Open the Window #paranormal #ghosts #book #author

 

It's been a long while since I've posted. My writing has been in fits-and-starts due to *everything* (plus a few personal things thrown on top, just for fun). The past eight months, I've done a lot of hiking just to keep my sanity. 

I sense a new chapter is beginning, though. Not only for the world, but for myself. My characters have been waking up one by one. They're whispering in my ear at night while I'm sleeping. They're scratching at the glass to escape their own quarantines. If only that Auther person would get on it and open the damn window...

That said, I've promised to release them and I always keep my promises. Stay with me, readers. Don't forget I'm here. The sequel to Poppy will be coming in 2021. 

While you're waiting for that sequel, why don't you pick up another one of my books to pass the time (if you haven't already)? They're available via Amazon. 

Go on, don't be shy. It would honestly make my day. ;)

Frightening Friday - Dear Reader

For authors, there's nothing more soul shattering than a bad review. I'm not talking about a review where the reader genuinely didn't like the book. That's to be expected. I'm talking about a "review" wherein the "reader" was quite obviously having a bad day and venting into cyberspace. But they aren't venting into cyberspace. They're venting at real people, doing their jobs, who have lives and bad days of their own. I'm going to speak my mind in this post, so if you don't like it, please move along. Authors don't speak their minds, you know. We fear career suicide or retaliation, so we bite our tongues so as not to piss someone off and garner a bad review. Reviews are our life blood. Without them, our books sink into obscurity. Good reviews propel our books forward, while bad reviews are the kiss of death.

I'm is a sassy mood because I just finished practicing on my trapeze. Be forewarned.


Dear Reader,

Most ebooks can be bought for 0.99¢ or for the hefty price of $2.99. That's an awful lot of money, but you have to admit, it's less than the price of a latte. A latte that takes minutes to prepare, and fifteen minutes to consume. Books (presumably) will take more than that - if you take the time to read all the words.

If an author disappoints, you are welcome to enter the world of writing and give it a try. Be prepared, there are days where I spend hours working on just one sentence. In fact, I would suggest setting aside 10 hours a day/365 days a year in order to craft an entire novel. Unpaid, of course (more on that later). Don't forget to have your book professionally edited, which isn't unpaid. Once your novel is complete, I welcome you to the months or years of trying to find a publisher.  If you manage to do so, and regardless if your book has been edited, expect to spend another 1-3+ months in editing. In that case, a complete stranger will take your beloved sentences and rip them apart. You will follow this carnage by rewriting those sentences in order to create a better book. All of this time is again, unpaid. The publisher will then format your book and assign you a cover designer. A word of warning: you may not like the final cover design, but you'll have to live with it because you're under contract. If you self-publish, you'll need to create a cover design of your own that grabs the reader's attention at a glance. If you're artistic, go for it. If not, expect to pay dearly for a decent book cover. After that (if you self-publish) you'll format your novel to the exact specifications of each sales venue, upload it to each site, and agree to the terms. All unpaid. Sound like a lot of work? It is. But it doesn't stop there. Once your novel is published, whether you work with a publisher or self-publish, you'll need to spend a number of hours per week in order to market it. That's unpaid too, by the way.

So what is the payoff of writing? Financially, about 18-30% per book of the list price, maybe less if you have a publisher. Not enough to pay the bills, trust me. Most authors work another job, maybe even two. Writing is a labor of love. The "payoff" is a review from someone who enjoyed the novel. A "bonus" would be a reader who buys your next book. Most authors don't mind the occasional bad review, again, it's to be expected. What authors don't deserve a mean-spirited diatribe (if you don't know what diatribe means, look it up). Depending on what's going on in that author's life, the mean-spirited diatribe may roll off their back like water, or bring them to tears and make them want to quit. I've picked up the pieces of many a fellow author who've wanted to quit. For the readers and "incognito" rival authors responsible for that: Stop Being Mean. If you don't like the book, fine. Leave a 1-star review, don't give the author lip-service, send a kid to literacy camp to write a better book, do whatever constructive thing you can manage. Review ranting because you're frustrated with your own life is a waste of precious time you could be spending on Something Else.

Authors appreciate the time you take to read their books. We appreciate the fact you spend your hard-earned money on them. We appreciate the time you take to review them. If our books don't meet your expectations, most authors are truly sorry. We work really hard and try our best. Some of you like our efforts, while others don't. Now, for those who feel the need to leave a mean-spirited review that "really" has nothing to do with the book, you are more than welcome to write your own book. Good luck on your future reviews, by the way. May your book become a best-seller.

