Laura Howard: October 2012

10/31/12

Trick-or-Treat: It's The Villain! YA Misfits Bloghop




Happy Halloween! 

I'm thrilled to be the host for Dahlia Adler from the YA Misfits Trick-or-Treat blog hop today to discuss the rapscallion of the literature scene- The Villain!


10/29/12

Is Traditional Publishing a Happily Ever After?

You may have read my post with the lovely author Erin Kern about her recent book deal with Grand Central Publishing after self-publishing her Trouble series.
That post received a LOT of attention and even ended up being reblogged by The Passive Voice. When I saw the comments oh PV about the other side of the publishing spectrum- going Indie AFTER being traditionally published, I knew that side needed to be heard as well. So, it is with pleasure that I welcome author Anthea Lawson to share her publishing journey.

10/27/12

Six Questions with Rebecca Hamiltion


I'm bouncing with excitement to introduce Rebecca Hamilton on Finding Bliss. Rebecca is the author of the first New Adult book I ever came in contact with- The Forever Girl.
Having a child diagnosed with autism has inspired her to illuminate the world through the eyes of characters who see things differently. Welcome Rebecca!

10/26/12

COVER REVEAL & GIVEAWAY: Red Veil Series by Elizabeth Marx

To wrap up my week of cover reveals, I'd like to introduce you to author Elizabeth Marx!

Elizabeth brings cosmopolitan flair to her fiction, which is a blend of romance and fast-paced Chicago living with a sprinkle of magical realism. 


Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who've spelled everyone into believing they're really dogs.

10/24/12

COVER REVEAL: Precise by Rebecca Berto





Known for her fantastic blog about all things books and writing ~Novel Girl
Rebecca Berto writes stories that straddle the line between Literary and Tear Your Heart Out (invented the genre herself). Her average reading session lasts for hours—somehow always after ten pm. She’s strangely imaginitive, spends too much time on her computer, and is certifiably crazy when she works on her fiction.


Rebecca lives in Melbourne, Australia with her partner and their doggy.

10/23/12

COVER REVEAL: Avoiding Responsibility by KA Linde

Would you agree that 2012 has been the year of the Contemporary Love Story? I use the term "Love" loosely.

I have read more contemporary romance books this year than paranormal romance, and that's a first for me. Books like Avoiding Commitment by K.A. Linde have been loaded onto my Kindle, causing many late nights (read early morning) bedtimes for myself and my Book Club girls!


10/22/12

Understanding Metadata for Authors



So many of us here in the social media world are scrambling to figure things out, sometimes it can be downright overwhelming. Well, here's my go-to lady who knows her stuff about Relationship Marketing and the Self-Publishing world-at-large. 
Rachel Thompson has published two of her own best-selling indie titles and is a Social Media Consultant that makes this whole publishing thing look like hop-scotch. Welcome to Finding Bliss Rachel!

10/20/12

Six Questions with Jennifer Snyder



 A few months ago I found the blog of author Jennifer Snyder. I obviously read a lot of blogs, but the thing that impressed me about Jennifer's was that she posted her monthly sales from the start of her self-publishing career. This gives you realistic expectations of what your results might be like after you put your book up for sale.


10/18/12

The Future of Publishing with Joanna Penn



This week's video is an interview with Joanna Penn, who has been the biggest inspiration in my choice to self-publish. She has self-published two novels and three non-fiction books as well as created various courses and products to help others avoid the mistakes she's made during her time as an author. 

It seems I introduce everyone as my special guest, and that is true because I'm truly honored that my guests give me their time to be interviewed. But, Joanna is extra special to me because essentially everything I do is based on studying her website and podcasts closely. 

10/15/12

The Importance of a Great Website



Laura Pepper Wu is co-founder of 30 Day Books, a book studio that provides marketing tools and resources for authors. 

Not to mention a fabulous friend and inspiration to yours truly.

10/13/12

Behind The Curtain: The Trapeze Swing

Six Questions with Eva Marquez


Eva Marquez is the author of the newly released Mature Young Adult novel Sweetest Taboo.

I've seen her book mentioned a lot during the past few months, so I knew I wanted to interview her so that I could delve into her marketing strategy.


10/12/12

Make Your Own #NaNoWriMo Survival Kit


Who's doing NaNoWriMo this year? I've never done it, but friends I know have let me know they'll be doing it for their seventh and ninth year! Amazing!

And since it's right around the corner, I've recruited someone who knows NaNo! Warm Welcome to Rochelle Melander, The Write Now Coach!


10/10/12

Is Paranormal Dead? with Lynn Rush


I was introduced to Lynn Rush
by my friend Kendall Grey. I joined Kendall on one of Lynn's Twitter Parties at hashtag #Rushed. She holds fun contests and I won a copy of her latest book Violet Midnight. Since I'm the type of girl who's never satisfied I decided to take it one step further and ask for an interview!

10/8/12

Are Self-Published Books the New Query Letter?

Erin Kern is the author of the Trouble Series of romance novels. Like many of my writer friends, she began by querying agents and ended up going on her own after several rejections. I hope you're as inspired by her story as I am, especially if your dream is to eventually sign with a large publishing house.


10/7/12

On Dublin Street Tour and Giveaway!


Four years ago, Jocelyn Butler left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Edinburgh. Burying the grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without any real attachments has worked well for her so far but when Joss moves into a fantastic apartment on Dublin Street, her carefully guarded world is shaken to its core by her new roommate’s sexy older brother.

Braden Carmichael is a man who always gets what he wants. And what he wants is Jocelyn in his bed. Knowing how skittish Joss is concerning any kind of relationship, Braden proposes a sexual arrangement that should satisfy the intense attraction between them without it developing into anything ‘more’. An intrigued Jocelyn agrees, completely unprepared for the Scotsman and his single-minded determination to strip the stubborn young woman bare…to the very soul

10/6/12

Six Questions with M Leighton

If you look at the Amazon Top 100, you'd see this author's name more than once. M Leighton is a NYT bestseller and her fanbase is seriously rabid. She's got more than thirteen books published now, with highly anticipated sequels in the works.

Sit back and enjoy her interview, and maybe save a few of her tips to memory on this lovely Fall Saturday.

10/5/12

Creating Sexual Tension with Patricia Paris


Patricia Paris was a name that I heard early in April when I decided to really take this publishing thing seriously. It seemed everyone online was friends with Patricia, but not only that, Patricia was always promoting and helping authors in all the different writing circles I was following.

10/3/12

Getting Exposure with Christina McKnight


Christina McKnight published her first novel, Only in Her Dreams last month. I invited her for an interview to get the perspective of an author who has just made the transition into authorhood. 

I'm so excited for you to hear what she has to say about her journey thus far. It comes down to just getting your name out there and getting exposure!

10/1/12

Assembling Your Publishing Team with Savannah Page


You've seen books for sale on Amazon, you know the ones- the cover designed on Paint, formatting all over the place. An author who's looking to  build a career might be the one to press Publish, but they have a team behind the scenes working with them. 

Today's guest Savannah Page, author of three novels, is here to share her experience with assembling her own publishing team.