Jo Michaels Blog

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

12 Days of Review Requests - Day Three

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Welcome to the 12 Days of Review Requests fun here on the Jo Michaels blog! If you missed the opening post, be SURE and check it out here. It has the Rafflecopter entry form for the Kindle HD7 (yeah, we got upgraded!). Each day, I'll post links to all the books pitched the previous day and a short recap of what I'm looking for you to put in the comments. Then, I'll have the Rafflecopter winner from the previous day, and the entry form for the current one along with the prizes. Let's get going!

I'm going to take a moment to remind everyone of my RULES (this is the last warning):

There's a place on each Rafflecopter entry form where you need to put the link to your book on Amazon. Do it. I export them as excel documents and go to the links from there.
Your pitch goes in the comments. Moderation will be turned off during this event. No ugly captchas, either. If you aren't nice, I reserve the right to delete your stuff. DO NOT put your link in with your pitch. I'll remove the entire thing.
**NO affiliate links and do not shorten your links.** I understand the need to make a buck, but really? I'll remove them.
I announce one review winner per day. You may pitch more than one book to me.
DO NOT review my books. Please. Feel free to read and love them, but if I'm reviewing yours, don't review mine. I'm not a swapper *grin*
Comments will be closed at 8am for the previous day's post. This is when a new post will go up. If you can't comment, you're on the wrong post.
BE NICE. Don't goad, harass, or annoy the other authors pitching their books (or myself).
DO feel free to buy some of the books and read/review them. We're all in this together. It's a party, guys!

Books marked with an astrisks and in BOLD are winners.
(That doesn't mean your book wasn't chosen, only that it wasn't chosen today)

Bound by Duty - Stormy Smith - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Shadows on Snow (A Flipped Fairy Tale) - Starla Hutchon - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Dry Stories - Kate Baggot - Amazon Kindle $3.56
From the Wreckage - Michelle G. Miller - Amazon Kindle FREE
An Unlikely Goddess - Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The House at Zaronza - Vanessa Couchman - Amazon Kindle $2.99
8 Weeks - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Click. Date. Repeat. - K. J. Farnham - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Kinetic: Book One of the Kinetic Trilogy - C. M. Zimmer - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Six Months to Get a Life - Ben Adams - Grab a sample on Drive here!
Family Planning (Choices Book 3) - Beth Carpenter - Amazon Kindle $0.99
***The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge - Christine Nolfi - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Release Club 1 - Misty Provencher - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Moonlight - David Rose - Amazon Kindle $1.69
View from the Sixth Floor: An Oswald Tale - Elizabeth Horton-Newton - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Facade: A Vampire Love Story - R. M. Webb - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The ABCs of Dinkology: Life - A. E. Stueve - Amazon Paperback $8.91
Of Mice and Money - Winifred Morris - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Cure - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.51
Siren - Jennifer Melzer - Amazon Kindle (Pre-order) $3.99 Grab a sample on Drive!
Ataxia and the Ravine of Lost Dreams - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $0.99
***Queen of Someday - Sherry Ficklin - Amazon Kindle $5.99
Fragile Creatures - Kristina Circelli - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Pariah - Casey L. Bond - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Destiny Finds Her - Miranda Lynn - Amazon Kindle $2.99In Dreams - Heather Mullins - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Indelible - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $3.99
They Called It Moosicide: A Denali Hawthorne Alaska Mystery - Lisa Hall Deckert - Amazon Kindle $2.99
At One's Beast - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $2.99
To Get Me to You - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Rabbit Ate My Homework - Rachel Elizabeth Cole - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Unseen - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Sticks and Stones - Shawn McGuire - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Sir Lyle's Dig - Sheldon Lefkowitz - Amazon Kindle $6.99
Warrior Lore: Scandinavian Ballads - Ian Cumpstey - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Good Luck With That Thing You're Doing: One Woman's Adventures in Dating, Plumbing and Other Full Contact Sports - Karen Yankosky - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Heart Thief - S. Lee Benedict - Amazon Kindle $4.99

Congratulations to Sherry! Your book has been tweeted, shared on Pinterest, added to my Goodreads TBR for the event, and shared on Facebook.

Today, I'm giving you my 2014 Review Video as a bonus! Great music *grin*

PITCH your book in the comments. Put the LINK to your book in the Rafflecopter form. Tell me why you think I'll like it, why I should check it out, and a little about the story. DO NOT give me a synopsis. I can get that from Amazon. Make it personal or make it funny. I care not. I'll be grabbing a sample of every book pitched and go from there.

AUTHOR ONLY entries will be removed from Rafflecopter before a winner is chosen. If you want a shot at winning the prizes, put BOTH in the box asking how you're entering.

I strongly encourage you to check out the works of your fellow Indie authors. Chat in the comments, talk each other up, make friends!

Book reviewers! You're welcome to play along, too! Meet and greet authors. Get new books to read and review. It only works if we all work together.

If you haven't joined my 2015 Review Team, do that here.

**Kindly remember, there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You will get a purchase if your sample interests me, and I'll try my best to read it. But if I find I can't give it more than 2 stars, I won't write the review. I've had a few I couldn't finish and it led to me not giving a review.**

Now it's time to announce the winners from yesterday's giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your prizes for today are from the fabulous N. L. Greene and me.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Throw me a pitch!

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

Jo

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

12 Days of Review Requests - Day Two

Happy Tuesday and welcome to the 12 Days of Review Requests fun here on the Jo Michaels blog! If you missed the opening post, be SURE and check it out here. It has the Rafflecopter entry form for the Kindle HD6. Each day, I'll post links to all the books pitched the previous day and a short recap of what I'm looking for you to put in the comments. Then, I'll have the Rafflecopter winner from the previous day, and the entry form for the current one along with the prizes. Let's get going!

I had a little snafu with Rafflecotper (wouldn't export the excel) so if you put a link to a sample yesterday, please send to me via PM either on Facebook or Goodreads. SORRY!

PITCH your book in the comments. Put your LINK in the Rafflecopter entry form. Tell me why you think I'll like it, why I should check it out, and a little about the story. DO NOT give me a synopsis. I can get that from Amazon. Make it personal or make it funny. I care not. I'll be grabbing a sample of every book pitched and go from there.

Please specify if you're entering as an author, a reader, or both. Author only entries will be removed before a winner is chosen.

IF you have a pre-order, please upload a SAMPLE to Google Drive and give people with the link permission to view. Put that link in the Rafflecopter form.

I strongly encourage you to check out the works of your fellow Indie authors. Chat in the comments, talk each other up, make friends!

Book reviewers! You're welcome to play along, too! Meet and greet authors. Get new books to read and review. It only works if we all work together.

If you haven't joined my 2015 Review Team, do that here.

**Kindly remember, there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You will get a purchase if your sample interests me, and I'll try my best to read it. But if I find I can't give it more than 2 stars, I won't write the review. I've had a few I couldn't finish and it led to me not giving a review.**

Now it's time to announce the winners from yesterday's giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today, we have a prize pack from Kristie Cook and a book from me! Be sure to thank Kristie for her donation to this event!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I look forward to your pitches today!

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

Jo

Monday, December 8, 2014

12 Days of Review Requests - Day One

Happy Monday, and welcome to the 12 Days of Review Requests fun here on the Jo Michaels blog! We're gonna kick off this event in style. If you missed the opening post from yesterday, be SURE and check it out here. It has the Rafflecopter entry form for the Kindle HD6. Each day, I'll post links to all the books pitched the previous day and a short recap of what I'm looking for you to put in the comments. Then, I'll have the Rafflecopter winner from the previous day, and the entry form for the current one along with the prizes. Let's get going!

BOOKS PITCHED WILL GO HERE.

For your comment (in the comments below NOT in the rafflecopter), pitch your book. Tell me why you think I'll like it, why I should check it out, and a little about the story. DO NOT give me a synopsis. I can get that from Amazon. Make it personal or make it funny. I care not. I'll be grabbing a sample of every book pitched and go from there.

I strongly encourage you to check out the works of your fellow Indie authors. Chat in the comments, talk each other up, make friends!

Book reviewers! You're welcome to play along, too! Meet and greet authors. Get new books to read and review. It only works if we all work together.

If you haven't joined my 2015 Review Team, do that here.

**Kindly remember, there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You will get a purchase if your sample interests me, and I'll try my best to read it. But if I find I can't give it more than 2 stars, I won't write the review. I've had a few I couldn't finish and it led to me not giving a review.**

RAFFLECOPTER FROM PREVIOUS DAY WILL APPEAR HERE WITH WINNERS

Now, up for grabs on day one is a HUGE prize pack of books from author Liz C. Long, and Toni Lesatz. Be sure and thank these generous ladies!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

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

Jo

Sunday, December 7, 2014

12 Days of Review Requests Begins Tomorrow

Happy Sunday, everyone! It's that time of year again, and I'm gearing up to take you all on a wild ride for a chance to win a book review and some great prizes. This is a long post. But you need to read it all. I know what you're thinking: Why would I compete for a review when I can just send my book here, there, or yonder and get one? Well, let me tell you why a book review by me is different (and totally worth it).

Why a Book Review by Jo Totally Rocks

I always buy the book I'm reviewing. It's just good manners. I've had many Indies offer to give me copies for review, but then I feel like a louse if I can't finish them for one reason or another (usually bad writing or formatting is the issue). So, I buy them myself. Booyah! Sale for you.

There's one thing you don't get from a lot of reviewers, eh? Most I've seen want you to send them a copy of the book for review. But what does that get you? Well, when they post that review to Amazon, it gets you nothing but words and stars (and a disclaimer saying the book was gifted). If your reviewer buys your book, it's shown as an Amazon verified purchase. Score!

Moving on...

In addition to the review showing shoppers I've actually spent money on your book, I start by telling the customer why I picked up the book, where I got it, and sometimes say a little word about the cover art, and then break the review into three parts:

1. From a Reader's Perspective - This is where I break down my review into plot, character, pacing, structure, and consistency in the first section. Those items are given a total of four stars to be awarded or redacted. Part two includes a look at grammar, punctuation, redundancy, and niggling things like that. My reviews are thorough.
2. From an Editor's Perspective - In this section, I outline where the book could use a little work if it needs it and what I liked and disliked about the structure, grammar, and punctuation. Books I've worked on have won awards. Yes, really.
3. Rating - I break the star rating down so potential buyers can see I'm not blowing smoke. I then go on to say who might like the book. I do NOT go on and on with filler about the plot, they can get that from the description. I never post spoilers.

See some of my reviews here.

My tastes:
I've read books in every single genre on the planet. Yes, really. I enjoy most of them. So don't be shy no matter what you write. I get into books that are well written. Next week, I'll be listing some of my favorite reads of 2014; you'll see the wide range of stuff I've read and liked.

Where I post reviews:
Everywhere I can find your book. Goodreads, B&N, and Amazon are my top three. But wait! It gets better! I also curate a review magazine on Flipboard with almost 2,000 regular readers, and has enjoyed over 30,000 shares of articles I include. My review also goes in there. Keep reading, there's more! Yes, really! I post to two blogs. This one and one over on Tumblr. Each has at least 200 followers (this one has more) and I have a huge list of people who subscribe by e-mail. Add to that, I'll be pinning your book covers with a link to the Amazon page over on Pinterest. At the end of the year, I'll be making a YouTube video (with awesome music) highlighting my favorite reads, as well as recapping here on the blog. I also have a large number of people on Goodreads who follow my reviews. So, you get plenty of bang.

Why does this matter?
Because I market your review to the people who read books. I make it really easy for them to buy your book by linking things. That market is those who are hungry for something new and exciting. People looking to snag the next great unknown author. I've spent a lot of time building trust with my readers and most of them love me. You should see the fan mail. :) The keyword is: Trust.

So, now that you know how all this is going to help you, I bet you're asking what's in it for me, right? I would be. If you aren't, you might want to think about why...

