Feeling burned out? Maybe you need a break!

It happened.  I burned out.  My muse gave up - not that she had done anything wrong - I had just stopped listening.  I had reached the point where writing and anything related to it, felt like a job and that's not a place I wanted to be.  So, I did it and I'm pretty sure I broke some sort of Building the Author Platform commandment while doing it - but it was worth it.  All I can say is I enjoyed every sinful moment.  Who knew taking a break could be so wonderful?   I know that there are lots of writers who enjoy spending countless hours interacting with others on various social media sites.   I wish I was one of them.  In my off-line time, my life tends to be a bit private and I guess that carries over to my online self.  I needed a break.

For the past couple of months, I've limited my social interactions to a few tweets and an occasional blog post.  I've edited my latest story and plotted out another. But the thing I enjoyed most was reading.  I've read several novels.  While some better than others, there were a few that really made an impression on me.


Silver by Cheree Alsop

Silver is the first book in the Silver Series.  It's a young adult paranormal novel with a fresh take on werewolves. I particularly enjoyed reading a story written from a male perspective.  While the ending may have been tied up a little too neatly, the author did a really good job developing the characters and setting the mood.  

Far From Home is the second book in The Home Series.  The author, Megan Nugen Isbell, created characters that I just fell in love with.  The first and third books were good but for me, the second book was the best.  It's not often I'm moved to tears but Holy Cow! - the author did a great job setting/maintaining the mood.  The characters were wonderfully vulnerable.  I think the book should come with a tissue advisory.

Janae Mitchell's For Always is a young adult paranormal romance.

This may be one of the sweetest stories I've ever read. The author did a great job developing the characters. There is a bit of a love triangle and a main character whose actions appear quite confused but let's face it - It's gotta be hard to choose between a live guy and a ghost!

While each of these books are different - they all had at least one thing in common - well developed characters.  

I've got to be honest, not all the novels I downloaded were good.  In fact, some of them were bad.  Very bad. The kind of bad where I couldn't justify spending the time required to read them and I just wanted to yell - "Code blue!  We need an editor here!"  And this brings me to a community I discovered on Goodreads.  Editors can be expensive and not all of them are good.  However,  the Beta Reader Group is a great place to get input on your story.  I have found the readers to be very helpful, offering insights and suggestions that might have been overlooked.

After a much needed break, I'm glad to be back!  My latest story The Reasons Why should be published within the month and I'm working on the sequel to Of Dreams and Shadow.  Life is good!  I can hear my muse again! 

The writing team HL Carpenter has been busy.  Not only have they recently published their latest YA novel - Walled In, they are part of the "My Writing Process" blog tag tour.  Make sure you click the above link to check out their site.  In the mean time, I'm thrilled they tagged me as the next participant!

With this tour, the participants are given four questions.  Below, you'll find my answers.

What are you currently working on?

I am in the process of finishing my first new adult novella, The Reasons Why, as well as working on the sequel to Of Dreams and Shadow, the first book in the Forget Me Not series.

How does your writing process work?

When it comes to writing, I do a lot of listening.  My characters love to talk - sometimes at the most inopportune times - like in the middle of my work day.  When that happens, I jot down a few quick notes - just to make sure I don't forget. I try to know where the story is going before I sit down in front of the keyboard.

How does your work differ from others of its genre?

Of Dreams and Shadow is Young Adult Paranormal.  However, there aren't any vampires, werewolves, etc.  Instead, I've got a sinister shadow haunting the pages.  The Reasons Why (soon to be released) is new adult fiction.  The main characters are from a blended family.  They have to come to terms with the fact that love can happen at the most inconvenient times with the most inconvenient people.

Why do you write what you do?

This may sound crazy but its true - what I write depends on the characters and what they have to say.  I first started writing The Reasons Why because Britney and Michael popped in my head and wouldn't leave me alone.  It was quite frustrating to be honest. I was working on the sequel to Dreams and I literally reached a point that I couldn't go any further - not until Britney and Michael had their say.  I sat down in front of the keyboard with the intention to write just enough to get them to hush.  It never happened - the more I listened, the more they talked.

Who's up next?  That would be authors Laurie WJN and Beth Camp.  Laurie is the author of The Misadventures of Me and My Uterus.  Make sure you swing by her blog - Looking on the Sunnyside.  Beth Camp is the author of Standing Stones. Click here for Beth's blog.  

