Changing Face of Publishing

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:49:00 +0000

I can remember when I got my first comic book. It was actually a batch of six comics my mom bought for me from a garage sale. Two Spider-Womans, two Avengers, a Spider-Man and a Fantastic Four comic.
They were all beat up and worn, but still the colors popped off the page and the artist drew the figures with such a sense of motion -I was hooked!

Man, I slept with those things! I even learned much of my early vocabulary from comics. Many times my parents would be stumped when I would come in ask what a certain word or term was.

That Fantastic Four was a killer! Centrifugal force, momentum, cosmic rays, electromagnetic spectrum and a whole bunch of other questions came from those pages.

I spent my whole life trying to draw the characters from those pages. Usually my drawing was what took precedence, but the writing kind of just naturally snuck up on me.

I couldn't just draw a figure, I had to make up a story for him as well. What was he doing? Why was he in this pose? Why was his costume damaged? What happened??

Comics grew into a love of Sci-Fi and Fantasy books, but I never strayed too far away.
Eventually I decided to take a stab at melding the two. I wanted to have the humor of Scott Adams Dilbert, with some of the humorous writings I'd become known for in my own blog. Hey, why not?

Thus was born my e-book "How to Deal with Stupid Clowns who DonÕt know what the Hell theyÕre talking about!"

The topic came up because I'd been dealing with some really difficult and annoying people of late, and I wanted to strike back...only in comic form.

Once I came up with the clown motif, the whole thing just took off. I would write a chapter, then try to think of a comic that would capture the essence of the writing as an intro to the writing.
Here's a look at the book trailer:

Doing this ebook has been such a journey of toil and yet such personal satisfaction. I get such a kick out of people telling me they thought it was funny or they loved the art or the story.
Er, but the money is also good. Yes, indeed.

Anyway, doing "Stupid Clowns" is kind of a showpiece for me. Even though it won't make me a million dollars, here's something I can point to and say "this is what I can do." I can combine the best of both worlds and really show off my talents.

Although, one hurdle I did discover was that combining comics and writing as I've done makes it hard to categorize and sell your book -especially when it comes to getting your book onto the iBookstore or Kindles out there.

I wasn't expecting that, so I think for my next outing I may just go either or. A big treasury book of comics or either a novel or satire piece. That makes it a bit easier on the backend when you're trying to market your grand creation.

So all in all I had a great time putting this together and I hope others can get some enjoyment out of this. Make sure to leave any comments or questions you may have in the comments area and I'll be sure to answer them. Thanks for reading and all the best success!

Staying Focused with Rochelle Melander

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 04:07:00 +0000

Stay Focused and Finish Strong

By Rochelle Melander

We are more than halfway through National Novel Writing Month. Hopefully, we have hit the 25,000-word mark. At this point, one question looms large for all of us: can we finish? Here are five ways to stay focused on your writing goal and finish strong:

1. Envision success. Most Olympic athletes have been taught to mentally rehearse their success. They do not go into a race cold. They have visioned their successful participation and win multiple times before the race. Writers can do the same thing. Every night before you go to bed, imagine yourself in your writing space, successfully writing your 1667 daily words. Feel how easily the words flow. Envision yourself reaching your word count faster than you thought possible. Yes, I know it sounds crazy—but it works.

2. Bribe yourself. If it’s getting harder and harder to discipline yourself to sit in that chair, it might be time to bribe yourself. Take one thing you love to eat or drink every single day and pair it with your writing. Make it a rule: you can only have your cup of coffee, piece of dark chocolate, or other favorite treat while you are writing or after you have put in the words. That should get you moving!

3. Better it. You’re getting tired of writing. Your butt hurts, your house is a mess, and no one seems to care that you are doing this amazing thing. Okay—it’s time to make it more fun. How? Find yourself a new and phenomenal place to write. Use one of those online bargain hotel sites to get yourself a night in a fantastic hotel for a cheap rate—and write there. Or, take yourself to a funky, wonderful restaurant or coffee shop in your town and write. Imagine where the famous authors go to write, and head there to put in today’s word count.

4. Get curious. It happens to the best writers—we get stuck. We have no idea what our characters might do next or how they get to the end of the story let alone how we can use up another 25,000 words getting them there. It’s time to put on our curiosity hats. Start asking questions of each of the main characters and write down their answers. What do you want to do next? What makes you angry? What energizes you? If you could go anywhere with this story, where would you take it? By the end of this probing, you should have several possible directions to take the story.

5. Make it work. At least once in every Project Runway episode, Tim Gunn tells the participants to make it work. At this point, we need to do the same. Whether we have lost focus or our characters have become lost in a crazy old plot, we need to make it work. Ask yourself, “What can I do to make this work?” Quickly write down the first five things that come to mind.

There you have it: five ways to get focused and finish strong. Now it’s your turn: what will you do to stay focused for the rest of NaNoWriMo?

Author Bio

Rochelle Melander is a certified professional coach and the author of 10 books, including a new book to help fiction and nonfiction writers write fast: Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (And Live to Tell About It) (October 2011). Melander teaches professionals how to get published, establish credibility, and navigate the new world of social media. In 2006, Rochelle founded Dream Keepers Writing Group, a program that teaches writing to at-risk tweens and teens. Visit her online at www.writenowcoach.com. She will be blogging about NaNoWriMo all month at http://www.writenowcoach.com/blog/.

It's that time of the year again -- NaNo Month

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:54:00 +0000

I have decided this weekend, that I would take part in this year's NaNoWriMo Writing Month. 50,000 words of my own, have never looked sweeter. Anyone game -- want to write with me?

Here is what I will be working on this month:
Set of smaller Non-fiction books for writers. The first one I started this morning is titled, Common Sense Guide to Media Kits for Authors.

Here is the first taste for anyone who wants to know:

To be successful at promoting ones writing, you must understand a single truth to the human condition; people are inheritably lazy. Especially when you haven't paid them extra to make any further effort on their part. If you don't make it as easy as possible to publicize you or promote your work, you will have less success in dealings with radio, print, television or any media, really.

In my dealings with authors and publicists through my Blog Talk Radio station, KWOD, and in my capacity as the new Managing Editor of ConNotations NewsZine, a speculative fiction fan convention newspaper, I have witnessed a total lack of understanding what a media kit is and what components are needed to be included. Even in my capacity as the host blog site for nearly a hundred authors, showcasing their works, I have seen the need for an organized media kit. It is undoubtedly, the single most important tool in your arsenal, if it is organized well and you have this information easily accessible in paper format, as well as digital files for emailing easily, and don't forget to lay in a separate tab for your media kit on your author's website.

FOR MY SANITY AND HAPPINESS:

Along with these non-fiction books, I have to write some fiction in order to appease the real muse in me and keep me sane and happy. So, in this spirit of things, I will also be working on my Paranormal Western serial, with Episode 1 of Resurrection at Salvation Springs. So, here is the synopsis for this story, for which I already have a cover designed in order to fuel my incentive:

Resurrection at Salvation Springs is a paranormal western serial, about an unusual sheriff near Carson City, Nevada in 1896. Max Strand must fight many nasty creatures around the turn of the century, but had never considered how bad it could get, when he finds the town infested with.... zombies? Yes, zombies; and where there are zombies, who knows what else Max will find during this time in American history, when the west was won.

HAPPY WRITING EVERYONE!! I have 361 words done so far today -- what have you written today?

Tales as Old as Time: Guest Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 07:04:00 +0000

With Kristie Cook

Genesis

A father who reveals his truth.
Twins who take different paths—one light, one dark.
Angels who have plans for them both
And Demons who do as well.
So the Earthly battle for souls ignites…

A tale that is over 2,000 years old, this is the story of the Amadis beginnings.

Promise

When Alexis Ames is attacked by creatures that can’t be real, she decides it’s time she learns who she really is, with or without the help of her mother, who guards their family’s secrets closely. After meeting the inhumanly attractive, multi-talented Tristan Knight, however, Alexis retreats behind her façade of normalcy…until she discovers he’s not exactly normal either. Then their secrets begin to unravel.

Their union brings hope and promise to her family’s secret society, the Angels’ army, and to the future of mankind. But it also incites a dangerous pursuit by the enemy – Satan’s minions and Tristan’s creators. After all, Alexis and Tristan are a match made in Heaven and in Hell.

Purpose

Lost in despair, Alexis teeters on the edge of an abyss, her lifeline of hope fraying into a thin thread. If it snaps, she’ll plunge into complete darkness. With the help of her son and her writing, she’s been able to hold on. Until now. Erratic impulses, disturbing delusions and her own demonic blood threaten her sanity. When she’s forced to choose between hanging onto hope or letting go to serve her Amadis purposes, she faces a decision with inconceivable sacrifices.

Alexis runs to the one place she thinks will provide answers, only to find herself at the center of another battle of good versus evil, not only with the Daemoni, not only within herself…but also against the worst opponent imaginable. But even if she wins, what will she lose?

Thank you, Patti, for hosting me and the Romancing Your Dark Side Tour! It’s such a pleasure to be here.

I was out the other night celebrating Promise’s entry into the Top 100 Paid in the Kindle Store and got to talking with a man who knew nothing about the publishing industry but was/is a very astute businessman. He asked about my publisher and I explained the chaos of the industry and how my business partner and I saw an opportunity to become a publisher. It went a little like this:

“So you made it to the bestsellers list on your own, without a major player backing you?” he asked.

“Correct. It took a lot of blood, sweat, tears and much trial and error to get there, but we did it.”

“Are you the first?”

I laughed. “Oh, no. There have been many – not a ton, definitely not all indie authors have made it, but there have been many.”

“It must have been a big boost to their careers and businesses.”

I explained how Amanda Hocking went on to sign a $2 million contract with Simon & Schuster to publish three of her books and how John Locke also signed a contract with Simon & Schuster to distribute his books.

“What about the others?”

“They keep writing more books, selling more and laughing all the way to the bank. Some sign with publishers and some don’t, enjoying their lives as indies.”

“So you – all of you – have tens of thousands of readers who go on to read your next books?”

“Right. I get a lot of fan mail from readers begging for the next book.”

“And now you have a built-in market for that book.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Publishers put out crap by people whose names shouldn’t be anywhere near a book [he was talking about *cough* Snookie *cough*] because they have an existing audience. Now you and these other indies who hit the bestsellers list have an existing audience. So instead of the archaic, bottle-neck process you describe with agents and piles of manuscripts that don’t get the attention they deserve and how difficult it is for a new author, why don’t the publishers or at least the agents just look for indies on the bestsellers lists? Why not forego the whole query process and let the agents and publishers look for their next client just like most businesses must do? Seems that it would be much for efficient and less costly for all involved.”

