty and Books where she mixes being a book nerd with keeping things chic. When not reading or writing she is freelance writing in the entertainment industry. Soul Sisters is her debut novel.
Now, a little about her new book Soul Sisters:
Synopsis:
Soul Sisters is an urban fantasy novel about African-American twin sisters Ani and Dana who have a rather unique secret: one sister is human while the other is a vampire. While the sisters have lived peacefully with each other for many years one fateful night will change both their lives forever. When a drunken man tries to attack Dana (the human sister) Ani (the vampire sister) protects her sister with all of her ferocious power.
However, when the vampire’s leader Donovan finds out about the public display he calls for the sisters to be assassinated for disobedience. Ani and Dana now are in for the fight of their lives to protect each other as well as the lives of their dedicated friends who have joined them on their mission for survival. If Dana and Ani can make it through this time of uncertainty, Ani can take her new place as vampire queen. Soul Sisters is expected to be a trilogy; The book also features a multicultural cast of characters that brings a new edge of chic to the vampire world.
Soul Sisters is published by Mystic Press and was released on August 18, 2012.
Hi, Janiera! I’m happy to have you here today and thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions about yourself and your new book Soul Sisters.
Jo: I’m a curious person by nature and am dying to know where the idea for Soul Sisters originated. Humor me?
Janiera: I get this question a lot and it’s still really hard to answer because I’m never really sure. LOL. I’ve loved vampires since I started reading and one day the idea just hit me- what if there were twins and one is a vampire and one is human? I know it hard to believe that his just popped into my head but it really did and I have no idea where it came from.
Jo: What does a good writing day look like for you?
Janiera: A good day of writing contains getting up in the morning, doing promotions and scheduling more promotions for about 2 hours, then writing for the rest of the day. Sometimes that works out a lot of times it doesn’t. Promotions are a big part of being a writer but they’re not nearly as fun as writing itself. With the release of my first book, I’m really just trying to slip in writing whenever I can.
Jo: I know you have a physical disorder. Can you tell us a little bit about your illness and how/if it affects your writing schedule?
Janiera: I have Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and it makes it extremely hard to have a 9-5 job. Luckily, I have wonderful parents who believed in my goal to be published and tell stories for a living. When I left college after one semester, I know they were scared but I got published in less than a year and now they know I mean business. lol. Fibromyalgia is when over active nerves cause constant pain and lack of sleep. Some days it totally changes my schedule and I can’t do anything because the pain is so severe. The CFS keeps me tired all day so it’s a double whammy. lol. I’m a work-a-holic so I’m still learning how to rest when I need to otherwise it just makes things worse. The people in my life are so understanding about how I can’t work some days and I feel so blessed to have them.
Jo: Tell me about your 100+ reading challenge list. What’s that about and how did it get started?
Janiera: I’d only read like 3 books last year because there was so much going on! However, I knew when I was opening my blog that I wanted to get back into reading again. A really cool book called Book Chick City had a 100+ reading challenge for 2012 and I knew it was a challenge I had to try! So far, I’ve read 41 out of 100 books and Goodreads keeps telling me I’m 22 books behind my goal. I don’t really worry about it though because I’ve read so many more than last year and quite a few of them have been 800-1,000 page books. I’m just glad to be deep back into reading again whenever I can scratch out the time.
Jo: I see you’ve had your Beauty and Books blog going since November of 2011. Why did you get started blogging?
Janiera: I stumbled across a book blog one time and just thought it was one of the best blogs I had ever seen! I loved the fact that I could help promote authors and review books on my blog.
Jo: Have you learned anything via the process you wish you’d known up front?
Janiera: That it would be like having a second job. There are perks to being a book blogger. Since I’m a book and beauty blogger I often get free books and beauty products. I work very hard for these things though and anyone wanting to be a book blogger should know you have to put in the hard work to stand out.
Jo: How much time would you say you spend every day on social networking? Do you think it helps sales? What organizational tools do you use (if any)?
