Sunday, December 25, 2016

Your Christmas gifts from author @KimHeadlee!

Christmas (c)2010 by Subbotina, Depositphotos ID 10605705.

I hope this holiday season fills you with joy, wonder, and blessings today and throughout the coming year.


If you like thrilling, poignant, well-written fiction, I know you'll love these titles:

These great books are free today as my gift to you. Enjoy!


***

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Please enter often, and good luck!

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

#NewRelease Keri's Christmas Wish by Pamela Thibodeaux (@psthib) with giveaways

Church of Stabroek, Belgium (c)2015 by Jorisvo
bigstock ID 94868195 Editorial license.

Please welcome longtime Maze contributor Pamela Thibodeaux and her latest Christian romance, Keri's Christmas Wish! In Pamela's words:

A committed Christian, I firmly believe in God and His promises. God is very real to me. I believe that people today need and want to hear more of His truths wherever they can glean them and I do my best to encourage readers to develop a personal relationship with Him. The deepest desire of my heart is to glorify God and to get His message of faith, trust, and forgiveness to a hurting world. My hope is that all of my stories will touch the lives of everyone who reads them and - in some way - bring them a truer knowledge of God and urge them into a closer walk with Him.


Keri's Christmas Wish
by Pamela Thibodeaux
Genre: Christian romance

Can Keri get past her angst over Christ’s birth and enjoy the Christmas season?
For as long as she can remember, Keri Jackson has despised the hype and commercialism around Christmas so much she seldom enjoys the holiday. Will she get her wish and be free of the angst to truly enjoy Christmas this year?

A devout Christian at heart, Jeremy Hinton, a Psychotherapist, Life Coach, Spiritual Mentor and Energy Medicine Practitioner has studied all of the world’s religions and homeopathic healing modalities. But when a rare bacterial infection threatens the life of the woman he loves, will all of his faith and training be for naught?

Find out in Keri’s Christmas Wish


Excerpt:

Later that evening, Keri sat in her apartment bewildered and confused. Her search around the apartment complex after work had uncovered not a single string of wind chimes. Not one. She’d found nothing to explain the music she’d heard while drifting off after her evening prayer the night before.

Goose bumps rose on her flesh in response to the shiver that shook her soul. Could it be God used the music to acknowledge her prayer? Would this be the year she finally let go of all the angst she felt around Christmas and just enjoyed one of the holiest seasons? Would her Christmas wish finally be granted?


Buy link: Kindle US |


About the Author:
Award-winning author Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!”™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Follow Pamela via:
WebsiteBlog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Amazon | BookBub |

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Saturday, December 17, 2016

#HolidayRecipe and #99cents sale on Marketing Exec’s Widow by @AuthorTinaGayle


Today I'm proud to present a yummy holiday recipe for peach cobbler by longtime Maze contributor Tina Gayle, who is also sponsoring a sale on her romance Marketing Exec's Widow!

Quick Peach Cobbler
1 large can of peaches
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 box of vanilla wafers
1/4 cup of butter

Preheat the oven to 350.  Pour peaches, sugar, and cinnamon in a casserole dish large enough to hold everything; I use the 2-quart size. After stirring these items together, then add most of the box of vanilla wafers; set enough aside to put on top.  Once you have the wafers arranged on top, slice the butter in to small pieces and set one pat on top of each wafer.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve with ice cream or whipping cream.


Marketing Exec's Widow
by Tina Gayle
Genre: Contemporary romance

Synopsis:
Letting go and rebuilding a life comes at a price.

Having come to terms with losing her husband, Jennifer is ready to move on, but she faces opposition from her friends, in-laws, and brother-in-la. He see himself as her future husband. None of them know of Jen’s marital problems and she is afraid of their reaction when they learn she has a date for Friday night?

Hagan Chaney is not anything like Craig. He tempts Jen into the future but is she willing to give love another chance after the heartache she faced the 1st time around?


Excerpt:

“Thank you.” Jen tilted her head and narrowed her gaze. His tall, lean form topped hers even with three-inch heels on, a welcome rarity from the men she usually met. In addition, he had strawberry-blond hair, a known weakness of hers. The reddish-gold locks danced along the collar of his black shirt, teasing her with the idea of running her hands through the thick mass. Her fingers twitched. She dropped her gaze. Tight jeans covered a round, squeezable butt. Hot awareness suddenly sizzled, stunning Jen with its power. She knotted her hands into fists and fought the unwelcome attraction.

No way, I’m his real estate agent, not his date for the evening. And it’s only been four months since...

“Elkhorn’s main street isn’t large, but the Little League baseball field and the restaurants should attract people to the area.” Hagan’s dark brown…no, hazel, his eyes were hazel she realized abruptly when his gaze met hers. He cocked a brow. A sexy smile teased the corner of his lips. Oh, darn, the man had nailed her ogling his backside.