I nearly broke down laughing. Of course, I might have had a little too much champagne, but it made me laugh because this is what I said nearly two years ago, when contemplating going indie. I predicted then that in 10 years, agents would be the ones searching for authors (as it should be) by finding those indies on the bestsellers lists with books and writing styles they like, researching the author to see if they’d be compatible personality-wise (we try to make it as easy to find us as possible) and then contacting the author, requesting an opportunity to pitch themselves as the best agent for that author’s career. I’ve since changed that prediction to 5 years.

No more query letters. No more slush piles. No more agents spinning their wheels with publishers trying to get a title sold. No more publishers investing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in a debut author who falls flat in the market, thereby discouraging them from investing money in yet another debut author. No more authors giving up and tucking away fantastic books under their beds because they couldn’t get past the query process.

I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was 22 years old, but it was still a little shocking to hear this man with such business acumen say exactly what I’d been thinking for so long. It won’t be long before agents and publishers start catching on – maybe even 3 years, not 5. After all, this is how Amazon finds their clients for their new publishing venture. Perhaps they’re onto something.

About the Author

Kristie Cook is a lifelong, award-winning writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. She continues to write the Soul Savers Series, with the first two books, Promise and Purpose, available now and the third book, Devotion, coming February 2012. She’s also written a companion novella, Genesis, coming October 2011.

Besides writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three teenage sons, a beagle and a puggle. She can be found at:

Author's Website & Blog: http://www.KristieCook.com

Series Website: http://www.SoulSaversSeries.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristieCook

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/kristiecookauth

Tumbler: http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/kristiecook

Google+: https://plus.google.com/102746226001674797330/posts

Rise and Fall of a Track Star with O. Keeys

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:06:00 +0000

RISE AND FALL OF A TRACK STAR

by O. Keeys

How Does She Do That?

As a military veteran, single mother of three, entrepreneur, book touring fanatic and speaker I get asked time and time again how do I find time to write? Being that I have been out the military for a year now it is a lot easier but when I was in I would find time whenever the urge hit me. While at work instead of taking smoke breaks, because I never dared to pick up the habit, I took writing breaks. Every hour or so I would write for five to ten minutes and then email what I wrote to myself. I had to switch from writing in my note pad or on sticky notes due to nosey coworkers.

It may be hard for some to grasp but I actually wrote Can You Keep a Secret while in Officer Training. For some the school alone was enough without adding extra pressure. For me it was an outlet. A way to slip out the self-imposed hell I was in. Within the first week there as I lay in my bunk battered and bruised from the rigorous activities the story began to form. By the second week I was using writing as a way to stay awake in the classes and ease the muscle aches I felt at night before the Motrin kicked in. While others heads bobbed up and down and side to side and then were forced to stand. I wrote. To everyone but the candidate sitting to my left or my right I sat there diligently taking notes. The only notes I took were when I heard our instructor give key words. For those in the Army it was “you may want to write this down.”

Now that I am no longer Uncle Sam’s property the writing comes almost as natural as breathing. It is something I find myself doing without applying any thought until I am knee deep in it. Rise and Fall of a Track Star, my latest and autobiography, came to me as a whisper that turned into a shout in the middle of the night. The thought it me, I rose from my bed, and began to write. For a month I was like a woman possessed. The words needed to be out my head and onto my Word Document. I made sure the kids were up and ready for school and out the door and I sat and wrote. My laptop was like a ball and chain as I dragged it to the dining room table as I prepared food, tossed it in the oven, and waited for the timer to go off. It took me burning a dish to resort to the timer. I would become absorbed and forget I was cooking. When the kids came home I checked homework, wrote, gave them some quality time and put them to bed and then went back to writing. 3am often found me pecking away. But, finishing the book was something that needed to be done otherwise it would have continued to haunt my dreams.

With all my books when I get the urge I must write by any means necessary. As most writers will tell you we all have our own process. It is up to you to figure out yours!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

From Pan Am Game bronze medal winner to All American, Omegia Keeys was once touted in Track Magazine as one destined for greatness, but walked away from it all. Rise and Fall of a Track Star is Omegia’s firsthand account leading her to the breaking point. For years Omegia held on to the shame of a dirty little secret, one too common in the African American Community.

Through her memoirs, Omegia takes you on a painful journey through her childhood into her adult years. Her struggles as a teenage mother is only a checkmark on the list of life altering experiences, one she hopes young girls and woman can learn from.

Omegia’s goals for this book are to educate others about the struggles of young women dealing with assault, help others gain the strength to change their circumstances, and to release the personal pain of hiding a long standing secret.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Omegia Keeys first novel Passionate Playmates was met with great reception as she shocked the city of Indianapolis with her behind the scenes look at the secretive Lingerie Modeling Stores quickly springing up and just as quickly being shut down in the local area. Sense the release of her second novel Seduction.com published by Passionate Writer Publishing, Omegia has been featured in the Blue Print Magazine, Indy Blackout Magazine, and as a recurring author on Street Vibes Mix Radio in their feature the Writers Block. Her third novel Can You Keep a Secret is set to release April, 2010.

Swinging into Adventure with a Jack Ranis Book

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:26:00 +0000

Blog Stop with Ryan Collings

Book Title: Jack Ranis and the Book of the Labi

Jack Ranis is a fifteen year old orphan who feels out of place in the only home he has ever known. When an accident nearly takes his life, he discovers a stranger from his past that takes him into a world he never imagined, a world where a magical land holds all the answers to his life story and reveals his true destiny. After many years of war, the land of Brighton is finally at peace, but it is a peace that was never meant to last. Following in the footsteps of his father, Jack, with the aid of his friends, will risk everything to destroy the Book of the Labi and save the lives of all those he holds dear.

Find his book at Amazon in PRINT

http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Ranis-Book-Labi-Collings/dp/1461109167/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319221003&sr=1-1

And in KINDLE eBOOK.

http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Ranis-Book-Labi-ebook/dp/B0053A6XF8/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1319221003&sr=1-1

AUTHOR WEBSITE:
http://www.ryancollings.com/

RYAN COLLINGS lives in Boise, Idaho with his two children Kaylee and Kasin, his dog Stewie, his cat Rosebud, and the love of his life, Brooke.

Lunatics Running the Asylum by Jaz Primo

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 03:52:00 +0000

The New Trend in Publishing: Lunatics Running the Asylum

by Jaz Primo

Whether the focus is upon the largest New York City-based publishers, mid-range publishers, or small press publishers, one fact remains: e-publishing is a term that strikes a mix of fear, angst, and furor in the hearts of today's publishers. But why, you ask? The answer is simple. Today, the newest trend in publishing is that the lunatics are running the asylum!

Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly in publishing today. The good: Today, new and talented authors are being discovered by a sea of readers who might never have had the opportunity to fall in love with their work. The bad: Traditional publishers haven't had the opportunity to take advantage of the sales of these new authors because those authors are independent and unsigned by any publisher! The ugly: The publishing industry is experiencing its biggest shakeup in a long time. How long? Since the initial corporatization of literary agents that forced publishers to sweeten their contractual royalties to authors decades ago!

Today, a sizable majority of new titles being released in eBook format on Amazon and Barnes & Noble are those being self-published by unsigned, untried independent authors who have no contract with either a publisher or a literary agent. The system that filters new talent for consideration has collapsed under the sheer weight of its own bloated bureaucracy, resulting in a sort of French Revolution in publishing where the peasants (aspiring authors) have laid siege to (and overtaken) the Bastille (publishing industry) which has been guarded by royalty (traditional publishers). The result is the democratization of publishing where authors, aspiring and perspiring, talented and untalented, are casting their literary creations into the public forum as fast as their word processors can generate content. For $2.99 or less, though mostly leaning to the 99-cent price range, a litany of new novels are available for easy purchase by a hungry, recession-beaten readership. Though hardly drowning, the traditionally published novels are being slowly buried and culled out of potential hearty eBook sales by a sea of often-inferior produced/edited/formatted competing content.

Now, I'm hardly being an elitist by pointing out these realities. Instead, I hope to help publishers understand where the problems, and possible solutions, reside. The floodgates are open, so stemming the flow of new entrants onto the literary field is no longer an option. However, an effective first step is attainable: There has to be a more streamlined, timely, and efficient method established to sort through the "slush pile" of prospective manuscripts to find worthy content that can be published. This, of course, means changing the traditional paradigm of publishing. No longer should a publisher plan to invest thousands of dollars in limited print run paperbacks intended for nationwide or worldwide distribution for untried talent. Instead, leverage the next-to-no-cost e-distribution channels and only use eBooks for market testing of new talent. Granted, you still have to edit a manuscript, pay for cover art, and pay for layout of the work. But the editing is becoming streamlined by refined software enhancements, and cover art licensing costs pennies on the dollar for eBook rights versus print rights. (You can always acquire print rights later if sales warrant a hardcopy print run.) Essentially, once uploaded to e-retailers, the distribution costs drop nearly to zero, and the process for handling sales is entirely hands-off. The publisher simply sits back to tally sales numbers while concentrating on the very important task of speedily assessing the slush piles, as well as new manuscripts that continuously float into their email repositories. That way, the Amanda Hockings of the world get the initial exposure they deserve, the readers get new stories that they're craving, and publishers get to take advantage of many more "hits" than "misses" without substantial initial investment costs.

It's easy, right? Well, perhaps the process isn't entirely seamless. And yes, there will still be a lot of new authors who self-publish substandard quality content that hasn't been properly edited, formatted, or adorned with decent, marketable cover art. But at least the publishing industry will be offering their readers more fresh content at a reduced price and with limited capital outlay. In essence, the publishing industry can regain some of what it has lost; namely, it's credibility as a responsible steward of polished, marketable content. I already sense the hesitancy out there. However, consider this. . .the question isn't really "can we afford to do that" but rather, "can we afford NOT to do that?" The future of the publishing industry rests on how publishers respond. . .or not.

I'm author, Jaz Primo, and I approve this message. *wink*

My sincere thanks to Patti for the opportunity to appear here today. Before I sign off, please consider reading my Sunset Vampire Series. The first novel, Sunrise at Sunset, was published in October 2010, and the second novel, A Bloody London Sunset, was published in May of this year. A third installment, Summit at Sunset, is being released in January 2012. All novels are available in both trade paperback and multiple eBook formats from major retailers including as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Apple iBookstore.

Here's the teaser for Sunrise at Sunset:

When is a bloodthirsty predator the best protection against a psychotic killer?

When the predator is both a vampire...and the woman you love.

