Twelve Days of Christmas Day Seven

Welcome back to Wednesday, everyone! If you're here, that means you survived the first six days of the crazy Christmas fun here on the blog. Today we're doing things a little bit differently. I'm gonna show you the winners of the contest from last year and give you links so you can check out the reviews here on my blog. Then, we'll move on to today's widget and pitch fest!

From last year's 12 Days:
Kate Baggott - Love From Planet Wine Cooler Amazon link $4.99 Review here.
Michael Cargill - Underneath Amazon link $4.99 Review here.
Ginney Etherton - Looping in Limbo (Lainey Tidwell Series) Amazon link $2.99 Review here.
Leonardo Noto - Intrusive Memory Amazon link $4.99 Review here.

Not everyone who made it onto the list last year got a review. I did my best, but some of the books just weren't readable. I did things differently this year and didn't use random.org. I chose to select the books from the samples instead.

Here are the books I reviewed just because:
Wade Faubert - Taken Before Her Very Eyes Amazon link $2.99 Review here.
Heather Topham Wood - Dark Premonitions (Second Sight Book 3) Amazon link $3.49 Review here.
Heather Topham Wood - The Disappearing Girl Amazon link $2.99 Review here.
Tia Silverthorne Bach - Chasing Memories Amazon link $2.99 Review here.
Felicia Tatum - The White Aura Amazon link *FREE* Review here.
Cornelia Funke - Reckless Amazon link Free (PREVIEW not avail digitally) $8.99 Review here.
Tia Silverthorne Bach & Angela Beach Silverthorne - Depression Cookies Amazon link $3.03 Review here.
N. L. Greene - Twisted Amazon link $2.99 Review here.
Cornelia Funke - Fearless Amazon link $8.89 Review here.
Allyson Gottlieb - Darkest Legacy Amazon link $0.99 Review here.
Jamie McGuire - Red Hill Amazon link $7.59 Review here.
Rick Riordan - The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus Book 4) Amazon link $7.14 Review here.
Megan Curd - Steel Lily Amazon link $0.99 Review here.

And now, the awesome video!!



On to the fun for today! The Rundown:

Renee Novelle Reflections Amazon Kindle $0.99
Marc Nash An Eye For An Eye For An Eye Amazon Kindle $2.99
Robin Murphy Federal City's Secret Amazon Kindle $2.99
*Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter Amazon Kindle $7.99*
*Scott Marlowe The Five Elements Amazon Kindle $2.99*
S.G. Night Attrition: the First Act of Penance Amazon Kindle $4.98
Niramisa Weiss The Liar Amazon Kindle $9.60
*L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 Amazon Kindle $2.99*
Kimberley Clark The Species Within (Battles in the Dark #1) Amazon Kindle $2.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $2.99
Ginette Atcheson The Legacy: Fate Amazon Kindle $0.99
Jay Allan Storey Eldorado Amazon Kindle $3.99
*Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf Amazon Kindle $0.99*
Doris Schneider Borrowed Things Amazon Kindle $4.95
Cat Brown Awakening (The Dark Rituals Book 1)  Amazon Kindle $0.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $0.99
*Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters Amazon Kindle $0.99*
Molly Taggart Roots that Clutch Amazon Kindle $2.99
Stephanie Erickson The Cure Amazon Kindle $2.99
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.99
Massimo Marino Daimones Amazon Kindle $2.99
Felicia Tatum Mangled Hearts Amazon Kindle $1.99
Beem Weeks Jazz Baby Amazon Kindle $3.99
C.S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.51
Judy Goodwin Heart of the Witch Amazon Kindle $2.99
Jerrie Brock Something Taken Amazon Kindle $2.99
Heidi Angell The Hunters Amazon Kindle $4.99
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum Amazon Kindle $3.99
Kathy Garlock Gone for a Soldier Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99
Emily Street The Velocipede Races Amazon Kindle $3.99
Heidi Angell Elements of a Broken Mind Amazon Kindle $4.99
Edward M Wolfe Devon's Last Chance Amazon Kindle $0.99 
S.G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway Amazon Kindle $3.99
Vardan Partamyan The After/Life Amazon Kindle $0.99
Tina Brescanu Destined Union Amazon Kindle $4.99
Liney Westlund Stella's Saga: Book One Amazon Kindle $2.99
Beth Deitchman Mary Bennet and the Bloomsbury Coven Amazon Kindle $3.99
Gloria Manjarrez Train to Nowhere Amazon Kindle $2.99
Eric A. Maskell The Veil Amazon Kindle $2.99
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh Amazon Kindle $2.99
Erin McDowell Dark Luminance Amazon Kindle $3.99
Gloria Manjarrez Finnegan's Quest Amazon Kindle $4.99
Emily Street and Beth Deitchman The Painted Dog and Other Stories Amazon Kindle $2.99
Heidi Angell Angel's Dance Amazon $10.72 (I can't sample this one - no Kindle version)
Gloria Manjarrez Emperor's Hostages Amazon Kindle $2.99

If you entered and your name doesn't appear in the above list, you forgot to do something on the Rafflecopter OR you sent me a print only book (which I cannot sample). Only those authors with three entries on the excel form made it into this list. If you only left your book pitch and link in the comments, I didn't pick it up. You gotta fill out the form.

Remember, every book that's pitched stays in until the end! I'll announce a new choice every day. If you're an author, be sure you're following along each day to get a new way to join me on social media (this will matter when your review goes up). You can enter a book each day if you come back and fill out the new Rafflecopter form.

Now for the winner announcement for the prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

And, the Indie author winner for today is:

The Bestiarum Vocabulum (TRES LIBRORUM PROHIBITORUM) by David T Griffith and a slew of other authors.

Congratulations! Your book has been shared, tweeted, pinned, and added to my Goodreads TBR list for this contest.

I chose it because it's unique, well written, and scary (love scary!).

From now until day 12, that book will be recognized with an * after the title when I do my rundown.

