S.R. Johannes

What moms really want for Mother's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Things almost every mother wants for Mother's day but never asks :)

1) Catching Zs. I miss the days of lying in bed late with the sun streaming through my bedroom. Getting up and having lunch. IN order to do this - Kids need to be removed from house.

2) Breakfast in bed. - I'd love to not have to make someone's breakfast. Maybe lie in bed reading, awaiting coffee, eggs with cheese, strawberries and scones. Then more coffee with extra cream. I'd love to eat it in one sitting too. Like not having to stop and get up to get something for someone. To sit and eat in peace.

3) Spa Day. Massage, mani/pedi. Need I say more. If chocolate or cupcakes were involved - it would be awesome!

4) Shopping without kids. Hey I'm not picky. This could even be grocery shopping, running errands, browsing bookstores or hitting up Target without kids in tow asking for every item on every shelf.

5) Homemade Gifts. Not socks or underwear. Not even an organizer b/c that says I'm not organized. Maybe just homemade items. Those are the best. The kind that dad helps them do on a rainy day - in advance of course - not day of.

6) Night out. This can be with girls or a date night. But I'd love a night out on town. Babysitter planned, reservations made. For me to just show up and drink margaritas or martinis.

7) A Ban on Bickering. For the kids to start bickering about who's bossing who or how hit who. What belongs to who, what TV show to watch. Just happy kids with smiles and bells on.

8) Child Labor. A day of the kids and hubby completing the following tasks -
cleaning toilet seats
boxing up winter clothes and pack away in closet
organizing closet
laundry
dishes
going through old toys and cleaning out rooms/play room
cleaning out under seats in car

any will do!

9) Jewelry. Those earrings I've been eying but would never buy myself :) (by hubby or child)

10) Compliments galore - nothing short of:

"You're the best mom"
"Thanks for cleaning my underwear."
"I wouldn't trade you in for chocolate or toys."
"What would I do without you."

The top 5 things no mother wants to hear on Mother's Day

1) "I have tee time at noon."

2) "You look great for having 2 kids."

3) "We're out of coffee."

4) "I thought you'd want a new vacuum cleaner. And it was on sale."

5) "Lets just grab MacDonalds."

That's not too much to ask for - right? :)

BOOKANISTA LINKS FOR THURSDAY 9 MAY

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:15:00 +0000

LINKS FOR THURSDAY 9 MAY

Christine Fonseca marvels at MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza – with giveaway!

Corrine Jackson is blown away by BRUISED by Sarah Skilton

Elana Johson buzzes about STUNG by Bethany Wiggins

Stasia Ward Kehoe fawns over THE FIFTH WAVE by Rick Yancey

Jessica Love raves about THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING by Ashley Elton

Shannon Messenger shares an exclusive excerpt from INSOMNIA

Tracy Banghart swoons for THE NAME OF THE STAR by Maureen Johnson

Bookanista Thursday!

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:18:00 +0000

Today's Bookanista Love goes to.....

Katy Upperman ponders LOVE AND OTHER PERISHABLE ITEMS by Laura Buzo

Kimberly Sabatini wonders at WHEN YOU WERE HERE by Daisy Whitney

Elana Johson falls for THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green

Tracy Banghart loves LACRIMOSA by Christine Fonseca

Corrine Jackson adores the ARCADIA BELL series by Jenn Bennett

Rebecca Behrens delves into CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein

Lenore Appelhans raves about THE RULES by Stacey Cade

Stasia Ward Kehoe wraps up National Poetry Month with THE POETRY TEACHER’S BOOK OF LISTS by Sylvia Vardell

Christine Fonseca celebrates UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi

Jessica Love hails THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE by Jennifer E. Smith

Shannon Messenger discusses some recent reads

Happy Release Day to Volition by Lee Strauss

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:01:00 +0000

The Latest by Lee Strauss!

Eternal Life is To Die

For seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans. Her brother Liam is missing.

Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.

Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.

Want to read PERCEPTION? It's FREE on Kobo itunes B&N Smashwords and on Amazon!

VOLITION is the exciting continuation of Noah and Zoe's story from Perception.

Releasing April 16!

Zoe Vanderveen is on the run with her captor turned rescuer, Noah Brody.

They're in love.

Or at least that’s what he tells her. Her memories have returned but her feelings are dreamlike—thin and fleeting. Her heart can’t be trusted. Just look at what happened with Taylor Blake.

Senator Vanderveen’s new team of cyborg agents are in hot pursuit, and a reward for their capture is broadcast nationwide. Record breaking cold and snow hinder their escape. Someone dies helping them.

And their fight for survival has only begun.

Mark to read on goodreads.

To celebrate Lee Strauss is giving away a $200.00 Amazon, Nook or itunes gift card!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

LEE STRAUSS

Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for upper YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss. To find out more about Lee and her books check out her facebook page. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/elle_strauss To find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at www.ellestraussbooks.com

Bookanista Thursday: The Essence

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:15:00 +0000

I love this series. I might be a 'little" biased but Ive always loved the idea of classes being divided by language. I think we hit classism today because of that in some sense regarding ethnicity and diversity.

I loved The Pledge and The Offering just came out the beginning of the year so I wanted to touch on The Essence first.

If you have not read this series, start back at the Pledge.

Top 10 reason to read:

K.D (yes I know her by that :) knows exactly what magnificent word to choose every time.
The twists and turns in this book is more complex than in The Pledge.
I love the character arc proving how much Charlie has changed from Book 1 to Book 2. Love how she struggles with the girlie things...oh and horses :)
Brooke's situation had me stressed out toward the end! Love that.
The world building and mythology weaved in is amazing.
One word - Max :)
The development of some secondary characters in Book 1 was so flawless.
The book has everything cool in it: There are mysteries, assassins, spies, kidnapping, betrayal, dancing, soul mates, new powers, and murder.
Even the villain, Sabara was sympathetic. That's hard to do.
All the queens at the summit are crazy and fun to read about.

GOODREADS SUMMARY

At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge, Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen’s Essence is fused to Charlie’s psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness.

Charlie is not weak, but she’s being pushed to the brink. In addition to suppressing the ever-present influence of Sabara, she’s busy being queen—and battling a growing resistance determined to return Ludania to its discriminatory caste system. Charlie wants to be the same girl Max loves, who Brook trusts, but she’s Your Majesty now, and she feels torn in two.

As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages will be the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within.

Other Bookanista reviews:

Christine Fonseca marvels at MIND GAMES by Kiersten White

Elana Johson is gaga for GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFever

Stasia Ward Kehoe discusses THE DIFFERENT GIRL by Gordon Dahlquist

Jessica Love delves into BITTERSWEET by Sarah Ockler

Katy Upperman wonders at IF I LIE by Corrine Jackson

Nikki Katz celebrates THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Katja Millay

My Bear Plea and Bookanista Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:28:00 +0000

Peta photo

Today is Bookanista Thursday but I want to share something first.

