Cynthia Woolf - HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Author Cynthia Woolf. She writes in the Sci-fi Romance and Western Romance genres.

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Author Genre: Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Website: Cynthia Woolf - from Cowboys to Space Captains
Author's Blog: Cynthia Woolf blog
Twitter: @CynthiaWoolf
E-Mail: cindy@cynthiawoolf.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest


Author Description: Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.

Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write. Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates. She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories. In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years.

In 2000, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she'd attend. One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter's table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing. She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn't looked back.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

First things first. Let’s start with what’s next. Do you have another book on the horizon? Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease.

I'm currently working on the second in the Matchmaker & Co. series. It's called Heiress Bride. I hope to have it released in March 2013.

Here is a short excerpt:

The storm passed in the night leaving a dusting of snow and clear blue skies. Ella Davenport dressed with care for her final meeting with Mrs. Selby. She would get her train tickets for the trip west to the Colorado Territory and Mr. Nathan Ravenclaw.

She went down to breakfast. Cook prepared her favorite eggs, sausage and mushroom toast. Joshua was already there.

“Good morning, brother.”

“Good morning. You look particularly fetching this morning.”

“It’s my final meeting with Mrs. Selby. I get my tickets today.”

Joshua put down his paper and stared at her. “Are you certain this is the right course of action for you? There are dozens of men who would be happy to marry you.”

“They only want my money or pity me. I don’t want a marriage based on either one of those things. Mr. Ravenclaw knows about my scars but Mrs. Selby said he carries scars of his own because of his heritage. Being half Arapahoe Indian has outcast him from both the whites and the Indians.”

“Have you thought about the fact that if you marry this man you’ll then be outcast as well?”

“Have you not looked at me lately? Do you not see the scars on the left side of my face? Do you not see that I have my collars made especially high to cover the ones on my neck? If these are the ones you can see, have you never wondered at the ones you can’t? Not only those on my body but those inside? Am I not already outcast?”

You have a large following on Twitter. (over 15K) How important are your social media relationships to your writing success?

I wouldn't be as successful at all if it wasn't for Twitter and Facebook. That is where I do 90% of my promo.

Do you do book signing, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when is your next place where your readers can see you?

I do them but I don't have any personal appearances scheduled at this time.

Have you create a book trailer for any of your books to promote them online?

No, I don't have a book trailer.

I see you belong to the Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America, two great groups. Do they help you with writing, marketing and the publishing process or are they more for support?

I wouldn't be published now if not for these two groups. Through them I have learned my craft and am still learning it with classes and workshops offered by them or through them.

You have a great blog. What is your primary goal? And where in the world to you find the time to create great novels, take care of the social media and maintain your blog?

I like to have guests on my blog most of the time. I may only blog myself once or twice a month. As to the time involved, I have insomnia, so I get in a lot more working time than most people. I work (writing, workshops and promo) about 18 hours a day.

Has the advent of ebooks changed anything in your writing, your marketing and the relationship with your readers and fans?

If it weren't for ebooks, I wouldn't be published. My books don't fit in the traditional publishers slots. I write shorter than traditional publishers want, but then I charge less than half what traditional publishers charge for their books. On average, my books are 2.99 each, Traditional publishers charge 7.99 and up for their ebooks. They charge the same for the ebook as for the paperback, even though the ebook cost them much, much less to produce.

Have you ever done a book tour? How was that experience and did you see any results in sales and exposure?

I did my first book tour with Tame A Wild Bride. It was wildly successful. The book shot up the charts. I'm doing tours with each of the new books that I have out. The tour for Capital Bride has started and the tour for The Swords of Gregara-Honora is being scheduled now.

What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in other types of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?

I do giveaways with every blog hop I participate in and whenever I write a blog myself, I do a giveaway. As a matter of fact, for this blog I'd like to do a giveaway. I'd like to give four commentors prizes. Two will receive ebook copies of my latest books, one for Capital Bride and one for The Swords of Gregara-Honora. Two additional commentors will each receive a $5 Starbucks card.

My main goal in giving away free books is to get readers to my site so they can see the books offered. I want them to take the time to read the blog and leave me a comment. The longer I can get them to stay on my site, the more likely they are to remember me when they are looking for something new to read.