Heat burned her cheeks. The air between them sizzled. Goose bumps popped out on her arms. Her internal timer ticked off each day she’d gone without sex—well over a year.

His smile grew wider and visions of his mouth melting onto hers slammed home the impossibility of the situation.

Give it up, girl. It’s not happening.

She swallowed and searched the room for a distraction, some way to gain control of her raging hormones and maintain the professional image she’d strived so hard to develop the last five years. “I agree. It is in a great location.”

Buy links: Kindle US | All Romance Ebooks | B&N | Kobo | Apple | Smashwords |


About the Author:
An author with over 30 books, Tina Gayle writes in a number of different genres: Romantic contemporary (as Tina Gayle) and Erotic Romance. Her books range from contemporary, paranormal to mystery and suspense
As an indie author, she has worked hard to have a social presence and reach her readers. You can visit her website and read the 1st chapter of any of her books. Or you can download a free ebook and join her newsletter group.

Sign up for Tina's newsletter.


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Friday, December 9, 2016

December doodling from The Dawnflier of @KimHeadlee #ASMSG #MFRWOrg

Christmas (c)2010 by Subbotina, Depositphotos ID 10605705.

I had a handful of download credits at Depositphotos.com that were burning a hole in my virtual pocket, so I splurged and selected several images that I plan to share with you here on The Maze during the coming months. I just love the sense of wonder and magic in this image, don't you? I'll bet she's smiling because her gift box contains the book she's been waiting for!

Speaking of books, I am excited to share two new releases with you today:

  • The Business of Writing: Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid, and Traditionally Published Authors released in e-book format November 14, and its print edition is now available for sale too.
  • Raging Sea: Enemies and Allies, book 3 part 2 of The Dragon's Dove Chronicles, is now available for Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, and other e-tailers! I will be cutting back on social media involvement in the coming weeks in order to make a concerted effort to finish Angusel's story. The final installment will be subtitled Crucible of Combat. Subscribers to The Dawnflier newsletter received notice of its exclusive Amazon giveaway -- sign up today so you don't miss out on the next one!

In other news:

My next personal appearance will be as an author-guest at the 2017 MarsCon science fiction/fantasy convention, January 13-15. I am slated to give my Business of Writing workshop and a new presentation, "Dragons and Griffins and Bears, Oh My!" which is an introduction to the ancient carved stones of Scotland.


May your days be merry and bright!

***

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Monday, November 14, 2016

#ASMSG #MFRWOrg #ThankfulAuthor 2016: @KimHeadlee is thankful to be...

… alive.

It may sound a bit maudlin for this time of year, but it's the unvarnished truth.

Of course, I'm thankful for family and friends and readers of my books, and for my health, but I wouldn't be here to gush about any of those things if I had not escaped a near-fatal car accident—an end-over-end flip, landing on the roof—in 2003. The first thing I said when paramedics pulled me from the wreckage: "Cool! This means I have more books to publish!" The second thing I said was, "Oh, my neck!"

Two surgeries and a second death-brush later, I found myself with permanent pins in my neck… and a publishing contract in my hand from HQN Books, an imprint of Harlequin, for my female-gladiator novel Liberty.

Today, ten years almost to the day from the release of Liberty, I am proud to present my latest title:
 

The Business of Writing:
Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid, and Traditionally Published Authors
by Kim Iverson Headlee

Nonfiction: Business/Advertising,
Language Arts/Publishing

Release date:
14 November 2016

Book description:

Have you written a book but don’t know how to go about getting it published?

Have you published a book but need advice distributing it to more sales channels?

Are you hunting for more ways to improve your bottom line?

The Business of Writing: Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid, and Traditionally Published Authors is the go-to guide for everyone wishing to start—or jump-start—their writing careers.

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, discover the answers to such questions as:
  • Do I really need to incorporate, what “flavor” of company should I set up, and how do I take the plunge?
  • How do I manage my writing expenses and taxes?
  • What is an ISBN, where do I get one, and how many will I need?
  • What is an imprint and how do I establish one for my books?
  • What decisions must I face in the prepublication phase?
  • Do I need to register my book’s copyright and how do I accomplish it? What about using other copyrighted materials?
  • How on earth do I condense my 100K-word book to a 300-word description, let alone a 20-word tagline?
  • How do I select the best keywords for my book?
  • What makes for a great cover and how can I get one?
  • What do I need to know about book formatting—print as well as digital?
  • How can I turn my book into an audiobook?
  • How do I develop and refine my author brand?
  • How can I land invitations to speak at conferences and conventions?
  • I use several pseudonymns. How do I manage them all?
  • What’s an ARC? A media kit? A book trailer? A blog tour?
  • Do I really need to start a blog? Send out a newsletter? Dive into social media? Give away my books?
  • How do I price my book? Should I pick one price or vary it? Where are the best places to advertise my sale events?
  • How much is all of this going to cost me??
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the publication and promotion process, let award-winning, critically acclaimed author Kim Iverson Headlee give you the practical wisdom you need to stay on task and perhaps even come out ahead.