My first book Untraceable touches on the inhumane bear pits in North Carolina where bears are held in cement bunkers and treated horribly.

This month is a huge month because they are voting on whether to close them or not.

If you read the book or are interested in speaking out. You can write an email to the city council for the meeting on March 19th.

Here are the email addy's and sample letter

Here is the agenda for the meeting in March.

Here is my petition to stop it and here is another larger petition going on as well.

And lastly, here's a great story about a 6 year old who won the PETA kids award for helping these bear pits.

=============================

Now for the Bookanista Links this week:

Tracy Banghart revels in ROMEO REDEEMED by Stacy Jay

Corrine Jackson is redeemed by HOPELESS by Colleen Hoover

Jessica Love gets lost in TAKEN by Erin Bowman

Stasia Ward Kehoe connects writers with WriteOnCon

Shannon Messenger celebrates upcoming spring reads

The Debt Collector by Susan Kaye Quinn

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:10:00 +0000

I am so excited about this series. Check it out!

From the author of the bestselling Mindjack series comes a new future-noir serial, The Debt Collector. The first episode, Delirium, launches today (3/20).

What’s your life worth on the open market?

A debt collector can tell you precisely.

Lirium plays the part of the grim reaper well, with his dark trenchcoat, jackboots, and the black marks on his soul that every debt collector carries. He’s just in it for his cut, the ten percent of the life energy he collects before he transfers it on to the high potentials, the people who will make the world a better place with their brains, their work, and their lives. That hit of life energy, a bottle of vodka, and a visit from one of Madam Anastazja’s sex workers keep him alive, stable, and mostly sane… until he collects again.

But when his recovery ritual is disrupted by a sex worker who isn’t what she seems, he has to choose between doing an illegal hit for a girl whose story has more holes than his soul or facing the bottle alone—a dark pit he’s not sure he’ll be able to climb out of again.

Contains mature content and themes. For YA-appropriate thrills, see Susan’s Mindjack series.

Delirium is approximately 12,000 words or 48 pages and is one of nine episodes in the first season of The Debt Collector serial. This dark and gritty future-noir is about a world where your life-worth is tabulated on the open market and going into debt risks a lot more than your credit rating. You can find out more about the series at the Debt Collector website and facebook page. The Debt Collector newsletter is a special list just for episode releases.

Early Praise

“The street-smart science of LOOPER meets the cold, just-the-facts voice of DOUBLE INDEMNITY in this edgy, future-noir thriller that will have you holding your breath, looking over your shoulder, and begging for more.” —Leigh Talbert Moore, author of The Truth About Faking, The Truth About Letting Go, and Rouge

“Do you owe more than your life is worth? No worries. A more deserving person than you can benefit from that excess life—and someone else will get paid with it. Enter the Debt Collector.” —Dianne Salerni, author of We Hear the Dead, The Caged Graves, and The Eighth Day (HarperCollins 2014)

The first three episodes of Debt Collector will be released a week apart, starting Wednesday 3/20. The remaining episodes will release every two weeks. Delirium can be found on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, iTunes, Kobo. Or add it to your TBR on Goodreads.

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling YA SF Mindjack series. Debt Collector is her more grown-up SF. Her steampunk fantasy romance is temporarily on hold while she madly writes episodes to keep Lirium happy. Plus she needs to leave time to play on Facebook. Susan has a lot of degrees in engineering, which come in handy when dreaming up dangerous mind powers, future dystopias, and slightly plausible steampunk inventions. Mostly she sits around in her pajamas in awe that she gets make stuff up full-time.

My "crappy" weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:42:00 +0000

here's my weekend in a nutshell:

Washer backs up and floods garage
Call AHS who calls plumber
Plumber comes to fix
Instead of fixing, he blocks whole house water line
Oh no! Plumbing bursts, toilet overflows
Sewage in bathtubs and showers (disgusting!)
"Oops" says plumber, "can't fix til next wed" (Oops? come again? 6 days without a toilet?? Call me regular!)
Home warranty won't pay (of course they won't!)
Plumber says we have roots in pipes along with some serious backage. (uh yeah, thanks for clearing THAT up for me b/c I was wondering)
Estimates 3,000$ (no problem b/c we have that kind of $ just lying around)
No running water (shower, toilet, washer etc)
Did I mention nasty "shit" tubs??
Stay with friend (bless her heart for politely offering because we jumped on it). Nice house, big enough for all of us. And she has stairs (like I can't handle some of those?? Trust me I will tie this plot point into the story in just a second.)
Get up early to meet a different plumber at house at 6 am (PS we love Roto Rooter!)
Wake 5 year old up - but alas he will not wake from the land of wonder
Carry son down flight of stairs (hey - Ive been working out to Jillian Michaels 30 day challenge for 5 days now. cant be that hard, right? WRONG!.)
Trip on steps (because hey - they should not be there - right?) and fall down a flight of stairs
Poor boy slams head on chair - I'm now convinced his brain is bleeding and he has a brain injury.
In trying to stop him from getting more hurt, I sacrifice my left hand to break the fall.
Husband rushes to son's side - "WT hell Shelli! Sounds like an elephant coming down stairs." - except he says it with English accent so it sounds much more polite. (Me - Gee sorry! so I'm up a few pounds - sew me!)
Daughter looks horrified
I follow her gaze and notice my left hand. (enter 'first sadistic thought that popped into my head' here - "thank goodness its not my typing hand!" ;)
Fingers pointing in directions they should not be pointing.
To prevent her from entering therapy at age 9, I quickly pop them all back in myself (we'll do anything for our kids) and say, "Everything is fine. Everyone is okay."
Seconds later, I drop to floor sweating and wailing: "I think I'm going to be sick. I'm going to pass out. Does son have brain injury? Wait, I think I broke my hand!"
Hubby's loving response: "He's fine. The plumber's coming in 10 minutes."
So I'm faced with a choice - deal with shit toilets or go to emergency room for broken hand????
We go home and wait for plumber.
Decide to keep both kids home for "post traumatic stress disorder"
3 hours later we finally go to urgent care
No broken bones but 2 dislocated fingers (could have told you that 3 hours ago!)
Must wear splint - can't write :(
come home to front yard dug out.
Pay plumber 2500 - only to hear him say "other guy was wrong. there are no roots in pipes just a blockage" (WTF!)
wasted 2,500??
Call home warranty and threaten lives
Stubborn blockage remains - what the hell is in there a dead body? (run inside to take notes on writing new book with a dead body in pipes)
Still "no toilet until Monday"
Weight options? hotel, stay with friends, face dangerous tripping stairs, stay with parents...?? Oh God.
Never mind - we order port o potty
Hubby wants 50$/week portopotty (no way, that's for cavemen! we are civilized people)
I get the Cadillac of all port-o-potties (call me spoiled!) for 150$ a week (total now: 3000$ plus 150) What a bargain!
We get a VIP with flushable toilet and sink, running water, light, key/padlock to prevent any unnecessary break ins (hey you never know) and the ever so needed accessory so you can witness yourself in a port o potty - a nice little mirror. :) (moving on up and living in style!)
port o potty delivered Friday night right around the time everyone comes home from work and people start jogging.
Let's hide it in side yard - I mean we can at least be discreet in our nice neighborhood of 2.5 kids
Can't get it up driveway (of course they cant!)
Must sit it directly next to---- (wait for it)--- the mailbox on street (talk about going postal?)
Family forced to endure total humiliation by trekking out to mailbox to do business
People jogging by (me waving with toilet paper in hand Top of the morning to you!) (but trust me - I had urge to grunt when people walked by just to get a laugh! :)
Needless to say the dog walkers probably got TMI.
9 year old comes in (after "doing #3" she says) and yells, "THAT was NOT fun!"
Brother calls - Im coming into town.
hour later. A Guest arrive. "Welcome to our Happy Can!"
Plumbing finally fixed sat night.
Sat night prayer - "thank you lord for modern plumbing!"
Sunday - goes to use bathroom. Our toilet not working. (I swear Im not lying)
Hubby goes to store and buys cheapest toilet for 88$. (wait what? the port o potty was better than this!)
"Why did you buy plastic toddler toilet?" His response - "Because it was cheap."
I return to Lowes and buy regular toilet for hubby to reinstall. Sue me for wanting a nice toilet!
Week dishes backed up. Run dishwasher.
Week of laundry backed up - Load clothes washer and...wait for it.
Clothes washer broken!!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't work. Are you freakin' kidding me?
Call AHS who calls plumber to come out.
Yes, everything in life somehow comes in full circle.