Author's Book List
The Swords of Gregara - Honora
They stole her love, her life and want to steal the secrets secured in her mind. Secrets that could topple world governments and decimate quadrant security forever. Now she’s on an epic quest to find out why and make those responsible pay.

Honora Reyestat gave up everything to become a member of the esteemed Gregarian Guard. No family, no friends, no connections--nothing that can ever be used against her. Captured and enslaved, she's become a prized gladiator for her master. Given the task of training a new slave, she recognizes a fellow Zolthor and the son of a tribal leader at that. Her mission changes from discovery of the enemy's tactics and secrets to returning Joridan to his people.

Drawn to this fierce woman as no other, Joridan Dolana tries to explain she is wrong. He's not Zolthor, he's Centauri. He was raised on Centauri with his sister. Faced with proof of a father's ultimate betrayal, he must choose between revenge and the protection of this woman who has sworn to never return his love.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords
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Capital Bride
Matchmaker & Co.
Unexpectedly homeless, un-wed mother Sarah Johnson has few options. They could go live with her cousin William, but Sara believes there’s something untoward about his offer and it leaves her feeling uncomfortable. She's qualified to be a governess, but no one will have her because she wasn't married when she had her precious MaryAnn. Matchmaker & Co could be her salvation as mail-order-bride to Mr. John Atwood.

Single father, John Atwood, is raising his daughter the best he can in the wilds of the Colorado Territory but knows he needs help. No woman he knows wants to take on the raising of his daughter who hasn't spoken since she saw her mother brutally murdered during a bank robbery. Can Sarah, John and their two daughters overcome their pasts and find happiness together?
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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Swords of Gregara - Riza
Book 2, Swords of Gregara Series
Riza Lamrona was a highly sought after plastic surgeon on Alarcon. In a society dependant on machines for their health care, she’s one of the few who can change the human body not just fix it like a machine. Unfortunately she has the misfortune to be the best at her job and when notorious space pirate wants to evade the authorities by changing his appearance he finds Riza.

Now that the job is done he wants her dead to keep his new identity a secret. Darick Remaul is a former Space Patrol Detective who now owns a profitable kalcion mine on the planet Gregara. It’s as far away from his former life as he could get. Darick has secrets of his own but recognizes someone in trouble when he sees them. Especially when it’s a beautiful woman. When a bounty hunter threatens her life he offers her a safe haven at his mine as their new doctor. But who will keep her safe from him?
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Tame A Wild Bride
a western romance (Tame Series)
Rosie Stanton climbed on a west-bound train to answer his ad for a wife and mother, everything she wants to be. But Tom Harris lied. He doesn't want a wife, merely a mother for his two abandoned children and a cook and cleaner for his ranch. Betrayed once, he's vowed never to let another woman into his heart. Sexy Rosie upsets all his plans and threatens to invade his scarred heart. How will he maintain his vow to keep his hands off her as she charms his children, his cow hands, his life?
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Tame A Wild Wind
A Western romance (Tame Series)
Former Texas Ranger Sam Colter isn't looking for love. Neither is pretty widow Cassie O'Malley. But when a man stalking Sam for killing his brother kidnaps Cassie, Sam discovers it's more than duty that sends him racing to her rescue. Will Cassie realize the truth about her own feelings before it's too late?
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Centauri Midnight
Book 3 Centauri Series
Kitari ‘Kiti’ Dolana wants justice for her murdered brother. She’s trailed the man responsible to a distant planet where swords outmaneuver blasters. Garrick Marcus, Spaceship Captain, is on a mission to hunt down a ruthless killer. The same man Kiti is after. But Kiti and Garrick discover an explosive attraction that makes it hard to keep their minds on their goals. As they try to bring down the killer, they find that love and vengeance are a volatile mix.
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Centauri Twilight
Centauri Series, Book Two
Lara Danexx suffered years of torment at the hands of the evil and twisted Ranzon Slaverian. But she escaped and raised an army of rebels to destroy him. Victory is within her grasp when an unwelcome intruder hunts her down and spins wild tales of her lost family and royal blood. This arrogant invader stirs her long dead emotions and threatens to ruin all of her plans. She can’t allow herself to desire his touch, or believe his lies…too much is at stake. General Anton Coridian gave his word that he would find his beloved queen’s long lost sister, Princess Jondalara. He expects a pampered princess. Instead he finds a guerilla leader with an army of loyal cut-throats and rogues at her back. Every instinct he has demands that she is his lifemate and he must steal her away to safety. But the dark determination and pain in her eyes reminds him of his own tortured past. She offers him redemption and the chance to right an unspeakable wrong.

