Back to Business #writerslife

After a very busy summer, school is back in session, and I have my writing time back. Woot!

Not that I've done any writing. Very little happened in front of the computer this past season. It's put me even farther behind schedule, but it has also give me a lot of time to think.

I thought I had a pretty good handle on this writing career thing. Loose as it might be at times, I had done my research. I'm smart. But nothing is working. Why isn't it working?!

Perhaps I've been too loose. I need to be tighter with my time management and what I put my time into. I need to seriously get down to business.

First, I'm going to put time limits on what I do and stick with them. Usually when I'm on social media, time gets away from me. No more. It takes away from writing time, and as a writer, the number one thing I need to be doing is writing.

Write in the mornings and write in the afternoons. Write. (Includes revising and editing!)

I need better covers. I created a new cover for The 13th Floor Complete Collection earlier this year, and it has perked up interest in it. (Anything from zero interest is an improvement!) My next task is to make new covers for the majority of my books. Yes, I realize there are a lot of them, but it makes a difference. It will be slow going, but one by one, I can do it.

I will be fixing my social media. First, this will mean a new website. I dropped my provider and I'll be setting up on Wix. I'm working on how to keep my domain name and transfer it over. Wix is not only free, but easy to use. I use it for my pen name and love it. I may move my blog to Wix too. I like Blogger, but it would be convenient to have everything in one place. Has anyone had experience with Wix's blog? Any info would be helpful, please.

Promos do help get new eyes on your books, and I want to participate in more. Yet after years of having books for free in promos, I realize it doesn't help. It's a momentary boost in my Amazon rank, but then it goes back down after the promo is over. It doesn't nab me reviews. Readers are much more likely to leave a review if they pay for something. 99c sales are better or 50% off. That way the readers feel they're getting deals, but they're still paying.

Write. Then write some more.

That's the plan. Rule the world. You and me. Any day. I mean, uh, consolidate, strict schedule, new looks, and write.

How do you handle the business of being of a writer?

Monday Writing Update

The first draft of Totem #7 is done.

The first draft of #8 is almost done.

I have no idea where the story is going to take me in #9.

But then it will be done. I'm eager to move on to a new world.

And now I want to change all my covers to something like this!

I'm pushing to finish #8. I'll see you next Wednesday for the IWSG. Have a great week!

Word Witch Wednesday - whipping up the news

Good news or bad news first?

The good news: I don't know if this is the bigger news, but here we go! The release of the first three of the Totem books is going good in that the readers who has read the books love them. Yay! Yes, the whole book ad thing didn't work out, but I've learned from it.

 

I'm on schedule for getting the next three Totem books out starting in January. The covers are done, and I'll reveal them next month.

I'm behind in writing the final three books. I wanted at least book #7 to be done by now, but I haven't set any release dates for them yet, so I'm safe in that aspect.

The bad news: my publisher, Ellora's Cave, is closing. I've regained all my rights for the nine books I had with them, and I'll publish them myself next year. I won't discuss all the details, but if you want to read about it, check out this article here. You can email me about it if you're really curious.

This is the second time I've had a bad experience with a publisher. I am thankful for the ability to publish my work myself. It's tough out there right now, especially for romance authors. Issues with Samhain Publishing and Harlequin also add to the mess writers have been dealing with this past year. Is it a wonder so many people are going indie? If Tor or Penguin want to sign me, then I'll be excited about working with a publisher again, but at this point in time, I have no desire to do so.

I'm not blocking off that path in my journey, but I'm putting my focus on being an indie author now. It's a little sad, and more than a bit scary since it will all be on me, but I'm one of those folks who find their determination strengthened by such things.

Never give up your dreams. You just may have to forge another path to get there.

Word Witch Wednesday - the mad science of book covers (part 3)

Welcome back! I'm happy my rambling hasn't scared you off yet. It's been a few weeks since my last book covers post. Click on part one and part two if you need to remind yourself where we are.