Mean Girls in Young Adult Fiction

There are people who would prefer that the stereotypical mean girl, who so often appears in young adult fiction, would go the way of the dodo bird.  But why?  Literature is sprinkled with femme fatale characters who use their beauty and charm to manipulate.  They lie and deceive.  They bring a certain magic to the story.  Like the femme fatale, the mean girl serves much the same purpose.

The teenage years are a time of growing and maturing.  It's also the time when many teens are at their most vulnerable.  I explored this topic in Of Dreams and Shadow.   Having a mean girl allowed me to use her as a tool - one that could expose my main character's insecurities.  Jenna is a typical teen.  She's the new girl in school.  She's dealing with all the baggage that comes with a move - finding her place in a new social environment while mourning the loss of the security of her former life and friends.  Mean Girl Melissa helped to propel Jenna's story.  She made sure Jenna felt out of place.  She possessed a confidence that Jenna lacked.   Because of her, Jenna had to grow.  She had to become a young woman who knew her own self-worth. 

But what of the mean girl?  Why do we typically choose to describe her as popular and beautiful? After all, we all know girls that are not only popular/beautiful but sweet and kind.  So why the stereotype?  There are a variety of reasons but one reason sticks out for me.  In our society, looks are valued; females tend to compare themselves to their peers.  Most people can relate to the girl who is all too aware of the pimple that blemishes her face or the hair that refuses to cooperate.  We know what it's like to feel as though we don't measure up.  The mean girl is beautiful because she has to be.  She's the picture of perfection, a contrast to the main character's self-perceived shortcomings.

Book Tour

Of Dreams and Shadow: Forget Me Not (Book 1) is going on tour with 

Pump Up Your Book Tours.  

I'll be visiting some really awesome blogs so stop by!

Monday, May 5

Guest Blogging at Bibliotica

Tuesday, May 6

Book Featured at Laurie’s Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews

Wednesday, May 7

Book Review at World of My Imagination

Thursday, May 8

Guest Blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner

Friday, May 9

Book Review at Pink Fluffy Hearts: Diary of a Coffee Addict

Monday, May 12

Book Review at Book Club Sisters

Tuesday, May 13

Book Review at Mary’s Cup of Tea

Wednesday, May 14

Interview at The Children’s and Teens Book Connection

Book Featured at I Heart Reading

Monday, May 19

Book Review at Crazy Four Books

Thursday, May 22

Guest Blogging at CBY Book Club

Monday, May 26

Book Review at Emeraldfire’s Bookmark

Tuesday, May 27

Book Featured at Mom With a Kindle

Wednesday, May 28

Book Review at Queen of All She Reads

Friday, May 30

Book Review at Ashley’s Bookshelf

Book Review at Bound 4 Escape

Adventures in Marketing: My Latest Effort

There are times I wish that someone had told me that writing my book was the easy part - the hard stuff came with the marketing.  Obviously, some people are more adept at coming up with ways to sell their novels than others.  You can put me in the "others" category.   I can't say that I enjoy marketing. I'm one of those people who wish I could devote all my time to writing and leave the marketing to some sort of magical marketing minions.  But since that's not going to happen - I decided to try something a little different.

I published my novel (Of Dreams and Shadow: Forget Me Not) at the end of September, 2013.  Since that time, I have promoted my book with three virtual book tours and I have been pleased with the exposure.  In March, I decided to try something a little different. Instead of a virtual book tour - I choose to use a three prong approach.  

First, I did a little research.  There are a lot of sites that promote books.  I looked for sites that I felt were a good fit for my novel and then went to Alexa to check their ranking.  I considered the number of visitors to each site as well as the cost of their promotion packages. 

I chose:

1. eBook Soda  

2. StoryFinds

3. Young Adult Promo Central

I set the date to begin my attack:  Thursday,  March 27, 2014

I lowered the price of my book to 99 cents (Thursday - Sunday)

I asked my family and friends to help me get the word out by sharing links on facebook, etc.

The morning of the 27th arrived.  I went to my Author Central page and checked my ranking; it was humbling to say the least.  My novel was ranked 250,914 among all ebooks and 26,785 among teen ebooks.  

StoryFinds listed my book on their daily specials.  (This cost me $20.00)

At Young Adult Promo Central, I was the featured author. I shared a post, book trailer, book blurb, etc.  (I purchased their Gold Promotion - $25.00.  The normal price of this promo was $50 but they are running a sale.)

eBook Soda featured my book on the email list.  (This was free.)

I shared the links to StoryFinds and YA Promo Central as well as eBook Soda on twitter, Facebook and Google+ communities.  

