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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The Chronicles of Kerrigan by W.J. May

My guest today is W.J. May, author of the Chronicles of Kerrigan stories, Rae of Hope and Dark Nebula.

Traditional Publishing vs Indie
by WJ May

This is kinda the age-old talk for the past few years. When I first started looking to publish my writing I swore I would never go self-published, that I would find an agent, a publisher and “let them do all the work.”  I figured I had little marketing ability – to a degree. I own my own business and 90% of what we sell is online. So I do know how to market online. Sorta. My business deals in vintage jewelry. Marketing a book and a Victorian ring have different clientele.  Or do they?

Shoot. I’m already off topic.  My title for this blog deal with traditional publishing versus self publishing and I’m already talking about marketing. Let me set the course back where I should be.

I did start out as I fully intended and luckily got picked up by the amazing Dawn Dowdle from BlueRidge Litary Agency (http://blueridgeagency.com/). I signed my first contract January 2011, just a day after the New Year.

It was exciting and an awesome process of learning how to edit, seeing my cover for the first time, doing more edits, finalizing and then having the book come out in print.  I tried watching sales, but it’s hard to do and quarterly reports only came in, (lol) four times a year.  With self pubbing, you can check anytime you want.

Here I am now self-pubbing a series. It was incredibly frustrating learning how to do everything; from setting up the format, finding someone to do my cover, etc… I got very lucky and have a great writing friend who started writing around the same time as me and went the indie route. She’s had great success and suggested some great formatters, cover designers, etc…  I’d have been lost without her.

I’ve just started January 15th with my first book self published so it’s hard to say traditional or self pubbing is better.  For each pro, I can think of a con and vice versa. I’m on the fence. One thing for sure – the marketing is the same amount of work. Publishers want you to market and get your book out. They want you to tour or consider book signings, blogging, facebooking, twittering, etc… etc…

I bet in six months I’ll have jumped off the fence and picked a side to enjoy the grass on. The interesting question is if it will be on the Indie side or the Publishing side? What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by and reading my babble. Enjoy your day and be good—ish J
WJ May 





Rae of Hope
The Chronicles of Kerrigan
Book One
W.J. May

Genre:  Young Adult – Fantasy  (Paranormal, Romance, Suspense)

ASIN  B00B1NNFR0

Number of pages: 248pgs

Word Count: 81,000

Amazon    BN   Smashwords

Book Description:

How hard do you have to shake the family tree to find the truth about the past?

Fifteen year-old Rae Kerrigan never really knew her family's history. Her mother and father died when she was young and it is only when she accepts a scholarship to the prestigious Guilder Boarding School in England that a mysterious family secret is revealed.

Will the sins of the father be the sins of the daughter?

As Rae struggles with new friends, a new school and a star-struck forbidden love, she must also face the ultimate challenge: receive a tattoo on her sixteenth birthday with specific powers that may bind her to an unspeakable darkness. It's up to Rae to undo the dark evil in her family's past and have a ray of hope for her future.


Dark Nebula
The Chronicles of Kerrigan
Book Two
W.J. May

Genre:  Young Adult – Fantasy  (Paranormal, Romance, Suspense)

Word count: 85,000
Page count: 265 pages


Book Description:

Nothing is as it seems anymore.

Leery from the horrifying incident at the end of her first year at Guilder Boarding School, Rae Kerrigan is determined to learn more about her new tattoo. Her expectations are high, an easy senior year and a happy reunion with Devon, the boy she’s not supposed to date. All hopes of happiness turn into shattered dreams the moment she steps back on campus.

Lies and secrets are everywhere, and a betrayal cuts Rae deeply. Among her conflicts and enemies, it appears as if her father is reaching out from beyond the grave to ruin her life. With no one to trust, Rae doesn’t know where or who to turn to for help.
Has her destiny been written? Or will she become the one thing she hates the most—her father’s prodigy.