Destiny must be laughing, because now he’s fallen in love with a woman who will stop at nothing to free her people…even if it means sacrificing herself. Anton is determined to join her, both in bed and in battle. Now he must convince Lara that his love can save not just her life, but her battered heart.
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Centauri Dawn
Centauri Series, Book One
Audra is a normal grad student in law school in Boulder, Colorado. Until the day she finds out she isn't. She's a princess from the planet Centauri. Her mission, whether or not she chooses to accept it, is to marry an alien and save the world, in order to save her family. Darius is charged with delivering his brother's bride home to Centauri, ready to be queen. Falling in love isn't just forbidden, it's a death sentence for him and for his world.
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Tame A Wild Heart
He's not her brother, but Duncan thinks Catherine sure needs one. A woman has no business trying to run a ranch. Not in 1880s Creede, Colorado. Even though she's loved him forever, she swears she doesn't need his help, but in between stampedes, fires and a kidnapping, the ex-bounty hunter and gunslinger becomes determined to do more than protect the ranch. Working together to catch a dangerous outlaw might just be the best thing that ever happened to them both.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner.
Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.

Ermal Walden Williamson - HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on American Western Author Ermal Walden Williamson. He is a John Wayne look-alike actor, ex-stuntman, motivational speaker and bestselling author.

Author Genre: American Western & Historical Fiction

Website: Ermal as JOHN WAYNE
Blog: Ermal Walden Williamson Resume
E-Mail: duke@ermal.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads


Author Description: Actor, author and the John Wayne look-alike and impersonator Ermal Walden Williamson has dedicated his career to keeping the image of John Wayne alive, having appeared in computerized commercials with the Duke; and has performed as John Wayne aboard Duke's yacht, the "Wild Goose" for over fourteen years, and now resides in Branson, Missouri.

He began his one-man show in 1986 as An Evening with John Wayne and Gary Cooper,recently having his wife Paula, a singer and composer, appear with him in Branson.

Ermal has performed part way around the world as host and/or emcee, after-dinner speaker, motivational speaker and entertainer in corporate events, trade shows, churches, schools, parties, commercials, infomercials, movies and just about anything one could think of as John Wayne. He has made two documentaries on the lives of John Wayne and John Ford, and has ridden in the Pasadena Pageant of Roses Parade four years as John Wayne.

SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

Let’s start with what’s next. Rumor has it that you have another book on the horizon. Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease about the story?

THE TIMELINE FOR [Beyond The Brazos] RELEASE IS SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY, 2013. (See description below.)

Your marketing approach is unique. Your focus is to go direct to your readers which most young authors avoid. Can you tell us when and why you choice to do one-on-one selling?

I PREFER TO USE MY TIME AS QUALITY TIME RATHER THAN HAVE ANOTHER JOB – I CAN SELL MY BOOKS IN THE PERSONA OF “JOHN WAYNE” BEST.

Do you get a good response at your book signing, speaking and personal appearances?

VERY DEFINITELY.

You have great book covers. They carry your brand and the Western theme with them. How does your cover process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach?

I USE FRESH PHOTOS … TO ADDRESS MY NOVELS WITH A “HANDS-ON” APPROACH.

You have a unique book trailer. (See links below. It is a much watch.) Do you know how much impact that had on your book's success?

NONE AT THIS TIME – IT HAS NOT BEEN OUT FOR MARKETING MY BOOKS, YET.

It looks very professional. Tell us about the process that you used to create your trailer?

CHARLES CRAWFORD WROTE THE TRAILER WITH BILL SNYDER’S HELP (MULTIMEDIA WORKS) (AND MINE) AND BILL DIRECTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED THE TRAILER. I HAD ROUNDED UP THE ACTORS AND LOCATION SITES FOR SHOOTING AND WE SHOT IT IN TWO DAYS.