“We vampires are focused and tend to shape our own realities.”

My name is Katrina Rawlings, and I am a vampire. I declare that with neither pride nor ego. I am simply nature’s most dangerous predator. On occasion, it’s a very valuable quality. It helped me protect Caleb Taylor one day when he was very young. But that single, traumatic day is behind him now; wiped from his memory, or so I hope.

Caleb has finally matured into a rather striking young man, and believe me, I like what I see. I’ll readily admit that there are issues for us to confront and overcome, though a sense of mutual commitment isn’t one of them. I’m feeling hopeful for our future together, in fact. But an adversary from my past has returned to haunt me, and she’s trying to get back at me through Caleb. That was her first...and last...mistake. I’ll protect my Caleb at all costs, and I’ll make her regret the day she was born.

So, I suppose that I’m not just a vampire. I’m about to become someone’s worst nightmare!

Jaz Primo is an author, history aficionado, "pun-master", and all-around fan of things vampire and urban fantasy. He has enjoyed a fulfilling background and career in higher education, including teaching undergraduate U.S. History classes during evenings. His lifetime of creative writing, coupled with an eclectic and creative imagination, has generated the perfect storm for a new voice in urban fantasy and paranormal romance via the compelling Sunset Vampire Series. He is a native of Oklahoma where he lives with his wife and a long-lived cat.

You can find or follow Jaz at the following locations...

Website: http://www.jazprimo.com/

Blog: http://primovampires.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Sunset-Vampire-Series/223514840998333

Twitter: @jazprimo

7 Important Benefits of Press Release Distribution

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 05:29:00 +0000

by Mickie Kennedy
eReleases / Press-Release-Writing.com
Every once in a while someone on the Internet declares that
press releases are dead. Largely this is meant to attract
traffic and links. Being controversial is a great way to get
people talking. Often these "link bait" authors know they
are wrong and just want to stir the pot. Other times, they
want to position their own marketing product as the current
solution.

Long Live the Press Release

The problem is that the press release is still alive and
well, and even in this age of new media, press releases have
adapted to help companies get valuable publicity for
spreading their message. Today's press release still helps
companies get media coverage (even on blogs and podcasts
now), and they can also provide SEO benefits.

The benefits of press release distribution are numerous.

Here are 7 of them:

1. All businesses can benefit from press release
distribution. No matter what industry you're in and no
matter how small or big your company is, you can benefit
from press release distribution. Even if you don't have that
"Oprah story," you do have stories that can get you coverage
in trade journals, magazines, blogs, podcasts, and other
publications that cover your industry. Of course, you can't
get that publicity unless you tell your story.

2. Press release distribution is fairly inexpensive. Most
companies write their own press releases. The only expense
comes with hiring a press release distribution service to
get the story in the hands of key media members. But even
this is inexpensive, and when compared with paid
advertising, press release distribution is almost always the
more affordable option.

3. You can boost your company's visibility. This is
especially important for small businesses, but even large
corporations need to fight for consumer mindshare. By
sticking to a long-term press release distribution strategy,
you let customers know who you are, what you do, and why
they need you. You also gain the attention of journalists,
and over time, they start to trust you more and give you
more media coverage.

4. Press releases can establish you as an industry expert.
Why is it important to be seen as an expert? First,
expertise helps you gain the trust of your customers. Once
they trust you, they're likelier to buy from you. But being
an expert is also good for media relations. Whenever the
media needs someone to comment on a story related to your
industry, you want to be the one they call on.

5. Good press releases can spread far and wide. A while
back, I talked about the importance of targeting smaller
local media outlets. One of the reasons I gave is that most
major media outlets get a significant percentage of their
stories from local media outlets throughout the world.
That's how the news industry works. One reporter picks up a
story, and then it spreads from one publication to the next.

6. Use your news to get more customers. With today's online
press releases, the media is no longer the only audience
you're writing for. 80 million people get their news online
every day. Many of these people are your customers. So, you
need to keep your buyers in mind when writing your press
releases. And no, that doesn't mean turning your press
release into an advertisement.

7. Investors keep up with the news too. Press releases
highlighting the successes and advancements made by your
company can be powerful tools for attracting investors. Make
sure to set up an online news room on your website for
investors to browse through.

This article previously appeared in PR Fuel (http://www.ereleases.com/pr/prfuel.html), a service of eReleases.com Press Release Distribution (http://www.ereleases.com).

About eReleases.com

eReleases.com is the online leader in affordable press release distribution. The company's website - http://www.ereleases.com - features tips and resources for those wanting to learn more about press releases and public relations. eReleases also publishes a free, weekly newsletter titled PR Fuel that showcases advice and articles from experts in the media.

mickie@ereleases.net
Business: 410-931-2966
Toll Free: 800-710-5535

Website: http://www.ereleases.com
Follow me: http://twitter.com/ereleases
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicity
Blog: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ereleases.press.release.distribution

Jules Vern predicted eBooks in 1863

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 02:42:00 +0000

This article was passed to me and I checked it out. How cool it is to have proof that sci-fi writers get it right before anyone else! So, here it is all you UN-believers in the science-fiction was of life.
Thanks so much Sophie for the share.

As your site is an authority on literature, I wanted to share this illustrated article with you which explores how many modern gadgets were being written about decades before they were invented:

http://www.money.co.uk/misc/technological-prophecies.htm

From Jules Verne describing eBooks in 1863 to Nikola Tesla predicting the rise of the Blackberry a century ago, I'm sure you'll agree that the technological prophecies highlighted here are eerily accurate. As this fun look at tech predictions is of direct interest to your readership, you're welcome to freely share it on your site - a link back to money.co.uk as the original source would be highly appreciated when doing so.

If you have any content you would like me to share please do send it on to me for consideration.

Many thanks and keep up the great work,

Sophie

~ Money.co.uk ~

Author Spotlight: J.T. Barber

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 02:24:00 +0000

“In life, there are no real excuses. The only limitations are the snares that one sets for themselves. If you have a goal, go after it with ALL tenacity. Claim it as if it is already in your possession. If you are not happy with the return of your harvest……CHANGE YOUR SEED!” ~J.T. Barber

Reflections of a Whisper - a novel by J.T. Barber

Synopsis:

Have you ever wondered why a certain thing was happening to you? Have you ever asked yourself, ‘How did I get here?’

Several characters in this book asked themselves these same questions. One woman in particular, Minnie, is faced with the awesome responsibility of making decisions that will affect her entire family. But what she has yet to realize, is that her entire family had made decisions, long before she was ever born, that would put her directly in this position.

Reflections of a Whisper is a thrilling journey that will lure you into a tale of secrets, love, and loyalty. This first installment will guide you through a woman’s present, shielded from her past, as she carves out her future.

Author Bio:
Motivated by the words of the late James Brown, J.T. Barber conceived the question: Is it possible to make literature as universal as music? A good song with great lyrics can pierce the hearts of many regardless of race, ethnicity or corresponding stereotypes. With a burning desire to find an answer to her question, J.T. decided to test her own skills as a writer. After several long years, J.T. discovered that she had birthed a hefty manuscript. This manuscript would be later developed as a book series, which she is now ready to introduce to the world. The first installment of the series, Reflections of a Whisper, is due to be released September 24, 2011. It is J.T.’s optimism that readers of all ethnicities will be touched in some way by this story and it’s ensemble of characters, hoping to help us all redefine the colors of black and white.

J.T. Barber is a writer and firm believer in innovation. She looks beyond invisible walls to search for answers to questions that no man or woman has been able to offer up. She also invites readers to think outside the box, take a ride on a fantastic voyage as well as dive deep into the core of what it is to be human. J.T. exposes daily living through riveting storytelling and has a passion to captivate an audience through sultry yet simple down to earth script! She is compelled to share and impact the lives of all she comes in contact. A public speaker by nature, J.T. moves crowds and has mass appeal as the “Author with a Vision”.

J.T. Barber is a native of Philadelphia, Pa. She started her writing journey in the eighth grade, with poetry. J.T. went on to study Interpersonal Communication at the University of Delaware. And after years of personal study and travelling the country, she has since returned to school to major in Business. J.T. has found solace in cities like Baltimore, MD, Washington, DC, Las Vegas, NV and Seattle, WA. But she thought it to be important to return home to Philadelphia to embark on the next great journey in her life, becoming an author.

COME BY TO VISIT J.T. during a LIVE INTERVIEW on KWOD RADIO http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kwodradio/2011/09/21/author-spotlight-with-jt-barber

For more information, visit: www.jtbarberonline.com

www.jtbarberonline.com

Romancing Your Darkside #3: A. Jacob Sweeny

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 01:25:00 +0000

First I would like to thank Patti for letting me guest blog on this page. I will include a small introduction to my novel Pulse of Heroes and then share some of the inner workings of my mind.

Pulse of Heroes weaves together elements from several different genres: romance, suspense, myth/fantasy, paranormal, history and at its core, a heroine’s journey and transformation. A. Jacob Sweeny has crafted a true and sensitive coming-of-age narrative of a quirky teenage girl protagonist becoming a confidant young woman with her own voice. At the same time, she draws the reader into a gripping adventure filled with fantastic historical elements and the crushing intensity of first love. Pulse of Heroes is a YA/crossover novel with memorable characters and several story arcs. It has a multi-cultural perspective with characters from around the globe, and a prominent female point-of-view. It is the 1^st installment in The Pulse series.

Here are excerpts from Pulse Of Heroes latest reviews…

“I love this book! Move over Edward and Bella, a new power couple has hit the scene! Michelle and Elliot from Pulse of Heroes by A. Jacob Sweeny will give Stephanie Meyer's characters a run for their money! I have read so many books, and it takes a lot to knock my socks off but A. Jacob Sweeny did just that! With her original storyline and unforgettable characters she has an award winning series in the making.”

- Dawn Hagan, I love Books Blog-page-

“Sometimes I will come across a novel, which I classify as a rare jewel: a book that captivates me from beginning to end… an amazing story that it is impossible for it to not capture my heart and Pulse Of Heroes is a rare jewel. There are only two other series' that I consider rare jewels: the Twilight series, and Vampire Academy ... I was wondering when the next book would come along that would really pull me in, make me feel emotionally attached to the characters, make me care about them in such a way that I would think about them weeks, months after I had finished reading the story and Pulse of Heroes did just that.”

- Treasured Tales For young Adults Blog-page-

“I have been waiting for a book to come along that has a new paranormal twist to it, Pulse Of Heroes is exactly that book! This book made me laugh, I wanted to slap characters, hide or cry out for help, and most of all it made me cry. Happiness, loss, pain, terror, and true love brought on an arsenal of tears that I couldn't stop no matter how hard I tried. I am absolutely on the edge of my seat for the next installment of this powerful moving series. I loved this book the same way I loved Twilight and The Hunger Games. The author signed my book "Enjoy the adventure and fall in love a little too". Her words were far shortcoming of what I experienced. Mirabolante the Italian word for astonishing is only cracking the surface of the multitude of words I really want to use.”-Anne, Paranormal Book Club-

Why I wrote Pulse of Heroes?

My true love is Ancient History, young people, and telling stories. The genesis of writing Pulse of Heroes came to me after I decided to no longer pursue a teaching career as a history teacher. Yet, I still loved telling stories about history and about all the connections that the ancient world has with the present. For example the fact that the word ‘sugar’ is a direct link to the ancient Sumerian word ‘sukar’ which meant beer/sweet in ancient Mesopotamia. It was later transferred into Hebrew to mean beer and later sugar in the Old Testament, and hence we still use it today. My other goal was to construct a coming of age story of a regular teenage girl; one that has dreams, insecurities and strengths, like any other young adult. It was after I finished writing a historical screenplay, that the seed of a novel implanted itself in my brain.

I wondered how I was going to present all these elements in a story without boring young people to death, or scaring them away, or without being preachy, or overly academic. And most of all I did not want to write a historical Fiction tale. Not to mention that I also wanted to convey a gut wrenching passionate romance where readers could actually taste the tears of feel the passion and the love. Yet I didn’t want it to seem cheap or overly cheesy. I also sought to present sexuality in a more neutral ‘organic’ setting. No sluts or virgins scales. That was when I came up with the love story between Michelle and my beautiful immortal guys (I had them in my mind for years but with no story) who have lived for thousands of years and have been personal witnesses to many things around the world. I then wove this idea to a coming of age story of sixteen year old Michelle because I wanted to present a strong female voice rather than a helpless girl waiting to be saved. I have her falling in love with Elliot who is one of the immortals, and through him and his relationships with his immortal friends that come from around the world, that the reader gets exposed to the treasures of the pasts.

A. Jacob Sweeny holds a degree in History with an emphasis on Ancient Near East. Her immersion in world myths and her archaeological fieldwork provided the initial spark that led to the development of Pulse Of Heroes. Besides writing, A. Jacob Sweeny is a strong advocate for the protection of women and children worldwide. She enjoys cooking spicy food and regularly suffers from bouts of creative insomnia.

www.pulseofheroes.com

The Changing Roles of Authors and Publishers in a Digital Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 22:15:00 +0000

By Donald Jacques, President, Az Publishing Services, LLC

As the opportunities to reach out over the digital network of the Internet have exploded in recent years, and with the recent severe down turn of the economy, we find that the impact of the large publishing houses has shifted dramatically. As a result, the roles of all those involved in the publishing industry have rapidly changed, and are continuing to evolve every day.

The Author

The role of the Author has grown over the past few years, particularly with the opportunities available to reach out to readers directly through websites, blogs, and social media. This market is hungry for new material, and the nature of the Internet offers wonderful opportunities for the author to be able to research, compose, compile, market, and distribute their work.

However, Authors are asking for trouble when they offer "too much" of their work for free. These Authors must realize that in order to make ANY return on their investment, they must market their works in a reasonable manner. This means acknowledging and engaging methods of selecting scenes from their work to offer for free that will entice readers to purchase that work. As authors offer complete works for free – with no "up sell" price, they inevitably devalue their own work, and potentially the work of others. There is nothing wrong with offering some things for free to get readers' attention – but beware, when readers get used to getting large quantities of work for free, they will – as a group – begin to expect more of it for free, ultimately making it more difficult for all authors to make a decent return on their investment of time to develop the work in the first place.

The author's role in publishing a work includes:

Performing the research, whether fiction or non-fiction, don't cheat the readers by releasing shoddy work with poor research of the subject matter.
Write well, whether fiction or non-fiction: Learn to compose prose or poetry with well-planned segments that follow well-established guidelines that have shown good results in the past. Readers have not changed much in the last thousand years; they still expect reasonable reading material, or they will discard it. And once burned by an author, it is a hard sell to get them to return.
Trust in Professional editors. Be willing to pay for at least one such professional edit BEFORE submitting the manuscript to a publisher – or agent.
When an editor returns the manuscript with suggested changes, be a good sport and at least review them. Chances are, at least half of the recommended changes are well worth the time to make, and ultimately the manuscript will benefit greatly.
Work with a publisher. A Reputable publisher. Talk to other authors, and get recommendations (see Publisher role below). Whether selecting a Traditional, Vanity, Print on Demand, or Subsidy publisher, be sure the choice is well thought out. Publishing a book is NOT cheap. And if anyone says so, they are lying. Period. A publisher interested in publishing your work (for pay or not) will have steps for the author to follow, and rules to comply with. Trust the reputable publisher, and follow their guidelines.
No matter what anyone tells you, the author must take a very active role in their own marketing and publicity or they may as well not get into this business of authoring in the first place. Once upon a time, the publisher took care of all this, but that was before the economic instability of our country and that of the large corporations, such as the Big 6 Publishing Houses, started buckling under their own weight. If you are not a marketing person, then get educated from online sources or books written by the experts.

The Publisher

The Publisher's role has changed by diverging into multiple market segments as digital technologies have brought printing costs down, and introduced Print-On-Demand opportunities for both authors and readers. New vendors have been able to introduce new service options, and allowed the shark to become harder to detect when shopping a manuscript. Currently there are four (4) major types of publishers:

Vanity – A vanity publisher is characterized by the simple point that they will print whatever the author gives them, and they will just as easily give the author the bill. Seldom if ever is there any editing, relevant cover design, and almost never is there any marketing. Be wary, as some of these publishers will use a detailed contract to steal the author's rights to the work. Print shops are also included in vanity publishers, not because they own any rights as a publisher, but because they do the production and publishing services involved in printing books.
Subsidy Publishers – A subsidy publisher publishes the author's work for a price. However, unlike vanity, a subsidy publisher will often provide the author the opportunity to purchase editing, cover art services, and sometimes offer distribution beyond their own website. Generally, subsidy publishers print using web presses, and seldom print less than 500 or 1000 copies of the book. These services can be very expensive to the author. A subsidy publisher will recommend editing, cover art, and marketing elements, but will leave them up to the author to either pay for, or execute themselves.
Print-On-Demand Publishers – POD publishers are similar to subsidy publishers except that POD publishers will typically print only the number of copies of the book the author desires – anywhere from 25 up to 500 copies. Reputable POD publishers will recommend a web press for quantities above 500 or 1000. POD services are usually less expensive than subsidy, because they print in smaller quantities, but be aware that the cost per book will always cost more when fewer are printed. A POD publisher will recommend editing, cover art, and marketing elements, and may offer these services, but will leave them up to the author to either pay for, or execute themselves. Some POD Publishers are now developing or connecting with digital distribution networks, and even engaging in limited marketing efforts to assist their authors.
Traditional Publishers – It used to be that traditional publishers would accept an authors' manuscript, and pay for editing, cover design, marketing, even include book tours, and an advance payment to the author. Times are changing, and advances are increasingly reserved for celebrity authors, or authors with an existing sales history. Also falling by the wayside is the book tour and marketing. More and more, traditional publishers are setting aside marketing due to budget constraints.

The reputable publisher's role is to guide authors into the readers' market by facilitating authors' efforts in:

Offering constructive acceptance/rejection when a manuscript is submitted.
When accepted, the publisher should facilitate their own editing services.
Encourage the Author to apply appropriate edits.
Facilitate selection and/or design of a cover that relates to the content within.
Provide ISBN for digital edition books, and ISBN/barcode for printed books.
Provide solid book layout, and printing services to the author.
Provide guidance to the author to market themselves, and their book,
Provide guidance and/or services for website and/or blog development,
Provide distribution through at least Amazon, the Publisher's site, and other channels as available and reasonable for Author's market niche. Brick and Mortar chains aren't practical anymore – except to Traditional Publishers with deep pockets.
Provide reporting of royalties earned, and appropriate tax documents.

A final word about the national chain book stores: These chains typically deal only with the big 6 traditional publishers who can deliver large quantities of their books on consignment and pay premium prices for floor and shelf space within the bookstore. These larger chain stores typically hold a book on the shelf for a "sales window" of between 3 and 6 weeks. If the book does not sell in this time, it is removed from the shelf to make room for newer books and is shipped back to the publisher at the publisher’s expense. While web bookstores offer the opportunity to keep a book available, any book is quickly lost in the sheer volume that such a chain bookstore must maintain. Attempting to maintain this volume is beginning to take its toll on these bookstores and the "sales window" for a book is continuing to dwindle. Such online powerhouses, like Amazon has become saturated with every conceivable book, no matter if it is sellable or not. It has become very difficult to find those diamonds in all that rough writing. Your job as an author is to provide those diamonds by gaining qualified editing, find quality book production, and then make educated choices in your marketing plan.

Donald Jacques -

I have been an observer all my life, and since turning 50, I find myself noticing some things that never seemed to matter before. Follow these observations in my Blog: Reality Check.
My interests are many and varied, but two are close to my heart. Space is our next frontier, and we are sorely in need of new heroes and villians we can love and hate. The Space Settlement Corporation is not just a hobby anymore, but an effort to bring together people who actually wish to go to space. Check out the Space Settlement Corporation.

Authors Supporting Authors: Stacey Kennedy

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:44:00 +0000

*waves* I’m a multi-epublished author and have been published for a year. Epublishing was a good first step for me. Seeing that I had no experience writing, except for what I learned in college, I needed a mentor. I found that in epublishing. Every editor I worked with taught me more and I gobbled up everything they had to show me.

Months after my first story was released, I had written an urban fantasy romance, Stolen Dreams. I shopped it around to epublishers and also print publishers, but got a big fat rejection from each of them. I happened to disagree. I loved this story and believed in it! So what did I do? I hired an editor and self-published it. To my surprise, it went straight to Amazon’s Bestseller list.

Trust me when I say I was shocked and thrilled! At the same time, an opportunity presented itself. Sure, my bank account loved me, but I knew I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by. I did something that I never thought I’d do. I pulled the story from distribution. Why you ask? Because now, I had a history with the story, a fan base and felt more confident about it.

Long story short, I shopped the story around to a few of my dream agents. I’ve always wanted to be represented and to eventually sell a series to New York. It turned out that this story wasn’t exactly right for the agents, but in fact, had found a perfect home at Ellora’s Cave—an epublisher that I’d been trying to get into for some time. I was ecstatic with that outcome.