**Kindly remember there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You did get a purchase 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.**

It's time for today's widget!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for coming to the party! We're halfway there.

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

Jo

Twelve Days of Christmas Day Six

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Welcome back to the pitching madness. I know you're all eagerly awaiting the results for today. If you missed it, get on over to the master page for the prize list. You can find it here. Before I get into announcing the winners of both the rafflecopter and the review, I'd like to do my daily rundown of entries. Here they are, in the order in which they were received:

Renee Novelle Reflections Amazon Kindle $0.99
Marc Nash An Eye For An Eye For An Eye Amazon Kindle $2.99
Robin Murphy Federal City's Secret Amazon Kindle $2.99
*Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter Amazon Kindle $7.99*
*Scott Marlowe The Five Elements Amazon Kindle $2.99*
S.G. Night Attrition: the First Act of Penance Amazon Kindle $4.98
Niramisa Weiss The Liar Amazon Kindle $9.60
*L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 Amazon Kindle $2.99*
Kimberley Clark The Species Within (Battles in the Dark #1) Amazon Kindle $2.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $2.99
Ginette Atcheson The Legacy: Fate Amazon Kindle $0.99
Jay Allan Storey Eldorado Amazon Kindle $3.99
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf Amazon Kindle $0.99
Doris Schneider Borrowed Things Amazon Kindle $4.95
Cat Brown Awakening (The Dark Rituals Book 1)  Amazon Kindle $0.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $0.99
*Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters Amazon Kindle $0.99*
Molly Taggart Roots that Clutch Amazon Kindle $2.99
Stephanie Erickson The Cure Amazon Kindle $2.99
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.99
Massimo Marino Daimones Amazon Kindle $2.99
Felicia Tatum Mangled Hearts Amazon Kindle $1.99
Beem Weeks Jazz Baby Amazon Kindle $3.99
C.S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.51
Judy Goodwin Heart of the Witch Amazon Kindle $2.99
Jerrie Brock Something Taken Amazon Kindle $2.99
Heidi Angell The Hunters Amazon Kindle $4.99
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum Amazon Kindle $3.99
Kathy Garlock Gone for a Soldier Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99
Emily Street The Velocipede Races Amazon Kindle $3.99
Heidi Angell Elements of a Broken Mind Amazon Kindle $4.99
Edward M Wolfe Devon's Last Chance Amazon Kindle $0.99 
S.G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway Amazon Kindle $3.99
Vardan Partamyan The After/Life Amazon Kindle $0.99
Tina Brescanu Destined Union Amazon Kindle $4.99
Liney Westlund Stella's Saga: Book One Amazon Kindle $2.99
Beth Deitchman Mary Bennet and the Bloomsbury Coven Amazon Kindle $3.99
Gloria Manjarrez Train to Nowhere Amazon Kindle $2.99
Eric A. Maskell The Veil Amazon Kindle $2.99
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh Amazon Kindle $2.99
Erin McDowell Dark Luminance Amazon Kindle $3.99
Gloria Manjarrez Finnegan's Quest Amazon Kindle $4.99

If you entered and your name doesn't appear in the above list, you forgot to do something on the Rafflecopter OR you sent me a print only book (which I cannot sample). Only those authors with three entries on the excel form made it into this list. If you only left your book pitch and link in the comments, I didn't pick it up. You gotta fill out the form.

Remember, every book that's pitched stays in until the end! I also don't go in order. Keeping you all guessing 'til the end is my fun time. I'll announce a new choice every day. If you're an author, be sure you're following along each day to get a new way to join me on social media (this will matter when your review goes up). You can enter a book each day if you come back and fill out the new Rafflecopter form.

Now for the winner announcement for the prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to all of you! I'll be in touch today to find out how to get you your prizes.

Time to announce the next book that's been added to the review pile for 2014!

The Witch Who Cried Wolf by Sarah Mäkelä

CONGRATS! Your book has been shared, tweeted, pinned, and added to my Goodreads TBR list for this contest.

Why? Well, I got to the last page of the sample and was very depressed there was no more! I was totally into it and I'm looking forward to reading more. Well done, Sarah! There are another couple that have been chosen, just not bought or announced yet. Hey, it's my job to keep you all on your toes!

From now until day 12, that book will be recognized with an * after the title when I do my rundown.

**Kindly remember there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You did get a purchase 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.**

It's time for today's widget!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to you all!

Tomorrow, I'm gonna have a rundown of last year's winners, links to their reviews, and an awesome video for you to watch so come on back for that! If you like to win books, there's a great giveaway for two printed copies of a Young Adult Sci-Fi novel going on over on the IBGW blog. Oh, and it's international :)

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

Jo

Twelve Days of Christmas Day Five

Happy Monday for the second time, everyone! Welcome back to the contest. I know you're all eagerly awaiting the results for today. First, let me direct you to the master page for the prize list. You can find it here. Before I get into announcing the winners of both the rafflecopter and the review, I'd like to do my daily rundown of entries. Here they are, in the order in which they were received:

Renee Novelle Reflections Amazon Kindle $0.99
Marc Nash An Eye For An Eye For An Eye Amazon Kindle $2.99
Robin Murphy Federal City's Secret Amazon Kindle $2.99
*Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter Amazon Kindle $7.99*
*Scott Marlowe The Five Elements Amazon Kindle $2.99*
S.G. Night Attrition: the First Act of Penance Amazon Kindle $4.98
Niramisa Weiss The Liar Amazon Kindle $9.60
*L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 Amazon Kindle $2.99*
Kimberley Clark The Species Within (Battles in the Dark #1) Amazon Kindle $2.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $2.99
Ginette Atcheson The Legacy: Fate Amazon Kindle $0.99
Jay Allan Storey Eldorado Amazon Kindle $3.99
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf Amazon Kindle $0.99
Doris Schneider Borrowed Things Amazon Kindle $4.95
Cat Brown Awakening (The Dark Rituals Book 1)  Amazon Kindle $0.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $0.99
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters Amazon Kindle $0.99
Molly Taggart Roots that Clutch Amazon Kindle $2.99
Stephanie Erickson The Cure Amazon Kindle $2.99
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.99
Massimo Marino Daimones Amazon Kindle $2.99
Felicia Tatum Mangled Hearts Amazon Kindle $1.99
Beem Weeks Jazz Baby Amazon Kindle $3.99
Cassandra Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.51
Judy Goodwin Heart of the Witch Amazon Kindle $2.99
Jerrie Brock Something Taken Amazon Kindle $2.99
Heidi Angell The Hunters Amazon Kindle $4.99
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum Amazon Kindle $3.99
Kathy Garlock Gone for a Soldier Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99
Emily Street The Velocipede Races Amazon Kindle $3.99
Heidi Angell Elements of a Broken Mind Amazon Kindle $4.99
Edward M Wolfe Devon's Last Chance Amazon Kindle $0.99 
S.G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway Amazon Kindle $3.99
Vardan Partamyan The After/Life Amazon Kindle $0.99
Tina Brescanu Destined Union Amazon Kindle $4.99
Liney Westlund Stella's Saga: Book One Amazon Kindle $2.99
Beth Deitchman Mary Bennet and the Bloomsbury Coven Amazon Kindle $3.99
Gloria Manjarrez Train to Nowhere Amazon Kindle $2.99
Eric A. Maskell The Veil Amazon Kindle $2.99

If you entered and your name doesn't appear in the above list, you forgot to do something on the Rafflecopter OR you sent me a print only book (which I cannot sample). Only those authors with three entries on the excel form made it into this list. If you only left your book pitch and link in the comments, I didn't pick it up. You gotta fill out the form.

Remember, every book that's pitched stays in until the end! I'll announce a new choice every day. If you're an author, be sure you're following along each day to get a new way to join me on social media (this will matter when your review goes up). You can enter a book each day if you come back and fill out the new Rafflecopter form.

Now for the winner announcement for the prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats! How exciting is that? I'll be in touch with you sometime today to find out how to get you guys your prize.

Time to announce the next book that's been added to the review pile for 2014!

Masked Encounters by Felicia Tatum

CONGRATS! Your book has been shared, tweeted, pinned, and added to my Goodreads TBR list for this contest.

From now until day 12, that book will be recognized with an * after the title when I do my rundown.

**Kindly remember there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You did get a purchase 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.**

It's time for today's widget!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to everyone who enters, both readers and authors alike!

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

Jo

A Guest Post by Bethany Lopez

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! This is the first of two posts today, the other will be the 12 Days of Christmas Day Four post. In keeping with my Monday posts for the awesome ladies of UtopYA, today I have a guest post by Ms. Bethany Lopez. If you don't have tickets to UtopYA Con 2014 yet, click the name to grab them NOW. The price goes up after the start of the year. I look forward to meeting you all there! Without any more gabbing on my part, I give you Bethany's guest post on the New Adult genre!

What New Adult Means to Me

by Author Bethany Lopez

I started out writing Young Adult, because my daughters were young teenagers at the time, and I wanted to write something that they would enjoy. I’ve written five Young Adult books so far, and my kids have really enjoyed them, but in the summer of 2012, I decided to write something that I would really enjoy.

To me, New Adult embodies some of the most challenging, exciting, and enjoyable parts of life. You’re out on your own for the first time, and suddenly, you’re responsible for your own actions. You fail and succeed all on your own, with no one to fall back on. It’s a time of self-discovery. Everything seems heightened. Your friendships are stronger, and your relationships, more important.

I decided I wanted to write about that time, so I began writing Make it Last. One book turned in to three, and I really wanted to make each one different, but still have the same feel. I made the trilogy about a group of friends, with each book focusing on one relationship.

We are all so different, and there are so many different ways to describe that pivotal time of our lives. Some people go away to college, some people stay with their parents and go to community college. College isn’t for everyone, so some people go straight to work, or learn a trade. Others join the military. It’s also fun to write about what happens right after you graduate, or start working your way up. Then there are the relationships. Will you play the field, or are you more interested in serious relationships.

New Adult is exciting because we’ve all been there. That time of your life can be devastating, confusing, and oh, so rewarding. It’s when we decide what we want to do with our lives, and the kind of person we want to be.

I’ve published four New Adult titles so far, and I’ve just finished the first book in another New Adult Series. I read constantly, and am always excited to see what other writers will choose to spin a tale about. I love the possibilities, and the many different adventures that are still to come.

What does New Adult mean to you?

~ Bethany Lopez

I love New Adult! Writing my NA books were so much fun. Thanks for the post, Bethany! I can't wait to meet you at UtopYA in June!

Now, on to information for Bethany's featured book!

Title: Indelible
Author: Bethany Lopez
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length (print): 255 pages
Links to Purchase: Amazon - Kindle $2.99  B&N - Nook $2.99

Synopsis: After a year of partying, Sam decides to buckle down and focus on college. Things are going great until a one-night stand leaves her pregnant and alone. Raising a child while going to school isn’t easy, but Sam is determined to be strong for her daughter. She doesn’t have time for guys or relationships, and takes great care to protect her child and her heart.

Judd doesn’t fit the mold of a college ballplayer. His long hair and tattoos may fit the life he’s created for himself, but baseball is the one thing he takes seriously. When he meets Sam, he’s immediately drawn to her curves and refusal to put up with his crap. When Judd learns the truth, can he handle the responsibility that comes with loving a single mother?

Sam yearns for the fire that Judd fuels in her, but her child’s needs have to come first. Can two people at different stages in their life find a way to make a life together?

