Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Facebook Page Basics - Getting Ready for Likes

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today is a post for the newer authors, those who don't have a Facebook page or those who are thinking about starting one. If you're an old hand, feel free to skip this one. For all of you sticking around, grab a pen and notebook and let's get going!

Okay, in order to have a Facebook page, one must first have a Facebook account. If you don't have one, go to Facebook.com now and sign up.

Done? Good. Now, look on the left hand side of the screen. You'll see this:


Click it.

Here's where the fun begins! When you click Create a Page, you'll be taken to a screen like this:


Each of the squares you click on will open a dropdown with a number of choices. Because we're focused on author pages, you want to click the bottom left box (Artist, Band, or Public Figure) and choose Author. Type in your name and click Get Started.


I'm going to pause here for a moment and talk with you about your name choice. There are a ton of first time authors who create a page for their book or series rather than their author name. This is amazing if you only plan to write one book or one series of books, but what happens when you have fifty or more books out? Are you going to have fifty pages? Why not keep all those fans in one place and just have one page to keep up with?

Now that you've thought about it, let's move on.

I typed in Forexampleonly as my name, because I plan to delete this page once we're done here.

Now you'll see this:


This first tab is the basic stuff you'd expect. You add a description of what your page is about (don't use your author bio, please) in about 200 characters, and what fans can expect to find there. Add your website address, too.

I know you "can" skip it, but please don't. Let's just get it done and over with, okay?

VERY IMPORTANT: Once you SET your PAGE URL, it can only be changed ONE time. People will be notified if you ever do--that screams, "I had no idea what I was doing when I set this up." Choose this wisely (should usually be your author name, as simply as possible), so you won't have to deal with all that.

Here's mine:


Now, click Save Info and let's move to step 2:



Ideally, your profile photo should be square (1:1 ratio) and around 200dpi. As you can see, you can either upload one from your computer or grab one from the web. Do that now. Mine is 6" X 6" at 200dpi in RGB colorspace. I added some graphics around the edge so you can see how nicely it fits.


See? No crop!

Click Next and go to step 3:



Yes, add it to your favorites. That way, it'll show up on the left side of your main feed at the top rather than under the word Pages.

Click Next and go to step 4:


This is where you define your target audience. Hint: "everyone" is not a target audience. Be specific. These are the folks who will be shown your page most often.

Age range goes from 13 to 65+. Choose their location(s). Add their interests. Be specific! I know I said that already, but it bears repeating. For this one, I'll do age 18-35, men and women, with interests in publishing, who live in the US, UK, and Australia.



Click Save and admire your new page!



Facebook will walk you through looking around at all the "stuff" you now have to play with. Go ahead and get clicky with it, and then come on back here and I'll show you a couple more things.

You back? Okay, cool! Now, on to your banner! Here's the size requirement: 851px wide X 315px tall at 72dpi. If you make the resolution any higher, Facebook will resize it, and it'll look janky. If you need a template, you can use this one:



Once you get your banner made, click Add a Cover and upload!

Before I go, I want to show you Settings and how to schedule a post to publish in the future. Click Settings.



Be sure you go through every single tab and set your page up exactly the way you want it. This is also where you can add other people to your page as admins, block specific keywords, and turn on profanity blocker. Yes, it's a lot, but it's worth it.

This page's URL is: https://www.facebook.com/forexampleonly/

That's it. No string of numbers or all that other shizz. Why? Because we took the time to set it when we created it.

To create a post that'll publish on a future date, click in the box that's ghosted Write Something... and type in what you want to share. DON'T CLICK PUBLISH. Instead, click the arrow next to publish and get the dropdown menu. Looks like this:


Click on Schedule.


Choose the date and time you want the post to go up. You have to actually click on the boxes and type in the time manually, but the calendar is a dropdown select.

Guess what? You're done!

You're now ready to share your page with the world. Get out there and get busy. Don't forget to invite your friends to like your page!

Once you have a handle on how all the basic tabs work, take a look at the Insights. Here's a post I wrote that'll walk you through all those cool features.

Did that help? Any of this you didn't know?

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

Jo

Monday, March 28, 2016

Interview on YouTube and M is on Sale!

Happy Monday, everyone! EEP! I'm running a bit late today, but I made it. I have some awesome, exciting news for you all, so let's get to it. No jabbering today!

