Friday, February 1, 2013

HBS Author’s Spotlight – Class of January 2013

This month we have an interesting variety of writers with worlds of knowledge and expertise. We have twenty-one authors this time around.

Be sure to check out what they have coming next for their readers.

I try to pick authors who are interesting studies and ask them unique questions for our Q/A section. Thanks for following these outstanding authors.

Here is a summary of our January 2013 crew.

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Diane Strong
Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Short Stories, Humor

Website: The Running Commentary
Twitter: @DianeIStrong
E-Mail: dianestrong@ymail.com






New Release: Reservoir Run published in December.


Social Media: The relationships are very important. I have found some great friendships and a nice little fan base through twitter, which has led them to my blog and books

Support Groups: I am a member of KIW (Kentucky Indie Writers), a small group of (mostly) independently published authors in Lexington, Kentucky…

Giveaways: The main reason I give books away is to introduce new readers to my work. Ultimately, when I give a book away, I would like to get a review.

Author's Book List
Reservoir Run
The Rescue
The Other Way
Falcon Point
The Run
Out and Back

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For the rest of the story...View Diane Strong - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Julia Crane
Author Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Author's Blog: Julia Crane
Website: Julia Crane
Twitter: @juliacrane2
E-Mail: juliacrane@zoho.com
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook



New Book: Freak of Nature - hoping for a January release date.


Social Media Relationships: I think they are vital to success, and not only that I’ve met some amazing people through social media. I definitely think that there is a carry over, because word of mouth is so important in this industry.

Coexist Book Trailer: I’m honestly not sure how the conversion works with sales from book trailers though.

Giveaways: I jump on any opportunity that I come across. I think it’s good exposure, and if I’m lucky I’ll earn new fans.

Author's Book List
Freak of Nature
Lauren
Dark Promise (Between Worlds)
Anna
Mesmerized
Eternal Youth
Consumed
Conflicted
In The Mind of Thaddeus
Coexist
Indie Chicks: 25 Independent Women 25 Personal Stories

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For the rest of the story...View Julia Crane - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Nancy Gideon
Author Genre: Romance, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense

Author's Blog: Tour’s Media Page
Website: Nancy Gideon - Romance… By Any Other Name
Twitter: @NancyGideon
E-Mail: nancy@nancygideon.com
Facebook: Check Out Facebook


Featured Book: BETRAYED BY SHADOWS by the Buy The Book Tour




Advent of ebooks and social media changed anything?:
It’s changed everything! Social media has created an instant bond between author and reader, and writer and reviewer.


Book Trailers: … like most promotional efforts, can’t be measured for cause and effect. There’s no way to judge the number of sales, if any, that they generate.

Author's Book List
Betrayed by Shadows
Seeker of Shadows
Hunter of Shadows
Bound By Moonlight
Chased by Moonlight
Masked by Moonlight

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For the rest of the story...View Nancy Gideon - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Sarah Woodbury
Author Genre: Historical Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Romance

Author's Blog: Sarah Woodbury blog
Website: Sarah Woodbury - Writing Historical Fiction and Fantasy
Twitter: @SarahWoodbury
E-Mail: dr.sarahwoodbury@gmail.com
Facebook: Check Out Facebook




New Book: The After Cilmeri Series, Exiles in Time. I’m aiming for a March 1, 2013 release date.


Support Groups: … groups are more a way for me to connect with other writers than a way to reach an audience. Word of mouth is still the best way to find people who like my books.

Author's Book List
Children of Time
The Bard's Daughter
Crossroads in Time
The Uninvited Guest
The Good Knight: A Medieval Mystery
Prince of Time
Footsteps in Time: A Time Travel Fantasy
Winds of Time
Daughter of Time: A Time Travel Romance
Indie Chicks: 25 Independent Women 25 Personal Stories

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For the rest of the story...View Sarah Woodbury - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Patricia McLinn
Author Genre: Romance, Women's Fiction,Mystery

Author's Blog: P. A. McLinn
Website: Patricia McLinn
Twitter: @PatriciaMcLinn
E-Mail: Patricia@PatriciaMcLinn.com
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook



New Book: boxed set of the “A Place Called Home” series available now.


What I think social media does do is demystify both the authors to the readers and the readers to the authors, and that makes it all much more relaxed.

Support Group: Novelists, Inc. is my primary support group.

Giveaway: I love being able to give readers a book for free. This is not because I fail to value my work; I do value my creations. However, reading is so individual and so interactive…

Author's Book List
At the Heart's Command
Word Watch
A Stranger in the Family
Wedding Party
Almost a Bride
My Heart Remembers
Match Made in Wyoming
A Stranger to Love
Lost and Found Groom
Prelude to a Wedding
Hidden in a Heartbeat

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For the rest of the story...View Patricia McLinn - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Katherine Logan
Author Genre: Romance, Mystery & Thrillers - Time Travel

Author's Blog: Katherine Lowry Logan's Notes from Tabor Lane
Website: Katherine Lowry Logan
Twitter: @KathyLLogan
E-Mail: Kathy.Logan@insightbb.com
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook



New Book: THE LAST MACKLENNA in the spring.


I got Great Reviews with THE LAST MACKLENNA but I will still self-publish.

Social Media: I’ve discovered that sales are directly related to the number of followers. As one goes up, so does the other.

Support Groups: I’m a member of RWA, Kentucky Romance Writers, and Kentucky Independent Writers.