Has the advent of ebooks changed anything in your writing, your marketing and the relationship with your readers and fans?

NOT SO VISIBLE AT THIS TIME.

I noticed most of your novels are also available in Audio CD. I think that most authors miss that opportunity today. Has the Audio versions been successful?

MOST DEFINITELY.

Do you see an increase in sales in your paper and ebooks with the added exposure?

POSSIBLY

I watched your Coors Light commercials on your website. That’s good stuff. Has the commercial attracted more readers to your novels?

VERY MUCH.

Has it helped with the ‘Duke’ brand you’ve established?

MOST DEFINITELY.


Author's Book List

Coming in Febuary, 2013

By Ermal 'Duke' Walden Williamson


Beyond The Brazos

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The Man from the Brazos
Matt Jorgensen Series
When Matt Jorgensen learns that the man who helped him hone his deadly skills with a pistol is gunned down, he vows to bring the killer to justice. On the train to Abilene, Matt relives his early days in the Kansas territory when he found himself embroiled in the rising turmoil of a nation at odds over slavery. Free soilers and slavers fought against each other at the expense of the innocent farmers of the territory. Matt would have to learn to be fast, accurate, and lethal with a gun to survive. Together, Matt and his gunslinging mentor, Rod Best, were able to bring law and order to the Kansas territory. However, all of Matt's skill and daring wouldn't help him with the biggest challenge of his life: learning to live without the woman he loved
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Across the Brazos
Matt Andersen was dead, shot down in a hod up tta shocked the small community of Virginiia City, Montana. At leaset the townsfolk thought he was dead. A case of mistaken identity may have saved Matt's life but i would have tobe a life lived in exile. The adventures took him south where he served in the Confederate Army. After the Civil War, he followed his commanding general to Texas to work as a hired gun. Rangewars and cattle drives kept him busy, and home life on the ranch was good.

Then, one summer day, three cowboys ride in from Montana to bring him home. Matt's life would chsnbge forever as he found himself having to decide bretween the life and love he found in Texas and his family's ranch in Montana.

A sweeping sga of greed, lust, gun fights, cattle drives, and family loyalty, Across the Brazos is a story of one man's struggle to find himself and his home.
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Book Trailer: Across the Brazos
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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We Conquer or Die
From the Saga "Sabers From the Brazos"
Killed by a young Federal soldier's musketball that sent a call for revenge to Matt Jorgensen, a cowboy on the run from the law from Montana. However, convinced that his sweetheart was still alive, he was determined to find her. Discovering himself deep in the heart of Texas when the Civil War broke out, Matt enlisted in the Texas 8th Cavalry with his newfound sidekick, Steve Andrews, only to find out that the cavalry had no horses and no authority to fight in the War.

This is the story of Terry's Texas Rangers and four officers who led them through victorious battles. Two men, Matt and Steve, who became heroes themselves, whipped the cavalry unit into shape to become the finest cavalry regiment on either side of the War. Matt and Steve's destiny seemed to be to keep the memory of these four brave Sabers alive, and to find Ginny at any cost.

It took almost five years of constant research for Dr. Ermal Walden Williamson to write this novel. He has carved out a chunk of Civil War history that will keep the readers wanting more. It is with this same enthusiasm, energy and determination that he has written his fourth book in the Brazos series. If you have not read his first one, Across the Brazos, this novel should make you certainly want to do so.
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The Ghost of Ginny McBride
While attempting to join up with her lover Matt Jorgensen as he joins Terry's Texas Rangers, Ginny McBride is hit by a musketball from a Union rifle. She develops amnesia, losing all memory as to who and where she is.

Matt spends his military time trying to find her. When she returns to herself, she in turn tries to find Matt. It is a story that also engulfs the Western folklore of Jesse James, Cole Younger and his brothers and Belle (Starr) Shirley as they became legends.
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The Last Bullet
Colonel Benjamin Franklin Terry was killed and his successor, Colonel Thomas Lubbock, died immediately afterwards of camp fever. Still, one of the greatest cavalry units in the Civil War looked onward towards victory with the leadership of two more unbeatable heroic officers, General Albert Sidney Johnston, and General John Austin Wharton, together with two rugged cowboys who knew something about guns and horses.