First up, I did an interview with Book Nerd Paradise for their YouTube channel that I think you might enjoy! I did a reading from M, too. There's also a chance to win a book in there (physical or digital)! Here we go!



Second, in honor of my appearance on BNP, I've put M on sale for just $0.99 until tomorrow at midnight.

You can get it here.

Here's more info about the book and a little teaser!

Title: M
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Blurb:
In 2026, it finally arrives, the drug promising to make life easier for the masses. One dose of M and anyone can gain an ability. There are no promises made as to what the power could manifest as, but people are crawling over one another to take a chance.

There's a problem: One pill costs a million dollars. Only those with extraordinary wealth are afforded the luxury of cleaning house with a click of their diamond-adorned fingers or solving a puzzle by talking to it.

A knockoff begins circulating in 2038 that does the same thing as M. Hundreds of thousands of people have mutated for a mere one hundred dollars.

Enter the year 2042.

Seventeen-year-old Griffin is a normal kid, who has a regular job, and dreams of going to college someday. When his girlfriend of three years succumbs to peer pressure, they break up.

He believes the body is a temple not to be messed with outside of nature, and she wants to fit in. Once he meets the supplier, things take a turn for the worse.

He's left with nothing but pain in his heart and the desire to make them suffer when his plans for payback blow up in his face.

Thirst for revenge consumes him, and he finds himself locked in a battle he never anticipated with a merciless kingpin as they struggle to gain the advantage.

How far is too far?



Happy reading!

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

Jo

New Release - Tick Tock: Seven Tales of Time Anthology



Seven Fantasy and Science Fiction authors have twisted time into tales of adventure, mystery, horror, and romance. It is time to present you the Tick Tock: Seven Tales of Time Anthology.


A serial killer returns years later to finish what was started. 

A coffee shop offers a respite for the cursed. 

A hangover masks the horrors of the previous night. 

A princess’s wedding gift comes with a price. 

A locked apartment door hides a chilling secret. 

A girl wakes up in an asylum and must survive, and escape. 

A young woman must protect the past to thwart a thief from the future. 

All it takes is a second . . . a minute . . . an hour . . . for everything to change. 






Presents
Tick Tock: Seven Tales of Time Anthology


Suicide High by Corinne O’Flynn
People think being psychic is cool or exciting. That being able to get messages from the other side gives us an edge somehow. I can see where they’re coming from—I totally get it. When you don’t understand, you fill in the gaps with what you’d want it to be. There’s an entire industry built around people’s need to tap in to the ethereal and know.

But it’s not like some cosmic vending machine. A psychic can’t pull specific details from the transcendental top hat on a whim. We don’t control what we get. It’s given to us, directed. We don’t wake up knowing which sports teams will beat the spread on a daily basis. And it’s not true that we have the answers to everything. Most people don’t get that.

*************
Countdown Café by Kristi Helvig
Six Days Before

Six months is considered the acceptable amount of time for grieving. Anything over that allotment pushes your parent-mandated therapist to change your diagnosis from the rather blasé and benign sounding Adjustment Disorder to the more somber and serious Major Depressive Disorder. The elusive happiness fairy neglected to wave her magic wand over me by the deadline, so here I am—again—sitting on the scratchy couch across from Dr. Debbie.
While she drones on about the stages of bereavement, which I’m apparently failing worse than senior year trigonometry, I stare at the painting behind her. Ocean waves lap at a deserted seashore while a lighthouse juts out over craggy rocks.
“What are you thinking?” Dr. Debbie asks.I shrug. “I guess I’m wondering why you have an ocean scene in your office when the Midwest is nowhere near the coast?”
She peeks over her shoulder at the painting behind her. “I thought it would be relaxing. Do you like it?”
A deep sigh escapes me. “It makes me wish I were somewhere else.”
Dr. Debbie’s eyes light up like she can sense an impending breakthrough. She leans forward in her cracked, faux leather chair.

