Cherie Reich on running a book blog tour and giveaway

Welcome Cherie Reich!

I'm honored to be the last stop on her Defying Gravity blog tour.

I'm also excited to have her here on her birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHERIE!

Cherie's going to talk with us about running a book blog tour. Pay attention. She tells us some very important stuff. I'll tell you about the giveaway at the end of the post.

Hello, everyone! Thank you, Christine, for letting me take over your blog today. Christine asked me to talk about book blog tours.

The first thing you need to decide is what type of book blog tour you want. Do you want a big two month blog tour with events every day? Do you want a small one? There are places that you can pay to host a blog tour too.

For me, I decided I wanted a fairly small blog tour for my space fantasy romance novelette Defying Gravity. I wanted it from February 14^th to March 8^th (my birthday!), and I figured to have a few spots every week would be good. Now how did I find the people to host me?

You can find bloggers and ask them to host you. Most of us are fairly friendly and accommodating. The worst thing that might happen is they say ‘no.’ For me, I decided to place a call out for bloggers and reviewers on my blog and people contacted me saying they would want to host me on their blog.

You’ve decided what you want for your book blog tour. You are starting to get people interested in hosting you, so what do you do now? Everyone, repeat after me: Organization is your friend.

Did you repeat that? Good.

I created a spreadsheet with these categories: name, e-mail address, blog address, what the host wants from me, blog tour date, and what I’ve sent. I highlighted when I’d sent everything. Also, be sure to give them your blog tour kit. What is a blog tour kit? It’s your cover art, author picture, book blog tour badge, book description and links, and author bio and links.

It’s good to offer giveaways also. I’ve given away several copies of Defying Gravity as well as a chapter critique. You want to make sure to thank your blog host and keep visiting them during the tour. Comment on their blog posts and interact with their readers. It’s a busy time, but a great time.

Since today’s my thirtieth birthday and my final touring spot, I’ve decided to have a rather epic giveaway. Defying Gravity is free today. That’s right. You’ve heard it right here. Free. So go out and grab a copy here. And I’m also giving away a copy of Once Upon a December Nightmare and The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk. Christine will give you the details.

Thank you for having me!

You're welcome! It's always lots of fun when you visit. Congratulations on your new release and reaching thirty years.

Did you read it all, folks? Cherie is giving away Defying Gravity for FREE today. Click and grab your copy now!

She's also giving away a copy of her horror novelette Once Upon a December Nightmare AND a great collection of shorts from The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk to two lucky winners. (If you have one or the other and you're a winner, you can choose to only have one.) Just leave a comment with your email address below. The winners will be chosen by Random.org in one week.

Defying Gravity by Cherie Reich

Blurb:

Homesick upon the SS Perseid, Linia, a young linguist, thinks she signed up for a mission of peace, but her crew members have another plan: attack the planet Medusa.

Bored with his dying planet, Alezandros, a space cruiser pilot, joins the Medusan Army in his quest for adventure.

When the SS Perseid clashes with the Medusans’ space cruisers, Alezandros and Linia’s lives intertwine. Sucked through a wormhole, they crash upon a post-apocalyptic Earth and are captured by cannibals. In adjacent cells, Alezandros and Linia cast their differences aside for a common bond: escape. But when romantic feelings emerge between them, they might do the unthinkable because for a Medusan and a Persean to fall in love, it would defy gravity.

Now available on Surrounded by Books Publishing, Amazon, and Goodreads.

Author Bio: Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor and library assistant. She enjoys writing horror, fantasy, and mysteries, but she doesn’t let that stop her from trying other genres. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her e-books include Once Upon a December Nightmare, The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk, and Defying Gravity. She is a member of the Virginia Writers Club and Valley Writers and placed third in Roanoke Valley’s BIG READ writing contest.

 

Author Links:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter @bookworm0753

Wicked Wednesday - technology

A lot of paranormal romances take place in our modern world or just a few decades in the future. This means that technology will play a part in the plot. Characters stay connected with the ease of cell phones and blackberries. A lonely protagonist might try to meet her true love online. A couple might have a fight over a status update on Facebook or a misunderstood tweet. Many people are reliant on technology in their normal every day lives.

The most recent Harlequin Romance Report found some interesting tidbits. Here are some of their findings that snagged my attention:

Of all the social media networks, Facebook had the highest percentage of users across all age groups. Those who identified themselves as "heavy Facebook users" (10 hours per week or more) place higher importance (61%) on their love life than occasional Facebook users.

89% of women surveyed spend most of their time on Facebook reading about other people's lives.

52% of women surveyed use Facebook as a research tool to find out information about a prospective first date.

Surprisingly, 52% of women surveyed aged 25 to 35 have never participated in online dating. 

43% of all respondents admitted to "sexting" – sending a text message containing suggestive and highly explicit sexual language. Though 65% of those women will "sext" only while in a serious relationship, 36% of casual daters polled admit to sending a risqué message after just a few dates. Twenty-seven percent of all respondents had sent nude photos via emails or text messages.

Of the top 5 factors women respondents listed as "deal breakers," 3 were technology-related:

• Too needy (32%)
• Dependence on a BlackBerry/ iPhone (31%)
• Having too many Facebook photos with an ex-girlfriend (29%)
• Grammatically challenged (24%)
• Married to his work/ still lives with his parents (20%) 

Though 91% of women believe the dating rules have become more flexible, the majority still want the man to ask them out, to pay for the first date, and to hold the door for them. The majority also feel pressure to be married or in a committed relationship.