Buy links:


Best of luck with all your writing—and publishing—endeavors.


Author bio:
KIM HEADLEE LIVES on a farm in the mountains of southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, fish, goats, Great Pyrenees goat guards, and assorted wildlife. People and creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins—the latter having been occupied as recently as the midtwentieth century—seem to be sticking around for a while yet. She has been a published novelist since 1999 (Dawnflight, Simon & Schuster) and a student of Arthurian lore and literature for nigh on half a century.

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Wednesday, November 9, 2016

The Business of Writing by @KimHeadlee: Who Let THAT Dog Out? #ASMSG #MFRWOrg

A comment I heard often in 1997 after landing my first New York publishing contract was “Congratulations; you’re running with the big dogs now!” It was a good thing that occurred before Baha Men released their hit single or I might have driven my first fans crazy serenading them with the famous refrain… and I would have lost major points for professionalism. 

Although the concept of the “lonely writer’s garret” still carries a certain romantic flair, once a writer has transitioned into preparing to make money off his or her words, he or she becomes a professional writer.

But what does that mean, exactly?

Writers being creative beings, this can mean a number of different things in terms of personal appearance, behavior, and habits. For the writer who wishes to be perceived as a professional, these aspects center upon various demonstrations of common courtesy… the exercise of which seems to be eroding in this day and age of Internet anonymity.

Opportunities for an author’s professionalism to shine include correspondence, deadlines, and personal appearances.


Correspondence
As a professional writer, you should always remain mindful of how you are perceived by your audience, not only in the content of your books or articles but in everyday correspondence tasks. This applies to email, text, chatting, and “earthmail” interactions with:
  • Literary agents, editors, cover and interior-layout designers, promotional companies, accountants, and other service personnel. This includes all individuals and companies, whether prospective or contracted.
  • Booksellers and other event organizers, both before the event and in giving thanks afterward. Expressing appreciation can be the fastest way to earn a return invitation.
  • Book bloggers and other reviewers, when asking for reviews as well as in optionally expressing thanks for a helpful review.

    Never engage a reviewer if you are in any way dissatisfied with the review. I unpack that advice in this blog post, but it cannot be emphasized enough.
  • Your fans—and this goes double for anything written online, even in so-called private messages. Any site can be hacked or monitored, so the best policy is to presume that nothing is private and structure your interactions accordingly.
  • Anyone with whom you need to send follow-up correspondence for any reason.


Deadlines
Ah, the dreaded d-word. For journalists, deadlines are most often perceived as just a means of structuring one’s workday. For everyone else, especially those of us who write book-length fiction or nonfiction, adhering to content delivery deadlines that are established by another party such as a publisher can be problematical at best. And yet delivering a completed manuscript on time will set you apart from the madding crowd of authors who play fast and loose with their time and with their editor’s or publisher’s patience.


Personal Appearances
There exist countless opportunities to present yourself as a professional writer in public.
  • Online. I have already covered fan interactions; here I refer to things such as the random tweets, retweets, pictures, videos, and status updates that you choose to share to your sundry social media platforms. As you decide upon your online persona, make sure that it jives with what you write, for that persona will become a part of your author brand. And then tweet/retweet/share accordingly. For example, if you write Christian fiction, I would advise against saying anything in a tweet that you wouldn’t say in church.
  • Book vending and signings at bookstores and conferences. Your in-person persona should also jive (or at least not conflict) with what you write. On the other hand, if you write about serial killers, you might wish to think twice about acting like one in public. You can get a lot of mileage from being courteous, respectful, and appreciative of customers, noncustomers, and event hosts, regardless of what type of books you write. Keep in mind that you are competing for readers, some of whom may be offended and turned off from your books if you act rude, superior, or condescending in person.

    When in doubt, recall the mantra spouted by the Penguins of Madagascar: “Just smile and wave, boys, smile and wave.”
  • Writers’ conferences. If you’re a member of the Romance Writers of America, I don’t need to tell you how to present yourself as a professional in this type of venue. You know already—or you should. Although I haven’t attended an RWA national conference in several years, I can pretty much imagine what the most recent one looked like: out of two thousand attendees, 1,942 were power-suited women (whether publishers, editors, literary agents, or authors), fifty-five were similarly attired men, and the remaining three were newbie women authors who didn’t receive the dress code memo, showed up in blue jeans and an “I [heart] My Book Boyfriend” T-shirt, and missed the entire first day of panels shopping for an emergency power suit and accessories. Okay, I jest… but barely.