Today we're talking about image shopping. You should have your notes on the basic elements you need for your book cover. You're not forming images of finished covers in your mind yet, are you? Don't do it. Not at this point.

I posted five image shopping tips in May. Before you decide where you're going to get your images from, do your research. Make sure the price is the best and the images can be used for commercial use. Usually they're unlimited for electronic use and limited to 100,000 copies for print books. (The latter I don't worry about. If I ever get to the point where I'm selling over 100,000 print copies, I will be able to afford to buy the rights to the print images!)

When purchasing the images, buy the biggest size with the highest resolution. Make certain the images are clear and in color. If you want blurry effects, black & white, or color washes, you can do those yourself later. They are simple to do in most programs.

Backgrounds: There are tons of cityscapes, castles, mansions, forests, and galaxies to choose from. If you have a real location, find an image that has a well known landmark so the reader will be able to pick it out. Otherwise, don't go searching for an image that is exactly what you're imagining in your head. Remember, we want to create a mood and portray the general characteristics of the setting. Is it mysterious you want? Or foreboding? Dynamic? Serene? Magical?

I was searching for a bit of mystery and larger than life awe. (If that makes sense!) I had a subscription to a stock image site, so I bought a few possibilities for each cover. If you can only afford to download one image for your background, you can get a sample of it and try it out with the other cover pieces before you purchase it. I highly recommend that you do.

For the background, you're walking along the edge of needing a scene that fades into the backdrop and yet very clearly captures the atmosphere. An experienced cover artist will know what they're looking for, but if you're like me, it will be a lot of trial and error.

A reminder of my basic elements for my backgrounds: late summer forest, base of a mountain, and tiny Native village.

Here are the backgrounds of the first three Totem books:

Oh yes. I'm taking you step by step with me! You get to see all my bare elements... and wow, that just sounded dirty.

Anyway, dark with a bit of mystery and awe. Book #1 was the first image I came across and I loved it. For book #2, that image is the tenth candidate. I settled on the fourth image I tried for Book #3.

Tip: you might find an image with something you like in it, but you don't like all of it. You can use part of an image. I've done that with almost every element I used for my covers. This is why you download the largest image. So when you chop it up, the pieces are still a good size.

Since these posts are turning out much longer than I expected, I'm going to continue on with image shopping next time. It will be about the most difficult part: the unsmiling protagonist.

What do those background images make you feel?

Word Witch Wednesday - the mad science of book covers (part 2)

Welcome to part two of the mad science of book covers, class! If you need to review what we talked about in part one, or borrow a few notes, please feel free to do so.

Now that you know the basic elements of your genre's book covers, it's time to take the next step and come up with a general concept for your own.

Do you have an image in your head of what you want the cover to look like? If yes, forget about it. Don't go into this with an idealized version in your head. You'll never be satisfied. Trust me, I know.

The basic elements I need for my urban fantasy covers are: mood creating background, silhouetted villain, unsmiling protagonist, and something to tie all covers together for the series. Possibly the shifter's animal.

I left out the villain. Why? It was just too much. Go as simple as possible. You want to hook a reader with your cover and capture their attention so they read the blurb. If the cover is too busy, they'll just be confused.

Background: my Totem series takes place in Alaska. Thankfully there isn't a lack of beautiful and mystical images of the northernmost state. But you need to be more specific than just a general area. Where does the most intense scene(s) of your story take place? Or, if you don't want to give that bit away, where does the majority of the story take place?

Totem book #1 - late summer forest.
Totem book #2 - base of a mountain.
Totem book #3 - tiny Native village.

Unsmiling protagonist: Do you have detailed descriptions of your protagonists? Good. Keep the notes stash them away, and make a very generalized profile about them. If you're very lucky, you'll find an image of a model that looks exactly how you imagined your character, but that's unlikely, and it's okay.

One of the things I learned from the marvelous cover artist who designed the cover to Of Blood and Sorrow was that covers aren't exact representations of the story inside. Readers are going to picture the characters in their heads totally different than you and from each other. What the model on the cover needs to do is portray certain characteristics like strength, sass, or vulnerability.