And, since your finger is in the clicking mode, why not give Ms. Lopez a follow on social media?
Goodreads: Bethany Lopez
Blogger: Bethany's Writing Journey


Thanks for stopping by to read what Bethany had to share! Be sure and stay tuned for the 12 Days of Christmas post! Coming live in a few minutes! Bethany will be featured on the sidebar of the blog for the next week.

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

Jo

Twelve Days of Christmas 2013 Day Four

Happy Sunday, readers of my blog! Do I tell you often enough how awesome you all are? Because it's true! Why else would I be giving you copies of my books? If you want to check out the master list of gifts, go here. I'm sure those folks who follow my reviews are anxious to see what books I've pulled from the pile and added to my list. So, I won't go on and on here. Let's begin with a rundown of the books added thus far:


Renee Novelle Reflections Amazon Kindle $0.99
Marc Nash An Eye For An Eye For An Eye Amazon Kindle $2.99
Robin Murphy Federal City's Secret Amazon Kindle $2.99
*Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter Amazon Kindle $7.99*
*Scott Marlowe The Five Elements Amazon Kindle $2.99*
S.G. Night Attrition: the First Act of Penance Amazon Kindle $4.98
Niramisa Weiss The Liar Amazon Kindle $9.60
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 Amazon Kindle $2.99
Kimberley Clark The Species Within (Battles in the Dark #1) Amazon Kindle $2.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $2.99
Ginette Atcheson The Legacy: Fate Amazon Kindle $0.99
Jay Allan Storey Eldorado Amazon Kindle $3.99
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf Amazon Kindle $0.99
Doris Schneider Borrowed Things Amazon Kindle $4.95
Cat Brown Awakening (The Dark Rituals Book 1)  Amazon Kindle $0.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $0.99
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters Amazon Kindle $0.99
Molly Taggart Roots that Clutch Amazon Kindle $2.99
Stephanie Erickson The Cure Amazon Kindle $2.99
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.99
Massimo Marino Daimones Amazon Kindle $2.99
Felicia Tatum Mangled Hearts Amazon Kindle $1.99
Beem Weeks Jazz Baby Amazon Kindle $3.99
Cassandra Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.51
Judy Goodwin Heart of the Witch Amazon Kindle $2.99
Jerrie Brock Something Taken Amazon Kindle $2.99
Heidi Angell The Hunters Amazon Kindle $4.99
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum Amazon Kindle $3.99
Kathy Garlock Gone for a Soldier Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99
Emily Street The Velocipede Races Amazon Kindle $3.99
Heidi Angell Elements of a Broken Mind Amazon Kindle $4.99
Edward M Wolfe Devon's Last Chance Amazon Kindle $0.99 

If you entered and your name doesn't appear in the above list, you forgot to do something on the Rafflecopter. Only those authors with three entries on the excel form made it into this list. If you only left your book pitch and link in the comments, I didn't pick it up. You gotta fill out the form.

Remember, every book that's pitched stays in until the end! I'll announce a new choice every day. If you're an author, be sure you're following along each day to get a new way to join me on social media (this will matter when your review goes up). You can enter a book each day if you come back and fill out the new Rafflecopter form.

The winners of the prizes from yesterday are:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations! I've sent you messages to find out how to get you your prizes!

And, the next author/book chosen for the review pile is...

Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 by L.K. Evans.

Good job! Not only did her sample blow me away, she's also been back every day participating. Yeah, that matters :)

L.K., your book has been tweeted, shared, pinned, and added to my Goodreads TBR list for this contest. Congratulations! I look forward to reading and reviewing it.

From now until day 12, that book will be recognized with an * after the title when I do my rundown.

**Kindly remember there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You did get a purchase 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.**

Let's move on to today's fun prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to all authors and readers who enter!

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

Jo

Twelve Days of Christmas 2013 Day Three

Happy Saturday, everyone! Well, here we are on day three. The insanity keeps growing! Before we move on to other things (i.e. today's giveaway), I'm gonna list the entries in the contest so far (authors, if you put in a referral link, I removed it. Sorry, I don't do that here), announce the winner of yesterday's giveaway, and tell you the title of the book I chose to review! If you want to see the master page of prizes, go here. Here's my list so far:

Renee Novelle Reflections Amazon Kindle $0.99
Marc Nash An Eye For An Eye For An Eye Amazon Kindle $2.99
Robin Murphy Federal City's Secret Amazon Kindle $2.99
*Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter Amazon Kindle $7.99*
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements Amazon Kindle $2.99
S.G. Night Attrition: the First Act of Penance Amazon Kindle $4.98
Niramisa Weiss The Liar Amazon Kindle $9.60
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 Amazon Kindle $2.99
Kimberley Clark The Species Within (Battles in the Dark #1) Amazon Kindle $2.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $2.99
Ginette Atcheson The Legacy: Fate Amazon Kindle $0.99
Jay Allan Storey Eldorado Amazon Kindle $3.99
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf Amazon Kindle $0.99
Doris Schneider Borrowed Things Amazon Kindle $4.95
Molly Taggart Roots that Clutch Amazon Kindle $2.99
Stephanie Erickson The Cure Amazon Kindle $2.99
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.99
Massimo Marino Daimones Amazon Kindle $2.99
Felicia Tatum Mangled Hearts Amazon Kindle $1.99
Beem Weeks Jazz Baby Amazon Kindle $3.99
Cassandra Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.51
Judy Goodwin Heart of the Witch Amazon Kindle $2.99
Jerrie Brock Something Taken Amazon Kindle $2.99
Heidi Angell The Hunters Amazon Kindle $4.99
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum Amazon Kindle $3.99
Kathy Garlock Gone for a Soldier Amazon Kindle $2.99  


If you entered and your name doesn't appear in the above list, you forgot to do something on the Rafflecopter. Only those authors with three entries on the excel form made it into this list. If you only left your book pitch and link in the comments, I didn't pick it up. You gotta fill out the form.

Remember, every book that's pitched stays in until the end! I'll announce a new choice every day. If you're an author, be sure you're following along each day to get a new way to join me on social media (this will matter when your review goes up). You can enter a book each day if you come back and fill out the new Rafflecopter form.