Janiera: I spend about two hours a day on Social networking. That includes promotions for the book on blogs as well as Facebook and Twitter. It totally helps. An author should be doing AT LEAST 20 minutes a day of promos. My book started bringing in sales really fast when it was self-published following the 20 minutes a day rule. I use Excel to keep track of all of my blog promotion obligations and I use hootsuite.com to help me manage and schedule Tweets and Facebook posts. You can’t be on social media all day so, hootsuite really helps.
Jo: You’re an active blogger with over 400 posts. How do you keep up with posting so often and writing a novel?
Janiera: I only post once maybe twice every day. When I’m not reviewing, I’m promoting authors. I schedule all posts the night before so in the morning they’re ready to go. It’s a routine that was really easy for me to get into so I don’t even think about it now. I had no idea I had that many posts though, wow!
Jo: I see you’re an entertainment freelance writer as well. Do you have other blogs or places you write? Tell us about them.
Janiera: I’m currently not writing for any entertainment company but I have written for websites like Directorslive.com in the past. I currently do occasional posts for hersocialnetwork.com but it’s not a paid job. It’s a wonderful website for women to connect and share information. I love writing there.
Jo: You have over 4,000 followers on Twitter. Any secret formula there?
Janiera: No secret formula there, just hard work. I’ve spent time on Twitter interacting with people, sharing other people’s interesting information and posting my own quality info. When people know you’re a real person and you share others' work people naturally follow you because they want to hear what you will say next.
Jo: Tell me about your publisher, Mystic Press (I love their name, by the way). How did you hear about them?
Janiera: I heard about them because someone mentioned them on my Facebook profile. I submitted a query to them on Saturday night and on Sunday evening I got a response that they were interested in my book. I was so shocked and happy! They’re a small press but they work with us authors one on one to make sure everything is perfect for our books. Unlike other publishers they help us a lot in promoting my book.
Jo: Who designed your blog? Have you considered branding across all your platforms or having a logo?
Janiera: I designed my blog and as for branding I already do that. An author’s books are their brand and their logo their covers. I have my covers all over the place and they always lead back to a major platform.
Thanks for stopping by and giving me some of your time. I know a writer’s time is precious and I truly appreciate it!
If you’re interested in following Janiera, you can find her here:
@LazenBeauty
on her FaceBook page
on her blog Beauty & Books
on Pinterest
or on Goodreads
You can purchase a copy of Soul Sisters at the following fine ebook retailers:
Amazon Kindle - $2.99
Barnes & Noble - $2.99
Smashwords - $2.99
Amazon - $10
CreateSpace - $9.99
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Enter to win our rafflecopter giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
First, a little about Janiera:
Janiera enjoys feeding her book addiction when she not writing. She is also a book blogger at Beauty and Books where she mixes being a book nerd with keeping things chic. When not reading or writing she is freelance writing in the entertainment industry. Soul Sisters is her debut novel.
Now, a little about her new book Soul Sisters:
Synopsis:
Soul Sisters is an urban fantasy novel about African-American twin sisters Ani and Dana who have a rather unique secret: one sister is human while the other is a vampire. While the sisters have lived peacefully with each other for many years one fateful night will change both their lives forever. When a drunken man tries to attack Dana (the human sister) Ani (the vampire sister) protects her sister with all of her ferocious power.
However, when the vampire’s leader Donovan finds out about the public display he calls for the sisters to be assassinated for disobedience. Ani and Dana now are in for the fight of their lives to protect each other as well as the lives of their dedicated friends who have joined them on their mission for survival. If Dana and Ani can make it through this time of uncertainty, Ani can take her new place as vampire queen. Soul Sisters is expected to be a trilogy; The book also features a multicultural cast of characters that brings a new edge of chic to the vampire world.
Soul Sisters is published by Mystic Press and was released on August 18, 2012.