Good times :)

Bookanista Thurs. 3/14 - Celebrating Bridget with Poison

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:50:00 +0000

The beautiful Bridget Zinn finally has a book out. Ive been waiting for this book for over 2 years.

Bridget grew up in Wisconsin. She went to the county fair where she met the love of her life, Barrett Dowell. They got married right before she went in for exploratory surgery which revealed she had colon cancer. They christened that summer the "summer of love" and the two celebrated with several more weddings. Bridget continued to read and write until the day she died. Her last tweet was "Sunshine and a brand new book. Perfect.

Bridget wanted to make people laugh and hoped readers would enjoy spending time with the characters she created. As a librarian/writer she loved books with strong young women with aspirations. She also felt teens needed more humorous reads. She really wanted to write a book with pockets of warmth and happiness and hoped that her readers' copies would show the watermarks of many bath time reads.

So we are celebrating Bridget's life by talking about her book.

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she's the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom's future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart…misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king's army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she's not alone. She's armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can't stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she's certainly no damsel-in-distress—she's the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

If you didn't know bridget - here is your glimpse into a beautiful spirit,

Links about Bridget

(If you post something, don't forget to post a link to this page: http://bridgetzinn.com/help/index.php)

Everything you need to know about helping spread the word (with lots of info and links)

A remembrance of Bridget written by her agent (with a video of Bridget that shows how vibrant and funny she was)

Bridget's path to publication - in her own words.

A post in which Bridget shares her Sneaky Tips for writing (which also has an audio file of her reading this post)

Find out what the other Bookanistas are recommending today!

Jessica Love covets the cover of ALIENATED
Tracy Banghart counts on THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Shelli Johannes-Wells is wild for POISON
Katy Upperman shares her passion for ELEANOR AND PARK
Stasia Ward Kehoe basks IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS
Nikki Katz adores OUT OF THE EASY

Why I love the Indie Life!

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:58:00 +0000

The Indie Life has it's ups and downs. So does the traditional side. My goal is to experience both someday.

But for right now, in this moment, I am loving being indie in today's world. It was much harder a year and 1/2 ago when I started publishing, but now things are changing and becoming more acceptable in the industry and it's exciting.

The top 10 reasons I love being indie:

1) The control. Yes for those who don't know, I am a control freak by nature. So creating my own book and releasing it - no matter how hard - is awesome and rewarding.

2) The way-smart business people - esp women. I love hanging out with some serious smart women who know how to run a business as well as have kick ass writing (Just to name a few out of all the awesome: All of the Indelibles like Rashelle Workman & Susan Quinn doing interesting things, Heidi MacLaughlin, Addison Moore, and M. Leighton) Again, this is just to name a few! It's a world of awesomeness.

3) I can write what I want when I want. Branding is important in books but so is passion. If I want to write a sci fi series, I can. If I want to put out a marketing nonfiction, I can. I love the freedom of writing what is in me at the time.

4) My book is what I envision. I know when I put my book out it is the best it can be and it is all me. The cover, the editing, the story. It's like having a baby. You know it's a direct product of you.

5) The community rocks. Every indie author is so helpful and I love that we all support each other. Whether it is Hugh Howey giving shout outs or M. Leighton giving a pep talk. The indie authors are so approachable no matter what status they hold because they have all been there. And they know how hard it really is.

6) Seeing people rise to the top. I love seeing indie bust their bum for years and then see them finally break through the glass ceiling. Hugh Howey, Abbi Glines, Addison Moore, M. Leighton, Samantha Young, Chelsea Cameron. Gosh, I could name so many others. They get there on their own and they work hard for it. It is never handed to an indie author to come out on top.

7) Some stability options. With the state of flux in the publishing world, I feel this gives me ANOTHER avenue for my writing. Not always the only one but another one.

8) A paycheck. I like getting paid every month, knowing my writing is bringing in income for my family and that people see value in what I do.

9) Reaching readers (I had touching readers but it felt creepy :). I get mail from readers, librarians, and parents about how they love my book. That makes me feel like I'm making a small difference in someone's life.

10). I love this business. No matter the ups and downs. I love publishing industry. I love both sides. I think both have things to offer that they other may not. And I'm honored to be a part of it in any way.

Here are more thoughts today on the INdie Life

What do you love?

Bookanista Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:10:00 +0000

Bookanistas are ramping back up again. Things got slow over the holidays but we are back!

So once again weekly, we will discuss and review books in a positive way.

This week, the Bookanistas are talking about:

Jessica Love raves about THE REECE MALCOM LIST

Nikki Katz sees red over SCARLET

Katy Upperman adores JUST ONE DAY

Stasia Ward Kehoe is ga-ga for GOING VINTAGE

Quick Recap of IndieReCon

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:28:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone one who visited us at IndieReCon last week!

We had almost 20,000 unique visitors and over 2000 comments in 3 days!!

I'm so glad people found it valuable.