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Holiday Idea - Donate Blood to the American Red Cross #‎blooddonation‬ #free #gift

I'm a proud Blood Donor for the American Red Cross 

I hate needles
They scare the crap out of me
But I do it anyways.
Nobody is a bigger baby than I am

I'm throwing out the gauntlet to my fellow authors!

Find your local Blood Drive right HERE

Thoughtful Thursday-No, I'm Not Cuckoo, I'm a #Writer

What's it like, being a writer? I seem to be asked that a lot. Well folks, it's a lot of signing autographs and hearing readers tell you how awesome you are. It's receiving huge royalty checks from publishers who deem you indispensable. It's full of massive amounts of glitz and glam and feeling loved 24/7...

Actually, that's crap.  Let's get real—what's it really like to be writer?

It means you wake up with, shower, dine and go to bed with your characters. It gets a little crowded from time-to-time. 

It means taking nothing personal when it comes to editing and everything personal when it comes to reviews.

It means your mind is constantly writing sentences—even when you're sleeping. I've woken with full paragraphs in my head. Sleep is for the weak.

It means working longer hours than 99% of the population and for less than minimum wage...and being okay with that.

It means the Writing Chair is yours, and yours alone. Because writing somewhere else doesn't feel the same—just don't talk to me. And get the hell out of my Chair.

It means struggling with a constant feeling of inadequacy.

It means you carry a constant paranoia that people will read (unfinished) work over your shoulder vs. the same paranoia they won't read your (finished) work at all.

It's a constant pull between Doing What You Love (writing) and Feeling Like an Obnoxious Brat (promoting)

It means hoping people understand that you're a little quirky but mostly harmless.

It means when people hear you talking to yourself, you're really not. Your characters are real people, duh.

I love being a writer. I eat, sleep and breathe my characters and stories. I write—not with the goal of "being rich someday," but with the goal that my readers will look forward to my next book an love the last one they read. When a reader says one of my books "stuck with them" and was "unlike any story they've read" it gives me a high that lasts for weeks. On the days I'm struggling and wonder if my stories matter to anyone other than myself, a comment like that will bring tears to my eyes. And I know deep in my heart that if I didn't write, I'd go cuckoo.

That's what being a writer is like.

Guest Blogger

Know Your Audience
by Keith Yatsuhashi 

Years ago, a man came into my office in need of help. He said an official in South America planned to grant him the rights to an island that he could then turn into an executive retreat. P.T. Barnum would’ve been proud, as would all the souls who sold the Brooklyn Bridge to unsuspecting buyers. Now at first glance, something like this might lead you to think a good salesman can sell just about anything to anyone. I would argue--as I’m sure Mr. Barnum would too--a sale like this is really based on something else, something all good marketers understand: you have to know your audience. No city councilman would buy the Brooklyn Bridge. No lawyer would either. And no con man worth his salt would waste his time on them. He’d look for a better mark.

So, how do you, an author with or without marketing experience find those marks? The good news is that it’s not hard as you think, particularly for genre writers. The answer’s right there in the sentence I just typed: genre. Romance readers like their romance, ditto for thriller readers, mystery readers, SF/Fantasy, etc. Genre is the key. Focus on what you know about your genre itself then look for places where its fans congregate. And not just book fans. That’s the key.

Our culture is obsessed with media: TV, movies, Internet, what-have-you. Like it our not, that’s where people go for information, both to share and receive it. Forget the bookstore customer for a moment and look at the bigger, media-driven picture. Not long ago, my daughter and I were talking about Harry Potter. One of her friends liked the movie. She didn’t know it was a book. I’ll give you a minute to pull yourself back together before I continue. Recovered yet? Good. This little anecdote is more common than you’d imagine, and it’s why you need to start at the top of the funnel, the widest part. From there, you’ll find all kinds of paths you didn’t know existed.

Let’s say you’re obsessed with mysteries or are selling one. Have you thought about browsing through fan sites for CSI or other top TV shows? The BBC’s Sherlock is hot right now. Bet you can find a lot of new fans there. Those of us who write science fiction and fantasy have a whole host of outlets. Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who. At some point these audiences converge. Follow them, join message boards and fan groups--as a fan yourself, not as someone selling something--nobody likes it when you do that.  Naturally, once they get to know you, you can let it slip that you have a book. At the same time, you make sure you put that info, along with your web presence in your signature. Don’t do more than that.