Hi, Janiera! I’m happy to have you here today and thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions about yourself and your new book Soul Sisters.
Jo: I’m a curious person by nature and am dying to know where the idea for Soul Sisters originated. Humor me?
Janiera: I get this question a lot and it’s still really hard to answer because I’m never really sure. LOL. I’ve loved vampires since I started reading and one day the idea just hit me- what if there were twins and one is a vampire and one is human? I know it hard to believe that his just popped into my head but it really did and I have no idea where it came from.
Jo: What does a good writing day look like for you?
Janiera: A good day of writing contains getting up in the morning, doing promotions and scheduling more promotions for about 2 hours, then writing for the rest of the day. Sometimes that works out a lot of times it doesn’t. Promotions are a big part of being a writer but they’re not nearly as fun as writing itself. With the release of my first book, I’m really just trying to slip in writing whenever I can.
Jo: I know you have a physical disorder. Can you tell us a little bit about your illness and how/if it affects your writing schedule?
Janiera: I have Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and it makes it extremely hard to have a 9-5 job. Luckily, I have wonderful parents who believed in my goal to be published and tell stories for a living. When I left college after one semester, I know they were scared but I got published in less than a year and now they know I mean business. lol. Fibromyalgia is when over active nerves cause constant pain and lack of sleep. Some days it totally changes my schedule and I can’t do anything because the pain is so severe. The CFS keeps me tired all day so it’s a double whammy. lol. I’m a work-a-holic so I’m still learning how to rest when I need to otherwise it just makes things worse. The people in my life are so understanding about how I can’t work some days and I feel so blessed to have them.
Jo: Tell me about your 100+ reading challenge list. What’s that about and how did it get started?
Janiera: I’d only read like 3 books last year because there was so much going on! However, I knew when I was opening my blog that I wanted to get back into reading again. A really cool book called Book Chick City had a 100+ reading challenge for 2012 and I knew it was a challenge I had to try! So far, I’ve read 41 out of 100 books and Goodreads keeps telling me I’m 22 books behind my goal. I don’t really worry about it though because I’ve read so many more than last year and quite a few of them have been 800-1,000 page books. I’m just glad to be deep back into reading again whenever I can scratch out the time.
Jo: I see you’ve had your Beauty and Books blog going since November of 2011. Why did you get started blogging?
Janiera: I stumbled across a book blog one time and just thought it was one of the best blogs I had ever seen! I loved the fact that I could help promote authors and review books on my blog.
Jo: Have you learned anything via the process you wish you’d known up front?
Janiera: That it would be like having a second job. There are perks to being a book blogger. Since I’m a book and beauty blogger I often get free books and beauty products. I work very hard for these things though and anyone wanting to be a book blogger should know you have to put in the hard work to stand out.
Jo: How much time would you say you spend every day on social networking? Do you think it helps sales? What organizational tools do you use (if any)?
Janiera: I spend about two hours a day on Social networking. That includes promotions for the book on blogs as well as Facebook and Twitter. It totally helps. An author should be doing AT LEAST 20 minutes a day of promos. My book started bringing in sales really fast when it was self-published following the 20 minutes a day rule. I use Excel to keep track of all of my blog promotion obligations and I use hootsuite.com to help me manage and schedule Tweets and Facebook posts. You can’t be on social media all day so, hootsuite really helps.
Jo: You’re an active blogger with over 400 posts. How do you keep up with posting so often and writing a novel?
Janiera: I only post once maybe twice every day. When I’m not reviewing, I’m promoting authors. I schedule all posts the night before so in the morning they’re ready to go. It’s a routine that was really easy for me to get into so I don’t even think about it now. I had no idea I had that many posts though, wow!
Jo: I see you’re an entertainment freelance writer as well. Do you have other blogs or places you write? Tell us about them.
Janiera: I’m currently not writing for any entertainment company but I have written for websites like Directorslive.com in the past. I currently do occasional posts for hersocialnetwork.com but it’s not a paid job. It’s a wonderful website for women to connect and share information. I love writing there.