The conference posts and recorded chats will remain live on the site so if you are just hearing about it - you can catch up anytime :) Here is the schedule with direct links to each event.

Publishing Perpectives wrote a great article about it yesterday. (yay!)

And yes at this time, we plan on having a mini-event in summer and an annual event. So if you have any suggestions, feel free to fill out the survey.

Great nuggets I pulled from each speaker at the conference:

Bob Mayer: "Product is king... and series is key."

Jessie Harrell - "And where are Indie and traditional publishing equal? Serendipity. So much in this business is timing and luck and that doesn’t change, no matter which path you choose."

SR. Johannes - "Self publishing is not the easy way out. It is just the fast way to publication. It should not replace writing a good book, creating a quality book, or everything that comes with self publishing."

Colleen Hoover - "I make choices based on each manuscript that I write and how I feel that manuscript can best reach the readers."

Joanna Penn - "The long haul career of a pro-writer involves always working on the next book. Celebrating the last, but getting on with the next."

Miral Sattar - "Spending money on quality editorial services will already set your book apart from the rest."

Heather McCorkle - "The most important thing to remember is to ask for help, and pay for it if need be, rather than put out a book that is less than stellar."

Denise Grover Swank - "While creating a business plan may seem like an intimidating project, just take it slow and give it some thought. You’ll have much more insight into the business side of your writing and will hopefully help increase sales.

Cheri Lasota - "Start with global issues and work your way down to the paragraph, sentence, word, and punctuation levels."

Alicia Kat Dillman - "Thinking you know more about design than a trained professional is down right foolish."

M. Leighton - "Enter New Adult. It’s got all the charm and innocence of Young Adult material, only it has teeth. Sharp ones. This stuff has some steam, people!"

Addison Moore - "There aren’t any hard and fast secrets to a successful series, there are only ideas that, through hard work and passion, can be plausible avenues to propel your private manifesto into a story that is wildly embraced by readers the world over..."

Hugh Howey - "Which is why it’s only natural for the freedoms inherent in self-publishing to make it the new indie. The word is short for independent. What could be more so than publishing on one’s own?"

Laura Pauling/Sybil Nelson regarding middle grade self-publishing- "Contacting librarians directly has done wonders in this aspect. School librarians are so wonderful and helpful."

Lori Culwell - "Put keywords into your website so that the search engines will associate your site with these words, with the ultimate goal of having your site pop up when people Google those words. The words are the demand, your site is the supply."

Jason Letts - "Every service you use to connect with your fans is trying to make money from you off of that relationship. The mission is threefold: (1) play the game by their rules, (2) know when to spend, and (3) find a way to own access to your fans."

Brittany Geragotelis - "I respond to every single comment that a fan leaves on my wall...it makes them feel like they have a connection with me, which makes them more likely to follow me and what I do."

DuoLit girls - "Your mailing list, when grown and used effectively, can deliver 24x the results of the more traditional book marketing methods, such as social media marketing."

Ali Cross - "Remember being true to who you are as a writer, and as a person, is the essence of your brand."

Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi - "Without the backing and promotional support of a publishing house, we are on our own. Success or failure is up to us, and to capitalize on the buzz rush that accompanies a book launch, we must work hard, think creatively and have a wide reach to give our book the strongest start possible."

Amy Edelman - "As far as Award’s go, the point of getting chosen as a winner is the same as with reviews: you want to get people’s attention for your book in a crowded sea of other titles."

Susan Kaye Quinn - "Write the best book you can. Write a series. Write in a different genre. The sales will come or they won't. You don't have control over sales; you only control what you write next."

Nancy Holder - "We can also keep one foot in the more traditional publishing world. We don’t have to choose one or the other."

Orna Ross - "We own our rights and we can decide what we want to do with them. We are not bound by a publisher's overall policy and can do what seems best for each individual book."

Stacey Wallace Benefiel- "You’ve already written the book and you’ve gone to the trouble to format it for e-book and print – just think of this as another distribution channel."

Steena Holmes - "Not all agents are equal. Not everyone will work in your best interest. Just because you get an offer doesn’t mean you have to accept it."

Barbara Freethy - "If something isn't working, change it. Try a new cover, change prices. Explore the top and the bottom of your price point. Run sales. Do giveaways. Most importantly - enjoy the process!"

Richard Smith - "The target market for Book Apps is any reader with a device using an Android or an iOS operating system (OS)."

Mark Lefebvre - "Booksellers and book lovers – the main thing that attracts people to get into bookselling isn’t a love for being a retailer; it is a love of books."

LM Preston - "Authors are getting a lot smarter about the ‘business’ of writing. And the days of writing books and sitting back while someone else promotes you as an author is long gone."

If you attended, was there any nugget that stood out to you?

Looking for new Intern

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:19:00 +0000

My last intern, Kate Tilton is working with BiblioCrunch and busy at school.

So I am looking for a new intern for this year - on the marketing and publishing side.

I would like to have help setting up blog tours, obtain guest posts, prepare book mailings, setting up social media platforms, getting mailings together, drafting newsletters, running street teams and more. (like Pinterest, wattpad and tumblr). You will need Word/Excel skills, be up on social media, and be ok with reaching out to people.

It will be about 10 hours a week and can be remote with weekly phone call meetings.

I can offer a marketing/writing business reference (so if you want to get into publishing or marketing it would be good) and would also provide unlimited advice about marketing, the industry, self pubbing, and writing).

If you are in school/college, I'm happy to talk to a professor about credit. I will need commitment through April - August so it should not interfere with school.

I was going to go to a local college/high school but wanted to give some writers/bloggers a chance to learn the book marketing process and some new social media.

Email me your resume at shelli@srjohannes.com if interested. I can also send a formal job description.

IndieReCon starts tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 23:19:00 +0000

Hey guys

I'll probably not be back until next week as I'll be facilitating INdieRecon that starts tomorrow!!

It's been a lot of work for a team of us but I'm excited about the agenda and hope to help writers decide or learn more about the journey.

Here is the call to writers posted today.

And here is the instructions on how to participate.

Heres how to register or help spread the word at a chance for a KoBo ereader.

All events are on the indierecon site.

Hope to see you there!

2 ways to win 2 KOBO ereader - sponsor of IndieReCon

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:27:00 +0000

IndieRecon starts in 5 days.

For those who don't know IndiereCon is a free online conference inspired by WriteOnCon.

It is Feb 19 - Feb 21st. We have over 25 speakers and tons of prizes. This conference is online and free. It relates to any writer - traditional or self pubbed as it covers a variety of topics from the basics of indie publishing to how to market books into being bestsellers.

We recently had KOBO sign on as a partner/sponsor and they offered two ereaders up for grabs. yay! ;)

Two ways to win 1 of 2 Kobo ereaders:

1) Help spread the word for a chance at a KoboGlo.