Write down the main characteristics of your character. If you aren't going to use a person on your cover, the place, animal, or object you do use should portray certain aspects that represent your story. Make these clear.

Something to tie all covers in a series together: You can do this in several ways. The same character on all covers, the same background with different characters on each cover, a theme like the four elements or pet loving ogres, different color washes for the same cover, etc.

As you've done your research, you will have seen how other authors in your genre tie the book covers in their series together. What do you like best? What would work with your series best?

For me, I created a partial frost border that will be the same on all of the covers along with a Totem logo which will contain the book number.

The final extra bit. The shifter animal: The Totem series features three sisters who are polar bear shifters. I considered putting a bear in the background on each cover, but it felt like too many bears. Instead, I went with totem animals since in each book, the heroes are seeking a different one.

These are all just pieces at the moment. Again, don't get an idea in your head of how it's going to look. You must collect each element first. How they fit together or don't fit together may surprise you.

Next class will be about finding the right images.

Word Witch Wednesday - the mad science of book covers (part 1)

I've spent a lot of time creating book covers this year. I put as many hours into them as I did writing the first drafts! Maybe I'm a little bit of a perfectionist, but readers do judge books by their covers. It is the first thing that needs to grab their attention.

I'm going to share with you my process over the next few months, and end with the reveal of the first three Totem covers.

The first important thing you need to do before you start creating is know your genre. This is vital. The cover will need to declare where your book fits. If it has a sub-genre, be aware of that too.

My genre: the Totem series is urban fantasy. My sub-genres: there is a strong element of romance, and the protagonists are shifters.

Once you have your genre, it's research time. Google makes it very easy. Do an image search and compare several covers of books in your genre. What are the common elements? What makes some covers stand out from the others? What makes you want to pick up a book?

Urban fantasy cover common elements:

- urban background at night. Usually cityscape or forest.

- protagonist the central feature. Typically ready to fight. And nobody smiles. (Seriously. It's like smiling is against the law on urban fantasy covers!)

- dark colors, sometimes misty, to create an ominous atmosphere.

- books in a series need to share a common look.

Sub-genre common elements:

- a little bit of sexiness for the romance. But not the oh-la-la type!

- the animal or a hint of the animal the protagonist can shift into.

Optional:

- silhouetted villain/danger lurking in the background.

- silhouetted love interest lurking being protective in the background. In human or animal form.

What makes me want to pick up a book? A protagonist that looks unusual. Not your typical beauty with a sword or tattooed beefcake. A background that tells a story as much as the character featured. A hint of brilliant color along with the dark and mysterious colors.

A big order, but I'm determined to fill it.

Next post on the mad science of book covers: your general concept.

P.S. I'm calling this the "mad science" of book covers because piecing the elements together is science. Yet there is something magical in making it all come together as a whole. An awesome cover artist is a little mad with the magic, and that's what makes their art stand out.

Friday Five for May 27, 2016

1. I survived talking to the university class. I didn't lose my voice or faint, and I remembered to wear pants. I even got a few laughs. So I'll count that as a win. Though, it was extremely awkward and nerve-wracking for me. Speaking in front of people is just not for me.

2. I'm still fussing with my Totem covers and their fonts. I think I might have one that works. Maybe. Ack! I need to stop messing with them and be done. It's stealing my writing time.

3. One short story competition loss this week. One short story submitted. Very little writing was done. I blame it on the fonts!

4. Yesterday was my son's kindergarten awards. He wore his bow tie shirt. So cute! Every child received a medal and a certificate. So sitting through eight classes took quite a while. My son also won a medal for the highest academic achievement for boys in his class. Proud mama right here. Today is his last day of school, and then it's ten weeks of summer break!