Jo: You have over 4,000 followers on Twitter. Any secret formula there?
Janiera: No secret formula there, just hard work. I’ve spent time on Twitter interacting with people, sharing other people’s interesting information and posting my own quality info. When people know you’re a real person and you share others' work people naturally follow you because they want to hear what you will say next.
Jo: Tell me about your publisher, Mystic Press (I love their name, by the way). How did you hear about them?
Janiera: I heard about them because someone mentioned them on my Facebook profile. I submitted a query to them on Saturday night and on Sunday evening I got a response that they were interested in my book. I was so shocked and happy! They’re a small press but they work with us authors one on one to make sure everything is perfect for our books. Unlike other publishers they help us a lot in promoting my book.
Jo: Who designed your blog? Have you considered branding across all your platforms or having a logo?
Janiera: I designed my blog and as for branding I already do that. An author’s books are their brand and their logo their covers. I have my covers all over the place and they always lead back to a major platform.
Thanks for stopping by and giving me some of your time. I know a writer’s time is precious and I truly appreciate it!
If you’re interested in following Janiera, you can find her here:
@LazenBeauty
on her FaceBook page
on her blog Beauty & Books
on Pinterest
or on Goodreads
You can purchase a copy of Soul Sisters at the following fine ebook retailers:
Amazon Kindle - $2.99
Barnes & Noble - $2.99
Smashwords - $2.99
Amazon - $10
CreateSpace - $9.99
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Empirical Evidence
Happy Wednesday, everyone! If you all remember back on Monday's post, I talked about publishing houses using the Amazon best seller list of indie authors as a slush pile. Spurred on my some of the comments I received, I decided to delve into this a bit further.
Here's what I found:
The first blog has a brief interview with an indie author and then talks about the publishers that are picking up indie titles.
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/08/independence_19.html
This next one is linked from the first one and tells about an indie author who turned down a publishing deal to remain indie. From what I understand, it was not pocket change.
http://jeffrivera.com/index.php/for-writers/758-why-indie-author-ruth-cardello-turned-down-a-7-figure-book-deal.html
When you read this one, pay close attention to the paragraph with the bold Traditional Publisher path in it.
http://indiebookwriters.com/2012/08/05/the-4-different-publishing-paths-authors-can-pursue-today/
And, this last one talks of Penguin buying Author Solutions. It's a VERY good read.
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/08/why-self-publishers-should-care-that-penguin-bought-author-solutions229.html
As you can see, I rarely talk out of my ass. I find it heartening to hear stories of an indie author that chose to stay indie and it makes me more confident in my own choices.
What do you guys think about all this? Would you go for it or stay indie?
Don't forget to check out Mystic ~ Bronya over on Amazon. Free to sample, just $3.99 to own!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Here's what I found:
The first blog has a brief interview with an indie author and then talks about the publishers that are picking up indie titles.
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/08/independence_19.html
This next one is linked from the first one and tells about an indie author who turned down a publishing deal to remain indie. From what I understand, it was not pocket change.
http://jeffrivera.com/index.php/for-writers/758-why-indie-author-ruth-cardello-turned-down-a-7-figure-book-deal.html
When you read this one, pay close attention to the paragraph with the bold Traditional Publisher path in it.
http://indiebookwriters.com/2012/08/05/the-4-different-publishing-paths-authors-can-pursue-today/
And, this last one talks of Penguin buying Author Solutions. It's a VERY good read.
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/08/why-self-publishers-should-care-that-penguin-bought-author-solutions229.html
As you can see, I rarely talk out of my ass. I find it heartening to hear stories of an indie author that chose to stay indie and it makes me more confident in my own choices.
What do you guys think about all this? Would you go for it or stay indie?