Book Trailer - http://youtu.be/Ca24STi_bFM

About the Author:
Wanita May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario - St.Catharines. Crazy-happy childhood, she always has had a vivid imagination and loads of energy.

The youngest of six -- four older brothers, and a sister -- taught her at a young age to be competitive in all aspects of life.

At sixteen, she began competing in athletics (track and field) and before she turned seventeen, she was representing Canada in high jump. She continued to compete, breaking Canada's JR High Jump record (1.92m - 6' 3 1/2" for those metric-ly challenged). She attented University of Toronto, and Kansas State University - winning CIAU's and becoming All-American 6x - NCAA Indoors Runner Up + more.

But you're not interested in her athletic career - unless of course you're curious to know she stands 1.70m (5'7") and has jumped 20cm over her head on more than one occassion. She's represented Canada at the World Championships, World Jrs., won Francophone Games, and loved every minute of every competition. From the grueling workouts, the crazy weights she lifted on her back, the days she thought her lungs were going to spit out of her mouth for lack of oxygen, the travelling around the world and the opportunity to read - her favourite past time.

Wanita and her husband now run an online business, dealing in antiques and collectables - particularly jewelry and porcelain.

After her father passed away in 2009, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes he won the fight against), she began to write again. A passion she'd loved for years, but realized life was too short to keep putting it off.

She is currently represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Wanita is a writer of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction and where ever else her little muses take her.



Twitter: @wanitajump


Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/812657.W_J_May

Thursday, February 21, 2013

A Bibliophile's Thoughts on Books: SWOON Thursday (#37): Heart

A Bibliophile's Thoughts on Books: SWOON Thursday (#37): Heart:  Hosted by YA Bound From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you S...

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Eternal Press Authors for Eternal Love Valentines Blog Hop and Contest


Eternal Press Authors for Eternal Love
Valentines Blog Hop and Contest!



Readers! Would you like to win free E-books from your favorite Eternal Press authors?
How?
Rules: Each time a "Hopper" leaves a comment and email address on a participating author's blog, the "Hopper gets another entry in the drawing (8 possible entries)!!

Comments will be tallied from February 14, 2013 through February 16, 2013 at midnight (eastern time). The winner will be drawn on February 17, 2013.

We've made it easy because we Love our Readers!
The list of blogs to hop to and prizes is listed at the bottom of the post.  
Good Luck!


Welcome to my Valentine's blog today!

I decided to do something relating to my book Salvation for my post today (it's one of the prizes in the blog hop) one of the main characters from the book is Jareth (a sexy pirate ghost), so I thought I'd do a little research and see how Valentine's Day was celebrated in the 1700's.  I think someone had better tell him about the changes in the last 300 years to this occasion  because I'm pretty sure Miranda isn't going to quite get it if he does what they did way back then...

In the 1700's ...

English women wrote the names of men on a piece of paper and dropped them into the water. The first paper to rise to the surface was to be their one true love. Also in the 1700's single English women would pin 5 bay leaves to their pillow to inspire dreams of their future lovers

Groups of friends would draw names from a jar. Gifts were given to the names drawn and for several days the men wore the name of their Valentine on their sleeve. The saying, "wearing his heart on his sleeve" probably came from this custom.

A valentine poem then:

The rose is red, the violet’s blue
The honey’s sweet, and so are you
Thou are my love and I am thine
I drew thee to my Valentine
The lot was cast and then I drew
And Fortune said it shou’d be you.
—Gammer Gurton’s Garland, 1784



Here's the list of authors and the prize they're offering.  Just follow the list from blog to blog. 
Remember to visit all the authors below and leave a comment and email address
for an entry to the
Eternal Press Authors for Eternal Love Valentines Blog Hop and Contest.
Good Luck!