However, this story introduced me to Lauren Ruth, an agent at BookEnds. She loved my voice and style. WOO HOO! From that introduction, she offered me representation. Yes, I happy danced all over the place. I’m so excited to work with her and see where it takes me.

Where am I going with this?

Taking chances is the best advice I could give to any aspiring author. Even though, Stolen Dreams was selling well, I took the opportunity and used it to my advantage. That story not only got me into Ellora’s Cave, but was how my writing got in front of an agent, who eventually signed me. If I hadn’t self-published the story, simply forgot about it because it’d been rejected, none of this would never have happened. The last piece of advice is write for fun! Your love of a story always come through. My latest release came from the result of my being exhausted from writing a full length novel. It’s a humorous, paranormal romance that made me laugh the whole way through. Sometimes, authors need a break to remind themselves why we love what we do and just to make it as fun as possible.

A witch with unruly magic, a demon gone good, lava-hot passion and a tornado of emotions–just another night in Strange Hollow.

For Bryanna, a witch from the Asheville Coven, magic is on the fritz. Shunned by her coven and her boyfriend Layton for her unruly magic, she seeks a new life for herself. It just so happens, fate steps in and brings her to Strange Hollow–a place where being different is not only acceptable, but encouraged. When Bryanna arrives in Strange Hollow, Zeke, a demon gone good, is burning with Hell’s fire over her. Not only has she set his world ablaze, but he’s found one soul he can save. He’s determined to free her from the insecurities that have damaged her soul. Together they experience lava-hot passion as they weave their way through a tornado of emotions. But when Layton returns for her, will Zeke’s attempts to break the unworthy cage woven around her be enough to keep her in Strange Hollow forever?
Whatnots & Doodads buy link - - http://www.staceykennedy.com/whatnots-doodads/

Stacey Kennedy’s novels are lighthearted fantasy with heart squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and even give a good chuckle every now and again. But within the stories you’ll find fast paced action, life threatening moments and a big bad villain that needs to be destroyed. Her urban fantasy/paranormal and erotic romance series have hit Amazon Kindle and All Romance Ebooks Bestseller lists. If she isn’t plugging away at her next novel, tending to her two little ones, she’s got her nose deep in a good book. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband. Be sure to drop her a line at www.staceykennedy.com, she loves to hear from her readers.

~Stacey

SECRET WISHES, Pact of Seduction Book One—COMING SOON with Loose Id

SUPERNATURALLY KISSED , A Frostbite Novel—COMING SOON with Ellora’s Cave

To the Moon for Amercia with Donald Jacques 09/03 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 21:29:00 +0000

To the Moon for Amercia with Donald Jacques 09/03 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Time Conquers All in a FLIP App

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:41:00 +0000

Romancing your darkside tour #2 - BK Walker

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 06:57:00 +0000

So You Think You Want to be a Writer?

by BK Walker

I used to ask myself this over and over again. I've always had stories floating around in my head, and as I kid I used to tell stories all the time. Let me tell you, I had some pretty good ones too lol. Did I ever consider myself a writer back then? Heck no! It never even crossed my mind that other people may some day be reading my stories.

So what changed? The day the voices in my head became so profound I had no other choice but to listen. Once I opened that flood gate, it's never stopped. I can remember sitting in my nursing lecture, half listening to the instructor and half in a daydream. (I never was any good at paying attention). All of a sudden, this voice just started talking, almost yelling in my head and it drowned out everything around me. When I realized that lecture was over, I shook it off and headed home. That night, I was laying in bed and the voice came back. I almost thought I was going crazy, becoming a schizophrenic, you know being in nursing school and learning all these new terms you tend to diagnose everything, and it wouldn't shut up! I tossed and turned all night with scenes flashing before me.

The next day, I drug myself out of bed and back to school. Again I heard this voice. I left school early that day and went home and started writing down the scenes and what the voice was telling me. Before I knew it, I had pages upon pages full of the story. As I looked at the words written before me, I thought, "this would make a great book". I let it ferment for a few days, the voice quieter now but still present. Then I asked myself, you think you want to be a writer? Of course I laughed at this notion, that evil little green guy on my shoulder telling me "Yeah Right! You! A Writer? Hahahaha!"

As the days went on, so did this voice in my head. Almost begging me to put it in a manuscript. So I thought, why not? I sat down at my computer and just started typing. Before I knew it, I had six chapters completely typed out and the story was pretty good. I re-read it several times, then decided to print it out and take it to a friend. She read it and was like, "OMG. You should get this published!" It was in that moment that I knew I wanted to be a writer. To tell this story and maybe it would help someone, someday. So I finished the book and sent it out. Near Suicide was born, and later changed to Death Upon Me.

If you are asking yourself this very question, "So you think you want to be a writer?", you probably already have the answer. YES! If you are hearing voices (as me and my good friend Yvonne Mason like to say), or are dreaming such vivid dreams and have a story already in your head, just go for it! You can do it! You ARE a writer my friend, you just need to put the words out there for others to enjoy!

BK Bio:

BK Walker currently lives in Central Pennsylvania with her three children, Brittney, Hunter and Danny, her dogs Rancid, Sadie and Haven, a cat named Whiskers and a goldfish named Fat Albert. She has always had a love for reading and writing, even as a child she created stories reading them to her stuffed animals. With a love for vampires and werewolves, you will not be disappointed with her writing as she mixes up the paranormal juice. Aside from writing, BK also supports Indie Authors organizing virtual book tours, helping them to market and promote their work. Her book review site, BWB Reviews, is just another small way she contributes to the reading world. With many stories floating around in her head, she writes when she gets the time between working as a Pediatric Home Care Nurse, being a single mother, and continuing her college education in Graphic Art Design. When BK's not fighting with her muse, Mouthy Mary, who has much to say way too often, you will find her at a baseball game with her children, or relaxing with a good book in her hand.

Twitter - www.twitter.com/bk36

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1831525609

Paranormal Blog - www.immortylcafe.com

Author Blog - authorbkwalker.blogspot.com

Email - bkwalkerbooks@comcast.net

Night Secrets Blurb:

Keara Crosby had the perfect life. Her family was not hurting for anything. When her parents are suddenly killed, Keara must learn to live without them. After mourning their death for two months, Keara starts to live again. She follows her favorite band, hangs with her best friend Jared, and falls for the new kid on the block.

When her favorite band is playing at Night Secrets, a new club downtown, she takes her first outing since her parents death and finds this mysterious boy watching her. Mesmerized by his lapus blue eyes, she can't help but feel drawn to him. Her body responds to him in ways she never thought possible, and she needs to figure out why. What is it about Channing that has her yearning for his touch?

Not only is Keara drawn to Channing, but the owner of Night Secrets seems to be drawn to her. Giving her special treatment, she can't help but wonder what he's hiding, and the sense she's seen him before. When she's attacked in the parking lot, her world turns inside out, literally. Keara will soon learn that secrets of the night, just may be the death of her.

Excerpt:

A chill ran down my spine and my hairs stood on end.

I lifted my head and looked around. Channing looked

down at me. “You okay?”

I ignored him for a few more moments as I continued

to scan the room. There. Up on the second floor, Corbin

was standing there watching us behind dark sunglasses.

Another chill ran through me as I looked at Channing. He

had already looked up and saw what I saw.

“Just ignore him.”

I smiled. Corbin was giving me the creeps again. Why

does he do that? Act normal one second and creepy the

next. I just didn’t understand him.

When the song ended Channing looked down into my

eyes. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. Really.” I smiled.

He lowered himself so he was even with me. Grabbing

my face between his hands he laid the softest kiss upon

my lips. I felt my knees tremble and he slid his hand

around my waist to steady me, while deepening the kiss.

His lips were warm and soft just like I’d imagined. The

heat he sent through my body reached to my core. The

woman in me started to ache for his touch.

When he pulled away I was breathless. I opened my

eyes to find Channing looking into them. “That was nice.”

He said smiling.

I nodded as we started back to our table. Jared was

grinning ear to ear. I smiled back before excusing myself

to the ladies room. I needed to get my bearings.

I splashed cold water on my cheeks and looking into

the mirror I couldn’t help but smile. That was a nice kiss.

He really caught me off guard, but I’m glad he did. I

patted my face dry with a paper towel and started out the

door. I couldn’t wait to get back to Channing. Just as I got

out of the door I felt someone grab my arm.

“Again we meet.” He said smirking.

I looked at him for a moment, then realized it was

Corbin. What was with the accent? “Corbin. You scared

me.”

He just smiled. His grip on my arm tightened, and I

was instantly filled with fear. He started pulling me

towards the door. “Corbin let go of my arm you are

hurting me.” He pulled me into the parking lot. “Corbin let

go of me.” Panic was setting in. What was he doing?

I pulled back only for him to turn around, glaring with

anger and mouth puckered. “Please let go of me Corbin.”

“My dear lady, I am afraid you have mistaken my

identity. I am not that low life of a coward Corbin. I am

Dante¢.” His grip loosened slightly and his face relaxed.

I was really confused now. He looked just like Corbin,

then I noticed the shadow of hair forming a gotee. “I see

from the puzzlement on your face that you don’t recall our

first meet. I also see you are fond of my brother Corbin. I

assure you though that he is a waste of time. I know he

has taken a special interest in you as well, and I just had

to find out why. From your smell though, I can see

clearly. You are truly mouth watering.” He smiled

deviously.

He pulled me closer to him and smelled the air around

me. “Absolutely mouth watering.” He repeated.

I felt the fear wash over me. I’m not sure what Dante'

wanted, but it wasn’t good. I could sense that much.

Aunt Aingeal was right. I should have listened. As my

tension built up, I felt my muscles contracting almost to

the point of pain. As he continued smelling the air around

me, the tighter my muscles got. I finally realized it was

the guy from the first night that the club opened. The one

that lost his girlfriend. That is why Corbin seemed so

familiar and at times gave me the creeps. They were

twins.

Romancing your darkside tour #1 - Jamie Magee

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:19:00 +0000

Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.

I want to admit that blogging or guest posting is one of the realms of the literary world that I have not explored thoroughly. I was a bit apprehensive about these stops ( I didn’t want to disappoint anyone – lol). When I was searching for topics B.K Walker kindly offered one for me to write about – her choice “writing mode – what process do you go through as you write.”

First of all I want to say I am without a doubt I am a ‘Panster’ (I’m cringing right now hoping that old English teachers do not come across this blog). In high school and college I could not stand the idea of outlines – they drove me mad. Every time I would try to write one I would end up completing the assignment instead. In fact when those amazing English teachers (looking for brownie points here) requested an outline or had you turn one in weeks before the paper I would ‘fake it out’ meaning, I would go through my paper and create one – the up side to this…my papers were always done well in advance to the due date.