5. Friday Five will be on summer break too. It'll be back in August with a new logo. My blogging will be very light over the next two months. I have some incredible guests scheduled, though. Please come visit and let them know how awesome they are.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Word Witch Wednesday - tips for image shopping

What do you think of the new name for my Wednesday feature? I decided to change it, because there are a lot of "Wicked Wednesdays" out there. Originally I intended to talk about paranormal romance on Wednesdays, but it has grown past that. I talk about all aspects of being a writer, or rather, a word witch!

Last month I was gifted a subscription to BigStock. (Thanks, Mom!) I checked around, and they have one of the best deals for images.

Shopping for images is glorious and grueling. I spent hours upon hours looking at pictures. In the end, I was happy with what I found, and I learned a lot along the way.

Whether you're shopping images for book covers, ads, or blogs, here are five tips that can help make your job easier.

1) Know exactly what you want. Don't even go in with a vague idea, because it's easy to get click happy and buy several pretty pictures that you won't use. Use specific words and filter your image search.

2) For that image search, be aware that one word might not bring up what you want. Typing in "blonde" will get you many things along with a blonde woman. Be descriptive. "Serious blonde woman standing." You'll still get brunettes and smiling models, but the number of images will be much smaller.

Bonus tip: if you want a great moody image of a person that isn't smiling, try typing in "vogue shot" with your description.

3) Turn the safe search off. What? How naughty of me? So many images get pegged as unsafe for one reason or another, and it doesn't mean they're risque pictures. (Though, yes, some are!) You can double your search results by not having the safe search on.

4) If the site allows it, click on specific photographers and models. You might find the perfect model for your cover, but the poses that come up in the original search aren't what you want. Click on the photographer or model, and you'll usually discover many more images to choose from.

Bonus tip: I found that I was drawn to a few photographers. Take the time to check out the portfolios of ones you like. It's like finding buried treasure!

5) When you type in your search, the most popular images come up first. I have seen so many overused and familiar images. (At one point, I was certain almost every author and publisher got their images from BigStock!) Dig deep into the site. Click past those super popular images and find something you've never seen before.

Have you ever bought pictures from a stock image site? Do you have any tips to share?

Friday Five for February 5, 2016

1. Today is the last day of The Paramours Tour. I'll be over at Megan Morgan's blog and Long and Short Reviews today. It's been a really fun week, but I'm ready for a break this weekend. You still can enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $20 gift card.

2. The edits are finished on Big Yearning, the first book of The Sasquatch Susies series. I'll have a release date very soon. I've also seen the covers. Oh my! When they're finalized, I'll unveil them... Well, there's no veils involved. In fact, there's very little clothing at all!

3. It's funny that while I write erotica, I do get all shy when seeing the covers. The Paramours' covers are conservative in the erotica world (even though I really love them), but the Susies books have a ton more beefcake! Everything about these novellas is BIG.

4. I've been working on the third book for my Totem series. It's going a lot slower than I thought it would. The protagonist and her hero aren't chatty types. And the protagonist swears a lot. I have threatened them that if they don't start talking, I'm going to throw the baddies at them much sooner than I planned. They think I'm bluffing. Ha!

5. I've no plans this weekend except to take full advantage of the unseasonably warm weather. Time to get out and enjoy the sunshine before crawling back into my writer's cave when the cold comes back. Have a wonderful weekend!

Wicked Wednesday - thinking about covers

(The action cover where the young hero fights a pirate!)

With my newest series, I'll have nine covers. I'd love to be able to afford a cover artist, but for nine covers? Yikes. So I'll be designing them myself.

And yes, I'm thinking about this way ahead of time. I've only finished the first rough draft of the of first novella. But I like to give myself a lot of time to think about important things. Covers are immensely important, after all. Most of us will say we don't judge books by their covers, but a gorgeous one will attract readers.

(The proud moment of accomplishment cover.)

The Totem series is paranormal romance (PNR) along the same lines as the 13th Floor series. Not all romance, but the relationships are pivotal to the plots.

I like to go simple when designing covers. I've learned some new Photoshops tricks since I made the 13th Floor covers. I believe I can step it up a notch this time. But which direction should I go?

