New YA Indie Author Club Format

It's a new year and a new format for YA Indie Author Club . We'll be rotating our weekly posts in order to spice it up at bit for our members/followers. With our new setup, we'll alternate biweekly between our Indie Author Series and our Indie Author Spotlight.  

With the biweekly Indie Author Series, we'll continue our current mission where we write topics geared toward helping other indie authors. In the spirit of paying it forward, we'll make a special effort to share/promote people, sites, software, etc. that make our jobs a little easier. Whenever possible, we'll provide coupon or referral codes for discounted services from the people we depend on to help us with our writing, editing, book covers, marketing, etc. 

With the Indie Author Spotlight, we'll be interviewing a new indie author every other week. You'll want to visit the YA Indie Author Club Sponsor's sites in order to participate in any potential giveaways. 

Below, you'll find the tentative schedule for 2013. We're looking forward to your visits, comments, and support.  

2013 Topics (subject to change):

January

1/4/1 3 - Resolutions

1/11/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Introduction To The New Indie Author Series

1/18/1 3 - Spot Light: Laura A. H. Elliott

1/25/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Kindle/Amazon (All In or Diversify)

February

2/1/1 3 - Spotlight: Bryna Butler

2/8/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Nook/Barnes & Noble (What's B&N Done For You Lately)

2/15/1 3 - Spotlight: Suzy Turner

2/22/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Smashwords/All Other E-book Sites (Are They Worth It)

March

3/1/1 3 - Spotlight: T. R. Graves

3/8/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Author Page (Basics and Bonuses)

3/15/1 3 - Spotlight: Rachel Coles

3/22/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Goodreads (What's Good & What's Not)

3/29/1 3 - Spotlight: K. C. Blake

April

4/5/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Formatting (Challenges & Achievements)

4/12/1 3 - Spotlight: Melissa Pearl

4/19/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Editing (Testimonials & Warnings)

4/26/1 3 - Spotlight: Terah Edun

May

5/3/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Keywords & Tags (Making them Work)

5/10/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

5/17/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Categorizing Your Book (Finding Your Audience)

5/24/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

5/31/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Book Length (How Many Pages)

June

6/7/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

6/14/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Pricing (How To Decide)

6/21/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

6/28/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Distribution Lists (Books/Blogs/Emails)

July

7/5/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

7/12/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Social Media (What Works)

7/19/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

7/26/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Blogging (Do's & Don'ts)

August

8/2/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

8/9/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Giveaways (Tricks and Techniques) + A Massive Indie Author Giveaway In Honor Of The Topic

8/16/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

8/23/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Facebook (Family Page or Fan Page)

8/30/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

September

9/6/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Twitter (Keep It Simple OR Get As Many Followers As You Can)

9/13/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

9/20/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Pinterest (Getting It To Work For You)

9/27/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

October

10/4/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Giving Books Away (To Free Or Not To Free)

10/11/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

10/18/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Reviews (Getting Them & What To Do With Them)

10/25/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

November

11/1/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Writing (Point Of View & Tense)

11/8/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

11/15/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Querying (Pitch & Summary)

11/22/1 3 - Spotlight Or Book Tour: (Looking for Author/Release/Book Tour)

11/29/1 3 - OFF

December

12/6/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Sagas (Series Or Not)

12/13/1 3 - Indie Author Series: Shelfari (Character Description Benefits)

12/20/1 3 - OFF

12/27/1 3 - OFF

Welcome Back: 2013 Resolution

It's that time of year again. The time when we make resolutions, ones that will allow us to hold our heads high and say we kept them or ones that will force us to hang our head in shame and admit defeat. The sponsors of the YA Indie Carnival are taking a few minutes to post theirs. Don't forget to click on the links below and find out what kinds of exciting endeavors they will be striving for. Keep reading to see what 2013 holds for me and my writing.

 
I have some aggressive goals when it comes to publishing books. I plan to release four books this year. This is saying a lot when you factor in my full-time job, my long commute, and my wife and mother roles. Even then, I'm confident I'm going to meet this goal. 
 
The first book will be Grave Bound (Secrets, #1), and it will be released within the next 6-8 weeks. I started this book as part of the NaNoWriMo challenge and successfully wrote its first 50,000 words in one month. I'm super excited about this book because it is not like anything I've ever written. Its a very different adult contemporary fiction, and (I'm cringing as I write these words) there will be sex. I'm proud of the fact that the sex in Grave Bound (Secrets, #1) is not gratuitous. It is a critical part of the story, and everything about it rounds this book out in a ways that could never have been achieved if I would have written this story as a young adult novel.
 