Don't forget to check out Mystic ~ Bronya over on Amazon. Free to sample, just $3.99 to own!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
The Hungry Freelancer Beth Jones
Happy Tuesday, everyone! For any of you that have been following my blog, I bet you remember my blog party and the great list of blogs I posted for you to check out and follow. Today, I'm going to bring back one of those folks I listed on Day 1. Her name is Beth Jones @bethythewriter. You may know her as The Hungry Freelancer from her blog by the same name.
Beth just released a book titled The Hungry Freelancer: How to Break Into (and Succeed In) the World of Freelance Writing and I'd like to take a moment to tell you all a little about it.
Synopsis:
If you've ever dreamed of being a writer but don't know how to get started, this book is for you.
The Hungry Freelancer: How to Break Into (and Succeed In) the World of Freelance Writing walks you through, step-by-step, the process of becoming a freelance writer. You don't need a college degree or years of experience to succeed as a writer, and this book shows you how. For just $2.99 on Amazon Kindle, you'll learn how to get started as a writer, how to write your first article, how to start making money, and how to find new, exciting jobs that will bring in fast cash. Chapters include: 1. The Art of Storytelling; 2. "Writer" VS "Author; 3. Where to Start; 4. How to Find (and Keep) Clients; 5. Making Money; 6. Writing it Down. Whether you're an experienced journalist who wants to jump into online writing or a stay-at-home mom who wants to supplement her income, The Hungry Freelancer will help you reach your writing goals.
Doesn't that sound like an amazing read? Now, a little about the author, Beth Jones.
Author Bio:
Beth Jones is a freelance writer who currently resides in Maryland with her husband, sons, and cat. When she's not busy writing, Jones enjoys spending time outdoors absorbed in a good mystery novel. A military wife, Jones has lived all over the U.S. and has worked as a writer in many different cities.
You can find Beth on Twitter @bethythewriter and you'll love giving her FaceBook page a like. Come on, everyone needs to feel the love!
As a recap, you can find The Hungry Freelancer: How to Break Into (and Succeed In) the World of Freelance Writing on Amazon by clicking the link here. It's just $2.99. Pocket change you can turn into a regular paycheck!
On to some more great news! You can now purchase Mystic ~ Bronya in both paperback and Kindle versions. Also, as you can see on the widget, the Goodreads giveaway has begun! Make sure you enter for your chance to win!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Beth just released a book titled The Hungry Freelancer: How to Break Into (and Succeed In) the World of Freelance Writing and I'd like to take a moment to tell you all a little about it.
Synopsis:
If you've ever dreamed of being a writer but don't know how to get started, this book is for you.
The Hungry Freelancer: How to Break Into (and Succeed In) the World of Freelance Writing walks you through, step-by-step, the process of becoming a freelance writer. You don't need a college degree or years of experience to succeed as a writer, and this book shows you how. For just $2.99 on Amazon Kindle, you'll learn how to get started as a writer, how to write your first article, how to start making money, and how to find new, exciting jobs that will bring in fast cash. Chapters include: 1. The Art of Storytelling; 2. "Writer" VS "Author; 3. Where to Start; 4. How to Find (and Keep) Clients; 5. Making Money; 6. Writing it Down. Whether you're an experienced journalist who wants to jump into online writing or a stay-at-home mom who wants to supplement her income, The Hungry Freelancer will help you reach your writing goals.
Doesn't that sound like an amazing read? Now, a little about the author, Beth Jones.
Beth Jones is a freelance writer who currently resides in Maryland with her husband, sons, and cat. When she's not busy writing, Jones enjoys spending time outdoors absorbed in a good mystery novel. A military wife, Jones has lived all over the U.S. and has worked as a writer in many different cities.
You can find Beth on Twitter @bethythewriter and you'll love giving her FaceBook page a like. Come on, everyone needs to feel the love!
As a recap, you can find The Hungry Freelancer: How to Break Into (and Succeed In) the World of Freelance Writing on Amazon by clicking the link here. It's just $2.99. Pocket change you can turn into a regular paycheck!