Many PNR covers about shifters have the character(s) on the cover with their animals in the background. Or their eyes are animalistic in their beautiful human faces as they stare at the reader. Do I follow the standard formula? Or do I try to go my own way?

Here are my options. I'm curious as to what you as readers prefer.

1) These nine books are about three sisters. Each book will have one of the sisters narrating. They'll each get three books. I could focus on the women alone. Each cover would have the sister who's narrating, so readers will know who it is about.

2) Nine books. Three sisters. Three love interests. The first three books will have one of the sisters on each of them, and the next three books would have the men. The final three books would feature them as couples. I'm leaning in this direction because I believe PNR readers would like to see handsome men gracing the covers. (To this day, Xan still gets compliments!)

3) Nine books. Three sisters. Three love interests. Seven totems. If I don't want to use people on the covers, I could focus on the totem animals. Go with cool Inuit drawings. Yet the problem here is that only books 2-8 will have specific animals. Could I merge the totems with the models? Yes, possibly. I don't want to make my job overly difficult, though. But then what to do with books 1 and 9?

Right now, I need to stop looking at stock pictures and get writing!

(The what-the-heck cover that doesn't make sense when you read the story!)

Note: All the photos are of my son and Thee Bluebeard. He's a hilarious pirate captain looking for a new crew. He invites people on stage and makes them do weird things. It was the one thing my little guy wanted at the renaissance faire since he saw Bluebeard last year. He got his wish and it was awesome!

Friday Five for May 22, 2015

1. I have all three covers for my Dice & Debauchery series now. The final cover is my favorite! They make quite the attractive set too. One week until Layers of Lace is released! I won't be touring until August, but if you'd like to do a shout-out for me, I'd greatly appreciate it. Email me or leave a comment, and I'll send the info your way.

2. Today is my son's last day of preschool. I'm excited and a little sad. We were so lucky to have a super preschool. Small classes, play based program, and the best teachers ever! They'll have a graduation tonight. The kids will wear caps and gowns. It'll be amazingly cute! Plus we'll get cake. Mmmm... cake.

3. So with the last day of school is my last day of morning writing time for the next few months. I'm already mourning it. Yet when August comes around, my little guy will be in school for full day kindergarten. Full days every weekday to write. It's like this shiny, golden treasure just beyond my reach. Summer will go quickly, I know, and I'll enjoy it, but oh, that beautiful, shiny writing time. I can't stop thinking about it!

4. I'll be posting on my blog less in June and July, but you'll still see me lurking about at night. Not the creepy kind of lurking. Though, after long, hot days, I might look a little scary!

5. It's the long weekend. Yay! In my schedule: a renaissance birthday party, Dungeons & Dragons, and maybe we'll get to see Avengers 2. Have a fantastic weekend, folks!

Happy St. Patrick's Day & Kyra Lennon's new covers

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

 

I have a lucky bonus stop for you today celebrating the release of Of Blood and Sorrow.

Visit Across The Board for a mini interview!

 

I'm also excited to share with you the wonderfully talented Kyra Lennon's new covers for her Game On series. Her fourth book, PLAY ON, is coming soon. 

 

Additionally, between March 16th - 18th, Book One: GAME ON, by Kyra Lennon, will be free on Amazon.

 

See Kyra's Facebook event for more details: https://www.facebook.com/events/866593113364034/

 

 

Game On Series by Kyra Lennon (Game On #1-4)
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

 

Book 1 - Game On: 

After swapping her small town life to work for one of the top soccer teams in the U.S, Leah Walker thought she could finally leave the ghosts of her past behind. However, when she meets serial womanizer, Radleigh McCoy, the memories of her old life come swarming back, and she is forced to ask herself whether she has really changed at all. 

