The 13th Floor Complete Collection Gets A Makeover!

Ah, the old cover. The one where I took an image of some stairs and photoshopped a silhouetted couple in it. Not horrible, but not that great either. I wouldn't call this an eye-catching cover any longer.

I've been wanting to change it for a while now, but I could not decide what I wanted to be on the cover. It had to scream paranormal romance. Researching covers, looking at hundreds of them, I came up with a list of what I should have on it.

1) Setting. Dark background. Don't let it overwhelm anything else on the cover. It can just be a faded partial bit.

2) Title/author. It should be easy to read in thumbnail form. Font is important. I had complaints about the font I used on the original cover. The style of it makes the letters uneven. I liked it, but some people thought it was just bad design.

3) Hunky man or dynamic couple. It's tough to find an image or images of a couple that work together for what you want. It's easier to go the hunky man route. But having a person or people on the cover is key. (Sidenote: usually having just a woman on the cover is more representative of urban fantasy than paranormal romance.)

4) Something paranormal. Lots of magical swirls or mist is popular.

Even with these guidelines, it was tough to figure out what to do. The book consists of six different novellas with various characters. I spent hours searching through image sites.

I finally decided I would feature either Marc (The Marquis) or Xan (The Dragonslayer). They are my two most popular heroes. And it was easier to find a dark haired muscle man than a blond one. Marc gets to represent the collection!

I don't know how pleased Marc was with the decision, especially when I knew immediately how I wanted to present him. I imagine some grump going on, but Mae would convince him to be a good sport about it.

I found the background at Pixabay and the model at Unsplash. These two are my favorite free image sites. Lots of variety and beautiful shots.

As I've leveled up my Photoshop skills, I've learned to layer, but I've also learned that if you can get away with a few layers, all the better. Simple and clean without so many things to distract the eyes.

Behold! The new cover!

Word Witch Wednesday - brewing a book series

Deciding to write a series or a standalone book is tough. It's important to take your story idea and weigh the options. I'm going to assume you've already sat back and figured that out, and you want to write a series.

Book series are popular. Readers love to follow their favorite characters through all sorts of adventures. But there's nothing more disappointing than picking up the new book of one of your favorite series and finding the story fell flat. I've abandoned many series because the story faltered and the characters didn't grow.

Here are five tips to help you build a successful book series:

1) Make certain your story idea has enough juice to last through the whole series. If the plot flops after the second or third book, you're going to lose readers. Each book must have a solid story that can stand on its own and interconnect with the previous books. It helps if you're a plotter to plan the series. As a pantser, even I made certain when I was writing TOTEM, I had a solid story idea for each book before I started. Sure, those ideas were as simple as "they will search for the ____ totem in this book," but each one had a purpose in the overall plot.

2) Keep a story bible. Plotters usually have this started before they begin to write the first chapter. I keep notes as I go along. I mark down the basic plot points in each chapter and record character traits. It is also wise if you go back and read the previous books in the series before starting on the next one.

3) Don't limit your fictional world. You want to have room for growth. There will be rules and borders, of course, but a book series needs space to stretch and expand. Your characters might be trapped in a walled city, but there is a whole unknown world out there for you to continue on in if you want to do so.

4) Characters must grow. Characterization is vital to a series. Readers want the heroes they adore and the villains they loathe, but it wouldn't be realistic if the characters stayed the same throughout each book. Time has passed. A person will not be the same today as they were last year or even last month. Some internal issues we struggle with for years, but there will be little changes in attitude, a bit of wisdom gained, and possibly a fashion makeover.

5) Be able to let go. If the overall story arc comes to an end or if your individual story ideas disappear, know when to call it quits. I hate it when I read a series and it's the same plot over and over. "This love triangle has been going on for twenty books. Have the protagonist choose one already!" Sometimes it's tough to let go of characters and worlds we've come to love, but you'll fall in love again. That's one of the wonderful things about being a writer.

Have you written a book series? Do you plan to? What tips do you have to share?

Word Witch Wednesday - balancing formula and originality

This is a battle I've been thinking a lot about lately. Readers want familiarity. Give them their favorite types of genre books with the same formula. Readers also want originality. Something they've never seen before. Giving readers both? It can be done, but it's tough.

