Monday, August 19, 2013

A LONG DISTANCE INTERVIEW FROM HONG KONG WITH AUTHOR ARTHUR CRANDON

Before we get started...
In honour of a friend who struggles with his own Nightmare Wraith...
Starting today (8/23) for 48 hours only, Dream Weaver for Kindle will be on sale on Amazon for only .99 cents. I know a lot of people like FREE books, but at this price, an author only sees .35 cents profit for their months or years of work. I hope you'll all take advantage and please share this link with your friends!


AND NOW........
Introducing author Arthur Crandon
If I remember correctly, Arthur and I originally connected on Twitter. Isn't that such a great place to meet people from all over the world?! And even though our genres are vastly different, we hit it off. I started following his blog, which never fails to make me smile and sometimes even laugh out loud...which is fete. I just 'get' his humor and he's not one of those authors trying to pass it off as though he knows it all. He's learning like the rest of us and shares what he's learned. But enough of that. Let's get to know him...

Hong Kong
Okay, first of all, we’d like to know about living in Hong Kong! And what took you so far from home…the UK, right?
Well, first of all, I love Hong Kong. It is a positive place, and a very multicultural environment.  We have great beaches, shops, restaurants and weather.  It is the height of the summer now, very hot. I have been in South East Asia for more than ten years now.  I moved to the Philippines when I retired from my legal practice, my wife is a Philippina, and fell in love with Asia.
One of Arthur's Favorite Places

That's Life!
How does your life experience factor in to your writing?
I have used my rather extraordinary life experiences, some good, but mainly bad.  I am glad now that some good is coming from my difficulties.

The 50 Word Test
If you had to summarize your book in, say, 50 words, what would you say?
It’s an unusual book. A crime/thriller set in Asia. It is set in the beautiful Philippines, but it exposes the worst side of human nature and life in the islands.  The murderous, treacherous, lustful and corrupt events in the book did not really happen, but they could have…
Wow, Arthur! I'm impressed! 49 words...you had one to spare!

Casting Call
Just for fun…and I know most of us do this…who would your dream cast be if your book became a movie?
The three Key characters are Consuelo, Chloe and Paul. Consuelo, a crooked and evil politician could be played by Robert de Niro.  Chloe, his attractive and long suffering wife could be Angelina Jolie, and Kiefer Sutherland would play Paul, the old soldier, well.
LOL! I figured you for an Angelina Jolie kind of guy! It's the lips, isn't it?

Your Favorites
Tell us about your favorite books.
I have always loved John Grisham. His novels have always attracted me because of the legal aspects, and my favourite book would have to be "A time to Kill" - http://www.amazon.com/Time-Kill-Novel-John-Grisham/dp/0440245915/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376894985&sr=1-10

What website has been the most help to you?
I think Goodreads is a very useful and helpful website to ALL authors. It is full of good advice and nice people to meet.

Advice?
Any promo/marketing advice?
I have had to think long and hard about what to say here. Things are changing so fast in the industry that much of the advice given today will be out of date in six months time.  The only advice I would offer is to start with the basics.  Make sure you have a good product to market – A good, professional cover. A well-written, well-edited and formatted.  If you have all those things, a positive attitude will take you a long way.

Now for all the big stuff!
Your links:

Buy links too:

A Little Fun
Finally, I always love the fun pics you add to your blog. Do you have a special one just for us?
Couldn't be more perfect! Thanks, Arthur!
 And of course I can't leave off without adding some of my own fav pics!
Ode to an old friend. Yes, that's a gerbil.
He squoze into any box he could find

And demanded outside for thunderstorms!
Thanks everyone for visiting! I'm always happy to find you here!
And as aways...
Dare to Dream,
Su

Thursday, August 15, 2013

COMING UP...AND UP AND COMING!

COMING SOON...
Greetings, all. I just wanted to share with you some of the things I've got coming along soon. First, I anxiously await interview answers from Mr. Arthur Crandon of Hong Kong. Arthur has written a novel entitled Deadly Election and I took the opportunity to pick his brain a bit. As soon as I have his answers to my questions, I will be posting it for you here.

Second, I had the privilege of meeting Mr. William Kenower at this summer's PNWA conference last month. He did a seminar on Marketing & Promotion for indie authors. His class was one of those that keeps you thinking and a bit entertained as well. I got to speak with him after the session, and he was kind enough to consent to an interview. So, I plan to feature him in an upcoming post.

THIRD...& A FIRST
I recently joined a group on Goodreads for indie authors. I introduced myself and left it at that. The next morning, I had an email in my inbox from an author named Jennifer Loveless. She introduced herself and told me about her children's books that have received 5 star reviews from Reader's Favorite, and requested an interview. Absolutely! So I am very excited to introduce Jennifer, my first ever children's author interview, some time in the next couple of weeks. Keep an eye out for 'Holly Horse and the Great Quest'!

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Dyson says, 'Vote today!'
The cover for Dream Weaver is still doing great on the AuthorsdB.com cover contest...hovers in the top 8. So please please please keep passing the word and vote. Shawn Foote, the artist, truly deserves the props for his amazing artwork.