*************
Jesse’s Girl by Rebecca Taylor
Her fingers. The barest brush of her touch trailed down his bare back. Like ice crystals at the base of his neck that melted down his spine. Her lips whispered so near his ear he could feel her breath as she questioned him, “Jesse?”
He rolled over. She was so close to him, he pulled his head back across his pillow until he was able to focus on her features. She didn’t look right, pale and lost, her eyes locked on something behind him. Her stare was blank, unblinking.
“Andrea?” he whispered.
Her eyes shifted unnaturally to meet his and a cold panic rushed his body, left him weak.

*************

Duo'vr by Sue Duff
 Her father’s disgruntled stare was more than she could stomach, and Ciara turned toward the railing. An urge to jump was senseless, thanks to the curvature of the outer sphere. She would probably suffer nothing worse than scrapes and a ripped gown on her rapid slide to the bottom. Her imagined escape came to a halt when Thul took her hand in midconversation.
“We are merging more than royals,” Thul said. “I, for one, understand what’s at stake.” He leaned in and kissed the back of her hand with soft lips. “Do you?” he asked for her ears only, and gave Ciara a piercing stare.
She jerked her hand out of his grasp to stave off the goose bumps bubbling across her arms. She shuddered. Was it from his conspirator’s tone, or something else?

*************
The Door by Shawn McGuire
Luck was with me on this find. Everything else I could afford was miles away and in parts of town I probably didn’t want to live in.
“Technically, it’s a two bedroom.” Mrs. Abercrombie finally settled on a key.
“What do you mean, ‘technically’?” My chest tightened, and my voice raised an octave. A two-bedroom would cost more. I pulled the flyer from my satchel and held it up to her. “This says a one bedroom for six-twenty-five a month.”
Mrs. Abercrombie reached inside her sweats to scratch… something and then nodded at the flyer.
“This is the same place. The price is what it says there. I ain’t pulling no bait-n-switch. The blueprints I got show two bedrooms. You’ll see when we get up there that there’s a stuck door. I figure that second bedroom is what’s behind it. Can’t say for sure ‘cause I can’t open it. No how, no way.” She sucked on her teeth. “Just explaining the door is all.”

*************

The Fate Stone by Wendy Terrien
It didn't make sense for her to run wearing only a nightgown. But if she could just get somewhere fast, maybe a convenience store or even a police station, she could get help. She'd be okay.
She started down the stairs, but the door opposite the one she'd come through opened wide. Genna pressed herself against the wall. It kept her hidden until the door closed. She dashed down the steps.
"Hold on there." A boy called out to her. His footsteps followed.
Genna kept going. She reached the bottom landing. Her hand clutched the doorknob but he grabbed her arm.
"You don't want to do that."
Genna swung around. "Don't tell me what to do."
He let go of her and stepped back. He smiled. "I didn't exactly tell you what to do. Just strongly suggested you don't go through that door.”
She crossed her arms. "And why not?"
"Well, first because there are plenty of people on the other side that will take you back to your room, or worse. And second, if by some chance you made it outside, you'd freeze before you got very far."

*************
Untimely by A.G. Henley
“You’re trying to get rid of me,” I said.
Dad’s face closed up. “We have some things to discuss.”
Mom sat down, avoiding my glare. Richard’s thick eyebrows wrinkled apologetically.
“Okay, fine,” I said.
“Whatever you’re trying to figure out,” I said to my parents, “I might be able to help. If you’d ask.”
They didn’t respond. I stalked toward the door that Alec held open for me, but something solid appeared between us.
Not something; someone. Neat blond hair, dark clothes. Jonah.
“Lovely. Just the girl I was looking for.” He smiled, like we’d met by chance on the street, and wrapped his hand around my arm. To Alec, he said, “You don’t mind if I borrow her, do you?”
And he yanked my world out from under me.

*************





BIO
CORINNE O’FLYNN is a native New Yorker who now lives in Colorado and wouldn’t trade life in the Rockies for anything. She loves writing flash and experimenting with short fiction. Her novel, THE EXPATRIATES (Oct. 2014) is a YA fantasy adventure with magic and creatures and lots of creepy stuff. She is a scone aficionado, has an entire section of her kitchen devoted to tea, and is always on the lookout for the elusive Peanut Chews candy.
When she isn’t writing or hanging with her family, Corinne works as the executive director of a nonprofit. She is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. You can find her online at corinneoflynn.comFacebookTwitterGoodreadsPinterest, and Instagram.


