Julia Crane - HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Dubai Author Julia Crane. She writes YA paranormal fiction novels including the Keegan's Chronicles. She is a member of the Indie Chicks author's group.

Author Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Website: Julia Crane
Author's Blog: Julia Crane
Twitter: @juliacrane2
E-Mail: juliacrane@zoho.com
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Author Description: Julia Crane is the author of 'Coexist: Keegan’s Chronicles'. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination. Although she’s spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

First things first. I understand you have another book being released shortly called Freak of Nature. (Highlights in Book List below.) Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease.

Freak of Nature is in the final editing stage. I’m hoping for a January 11th release date if everything goes as planned. (Fingers crossed)

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

I think they are vital to success, and not only that I’ve met some amazing people through social media. I definitely think that there is a carry over, because word of mouth is so important in this industry.

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

I’m currently living in Dubai so I haven’t been able to do many appearances. In April I will be going to the London book fair, and in June I’ll be moving back to the US and will be ttending UtopYA in Nashville.

You have outstanding book covers. They carry a theme and your brand 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? Do you get your readers involved in its development?

I’ve been lucky to work with amazingly talented cover artist. I usually find the model and sometimes the background, and then let the cover artist work their magic. I always have an image in mind, but I don’t have the artistic ability to even begin to pull it together. I have a lot of respect for cover artists.

The Coexist book trailer is great. (See links below.) Do you know how much impact it is having on your book’s success?
It looks very professional. Can you tell us briefly about the process that you used to create the trailer?
Do you use the trailer in your character development? Are the pictures and background the way you see your characters and scenes when you write?

Once again, I was lucky enough to cross paths with parajunkeedesigns.com for this trailer; Rachel is so talented. I’m honestly not sure how the conversion works with sales from book trailers though.

I wish I could take some credit for the trailer, but that was all parajunkeedesigns.com. I just told her what the book was about, and gave her the words for the boards. She picked the backgrounds, fonts and the music.

I got the trailer after the book was complete, but it really does fit my image and feel of the book.

We have had several of the Indie Chicks in the Author’s Spotlight. What a group of outstanding people. I feel so strongly about the group, I added their book in the list of your credits below (You are a co-author). What is the main thing that you get out of this association?

I’ve co-written with two separate authors Heather Adkins and Talia Jager. I was friends with both women before we decided to write together. I think we feed off each other when writing, and the process is a lot faster. It’s fun to brainstorm with someone that is also mentally in the head of the characters.

What other kinds of support groups do you belong too? Do they help with writing, marketing and the publishing process?

I’m in many author groups on Facebook (too many to mention). Indie Writers Unite was the first group I joined and I’ve made some wonderful friends there. I think it helps to get ideas from others, and see what is working and what’s not. I’m always looking for new marketing ideas.

I noticed that you are a part of a Happy New Year 2013 Giveaway Hop (January 1st - 7th 2013). 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 love giveaways. I jump on any opportunity that I come across. I think it’s good exposure, and if I’m lucky I’ll earn new fans.

Goodness, I really couldn’t count how many giveaways I’ve participated in. I love www.iamareader.com. I participate in at least two or three giveaway hops with her a month.

We have had several authors in the Spotlight that live outside the US. What kinds of problems do you have in your selling and marketing?(living in Dubai) Where is your biggest audience? Does marketing online help in your situation?

Well, I don’t really do any marketing in Dubai. My books are not available from Amazon here. Almost all of my marketing takes place online. The internet is an amazing tool for marketing.

It seems my biggest audience is in the US, but I also do well in Australia especially on iBooks.

I noticed in my research that you have published Coexist in Spanish (COEXISTENCIA). How has that worked out for you? Are you going to translate any of your other books into other languages?

Unfortunately, the translation did not go as well as I hoped. There is a big cost in translation and so far I haven’t been able to justify translating any more books. Maybe someday!


Author's Book List

Freak of Nature


Coming SOON.

When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.
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Lauren
Keegan's Chronicles Spin Off
A girl with a second chance. A boy with a terrible secret. When the truth is revealed, Lauren's world comes crashing down.

For once, seventeen-year old lauren's life is going right. She's attending the college of her dreams, has what appears to be the perfect boyfriend, and is surrounded by her childhood friends.

But her boyfriend, Tristan, grows more possessive by the day, and his temper is getting harder to keep in check. When lauren realizes Tristan is using her for her power, she has to make a choice: Tristan or her world.

*Lauren is a spin-off from Keegan's Chronicles
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Buy Page: Amazon - Smashwords - iBooks
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Dark Promise (Between Worlds)
Rylie has it all - great friends, dream boy, loving family. But on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, her perfect little world shatters. A stranger claiming to be her real mother appears with a secret: Rylie is a faery whose powers will be unleashed on her birthday. Captured and forced into a new life, Rylie struggles to keep everything she loves and discovers a terrifying truth: some promises cannot be broken.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords
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Anna
Keegan's Chronicles Spin Off
Follow Anna from Keegan's Chronicles on her own adventure!

Seventeen-year-old Anna is an unskilled, natural witch still seeking a way to access her magick. When she moves to Seattle for college, she encounters two powerful witches who need her as much as she needs them. For the first time, Anna believes she's found someone who can help her explore her own magick.

Her dream quickly turns into a nightmare.