    The dress code memos will of course vary by genre. At a typical World Fantasy Convention you’ll see no shortage of suits, but very few of those will be draped over authors, who sport pretty much whatever tickles their fancy, short of character costumes. Although I haven’t attended a WFC since the debut of the first edition of Dawnflight in 1999, I have it on excellent authority that a few steampunk outfits show up here and there, so if that’s your chosen genre, then by all means go for it.
  • The grocery store. The what? Yes, there is always the possibility that you could be recognized in a chance public encounter, so your appearance and behavior choices matter there too.


As I always advised my kids as they were growing up, no one will ever fault you for being polite, gracious, appreciative, respectful, and kind. The people you impress with your professionalism may remember those choices and become extra supportive of you and your work.
 

Preorder The Business of Writing today!


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Wednesday, November 2, 2016

The Business of Writing by @KimHeadlee: Professional Editing #ASMSG #MFRWOrg

Madeline McDowell Breckinridge ca 1920,
US public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
You can slap together a collection of words, dash off a DIY cover, upload it all to Amazon, and call yourself a writer. You might even make some money doing so, and good for you if that happens to be the case. 

Being a professional writer, however, entails ever so much more than the technical definition of earning money for one's efforts implies. 

One of the biggest complaints I hear—and see—with books written by independent authors is the sheer volume of grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes. In fact I would go as far as to say that poor editing is a leading contributor toward the subpar reputation of independently published books as a whole.

Mistakes will catapult a reader out of a story faster than you can&helip; think. And if you believe your readers won't notice or care about poor editing, then I respectfully suggest that you are underestimating —and alienating—a large sector of your audience.

That's not a risk that I'm willing to take with my own fiction, and I hope you agree.

To be fair, books churned out by the Big Six (or Five, or whatever the ever-collapsing count du jour) publishers often contain glaring errors too. The first edition of my novel Liberty, published by HQN Books in 2006, had sections of missing and repeated pages in three different combinations (!!), which proved to be a nightmare for me when trying assemble good copies for personal appearances. That wasn't an editing issue, of course, but it's a graphic illustration of my point that mistakes do happen at even the highest levels of the publishing business.

The bottom line is that authors who are contracted by large publishing houses already enjoy a level of respectability that's built in to the system. The rest of us must do our level best to achieve respectability on our own, and the first step toward that goal is to hire a good quality professional editor, and perhaps even two: one for content editing and one for copy editing.

My primary editor is Deb Taber, and I simply cannot say enough good things about her work. She is the consummate professional, she knows the English language inside and out (and, with regard to my projects, sideways :D), and she offers encouragement along with suggestions for improvement. I get nothing for mentioning her here other than the satisfaction of knowing that you will receive the highest quality feedback if you choose to hire her to edit your work.

Someone else whom I commend to your attention is Robin Allen of Griffin Editorial Services. I have known her for going on 15 years now, and all the copy editing work she has ever done for me has been absolutely top notch. Again, I get nothing for the mention other than knowing that you will be as delighted with her editing work as I have been.

You say you cannot afford to hire a good editor?

I say you cannot afford NOT to.

Budget for it, or set up a crowdfunding campaign if you must, but please do not be tempted by those who claim that you can successfully edit your own work. The fact is that the human brain is wired to see what it expects to see, thereby making it impossible to remain objective where the editorial process is concerned.

I implore you to help halt the downward spiral in perception of the quality of independent authors' works by hiring professional help to make your book be the absolute best product that it can be.


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Tuesday, November 1, 2016

November noodling from The Dawnflier of @KimHeadlee #MFRWOrg #ASMSG

Although I have some exciting book news to report, I'm saddened today by the loss of my stepmother, who was instrumental in helping my dad heal from my mom's passing fifteen years ago. Phyllis was a wonderful woman, and I'm grateful for the impact she had on my dad's life.

On the left is a vintage photo of my late Uncle Fred that I'm running today in honor of Veterans Day. After an extremely full and fulfilling life, he passed away in September 2015.

Book news:
  • The Business of Writing: Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid, and Traditionally Published Authors is available for preorder on Kindle, Kobo, the iBooks Store, 24 Symbols, and Smashwords. Other formats are in the process of being published, and I will announce those links after they go live. The book is scheduled for release on November 14.
  • King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court: Its blog tour is scheduled to begin on November 14. It has received another award, but I'm sworn to secrecy until December. Meantime, mark your calendars to enjoy the one-day 99-cent sale in honor of Mark Twain's birthday on November 30.
  • Next on my docket: tackling the edits and e-book formatting for Raging Sea: Enemies and Allies. Meantime, download your copy of Raging Sea: Reckonings, which is permafree for Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and Kobo customers!