Here's the rafflecopter from yesterday with the winners of the prizes announced:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

You've won: A Jo Michaels Fan Pass for 2014! It includes every book I release next year and some awesome swag that will include at least two of the items from this store: WriteJoMichaels on Zazzle

Congratulations to you both! I'll be in touch sometime today to find out how to get you your prize.

The title of the book that's been added to my review list for 2014 is...

Are you ready?

Are you sure?

Okay, here ya go!

The Five Elements by Scott Marlowe

I gotta admit, he got me from the sample. What a well written book so far!

Scott, your book has been shared, tweeted, pinned, and added to my Goodreads shelf for this contest.

From now until day 12, that book will be recognized with an * after the title when I do my rundown. 

**Kindly remember there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You did get a purchase 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.**

You can enter more than once! If you've already entered and have another book you'd like me to add to be considered, enter again!

On to the fun for today! Good luck, readers and authors!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Jo

Unofficial UtopYA Authors Holiday Giveaway Day 14

Hello, and welcome to the Unofficial UtopYA Authors Holiday Giveaway!

What is this giveaway all about? Getting you -- the readers -- into the holiday spirit! Each day there will be a new prize pack being given away, loaded with awesome authors all united by the fantastic YA/NA Convention, UtopYA! We hope you'll love our prize packs, but that's not all that's being given away. To top off the holiday spirit, we're giving away TWO, that's right, TWO fully loaded Kindle HDs! Two lucky winners will receive Kindle HDs, loaded with EVERY book being given away in the giveaway prize packs! So what are you waiting for? Check out today's prize pack, and enter to win one of twenty-seven fantastic prizes! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! :)

Without further ado, here are the amazing books in the Day 14 Prize Pack after the jump!

Twelve Days of Christmas 2013 Day Two

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Well, day one of the giveaway and review contest took off like a rocket! If you want to see the master prize list, look here. Let's do a rundown of the fabulous books on my list so far (as you all know, I don't use affiliate links, so these are just the amazon+ASIN in case you want to check them out, too):

Renee Novelle Reflections Amazon Kindle $0.99
Marc Nash An Eye For An Eye For An Eye Amazon Kindle $2.99
Robin Murphy Federal City's Secret Amazon Kindle $2.99
Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter Amazon Kindle $7.99
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements Amazon Kindle $2.99
S.G. Night Attrition: the First Act of Penance Amazon Kindle $4.98
Niramisa Weiss The Liar Amazon Kindle $9.60
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 Amazon Kindle $2.99
Kimberley Clark The Species Within (Battles in the Dark #1) Amazon Kindle $2.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $2.99
Ginette Atcheson The Legacy: Fate Amazon Kindle $0.99
Jay Allan Storey Eldorado Amazon Kindle $3.99
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf Amazon Kindle $0.99
Doris Schneider Borrowed Things Amazon Kindle $4.95
Cat Brown Awakening (The Dark Rituals Book 1)  Amazon Kindle $0.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $0.99
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters Amazon Kindle $0.99

If you entered and your name doesn't appear in the above list, you forgot to do something on the Rafflecopter. Only those authors with three entries on the excel form made it into this list. If you only left your book pitch and link in the comments, I didn't pick it up. You gotta fill out the form.

Remember, every book that's pitched stays in until the end! I'll announce a new choice every day. If you're an author, be sure you're following along each day to get a new way to join me on social media (this will matter when your review goes up). You can enter a book each day if you come back and fill out the new Rafflecopter form.

Moving on! Bet you're all dying to know who the winner of the printed Mystic Anthology is, huh?

Here's the answer:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Christina! I'll be in touch today to find out where to send your book! It's pre-release so you're getting all kinds of awesomeness.

And the lucky Indie author added to the review list for 2014 is...

Drumroll, please...

The Last Keeper's Daughter by Rebecca Trogner

Your book has been shared, pinned, tweeted and added to my Goodreads TBR for this contest! Congratulations, Rebecca!

From now until day 12, that book will be recognized with an * after the title when I do my rundown.

**Kindly remember there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You did get a purchase 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.**

Now, we'll move on to today's widget. Good luck everyone!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Jo

Twelve Days of Christmas 2013 Day One

Happy Thursday, everyone! Welcome to day one of the insanity! Over the next twelve days, I'll be offering Indie authors the chance to sell me their books and I'll be giving away some awesome prizes to boot. What are the prizes? See this post. Today I'm gonna take a moment to outline just what you get when you receive a review by yours truly. I know I hype it up and all that, but it's worth it. Grab a cup of coffee and join me!

First, 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? Every single one I've seen wants 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. 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 read 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 tell them about the good, bad, and ugly plot points and character aspects. 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. 3. Rating - I break the star rating down so they 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.

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 2013 during this contest. So, 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 that has over 300 regular readers and has enjoyed over 6500 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 100 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. :)

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!

Without further ado, let's move on to the Rafflecopter widget for your Day 1 entry. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

**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. Last year, I had a few I couldn't finish and it led to me not giving a review.**

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

Jo

Super Awesome 12 Days of Christmas Contest Announced

Happy Hump-Day, good people of the blogosphere! Yesterday I was so excited! I got a five star review for Mystic~Melody (see it here) and won an ARC of Illusions Begin (TBR Jan 21) by N.L. Greene. I also figured out some things I've been struggling with as far as formatting my books for Amazon goes. I updated The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book with what I learned. Because of that, it's now sitting at #10 on the Top 100 paid list for Graphic Design books on Amazon. So, if you own a copy, go grab the update! If not, what are you waiting for? Anyway, I guess it's time to reveal the super awesomeness. I was gonna do this announcement tomorrow and start on Friday, but realized I have a special post scheduled for that day. Duh! So we'll be doing things a bit differently. I'm announcing today and starting tomorrow. Grab your cup of coffee and let's get going!