Formula - Most publishers will have a sheet on what you're supposed to have in a book in a given genre. For example, paranormal romance (PNR) requires a dual point of view from the heroine and hero, minimum 80% (with some publishers it's 90%) of the plot must have the hero and heroine together, the male must be an alpha, the heroine must kick butt, the key to the climax must hinge on their romance, and it must have a happily ever after or a happily for now ending.

With the formula, I feel like I'm reading the same two or three books over and over again. It's not enjoyable. Every now and then, I'll come across something different within the formula and it will rekindle my love for the genre. But as a reader, the formula is ruining my enjoyment of PNR.

It just isn't in this one genre. I've heard the same complaint about other genres, especially young adult (YA) and romance. The thing is these three genres I've mentioned are the best selling genres in the market.

Originality - Many publishers will not take a chance on a book that isn't written to their formula. Thank goodness for self-publishing! It is in indie books that I see more original tales. Yet sometimes I feel as if these stories are lacking something or wondering what the heck was that!

Making it in the indie world is hard work. Yet there is a lot of fabulous original material out there. Why aren't they selling better? Because readers want the comfort of the formula... while complaining they want something new.

 

The trick is then to give them both. But how?

 

I don't have the secret to that. I can only share what I've been doing. With formula, you can easily Google story structure for any genre and find hundreds of links. If you're aiming for a particular publisher, be certain you know what they want.

Here are some tips for adding originality into the formula:

- stick to the standard main plot but write twisty subplots

- choose a little known mythology to base your story on

- twist the clichés of your genre (e.g. the heroine isn't an orphan but a well loved daughter in a big family)

- have something familiar combined with something new (e.g. a greedy dragon stealing treasure from castles is really a scaly Robin Hood)

- write one main character off trope be it the hero, the love interest, the sidekick, or villain

How do you feel about formula writing? Do you have any tips to add to help make a story original?

Having fun with author photos

You might have noticed that I changed my author photo recently. The old one was stale. I needed something fresh, with more color and a little more personality. Perhaps I should have included my cat, but I figured he's not the one writing my books.

General advice says to update your author photo about every four to five years. It's like getting a new driver's license. It's a little terrifying and a lot more frustrating, especially for those of us who don't like being on that side of the camera. No picture is ever good enough. But you have to pick one.

As a writer with a current budget of zero dollars to hire a professional photographer, I enlisted my husband's help first. The day was a bit too sunny, though.

 

Even standing in the shade, there was no spot that didn't have reflections on my glasses.

Then there were sunspots. Pink sunspots in that one. Maybe I could get away photoshopping those out, but there's still the reflection on my glasses.

Really, honey? Get down from that tree!

Unsatisfied with that round, I was sitting around with another mom the next day while our sons played. She's an art and Spanish teacher, and she has a good eye. When I suggested it, she was eager to help out.

Lovely bush in bloom in the background with an evergreen. Just enough cloud cover to eliminate the reflection on my glasses and still provide enough light. But...

It can't help the fact that I'm uncomfortable in front of a camera. It looks like I'm standing at attention, ready for duty!

Finally...

An author photo I'm satisfied with. Good lighting, no shadows or reflections, and my hair isn't totally flipping out. The art teacher did a great job!

 

Author photo tips:

- unless you can really pull off moody or quirky, don't do it.

- don't overly make yourself up. Look like how you would if someone saw you in public... without your kids or the white cat hair on your black shirt.

- be professional. No offensive t-shirts or political messages, unless that's what you write.

- look friendly. You want readers to like you, and an author photo is part of your brand.

- hire a professional, if you can. If not, art teachers are awesome!

An interview with me over at WildMind Creative

(Image from Pixabay)

This is what I hope to be doing for the rest of June.

But today I'm pleased to be hosted by WildMind Creative. They're a wonderful new resource for authors. Pop on over and learn a little more about me. I offer a little advice and try to be somewhat professional!

 

Click here for the interview.

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?

Wicked Wednesday - tips for multi-tasking manuscripts

That's how I look when I try to do more than one thing at a time. I'm one of those writers who focus on one project and finish it before diving into a new one. Most of the time, I'm highly efficient. So does that make me crazy to want to attempt to work on two projects at once?

I see other writers who are brilliant at multi-tasking projects. I am in awe. But I know all of us are different. What works for one person might not for another. We don't know until we try, though.