Book 2 - Blindsided: 

After a successful first soccer season in L.A, Jesse Shaw heads to London with his best buddy, Hunter, but his world is turned upside down when a dangerous prank threatens his career and his blossoming relationship with Hunter's cousin, Isabelle. Isabelle Mills lives in Notting Hill with her parents and her twin sister, Georgia. When she finds out her cousin is coming to stay, along with his famous soccer player friend, her first instinct is to hibernate until they've gone. However, once she meets Jesse, everything changes. He's everything she ever wanted, but with so many obstacles in their path, can she really risk putting her heart on the line? 

 

Book 3 - Sidelined: 

At the age of twenty-one, Bree Collinson has more than she ever dreamed of. A handsome husband, a fancy house, and more shoes than Carrie Bradshaw and Imelda Marcos combined. But having everything handed to her isn’t the way Bree wants to live the rest of her life. When an idea to better herself pops into her head, she doesn’t expect her husband to question her, and keep her tied by her apron strings to the kitchen. Isolated and unsure who to turn to, Bree finds herself falling back into a dangerous friendship, and developing feelings for the only person who really listens to her. Torn between her loyalty to her husband and her attraction to a man who has the perfect family she always wanted, she has some tough choices to make. While Bree tries to figure out what she wants, a tragedy rocks the Westberg Warriors, triggering some dark memories, and pushing her to take a look at what’s really important.

 

Book 4 - Play On: 

Freya Phillips’ life was flipped upside down when she lost the man she loved in a tragic accident. Now she has to piece together the remains of her shattered heart and try to find a way to push through her pain to get her life back on track. With reminders of what she’s lost at every turn, anxiety takes over and instead of moving forwards, she finds herself hurtling in the wrong direction. Freya’s downward spiral leads her unexpectedly into the arms of one of her oldest friends, and as they seek comfort in each other, they realise they have more than just grief in common. Guilt-ridden and confused, Freya is too ashamed to tell anyone what she’s done, but there’s no such thing as a secret in Westberg. When the truth gets out, will Freya escape the gossip with her friendships and pride intact, or will she lose more than she ever bargained for?

 

Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK

 

Author Bio: 

Kyra Lennon was born on the South coast of England, and to this day, still lives by the sea. Fiction writing has always been her passion, but she also has numerous articles on a variety of topics published on prolific websites. 

Author links:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 

 

Goals for 2015

2014 was a rough year, but I managed to reach most of my goals. I took some chances and many of them didn't pan out. Countless rejections and many hours of revisions threatened to take me down. I refused to give in. What I did accomplish was to set the stage for a fantastic 2015.

1. The Dice & Debauchery series. This was an unplanned project. I wrote the first book on a whim and the publisher loved it. This Friday, Loose Corset (D&D #1) will be released from Ellora's Cave. I have two tours planned and ready to go. I do not have release dates for the second two books in this series which have been written and submitted to my publisher, but they will be out at some point this year. My goal: promote and expand my audience.

2. Of Blood and Sorrow. I spent over six months last year revising this urban fantasy novel. I queried it to five publishers that I was interested in. All of them rejected it. I'm excited to self-publish this story. I already have an awesome cover. I'm in the last stage of polishing it up. This will be my first indie published novel. My goal: to publish it by mid-February or mid-March.

3. Super Famous. This superhero novel took a backseat last year to my D&D series. I have all the critiques back from my CPs and betas. It's ready to be revised and polished. I'll likely not get to it until late spring or the summer, though. My goal: revise and self-publish in October.

4. New urban fantasy novel. I have this awesome new shiny idea. I want to write it. I want to write it now. Maybe I'll get a chance to start by the spring. My goal: write the first draft and start to revise it.

5. Short stories. I really want to participate in Write 1 / Sub 1, but I'm uncertain if I'll have the time. If I can manage to write one flash fiction piece a month and submit it somewhere, I'll be happy. I also have to write a new story for the next Untethered Realms anthology. I'm going to stick with what I did last year. I was short-listed on pro venues five times last year, but rejected. So close! My goal: Write six short stories and submit them.