Author's Book List
The Ruby Brooch
THE LAST MACKLENNA
THE EMERALD BROOCH
THE SAPPHIRE BROOCH

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For the rest of the story...View Katherine Logan - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Lizzy Stevens
Author Genre: Paranormal, Romance and Woman's fiction

Author's Blog: Lizzy Stevens Blog
Website: Lizzy Stevens
Twitter: @LizzyStevens123
E-Mail: witchesofsnowhollow@gmail.com
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook



New Release: " A Lost Memory" - It's a short story. Romance/ Fantasy.


Socal Media: Social media in my opinion is the number one thing that an author needs to do.

Book Trailers: I think book trailers help put a picture in the readers head. It's nice to see the story play out in front of you.

Author's Book List
A Lost Memory
Rachel's Legacy
Kyle's New Beginning
A Surprise For Christmas
Midnight Falls: The Beginning
Blackbeard's Treasure
Secrets Of Snow Hollow

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For the rest of the story...View Lizzy Stevens - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Alon Shalev
Author Genre: Fiction, Fantasy

Author's Blog: ElvesWriter - A Fantasy Author
Website: Alon Shalev - Author?
Twitter: @Elfwriter
E-Mail: alshalev@yahoo.com
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook



New Book: The First Decree, is due out in March


Socal Media: Writing in two genres really needs separate social media platforms, so there is also a blog for each…

Belong to a Support Groups: Absolutely. I have facilitated the Berkeley Writer's Group, a weekly critique group …

Author's Book List
Unwanted Heroes
At The Walls Of Galbrieth (Volume 1)
The Accidental Activist
A Gardener's Tale

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For the rest of the story...View Alon Shalev - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Arleen Alleman
Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Religion & Spirituality

Author's Blog: Arleen Alleman
Website: Author Arleen Alleman
Twitter: @aallemanwrites
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook




New Book: 'Alternate Currents' out by August.


Book Signings: I love the book signings onboard cruise ships ...regular schedule of book signings at Barnes and Noble Book Stores and these have proven to be extremely helpful in marketing the books.

Marketing: … advice to self-published authors: “It is slow going at first to get recognition and readers. Word of mouth is so important along with reviews posted…”.

Author's Book List
Current Assets
Currents of Vengeance
Currents Deep and Deadly

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For the rest of the story...View Arleen Alleman - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Kevin Rau
Author Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Author's Blog: Kevin Rau's Blog
Website: Kevin Gerald Rau - Author website
Twitter: @kevin_rau
E-Mail: kevinrau10@yahoo.com
Facebook: Check Out Facebook




Next Book: Necromancer's Ascent, a novel in my fantasy series.


Twitter Impact: … somewhat important but not huge. It's had a greater effect on allowing me to meet and interact with other indie authors.

Support Groups: I have a small group of beta readers/editors, and a copy editor I hire to proofread and check grammar.

Author's Book List
H.E.R.O. - Paragon
H.E.R.O. - Dolldrum
H.E.R.O. - Incursion
H.E.R.O. - Gene Front
H.E.R.O. - Horde
H.E.R.O. - Dark Research
H.E.R.O. - Rise and Fall
H.E.R.O. - New Markets
H.E.R.O. - Metamorphosis

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For the rest of the story...View Kevin Rau - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Katherine Owen
Author Genre: Contemporary Romance,Women's Contemporary Fiction

Author's Blog: Katherine Owen - Writer
Website: Katherine Owen
Twitter: @KatherineOwen01
E-Mail: Katherine@katherineowen.net
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook







New Book: This Much Is True … release early this year (2013).


Social Media: …some of my most loyal readers find me there. They’re the ones who check in with me, tell me to keep writing, have read all three of my novels …

Book Covers: I’m completely hands-on, probably to a fault. I choose the photographs, the fonts …

Amazon Book Giveaways: … had a mixed experience. The rewards for going free have been diminished… rankings on the best seller lists on Amazon are much harder to come by.

Author's Book List
When I See You
Seeing Julia
Not To Us
Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25 Personal Stories

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For the rest of the story...View Katherine Owen - HBS Author's Spotlight
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R.P. Dahlke
Author Genre: Mystery, Romance, Humor

Author's Blog: R.P. Dahlke - Infrequent Blog
Website: R.P. Dahlke
Twitter: @rpdahlke
E-Mail: rp@rpdahlke.com
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook


New Book: coming this summer … sequel to A Dangerous Harbor. This will be the 2nd in a sailing mystery trilogy.



Social Media: I've made wonderful new friends … When I was with a small press, no one could contact me directly. It seemed so silly.

All Mystery E-newsletter: Many of whom(authors), don't have or don't want Facebook, or Twitter, or Pinterest. Still, I put up the authors on all of these for the same reason—not everyone uses the same social media.

Author's Book List
A Dead Red Oleande
A DANGEROUS HARBOR
A DEAD RED HEART
A DEAD RED CADILLAC

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For the rest of the story...View R.P. Dahlke - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Jan Romes
Author Genre: Romance, Humor

Author's Blog: Jan's Blog
Website: Jan Romes - There's a writer in all of us …
Twitter: @JanRomes
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook








New Book: 'A Little Imperfection' in a very rough draft form.


Social Media: … has been a god-send. I’ve met some great people who make me laugh, inspire me, share their knowledge, and have taken a chance on my books.

Giveaways: The results were better than I would have anticipated. And my sales jumped for a while afterward.

Other languages: My book, One Small Fib (with The Wild Rose Press) was recently contracted to be translated into Greek and sold in Greece.

Author's Book List
Three Wise Men
Three Days With Molly
The Gift of Gray
Kiss Me
One Small Fib
Stay Close, Novac!

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For the rest of the story...View Jan Romes - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Deborah Brown
Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Humor, