Is This Me? and Prep for Doom - Sales and Freebies!

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today, I have a freebie and a sale for you all. I know you're excited, so I won't waste time with a long intro. Let's just dive in, shall we?

First up, a FREEBIE!
Title: Is This Me? (Being Me Vol 1)
Author: Tricia Copeland
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Length (print): 382 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle FREE (as of this posting)

Blurb:
Have you ever chosen a path that led you astray?

Amanda has no trouble choosing a college or picking a major. What she does have a problem with is what she would have least expected, a guy. Smart and sexy, Doug is focused on school responsibilities and post-graduation plans. Their paths intersect and Amanda must accept his help or risk losing her scholarship. Determined to maintain appearances, Amanda begins to lie to family and friends. The ease at which she repeatedly deceives those closest becomes disturbing and leaves her questioning: “Is this me?”

Can Amanda find her way out of her contrived world?


Now, a book on SALE!
Title: Prep for Doom
Authors: E.R. Arroyo, Laura Albins, Amy Bartelloni, Brea Behn, Casey L Bond, T.K. Carter, Kate Corcino, Harlow C Fallon, Kelsey D. Hancock, Casey Hays, Kate L. Mary, Jon Messenger, Yvonne Ventresca, Megan White, and DelSheree Gladden
Genre: Dystopian Anthology
Length (print): 390 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $1.99 (as of this posting)

Blurb:
From the imaginations of twenty authors of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction comes PREP FOR DOOM - an integrated collection of short stories that tell the tale of a single catastrophe as experienced by many characters, some of whom will cross paths.

What begins with a seemingly innocuous traffic accident soon spirals into a global pandemic. The release of Airborne Viral Hemorrhagic Fever upon New York City’s unsuspecting populace brings bloody suffering within hours, death within a day, and spreads worldwide within a month.

An online community called Prep For Doom has risen to the top of a recent doomsday preparation movement. Some have written them off as crazy while others couldn’t be more serious about the safety the preppers could provide in a global disaster. But when AVHF strikes, their preparation may not be enough to save them.

What are you waiting for? Go get them right now. *grin*

Happy reading!

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

Jo

Cover Reveal - When Sorrows Come

Happy Monday, everyone! Today, I bring you a cover reveal from the ever amazing Katie M. John! If you're ready, strap in, get comfy, and let's goooooo!

WHEN SORROWS COME by Katie M. John
A Contemporary Upper YA Romance
OUT JANUARY 14th 2016

“When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions!” Shakespeare: Hamlet.

Seventeen year old Ophelia is in love with the tall, dark and handsome Malachi: Mathematical Genius, Poet, Swimmer, and Narcissist. Drawn together by their own self-destructive impulses, they begin a consuming and twisted tango of desire and rejection.

As Ophelia learns to cope with her mother’s bi-polar episodes, she discovers the world can soon become a dark and lonely place when left to face it on your own.

When Malachi’s mother marries his uncle, Malachi’s word turns on a spindle, his previously charmed life invaded by a monster.

With Malachi’s increasing paranoia and anger starting to take over his life, it is only Ophelia who can offer any kind of salvation; only Malachi doesn’t know how to love anything other than his future dream of greatness.

Finding herself caught in an exquisitely bitter-sweet relationship, Ophelia falls in love with a boy who will only realise his love for her when it is too late.

UPPER YA. 15+ Contains more adult themes of sexual relationships, self-harm, drinking, drugs and more adult language. 

Available on pre-order from all Amazon worldwide platforms.

Pre-order it on Amazon here for $3.49

You ready to see that cover? Without further ado, here ya go :)

About Katie M John:
Katie lives in London UK, with two cheeky Mud-puddle fairies, and a handsome giant. She is author of the best-selling YA Contemporary Arthurian series, ‘The Knight Trilogy’ and the Upper YA series, ‘The Meadowsweet Chronicles.’ She writes dark fairy tales, horror and contemporary YA Romance.

Katie is now a full time author after having taught English in a London Comprehensive for over fifteen years. She is founder of Chapter.Con. London, a YA and NA conference for Readers, Bloggers and Authors. She is also founder of Little Bird Publishing, an ethical, indie press house. You can find out more about Katie and her books over at her Amazon author page.

www.katiemjohn.com
@KnightTrilogy
Facebook
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Book Review - Shadows on Snow

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have a book review for you all! Yay! I know you're excited. I'm still making my way through the list from 12 Days of Review Requests I compiled last year. First, I'll repost my list, and then we'll get on to the review. I have SO much to say about this book! Ready? Get your cup of Jo and a comfy chair, and let's get going!

The Release Club 1 - Misty Provencher - Review HERE
Dry Stories - Kate Baggot - Review HERE
Fragile Creatures - Kristina Circelli - Review HERE
8 Weeks - Bethany Lopez - Review HERE
Moonlight - David Rose - Review HERE
Refuge - Violet Haze - Review HERE
From the Wreckage - Michelle G. Miller - Review HERE
Shadows on Snow (A Flipped Fairy Tale) - Starla Hutchton -  Review Below

Currently reading: Bound by Duty - Stormy Smith - Amazon Kindle $2.99

The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge - Christine Nolfi - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Facade: A Vampire Love Story - R. M. Webb - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Siren - Jennifer Melzer - Amazon Kindle (Pre-order) $3.99 Grab a sample on Drive!
Queen of Someday - Sherry Ficklin - Amazon Kindle $5.99
At One's Beast - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Unseen - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Heart Thief - S. Lee Benedict - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Kindling Flames-Gathering Tinder - Julie Wetzel - Amazon Kindle FREE
Kinetic: Book One of the Kinetic Trilogy - C. M. Zimmer - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Destiny Finds Her - Miranda Lynn - Amazon Kindle $2.99
To Get Me to You - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Lady of Souls - Jenn Gott - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Sticks and Stones - Shawn McGuire - Amazon Kindle $0.99
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
Desprite Measures-The Caledonian Sprite - Deborah Jay - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Last Guardian Rises - Rebecca Trogner - Amazon Kindle $0.99 

About the book up for review today:

Title: Shadows on Snow: A Flipped Fairy Tale
Author: Starla Huchton
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Fairy Tale
Length (print): 251 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Blurb:
Once upon a time, a dark evil crept into my kingdom, stealing my loved ones and the happy life I knew. The world turned against me, and I swore to become stronger, to keep myself safe.

Once upon a time, there was a handsome prince, hair dark as ebony, skin as pure as the freshly driven snow, and I became the only one who stood between him and death.

Once upon a time, our stories intertwined, and now, healing my heart may be the only way to save us all from the evil that threatens to destroy what little we have left.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. I freaking LOVE this cover. I'm so glad the author chose to take it in this direction and not put a hot prince on the front. Crazy good work. I'd like to see the Ws kerned a bit closer to the Os, but that's just being nit-picky, and who the hell has time for that?***

On to the review!

I picked up a copy of this book last year during my 12 Days of Review Requests event. Starla pitched the book to me, I downloaded a sample, and I got hooked. So, I ran out and bought it, and I've been waiting to dive in forever as I plowed through my TBR for the year. Ms. Huchton has gained a rabid fan. Anyway, now that you know how I came about it, let's get to the good stuff!

From a Reader's Perspective:
Ever have those titles that you can't stop thinking about/wondering what's going to happen next when you're not in the process of reading? Yeah, this was that book for me. I loved everything about the main character, Rae, and the prince. I'm not a fan of romance, but this book kept it on a real level. I could feel Rae's struggle with her past, and I watched as the prince was kind and gentle enough to help her move past it.

Pacing was bang on. I was never bored while reading.

Character development... Well, let me say you'll be rooting for the good guys and so, so angry with the bad guys. I loved Rae. Just loved her. I felt the spark of her duty and her damaged self so clearly through the pages. Leo was everything Snow White was in the original: Handsome, kind, and a whole lot naive. He was perfection. Secondary characters were there, and in your face, but they weren't overdeveloped to the point that I grew to care too much about what happened to them (this is a good thing).

World-building was beautiful. Author gave me just enough to let me see the scene and insert my own imaginings as to what things looked like. I never panned past a section (you know, those ones that bog you down in flower color and fabric type).

From an Editor's Perspective:
I only found two errors (TWO!). But I did highlight a line I found beautiful, which I'll share: "My strength allowed me to help others while giving me freedom to control my own destiny." How awesome is that?

Rating:
1 Star for hooking me from page one.
1 Star for giving me a heroine I could root for who was damaged but strong.
1 Star for pacing.
1 Star for a sweet fairy-tale that rang true with the original.
1 Star for editing.
Overall, 5 out of 5 stars. Recommended for fairy-tale fanatics (like me), or those who love a good story with lots of magic.

Have you read it? What did you think?

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

Jo

Cover Reveal - In Too Deep - A #Hacker Novel

TROUBLE IS ONLY A KEYSTROKE AWAY...

I'm very excited to reveal the cover for book 2 in the #HACKER series,

IN TOO DEEP.

 

About the book:

One talented hacker.

One dead body.

One explosive secret.

When one reckless night leads Farris Barnett to the dead body of a classmate, she’s as willing as everyone else to write it off as a suicide. That is, until cryptic messages start coming in from someone who knows the truth, and they want Ferris on the case. Putting her hacker skills to work, she begins to unravel the life of a victim who might just have been the guiltiest of them all.

Her personal life in turmoil, Farris turns to the only person she can trust to help her get to the bottom of things—a friend on the verge of becoming much more. Together, they confront a killer with a secret not even she could have decoded.

The biggest bombs, the ones that do the most damage, are the ones you never see coming.

You can find the first chapter of IN TOO DEEP inside the first book of the #HACKER series, PLAYING WITH FIRE releasing October 27th!

Grab your copy of Playing With Fire HERE

About the author:

Sherry is a full time writer from Colorado and the author of over a dozen novels for teens and young adults including the best selling Stolen Empire series. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she's on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs. Sherry also writes New Adult fiction under the pen name Ranae Glass and is a contributing writer for fangirlish.com. You can find her at her official website, www.sherryficklin.com, or stalk her on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/sherry.ficklin.

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you all enjoyed that! What do you think? Is it super cool?

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

Jo 

Worth by Numbers and Stars

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I'm just talking. No need for pen and paper, but you might want to bring your inner-voices to the party. If you're ready, let's get going!

So, I saw this image floating around on Facebook this morning, and I shared it because the message was so powerful (see it here).

But, as everything in life, it got me thinking about the author world and how we use numbers to measure our worth. When our books are selling well, we think: Wow, I must be a great author. So many people want to read what I've written!

Then comes the dreaded drop in sales or the horrific one star review.

Just like that, our worth seems to fly out the window on the wings of a fiery demon. We fall into a pit of despair, wondering who we were kidding when we thought we could write a book.

Now, I want you to look at those last five words in the sentence above: "We could write a book."

Rethink your stance right now.

You did write a book. Countless hours of your life were spent writing, editing, re-editing, editing again, formatting, and marketing that book.

Countless hours.

There are so many people in the world who say, "I have a book in me."

Do you know the difference between you and them?

You didn't talk about how you can write a book; you did it. Blood, sweat, and tears flowed from you to the page. Not once did you stop, throw down your pen/close your laptop, and give up.

No. You kept going, pushing through the doubt demons and naysayers. You published that book.

Fast-forward fifty years into the future. Your children are grown and have a couple of kids. Out there, in the book world, your words are still going strong. Even if no one is buying them, they're still existing.

It's your legacy. You've made yourself a little bit immortal. Even if people hate your story, they haven't written a book, and they won't live through the pages forever. Take every opinion with a grain of salt.

So, I leave you with this:

Don't measure yourself against your sales numbers or star ratings. Put it all in a new perspective, and remember, you did it when others wouldn't. Even if you feel like crap about it today, it will still be there tomorrow, ready to carry your words through the millenniums. Be proud (it's okay to celebrate your own accomplishments--that doesn't mean you're narcissistic).