The second book I plan to release this year will be (You guessed it!) Dark Angels of the Cross (Warrior #4). I've already written at least half of it, and... oh my gosh! All I can say is that you don't see most of what happens coming. It's just as thrilling, suspenseful, and romantic as the first three. I don't believe fans will be disappointed. The latest book in the series is every bit as amazing as the book cover.
 
Finally, I'm going to write Worth Dying For (Underwater #1) and Worth Living For (Underwater #2). For fans of The Warrior Series, this series will help them know and understand Julia and James better. I love the Underwater World and wanted to explore it in a different way.

I've been doing this long enough to know my goals are challenging but achievable. I just have to stay focused, committed, and motivated which should not be a problem because writing is a passion for me. It keeps me going and gets me excited. I hope that all of my fans, friends, and followers follow my lead. Create resolutions you want to keep and HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Down to You by M. Leighton

Down to You (The Bad Boys Series #1) by M. Leighton

 
★★★★★
Let me start this review by disclaiming that I consider M. Leighton  to be an author friend of mine. I know from personal experience that she's an amazing mentor because she was one of the very first authors to reach out to me when I began this indie author journey. The fact that she does not embrace the 'eat your young mentality' instantly turned me into a life-long fan of hers. Despite her New York Times Bestselling Author status, she's not forgotten the people who helped her to achieve her goals. She works tirelessly (morning, noon, and night) promoting her fellow authors and bloggers while writing book after book. Everything she does is impressive and further proves she's the real deal.
 
Now, on to the review of Down to You (The Bad Boys Series #1). This is a quick, fun read that will not leave you disappointed. It will, however, leave you craving Up to Me (The Bad Boys Series #2), which is due to be release January 6, 2013. After reading Down to You (The Bad Boys Series #1), I'm confident in saying Olivia, Cash, and Nash will forever be engrained into reader's minds, and they will long be equated with the hot and sexy couples that readers never seem to get enough of. As important and exciting as the chemistry between Olivia, Cash, and Nash are the book's twists and turns and Down to You (The Bad Boys Series #1)'s unexpected ending... which of course I wouldn't think of spoiling in this review.

If you haven't already, make this one of your next reads... especially if you like to get into and out of a good book quickly. I read this in a matter of a few hours (after a tree fell on the powerlines by my house on Christmas, and my entire household was forced to slow down play board games and read). The only caution I'm going to give is related to the genre. It is an adult contemporary romance, and by M. Leighton's own book description, it is NOT appropriate for younger readers.

Giveaway Winner Announced

The Building a Following Giveaway winner is Cindy Perez. (Congrats, Cindy!) The contest was as fun as it was successful. There were 263 entries and a 10% increase in the number of people following my blog.

I'd like to thank everyone who participated and all of my fans, friends, and followers. Their support is critical to what I do. I'll be returning on 1/4/13 with Welcome Back: 2013 Resolution. Until then, Happy Holidays to you and yours.

 

 

 

 

The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

The Secret of Ella and Micha (The Secret #1) by Jessica Sorensen

★★★★★

Ella and Micha... could two young people be more messed up yet compliment each other more perfectly? I think not.

Jessica Sorensen has a rare talent when it comes to building sexual tension between characters, and The Secret of Ella and Micha (The Secret #1) perfectly exemplifies her ability. She hooks you at the beginning by creating characters you instantly adore. Then, she builds a world filled with dysfunction and reality that Ella and Micha must overcome... together. 

I actually downloaded this book a few weeks ago and popped it open when I needed to kill some time before an appointment. I found myself wanting to find out what happens to them and between them so I went home and finished reading it. Lucky for me, it is a quick, easy read because I have very little time (most of my books are 'read' via audiobooks on my commute to work).

Go ahead and take a few minutes to fall in love with Ella and Micha AND Jessica Sorensen. You won't be disappointed.

 

YA Indie Carnival - Givaway + Bonus

It's that time of year again, when the YA Author Sponsors host a giveaway meant to build a following. Anyone interested in participating will have from 12/14 to 12/21 to visit our blogs, read/respond to our questions, AND join any or all of our sites in order to be entered for the giveaway (see Rafflecopter below or on the individual sponsors' sites). The winner will receive seventeen wonderfully, exciting books (plus a few other prizes) by some amazing authors. The grand prize winner will be announced on December 24th right here on this blog. Don't delay, scroll down to the Rafflecopter, enter, and visits our blogs.