6. Blogging. I had trouble sticking to a strict schedule last year. I have a three day a week schedule. If I do any more, I fall out of balance with my writing and home life. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are my days. Of course with touring, it will be a little different, but that's expected. My goal: keep to a three day a week blog schedule.

7. Reading. I managed to achieve last year's goal of 100 books. Woo-hoo! I'm setting the same goal for this year. My goal: read 100 books.

What are your goals for 2015?

* * * * *
Speaking of starting the new year on the right foot,
check out Angela Brown's gorgeous new covers
for Neverlove and They All Fall Down.

Duty or love... there can be only one.

A love worth fighting for...

These are awesome reads. I highly recommend them.
And Angela has a new book out from Evernight Teen Publishing,
Beacon.

Wicked Wednesday - oh those pretty, pretty covers

Book covers. This is where I like to have complete control. Maybe not do the actual design myself, but to puppet a talented artist to do it just the way I want it. I used to dream I'd have Michael Whelan as my own personal cover artist.

All the books I've self-published, I designed the covers and I'm immensely pleased with them. I bought the images from a host site (Dreamstime), and I manipulated them to suit the stories. I spent as much time on the font as the images themselves. It's tough work making a cover perfect. It takes a long time. Time I'd rather spend writing.

For my Dice & Debauchery books, I have very little input on the covers. I filled out a questionnaire and described my main characters, but that's all the say I get in it. I knew I wouldn't have any control in this when I signed the contract. I weighed it against the benefits of having a publisher for this series. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I at least kind of like the covers when I see them.

Next year, I'm self-publishing an urban fantasy novel. I'm going to hire a cover artist to do it for me. I'll have much more input than I do with my publisher, but not as much as I do if I did it myself. I tried finding images that would work for a cover, but nothing stood out for me. Nothing I wanted for this book. It has to be unique. It has to be made to suit it.

If you're published, did you design your own covers or did someone else? Do you like having control or are you much more easy-going about it than I am?

The March Book Frenzy with the eNovel Authors at Work

The March Book Frenzy with eNovel Authors at Work is a fantastic bloghop designed to help promote 8 writers and build their social media platforms. It will also help those participating meet other writers and readers too. It's a win-win hop! Click on the banner above and join the fun.

See the line-up of fantastic covers on the banner? I must choose which one appeals to me the most and tell you why. I haven't read any of these books nor do I know the authors. Here's the link to larger images of the covers and their blurbs.

And these are the brave authors who are lined up for us:

Donna Fasano

Jackie Weger

Joanne Hill

Dianne Greenlay

Abby L. Vandiver

Lorrie Farrely

Mary Smith

Carmen Desousa

My choice:

A passionate romantic-suspense.

She Belongs To Me is a tightly woven tale of love, possession, and concealed histories, 'She Belongs to Me' follows a man who finds his wife unconscious, clinging to life. Was it a suicide attempt, or a sinister force from her former life? To learn the answer, he must go back to the beginning, five years ago when he met his wife and learned of her tragic past.

She Belongs to Me is book one of The Southern Suspense Series. From there, all the stories have a slight connection to each other, so you can continue the journey and meet different protagonists with different issues and tragedies to overcome. Every story has a mystery, there's always a gentle message, and above all, there's always romance and suspense.

The color was the first thing that drew my attention to this cover. Blues, violets, and similar hues are my favorites. It also fits the atmosphere of a suspense novel. It's mysterious, hinting at darkness, but not fully there. The title, SHE BELONGS TO ME, is strong and suggests something more sinister than mere possession of the woman. I like the inclusion of the series name on the darker blue strip. It's a catchy name, too, with the three S's. The font is clear, and the white stands out nicely against the blue. The model on the cover is lovely even with her hair mussed and glancing furtively to one side. It's sharp and simple. And while we know better than to judge a book by its cover, the cover does influence my initial opinion and whether I'll pick it up or not. This one I'd pick up first out of the group.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sign up for the 1301 cover reveal

In case you missed my Wednesday post about The 13th Floor series, I'm revealing the cover for the first novella on November 13th. If you would like to take part in the cover reveal, please email me and put "1301 cover reveal" in the subject heading. I'll send you all the info. My email address is christinerains [dot] writer @ gmail [dot] com.