I'm getting to know new authors, building relationships, and becoming a recognized authority on what's good and what sucks in the literary world. So, yes, there's something in it for me. Hey, at least I'm honest!

What I don't do is use affiliate links or make money off your book in any way. I don't want someone thinking I gave your book five stars so I could make a buck off their purchase of a crappy book. Got it?

I do expect you all to give my page a like on Facebook, a follow on Twitter, an add on Google+, a follow of my YouTube Channel, and an entering of my fan-dom on Goodreads (or a friend request). Why does this matter? Because if you don't see the review, you can't share. Those who share their own review and the reviews of others will get preferential treatment during the next round of selections. I pay close attention.

Now for the rules and requirements!

I told you this was going to be long.

There's a place on each Rafflecopter entry form where you need to put the link to your book on Amazon. Do it. I export them as excel documents and go to the links from there.
Your pitch goes in the comments. Moderation will be turned off during this event. No ugly captchas, either. If you aren't nice, I reserve the right to delete your stuff. DO NOT put your link in with your pitch. I'll remove the entire thing.
NO affiliate links and do not shorten your links. I understand the need to make a buck, but really? I'll remove them/ignore them. Please only give me the basic link with the ASIN.
I announce one review winner per day. You may pitch more than one book to me.
DO NOT review my books. Please. Feel free to read and love them, but if I'm reviewing yours, don't review mine. I'm not a swapper *grin*
Comments will be closed at 8am for the previous day's post. This is when a new post will go up. If you can't comment, you're on the wrong post.
BE NICE. Don't goad, harass, or annoy the other authors pitching their books (or myself).
DO feel free to buy some of the books and read/review them. We're all in this together. It's a party, guys!

I reserve the right to block you if you don't follow my rules. They aren't hard.

AUTHORS, go to the corresponding day on the rule page to find where to pitch your book. Updated with which day we're currently on each morning. Thank you!

DAILY LINKS and RULE RECAP
can be found HERE

This is for you, not me. I update that page so you can get to the entry form and post for the corresponding day.

**Kindly remember, there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You will get a purchase if your sample interests me, and I'll try my best to read it. But if I find I can't give it more than 2 stars, I won't write the review. I've had a few I couldn't finish and it led to me not giving a review.**

Here's the Rafflecopter that'll run for the duration of the event (there will also be a daily one, so be sure and go to that day's page to pitch your book):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck! See you all tomorrow.

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

Jo

Friday, December 5, 2014

UtopYA Con 2015 - Millennium Maxwell House Information - Rooms, Rates, Codes

Hello everyone! It's Friday and I'm running a bit behind. *frowns* I've waited and waited to do this post, but since it seems I've had a little snafu, I'm posting it now.

What I wanted to give you was information about the number of rooms left at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel (the official hotel for utopYA Con - shown on the left here), and a couple of blurbs from the manager. Alas, it was not meant to be. *head/desk*

Instead, I'm gonna relay the information from the utopYA website, tell you some of my own experiences, and inundate you all with photos of the hotel. Yay!

BOOKING LINK

First of all, they're offering a rate of $105 per night on the standard rooms with the code:

1506UTOPYA

Here's what you get:
This is the standard king

And here's the standard double:

Now, if you feel froggy, you can upgrade to a superior king (club room). Here's the photo of that room:

When I went, Tia and I stayed in the club room with two double beds (couldn't find a photo of that one, but it looks a lot like the standard double above). They have pictures at the ticket purchase link below. *grin*

It wasn't much more per day, and we got a free meal coupon (one each) for each night we were there. A buffet at Maxwell's (the hotel restaurant) was around $15, so it kinda balanced out. We loved it!

So, all that being said, you're now armed with the information you need to get to booking.

But wait! There's more! Isn't there always? *grin*

The hotel has a number of (the website says 2-3) shuttles every half hour or so from the airport, so there's no need to take/pay for a cab. How nice is that?

If you'd like to ship your books to the hotel ahead of time, they'll store them for you at a rate of $25 per box, per day. You'll need to call them at this number to talk with them about storing your sweet paper babies.