Also, Dream Weaver was place on a few lists on Listopia on Goodreads. Again, I would muchly appreciate any support you can give by taking a few quick minutes to vote. Currently, Dream Weaver is #1 on Great Paranormal Indie Books Everyone Should Know About. I am pleasantly surprised. Below are the links to various Listopia lists that Dream Weaver is on. Every vote counts and each is a stepping stone to getting the book in front of people.

I realize there are quite a few lists, so choose the ones you prefer.
YA Books About Depression, Self-harm & Suicide (Dream Weaver is tied for 20th)
Books With Darker Themes (Dream Weaver is 9th)
YA INDIE (tied for 14th)
New Indie Books (tied for 11th)
Am I Blue? YA & Adult Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Covers (in 26th up against some big books!)
First in a Series 2013 (not sure where it's at; up against 551 other books!)
Best 'Eye' on the Cover (192 out of 481)

Thank you all so much! On this learning journey, I've discovered that writing a book is a lot like raising a child...it takes a village. It will take little things like your vote to boost Dream Weaver through the crowd of indie books out there! I am convinced this is not a one author job.

And as always!

Dare to Dream!
Su
 
PS...My daughter is an anime fan and we recently attend a con here in Spokane, KuroNekoCon! Sarah was Princess Luna from My Little Pony, and we got a pic with her favorite Dr. from Dr. Who.
But alas, the weekend playing royalty wore her out. We had a great time, though!

Oh Hey! And a special shout out to the folks from Romania, Latvia and Sweden who come to visit! Thanks, guys!
 

Monday, August 5, 2013

HAPPY SUMMER DAY!!!

Tough little tree! Perseverance!
LOVIN' SUMMER
I love the sun, little darlin'. I love the sun, dootn doo doo. Aw yes, I must be waxing nostalgic. Damn, I hope I'm not dating myself. Oh, well. I've got so much to share with everyone but I don't want to overwhelm you. So I'll have to rein myself in a bit. I hope everyone is enjoying the posts with great reader/writer sites, as well as the author interviews. I went to the PNWA conference last month and met some more great writers to introduce to you. But...not...just...yet...

FEATURED WEBSITES
This week's post is about featuring great websites for aspiring authors and voracious readers. I've featured so many already but there is still a never-ending plethora of places for public perusal. So, let's get to it...

Awesomegang.com is 'where great readers meet great writers.' Authors can submit their books for free, and the Awesomegang staff typically gets the info into their newsletter within a couple of days. They were so fast, something I am not used to, that I missed the edition my book was listed in, and I had to ask for a link to the newsletter. (Dream Weaver on Awesomegang) Awesomegang is also connected to BookGoodies.com. Both are great venues to get your story out before the public. And they have lists of all the genres, so readers can find new authors to stalk.

Another great reader/writer site is The Masquerade Crew. This month is Mystery Month on the Crew. So, if that's your thing, check 'em out. They do promotions, reviews, giveaways and features. And they conduct some fun contests too!
If you'd like to connect with The Masquerade Crew:

TWO GOOD TO KNOW
There are two kinda-big sites that everyone should or has gone to. One is Reader's Favorite, book reviews and award contests. They sponsor book contests and give free reviews. Granted, the wait time can be a long one because their process is meant to mirror the actual book-buying experience. But they offer a range of services from free to a reasonable fee. And they don't just review for us indie types. They've worked with greats like James Patterson, Nicholas Sparks and David Baldacci. So getting the Reader's Favorite seal of approval is a big deal! Become a Tweep at

The other site is AskDavid.com Now getting listed on this site can take a bit of time unless you're willing to pay a little bit ($15). I just double checked and they are closed to 'free' submissions for a while because they are so overwhelmed by requests. It's another great site to get the word out or find a great book. They even offer promo packages! David's Twitter handle is and he has 18,300 followers. Now that's exposure! 

TA DAH!
Well, there you have it! All of this week's phenomenal sites for writers and readers. Check them out and let me know what you think!

MARISSA MEYER
By now, regulars know I am a true fan of Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles), not just as a writer but as a person. I try to keep tabs on what she's doing without being too stalker-ish. Recently, I was sent a link to a post on her blog via Goodreads. In the post, she outlines her editing technique. I was amazed at how complex it was. And I wanted to share it with all of you. So, if you're a writer-ly type in need of some ideas, CHECK THIS OUT! And she has a cool site, too.

STILL LOOKING FOR VOTES!
Thank you to all of you who have voted in the AuthorsdB.com Book Cover Contest. Please, please, please spread the word to your friends. Word of mouth is the best advertisement! If each person who has jumped on the Dream Weaver train just tells 5 friends, not just about the contest, but the book as well, and so on, the reach can be astronomical. I'd appreciate all the help I can get! So here's the link to the cover contest:Dream Weaver cover

And please don't forget to pass on the buy links to people you know who might like Dream Weaver.
As always...
Dare to Dream!
Su