By Friday morning, my novel had moved up in ranking.  Among all ebooks, mine was now ranked at 30,293 and among teen ebooks - it was ranked 1,551.  At lunch time, my book had peaked at just over 1,300 in teen ebooks.  

On Monday morning, I checked my Author Central page again.  My novel was ranked at 22,893 in all ebooks and 2,323 in teen ebooks.

Now, I will be honest - I don't know which site generated the most sales but I do know that people visiting YA Promo Central were actively engaged due to the stats I saw on my blog.  I also think  some sales came from people who saw the "shares" of my family and friends. 

Total Cost of the Promotion:  $45.00  

I wish I could say that this was the marketing effort that sent me to Amazon's top 100.  But even though it didn't, I was pleased with the results.

Beginning:    all ebooks  250,914   teens:  26,785

Ending:        all ebooks   22,893    teens:   2,323

I would think this approach would work with a variety of sites and genres.  It is important to find sites that are a good fit for your novel.  But you can't stop there - you have to enlist the help of others to spread the word.  I hope this is helpful.  Thanks for stopping by and Happy Marketing! 





 

Of Dreams and Shadow - CLP Blog Tour

This week Of Dreams and Shadow is on tour with CLP Blog Tours. You can follow the tour by clicking here.  I'll be giving away a $15 Starbucks gift card and a signed copy of my novel.  Make sure you enter for the giveaway!

Of Dreams and Shadow Rafflecopter Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Of Dreams and Shadow Book Tour

December 09, 2013

Romance with Flavor

www.romancewithflavor.com

Fantasy Book Lane

http://www.fantasybooklane.com/

A Mama's Corner of the World   

http://www.amamascorneroftheworld.com

December 10, 2013

Books Direct

http://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com.au/

Taking It One Book at a Time 

http://takingitonebookatatime.blogspot.com

December 11, 2013

Paranormal Romance Fans for Life

www.paranormalromancefanforlife.blogspot.com

Theresa Stillwagon

http://tstillwagon.wordpress.com

December 12, 2013

Mom With A Kindle

http://momwithakindle.blogspot.com/

Eclipse Reviews

http://totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com

December 13 

3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!

http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com  

Booker Like a Hooker

http://bookerlikeahooker.blogspot.com/

December 16 

So Much To Write

http://somuchtowritesolittletime.com

Sapphyria's Book Reviews

http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/

In honor of the release of my debut novel, Of Dreams and Shadow, I thought I'd introduce one of the characters.  Meet Sarah Jones:

Prologue

June 17, 1997

     Details…they were the making or breaking of any plan and he felt sure that his plan was perfect.  He surveyed the yard one last time, slid back into his hiding place and waited.  It wouldn’t be long now.  She would open the door and come out to play as she did every morning: swinging, pulling her wagon, playing with her doll.  Only this morning would be different; this morning would be special.

     Laying in her wagon was his gift — a necklace he had taken from his mother.  He was certain Sarah would love it.  A door slammed, pulling his attention from the wagon to the patio where the little girl stood. 

     “Big…black...bug’s blood,” she said slowly.  And then, looking rather pleased with herself, she continued a bit faster, “Big, black bug’s blood, big black blugs blug, blig black blug’s blug.”  Shaking her head, she stepped off the patio, “I don’t like bugs anyway…well, maybe ladybugs…and butterflies,” Sarah added as a swallowtail fluttered by.

     Sarah found herself following the butterfly’s trail, stopping when it lit upon a flower and continuing on as it once again took flight. “Come back butterfly,” she called as the butterfly flitted from place to place, always just out of her reach.  The tinkling sound of her laughter floated across the yard to his hiding place.  He couldn’t believe his luck.  It seemed that fate was lending him a hand as the butterfly fluttered ever closer to the wagon.  

     Just a little further, sweet Sarah. 

     She stopped, looked up at the butterfly as it changed course and then set off in the opposite direction.  He clinched his fist.  Fate, he thought, is like a fickle strumpet.  But patience on the other hand, was quite the virtuous lady.  Damn.  He hated virtuous ladies. And strumpets…they weren’t any better. 

     The swallowtail, perhaps tired of playing the game, circled around and carried Sarah back toward the wagon.  Its flight was now one of purpose.  It had nectar to collect and flowers to pollinate and a curious little girl was a hindrance.  The butterfly, however, didn’t need to worry.  It had lost Sarah’s attention.  She had seen the gift.

Link to Amazon

Sometimes the dead refuse to die...

Of Dreams and Shadow:  Forget Me Not Book One

is now available on Amazon!

Link to Amazon

Welcome to Parson's Cove!