2) Register for the conference and get a chance at a KoboMini.

Spread the Word!
(ends midnight Thurs night/Fri am 2/21 EST)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Register for IndieRecon!
(ends midnight Thur night/Fri am 2/21 EST)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To be clear on this one - we will draw from the registration list so if you have already registered, you will be included.

Good luck! And we hope to see you there!

20 reasons you should sign up for IndieReCon!

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:25:00 +0000

As you may or may not know, IndieReCon starts in less than 2 weeks from Feb 19-Feb 21.

The free conference features over 25 guests who will discuss the nuts and bolts of self-publishing from the pros / cons all the way through marketing and being a bestselling author.

Here it is - 20 reasons why you should register for IndieReCon Today!

1. Key note speaker Bob Mayer reveals the future of digital publishing.

2. Identify the biggest mistakes indie authors make and how to avoid them.

3. Find out all the nitty gritty details on self-publishing basics like pricing, distribution, and formatting.

4. Create a business plan and understand your costs.

5. Explore the elements of a great book and how to make your book stand out through editing and covers.

6. Learn the importance of creating a solid business plan and how to measure your success.

7. Discover everything you need to know about reaching your readers including: metatagging, blogging, and audio books.

8. Delve into marketing skills like building your community, utilizing social media and understanding your brand.

9. Learn how to throw a creative book launch by using events, blogging, and more.

10. Chat with some great bestselling authors and get the 411 you need to garner success.

11. It's FREE!

12. Since it's online, you can stay in your PJs and we won't laugh at you. :)

13. There are huge giveaways! Yeah... HUGE!

14. Learn about awesome organizations that support indie authors including: IndieReader, The Book Designer, Indelibles, World Literary Cafe, Fostering Success, Alliance of Independent Authors, Kindle Fire Department, Goodereader, and Bibliocrunch.

15. Discover some great new authors to read.

16. Walk away knowing what self-publishing entails and if it's right for you.

17. Did we mention it's FREE?

18. Find out secrets from bestselling authors like Bob Mayer, Hugh Howey, M. Leighton, CJ Lyons, Barbara Freethy, Colleen Hoover, RaShelle Workman, Darcie Chan, and Addison Moore.

19. Because it will be epic! (At least we think so.)

20. Did we mention it's FREE AND ONLINE?? Why? Because we like YOU :) (Just call us the Mickey Mouse club of indies.)

Every single blog post, chat, vlog will be packed with all the information you need to help you on the self-publishing path.

IndieReCon will help you learn all the dirty secrets about the indie pubbing industry and help you succeed.

February 19-21!!!

Tell your friends.

Hang out with us all day. Hourly posts. Check out the amazeballs schedule.

Just enter your email up in the left sidebar to receive updates and a drawing for giveaways so you don’t miss out!

See you there!

Marketing channels that work!

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:14:00 +0000

They are so many places to try and push your book but which ones are worth the money.

You will have to put some money into advertising - you just need to figure out what your budget is.

I wanted to give you guys a few insights to some marketing channels that have worked for me that are very affordable.

1 - Pixel of Ink - Great for boost in sale or increasing free downloads. Unfortunately they do not take paid sponsorships anymore. But if you ever have a free book, let them know on their web site. They have a wonderful following of readers and are very supportive of Indie Books. It's hard to get air time but if you do, it can make a HUGE difference. They rock.

2 - Kindle Nation Daily - Great for increase in rankings. They have very affordable sponsorships that have always impacted ranking as well as sales. Depending on how much you spend, will depend on if you earn your money back. It's a great way to climb the charts though. The triple play has always worked for me the best.

3 - Kindle Fire Department - Great for awareness and ranking boost. They are very affordable and really growing as a channel.

4 - BookBub - Great for sales and ranking boost. Again, you can purchase spots from affordable to expensive. You can also choose spots based on your target audience. I think this tends to work better for adult romance and thrillers as opposed to YA though.

5 - WLC - Great for awareness. Especially for adult books. I'm not sure young adult or children's books get as much benefit. But the community is awesome and the tweet parties are fun.

6 - ENT - Great for increasing rankings and sales. It is hard to get a sponsorship because they sell out quickly but they do list bargain books or free books.

7 - Digital Book Today- Great for awareness and

8 - Goodreads Giveaways - Great for getting your book added to

9 - Book Blasts with Bloggers - Great for awareness and exposure. These are awesome! I love Kathy at I am a Reader not a Writer. She does great author events and book blasts. They are very effective in increasing your social media and presence.

10 List of free sites - Great to report free books for exposure. Bibliocrunch has a full list with links

Do you have any other sites that work well? What sites do you use to promote your book? What sites do you look at to find a book?

Soul Catcher Cover (G.P. Ching)

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:00:00 +0000

It's here! I can finally share with you the cover of the fourth Soulkeepers novel, Soul Catcher.

Dane Michaels has been to Hell and back and isn't interested in repeating the experience. But as a human caught up in the Soulkeeper's world, his life isn't exactly his own. No one can explain why Dane was allowed through the gates of Eden, but it's changed everything. Now, the only one who can make him feel safe is Ethan, the telekinetic Soulkeeper with a dark past and a heart of gold.

When Malini asks Dane to be part of a mission to find the last Soulkeeper, Cheveyo, more than one team member thinks she's tempting Fate. But Malini suspects Fate has had a hand in Dane's life for some time and that he could be the key to unraveling Lucifer's latest plan of attack.

Add it on Goodreads!

About The Cover

Adam Bedore of Anjin Design creates all of the covers for The Soulkeepers Series. Book four revolves around Dane, pictured here, and introduces Cheveyo, a Hopi indian boy and the last Soulkeeper on the list Dr. Silva conjured in book 3. Cheveyo is represented by the dream catcher and adobe wall behind Dane. Fate, also known as Fatima, plays a role in the story. You can see her shadow hanging from the red stone in the dream catcher. (Yes, she is represented as a spider. She is a master weaver after all!) And if you think there is something up with that shadow behind Dane, you are not mistaken. There's more to him than meets the eye.

About The Book

Soul Catcher is slated for a March release and is the fourth book in the bestselling Soulkeepers series.

From Wattpad Sensation to Bewitched Author - Brittany Geragotelis (Special Giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000

For those of you who haven't heard of Brittany Geragotelis, (where have you been?:). Here's a quick recap of her awesome journey. She wrote a young adult book (Life is a Witch), uploaded it to Wattpad for free, had more than 18 million reads over 12 months. This got the interest of news media. Once a story was published about her - she was contacted by an agent and then given a book deal by S&S.

She is now releasing What the Spell - a three e-book series packaged together - a prequel to her successful book Life is a Witch. packaged as a book. It comes out tomorrow and you can preorder at Amazon or B&N

Today's awesome giveaway (US only): (enter using Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post)

What the Spell Bound Manuscript (signed) - An early form of the book, before it was edited into its current form, and it has no cover.