Old habits die hard and sometimes not at all. When I began writing my debut, Insight, I did not know how the story would end. I’m one of those authors that have no idea what is going to happen until my fingers strike the keys – well, there are those times when an idea comes and I have to find a way to remember it before it leaves me, but even then that idea has not fully blossomed – not until my fingers reach the key board. I truly did think I was the odd man out – and was prepared to hide this little secret even after my book was published, but then I found reason to believe I was just another brand of an author.

The first person that made me feel normal about the way I created was Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love. I came across a speech she had given on the creative process. One of the most interesting points in this speech was when she mentioned the poet Ruth Stone. Elizabeth spoke about an interview she had with Ruth and how Ruth explained that she would in effect ‘hear’ a poem coming – and when she did she would have to ‘run like hell’ to find a pen and paper and write the poem down before the poem moved on to another poet. I found that fascinating. What was even more interesting was when Ruth explained to Elizabeth that sometimes she was almost to late to catch a poem – and she had to ‘grab it by its tale’ and when this happened the poem came out perfectly on the paper – except for the fact that the poem was backwards – written from the end to the beginning. Now, that little story made me feel normal. Don’t get me wrong I do not catch stories by the tale (that would be cool though) but, I do know how it feels when as story hits you.

The first idea for Insight came to me while I was wrapping Christmas Presents in Dec of 2009. I remember freezing with scissors in hand and watching a scene play out before me. I was paralyzed by the raw emotion I felt from my characters, and had no choice but to write them down. To tell you how out of character this was for me – I didn’t even own a personal lap top, much less a word document. I had to borrow one from my father in law just to get started. As I began to write my daydream out my mind started to play other scenes – I would have given anything to have been able to type faster.

This process of in effect “catching a story” is how I have completed each of my novels. Unlike Ruth Stone’s poems my characters do not wonder off to another author – they haunt me until their story is written. I’ve been told that I was insane for staying up all hours of the night – or rising before the sun to write, but honestly according to my characters sleep wasn’t an option at that moment.

I can’t explain how amazing it is to watch a story come life – to know that there is not another soul on earth that has seen, read, or heard what these characters are living through.

Today I not only adore the fact that other writers have penned the creative process I use as “Panster”, but I embrace it. Even though ‘catching stories’ or scenes have cost me sleep that will never be regained – it was worth every second. I’m honored that my characters have found me and I have the pleasure of telling their story.

I would like to thank Az Publishing Service once again for having me here, and each of you for taking time out of your day to read the ramblings of a new author.

A Touch of Grace Authors Charles Burgess Jermond Walker 08/16 by A Touch of Grace | Blog Talk Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 02:34:00 +0000

A Touch of Grace Authors Charles Burgess Jermond Walker 08/16 by A Touch of Grace | Blog Talk Radio

Charles Burgess, born August 15, 1970 in Providence, Rhode Island, moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a child and attended high school at Pulaski, North Division, and Washington. Upon finishing high school, Charles decided to take a Bank Specialist job at State Farm Insurance Company. While working there, Charles completed his first book titled, “Homies”.
Since then, Charles has taken the literary craftsmanship more seriously and began writing novels fulltime. “Don’t Say You Do If You Don’t”, “Bee-Wildered”, "The Ghetto Sopranos: Rise of the Family", "Midnight Love" are the recent titles completed by Charles Burgess.
Now 40 years of age, Charles is currently single and has chosen to dedicate his time to completing a seven book series titled “The Ghetto Sopranos”, while also working on more titles for in-between releases. Cricket & Honey, Instant Message Me, Trigger Words, Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say, are just a few that Charles has in the pipeline.

Introducing, Jermond Walker:
Jerrmond "JDub" Walker was introduced to poetry as a means of personal therapy. A friend brought him to a local poetry set and his love for the art flourished almost immediately. Known to Milwaukee's poetry scene as "JDub", listeners of his work understood that when he hit the stage -the truth would flow. Bold, strong and sometimes even crass to the sensitive ear, JDub's stories of tainted love, social and community dissatisfaction, and an occasional sexual exploitation won him the favor and respect of a thriving poetry community...

This book, Touched by Two Souls - Sleeveless Emotions, is an poetry rendezvous with the urban life as the back drop.

Get this book now for $11.95 on the publisher's page or in eBook on Charles Burgess' special birthday page. http://www.azpublishingservices.com/specials.html

Publishing Poop from a Publisher 07/15 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:56:00 +0000

Publishing Poop from a Publisher 07/15 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio
We will be talking today about the Amazon Encore emergence into the publishing business.
I am welcoming comments from others.
Come on people, you have NO THOUGHTS about Amazon getting into traditional publishing,
thus making it the BIG 7 Publishers in the traditional ring?

Getting Sticky with the Chocolate Rose Gang of Authors 07/02 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 05:25:00 +0000

Getting Sticky with the Chocolate Rose Gang of Authors 07/02 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

We will have up to 9 of the authors from Chocolate Rose 1 and 2. These erotic books are HOT, with new and veteran authors bringing down the house for 2 hours with us on KWOD Radio. They will also be partying all day on Facebook.
Here is the line-up for the authors on our show. These times are Arizona Mountain Time. The second time next to the authors name is the authors time in their states around the US.

LISTEN TO THE SHOW FROM HERE:

Listen to internet radio with KWOD Radio on Blog Talk Radio

1pm - 1:15pm Laurie Bowler from England - 9pm England time
1pm - 2pm Charles Burgess from Wisconsin - 3pm
1:15 - 1:30pm G.P.A. from Chicago - 3:15 pm
1:30 - 1:45 pm Syretta Walker in Dayton, Ohio - 4:30 pm
1:45 - 2:00 pm Darrin Reasby from Wisconsin - 4:00 pm
2:00 - 2:15 pm Cotton Carpenter from Maryland - 5:00 pm
2:15 - 2:30 pm Deanna Denise from Maryland - 5:15 pm
2:30 - 2:45 pm To Be Announced
2:45 - 3:00pm Raquel Carter (Janique) from Ohio - 4:45 pm

This show is going international with Laurie Bowler in England and back to the states, with authors all over the country. We have several poets, as well as authors from both books in the house and ready to share and party.

We will be giving away eBooks all day on Facebook and other party gifts. Authors will be checking in all day for answering questions and partying with us.
http://www.facebook.com/pj.hultstrand

Chloe JonPaul: Authors Supporting Authors Tour Stop

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 07:16:00 +0000

THIS BUSINESS OF CHILDREN
by Chloe JonPaul

Synopsis:

Vera Harriss Vera Harriss, Deidre Fletcher, Mark Pettingill, and Stu Martel are elementary school teachers in the fictional town of Blevins, Maine whose secret, private lives change dramatically as you read.

Vera, who is about to retire, vents her anger during a Board of Education meeting with a speech that brings the audience to its feet. Why does Deidre, an exceptional teacher, leave the job she loves to become a corporate trainer down South? Then there is Mark, the perennial job hunter looking for a corporate position with more prestige and pay but then turns down the perfect offer when it finally comes through. Stu, one of the most popular teachers in the school, struggles with a deep, dark secret that he can only share with Deidre. What causes Stu Vera Harriss, Dee Fletcher, Mark Pettingill, and Stu Martel are eager to share their intriguing secrets and entangled lives with you.

Author Bio:

Chloe Jon Paul, M.Ed., is a retired educator and writer of several published articles and a previous book entitled "What Happens Next: A Family Guide to Nursing Home Visits" and More...

Her many achievements since the age of 55 include:

- Title of Ms. Maryland Senior America 2003 Recipient of the Fulbright Fellowship
- Seminars Abroad award to South Africa, 1996

- Volunteer internship during the 2005 Maryland legislative session as a Legacy

- Leadership Institute graduate Lead facilitator for the Alternatives to Violence Project in prison and community workshops on conflict resolution for ten years State representative for the National Family Caregivers Association's caregiver community action network 2006-2008 Advisory board member: MD, Healthcare Commission and the Interagency Commission for Aging Services: Maryland Dept. of Aging Hospice and homeless shelter volunteer Coordinator for the Good Samaritan Project at her church World traveler - all 7 continents

About Chloe and Writing

When did you begin your writing?

I have been writing most of my life. Years ago I wrote occasional articles for some newspapers and magazines but I didn’t start writing seriously until around 2001.

How long did it take you to write your book(s)?

The 2 non-fiction books took me about 2 years each. The second one, “Entering the Age of Elegance”, took that long because of the research involved. When I began writing the first book, ”What Happens Next?” I was still a caregiver for my mother so it was a matter of first things first.

The novel was written in about 8 months but I didn’t do anything with it. I actually trashed it but my dear friend Helene retrieved it saying” You are NOT throwing this away.” I shelved it and went on to other projects because I didn’t think I would ever try to get it published.

What tips would you offer beginning writers to help them?

The key is self-discipline and consistency. There will always be days when you’re tempted to find an excuse to do something else. I put myself on a daily schedule to get things done – writing and otherwise. I also set short-term and long-term goals for myself.

With a non-fiction book, you need to, first of all, identify your target audience. I always plan the book in outline form, make a list of references and contacts I wish to make, and then I begin to write in longhand. I never type. I write in a notebook.

If you’re experiencing “writer’s block” – which we all do from time – then try to do something in conjunction with your writing, i.e., research, making a list of words you may want to use, etc. Besides identifying your target audience, it is important to establish your character profile as well as the setting of the story (time and place).

This should be done methodically because as you actually begin to write the novel, these characters will come alive for you – the way they speak, act, think. You want your readers to become immersed in the time and place of your book and this requires a bit of research as well.

About your latest book

Why did you choose to write this book?

I actually wrote the book in the early 90s and, as I said before, tucked it away thinking that it would never get published. I chose to write it because I wanted to capture the elements of this profession in a way that shows the struggles so many teachers face in trying to do their jobs well. At this particular time in my career I wasn’t very happy teaching in the school district I had transferred to out of state. I was forced to “teach to the test” and my creativity suffered immensely. Administrative support was non-existent so I took a leave of absence for a year; went back to Maine where I had done the best teaching of my career, and wrote the book.

What is the message of your book?

The message is basically this: We teachers are human beings coping with the problems in our own personal lives. When we enter that classroom each morning, we have to shelve those problems and deal with students whose problems may be far greater than our own.

Who is your book geared towards?

I think Bill Page says it best in his review: Teachers will identify with every element of this insightful, riveting glimpse of the education world. Parents will enjoy comparing their own schooling with Vera’s portrayal of getting an education. And, every reader will savor the reminder that life goes on.