Two projects. Yikes. I'm taking a deep breath here. I'm collecting advice from other authors who are successful multi-taskers.

- Create a schedule and stick with it. Sounds easy, but what if you're on a roll? Too bad. Stop and continue again tomorrow. Be firm with yourself.

- It helps if your projects are vastly different from one another. That way, you won't get tired of too much of the same thing.

- Keep writing. Don't edit as you go. Leave that for the revision stage.

- Don't neglect other aspects of your life. Make sure you have time to spend with family and friends, exercise, and sleep. You will be a happier writer for it.

- Finally, finish what you start. If you find your focus is off because you have too much on your plate, drop one project. 

Do you have any tips to share about multi-tasking projects?

The Last Stop on the Loose Corset Tour & #SpecFicChat

Geek girl problem #122: You only have a few hours left to enter the Loose Corset Goddess Fish tour giveaway!

The final stop on the Loose Corset tour is Long and Short Reviews.

I have some tips on how to handle negative criticism.

A big thank you to all my hosts on this tour.

Also a huge thanks to Goddess Fish Promotions.

It's the first time I've used a virtual book tour company, and I have nothing but good things to say about them. They're super efficient, and I will use them again in the future. I highly recommend Goddess Fish to writers who want help in promoting their books.

My Geeky Dice & Debauchery Tour will continue next week.

You still have over a week to enter for a chance to win your own set of gaming dice from Chessex.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* * * * *

Talking about all things speculative fiction, Fridays on Twitter.

 

 

Next chat begins January 23, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. GMT/1:00 p.m. EST. @mpax1 is starting it off.

 

Topic: Punking it up. What’s the attraction of Steampunk?

 

Use #SpecFicChat to join the conversation any time. The chat is ongoing, which means you can join in anytime that’s convenient to you, including a day after this Friday.

Wicked Wednesday - querying paranormal romance

Since I'll be querying my paranormal romance (PNR) novel soon, I've been doing a lot of reading about how to write the most effective letter. PNR stories are so varied and quite popular these days. You need to stand out to get noticed, and it all starts with this one email.

The same rules for any query letter apply here too:

- Be professional.

- Be concise.

- Mind your manners.

You want to hook the editor or agent. Most people reading queries for PNR don't want the email to start off with the boring "I'm seeking representation for my blah blah blah." Jump right into it. Ensnare them immediately with the story hook.

If you're able to capture the hook in one sentence, go for it. It's difficult because you want it to encompass the protagonist, the tone, and the conflict. Example: When reluctant psychic, Remy Jones, saves the life of an old woman, she doesn’t expect to be granted a wish in return. (Keri Arthur's HEART'S WISH)

The brief blurb for the book should be between four and six sentences. Make every word count. You must cover the who, what, where, when, and why. And it can't be an every day voice. This is PNR. You must take them out of the ordinary. Also remember that the romance is key. It's what everything hinges upon. Grab their hearts and twist with a great furry werewolf hand.

Include tropes. If you think you don't have any, read your manuscript again. They're there. The tropes like vampires-hate-werewolves-but-protagonist-falls-in-love-with-one or best-friends-turned-lovers are important for the agent or editor to know where you're coming from. PNR publishers tend to like Alpha males, but they won't totally discount you if you have another powerful trope. There's also a call for unique supernatural creatures.

I wish I could offer you more tips than these. I wish someone could tell me what the secret is to writing an amazing query letter. As much as we want to break it down and make a science of it, it's more about heart than anything else.

Do you have any tips for writing query letters?

Untethered Realms post & More Than Just A Kiss blogfest continues

Join me today at the Untethered Realms blog.
I discuss finding your audience and marketing with speculative fiction works. Share with us any strategies you have and learn something new.

 Sweet, sizzling, fiery, awkward, mind-blowing. We want to read your kissing scenes.

You can WIN PRIZES!

We had a great start to the MORE THAN JUST A KISS blogfest yesterday. It's still early in the week. There's still time for you to join in on the fun. You can find the sign-up list HERE. You don't need to be a romance writer, and you can opt not to be included in the running for a critique. Yet we do have bonus prizes. Awesome ebooks from fabulous romance authors!

My kiss today comes from my FREE paranormal romance, FEALRESS.