A signed finished copy of What the Spell

A What the Spell lip gloss

A teenage witch juggles popularity and romance while keeping her powers a secret in this spellbinding debut.

Almost-sixteen-year-old Brooklyn feels invisible, but she desperately wants to be pretty, to be popular, to be adored by a cute guy. Luckily for her, she’s a witch about to come of age—so she’s only a few spells away from making it all happen. On her milestone birthday, Brooklyn’s conservative parents finally unbind her powers, which include the ability to magically match couples with a love spell. Brooklyn uses her special skills to get a makeover, new friends, and the attention of her crush, Asher. But the popular clique Brooklyn wants to infiltrate puts her in the same precarious position as her Salem ancestors: If she’s found out, she could be vilified—and lose Asher in the process. Can she make the most of her magic, or will she be luckless and loveless? Be careful what you witch for.

=================

Hi Brittany, thanks for stopping by. Wow this year has really taken off with you. Tell us how long you've been writing and why did you decide to start with your book on Wattpad?

Well, I'd been writing since I was 15 and when I moved to NYC, I began my quest to get published. After a few years, I was lucky enough to get an agent. But after he couldn't sell a few of my books, he dropped me as a client. By this point, I began to wonder if I should even be writing. It's a lot of work for no one to ever read what you've written. So I took a 6-month hiatus from writing.

But after that, I got the itch to write again and decided I needed to change things up. Instead of writing to get published (more specifically, being published by going through the process of getting an agent who sells your book to a publisher), I decided to change my focus to writing because I loved it and so that people could read (and hopefully enjoy) my stories. Around this time, I was introduced to the writing community site called Wattpad. It was described to me as a YouTube for writers, and I decided to give it a try. So, I started writing an original book that was loosely based on the Salem Witch Trials, called LIFE'S A WITCH.

Life’s a Witch is the story of Hadley Bishop, descendant of a woman executed for being a witch during the Salem Witch Trials. She’s a teen witch in contemporary times and must face down an evil and supernatural presence from the past while dealing with the usual problems of a popular high school teenager.

Can you tell us what you did to grow that readership? Did you have a specific approach you can share with us?

Well, Wattpad has a great platform to begin with. They have 10 million unique visitors a month and a new member registers on their site every 2.5 seconds. People who are on Wattpad are there for one of two reasons. Either they love to write or they love to read. Some of them do both. When I began to upload LIFE'S A WITCH, it was a bit slow taking off at first, but once people began to comment, there were a few things I did to continue to get the word out there.

One was that I responded to every single comment that was left on my page and on the stories. This is really hard to continue in present day (and four-five stories/books later), but I try my best. I think it makes my fans feel like they know me and that I'm accessible to them. And when a fan has access to you and can see you more as a real person and not just a faceless writer, I think it makes them more prone to become brand ambassadors or super fans who will tell their friends about your books if they like them. So, there was that...but I also have a YouTube channel where I do author videos where I talk about the writing process, I have a blog where I talk about my experiences writing and am active on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

By the time I'd finished uploading LIFE'S A WITCH on Wattpad, I had over 6 million reads of it. And just about a year after I began uploading the book, I had 18 million reads of it!

You must have totally freaked out. What happened after the hits started climbing? Give us the deets!

Ahhhh! Man, after I had 1,000 reads of the first chapter, I was beyond psyched! I remember thinking it was just such an amazing feeling, after SO many years of rejection, hearing that people were enjoying the story! And then the number just kept getting bigger! I million, then 6 million and just before a year after I began uploading, I had 18 million reads of the book! People were acting out scenes from the story in public, fans were calling themselves "Twitches" (a term in the book for teenage witch). And then some of my fans started asking where they could buy it, even though they could read it on Wattpad for free. But book lovers want that tangible book in their hand, on their bookshelf, so they can share with friends....so, I decided to self-publish.

An incredible journalist at Publisher's Weekly heard about my story and decided to do an article on me, and that got the publishing industry buzzing. Then, a few weeks after I self-pubbed, he did a follow-up on me. By this time, I'd gotten a literary agent, a foreign rights agent and a movie/TV rights agent. And then something was written about me in The Huffington Post and suddenly the whole publishing world was interested in the book. We ended up going into auction with four different publishers and ultimately, I chose to go with Simon & Schuster!!!

After all the success, what made you decide to sign your book with a publisher instead of staying in self publishing?

Although I got my start by self-publishing it wasn't my sole intention. I self-published because there was a demand for my book and it wasn't happening traditionally. When I was approached about going with a traditional publisher, I weighed my options. The bottom line is that signing with Simon & Schuster offered me benefits I couldn't have gotten through self-publishing.

One, I got an advance, which allows me to now write full-time. This was one of my biggest dreams since I was a little kid. Now I get to wake up every day and do what I love, while sitting at home and being my own boss. It's pretty amazing, and I couldn't do it without the generous advances from my books. Two, by going with S&S, I have help with so many aspects of the publishing game. From publicists to marketing, to editors....everyone is a pro at their jobs and I have access to them. Of course, I'm not their only author, so I still have to do stuff myself, but I would have had to do it all if I was self-publishing. And three....being with a traditional publisher gets me into bookstores and libraries. This, I couldn't have done on my own. But the reason I went with S&S specifically was because they're forward-thinkers. They've tried some outside-the-box ideas in the past and understand that the literary world is changing and they want to be a part of that. I'm SO happy with my decision!

What's next for you in your career? Do you plan to continue self publishing or stick to the traditional route. Maybe both?

I won't count out anything for the future. We live in such an amazing time right now, where there are so many opportunities available to us as authors. You can go traditional, you can do self-publishing. You just have to decide which one's right for which project. There are a ton of really successful self-published authors--in fact, a large amount of the books that are on the top books lists are self-published. Gone are the days where self-published authors are automatically branded as wannabe writers who aren't good enough to be published traditionally.

Right now I'm looking forward to my traditional publishing journey with S&S! WHAT THE SPELL?, the prequel/spin-off to LIFE'S A WITCH, will be the first book in the LAW series and comes out everywhere January 29th! Then, a new and improved LIFE'S A WITCH will come out in May 2013, followed by the sequel, THE WITCH IS BACK in Jan 2014! Hopefully those books will do so well that we'll be able to do more. I also have a few other books I've already written that I'd like to try and publish. But, if those books aren't traditionally published, I'd be fine with self-publishing them. I think in the future, it won't be a matter of whether more of my books will be published, it will be how.

Okay, here are a few things to help us get to know you better. Just say "This" or "That"

Witch or Fairy (Duh! Didn't you hear? This is the year of the Witch?)