My next personal appearance is as an author-guest at Chessiecon in Baltimore the weekend after Thanksgiving. I will presenting part one of my Business of Writing workshop on Black Friday (3:00), and part two is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. on Small Business Saturday. I will be involved in other panels and the group autograph session too. Please cross your fingers that I will have the print edition of The Business of Writing available by then!

I am thankful for your interest in and support of my work.


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  5. (Optional but greatly appreciated) Tweet this blog post but in the link replace ".com" with ".ca", ".co.uk",".ie", or any other Blogspot mirror site so that Twitter won't block your tweet from being posted.

Thank you so very much and have a blessed day.

***

All this month, you are invited to…

— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow

… and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books.

Please enter often, and good luck!

Friday, October 28, 2016

Join #MFRWAuthor @KimHeadlee at NRCC Comic-Con and Preorder THE BUSINESS OF WRITING!

The final personal appearance for me this month will occur at the New River Community College Comic-Con, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Saturday 10/29/16 in Dublin, Virginia. 
I will be presenting my Business of Writing workshop in addition to signing & selling my books.
I hope to see you there! 


Preorder The Business of Writing:
Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid,
and Traditionally Published Authors
by Kim Iverson Headlee today!
Now I interrupt this regularly scheduled installment of Raging Sea to bring you the following very special announcement:


The Business of Writing is available for


Description:

Have you written a book but don’t know how to go about getting it published?

Have you published a book but need advice distributing it to more sales channels?

Are you hunting for more ways to improve your bottom line?

The Business of Writing: Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid, and Traditionally Published Authors is aimed at everyone wishing to start—or jump-start—their writing careers.

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, discover the answers to such questions as:
  • Do I really need to incorporate, what “flavor” of company should I set up, and how do I take the plunge?
  • How do I manage my writing expenses and taxes?
  • What is an ISBN, where do I get one, and how many will I need?
  • What is an imprint and how do I establish one for my books?
  • What decisions must I face in the prepublication phase?
  • Do I need to register my book’s copyright and how do I accomplish it? What about using other copyrighted materials?
  • How on earth do I condense my 100K-word book to a 300-word description, let alone a 20-word tagline?
  • How do I select the best keywords for my book?
  • What makes for a great cover and how can I get one?
  • What do I need to know about book formatting—print as well as digital?
  • How can I turn my book into an audiobook?
  • How do I develop and refine my author brand?
  • How can I land invitations to speak at conferences and conventions?
  • I use several pseudonymns. How do I manage them all?
  • What’s an ARC? A media kit? A book trailer? A blog tour?
  • Do I really need to start a blog? Send out a newsletter? Dive into social media? Give away my books?
  • How do I price my book? Should I pick one price or vary it? Where are the best places to advertise my sale events?
  • How much is all of this going to cost me??
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the publication and promotion process, let award-winning, critically acclaimed author Kim Iverson Headlee give you the practical wisdom you need to stay on task and perhaps even come out ahead.

Preorder The Business of Writing today!


*** Another announcement: I need your help! ***

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  1. Visit the Twitter website reporting page (https://support.twitter.com/forms/spam).
  2. Select the button that reads "I can't tweet a link because Twitter thinks it's spam."
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  4. Fill out the rest of the pertinent details and click "Submit."
  5. (Optional but greatly appreciated) Tweet this blog post but in the link replace ".com" with ".ca", ".co.uk",".ie", or any other Blogspot mirror site so that Twitter won't block your tweet from being posted.

Thank you so very much and have a blessed day.

***

I'm running a giveaway for an e-copy of The Challenge!
To enter, click HERE.

MailChimp subscribers to The Dawnflier receive exclusive giveaway opportunities.
Subscribe today
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***

All this month, you are invited to…

— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow

… and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books.

Please enter often, and good luck!

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

The Business of Writing by @KimHeadlee: Book Reviews #MFRWOrg #ASMSG

ANNOUNCEMENT: I am >< that close to getting my Business of Writing book coded and uploaded to e-tailer channels such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

I'll be sharing its cover and preorder information in a future blog post. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this article about requesting and responding to book reviews.


Review meme (c)2015 by Kim Headlee.
Sunset photo (c)2008 by Alexstar, Dreamstime ID 10088688.

The importance of book reviews.
If you have even one title in a retail catalog, then more than likely you have noticed the fluctuation in sales in response to receiving a new review. Instinctively we authors know that reviews are important, but longtime author Gail Z Martin offers an interesting perspective about why in her guest blog post on No Wasted Ink.


Reacting to reviews.
The first review I ever got, for the first edition of Dawnflight in 1999, the reviewer sent me a copy via email. I think I must have stared at the subject line for at least an hour, terrified to open it! But I'm glad I did, for it was a glowing one.