Parson's Cove, NC is the fictional town that serves as the setting for Of Dreams and Shadow.   I thought I'd share a little about its origin.  After all, there are places in Onslow county that inspired it.  One of those is Yopp's Meeting House.  Yopp's Meeting House is located in Sneads Ferry, NC. and while it doesn't appear in my story,  it's a place that has always caught my attention.  When I was a little girl, the place creeped me out.  It always looked spooky - sitting off the road, surrounded by shade trees and a cemetery.  As I grew older, its history intrigued me and I knew Parson's Cove had to have an old building of its own.  

Yopp's Meeting House

Sneads Ferry, NC

I visited areas in Onslow County looking at old structures.  The Pelletier House in Jacksonville was one of the ones that I studied.  I had it in mind when I described Parson's Cove's - Henderson's Merchantile.

Pelletier House

Jacksonville, NC

I could imagine a building a bit wider than this one sitting just across the road from the river, waiting for fisherman and sailors to come inside and spend their money after a long voyage.  Such old buildings hold secrets and it's the same with Henderson's Merchantile - one visit marks the beginning of the end for someone in Parson's Cove. 

Party Time!

A big shout out to my family!  They are the best!  Surprised me with a little party in celebration of the upcoming release of my first novel - Of Dreams and Shadow!  Walmart's Bakery made the cake and it was a delicious as it was beautiful!  

Sneads Ferry, NC - my inspiration

Of Dreams and Shadows takes place in the fictional town of Parson's Cove, NC.  Parson's Cove is based on Sneads Ferry and parts of Swansboro.  I love Swansboro's waterfront with all its shops, restaurants, music and view.  But it is Sneads Ferry and the salty New River that has my heart.  The people here are a special breed and they make for an amazing community.  If you're familiar with Fulcher's Landing from way back when, I'm sure you will remember Capt Jim's restaurant - (now the Landmark Cafe)  Remember the lighted sign with the fish jumping from the water?  I loved that sign!  Capt. Jim's is actually in my book as Capt. Jimmy's.   As you read about Parson's Cove, I hope that you are able to recognize Sneads Ferry because she's there between the lines.  The Ferry is truly a special place and it has provided an amazing influence on the Cove. 

The Landmark Cafe - Originally Capt. Jim's

Sneads Ferry, NC

Boat Ramp located on Fulcher's Landing

Sneads Ferry, NC

So here's a short excerpt from Of Dreams and Shadow.  I hope you enjoy it!

Jenna made her way to the end of the wooden planks and leaned against the railing.  She listened to the water as it gently lapped around the pilings.  Seagulls flew overhead, hoping for an easy breakfast.  While apologizing for coming empty handed, Jenna pulled her hood up, trying to keep the cold off her ears.   Her eyes moved, taking in the rustic beauty around her.  Just off to the right, on a lone weathered piling, a pelican kept watch.  And beyond him, in the distance, a boat ambled its way up the river.

The chugging of a motor grew steadily louder, pulling Jenna's attention to her left.  A skiff drew near to the pier and puttered by, carrying an old man.  Gray hair surrounded a weathered face.  He threw up a gnarled hand in greeting.  Jenna smiled and waved back. 

-DS McKnight

Of Dreams and Shadow - Sneak Peak of the Cover

It's getting closer - the release of my debut novel - thought I'd give a   sneak peak of the cover which was designed by Cathy Jackson.  Check out her work at JaxonSigns on Facebook and jaxonsigns.com.

Keep checking back for the announcement 

of the official release day.

-DS McKnight 

Choosing indie publishing - Of Dreams and Shadows

When I was in high school, I dreamed of being a reporter - of parachuting into a war-torn country - of writing that award winner article.  And then life happened...and I got older and realized I am afraid of heights and I would never jump out of a perfectly good flying machine.  In fact, I tell people all the time, if I die from a fall---it's probably murder.  Some people think I'm joking - but honestly, I'm not.  I will admit to having an irrational fear of heights.  How many people do you know - who can't stand next to a guard rail and view the New River Gorge (West Virginia)?  Yes, that would be me....I'm the person who's about to have a nervous breakdown because my children are leaning over the railings for a better view. 

I know - you are wondering where all this is going so I'll explain.  I'm setting off for a new adventure.  No, I'm not jumping out of planes but I am jumping into the world of indie publishing.  It's exciting and frightening all at the same time.  When I first started writing Of Dreams and Shadow, I planned on getting an agent and publishing contract.  But publishing is changing...and I've always preferred to pilot my own ship.

So, wish me luck!  Sink or swim...it's all up to me!