This second story from the saga, is the continuing plight of Matt Jorgensen on the run from Montana who found himself deep in the heart of the Texas with friend, Steve Andrews, when the War Between the States broke out. The odds were against them in training others to become horse soldiers, especially when the cavalry unit had no horses in which to ride. Nevertheless, Terry's Texas Rangers became the Devil's with which no Federal army wanted to tangle. The powerful reason for Matt's heroic exploitations was his relentless search for his sweetheart rumored to have been killed by a Federal soldier's musketball. Matt was convinced she was still alive.
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Call of the Brazos
When Matt Jorgensen met plantation owner, Ginny McBride, he knew that she would be the love of his life. Together, they would forge a lasting body, but a Yankee musket ball would tear their lives asunder. Matt searches but cannot find Ginny. He joins the confederacy and continues his search for her.

Years later, while clinging desperately to life one wintry Montana night, he would once again have to face the demons of his dark past and answer the haunting call of the Brazos. An action-filled adventure that transcends the events of the Civil War, "Call of the Brazos" will captivate readers with its many surprising twists and turns in the third saga of Matt Jorgensen's adventures, a character from the John Wayne movie, "The Cowboys".
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner.
Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.

Rachelle Ayala - HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on experienced Author Rachelle Ayala. She is an author, blogger and a member of the World Literary Café.

Author Genre: Romance Historical

Author's Blog: When a Woman Wrongs a Man
Twitter: @AyalaRachelle
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest


Author Description: Rachelle Ayala was a software engineer until she discovered storytelling works better in fiction than real code. She has over thirty years of writing experience and has always lived in a multi-cultural environment. The tapestry of characters in her books reflect that diversity. Rachelle is currently working on a story dealing with women and contemporary issues. She is a very happy woman and lives in California with her husband. She has three children and has taught violin and made mountain dulcimers

SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

First things first. Rumor has it that you have another book on the horizon. Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease.

Sure. Hidden Under Her Heart is going to be a real heart-breaker of a story. It deals with the thorny issue of abortion after a rape. I'm posting portions of it on my blog already, and I anticipate it will be released around the the middle of next year.

Here is the short summary:
Maryanne Torres tries to gain validation and love by giving more in each relationship than she takes. Lucas Knight believes his reason for existence lies in becoming a triathlon champion. An unwanted pregnancy forces Maryanne to examine her past while Lucas is torn between concern and bitterness. Meanwhile, a tiny life hangs on the balance. Is it worthless because it is unwanted?




You have a good social media following. How important are your social media relationships that you’ve formed? Do you see a carry over to your writing success?

I love social media primarily because I like meeting and interacting with people. I'm one of those early adopters who have been on the Internet back in the 1980's when it was confined to the universities. I've met many friends online and find the relationships healthy in forming interest groups and sharing knowledge.

My writing would be severely lacking if I had not joined CritiqueCircle.com, an online critique group. The people I met there helped me whip my manuscript in shape and gave me early feedback on readers' reactions. I'm always amazed at the wonderful people I meet through social media and their generosity of sharing their knowledge, time and advice with newcomers.

Do you do book signing, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when is your next place where your readers can see you?

I recently joined the Fremont Area Writers, a branch of the California Writers Club. I've done one book signing in Modesto. I don't have any planned appearances yet, but I'm sure I'll be participating in any future group activities the club has.

How does your cover process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you take more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?

I have two fantastic cover artists. I've been fortunate that they seemingly can read my mind. I tell them the basics, what I'm looking for, light or dark, cheery or foreboding, and pick the cover models.

My first two covers, Michal's Window and Broken Build, were designed by Robin Ludwig. She has a fantastic ability to visualize and create a cover that I would never have dreamed off, just by reading a short description of the book.

The cover for my new book, Hidden Under Her Heart, came to me by accident. Natasha Brown was revamping a cover for another friend of ours and posted her proposal to a Facebook group. The friend choose not to go with the cover, and I asked if I could have the concept. She searched for a better image for the footsteps in the sand and blended the distressed woman seamlessly into it.

I hadn't even finished the first draft, but I already visualized the final scene on the beach and knew what I would write. This was definitely a case where I put the cover before the story. A few of my beta readers weighed in on what the cover conveyed to them: a woman in despair, afraid to face the world.