“We won’t let any children die. We’ll go, but let me handle everything. I can carry you.” His fingers stretched over her hips, slipping under the hem of her shirt to touch bare skin. She sucked in a breath.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Abby snorted, immediately regretting how unattractive that was. She set down the knife and turned, intending to put a few inches more between them and tell him to quit treating her as a fragile doll. His mouth immediately mashed to hers and words were forgotten. His tongue parted her lips, demanding entrance. She didn’t deny him. A wanton whimper escaped her, and her heart hammered in her chest.

His hands eased upward, taking her shirt with them. When his thumbs skimmed the underside of her bra, she managed to find her voice. “We don’t have time for this. We need to leave as soon as possible.”

“We have time.” Demetrius insisted, kissing down to her neck and nibbling upon her sensitive flesh. She gripped his biceps and clenched her thighs.

“We need to go.” Abby’s voice wobbled. She should be pushing him away. Not just because she had a job to do, but because this could never be anything other than a fling. She was one of the Fearless. Her duty came first and it would claim her life sooner than later. He was one of the fae. His world wasn’t hers. He would leave after his blood debt was paid. And she didn’t do flings. Already she felt too much for him.

Wicked Wednesday - the pros and cons of writing a paranormal romance series

Many of the paranormal romance books you see out there are series. Readers love them, and the demand for them is high. Yet before you dive in and start writing your own series, there are a few things you need to consider.

PROS:

* Readers love them. Their demand for more is fed.

* You have plenty of time for world building and to develop characters. You'll spend so much time with them, you'll know them very well.

* If readers love your first book, it paves the way for great sales in the future with the rest of the series.

CONS:

* Readers might love them, but a series is harder to sell to a publisher.

* You'll spend so much time with your characters, you might get sick of them. Usually it takes years to write a series. Years where you are stuck with these characters that you may grow bored or frustrated with. Things might start to feel stale.

* If readers hate your first book, the rest of your series will bomb.

Here are four tips to help make your series a success:

* Avoid cliches and formulas. Keep each book fresh. Don't be afraid to try something new or show a different side to your characters.

* Make sure each book can stand alone and connect to the series.

* Up the ante in each book. Your characters must continue to grow. Their challenges must get harder in each book.

* The couple might get together in the first book, but that isn't the end of the relationship. There are many stages and challenges to each relationship. Don't let the romance die.

My favorite paranormal romance series and an excellent example of how how to write a series: The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning.

In your opinion, what makes a series good? What are your favorite paranormal romance series?

Wicked Wednesday - unconventional marketing

I've been doing a lot of research on this subject. There's several articles out there that give you tips on how to market your book. I tried to find information specifically for paranormal romances, but they gave the same tips as everyone else.

Here's a quick general summary:
- create a marketing plan
- promote using all available social media
- hold giveaways and contests
- make connections and use them
- write something good
- write more books

Most important aspect: luck.

All great information, but I want to know how to hook readers who are interested in paranormal romance. They stand out from other genre fans. They're more passionate about the stories they love shown through the rise in conventions for paranormal romance authors and books. There are tons of online communities, fanfiction galore, and role-playing games.

Hey, wait. I'm a paranormal romance fan. What would hook me? Most of the time, I go by word of mouth or I search for authors similar to those I already like. That's the sort of thing that has to be built up, though.

I came up with a few unconventional ways to draw paranormal romance readers to your book:
1) Go to conventions. Not just writing conventions, but movie and gaming ones. If your book has a particular theme like pop culture or technology, drop off some business cards or postcards at those conventions too. Volunteer at conventions. Be on panels or just in a booth helping out. Leave your cards everywhere. Let people see you and know you have the same interests as they do.
2) A lot of writers have book trailers these days. Take it a step further. Make a mini series. It doesn't even have to be your story itself, but maybe something that happened in that world or a story about a secondary character in the book. Funny little instructional videos on how to slay an octopus demon or how to trick a leprechaun. Something to draw the fans into your world.
3) It's not just about marketing your book these days, it's about marketing yourself. Do something unusual. Hold a masquerade or organize a zombie walk. Attract some media attention. Be involved, be different, and then make sure to include it all on your blog!

Do you do anything unconventional to promote yourself? Do you have any other tips for marketing to a specific genre?

Wicked Wednesday - writing a series

Many paranormal romances these days are series. They're the most popular. The fans are hungry for them, like ravenous vampires. Goodness knows I love them. I read them and write them. Yet it's important to remember a few things when starting to write a series.