Scream into the ether just once today:

"I am f*ck*ng AWESOME! I wrote a book!"

If you're feeling froggy, I also encourage you to jump like the woman in the image above.

Huge thanks to Chelsea Starling for giving me the first part of that battle cry!

How do you get over the measuring of yourself? Plan to scream today? Tell me about it.

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

Jo

Twitter - Navigating the Billion Tweet Waters

Happy Tuesday, everyone! So, today's post is going to be for all the Twitter newbies out there. I'm planning to give you all a quick lesson in navigating the awesome waters that all start with a little bird. There will be a list of dos and don'ts, as well as some terminology explanation and how to find new followers.

If you're all ready, and you're a Tweetbaby (this won't help you seasoned vets), grab a pen and your notebook and let's get going!

I'm gonna start with terminology so you don't get lost in the next section.
Retweet (often abbreviated as RT): On the tweet of a tweep, you click the rotating arrows so the information is shared with your followers.
Tweet: What you share on Twitter.
Tweep: Your Twitter followers or those you follow.
Follower: Someone who wishes to see your tweets (like a subscriber).
Following: When you click the follow button on a Twitter account.
#FF: Follow Friday. This is used to suggest other people follow a certain account (or accounts).
@XxX: this is someone's Twitter handle. If you tweet "at" a person, they'll be the audience for your tweet, and they'll get a notification.
Handle: Your name on Twitter.
DM: Direct Message. This is when someone clicks the mail icon on your page.
#: Hashtag. This is used to define the content of a tweet.
Favorite: This functions like the Facebook "like" button except it curates all tweets you click the star on in a favorites list you can access from your page.
Lists: You can add certain people to lists you create. When you're on these lists, the tweeps listed are the only ones you'll see content from.
TY: Thank you!
Unfollow: When you stop following a tweep or they stop following you.
News feed: All the tweets from all the tweeps.

Let's go into the list of DOS:
Retweet others.
Be engaging.
Show thanks when others RT your stuff. A shoutout only takes a moment (TY for the RT!).
Follow back the accounts you think you might like the content from.
Thank folks for the follow(s).
Seek out new and interesting accounts to follow.

DON'TS:
Spam.
Retweet the same thing over and over.
Constantly tweet "buy my book."
DM people right away, asking for reviews or buys of your book (see spam above).
Follow a bunch of people and expect them to follow you right back.

How to gain followers, and my suggestion on etiquette:
Follow about ten to twenty new accounts every day (those you actually want content from, please). If you're providing great content, they'll be happy to follow you back. Now, one of the things that makes me NUTSO is a confirmation that I'm a real person before I can follow an account. What I get is that you don't want to follow an account that's from a robot, but why can't I follow you without going through a fifteen step verification process?

I unfollow/don't respond when someone requests this, because it comes off (to me) as arrogance. If I'm asking you to follow me, that's a different story. I mean, come ON, people. Just stop.

There's an app a lot of folks use on Twitter that seeks accounts on your feed that are inactive or people who have quit following you. It actually tweets out a message that announces who you unfollowed.

Yeah... Just... no. Please. I understand, but what does an inactive account really cost you? There's no limit, and they aren't producing content that hangs in your news feed, right? And unfollowing someone because they unfollowed you?

We're older than two. Let's act like it. *grin*

Okay, if you've stayed with me this long, you probably have a pretty good grip on the terms and suggested etiquette.

If you have any specific questions I didn't answer, feel free to pop them in the comments! I'll answer to the best of my ability!

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

Jo

Meet the Utopia 2016 Bloggers - Jo Michaels

Happy Monday, everyone! Wow. I totally blanked on this post last week. Why? Because I was in the throes of interviewing all the awesome people like Stacey Rourke, Christina Benjamin, and BJ Sheldon over on the radio show. *squeals* But here I am, and I've got a bunch of awesome Q&A for you. If you're ready, grab a cup of Jo, sit back, relax, and let's get our interview on!

Get tickets for the event here!

