Yesterday marks a huge day for me as I finally published my first novel on Amazon and I’m pretty much…terrified. I spent a week going over the book one last time, addressing Heather’s recommendations (from Red Adept Reviews)  and then sat staring at my computer screen for a tortuously long time on the night of the 6th, before taking the plunge. I decided to enroll in Amazon’s KDP program, which means the digital selling of my book is exclusive to Kindle for at least 6 months. If you are an Amazon Prime member and own a Kindle, you can read my book for FREE using the ‘Lending Library’! After that, I can start selling on Nook and other platforms. Paperback copies will be available at a later date all depending on how this eBook process unfolds.

Right now, I need reviews and ‘likes’ on Amazon and abroad!

On my book’s Amazon page, just to the right of the cover you’ll see a graphic like the one above. Be generous and ‘like’ it – I will be in your debt. If you happen to purchase ‘The Mayfair Moon’, I would love a good review! :-) I’m also looking for book reviewers out there who might be interested in delving into my story and telling their readers what they think of it. So, if you know any personally, please send then my way!

As with any new author, I’m both excited and scared out of my mind, but this step in my lifelong journey to become a published author is (it feels like) long overdue, and despite being afraid, I’m also happy. :-)

I really hope you all like it!

Alright, folks! I’m getting a Kindle around February and I want to help give indie/self-pubbed authors some deserving praise and exposure, so here’s what I’m going to do. I’m setting aside $50 to put toward the purchase of eBooks to read on my new Kindle. If you’re a self-published author and you write fiction, all you have to do is:

1.  Be following me on Twitter.
2. Be an indie or self-published author.
3. Comment on this blog post with the title of your book, genre and a link to your book on Amazon. (This is important, so read carefully: to help my paranoia, DO NOT shorten your URL so that it removes the ‘Amazon’ from your link, or I will not click on it.)
4. Also post your Twitter username.

That’s it. I will take the first however many eBooks posted (and that qualify: see below)  that equal to $50 and will buy them when I get my Kindle. In addition to purchasing your book, after I have read it and if I like it, I will rate your book on Amazon and on Goodreads and write a short-and-to-the-point review. If I can’t honestly give you at least 4 stars, I will not rate or review at all because I don’t want to give anyone public negative feedback. Keep in mind, it might take me a while to actually get to your rating and review because I’ll have several books to read ahead of yours, but I will purchase your eBook around the same time I purchase the others.

In addition to purchasing, rating and short-reviewing your eBook, I’ll tweet when I’m reading yours along with a link to your eBook on Amazon and a link to your web site/blog. The only things to keep in mind before submitting are the following:

1. It MUST be fiction
2. It MUST be either, paranormal, fantasy, young adult, paranormal romance, horror, middle-grade fantasy, dystopian, science fiction, post-apocalyptic, or anything else that you think fits these genres. I also love a good southern story with rich southern characters, or historical novels about society’s struggles and triumphs (e.g. The Color Purple), or a tragic love story (e.g. The Notebook). I’ve never been too interested in strictly romance novels, or crime and mystery, things like that. However, if you think your book has the potential to change my tastes a little, go ahead and post it and I might give it a try. I can’t guarantee it’ll be counted among one of the first chosen, so please take that into account.

I have been trolling Amazon’s eBook phenomenon for months and am really excited about finally jumping on the eBook reader bandwagon myself. Also, I want to help out any way I can with giving great indie and self-pubbed books/authors some publicity. Every little bit helps, right?

Lastly, even if you don’t post the link to your book in time for it to be among the first $50, I still encourage you to post your link for me anyway! I’m always on the lookout for great indie/self-pubbed books and I might end up checking it out later, regardless.

I have been trying to come up with a few interactive ways to get fresh eyes and opinions on my fiction and have decided on trying out a Chapter Swap with a fellow writer. Or two. Or three.  I know it’s probably difficult (I say ‘probably’ because I have yet to try it myself) to just ask someone you don’t know, “Hey, would you be interested in reading the first chapter of my novel and telling me what you think?” and they be even slightly interested. So, I’m reaching out now to other writers who are as interested in having unbiased, fresh opinions on their work, as I am.

Here’s how it works. I’ts quite simple.

If  you have written a novel and would like to swap your first chapter with mine, you can send me an email through my contact page to request a swap. Include a link to your site and your Twitter page, if you have one,  as well as the title and blurb for your book.

Depending on how many requests I get, I’ll let you know if I choose to swap with you, or not. (This is no popularity game! So please don’t be offended. If I don’t request a swap with you it only means I had more requests than I can take on, not because I didn’t like the sound of your book, or anything like that.)

After I read your first chapter, I will give you my 100% unbiased opinion of the plot, character(s), pacing, dialogue and even editing, in return for your overall about mine. I admit, I’m no professional editor and I’m no professional anything really, but having a fresh mind that will genuinely take the time to read your work  and not charge you for it, can be invaluable.

Also, it’s totally private! Both parties agree not to discuss the work with anyone else, especially in public.

The book I am interested in swapping right now is my YA Paranormal Romance - The Mayfair Moon. Below is the info.

One-sentence Blurb: After a frightening encounter with a werewolf, Adria Dawson loses the love of her sister, but gains the love of a mysterious boy and his legendary family.
Three-word Description: crossover, love, controversial
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Word Count: 82k
Status: Complete

Longer Blurb:

After a nightmarish encounter with a werewolf, seventeen-year-old Adria Dawson loses the love of her sister, but gains the love of a mysterious boy and his legendary family.

 Strange and tragic things begin to happen in the small town of Hallowell, Maine: residents come down with an unexplainable ‘illness’ and some disappear. In the midst of everything, Isaac Mayfair is adamant about keeping Adria safe, even from her sister whom he has warned her to stay away from.

 As unspeakable secrets unfold all around Adria, impossible choices become hers to bear. Ultimately, no matter what path she takes, her life and the lives of those she loves will be in peril. As she learns about the werewolf world she also learns why her place in it will change the destinies of many.