Authors, Kai Strand & LA Dragoni

After cutting open the box and picking up the top copy, you hold your novel in your hand. You sigh and run your palm over the cover quite pleased with the final design. Flipping it over, you grin remembering your struggle to write the synopsis, read it checking for typos, and admit it was more difficult to write than the entire novel. It is a proud moment. Many people say they want to write a book, but you actually did it. Recalling the sweat equity that dripped into each word enclosed within the cover, a question forms within your mind. What do I do next? It is time to spread the word of your achievement by creating a website, Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn, a blog, etc. Contact a local newspaper to feature an article announcing your recent publication. Print bookmarks, banners, and posters to promote your book. Approach book stores and set up book signings. The signing may or may not be successful. Either way, it will promote your novel. One day, just on a whim, you en...

I'm excited to announce the release of my tenth published novel. Finding Thor is a young adult romantic suspense. Cara Cassidy always envisioned love as Thor, slamming his hammer into the earth, and the vibration resonating within her for a lifetime. She never expected love would be a thousand tiny actions from a normal boy. When international intrigue hits small-town America, more than the car chases will get your blood pumping. Tragedy has left Cara Cassidy broken and the only thing keeping her from giving in completely is her guilt. Until Nik Rock. Nik stirs up feelings in degrees she has never experienced, and causes her to do things that most assuredly give him the wrong impression – like kiss him before their first date. Somehow, he breaks down the walls around her emotions until she has no choice but to forgive herself and feel again. But a mysterious, troubled past follows Nik, and Cara may prove to be his weakest link. When a royal princess shows up ...

Being a writer is a tough business. The creation process is usually extremely personal and downright lonely. The editing stage picks away at your self-confidence. Seriously, how many times can you hear, “Find a better word” before you believe that all your words suck. The publishing process is often confusing, slow, and lacks communication. Finally, your work is “out there” for reader pleasure. The release goes well. There’s some buzz about your book. Reviews. Excitement. Sales. Yay. Then comes that blogger (or Facebooker, or Tumblr-er, etc) who says something about the best friend’s love of Ugg boots and how that doesn’t belong in YA. (A hypothetical situation…stay with me on this.) The reader decries how their sensibilities are deeply offended. They raise the flag about your transgressions against responsible teen fashion. Their post is widely circulated. Others jump on board leaving comments on blogs, Goodreads, and Facebook disparaging your ill-treatment of fashion sensibl...

Hi everyone! Welcome to Building Character. I’d like to introduce you to Herbie, the main character in Helping Herbie Hedgehog by Melissa Abramovitz. Great to have you join us today, Herbie. Can you tell us a little about you, please? Hello, I’m Herbie Hedgehog. Melissa, who invented me, tells everyone I’m totally clueless. But the truth is that I only pretend to be clueless to help her pursue her dream of making learning fun for kids. On second thought, maybe I am kinda clueless. Today I wore a shoe on my head to protect it from the sun. Someone told me I really should buy a hat.  So, Herbie, usually a character in a book has some sort of conflict. What conflict are you up against? Oh gosh, my only conflict is with my own cluelessness. I don’t like imposing on people to help me figure out how to do things. But the up side is that there are lots of nice, helpful kids in this world. They’re always willing to help me out, and we laugh together when I do things like tryi...

Welcome to Three Times A Charm. I love to introduce readers to people involved in children’s publishing. Today we have middle grade author, Kevin A. Springer to share his debut book with us. Kevin , please tell us about your book. A little about Extraordinary Sam In EXTRAORDINARY SAM, Sam Miller seems like an ordinary 12 year-old boy, but the discovery of a mysterious box from his missing grandfather changes his life forever. He soon finds himself in a strange world full of adventure and magic where he must battle pirates, giant spiders, and an evil tyrant. To survive, Sam must overcome his fears, solve the riddles, and most of all, be extraordinary. If you like Extraordinary Sam , you might also like: The Water Castle by Megan Frazer Blakemore Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins The Real Boy by Anne Ursu Now it's time for the three’s. Give us your top three answers to the following questions so we might get to know you. Top 3 books ...

In my head, I’ve always been a writer, editor, proofreader and what-not. I can’t help it. It’s compulsive – you decide if that’s good or bad. Then a couple of years ago I actually picked up a pen and jotted down my first ideas. Not sure why it took me so long. Maybe it was the universe telling me the time had come to leave my shell and step out into the world. That thought actually inspired Fireflies, #1 in my Airborne Trilogy. Gabriel is a sad boy; it’s as simple as that. His parents argue all the time and barely notice he is there. Desperate for at least a little warmth and attention, he turns to a role-playing computer game. Then everything changes when he is sent to stay with his grandparents over the summer and forced to abandon his online quest…to join a real one. Life is scary, and Gabriel is terrified by what he might find outside his door. Then again, life is also wonderful, if you choose to live it! As Gabriel takes one step out the door, and then another and ano...

It’s time for Three Times A Charm. I love to introduce readers to people involved in children’s publishing. Today we have James Gordon with us. Welcome James. Can you share a little about yourself, please? My name is James Gordon, an award winning author, poet, and storyteller from Chicago’s South Side. I am the author of the Amazon Best Selling Children’s Book, “Hi My Name is Bobo (A Weekend in the Life of a 5 th Grader) and several other books under the pen name G.P.A. (Greatest Poet Alive). I can also be seen on the tv shows Sirens, Empire, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD, as well as on Twitter at gr8estpoetalive. I’d love to hear more about My Name is Bobo. Can you tell us about the book and share the inspiration behind it? Sometimes a weekend can seem like a lifetime to a growing child. He may experience like, fear, anticipation, and other emotions without smooth transition or even realizing it. This is the life of Bobo, a fifth grader, who loves his family, the Sup...

My talented and generous critique buddy, Mary Waibel, has her review of Finding Thor on her blog. Please hop on over to Waibel's World and see what she has to say about my young adult romantic suspense releasing Thursday!  So, this week I’m talking book covers. I admit, I have been known to judge a book by its cover and while browsing Goodreads, or maybe Amazon, recently I noticed that purple seems to be the new black. So many pretty book covers whose color schemes revolve around purple. At first I wondered if I was simply noticing the purple covers because Finding Thor’s cover is in purples, but so was Beware of the White, and I didn’t notice them then, so I'm going out on a limb and declaring a trend. Anyway, that got me thinking about which books I read because of the cover. Not blurb. Not reputation or buzz. Simply because I thought, "Oooo, what's that one about?" as soon as I saw it. So here are a few: The Dark Divine – I love the stark leg...

Yippee – it’s Friday and this week we have a Building Character interview. Let me introduce Lily from THE ATTIC OF SAND AND SECRETS by Medeia Sharif. Welcome to Strands of Thoughts, Lily. Tell us a little about yourself. I’m Lily. I’m in junior high school and I live in Florida. My dad is French and my mother is Egyptian. I live in a beachfront house.  Beachfront in Florida sounds nice, but when people have a story to tell, it isn’t  usually  a really nice story about catching a tan and learning to surf. What conflict are you up against? My mother was kidnapped and there have been ransom letters. My father is always at the police station trying to figure something out to get her back, but I’d like to help. People say I’m stupid and I believe them, although I’ve been trying real hard to find clues on how she disappeared. Oh, Lily, I’m really sorry. I understand why you would feel helpless. What are some of the biggest stumbling blocks you’ve encountered tr...

click to visit the original post Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Purpose:  To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting:  The first Wednesday of every month is officially  Insecure Writer’s Support Group  day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG The awesome co-hosts for the March 4 posting of the IWSG are  Chemist Ken, Suzanne Sapseed,  and  Shannon Lawrence! Now for my post. I’m taking a different route f...

I'm happy to be helping Susan Kaye Quinn release her new Singularity series. No one does sci-fi like Susan! Pick up her new book at the introductory price and help her spread the word! New Release: The Legacy Human (Singularity #1) by Susan Kaye Quinn #YA #SF INTRODUCTORY PRICE 99CENTS - limited time Amazon ebook and print When transcending humanity is the prize, winning the Game is all that matters. Seventeen-year-old Elijah Brighton wants to become an ascender—a post-Singularity human/machine hybrid—after all, they’re smarter, more enlightened, more compassionate, and above all, achingly beautiful. But Eli is a legacy human, preserved and cherished for his unaltered genetic code, just like the rainforest he paints. When a fugue state possesses him and creates great art, Eli miraculously lands a sponsor for the creative Olympics. If he could just master the fugue, he could take the gold and win the right to ascend, bringing everything he’s yearned for within ...