1-800-457-4460 M-F 8 am to 5 pm

I don't know how many rooms they have left (that's one of the questions I so dearly wanted to ask), but you better get cracking! Last year, people were scrambling at the last minute for rooms. You don't wanna be one of those folks!

As an added bonus, you can check out the utopYA schedule here. It's gonna be so much fun!

Again, the link to purchase your room:

GET A ROOM

Be sure and pop on over to the other official utopYA blogs this month for more awesome information on the hotel (like the bar, menu at Maxwell's, Nashville stuff to do, and in depth information on the rooms and amenities - there are TONS - available).

A Book Vacation - Week 2

The Paisley Reader - Week 3

Book Junkie: Not So Anonymous - Week 4

So, did you get your room yet? How was it last year?

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

Jo

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Giveaway - Yakimali's Gift - Print

Happy Thursday, everyone! I can't believe there are only FOUR days left until the awesome fun begins here on the blog. That's right, it all starts on Monday, December 8, 2014. I'm so excited to find some new authors, see some familiar faces, and hear some awesome book pitches. *squeals*

Anyway, that's not what today is about! Today is me telling you about a giveaway IBGW has going on for an awesome print book.

Here are the details:

Title: Yakimali's Gift
Author: Linda Covella
Genre: Young Adult Historical Romance
Length (print): 226 pages
Buy Links: Amazon paperback $13.35

Synopsis:
It's 1775 in Mexico, New Spain, and 15-year-old Fernanda Marquina, of Spanish and Pima Indian ancestry, can't seem to live up to her mother's expectations or fit into the limited female roles of her culture. To escape, Fernanda grabs any opportunity to ride the horses she loves. At a greater cost than she could ever have imagined, her dream of adventure in faraway lands is realized. With her family, Fernanda joins Juan Bautista de Anza's historic colonization expedition to California. On the arduous four-month journey, Fernanda makes friends with Feliciana, the young widow Fernanda can entrust with her deepest thoughts; Gloria, who becomes the sister Fernanda always wished for; and Gloria's handsome brother Miguel, gentle one moment, angry the next and, like Fernanda, a mestizo--half Indian and half Spanish. As Fernanda penetrates Miguel's layers of hidden feelings, she's torn between him and Nicolas, the Spanish soldier hoping to win her heart. But propelling Fernanda along the journey is her search for Mama's Pima Indian past, a past Mama refused to talk about, a past with secrets that Fernanda is determined to learn. The truths she discovers will change the way she sees her ancestry, her family, and herself.

If you want to see more, including screenshots of the interior and full wrap cover, you can visit the original post over on the IBGW blog here.

Here's the Rafflecopter entry form:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What do you think? Love the pretty? Did you enter?

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

Jo

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Thunderclap - Fractured Glass

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Yeah, I'm running late today! So much to do, so little time to do it in. Anyway, giving you all a heads up about some very cool things going on.

As you all may know, Fractured Glass went live for pre-order last Friday. Let me tell you, it made one heck of a bang out of the gate.

But we're going for a boom!

If you think you might like to show us some support the day the book goes live, join our thunderclap campaign!

Join here: http://thndr.it/1tn4Tzg

We also have a Facebook party planned! You can join in the fun here: https://www.facebook.com/events/844476385605030/

There are some awesome prizes from amazing authors up for grabs. Join the fun!

Also (I know, there's more!), the Goodreads giveaway for a printed copy of the book and a cool Fractured Glass bookmark is still going strong.

Enter here:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Fractured Glass

by Jo Michaels

Giveaway ends December 31, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Remember, next Monday is the big day! The 12 Days of Review Request event goes live and the Rafflecopter entry form for the Kindle HD6 will be up. If you haven't seen the rules page, kindly visit it here.

On day 12, I'm giving away a 2015 Review Team long-sleeved t-shirt. If you haven't joined in the fun for that, you may do so here.

Okay, I think I have everything caught up now. If you have any questions about the events or happenings here on the blog, feel free to shoot me an e-mail and ask!

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck if you entered to win.

Did you join or enter?

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

Jo

Links and Books by Jo Michaels