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BIO
KRISTI HELVIG is a Ph.D. clinical psychologist turned sci-fi/fantasy author. Her first novel, BURN OUT (Egmont USA/Lerner Publishing), which Kirkus Reviews called “a scorching series opener not to be missed,” follows 17-year-old Tora Reynolds, one of Earth’s last survivors, when our sun burns out early. In the sequel, STRANGE SKIES, out 4/28/2015, Tora makes it to a new planet only to discover a whole new host of problems—and the same people who still want her dead. Order Kristi’s books through Amazon or your favorite local retailer. Kristi muses about Star Trek, space monkeys, and other assorted topics on her blogFacebook, and Twitter. Kristi resides in sunny Colorado with her hubby, two kiddos, and behaviorally-challenged dogs.


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BIO
REBECCA TAYLOR lives in Colorado with her husband and two children. In addition to writing, she works as a psychologist and teaches creative writing at Regis University. If you are interested in having her visit your library or school, please email her directly at: rebecca@rrtaylor.com and put AUTHOR EVENT in the subject line.
Connect with Rebecca on FacebookTwitterGoodreadsAmazonwebsite




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BIO
SUE DUFF dreamed of dragons and spaceships before she could read and it’s only natural that she combines both fantasy and science fiction as her favorite writing genre. She is the author of The Weir Chronicle series. When she’s not writing she can be found walking her Great Dane, getting her hands dirty in her garden, or creating something delicious in her kitchen. She calls Colorado home and, when not saving the world one page at a time, is a speech therapist in an inner city school district.
Check out her website and blog, A Cook’s Guide to Writing and other musings, follow her on FacebookTwitterGoodreads, and Instagram.
Sign up for her newsletter or connect with her through email.

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BIO
SHAWN MCGUIRE is the author of young adult novels that blend contemporary settings and issues with a touch of fantasy and magic. She started writing after seeing the first Star Wars movie (that’s episode IV) as a kid. She couldn’t wait for the next movie to come out so wrote her own episodes. Sadly, those notebooks are long lost, but her desire to write is as strong now as it was then.
Her books deal with harder topics (dating violence, death of a sibling, divorce, substance abuse, runaways, bullying, teen suicide, etc.) because she believes it is important to talk about these things. Those kinds of topics can be hard to handle and a bit overwhelming, so she infuses a bit of humor in her work as well because she also believes that a sense of humor can help you get through just about anything.
Shawn lives in Colorado with her family where she loves to read, cook and bake, craft, practice yoga and meditation, and spend time hiking and camping in the spectacular Rocky Mountains.
LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH SHAWN! 
WebsiteEmailFacebook,  Newsletter,  Pinterest,  TwitterInstagramGoodreads,  Amazon Author


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BIO
WENDY TERRIEN has been writing stories since she was in grade school. Her debut novel, The Rampart Guards, is the first in her intriguing urban fantasy series. Inspired by an episode of Bones that suspected a killer to be a fabled chupacabra, Wendy was fascinated and dove into research about cryptozoology, the study of animals that may or may not exist, or cryptids. Pouring over stories, videos and photographs of creatures others had seen all over the world, Wendy developed her own story to share with middle grade, young adult and grown-up readers.
Raised in Salt Lake City, Wendy graduated from the University of Utah and soon transplanted to Colorado where she completed her MBA at the University of Denver. Having applied her marketing expertise to the financial and network security industries, it wasn’t until a career coach stepped in that she fully immersed herself in her passion for writing. Wendy began attending writers conferences, workshops and retreats.
She regularly participates in two critique groups and is the Secretary of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and a member of Pikes Peak Writers and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. In 2014, she was a finalist in the San Francisco Writer’s Contest.
Connect with Wendy via her websiteFacebookTwitter, and Instagram

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BIO
A.G. HENLEY is the author of the BRILLIANT DARKNESS series. The first book in the series, THE SCOURGE, was a finalist for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Award.
A.G. is also a clinical psychologist, which means people either tell her their life stories on airplanes, or avoid her at parties when they’ve had too much to drink. Neither of which she minds.
When she’s not writing fiction or shrinking heads, she can be found herding her children and their scruffy dog, Guapo, to various activities while trying to remember whatever she’s inevitably forgotten to tell her husband. She lives in Denver, Colorado. Learn more at aghenley.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.