What you do for work outside of blogging?
Wow. I do so many things! I'm a wife, a mother, an author (of course), the Utopia con blogger coordinator, a radio show host, and I own INDIE Books Gone Wild (an editing company that caters to Indie authors).

I find, in each of those roles, I learn a different facet of the book world. Being a wife, I understand what it's like to want to do all the bookish things while also wanting to spend more time with my husband. It's the same with being a mom. So, I can identify with all those authors who feel like they're being pulled in two different directions by life.

Being an author, I feel the struggle other authors go through to produce a great book, get it out there in the world, and market. That's why I'm a blogger, and it's why I hold my big blog event each year. We all need help, and I try to pay it forward as much as I can.

As the Utopia con blogger coordinator, I get a look at what all people have to balance in order to make things happen in their worlds and help where I can/when I can. Because I understand how life can get in the way, I try to make a schedule and give information way before it's needed/due.

A Daily Cup of Jo forces me to relax for half an hour or so each week and just talk with my peers. I've learned so many things from them!

Owning IBGW, editing, and formatting novels has given me a whole new perspective when reading and a great appreciation for a well edited novel.

What you do besides blogging in the literary world (editing, book reviewing, etc…)?
I'm a book reviewer, formatter, and editor.

What's the one thing you feel you've gained by doing the above?
I didn't gain one thing; I gained all the things. Most importantly, the people I've added to my tribe that have changed my life in profound and interesting ways. I've created bonds with other authors that (I feel) are unbreakable unless I choose to break them. That alone is worth more than gold.

How did you find Utopia?
Interestingly enough, it was my best friend, Tia Silverthorne Bach, who introduced me to the conference. She asked, "Hey, Jo! Whaddya think about this? Wanna do it with me?" I looked over the website, read all the pertinent information, and agreed to take this leap off the Cliffs of Terror with her. I dove right in and started interviewing authors so I wouldn't feel so dang out of place when I arrived. I haven't looked back.

What did you learn or gain at Utopia that you don't feel you would've gotten anywhere else?
I gained my people. That first year, I sat down with these four amaaaazing women, and made lifelong friends as we brainstormed Fractured Glass. Without Utopia, it would've been an online relationship where I knew them by name and face, but not by the grip of their arms when we hugged, or the way they each light up a room when they enter it. No stories of our lives would've been shared, and we may not have gotten together the second year we were there to create our new novel, 7. It was the energy at this particular conference that fueled our imaginations, and I know it wouldn't have been the same had we been anywhere else. Plus, we did karaoke together that first year, which broke the ice in unbelievable ways. *grin*

What's one thing you’d like to see folks in the literary world do (together or separately)?
I'd like to see more of them get together and help one another. Not just by sharing advice, but by sharing things socially, meeting face to face and sharing ideas, and finding a way to pay it forward more. There's a lot of that going around, but I feel there could be more.

How do you feel you contribute to the writer world at large?
I hold my big 12 Days of Review Requests event on my blog each year to help Indie authors get sales and reviews for their books. I'm also going to start soliciting other authors for backmatter material in the way of previews and buy links for their books in the ones I have that are along the same lines (zombies, fantasy, historical fiction, etc...) so I can (hopefully) help even more.

What's your ultimate blogging goal?
I've already met it. *grin* It was to have that one person who learned something here message me in some way and say, "Your post was exactly what I needed. It saved my forehead from the red mark of shame." I've now heard that numerous times, and it never fails to make me smile. I remember starting out and struggling to find my own footing. All the content on this blog is here to help others navigate the twisty roads of publishing without getting too lost.

If you don't have tickets to this event yet, you need to get them right now!

Go here! Go, go, go!

Be sure and visit the other bloggers this month!
Week 1: Jo Michaels (who actually posted on week two) and Maria Pease Week 2: Shana Benedict and Delphina Miyares Week 3: Toni Lesatz and Ren Reidy Week 4: Ashley Bodette and Kathryn Grimes

Have you found your happy here on the blog? Ever run across a piece of information that made you have an ah-ha moment? Tell me about it below!

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

Jo