Don’t forget to note where you’ve been. Even if you don’t join these sites, the most popular ones might be open to reviewing your book. Always remember, fans go to sites for a reason, and the web masters are also looking for ways to keep their audience. That means keeping things fresh. Maybe they’re not readers or, what I call, book people. Don’t let that stop you. A fan who put up a Harry Potter movie site might well be open to reviewing a book with the same fan base. Potter’s over, but they need to keep their site going. You won’t know until you email them. FWIW, I recently sent a review copy to a site that doesn’t review books. Crazy? Maybe, but the writer asked for it, and I asked if she would send it to the right contact, or, if she liked it, to spread the word. You never know.

Okay. Now that we’ve identified our audience, how do we keep them? Let’s move away from our con man example and look at something else. Have you ever watched a truly seasoned performer milk the crowd? It’s breathtaking. People like this take their audience’s pulse in an instant. The best will peek into the hall as soon as the doors open to get a feel for it. If it’s dead, they’ll add energy to wake it. If it’s alive, they’ll tap into and channel the wave. A marketer needs to do that too.

When I first started promoting my book, my daughter insisted I use Instagram. It’s where all the kids are, she said. She set up an account for me and even ran it for a while. She then started her own page and made sure to feed mine. My first pics had to do with my book. The response was dismal, and in hindsight, I should have expected it. Instagram is about snazzy, funny pictures, or personal ones. Research that first--who puts up what on what social media sites. A few clicks and some feedback from my daughter’s friends was all it took.

I abandoned saying anything about my book, except for the occasional reminder that it was coming. I searched for subscribers who liked books and media similar to my book and sent out friend requests. The majority went to fans of Japanese animation, science fiction, and fantasy.  My daughter supplemented that on her site with YA and other stuff girls her age are into. That was back in October. Since then, I’ve built up 1500 followers on Instagram with fun and funny pics I knew my audience would appreciate--trial and error there. Instinct worked well, but tracking which types of pics received the most likes was key.

Keep in mind who I identified as a natural audience--anime fans. As my book’s release neared, I had my daughter find some pics of popular anime characters reading. Next, we edited the photos so that the cover of the book matched mine. In the pic, we inserted some well-chosen sentences that we knew would get their attention. Not all were successful--probably because I did it too often. The ones that were, though, received as many likes as my snazzy, funny pictures. I made sure to post those pics with many other ones unrelated to my book. That way I didn’t call attention to it. You don’t want your followers to think you’ve abandoned what they like about your site. If they believe you’re only putting up things they don’t care about, you’ve lost them.

Finally, wherever you go, remember to keep things brief, something I neglected to do here. Likely, many who started reading this post didn’t finish. That’s okay. Those who did are my audience: authors looking for tips from other authors. I hope you find mine helpful. Now. Find your mark, get on it, get set...and go!

Purchase Keith Yatsuhashi's debut novel KOJIKI

Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

Musa Publishing

Keith Yatsuhashi was born in 1965 in Boston, MA. He graduated from Northeastern University in 1989 and is currently the Director of the U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
Keith was a competitive figure skater for ten years, winning the U.S. National Junior Dance Championships in 1984, a bronze medal in the 1983 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, and a silver medal in 1984.
In addition to his love for writing, Keith enjoys many hobbies such as golf, reading, and playing football and hockey with his sons. Keith currently lives in Norfolk, MA with his wife, Kathleen and three children-- Caitlin, Jeffrey, and Justin. 

The Holidays Are Coming...

Yes, they are. In six more days,Yule will be here and everyone can calm down and enjoy it.

I caught myself this week spending far too much time promoting BETWEEN and missing out on all the pre-holiday fun. I've been blogging my fingers off, setting up book tours, sending out press releases, and making sure all my free and review ecopies of BETWEEN are sent off to whomever they were promised.

This morning, however, I didn't feel like doing any of these things...and I didn't feel very festive.
Most of my shopping was done, the tree was up and decorated, the fireplace lights were twinkling, the stockings (all 14 of them, which included the dogs, cats, gerbils, rats, turtles and fish) were hung on the stairwell banister. Everything that screamed "Yule is coming!!" had been done.
But, I still woke feeling kind of burned out and empty.

So today, I took a day off from what it takes to make a book successful--the promoting craziness.
And you know what?
I had fun.
I'm starting to feel the growing excitement that Yule is only six...days...away!

Tomorrow, I shall take off another day. I'm going to do some baking, stop by World Market for last minute stocking stuffers, and then, I'm picking my daughters up from school and taking them out for a Starbucks. It's their last day before they track-out for the holidays. They both have a penchant for Peppermint Mochas and I have every intention of leading them down a tawdry path of caffeinated, chocolate bliss.

To all my friends who take the time to stop by and read this post, enjoy your holidays.