Bill Page is a teacher. He is also author of At-Risk Students: Feeling Their Pain; goes on.

Understanding Their Plight; and Accepting Their Defensive Ploys. He has written 60 articles for www.teachers.net/Gazette

Marketing your book

Do you incorporate blogging into your marketing for your writing and/or your book?

At the moment I am scheduled to do several blog posts for “This Business of Children”. For “Entering the Age of Elegance”, I have a few blog posts on my web site. I also have some on Chloe’s Rants and Raves (www.chloejonpaulonline.com)

What subjects do you cover with your blog?

Here are a few:

Why Is Peace Such a Dirty Word?, Shame on you! Mr. Ambani!, And the Beat Goes On…and On, Rachel Ray, Can you Top This?,Supreme or Stupid?

How long have you been blogging?

I have only been blogging for the past year. I really would like to do more but my schedule to date simply hasn’t permitted it.

Do you incorporate social media (twitter, facebook, linkedin) for your writing and/or book?

Yes, I use all three but I’m not online as much as other people. Again, there are other things in my life that are much more important. I am a Third Order Carmelite and my daily schedule must leave time for prayer, meditation, silence and solitude.

When it comes to social media--- do you prefer one platform over the others?( facebook, twitter or linked in) Why?

Facebook and LinkedIn have worked well for me. I haven’t done much with Twitter.

I think that Facebook and LinkedIn give a lot more leeway in letting you express yourself.

What is one social media tip you have to share with others?

I highly recommend Jennifer Abernathy’s book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Social Media Marketing. I met Jennifer at a luncheon recently. She was the guest speaker at eWomenNetwork – the chapter here in the D.C. area. Her book shows you how to use these social networking sites to your best advantage.

Where can people purchase your books?

“What Happens Next? A Family Guide to Nursing Home Visits…and More” is now available as an ebook on smashwords.com. It will be available soon on Amazone Kindle. “Entering the Age of Elegance: A Rite of Passage & Practical Guide for the Modern Maturing Woman” is available at all major bookstores as well as on my web site. This Business of Children” is also available at all major bookstores as well as Amazon where it is available in paperback or Kindle. My new web site www.chloejonpaul.com will also have an order page where the book can be purchased.

What's Next

What else is in the works for you for 2011?

Aha! Good question! I would like to write my memoirs – not for publication – but simply to leave something behind for my family. My dear mother made tape recordings of her life for us and I thought that was wonderful.

As for professional writing, I haven’t really decided on anything yet. Book promotion is very time-consuming so for the time being, I have to concentrate on that.

How can others contact you?

They can leave me a note at either one of my web sites:

www.enteringtheageofelegance.com

www.chloejonpaul.com

They can also leave voice mail at 1-888-498-4443.

Q: Now that you’ve written The Business of Children “to set the record straight on the plight of elementary education” as you mention in the book’s prologue, what do you hope the book will provide others?

A: I think one of the endorsements I received captures it best:

"Chloe JonPaul has captured a period of time in the United States in which educators were working under conditions similar to today. Anyone reading her novel should be able to understand why teachers feel that the system is stacked against them and their students."

- Marty Hittelman, President

California Federation of Teachers

Q: Why is it important for others to read about what teachers like those in your book experience professionally in today’s critical educational climate?

A: Most people think of our job as a 9 to 3 workday with summers off. Nothing could be further from the truth. I think Taylor Mali sums it up so well in his video “What Teachers Make”. Taylor gave me permission to use that piece in the Introduction to the book.

Near Death Experience Spawns an Epic Romance 06/19 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 02:51:00 +0000

Near Death Experience Spawns an Epic Romance 06/19 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Chasing Time Book 3: Battle for Time

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 23:08:00 +0000

Republished from Louise Wise's Blog, published January 2011, but updated here.

Battle for Time (Book 3 in the Chasing Time Series)
by
PJ Hultstrand

Publisher/CEO/Author
Az Publishing Services, LLC

If you want swooning heroines fainting at the first sign of trouble and a man swinging in, Tarzan style, to rescue her then PJ Hultstrand’s time-travel romance series is probably not for you. If, however, you like strong Lara Croft type women getting her man, then this book IS for you. Read on:

Tamea scanned for the presence and instinctively knew it was stalking them. The dagger hilt rested in her left palm, ready if it was needed. Her intentions included getting him into the room and making love to him for the rest of the night. She did not appreciate whoever was interrupting her plan. She continued to glance behind them after they got off the bike and Parker retrieved his saddlebags.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936037009?ie=UTF8&seller=AEARVPJ8G9D0A&sn=AzPublishingServices

Patti Hultstrand is not only the author of "Battle for Time", "Rescue in Time", and "Time Conquers All", she runs the successful AZ Publishing Services.

Patti's thirst for the creative word began in 7th grade, and from then she has wrote in college papers, literary magazines, public relations articles, business procedure manuals and having even gone as far as having published her own magazine on Arizona Graphics and Marketing. Science-fiction became her first love when she was introduced to the works of Ray Bradbury and fandom bit her when she actually met him in 1987 at a special engagement speech in Phoenix, Arizona. Patti has his writing tips and life examples and applied them to her own writing: "Never stop to edit, just keep writing until you're done, then go back and edit, and edit, and edit again until you're satisfied."

She's here to talk about her books, the writing process and everything else in-between - otherwise known as life.

What inspired you to write your book?
“Battle for Time” is book 3 of my Chasing Time series. I have plans for about 14 books in this series. I started my first story back about 17 years ago on a dot matrix printed copy of the beginnings of what turned out to be an epic romantic time-travel adventure. Back then, the story was a simple historical romance about a warrior princess who must protect a king from a neighboring country who doesn’t believe in her abilities to do the protecting. I had a palace schematic drawn out which had become a yellowed reminder years later of that story that had been stuck inside me all those years.

It was a near death experience that made me pick the story up again, change the heroine, the location in history, the time period (somewhat), and added the premise of time-travel because over those last years I have evolved and had become very interested in the possibilities of time-travel. The story has become so much more than that simple story.

I had studied some romance stories series and found that many offer multiple male characters which are introduced in the first book, as minor characters, and then they get their own story in books later in the series. I have done this with the Chasing Time series. Walker and Brandt have their own stories coming up. The only man I don’t have a story for yet is Terrance, Tamea’s best friend, who is now the Captain of the Palace Guard. I say “yet” because he just hasn’t told me his story yet.

What is it about?
I think one of the hardest thing for me to decide on was what classification or genre to fit my epic story into. While I tag it as a Time-travel Romance, it resonates very well with science-fiction/fantasy enthusiasts because my time-travel is based on plausible theories I have contemplated over years. I sell more of my books with this group of book lovers, over romance readers. But, then again, I hang with that group at conventions.

You write what you love to read or write what you want to read, but haven’t found yet. That is what I have done here.

Is there a snippet you can share?
Here is a short excerpt for "Battle for Time": Book 3 in the Chasing Time Series.
Warning: Some references of drug use and products.

Reed popped in his favorite scratchy 8-track of Jimi and his screaming guitar. He grinned at Lynch, who was quite a bit older than him, but knew he also had a love for Hendrix. They were very different in appearance, even though they shared the same affinity of getting into trouble and seeming on the edge of being crazy.

Captain Charles Reed would be eighteen before this Christmas, where Marco Lynch was now forty-eight and had been a lieutenant in Altare before he chucked the military life for the freelance life in the sales of paraphernalia. He and Went Worth were making good money selling Altare grown marijuana and other unusual products. They had just made Strand their temporary home in Laie a month before Terance and Tamea had dropped in and changed their current choice of lifestyles. "How the hell did I get talked into running with you, I'll never know, Reed!" yelled Lynch to the young man over the jacked up music.

"Hey man, I'm your best customer, so better be nice to me," yelled Reed.

Lynch smiled cordially, especially when he knew money would come from it. "You know it, my man," he slapped Reed on the shoulder good-naturedly.

The two of them could see the Bengal army coming up on the horizon and turned toward the masses. The camp was set-up not far from where they had left them after Tamea's rescue. "Maybe they are still in shock from the loss of some of their officers or from our unprecedented appearance," Reed stated with a satisfied grin on his face. "Of course, I left a lasting impression in their minds."

Lynch laughed as he said, "I bet you did!" He moved back to the levers rigged to drop the rockets onto the oncoming cannons and waited for Reed's mark.

The enemy army, however, had seen the chopper coming now and knew about their high-powered guns, so they had gone into immediate action with the only thing closely resembling Altare's weaponry. They loaded the cannons in haste and were ready to fire when Reed came upon them.

The chopper captain swerved easily out of the way of the first cannon's range and yelled at Lynch to use the machine guns on the cannon operators. Lynch snagged a few on their next pass, but on their third the cannon had been fired before Lynch had nailed the other operators. The chopper caught some powder as it went through the front windshield--barely missing Reed--through the back hull, and some caught the engine as they passed underneath the cannon fire.

Something in the engine started to smoke and the chopper lurched downward. Reed was holding its nose up, as he yelled at Lynch to prepare to drop a rocket on the next pass. He came back around and pulled up after signaling Lynch to let the rocket go.

The rocket hit one cannon dead on, as remnants blew apart in all directions.

"What about the other one?" yelled Reed to Lynch as he went around again. They were fighting for altitude, as they could see the other cannon pointed in their direction.

"You sure we shouldn't get the hell out of here?" asked Lynch when he saw the cannon's mouth, as they were getting closer.

"Lynch, we will blow up if we crash with that rocket still attached. I'd rather go down with less chances of blowing ourselves up, don't you?"

Lynch could see his point--they were already flying a highly volatile piece of machinery. If they crashed with the rocket still attached, they would be set ablaze like fireworks on the Fourth-of-July. He nodded, showing he understood their chances, and was ready to drop the rocket.

The enemy shot the cannon at them before they got close enough to drop the rocket and Reed had to swerve sharply to avoid being hit again. Unfortunately, the powder hit the cable of the rocket and it fell short of its intended target, taking out a water supply wagon instead.

Lynch swore and got back into the seat next to Reed, as the teen was having some problems keeping the chopper in a straight path back to Walker Town. The smoke was now billowing out behind them for another twenty minutes, while the young captain struggled to keep the nose in the air. There was a sudden loud sputter and he lost the race with how long he could keep them going, and yelled at Lynch to prepare to crash.

Lynch's last thought before they hit the ground was 'How did one prepare to crash?'