If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know I do some giveaways and run contests on the holidays and for my birthday every year (that's December and July for all you newbies). Well, it seems December is here and we're just 13 days out from Christmas!

How exciting is that?

It's time to reveal my 12 Days of Christmas fun planned for this year! Lots of prizes await!

Bet you're wondering what they are, huh? I do love building the suspense for you all.

So, without further ado, here's the prize list (number of winners correspond with the days) this page will be updated daily with the link to each giveaway:

• 1 person will win a printed, signed copy of the Mystic Anthology (it's super pretty)
• 2 people will win a 2014 Jo Michaels Fan Package (you'll find out more if you come back on day 2)
• 3 people will win a The Bird bookmark and mini-magnet
• 4 people will win an e-copy of Mystic~Shelia
• 5 people will win an e-copy of Mystic~Melody
• 6 people will win an e-copy of The Abigale Chronicles-Book One
• 7 people will win an e-copy of The Abigale Chronicles-Book Two
• 8 people will win an e-copy of The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book
• 9 people will win a Mystic bookmark
• 10 people will win an e-copy of The Bird
• 11 people will win an e-copy of The Abigale Chronicles Anthology
• 12 people will win an e-copy of The Mystic Anthology

But that's not all!

Every day, I'll be choosing an Indie author to add to my review list for next year. I'll buy your book from Amazon if you enter the contest and if the sample grabs me. That's TWELVE Indie reviews. Each day, I'll announce a new title. All titles will stay in the pool until day twelve.

**There's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You will get a purchase if you win 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. Last year, I had a few I couldn't finish and it led to me not giving a review.**

How are we gonna do this? With a rafflecopter entry form for each day. You'll perform some task I set for you (liking a facebook page, following on Twitter, following reviews, subscribing to the blog, those kinds of things), then you'll leave a blog post comment telling me WHY I should review your book, and enter the title and link of the book you'd like considered on the Rafflecotper widget. Again, no matter which day you enter, your book will be kept in the pile until day 12. However, you won't be entered to win the next day's prize unless you participate on that day. You may enter more than one book throughout the contest.

The forms will be live for 24 hours each, from 7am EST day of through 7am EST the next day. I blog around 8 or 9 so watch for the post to go up so you can enter! I will be checking to be sure you did the tasks outlined on the Rafflecopter. If you just clicked "enter" I'll remove your entry.

Why? Because it's not difficult to do, your book review will be going up on my blog, and it'll be blasted through the channels I get you to follow. This way, you can see when I post them and share them with ease.

I'm gonna try to make it as easy and painless as possible.

I got hold of some wonderful books last year I would've probably never looked at if not for my contest, and I'm looking forward to picking up more this year.

There will be content posts along with the daily prize posts but I'll indicate what day we're on in the title of the post.

Got it?

This is gonna be FUN!

What prize are you hoping to win?

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

Jo

Cover Reveal - Devil Creek

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have a great cover reveal to share with you all! Tomorrow, we go back to our regularly scheduled program of writing tips and loveliness until Friday. I have an awesome surprise for you all next week (especially you authors) but I don't want to give anything away too soon. You know how I get around the holidays. Let's see how many days I can keep it a secret before I start singing like a canary. Yeah, I'm filling space here at the top of the blog right now to shove the images down under the fold so you have to work for them. Haha! Gotcha! Enough of my rambling, we have a cover to reveal! So grab your comfy chair and a cuppa and let's get going!

Cover Reveal - Devil Creek

by Casey L. Bond

Before we get to the awesome imagery, here's a little bit of info about the book:

Title: Devil Creek
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: NA Romance
Length: Around 65K words

I have to tell you, I read it as a beta-reader. I was left with my mouth hanging open. All I can say is, you're in for a treat!

I know, I know, you're all ready to see the cover, huh?

What fun would it be if I just plastered it all over the first few lines of the blog? Bo-ring.

No? Not boring?

Okay! You win! Here it is:

Synopsis:
What is your greatest fear? For Aislin, it is the fear of being alone. She grew up in and out of foster care along with her brother, Declan. When he is killed by an IED blast while serving in Afghanistan, she leans on her brother's best friend, Gabriel. The two become inseparable.

When she catches her fiancée in bed with another girl? She isn’t even that upset. Mad as hell? Yes. As angry as she should be? No. That's the moment she realizes that she isn't in love with her fiancée. She is in love with her best friend, Gabriel. The only problem is that Gabe doesn't think he should cross the boundary between friend and lover with his dead best friend's sister. He wants her. He just doesn't want to want her. And, therein lies the problem.

After Aislin is attacked by a man she tried to love with her head in an attempt to heal her heart from rejection, she and Gabriel have one night of bliss together. Only one though. Gabriel gets spooked and runs. He is afraid. Afraid that Aislin will hate him for taking advantage of her vulnerability. Three years and nine months later, Gabe comes home to find Aislin with a dark-haired wanna-be rockstar and a three year old little girl with familiar blue eyes. Seeing her with Jude, makes his blood boil. But does Gabriel deserve her? No. Does he want her? With every fiber of his being. He will do anything it takes to win her heart and prove his love. He wants a place in her life and in the life of her daughter. What is in the cards for Gabriel and Aislin? Welcome to Devil Creek.

And, here's the full wrap cover!

Yes! Bonus!

Pretty, isn't it?

I'll be writing a review for this book once Ms. Bond is done editing it. I do hope you'll all come on back for that!

What do you think of the cover? Does it look/sound like something you'd read?

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

Jo

Bethany Lopez Author Interview

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! It’s time for another UtopYA Con 2014 unofficial author interview. Yeah, yeah, I hear you cheering. Keep it up! If you haven’t picked up your tickets for the event yet, click the name to grab yours today. It’s being held at the Millennium Maxwell House in Nashville, Tennessee. Get off your kiesters and join us that weekend for a ton of fun!