Since then my books have received dozens of reviews, falling at all points across the starry spectrum, and for numerous reasons.

You know how to handle the 5- and 4-star reviews, right? Since chances are I'm old enough to be your mom, I will do my "Mom Thing" and make sure you know: be gracious and humble. And then tweet/pin/share the bejezus out of them! :D

I've found 3-star reviews of my books to be a mixed bag of anything from ripping my book a new one to containing far more praise than the star rating would seem to indicate. Sometimes I find tweetable tidbits in these reviews, and sometimes not. Either way, I read them and then go about my day.

But how should one react to the 2- and 1-star wonders?

Indie Author News gives an excellent list of tips in 10 Ways for Authors to Respond to Bad Reviews. Don't have time to click the link? I will give you my #1 tip, which is their #2: Never interact with reviewers in a public forum regardless of the review's content or star rating. Ever. Period.

The only exception to this is to post a "thank you," even in response to a low-star-rating review if it contains constructive criticism that you find useful for improving your work. A little courtesy goes a long way.

Tip #8 from the Indie Author News list is Don't rush to your favorite social media site to rant. You would be well advised to take that one to heart too. Whenever I see that behavior by an author online, it ensures that I will never download, even for free, anything from that author. Ever. Period.

Writing reviews of other authors' books.
An excellent blog post about writing reviews for Amazon, especially given their propensity to weed out "fake" reviews, may be viewed on A Word With Traci blog.

As a professional reviewer—and by that I mean that I have been paid cash for my content by the review site, never directly by publishers or authors—I take a dim view of "review swapping." This along with the ethically challenged practice of purchasing reviews have done more to undermine the value of reviews than coercing your family and friends to leave good reviews ever will.

Requesting reviews.
Done correctly, this can be a tedious and time-consuming process. I used to employ an assistant to work on this project for a few hours per month. I started her with the Indie Reviewers List maintained by The Indie View e-zine and identified the genres wherein each of my books fits. She conducted the querying, submitting, and follow up. The guidelines I gave her, which will work for you too:
  1. Pay attention to what the blogger prefers to read. Don't waste his/her time—or yours—by submitting your book anyway, unless the blogger specifically states that exceptions are made for exceptional works. When in doubt...
  2. Read a few posted reviews, especially the negative ones. You may decide that you don't like the reviewer's style, and that could save you and the blogger some time.
  3. Follow the reviewer's stated submission guidelines to the letter. If s/he does not want your book's file right away, for God's sake do not send it. That's the fastest way of getting it dumped—and potentially getting yourself labeled as an Author Who Does Not Read. This goes double for responding to sites that state they are closed to submissions.
  4. If the site is open to submissions but no guidelines exist, write a brief but courteous email giving your book's title, genre(s), and tagline, which ideally describes your book in twenty words or fewer. Don't waste his/her time (or yours) by including a twenty-page synopsis, a ten-page author bio, and your manuscript in its entirety.
When following up with potential reviewers after you have submitted your book:
  1. Heed their stated follow-up policies to the letter. If s/he specifies "do not contact us" and you go ahead and contact them anyway, then you run the risk of being labeled as an Author Who Does Not Read.
  2. Add at least one month to any stated follow-up period, if follow-ups are permitted.
  3. If no follow-up guidelines or review-posting turnaround times are stated, and the site has not posted a "do not contact" policy, wait at least three months before following up with the blogger. Reviewer-bloggers are busy people too, and they do not need to be hounded by anyone.
Less tedious and time-consuming is the blog tour. In a properly coordinated tour, potential reviewers might be incentivized to participate via the chance to win a gift card in a bloggers-only giveaway, but they are not compensated financially for writing the review itself, because they are never under any obligation to write it. To protect authors, the usual stipulation is that if they dislike the book and cannot rate it more than two stars, the tour coordinator asks that the review not be posted until after the tour is over.

Of course "less tedious and time-consuming" equals greater cost, but all of my books have benefited from being featured in blog tours, and I feel that they are marketing dollars well spent.


*** Another announcement: I need your help! ***

Twitter has unjustly blacklisted this blog as a "spam or malicious" website. As you can see by its content, it is neither spam nor malicious. If you enjoy this site, please consider performing the following steps:
  1. Visit the Twitter website reporting page (https://support.twitter.com/forms/spam).
  2. Select the button that reads "I can't tweet a link because Twitter thinks it's spam."
  3. Specify https://kimiversonheadlee.blogspot.com/ as the "Problematic link."
  4. Fill out the rest of the pertinent details and click "Submit."
  5. (Optional but greatly appreciated) Tweet this blog post but in the link replace ".com" with ".ca", ".co.uk",".ie", or any other Blogspot mirror site so that Twitter won't block your tweet from being posted.