Book or ebook (Book....I love the feel of it in my hands. I love the smell. I love the pages. I love everything about it. BUT I did just get a iPad mini for Christmas, so I might have to give an e-book a try!)

Sports or art (Television and movies...does that fall under art? I'm a huge TV buff and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE movies! If only I could act, I might've become an actress! Now, I'm just hoping that LIFE'S A WITCH is made into a movie or show, too!!!)

Thanks for stopping by Brittany!

If you are interested in the giveaway, enter the random drawing below. Or feel free to ask Brittany a question in the comments!

Catch up on her books on the web:

To read an excerpt
To watch a trailer

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Adult & Marketing (Author Meredeth Houston)

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:52:00 +0000

New Adult and Marketing

Meredeth Houston (author of Colors Like Memories)

You’ve probably heard about the relatively new genre that has entered the scene: New Adult. It’s been around on the web for a while (since 2009 according to Wikipedia), and lately it has started to really take off. TheNew York Times article in December really got a lot of people talking.

Basically, New Adult is targeted toward 18-25 year olds who are leaving home, entering college, experiencing changes in relationships, and learning what it means to be an adult. While there have been plenty of cries of “marketing-ploy” around the web, I think New Adult fits a needed gap in books I wish I’d had when I was younger. The only books I can remember reading that were set in college were the Sweet Valley University books (I am totally dating myself by admitting to reading those!). Books were always my way of pre-experiencing life changes, and I would have loved some books that talked about what it was like to share three sinks with twenty other college freshman in the dorms.

Some of the marketing concerns about New Adult come from bookstores, who are scratching their heads over what to do with these books—place them with YA, or with adult? Maybe find a way to squeeze in a new shelf somewhere? As the popularity of the genre grows, and I think it will as it draws from the older fans of YA and huge adult-loving-YA base, it will sort out.

There is also the question of whether college kids really read. I’ve heard this so many times—that people this age don’t have time to read. Considering I work with college kids every day, I can definitely say this isn’t the case. Yeah, sure they are busy and may not read at the same rate as they did in high school, but I always get an enthusiastic response when I ask what a student is reading for fun.

One of the really cool aspects of marketing New Adult is the fact that this age group often has their own source of income that they are free to use on any book they want. They no longer have to ask, or get approval from parents to purchase what they want to read. There’s been a lot said about how this allows for the steamier scenes that won’t be censored by an adult who wouldn’t want their child reading any explicit. In terms of selling books, it allows more room for targeting the audience directly, and not the parents (though they may want to read your book too!).

(Goodreads graph on New Adult growth)

Another bonus is the fact that many people this age already have ereaders, read on their phones, or computers. A lot of the early success in this genre was with self-published books, and this is testament to the fact that the New Adult age range is much more willing to pick up and ebook and read it on the bus or between classes.

My second novel, The Chemistry of Fate, will release in April and it falls firmly into the New Adult genre. In pulling together some marketing plans, there are a few things that I’m thinking about that capitalize on this market:

College creative writing classes. I live in a university town, and there’s also a junior college nearby. Both offer writing classes, and it doesn’t hurt to send an email to the professor asking if they’d be interested in a little presentation to their students about writing/publishing/something unique you can offer. (It’s probably better to do this early in a semester—just a recommendation from this professor!)

Book clubs. Maybe it was just me, but this was an area that I had a hard time with when my first book came out, as Colors Like Memories is YA. A lot of book groups (even ones I’m an active participant in!) weren’t willing to read it as it was meant for “kids.” Well, New Adult definitely allows for a broader base in that area. Also, I think more and more adults are getting comfortable with reading books with younger characters—50%+ of YA books are purchased for adult readers according to Bowker.

Word of mouth. Okay, this is a part of any marketing plan, but the thing with YA is that while there are some awesome teens that run book blogs and other means of spreading the book-love, there are a lot more college students who do so. Plugging into the college social media scene has its perks (even more than wasting time during lecture!).

Have you read any New Adult? Do you have any additional ideas for how to market to this age group?

Here are a few resources I’ve found useful:

-The Goodreads New Adult genre, to add to your TBR pile

-The twitter #NewAdult hashtag always has great links and books listed.

-There are a lot of blogs, but I’m partial to NA Alley (do see their Resources tab—lots of great links!)

Find Meredeth online:

-Website: http://www.meradethhouston.com/

-Blog: http://meradethhouston.blogspot.com/

-Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeradethHouston

-Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ColorsLikeMemories

Reference: Graph image from: http://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/398-young-adult-gets-old

More book news!

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 01:30:00 +0000

Some how I missed this news with holidays and Disney trip.

Untraceable was named a Finalist in the U.S. Book News Book Awards for Young Adult!

Thanks to U.S. Book News!

I will say I was alsop a finalist in The Kindle Book Review along with the last entry - Wanted Dead or Undead. The book is a good book so if you are looking for a new zombie book - try it!

Fiction: Young Adult

Winner
The Whitest Wall by Jodee Kulp
Better Endings New Beginnings
978-14563248498

Finalist
Freedom Road by T.M. Souders
CreateSpace
978-1479283231

Finalist
Guardians Inc.: The Cypher by Julian Rosado-Machain
CreateSpace
978-1466455337

Finalist
Pirate & Hoopoe by Diarmid Cammell & Karima Cammell
Dromendary Press
978-0-9788966-0-7

Finalist
Unchained by L.B. Tillit
Saddleback Educational Publishing, Inc.
978-1616517922

Finalist
Untraceable, Book I in the Nature of Grace Series

by S.R. Johannes
Coleman & Stott
978-0984799121

Finalist
WANTED: Dead or Undead, The Zombie West Series (Book #1) by Angela Scott
Evolved Publishing
978-1622538515

Some News and 2013 Focus

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:06:00 +0000

So I have some great (unexpected) news that came up over the holiday!

I have a new foreign rights agent! Yay! Jennifer Custer is with AM Heath in London, one of the oldest literary agencies in the UK. Now Untraceable and friends will be at Bologna in March and fingers crossed we can jump the pond. :)

In a way it was serendipitous as I think these things often are - Jennifer is from Atlanta and the South so she personally connected to the story when it came across her desk. She lives in London with her hubby so we also share foreign hubbys (not the same one but our hubbys are foreigners :). Also - a big thank you to the Alliance of Independent Authors because they introduced me to Jennifer. You can find out more about them on the right side of my page.

This is very important to me. For one - it is hard to get your indie-pubbed work out internationally. And two - I must say it is nice to have someone on my side again. I haven't had that for a couple years since my last agent and I parted - so this is a great change for 2013.

I've also reestablished my goals for the year.

I'm trying to balance social media with writing and giving back to the writing community. I don't want to just focus on one or the other. And as I've mentioned before, giving back in some way is important to me.