The paranormal element of the story can add twists to the technological. Imps in the machines, gadgets powered by magic, or the dead communicating through email. The possibilities are endless.

Romance is also greatly changed by technology. There are several new ways to woo a potential lover, to have an argument, or to find out about that mysterious and hot guy.

How do you think romance has been changed by technology? 

Please join me tomorrow when Cherie Reich is stopping by and chatting about how to run a book blog tour.

Teaser Tuesday with Blood Rights

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I love, love, love this cover. Blood Rights by Kristen Painter is a new take on vampires. It's gotten praise by some of my favorite paranormal romance authors. And did I mention that I love the cover?

Here's your teaser:
He was suddenly in front of her, eyes platinum bright and feral with hunger. He inhaled, opening his mouth as if to taste her scent on his tongue. (page 69)

Once Upon a December Nightmare review

Blurb:

They were only going out to dinner and a movie.

But when their plans go astray, friends Cassie, Mary, Denise, and James decide to take a detour down a lonely mountain road. A felled tree blocks their passage and forces them to turn around in a clearing containing a disturbing arrangement of four deer carcasses.

Their truck breaks down, their cell phones don't work, and they must brave the cold December air, nightfall, and a long hike. Yet this is the least of their troubles. Tension runs high between the four young friends…and they are not alone. Each step brings them closer to safety, but will they make it to the main road alive?

My review:

It was suppose to be a fun winter night touring the back roads with old friends, but a tree blocks the trail and the old truck breaks down. There's no light, warmth, or cell phone reception. Cassie, Mary, Denise, and James decide to walk the few miles back to the main road. The cold and darkness adds friction to an already disgruntled group, and Cassie's scary story doesn't help ease the tension. There's also something stalking them in the woods. Perhaps Cassie's story holds more truth than they want to believe.

Cherie Reich has managed to pack vivid detail and nail-biting suspense in this short horror tale. I can still feel the cold and hear the strange cracks from the woods. It seemed like a normal night for the young folk, but I fast on the edge of my seat, and I couldn't relax even when I reached the end. The most unique part of this story is that the reader is allowed to see through all the characters' eyes. Each of the four characters have their own sections and it's like peeling back layers of an onion. More is revealed about the dynamics of the group and each individual's inner most feelings. Cherie does a marvelous job with characterization. This is the perfect story for a cold, dark night when you're bundled up in bed. You'll need a big blanket when those chilly goose bumps crawl up your arms!

Once Upon a December Nightmare is available at Amazon, B&N, and Wild Child Publishing.

Please join me on March 8th when Cherie pops by on her last stop of her blog tour promoting her new book, Defying Gravity. She'll be talking about how to run a book blog tour. There's a giveaway too!  Don't miss it!

Saturday Snapshot for March 3rd

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books

My son had his first dentist appointment recently.

The office was so cool!

Made me wish they took adult patients.

These little yellow flowers are all over our backyard.

I have no idea what they are, but they're so pretty.

The friendly neighborhood hawk in mid-flight.

The photo is somewhat fuzzy, but I still thought it was neat.

Aubrie Dionne's A Hero Rising giveaway winner

Thank you to everyone who commented on my interview with

Aubrie Dionne.

It was so much fun having her on my blog.

Now for the lucky winner of A Hero Rising:
Josh Hoyt

Congratulations!

Aubrie will be in contact with you shortly.

In the next few weeks, I'll post my review of A Hero Rising.

Until then, please follow Aubrie's blog for all the fun and news.

Join me next week on March 8th
for Cherie Reich's guest post about
running a book blog tour.
There's another giveaway!

Reminders and Links to Anthologies

 

First off, today is the last day to enter to win a copy of Aubrie Dionne's A Hero Rising. Please read Saturday's interview and enter to win!

Please pop on over to A Twist of Noir and check out my short story. I'd love to hear what you think.

I'm on track with my short stories this year. I had my noir story accepted, and I just got an acceptance for another of my stories that I submitted last year. It's a scary fish story entitled "A Ticket on the Train," and it's to appear in the anthology, OCEAN STORIES. I submitted my Steampunk Cthulhu story this week. Now I must consider what to write for March.

BLOODSTONES - 1-time print (Ticonderoga Publications); urban f/h (fic). Pay: AU2¢/word +2 copies. Words: 1k-7½k. RT: after DL. Reprints: no. E-subs: ONLY. Amanda Pillar, Editor. Deadline: May 15.

EXTREME PLANETS - 1-time print/Kindle (Chaosium Inc.); sf (fic). Pay: 3¢/word +3 copies. Words: 4k-10k (<20k for pros). RT: after DL. Reprints: pros query only. E-subs: ONLY. David Conyers, David Kernot, & Jeff Harris, Editors. Deadline: June 30.

CHERIE'S CHALLENGE - 1-time print/eAntho (Sleeping Cat Books); all genres (fic). Pay: exposure. Words: <5k. RT: 6-8 weeks. Reprints: query. E-subs: ONLY. Sarah Holroyd, Editor. Deadline: July 1.

A FISTFUL OF HORRORS: Tales of Terror from the Old West - 1-time POD/eAntho (Cruentus Libri Press); western themed h (fic). Pay: £20. Words: 2½k-7½k. RT: receipt=<7 days; final=DL +<7 days. Reprints: no. E-subs: ONLY. Kevin G. Bufton, Editor. Deadline: May 31. 

     (Oh! I have an older short story I can shorten and send here.)

On the novel front, my revisions are slowly coming along. I hope to have the first round done by the end of March. I can't believe how much I'm deleting and rewriting. I'm sure it's only my imagination, but revisions physically hurt!