Thank you so very much and have a blessed day.

***

I'm running a giveaway for an e-copy of The Challenge!
To enter, click HERE.

MailChimp subscribers to The Dawnflier receive exclusive giveaway opportunities.
Subscribe today
so you don't miss out!

***

All this month, you are invited to…

— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow

… and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books.

Please enter often, and good luck!

Monday, October 24, 2016

Coastal Erosion by Rachelle Paige (@rpaigebooks) and #RomanticTravel to Jekyll Island, Georgia


With Hurricane Matthew still fresh in my memory because my daughter elected to weather the storm in Myrtle Beach, SC to care for her disabled roommate, Coastal Erosion by new-to-The-Maze author Rachelle Paige is a timely spotlight for the final installment of the #RomanticTravel excerpt exchange.

Book 2 in Rachelle Paige's Golden Shores series, Coastal Erosion, takes place on Georgia's Golden Isles—and I hope those residents didn't suffer too much coastal erosion and other damage from the hurricane either. I haven't visited Jekyll Island in half a century (to compete in a swim meet as a child), and Rachelle offers a much fresher perspective!

In Rachelle's words:

I love Georgia’s Golden Isles, the setting for this book series. Jekyll Island is an especially romantic place with beautiful stretches of sandy beach begging for a lover’s stroll, bike paths galore perfect for bicycles built for two, and lodging at the Jekyll Island Club built by the millionaires of the Victorian Era.

Coastal Erosion
by Rachelle Paige
Genre: Contemporary romance

Synopsis:
Civil engineer Kim Meyers has built a solid career on establishing order in the midst of construction chaos. Living off the coast of Georgia as a Midwest transplant, she’s made a life for herself amidst the waves, tourists, and palm trees of the Golden Isles. Keeping her focus on her work and her community, she hasn’t had time to stop and consider how much she’s already lost. Until her former flame, Landon Beau IV, swoops in and snatches up her next project.

Excerpt:

Clack clack clack, the head council member’s gavel slapped against the folding table bringing order back to the room. The hum of murmured conversations shared between the locals dimmed. Planning commissions meetings had grown into increasingly crowded affairs as development of St. Simons Island exploded.

Suddenly, a familiar set of aqua eyes caught her attention.

What on earth was he doing here?

A spark electrified her, shooting down her back and through her limbs. No one could instantly make her crackle with awareness like Landon Beau could. For some reason the sizzle had lasted for more than ten years.

Kim didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or scream or cry.

But today she couldn’t let him distract her from her mission. She understood what she had to do. She needed to help the Society of Coastal Living, aka SCL, to save the stretch of land on the north end of the island near her grandmother’s house. She wouldn’t rest until the island had no more room for development.

Control. Order. Efficiency.

She had to stay focused.

The council member cleared his throat to address the crowded room. “We will be moving forward with LB Holdings, granting a preliminary rezoning permit for a subdivision. They have proposed a development that meets all the necessary specifications and requirements, and this committee feels will be a benefit to the island.”

Her chest seized as the words reached her. She had failed. An even worse, she’d let down her Grandma Rose.

Her vision blurred. She didn’t see the council members conclude the meeting or her fellow volunteers from the SCL get up and leave. The scrape of metal folding chairs being dragged against the floor echoed in her ears drowning out all other sounds.

LB Holdings would be tearing apart the land just down the street from Grandma Rose. Her quality of life would be destroyed. The rumble of trucks and crash of machinery would become a constant soundtrack for the next year on Grandma Rose’s wraparound porch, blocking out the sounds of the marsh. And the reward at the end would be a congested nightmare to get to and from her grandmother’s home. How could she have let her best friend down?

Why hadn’t she pushed harder? Why hadn’t she gone door to door to get support? Why hadn’t she done more?

Questions and regrets circled in her mind, keeping her gaze hazy and unfocused until a warm palm on her shoulder suddenly made her flinch. She jerked her hands up to a defensive position, palms out in front of her face, and then froze.

Standing before her, he was impossibly handsome with his chiseled features and sandy blonde hair styled without a strand out of place. His piercing blue eyes locked onto hers. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Her gaze drifted to his lips, transfixed by the easy smile that made his mouth off-center.

Buy links: Kindle US ~


About the Author:
Rachelle stumbled into the world of romance novels in college; as a way to help speed up reading through Art History textbooks. After years in the professional world writing dry grant proposals and auction descriptions, she started writing the contemporary romance stories she wanted to read. Setting her books in some of her favorite destinations was her inspired way to require plenty of research trips every year with her family.