Priorities

Write more on a schedule
Post blogs on a schedule - 2-3 times a week
Schedule time on social media when taking breaks
Only attend conferences I speak at or have a direct tie in to my craft or the business of publishing
Find ways to give back to all authors and the writing community.

Publishing Goals

Continue indie publishing while maybe testing out some traditional publishing options.
Query my shiny new project to see what publishing path is best - indie or traditional (haven't decided yet)
Release Unstoppable (book 3) in May (indie)
Finish releasing the SUFFOCATE novelette series over the summer (indie)
Release a fourth book in Fall? (indie)

Marketing goals

Reach the reader more directly - skype visits etc
Update my web site - lord knows it needs it
Continue to be authentic
Try to find a way to support a couple nature organizations with my Nature of Grace series
National coverage (have not clue how yet :)

Aggressive but doable only because my books are already planned and plotted - it's just writing and editing, which is the easiest part for me.

A huge personal goal is to establish my worth and stick to it. Without going into detail, I often accept less than what I deserve to accommodate others or I give more than is expected - so this shift in mindset is a hard one for me.

Writing Goals

From a writing perspective, I am moving in one direction for now: Contemporary Thrillers (adult and new adult)

I want to create fast-paced novels. Untraceable was not as fast-paced as Uncontrollable (in my opinion). I think that was primarily because there was too much feedback on Untraceable in the beginning and I lost confidence in my own work with my old agent.

Tone down my urge to add descriptions and narrative
Up the pacing
Plot in advance to make the writing part easier
Continue being open to feedback and learning my craft

What are your goals for writing/publishing this year? I'd love to hear them :)

Kindle Fire Giveaway - 20 authors

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 14:35:00 +0000

20 Amazing Authors plus more than 100 of the Best Bloggers have joined together to bring you 1 Amazing Giveaway!

The winner will have the option of receiving a Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

This giveaway is sponsored by these Awesome Authors:

The Essence by Kimberly Derting
Alaina Claiborne by MK McClintock
Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out by Pandora Poikilos
Uncontrollable by S.R. Johannes
Hunted by Ednah Walters
Cliffhanger by Amy Saunders
I Was Here - Before You Came by Camelia Miron Skiba
Everlost by Brenda Pandos
Blood Oath by T.L. Clarke
Reaper's Novice by Cecilia Robert
Bulletproof by Jeff LaFerney
Lancaster House by Taylor Dean
Two Halves by Marta Szemik
Murder on Potrero Hill by M.L. Hamilton
Bellyache by Crystal Marcos
Kill Shot by Anne Patrick
Skid Out by Ann Marie Frohoff
Between by Mary Ting
Dragon Stones Saga by Kristian Alva
Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett

Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International).
Ends 1/31/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

JA Konrath's Revelation

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 22:12:00 +0000

So as my first post, I'm going to talk about hypocrisy in publishing.

JA Konrath has been a pioneer in self-publishing. Those of us who have traveled down the self- publishing road know of him. His blog, his opinions, his books. He's been a man who has stood up for his right to publish. A man who has been vocal in his distaste for publishing. And a successful self publishing author (who of course build his audience with a traditional publisher).

Every year, Konrath lists his New Years Resolutions and sometimes gives his prediction for indie publishing for the year to come.

This year JA Konrath's big statement - is telling indie authors and writers to "Get over yourself and just write."

Really?

For years, JA Konrath has promoted social networking, connected with readers, supported indie publishing, and helped authors move forward in their goal of publishing.

But now that he's made it big - he suddenly preaches, "Go on your own and forget everyone who helped you get there?" which of course was picked up by MediaBistro.

I'm sorry Mr. Konrath, but for once, I respectfully disagree with your post. I dont want to start a battle with him because to be frank he would chew me up and spit me out.

But this hypocrisy is what bothers me about some big-time authors. Self published or traditionally published.

They network with writers, connect with readers, network, blog and then when they make it big (usually with the help of those people) - they suddenly decide they don't have time for it anymore.

They decide they should just focus on themselves.

All in the name of writing.

Don't get me wrong, I think we do need to focus on writing more. The craft. Creating good stories. Spend less time online. But this to me was a - forget you- kind of statement. Not in the name of craft persay.

This view is a bit distorted. A tad shady. It makes me feel like they're networking just to sell. Not to connect and learn and assist. It's a mentality of "Let's do what we can to meet as many people to get ahead, build readers, and then when we make it really big and boast about sales and money - we don't have time for you anymore."

Now JA Konrath's big revelation is that he just wants to write??

Don't we all?

I understand this view. Sometimes I just want to write. Check out. Be alone. And sometimes I do take that time. But does it have to be all or none?

I kinda feel like I have somewhat of an obligation to continue connecting with those I've met along the way. Those I've been connecting with. Those who have helped me. To respond to readers who give my book a chance. To connect with authors. But most of all, to give back to others.

Maybe this is a problem of mine. Maybe this is not the popular view anymore. But I think it should be. Especially if readers and writers are a big part of what got you where you are today.

I understand the need to write and prioritize. But to use the system to your benefit - start a blog, go on Facebook and pretend to connect, - make it big, and then back-out or disconnect when paychecks get too big and your name gets known - is a crappy thing to do.

What Konrath forgets is there are many authors who make it big and DON'T forget their readers, still talk at conferences to help writers, and maintain connections who helped them. They are able to do both. Sometimes one may falter but they try. maybe not equally but at least a little.

I hope as I continue to grow my career and explore different paths that I continue to blog, tweet, connect, share, and help others. I hope I don't blow people off.

I don't think it has to be one or the other. I think I can write and still make time to connect.

Will I be able to do all of this every day or as much as I have in the past? No.
Will I let people down? Probably.
But will I try? Yes.
Will I make a declaration that I no longer have time for readers, writers, or the publishing industry? Never. Because that is not what I believe.

Bestselling authors would not be where they are without the community of writers and their loyal readers.

What are your thoughts?

Raised Over $5,500 in 5 days! Thank you!

noreply@blogger.com (Shelli (srjohannes)) — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 21:29:00 +0000

Thank you donators and bidders!

The auction has come to a close!

Thank you to everyone who participate in donating and bidding! Special thanks to those who wanted to donate but we could not squeeze in :(

Notes:

All bids are closed.
All emails to winners have gone out.
Please donate your bids by tomorrow at the link sent in your email.
If you did not leave any contact information and we could not find you - the second person won.
If you left a twitter id only - we have tweeted you. Please contact us by midnight tonight for your item/instructions.
All winners and donators will be linked up by tomorrow - once donation is complete. :

We appreciate your generosity during this auction.

We raise over $5, 500 in 5 short days!

We have been overwhelmed at the response from both donators and bidders! My goal was 5,000 and as you can see we exceeded this.

Thank you for your support in the auction and for a good cause - esp right before the holidays.

Happy Holidays!

Shelli, Miral and Kate.