BONUS: Anyone responding to this question (pulled from a recent Time Magazine poll) is automatically entered to win a copy of The Warrior Trilogy Boxed Set (Warrior, #1, #2, & #3) [Kindle Edition]:

 

If by some slim chance the Maya Long Count calendar is accurate and the world ends on December 21st, which song (or book or movie or fictional man/woman) would you want to hear (or read, watch, or be with) during your final moments?  

Giveaway Package Includes:
Transfer Student by Laura A.H. Elliott
Shadow Slayer (Shadow Series, #2) by Laura A.H. Elliott
Vampires Rule (The Rule #1) by K.C. Blake
Werewolves Rule by K.C. Blake
Raven (The Raven Saga, #1) by Suzy Turner
December Moon (The Raven Saga, #2) by Suzy Turner
The Lost Soul (The Raven Saga, #3) by Suzy Turner
The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw by Suzy Turner
Golden Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #1) by Melissa Pearl
Black Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #2) by Melissa Pearl
Pure Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #3) by Melissa Pearl
Of Sun & Moon (Midnight Guardian, #1) by Bryna Butler
Warriors of the Cross (Warrior, #1) by T.R. Graves
Guardians of the Cross (Warrior #2) by T.R. Graves
Enemies of the Cross (Warrior, #3) by T.R. Graves
Red Madrassa (Algardis #1) by Terah Edun
Pazuzu's Girl by Rachel Coles

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YA Indie Carnival - Famous Character's Personal Ad

This week, the sponsors of the YA Author Club are having a little fun. We are creating the personal ad for a book's famous character. Below is my take on a personal ad as written by Kelsey Hayes from Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga, #1) by Colleen Houck:

Young orphaned college student seeking an older Indian prince who is willing to become Indiana Jones-like in order to hunt, find, and retrieve priceless trinkets. A tolerance for tigers, brothers, and goddesses required. The enjoyment of poetry--reading and writing--is preferred.

Next week, don't forget to join us when we have our 2nd Annual Christmas Giveaway. Stay tuned for more details on how to win the package.

Giveaway Package:
Transfer Student by Laura A.H. Elliott

Shadow Slayer (Shadow Series, #2) by Laura A.H. Elliott 

Vampires Rule (The Rule #1) by K.C. Blake

Werewolves Rule by K.C. Blake 

Raven (The Raven Saga, #1) by Suzy Turner

December Moon (The Raven Saga, #2) by Suzy Turner

The Lost Soul (The Raven Saga, #3) by Suzy Turner

The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw by Suzy Turner

Golden Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #1) by Melissa Pearl

Black Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #2) by Melissa Pearl

Pure Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #3) by Melissa Pearl 

Of Sun & Moon (Midnight Guardian, #1) by Bryna Butler

Warriors of the Cross (Warrior, #1) by T.R. Graves
Guardians of the Cross (Warrior #2) by T.R. Graves

Enemies of the Cross (Warrior, #3) by T.R. Graves

Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck

Tiger's Destiny (The Tiger Saga #4) by Colleen Houck
 
★★★★★
 
Colleen Houck  has done an incredible job of maintaining The Tiger Saga's excitement, adventure, tenderness, and passion with Tiger's Destiny (The Tiger Saga #4). I've said before that this is one of my all-time favorite series, and with its final book, that statement still holds true. 
 
Colleen Houck's  ability to tell a great story that is unbelievable—yet believable—is one of her many talents. She is just as phenomenal at creating  characters who are so relatable that the reader has no choice but to laugh when the characters laugh, cry when the characters cry (very real crocodile tears), and love when the characters love.
 
I'm not going to give anything away. This saga is too special for someone (other than Colleen Houck) to tell about it. In order to fully enjoy Tiger's Destiny (The Tiger Saga #4), you must read it, experience it, and fall in love with it yourself. That can't be done if you get bits and pieces because they will absolutely spoil the adventure and rid you of the angst you must feel as you try to theorize about the character's destinies as the story plays out. 
 
In my opinion,  Colleen Houck  wrapped the series up perfectly while leaving the tiniest opening for it to continue should she ever want to resurrect The Tiger Saga. For that, I'm thankful because as soon as I finished, I felt that familiar letdown that has followed the ending of every one of the The Tiger Saga's book. No matter how nicely everything was wrapped up, I still want more Kelsey, Ren, Kishan, and Durga.