Let’s get this party started! Grab your coffee, a comfy chair, and meet Ms. Bethany Lopez.

Jo: Howdy, Bethany! Great to have you here.
Bethany: Hi Jo! Thanks for having me.

Jo: I sorta cyber-stalked you and found out a ton of interesting information. So let’s get to the questions, shall we? I saw that you’re active duty Air Force. I tip my hat to you for that one. I’m from a military family and I know how difficult it can be. What’s the hardest part about swinging that with your writing?
Bethany: Well, I’m currently deployed, so the difficulties I’m having right now are time, and technology! I don’t always have the time, or a comfortable place, to write, and when I do, the technology doesn’t always work. So, I’m learning patience, and trying to write whenever I can.


Jo: I can’t imagine how you fit in the time. I also read you have four kids. Congratulations! That’s a special mission in and of itself. How do you manage four kids, a military recruiting career, and being a writer?
Bethany: We actually have five kids all together, but my step-daughter is an adult now, and my step-son lives with his mom, so we are down to three kids at home now. It’s all about balance. I take each of my kids on individual dates, as well as plan family outings, so that they each get “Mommy time.” When I’m home, I usually write on weekend mornings, or when my husband is watching sports, so that I’m not taking away from their time.

Jo: Wow. You have your hands super full! You got married in Scotland? Tell me a little story about that using your best writer-ly voice.
Bethany: It’s funny that you should ask, because as I write this (Nov 23rd), it’s my 12th Wedding Anniversary.

We landed in Scotland, a foreign country, with an appointment at the Registrar, and no further plans. Our wedding was scheduled for early afternoon, so we started off our adventure by stopping at the first hair dresser that we saw and asked if they could squeeze in four hair appointments. While my mother, maid-of-honor, three-year old daughter, and I got our hair done and enjoyed refreshments, the ladies of the salon talked and laughed with us. I asked if there was a florist nearby, and they pointed me to a little shop down the road. When I returned with a bouquet of long stemmed flowers wrapped in ribbon, I asked if they knew of any local restaurants where we could enjoy a celebratory meal after the wedding. I laughed at the looks of confusion on their faces. They couldn’t believe that we had come to Glasgow to get married, without any real plan other than where we were getting married, and which B & B we were staying at. They made a reservation at a lovely restaurant, where we were given complimentary champagne to celebrate our nuptials. It was a kind of crazy, somewhat impulsive, wedding, but I will never forget the beauty of the city, the kindness of the people, and the joy of sharing a pint with my husband in a local pub on our wedding night.

Jo: That was beautiful! Happy Anniversary! I grew up near your home state, in Louisiana (close to the border) and I have to say, I love Texas! What was your favorite part about living there?
Bethany: I was born in Michigan, and lived in Texas for five years, from third – seventh grade. Those were amazing years. We lived in San Antonio for the first two years, and then moved twenty miles away to a little town called Lacoste. I loved living there as a child. I would leave the house after breakfast, and come home when the lights came on at night. It was a wonderful, carefree time, and I was really able to enjoy being a kid.

Jo: Ah, Texas nights! Nothing quite like those. As you probably know, Tia Silverthorne Bach and I are good friends. *waves to Tia* She’s planning to write a review for one of your books (she said so here). Are you nervous about what she’ll say?
Bethany: Now I am… lol. Tia is a very sweet woman and I’m happy to have known her for so long. TTYL, and the Stories about Melissa series, are very young YA. It brings back those feelings of being a teenager and starting high school. Those feelings of confusion, awkwardness, and trying to find your place in the world. Hopefully reading it will bring back those feelings for Tia, and a smile to her face.

Jo: I hope her review brings a smile to your face, too! Tell us about your breakout novel, Make it Last. What inspired you to write it? On another note, have you seen a lot of success with your Stories about Melissa series?
Bethany: Music inspired me to write the Friends & Lovers Trilogy, which began with Make it Last. Country music. I wanted to write something more mature than YA, and I love the feel of NA. I love that you are finally independent from your parents, and that you are trying to find your place in the world. The friendships are more important, and the relationships more serious. I started with Bri and Colin, because I wanted to write a second chance love story. Once I introduced Kent and Rich, I knew I wanted them each to have their own stories as well. My YA books have not been as successful as my NA books. They are all written in the same style, and I think when a reader picks up any of my books, they know what my voice is, but since most of my readers are adult women, they like reading adult situations better. I will continue to write the Stories about Melissa series, because I promised eight books, and I want to see where Melissa ends up, but the other books I write will probably be either NA or Adult.

Jo: NA seems to be the hot market right now. I see you’re an award-winning author. What did you win the award for and what award was it? How did you feel when you got it?
Bethany: I won the Bronze medal for 2013 Annual Reader’s Choice Award in Contemporary Romance. Funny enough again, I was supposed to attend the awards ceremony this evening (Nov 23rd) in Miami, but cannot, since I am deployed. I won it for Trust in Me, which is the third book in my Friends & Lovers Trilogy. I felt shocked, sure it was a mistake, and totally humbled. I cried. It was a wonderful moment, because I was sure in a category as huge as Contemporary Romance, that I had no shot. I’m very grateful to have been selected. I love Trust in Me, and I’m so happy others do as well.

Jo: Congratulations! That sounds like a huge win. I can’t imagine how it felt and how much it must’ve sucked to not be able to receive the award in person. Time for the weird questions! What’s your favorite brand of tissue?
Bethany: Kleenex, the soft kind.

Jo: Me, too! Favorite dance song?
Bethany: Anything by Pitbull


Jo: Great answer! On to the alien question of the interview! Which alien movie scared you the most and why?
Bethany: Alien is a really scary movie. But I really enjoyed Super 8.