Creatures of the Light have gone missing, and the witches she admires so well are a part of the mystery.

Before she knows it, Anna is knee deep in the disappearances and trying to forge a relationship with a certain soldier named Tommy, all while trying to find her way. Will she have time to save the creatures of the light or will she become the next victim?
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Buy Page: Amazon - Smashwords - iBooks
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Mesmerized
Seventeen-year-old succubus Lily Anderson can’t have a normal life: She isn't allowed a boyfriend, she has no friends, and school is just one mess-up after another. Lily’s parents send her away to the prestigious Emerson Academy. It doesn’t appear to be any different from the others. That is, until she meets her roommate, Hannah, and a blue-eyed boy named Jake. Lily makes an almost deadly mistake, and Jake has a mysterious past that has come back to haunt him. Together, they must go on the run from things neither of them understand in order to save the people they love—and each other.

But, Jake’s foe is more dangerous than they realized, and it will take the help of friends and family to save the man Lily loves. She must learn to use her powers for good before it’s too late. WARNING: This is a mature YA. Due to sexual content and some language it is not recommended for younger teens.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords - iBooks
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Eternal Youth
The six years following the abrupt death of her father were the worst of Calista Bishoff's life. Frightened by her own mortality, Callie’s mom threw herself into a search for the Fountain of Youth—and dragged Callie along with her.

Callie should have loved traveling, but instead she hated every minute. When one more failed search sends her mother into depression, they finally return home to California. Sixteen-year-old Callie is ready to hang with her friends and be normal for as long as she can.

But, an unplanned trip to Bermuda with her grandmother throws Callie’s plans awry, and there’s more in store for Callie and her mom than just a simple beach vacation. Callie’s life is turned inside out as she finds herself in a very different world than the one she knows—

Where things exist that she never dreamed were real.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords - iBooks
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Consumed
Keegan's Chronicles #3
Keegan has dealt with a lot over the last two years: Death, black magic and the loss of her bond to her chosen mate. But on her eighteenth birthday, the bond with Rourk returns.

Rourk longs to be by her side. Though he knows the distance between them causes Keegan physical pain, he wants to give her the time she needs.

Now, Keegan faces her hardest decision. Tradition requires elves marry at eighteen. If she accepts the path laid out for her, she will be spared a lifetime of physical and emotional pain. But will that life ever really be her own?
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords - iBooks
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Conflicted
Keegan's Chronicles #2
In the Elfin world, magic and destiny determine who will be together. "Chosen" pairs are fated to meet at the age of 18.

Keegan, however, is an anomaly. Having fallen in the battle between the Light and the Dark, she is only alive now due to Black Magic, and her bond with her Chosen is broken. She cannot remember Rourk at all.

For the first time, she feels like a normal teenager. She is dating Donald, her long-time crush, and everything seems perfect. But Rourk still feels their bond, and despairs for the woman he was always meant to love.

Keegan’s best friend Anna is determined to find a way to use her powers to return Keegan’s bond, no matter what it takes. The question is does Keegan even want it?
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords - iBooks
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In The Mind of Thaddeus
Short Story
Thaddeus is the only elf that stands between his kind and complete extinction.

That’s a lot of responsibility for a twelve year old. He’d rather play video games with his best friend and make fun of his older sister Keegan than have constant visions about the fate of elf-kind.

Unfortunately, his visions are happening more and more as the time of the prophesied battle approaches, and it’s making it hard for him to live a normal life. At the urging of his father, leader of the Light Elves, Thaddeus begins a journal as part of his training; even though he thinks it’s lame.

Through his witty and wise eyes, we glimpse the world of Julia Crane’s “Coexist”, a novel about the battle between good and evil and the triumph of love.

In the Mind of Thaddeus can be read as a stand alone story or as a supplement to “Coexist”. It is a 7,500 word short story.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Smashwords - iBooks
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Coexist
Keegan's Chronicles #1
Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends--she's an elf, descended from a long line of elves that live in secrecy alongside humans.

In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen. Against tradition, Keegan's brother Thaddeus told her Rourk's name because his visions warned him she'd need Rourk's protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves.

Rourk finds himself drawn to Keegan's side every time she thinks his name. He wants to talk to her but remains in the shadows, silently guarding her every time she mentally beckons him. A twist of fate thrusts the two of them together when Rourk is forced to step up his protection and make his presence known.

An ancient prophecy deeply entwines Keegan's family and the future of their society. Somehow they must find a way to thwart fate and win the battle...without losing Keegan. With war brewing, and dark forces aligning, will Keegan and Rourk ever have the life together that they both desire?
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Book Trailer: Coexist
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords - iBooks
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Indie Chicks: 25 Independent Women 25 Personal Stories
This exciting anthology contains stories from twenty-five women from different parts of the world. Their ages differ, as do their backgrounds and locations, but one thing they all have in common is a spirit of independence and a determination to not only succeed, but prevail. Whether their struggles are to maintain balance between motherhood and career, escape from an abusive relationship, or to step out in faith and pursue a dream, all of these women have forged their own path. As women, one of our most powerful "gifts" is the ability to encourage one another.

This book is an effort to encourage women across the world. These twenty-five women share stories that will make you laugh, inspire you, and maybe even make you cry. Their hope is that these stories will inspire YOUR independent spirit and allow you to live the life you were meant to live.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to a charitable organizations.
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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.