Dear unknown reader, On occasion, Ms. Zaplendam will allow me to use her equipment to address all of you. With such a vast forum before, I can barely contain my machiavellian glee at the prospect of all these pliant minds available for my cunning manipulations. (Hear my maniacal laugh?) I jest, of course. If … Continue reading Dear —, It’s me, a vampire.
Publishing
How not to query (for new writers)
Are you aware of my journey to hybrid-dom? No? Well, let me tell you, it involves being both an indie published author, with all of the crazy DIY stuff that involves and it also means I'm aiming to get traditionally published by a publishing house. Most publishing houses don't accept unsolicited manuscripts though (for those … Continue reading How not to query (for new writers)
New Review Policies on Amazon
When you're a debut indie author like myself, you celebrate the little, mini victories, like getting that 9th review on Amazon (See down yonder at the bottom of this post), but recently there has been a lot bruhaha in the indie world revolving around Amazon's.new hard line policies with regard to reviews provided in exchange … Continue reading New Review Policies on Amazon
How To: Create a Free Book Trailer
Once upon a time, a twitter user (twitterer? twit? tweeter? Obviously I am not twitter conversant) lamented about not having the means to be able to create a book trailer. Here's my response: as long as you have access to a movie making program (like Windows movie maker which came standard with my Windows 8.1 … Continue reading How To: Create a Free Book Trailer
Van Helsing reimagined
I was trying to think how to describe my Van Helsing Sr. character (the grandfather of the original Van Helsing from Bram Stoker's Dracula). He's a Prussian ex-patriate who has left the fatherland due to Napoleon taking over Europe. He was originally employed by the Prussian government to hunt vampires and investigate paranormal activity, but … Continue reading Van Helsing reimagined
Why you should be on Goodreads (if you aren’t already)
Are you a Goodreads user? If you aren't, and you read, you should be. Because then you can get free books. Just like the two lucky winners of my most recent Goodreads giveaway. They received signed copies and a personal letter from protagonist John Grissom. Truth be told, I am a horrible Goodreads user. But … Continue reading Why you should be on Goodreads (if you aren’t already)
The Problem with Vampires
I should preface this by saying that it's my problem with vampires. The vampire narrative is well-known to most of Western society. An evil vampire, born of (narrative of choice), goes around killing or turning other men into vampires. These other vampires must kill other people in order to survive themselves. They burn in the … Continue reading The Problem with Vampires
If you're in the Tampa bay area, you can come chat me up at The Coffee Barn and Bakery in Brooksville on Hwy 41. I'll be there to do an author reading/book signing on January 15th at 7pm. We're having a free softcover giveaway so if you don't have a physical copy, stop on by!
Small (BIG) Victories
Being an author is hard work, especially if you are self-published and a busy mom to boot. Not that I am complaining. But when it pays off and I start to see tangible rewards for all my work, when small victories start to happen (like ratings on Goodreads and making my first non-gas-money royalties) it is so encouraging. … Continue reading Small (BIG) Victories
Happy Thanksgiving
Among other things, today I am grateful I am not a vampire. In other news, my book launch will be coming up soon, just in time for lovers of Regency fiction, vampire fiction, and adventures to get a copy or share a copy for Christmas. So if you are looking for a free copy, join … Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving
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