Jo: I agree. I think I may have cringed behind my mother the first time I saw that movie. I’ve never seen Super 8. Maybe I should check it out! Time to talk about something almost as scary: One star reviews. What do you take away from those? How do you feel about reviews in general?
Bethany: I used to drive myself crazy reading reviews. I would cry and feel bad about myself, and wonder why I was putting myself through this, but now, I stay away from them. Books are subjective, what resonates with some, doesn’t with others. Just like I don’t like every book I read, others won’t like every book I write, and I try to remind myself of that. I can’t deny that it hurts when I read them, and that I sometimes take them personally, but I’m working on it.

Jo: That’s a good attitude to have. If only more authors thought that way! Now, tell us about your featured book of the week, please.
Bethany: Indelible is a book that is near and dear to my heart (although I think I say that about all of my books), it is the story of a single mother, who is working and going to school full time. Sam is doing what she can to make things work, and give her daughter a good life, then she meets Judd. Judd is going to school on a baseball scholarship, and is enjoying being a young single ballplayer. It’s the story of two people at two totally different stages of their lives, who want to be together, but realize that sometimes what you want, isn’t what is best for everyone involved.

Jo: Sounds like an awesome book. I'll check it out. That’s all the time we have for today! Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?
Bethany: Thanks for having me, and thanks to the readers for giving me the opportunity to do what I love to do. As an avid reader myself, I love how vast and diverse the market it, and I appreciate anyone who picks on of my books out of the masses.

Jo: Readers are the reason writers exist, huh? That was a lovely thank you. Thanks for stopping by the blog and letting me interview you, Bethany. I can’t wait to meet you at UtopYA!

Now, a little about the featured book of the week. 

Title: Indelible
Author: Bethany Lopez
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length (print): 255 pages
Links to Purchase: Amazon - Kindle $2.99  B&N - Nook $2.99


Synopsis: After a year of partying, Sam decides to buckle down and focus on college. Things are going great until a one-night stand leaves her pregnant and alone. Raising a child while going to school isn’t easy, but Sam is determined to be strong for her daughter. She doesn’t have time for guys or relationships, and takes great care to protect her child and her heart.

Judd doesn’t fit the mold of a college ballplayer. His long hair and tattoos may fit the life he’s created for himself, but baseball is the one thing he takes seriously. When he meets Sam, he’s immediately drawn to her curves and refusal to put up with his crap. When Judd learns the truth, can he handle the responsibility that comes with loving a single mother?

Sam yearns for the fire that Judd fuels in her, but her child’s needs have to come first. Can two people at different stages in their life find a way to make a life together?


And, since your finger is in the clicking mode, why not give Ms. Lopez a follow on social media?
Twitter: @bethanylopez2
Facebook: Author Page
Pinterest: BethanyLopez2

Thanks for stopping by this week to meet Bethany! She’ll be on the sidebar of the blog with her featured book for the next two weeks! Be sure and pop by next Monday for a guest post by this awesome author.

Do you have questions for Ms. Lopez? If so, drop them in the comments!

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

Jo

Notes on Createspace File Prep, and NaNoWriMo News

Happy Friday, everyone! Wow, this week flew by! I'm knee-deep in the launch prep for I, Zombie and have had so much fun shouting about it everywhere. We'll see how it goes. On to other, more production type things! Today, I'm talking about something to beware of when printing your book with Createspace. Let me start off by saying I love Createspace. I think they're the best, easiest option out there for Indie authors to get print books. However, the issue I'm detailing today really needs to be something they fix somehow. Perhaps a special account for those that know what they're doing.

So, I decided to release an anthology of the first 5 Mystic books in print and use the covers that will be changed globally when Markaza's book is released next year. Because of this, I also revamped the interior. Well, this caused me a huge problem. Let me show you what I mean; telling you isn't going to help.

I love typography. I think it makes some of the most beautiful art on the planet. Apparently, CS doesn't agree with this practice. When I uploaded my book with this pretty type-style artwork on the chapter openings pages:

(I adore it. What you see here is the page trimmed to the bleed lines. Now keep in mind, the M would disappear into the gutter quite a bit and it's cutting off the C and the dot on the I. Still, pretty, eh? And matches the cover perfectly!)

They rejected it.

Why? The reason they gave me is that the text is too close to the edge of the page which would result in quite a bit of it being cut off during production. There should be at least a .125" margin on all sides.

I e-mailed them and outlined that the text they were referring to wasn't meant to be read, it was there for artistic purposes, was a 330dpi image (this is why their auto-checker didn't find any issues), and there was a ONE inch margin around the text in the body of the book (more than they require, but an industry standard). Hell yeah, I was gonna fight for my design!

I waited less than 24 hours when a response showed up in my inbox. A human would try and explain my design to the other humans who look over the book and get the approval for the proof regardless. That person would try and push my design through to production and I should look for an answer sometime over the next two days. YAY!

Excitement flooded me! I was gonna get my beautiful type treatment!

My joy was short lived, however, when I was told there was no way the team could push it through.

Drats!

At that point, I'd exhausted all my options and decided to just reformat the chapter opening pages without my beautiful type art.

This is what I ended up with:

While still fun, and very Markaza-ish, it's just not what I would've preferred.

Oh well.

Why am I sharing this with you? To keep you from using type in a full bleed page design intended for Createspace and having them reject it. Twice. As always, I'm trying to save you from a permanent red spot on your forehead from banging it on the desk out of frustration.

Lesson learned. I feel like the bad child who had their hand slapped. *Note to self: Never EVER use type that might be cut off in ANY way in your book design until you've convinced CS to create a special account just for you*

Yeah, that's my next goal. I'm gonna try to get them to change the policy where this is concerned. *grin*

I'll keep you updated.

On to the next part of this post!

If you were a participant in NaNoWriMo this year, you're now able to go pick up your winner goodies! There's some awesome stuff on the offering block so I suggest you go check it out.

NaNoWriMo.org

Look very closely at the Lulu offer. That's all I'm going to say about it.

Have you ever experienced this kind of thing with your printer? How did you handle it?

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

Jo