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936037033?ie=UTF8&seller=AEARVPJ8G9D0A&sn=AzPublishingServices

Was there a character you struggled with?
I struggle between Parker and his brother Walker sometimes because I want to make sure readers connect to Parker, but then Walker is written stronger in the first books so I think some women like him better. Then again, I don’t like sharing my men, even ones I make up in my mind, so I may not be doing them justice by making them interesting enough for women readers to love them too. Probably explains why most of my fans are men who love Tamea, my heroine.

How many unpublished books do you have lurking under your bed?
Oh geez! I have 2 more completely written in the Chasing Time series and a third about half done, and another 3 started. Outside of that series, I am working on the following with plans to publish 2011:

- Resurrection at Salvation Springs - Paranormal Western Serial - Coming in June and July 2011
- Friday Fright Lover - Literary Suspense - Coming December 2011
- 2012: The Calm Before the Storm – writing with my partner, Donald Jacques
- Mahal – Historical Romance
- Center of Time Bar: Time travel stories centered around this bar I created. My world and other authors have been invited to write a story in this world.
- The Bad Easter Bunny – YA Fantasy (although I may be changing the title)
- Cultured Cockroach - Collaborating urban stories that are a sign of our time of people struggling.
- There is a steampunk story my partner and I have storyboarded, but no title yet

How did you find your publisher? How do they treat you? Would you recommend them?
I am my own publisher and am the publisher for 26+ other authors with 36 books on our bookshelf now since May 2009. I use my series as a test in marketing conditions before I push anyone else into doing any form of marketing. This has been good and bad for me personally as an author. I have taken away the stigma for my other authors by adding Az Publishing Services, LLC as the Print/Distribution Publisher, while I don’t have the layer between myself as an author and as the publisher.

Would I recommend Az Publishing to others? Answer: Only if you are prepared to do a lot of work in helping market your book. We can’t do it by ourselves! But you also can’t expect the publisher to do it all anymore either.

We are still a struggling company and last year, I almost completely lost the company. It was a very tough year, in 2010 for all of us! We moved forward into 2011 with a brighter outlook. We have some kick-butt books coming off this coming year.

Tell us a little about Az Publishing.
Az Publishing Services was designed to assist new or struggling authors in marketing, cover design, editing and formatting plus much more, and has the cohesion of a writing community who has been bullied, lied to, and who have had some of their dreams taken from them by unscrupulous companies who seem to be prey on unsavvy writers. It has grown to a company who has published 36 books since May 2009.

Are you accepting submittals right now?
Yes, but I will no longer read submissions. Don Jacques, president of Az Publishing, will be reading through future submittals. We are making major changes to website which will not be in place until late January. I suggest that any author should be prepared before sending him their submittals with a synopsis, first chapter already edited, an idea of where your target market is, and your contact information. Wait until February to send anything, so the website will be ready to accept the submission. We accept any great fiction story and any non-fiction work that has a book proposal added to the submission. It is no longer just important to know your subject matter, but to have a fresh angle and marketing plan or your book will probably fail in this saturated book marketplace.

This is a toughie, but I'm going to ask it anyway. If you had to choose, which would it be an author or a publisher?
That is a hard question, because I love the feeling I get when a new author holds their book I delivered to them for the first time. I think this is the same feeling that a doctor feels when he/she hands the baby over to the new parents and that child is perfect.

But, first and foremost, I am an author/writer. If I was not a writer, I would not bother to be a publisher. I could not love the process unless I was in the process myself. There are too many people who want to write, but do not have the discipline to follow the rules and go through the process. This is what separates a writer from being an author, and keeps an author from consistently producing and selling their books.

Now that's what I call a good answer! OK, so in your opinion what's the best and worst part of being a writer?
Best part is when the book comes off the press for the first time. You check that all the fingers and toes are there first, and then just bask in that feeling on completion.

Worst part – Is when you aren’t making time to write regularly so start writing very long emails. The creative stuff seeps out somehow.

Also hate making edits form the printed manuscript to the computer version because it takes so much time. Understand that I do this several times before I even give the manuscript to the editor. If I have to read chapter 1 one more time for “Time Conquers All” I think I will learn to hate that story!

What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?
Mornings for articles and marketing pieces. After 10pm for fiction books. Yes, it does matter. Articles take clarity of thought that you get early in the morning. Where books, especially fiction which takes long stretches of creative flow, which mainly happens for me after 10pm.

Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?
All on the computer. I have been a graphic designer for about 20 years so the computer is a natural extension of my creativity. I may write notes, research ideas, or even write out the occasional scene on paper, but only if I can’t get to a computer. It just comes out of me easier that way and then I don’t have to take the time to type it later.

What/who do you draw inspiration from?
Lately the inspiration has been coming from my writing partner, Donald Jacques, who either offers a kernel of an idea or I come up with the kernel and then we are off into a brainstorming session that lasts hours. We both thrive on these sessions for books we are working on together and those we are writing for ourselves, but the combined creative energy helps us move the story forward or make it into much more than it started.

Earlier you mentioned a near death experience. Can you talk about that? How did that inspire you to write?
It was in 2003, when I went to get a simple operation and came home with a surgical infection that after several hospital visits, continued to grow and nearly took my life four months later. I was in the hospital 4 times that year for what should have been a fairly routine operation. When I came out of this alive and without any further major setbacks, I came across that story I had started over a decade earlier. It was time to write that story!

After any near death experience, your life never stays the same. I sat down and wrote for six months, that 296,000 words that have become “Time Conquers All”, “Rescue In Time” and “Battle for Time”. Then, I planned out a 14-book synopsis write up. I know where the series is going and who is telling what story.

Along with this revelation that I needed to tell these stories and many more to come, I also knew my husband at the time, was not up for the future I knew I needed to explore, so my marriage ended as well. Near death experiences drive home messages that you would not have listened to otherwise. I had gotten a message, that it was not my time to go, but that I had not fulfilled my destiny or mission in life. This mission has included writing and mentoring others with everything I have learned over these many years.

Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?
My only goal is which story I will work on. I have tried NaNoWriMo in their 50,000 words in the month of November. Out of three different years I tried it, I only made it in the first year. With the first draft of “Time Conquers All” I sat down and wrote 296,000 words in six months, but even that doesn’t quite make that 50,000 words per month. Now, those 296,000 words have been cut into 3 books right now and I will probably be cutting some of book 3 just to get it into a smaller book. Being the publisher, I know how much these books cost. The larger the book in page count, the more it cost and you could charge more, but there is only so much a reader will pay for a book from a relatively new author. There has to be a return on your investment for the author and the book can’t cost more than the market will bear.

What are you working on now that you can talk about?
In my writing, I just published Book 3, “Battle for Time” for the Chasing Time series and my editor is working on book 4, "Spirited Away from Time". Also have Book 5 and 6 I'm writing; another new western paranormal serial called, "Resurrection at Salvation Springs"; and other short fiction collaborations.

To see what I have planned for the Chasing Time Series, please visit my website:
http://www.timeconquersall.com
The hardest part of being an author and a publisher is how much time I work with other authors on their projects compared to working on my own projects. It is a balancing act that I still don’t have control over yet.

How do/did you deal with rejection letters?
I am probably lucky in a way because most of the rejection letters I received were personally, handwritten notes rather than the standard rejection letter. Those are no help at all because they don’t allow you to understand why they rejected the manuscript. However, I do have one tip to impart to others, watch where the agent or editor left your story. Did they make notes or check marks on any sections or leave the manuscript turned to a particular page. Look for these clues and you may find where your story was either strong or weak.

So, how I dealt with rejection is that I tried to learn something from it instead of fretting too long on the rejection itself. Authors don’t handle rejection well mainly because to us the creation means so much to us. With fiction writers, even more so, because we put pieces of ourselves into the story or the characters.

Do you have a critique partner?
I used to have a critique group which I highly suggest for any writer, but now have Don, my writing muse and my editor, Linda Blazier, who takes a much deeper interest in the stories than most editors.

I do suggest at least one, but preferably several FIRST READERS, when your manuscript is raw, who helps you hammer out plot issues. A critique group could do this for you, but be prepared to do the same for everyone else in your group. It is a collaborative effort to be in a critique group.

CONTACTS:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pj.hultstrand
http://twitter.com/chance2publish
http://www.azpublishingservices.com/BookStore.php
http://www.timeconquersall.com
http://www.pjhultstrand.com/
http://azpublishingservices.blogspot.com/

Summer Read Featured Author Charles Burgess 06/04 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 21:59:00 +0000

Summer Read Featured Author Charles Burgess 06/04 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Neil Gaiman's Tip on Writing & Doctor Who

noreply@blogger.com (Az Publishing Services, LLC) — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:18:00 +0000

Changing Face of Publishing

Staying Focused with Rochelle Melander

It's that time of the year again -- NaNo Month

I have decided this weekend, that I would take part in this year's NaNoWriMo Writing Month. 50,000 words of my own, have never looked sweeter. Anyone game -- want to write with me?

Here is what I will be working on this month:Set of smaller Non-fiction books for writers. The first one I started this morning is titled, Common Sense Guide to Media Kits for Authors.

Here is the first taste for anyone who wants to know:

Tales as Old as Time: Guest Blog

Rise and Fall of a Track Star with O. Keeys

Swinging into Adventure with a Jack Ranis Book

RYAN COLLINGS lives in Boise, Idaho with his two children Kaylee and Kasin, his dog Stewie, his cat Rosebud, and the love of his life, Brooke.

Lunatics Running the Asylum by Jaz Primo

7 Important Benefits of Press Release Distribution

Jules Vern predicted eBooks in 1863

Author Spotlight: J.T. Barber

Romancing Your Darkside #3: A. Jacob Sweeny

The Changing Roles of Authors and Publishers in a Digital Marketplace

The Author

Authors Supporting Authors: Stacey Kennedy

To the Moon for Amercia with Donald Jacques 09/03 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Time Conquers All in a FLIP App

Romancing your darkside tour #2 - BK Walker

Romancing your darkside tour #1 - Jamie Magee

A Touch of Grace Authors Charles Burgess Jermond Walker 08/16 by A Touch of Grace | Blog Talk Radio

Publishing Poop from a Publisher 07/15 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Getting Sticky with the Chocolate Rose Gang of Authors 07/02 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Chloe JonPaul: Authors Supporting Authors Tour Stop

Near Death Experience Spawns an Epic Romance 06/19 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Chasing Time Book 3: Battle for Time

Summer Read Featured Author Charles Burgess 06/04 by KWOD Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Neil Gaiman's Tip on Writing & Doctor Who

Here is what I will be working on this month:
Set of smaller Non-fiction books for writers. The first one I started this morning is titled, Common Sense Guide to Media Kits for Authors.