I notice you are a part of the IAN and the WLC groups. Do they help with your writing, marketing and the publishing process or all of the above?

[I haven't done much with IAN] I'm very active in the WLC group. They are definitely a place to make connections and keep up to date with the current market conditions. I learned a lot from taking courses at WLC [the courses are now offered through WLC's sister website, Fostering Success]

It is also a great place to meet other indie authors and share information. Their Facebook group is the place where I interact the most with the other members, whether it is sharing success or needing a sympathetic ear.

Melissa Foster @Melissa_Foster, the energetic and amazing founder of WLC, has taken me under her wings to continue the chain of helping new authors learn the ropes of self-publishing and social networking.

With your busy schedule, how do you have time to keep up with your followers? Between your book writing, blogging, marketing, family and all the other things that can get in your way, how do you manage your time? Do you have a set schedule or do your sort of play it by ear?

Gosh, I must be the most disorganized person on this planet. People tell me to make a list. But I have to admit that I cannot ever find my lists. I'm the one who jots down a grocery list and leaves it at home. So, how do I get anything done? My e-mail folder is my archaeological trail. I put a star next to e-mails I need to answer and scour through it to see if there is anything I have to do. I also e-mail reminders to myself. Oops, I just remembered. I need to check my spam folder. ... Coming back. I already found two blog post messages that I would have dropped had I not checked.

As for daily prioritization, my clients always come first. I've been doing a fair amount of formatting work for other authors so I always answer their e-mails first and keep on top of their dates. Obligations such as blog posts and critiques come second. I've been known to miss a blog post, so if anyone wonders what happened, please do ping me again. After that is social media and keeping in touch with my groups. Oh, goodness, does that leave any writing time?

I write in fits and spurts, but strangely my most productive time is in the late evening after everyone has gone to bed. I've been known to stay up until 3:00 am to write. It reminds me of my math PhD days, staying up late to work on proofs, or my software engineering days when I was either hacking code or checking on the build and automation tests in the wee hours of the morning.

Of course the next morning, I'm not good for much except checking e-mail and tweeting.

Have you ever done a book tour?
Along with that. When do you start the marketing process for a new book? Give a brief outline of the steps you go through to get your book to market.

I'm afraid I'm not the shining example of how to market with organizational skills. Since I put others before myself, I'm more likely to host other people's book tours on my blog. This leaves scant time to write my own interviews. I haven't really sought out interviews, but if someone asks me for a guest post or an appearance, I'm always glad to jump in.

I've attended all the Melissa Foster marketing classes, but I have no clue how she gets everything done: press releases, local author events, radio interviews, blog tours, a fancy website, and exposure in every channel of social media. Whew! I'm tired just listing the whirlwind of activities I'm supposed to be doing instead of sitting in front of my laptop with my bird on my shoulder.

Being from the computer world, how do you manage your plots, characters and timelines to keep your stories going? Do you use any software to keep track of your books?

Writing a book is very similar to designing a software program. There are the data structures (settings), objects (characters) and methods (plot) that have to be at least minimally thought of. I was never a heavy duty designer, but wrote software by the seat of my pants and then restructured it into coherency. Stream of conscious spaghetti code first draft followed by refactoring was more my style. Many times we were forced to go back and document our code. Argh!!! I hated that. But this is exactly how I write. I sling the code, er I mean the words, onto the first draft. Then I go back and create order out of chaos by analyzing each scene, similar to what we did with a code review.

I don't use any tools other than a spreadsheet to list dates and events. Broken Build was my most complicated story because it involved a mystery with several intersecting subplots. Even then, I didn't much rely on my spreadsheet. When I'm writing the story, I know it inside out because I live inside the story, or rather my mind is inside the story with the characters. So the only tools I use are Word and Excel.

You have a great blog. The map your Promo Site section lays out is a must read for new authors. What is your primary goal in blogging?

The blogging took off with the social networking. I couldn't possibly think of so many wise and pithy things to write about myself every single day, but I can most certainly meet and find other authors to share their wise and pithy thoughts.