On to some more great news! You can now purchase Mystic ~ Bronya in both paperback and Kindle versions. Also, as you can see on the widget, the Goodreads giveaway has begun! Make sure you enter for your chance to win!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Monday, August 20, 2012
Publishers vs. Agents
So I heard this rumor that publishers are now treating indie titles as the slush pile. If this is true, agents beware!
From my understanding, a literary agent makes money by getting authors signed with publishing houses. If we're skipping the middle man (the agent) what does that mean for them? Are they going to lose their places in society as gurus with the inside track on a publishing house?
I don't know many indies that didn't try to go the traditional route before self-publishing. If their book happens to hit the ebook market and become a best-seller, and the author is then picked up by a publishing house, what happened to the agent's commission? It's gone. There is none.
We all have jobs in the publishing industry; an author's is to write, a cover artist's is to design, an agent's is to sell a work to a publishing house, an editor's is to make sure all the Is are dotted and all the Ts are crossed, and a publishing house's is to get that book into print and sell it to distributors.
But wait! Indie authors do all of the above on their own (except for the cover/interior design and editing in most cases). If they get picked up by a publisher, they do it on their own.
Where does that leave the agent?
Things I don't know:
It seems to me that agents may become superfluous if they aren't proactively changing with the market. That's a major loss in revenue for them. Think about super successful indies like Amanda Hocking and what her book may have done for an agent. Did she submit her manuscript and get rejected? Is that agent now kicking him or herself in the ass?
Question for you indies out there: Did you submit your manuscript to an agent? Multiple agents? Did you get rejected? What are your sales like now?
I'm a curious person by nature. Humor me, please?
I have great news! Mystic ~ Bronya, the first book in my Mystic series, releases tomorrow! The print version is already available for sale but the "official" release date is August 21, 2012. Keep your eyes here for the link when it goes live for Kindle and KDP Select. Don't forget to enter the Goodreads giveaway (see the widget on the side of my blogger blog) starting tomorrow for your chance at a printed, signed copy! I'm giving away TWO!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
From my understanding, a literary agent makes money by getting authors signed with publishing houses. If we're skipping the middle man (the agent) what does that mean for them? Are they going to lose their places in society as gurus with the inside track on a publishing house?
I don't know many indies that didn't try to go the traditional route before self-publishing. If their book happens to hit the ebook market and become a best-seller, and the author is then picked up by a publishing house, what happened to the agent's commission? It's gone. There is none.
We all have jobs in the publishing industry; an author's is to write, a cover artist's is to design, an agent's is to sell a work to a publishing house, an editor's is to make sure all the Is are dotted and all the Ts are crossed, and a publishing house's is to get that book into print and sell it to distributors.
But wait! Indie authors do all of the above on their own (except for the cover/interior design and editing in most cases). If they get picked up by a publisher, they do it on their own.
Where does that leave the agent?
Things I don't know:
- Are agents allowed to choose an indie title and offer representation?
- Do they watch the market for successful indie published titles and consider it?
- Is there an agent out there that does this?
- Why wouldn't they (what are the drawbacks)?
It seems to me that agents may become superfluous if they aren't proactively changing with the market. That's a major loss in revenue for them. Think about super successful indies like Amanda Hocking and what her book may have done for an agent. Did she submit her manuscript and get rejected? Is that agent now kicking him or herself in the ass?
Question for you indies out there: Did you submit your manuscript to an agent? Multiple agents? Did you get rejected? What are your sales like now?
I'm a curious person by nature. Humor me, please?
I have great news! Mystic ~ Bronya, the first book in my Mystic series, releases tomorrow! The print version is already available for sale but the "official" release date is August 21, 2012. Keep your eyes here for the link when it goes live for Kindle and KDP Select. Don't forget to enter the Goodreads giveaway (see the widget on the side of my blogger blog) starting tomorrow for your chance at a printed, signed copy! I'm giving away TWO!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
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