First off, does your idea need more than one book? It has to be a pretty dang big idea. Don't stretch out something that could fit into one book. You'll bore your readers. Examples: each book in the series could have different narrators, or you could follow the protagonist through vampire slaying school going year by year.

Every book must be able to stand-alone. It must have a story that is unto itself, but then make a strong connection to the overall story of the series. It can get tricky, because you want to have an amazing story within each book but you want to take away from the overall story.

Give yourself a lot of wiggle room. This is in case you carry on the series longer than expected or if you have to end it sooner than you thought.

You don't have to do all your world building in the first book. That's the nice thing about writing series. You can start small and expand on your world as you go along.

Finally, make sure you're ready for the commitment. Writing a series can take years. Are you willing to devote that much time to one world? To a couple of characters? Know yourself. Know what kind of writer you are. IF you jump from idea to idea, a series isn't for you.

Do you enjoy reading series? Do you write stand-alone novels or series?

Wicked Wednesday - making the old something new

Paranormal romance novels feature a lot of creatures that come from popular mythology. Vampires, demons, and werewolves, oh my! The problem with this is that we see the same characters over and over again. It can get tiresome. Yet we love reading and writing about our favorite paranormal creatures. The trick is to take the old and make it something new.

Do your research. If you're writing about vampires, read everything you can about them. Legends, mythology, and fiction. Pick a few particular characteristics and play them up. Maybe your vampires can walk in the sun, but the sight of a holy symbol will blind them. Instead of having the bite cause ecstasy in the victim, let it cause nightmares.

During your research, you might come across little know tales. An obscure myth from a tiny country. These are the ones that you should latch on to. Find out what makes these creatures unique, and what in its culture led to the different take on them. It makes a big difference where your vampires are from because that's what made them the creatures they are now.

Don't be afraid to use exotic myths. A Hungarian legend says that a person can become a werewolf by passing under a birch arch three times with the help of a wild rose's spine. Serbian folklore has a vampire returning from the grave for the single purpose of fornicating with his widow. Armenian lore states that a woman guilty of one of the seven sins must spend seven years as a werewolf. Pick pieces from these myths and twist them to fit the modern world.

Of course the biggest source of originality is your imagination. Add something completely new to your werewolves, make them your own. Look to how the environment is changing and what effect that would have on people that can change into animals. How would that change them? Read about modern myths and make your vampires evolve into creatures that can rule the technological age. What characteristics would they gain to make that possible?

Do you have any tips on making the tired old creatures into something new?

Thank you to Cherie Reich for suggesting this topic. If anyone would like me to talk about any particular aspect of paranormal romance, please leave me a suggestion in the comments.

Wicked Wednesday - paranormal romance cliches

Paranormal romance is a genre with infinite possibilities. Yet we seem to see the same situations and ideas played over and over again. I've heard a lot that the market is over-saturated, but it is still doing good business. Publishers are looking for original ideas. If you're writing a new book, here's a few tips on what to avoid.

1. Predestined soulmates. We want to be loved for our intelligence, charm, and personality. Do we honestly want love to be based on some supernatural and irresistible compulsion? Apparently many people do. This is one of the most popular cliches in paranormal romance. I'm guilty of using this one on a few occasions.

2. I hate you/I love you! Yes, the extreme emotional conflict. The protagonist hates everything about that arrogant man, yet falls in love with him at the same time. It might have to do with the aforementioned compulsion, or maybe with the fact that some of the women don't seem to know their own minds. There has to be something for the protagonist to fall in love with, something for the reader to sympathize with, or else it's silly supernatural nonsense.

3. The hot man that makes the heroine speechless. It seems that too many otherwise strong women are made into drooling schoolgirls in the presence of a gorgeous guy. You would think that all the paranormal romance worlds are filled with such awe-inspiring men.

4. Vampires, werewolves, and angels/demons, oh my! There are other paranormal creatures out there. I'm a sucker for this cliche, though. Overdone as they might be, I still love a good story with any of these creatures.

5. The virgin or the whore. We usually see one extreme or the other with the protagonists. What's wrong with a woman who's had a few boyfriends over the years? She's experienced enough, but not slutty by any means.

What cliches do you hate in paranormal romance? Which ones do you love?