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Friday, March 25, 2016

Re-Release, Re-Cover, Re-Branded - Depression Cookies becomes Heart Chatter

You guys! OMG! Welcome to Friday! Can you believe it? This re-release is so super special to my heart because that image on the front is custom photography by me! That's right, all new cover and interior for the renamed Heart Chatter. If you recall, this book used to be titled Depression Cookies. Well, we've re-branded it to the Depression Cookies series, re-done the cover, and typeset the book in a whole new way. If you owned the book before, you simply MUST buy a new copy to see all the beautiful things taking place on the pages. Scroll to the bottom for a screen capture of the new pretty things.

Even the ebook got a whole new look and feel. It's a must see.



Two distinct voices, two stories interwoven within the walls of family and love.

Abby needs some magic in her life, along with a white knight, respectful children, and an exciting career plan. Instead she is drowning in unfulfilled expectations, disappointments, and unmet needs. What she doesn't expect is to find the true essence of magic in the strength, friendship, power, and energy of the female spirit found in her mother and her mother's zany group of friends. Krista cannot believe it's happening again. Her father waltzes in and announces another move. And what does her mother do? Nothing. Don't they realize she's almost thirteen, and this could mean the end of her life? In the midst of teenage melodrama, she is determined to survive a new school, defeat the annoyances of two scene-stealing sisters, and deal with out-of-touch parents. Yet she quickly realizes the double-edged sword of growing up.


A Little More About Heart Chatter (Depression Cookies #1)

2011 Readers Favorite Book Awards, Silver Realistic Fiction and Finalist Chick Lit
2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist Chick Lit










Tia Silverthorne Bach has been married to her college sweetheart for twenty years, has three beautiful girls, and adores living in sunny California. Her daughters were born in Chicago, San Diego, and Baltimore; and she feels fortunate to have called many places home. She believes in fairy tales and happy endings and is an avid reader and rabid grammar hound.
She is an award-winning, multi-genre author and an Editor for Indie Books Gone Wild. From an early age, she escaped into books and believes they can be the source of healing and strength. If she’s not writing, you can find her on the tennis court, at the movies, reading a good book, or spooning Jif peanut butter right out of the jar.




Angela Beach Silverthorne I was born in West Point, Georgia, but hail Eastern North Carolina as home. Writing has always been a part of my life. As soon as I could hold a pencil, I was writing. I’m a firm believer that reading and writing go hand-in-hand. I devour books in all genres, but I love stories that focus on reality within families. I want it to be real, even if it’s messy and painful. That’s real.

In 1970, I married my teenage sweetheart, Dallas. Our family has grown from three daughters to three wonderful sons-in-law and nine grandchildren. In the large bulk of time between marriage, family and retirement, we moved ten times. I’ve worked various jobs—fifteen years with Hospice; ten with Literacy; six with Habitat for Humanity; three as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for neglected, abused and abandoned youth; and as a Director of a preschool for at-risk children. I have served with Pamlico Emmaus, taught Sunday school and written countless Bible studies. My joy is teaching seniors who actually end up teaching me. Isn’t that the way God truly intends it?

Between all the moves and a full life, I’ve always craved learning. I attended five colleges, finally graduating from the State University of New York, Albany, with an English degree. Every school I attended, I'd fall in love with a new discipline—accounting, microbiology, creative writing, Shakespearean studies, or Young Adult Literature. Each of these were tentative, a hobby.  My lifelong learning has been within the Word of God.  That's my passion.

Like most people, life has thrown me into a lot of deep pits, health crisis, death, anger, frustration and insecurity. In each of these seasons of life, I have grown to realize that all my effort and angst did nothing to ease me through them. Only waiting on God’s timing, trusting in His plan, and working in His kingdom helped me maneuver through these hard times. Trust me, nothing prepares you more to be a comfort to others than the trials and sufferings you have been through and will experience. It gives life credibility.  It braids your life to others.  What a joy to know if we allow God to use us, he will take every struggle and heartache, and turn it into glory for Him. 

You can find out more about Angela by visiting her website or follow her on Facebook.









Chasing Eternity (Tala Prophecy, Book 4) — publication date: 5/26/16


From the inside!

How amazing is this? Did you pick it up?

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

Jo