My blog is heavily visited because of the Promo Site listing so it is a win-win situation for everyone who appears on my blog. The listing drives traffic to the blog, I tweet my blog posts to my Triberr tribes with almost a million reach, and the guests drive traffic to my blog by inviting their followers. Many people have met each other from being on my blog.

I like to be a connector and put people in touch with other people and information, so in that sense, I enjoy blogging. I meet people on Twitter and word seems to get around that I'm a friendly blog host. The blogging indirectly helps my book sales because visitors see my banners and sometimes the guests buy or gift my book to their friends in gratitude for me hosting them. But book sales is not the main reason for blogging. It is meeting people and being engaged with their success. Somehow other people's success invigorates me, and it feels good to be a small part of it.

How much of the work do you do personal in bringing your book to market? Do you outsource any of the process?

I conceptualize the story on my own, but once I finish the first draft, I rely on my critique partners to help me get the story in shape in terms of plot, structure and development. After I've revised it to death and survived the beta reading, I hire a copy editor. I've been fortunate that my copy editor also makes comments and small critiques on story development. As I mentioned before, I use professional cover designers, as graphic arts is not my skill set. But I do all the ebook formatting and uploading myself. That is a technical area I can handle.

What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in other types of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?

I've had great success with the first giveaway on Amazon of each of my first two novels. However, subsequent giveaways have not been that rewarding. I am seeing a diminishing return on giveaways in the less than one year that I've published. The reasons are many, but I suspect it is free book fatigue. Someone told me he has a friend/acquaintance with over 9000 free ebooks. I myself have over 1600 free ebooks. I don't even bother downloading them to my kindle anymore.

Whenever I download a free book, I select Store on Kindle Cloud Reader. I saw a big change from October to November when more and more promoters started charging people to advertise free books. I suspect it is no longer possible to get into the top 20 Free without paying for advertising. The other change is that the sales bump after a free day is no longer as prolonged. Simply put, the free downloaders have moved on to the next day's crop of free books. It is also doubtful whether the free books are read. I know for a fact that I practice a kind of ebook surfing (i.e. channel surfing). I randomly open up books in my Kindle library and read the first few paragraphs, then move onto the next book and the next until something grabs me.

That said, I do believe free is useful for gaining exposure. But in the future, I think authors would do better to target their free books to the audience most likely to read their books. This means building a mailing list, a blog following, and participating in interest groups rather than a shotgun, throw it up for free and see if anyone comes, approach. This is why I started serializing my next book, Hidden Under Her Heart,
on my blog. I figured, if I was going to give it away free, why not let people start reading pieces of it now?


Author's Book List
Broken Build
Silicon Valley Romantic Suspense
Jen Jones hides a horrible secret behind her new degree, toned body, and exciting job at Silicon Valley’s hottest startup—until a man linked to her past is killed in a hit-and-run. CEO and founder Dave Jewell is about to land a huge deal. He doesn't need blood on his car, threatening phone calls, and Jen wrapped in broken code and blackmail. A gang of thugs hunts Jen, and she takes refuge in Dave’s protective arms. Together, they must thwart a killer and rescue an innocent victim from their past. Love blossoms, but a damaging revelation points straight at Jen, threatening to tear them apart forever.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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Your Daily Bible Verse
366 Verses Correlated by Month and Day
Bible Verses correlated by Month and Day to Chapter and Verse starting from January 1 and Genesis 1:1 to December 31 and Mark 12:31. Need a memory verse? or a life verse? Curious which verse correlates to your birthday or anniversary? There's a special verse for each of the 366 days of the year. Includes Bible Verse Memorization tips.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords
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Michal's Window
BEST SELLER! Historical Romance & Family Saga In ancient Israel, where women are property, Princess Michal loves her father's worst enemy, the future King David. She sacrifices everything to save his life, but will her heart survive war and separation? Michal's story comes to life in this powerful and emotional journey through love and heartache to self-realization. Her intense love for King David coupled with tragic circumstances causes her to do the unthinkable. Too strong for her time, Michal's story resonates with women today. "So, once I let the modern feminist inside of me relax, I realized how timely her story is, because, sadly, many of the things she has to deal with are things that women still face today." "As a woman, every emotion I've ever had was weaved in Michal, causing me to cheer for this unsung heroine."
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner. Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.