Follow Rachelle via: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon |


*** Special announcement: I need your help! ***

Twitter has unjustly blacklisted this blog as a "spam or malicious" website. As you can see by its content, it is neither spam nor malicious. If you enjoy this site, please consider performing the following steps:
  1. Visit the Twitter website reporting page (https://support.twitter.com/forms/spam).
  2. Select the button that reads "I can't tweet a link because Twitter thinks it's spam."
  3. Specify https://kimiversonheadlee.blogspot.com/ as the "Problematic link."
  4. Fill out the rest of the pertinent details and click "Submit."
  5. (Optional but greatly appreciated) Tweet this blog post but in the link replace ".com" with ".ca", ".co.uk",".ie", or any other Blogspot mirror site so that Twitter won't block your tweet from being posted.

Thank you so very much and have a blessed day.

***

I'm running a giveaway for an e-copy of The Challenge!
To enter, click HERE.

MailChimp subscribers to The Dawnflier receive exclusive giveaway opportunities.
Subscribe today
so you don't miss out!

***

All this month, you are invited to…

— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow

… and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books.

Please enter often, and good luck!

Friday, October 21, 2016

Join #MFRWAuthor @KimHeadlee at @RisingStarCon plus read Ch 14/sc 3c of RAGING SEA

October is a busy month for me. On Friday evening 10/21/16 and all day Saturday 10/22/16, I will be signing my books at the…

Rising Star 25 Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention,
Othello Harris-Jefferson Student Center, Bluefield State College,
219 Rock St, Bluefield, West Virginia.

I'll have copies of my books available for purchase, and I am scheduled to be on two panels in addition to presenting my Business of Writing workshop. Convention hours are 6 – 11 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. Saturday. I hope to see you there!

And because tomorrow is Saturday and I'll be up to my eyeballs in con goings on, here is yet another installment of Raging Sea for your enjoyment.

Previous excerpts of Raging Sea 
Chapters 1–6 in PERMAFREE Raging Sea: Reckonings
 Chapter 7: Sc 1 | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4 | Sc 5a | Sc 5b |
Chapter 8: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 2 | Sc 3a | Sc 3b |
Chapter 9: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 1d | Sc 1e |
Chapter 10: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 2a | Sc 2b | Sc 3a | Sc 3b | Sc 3c |
Chapter 11: Sc 1aSc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 2 | Sc 3a | Sc 3b |
Chapter 12: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4a | Sc 4b | Sc 5a | Sc 5b |
Chapter 13: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 2a | Sc 2b | Sc 2c | Sc 2d | Sc 2e | Sc 2f |
Chapter 14: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 1d | Sc 2a | Sc 2b | Sc 3a | Sc 3b |

Raging Sea Chapter 14, Scene 3c
©2016 by Kim Headlee
All rights reserved.

Arthur dispatched a soldier to find the Comitissa Britanniam and ordered the rest of First Ala to dismount and lead their horses to the staging area’s picket lines while he wheeled Macsen about to join his family’s litter.

The cavalry troop obeyed but hadn’t advanced more than a few paces when Alayna appeared, mounted, from through the gate and cantered straight up to the Pendragon.

“What is he doing here?” Angusel had never heard his mother sound so furious, and the pit in his gut confirmed that he was the “he” she had meant. He kept his gaze trained forward as he clenched Stonn’s reins, though mindful not to drag on them and hurt his horse’s mouth. The heat in his cheeks and the sweat trickling down his back he could do nothing about. “What gives you the right to violate Caledonach customs with such blatant disregard?” she demanded in Caledonaiche.

Arthur gave her a long, cool appraisal. “My soldiers are here upon my orders,” he answered her, with an improved Caledonaiche accent. “All of them. If you have a quarrel, it is with me and no one else. We can settle this quarrel, you and me, in the nearest combat ring and to the death, if that is your wish.”

“My wish! You don’t give a bloody damn about what I wish. I’ll wager you don’t even know what I wish!”

“That you had never underestimated me at Abar-Gleann?”

Angusel heard the undercurrent of humor in the Pendragon’s voice and pursed his lips to contain the urge to smirk.


*** Special announcement: I need your help! ***

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  1. Visit the Twitter website reporting page (https://support.twitter.com/forms/spam).
  2. Select the button that reads "I can't tweet a link because Twitter thinks it's spam."
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  5. (Optional but greatly appreciated) Tweet this blog post but in the link replace ".com" with ".ca", ".co.uk",".ie", or any other Blogspot mirror site so that Twitter won't block your tweet from being posted.

Thank you so very much and have a blessed day.

***

I'm running a giveaway for an e-copy of The Challenge!
To enter, click HERE.

MailChimp subscribers to The Dawnflier receive exclusive giveaway opportunities.
Subscribe today
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***

All this month, you are invited to…

— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow

… and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books.

Please enter often, and good luck!