Unless I have something really exciting to share, I'll see you on 1/04/13 on Laura Hardgrave's blog; Stars Dive Into Sunlight

BETWEEN
Available from Amazon.com
and Musa Publishing

Welcome to the Coffin Hop

Prize drawing just for stopping by and following my blog OR Liking my Author Facebook Page:

A $5 gift certificate to my publisher, Musa Publishing, and an ecopy of my novel BETWEEN, to be released on December 14, 2012.

Be sure and leave your contact info in the comments section! 
Prize winner will be announced on November 1st

*Please visit other Coffin Hoppers for more chances to win cool prizes.

*Coffin Hop Art by RL Treadway

Journey into the Paranormal
by Clarissa Johal

People often ask me how I began writing in the genre of paranormal. I’m not brooding or scary or running off to join the latest séance, which I think is what they expect. And my silly sense of humor oftentimes gets me into trouble, especially with my two daughters. The topic of paranormal has always interested me. As a kid, we moved almost yearly. It seemed we were always living in older places and with those older places, came a ghost or two. Now, before you chuckle and roll your eyes (or not) let me tell you, I walk the line between skeptic and 100% believer. On the surface, I may be rolling my eyes with you, but inside, I believe in a plethora of things I won’t even begin to discuss until I’ve known someone a very long time. I know what I’ve experienced, and I know what my rational mind tells me. Believe me, there’s a lot of arguing in my head over those two things. But we are a collection of what we’ve experienced in our lifetime.

When I was 10-years-old, we moved to an island and lived for several months in an old house. I’m an insomniac and have been since I was a kid. Consequently, being awake while the rest of my family slept was nothing new. One evening, and after hours of tossing and turning, I decided to get up. While I sat on the couch trying to figure out what to do with myself, I heard singing in my ear. It was as if a woman was sitting right next to me singing Time in a Bottle. The song was popular at the time (and yes, that dates me) but I didn’t know the words. At that point, I did what any kid would do if they weren’t compelled to run away screaming--I politely sat and listened until she finished. Afterwards, I went back to bed and proceeded to have the worst nightmare. I dreamt that I walked into our bathroom and found a naked, young woman wrapped up in a shower curtain in our bathtub. She was blonde, had a bullet hole in her head, and was quite dead. It was graphic for a 10-year-old, I never watched television and rarely had nightmares. I had it for weeks until we finally moved. Each time, it became more intense--it had gotten to the point where she was clawing her way out of the tub and trying to speak to me through the shower curtain. Needless to say, I was a bit of a wreck by the time we moved. Years later, I found out from my parents that there was indeed, a murder at that house. They didn’t elaborate, but I always wondered of the details.
Parents, tell your kids these things ahead of time, because if they ever experience anything, they will always wonder.

So, back to the genre of paranormal. I began writing fantasy fiction when my kiddos were younger. It's what we were reading at the time so it made sense that I would choose that genre. While working on the second installment to my Pradee series, I was interrupted by two characters that truly didn’t fit into fantasy fiction. I kept setting them aside, but they would return, stronger than ever. Finally, I gave up and began working on BETWEEN, a story of the paranormal. While Pradee took me ten years to complete, I had the rough draft of BETWEEN finished in several months and a year after that, the full novel was complete. Six weeks after I submitted, Musa Publishing offered me a contract.

The novel I’m working on now is paranormal/horror. I have to say, I’m hooked. I love presenting this genre in new and interesting ways. Now, I know what you’re probably going to ask me: Do I write of my experiences or make stuff up? I’m a writer and I write fiction. I know the difference between fiction and real life. However, some of the best fiction is when a writer “writes what they know” and a little of what I know creeps into my novels from time to time. I hope you will enjoy reading them.

BETWEEN 
by Clarissa Johal

How far would you go to redeem yourself?

Blurb:

As a young girl, Lucinda was able to see spirits, a gift that didn't come without its problems. Now, a dedicated young veterinarian, she is committed to the idea that every life can be saved.

After a devastating accident, Lucinda tries to escape her past by moving to a small town. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. But there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire.

As Lucinda is drawn into a bitter tug-a-war from the forces around her, she is likewise pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. Forced to make difficult choices, she finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for their salvation.

 
BETWEEN will release under the Thalia imprint of Musa Publishing on December 14, 2012.

Clarissa Johal has done everything from working as a veterinary assistant and vegetarian chef to volunteering as a zoo-keeper aide and swimming with six foot sturgeons. Writing has always been her passion. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day she fully expects a wayward troll to wander into her yard, but that hasn't happened yet. 

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