I'm tentatively setting a release date for the first novella as December 13th. I want to have it out before Christmas at least. I'll know more if I can meet that deadline within the next few weeks. Then I can start to organize a blog tour.

I'm tremendously excited about my covers for The 13th Floor series. I actually have the covers for the first three already done. They're absolutely brilliant! I'd love to share all three right away, but I know, I know. I need to build up the anticipation and tease readers with several reveals rather than just one. But, oh, I love these covers!

Have a fantastic weekend! And for those participating in NaNoWriMo, write, write, WRITE!

Catching up on Sunday

It's been a busy week! The pumpkin patch was a lot of fun last weekend. My son's asking to go back. It's tempting since it doesn't cost anything to just hang out and visit with the animals.

I've loaded up L'il Gal Al and the Zombies of Amarillo to the various sites. It was much easier this time around. It's already up on Smashwords and Amazon. I'll be waiting until later this week to announce it officially when I have all the links. You guys get the early bird notice!

I've been working hard on my latest project. I'm halfway through the second novella of the series and I found the perfect covers. Good thing too, because I was wasting a lot of time fussing about covers. I had the perfect image in my mind, but of course, it was not to be found or made. I hope to tell you more about the series very soon.

Less than a month away from NaNoWriMo! I'm going to be writing a superhero story. I've already created general character outlines for the heroes and villains. My team of villains is magnificent! I favor them over the good guys. That does not bode well for my heroes!

My son has been loving preschool and I'm loving the time I get to write. I lose both my mornings this coming week, though. One is my scheduled day to be the assistant, and the other I volunteered to take because the teacher is going to be away on vacation. I took Jack (my laptop) to the library on Thursday morning. Libraries aren't quiet places any more. There were at least six men in suits with their laptops and phones doing business. Individually. Offices too expensive these days? I was more productive sitting in the car writing.

The Walking Dead premieres tonight! It's a zombie kind of month.

Wicked Wednesday - covers

A book's cover can inspire a reader to pick it up. I know better than to judge a book by its cover, but I will pick up a book to see what the story is about if I like the cover art. I will also avoid a book if it has a cover I don't like. Oh, the power one page of a book that isn't even part of the story!

Covers of paranormal romances tend to have a particular look. Usually it's a woman - human or not - in a ready to fight pose with weapon in hand. Sometimes the hero is lurking in the background, his gaze dark and/or smoldering. Example: the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. Kate has her sword and is ready to fight, and Curran, in lion form, with his golden eyes burning into you.

There are the sexy ones. A woman in a lazy, come hither pose. Sometimes still holding a weapon or magic is sparkling from her fingertips. Not all of the woman's body is usually featured. Sometimes just the legs or everything by her head. Maybe even a silhouette. (Example: Poison Kissed by Erica Hayes.) It's common to have the hero on these types of covers locked in a passionate moment with the heroine. (Example: Play of Passion by Nalini Singh.) Or it could be the hero himself. Tall, muscular and dangerous. These men always look like they're flexing but relaxed at the same time. (Example: Vampire in Atlantis by Alyssa Day.)

There are the covers with symbols: torn hearts, spread wings, fragile flowers, splashes of blood, full moons. I'm sure you could name off another dozen yourself. These ones can be very stylized. (Example: Crushed Seraphim by Debra Anastasia.)

I'm not a fan of actual photographs or something that is photoshopped on covers. I like paintings, something dark and surreal. I can be attracted by any of the types of covers I listed, but I can also be repelled by the bad ones. I wish that authors could have more control over their covers if published by a big press. One of the things I love about self-publishing is that you get to create your own. Also, I hate the pressure of having to create something so important on your own!

What are some of your favorite paranormal romance covers? What sort of covers attract you to a book?