Barbara Winkes - Winter Storm (sequel to Autumn Leaves) www.barbarawinkes.blogspot.ca
Em EpeOnly Because it was You, Gus McRaidy http://www.emeperomances.blogspot.com/
Gianna Bruno - The Journey or Hot Chocolate Kiss (winner's choice) http://giannabruno.blogspot.com
Jacqueline Paige Salvation http://jacqpaige.blogspot.com/
Leanna Harrow - Killing the Desire http://authorteasereadings.wordpress.com
Linda Hays-Gibbs - Angel in My Heart, Devil in My Soul http://www.lindahaysgibbs.blogspot.com
Maeve Alpin - Conquistadors In Outer Space http://maevealpin.wordpress.com/

Stephanie O'Hanlon - Affaire de Coeur www.stephanieohanlonwriter.blogspot.ca


Happy Valentines Day!  I hope it's filled with love, goodies and whatever your heart desires!



Jacqueline Paige
Step into a world of magic and passions. . .
All Things Paranormal

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

An invitation...

...with a prize.

I've been working hard on the new promotions coming up for the Magic Seasons and decided to celebrate all my hard work getting the series done and out there, I needed to have a launch day on the new MSS blog.  Invitations are going out all over the place, so I thought I may as well put one here too.

 An invitation to follow the Magic Seasons book series blog…

By multi-published paranormal romance author Jacqueline Paige

With the upcoming release of the fifth book in the series, a new blog has been created just for the series. Excerpts, reviews, facts and much more will be on the blog (some of it will only be posted to the MSS blog) In March a two month tour begins for the series with prize draws along the way.  All the details will be posted on the blog, follow the tour and increase your chances.

The ‘official’ launch date of the blog will be on release day for book V- Winter Mist, become one of the followers now for a chance to win a signed copy of any one of the books in the series – winners choice – the draw will take place on March 18th.

Start with the welcome message and a little bit about the characters from the series MSS welcome message.

Hope to see you there!

Jacqueline Paige
Step into a world of magic and passions. . .
All Things Paranormal

Monday, February 11, 2013

The next five days...

(I updated this post later in the day it was posted.  Forgot one stop.  *sigh*)

....are going to be crazy in a fun way.  I am quite literally all over the web with interviews, reviews, blog hops...

Here's the list:

Monday - Friday featured on Sapphyria's Book Reviews

Tuesday  From Beltane Magic and The Solstice Heat from the Magic Seasons series will be at
Not Just 9 to 5

Wednesday Autumn Dance from the Magic Seasons series will be at
Books, Books and More Books

Thursday Heart from the Animal Trilogy will be at
Book, Books and More Books

Thursday - Saturday
on this blog the Eternal Press for Eternal Love Valentines Blog hop (with prizes!)
More information will be posted here on Monday and I will have the list and more info along with my post on Thursday.

All this week, stop in at Ravencraft's Romance Realm for a chance to win prizes from many different authors!   My love letter from Devin in Heart will be up on Wednesday.   The prize I tossed into the bag is a PDF copy of Heart: Animal Trilogy.  Good luck!



Jacqueline Paige
Step into a world of magic and passions. . .
All Things Paranormal
http://jacqpaige.webs.com/
http://magicseasonsbooks.blogspot.ca/

Monday, February 4, 2013

The Good, the bad and the ugly...

The title for today's blog just seemed to fit.  :)

First, the good news is in March there will be a tour for The Magic Seasons series - with prizes!  I'll post the details as soon as I have them.

The bad is the release of Winter Mist has been delayed by an unforeseen issue at the publisher.  It will be out on March 15th now.

The ugly is... winter came back where I live. Ugh! I went from dodging mud puddles to snow knee deep all in a twenty-four hour period.  *sigh*

I spent a little time today and set up my schedule for the next month on the side of the blog.  So many fabulous places I'm visiting this month- I can't wait!   Next weeks stop at Ravencraft Realm will also have prizes from several authors, I'll post the details when I have them.

Stop by and visit tomorrow...   http://www.booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/


Jacqueline Paige
Step into a world of magic and passions. . .
All Things Paranormal
http://jacqpaige.webs.com/
http://magicseasonsbooks.blogspot.ca/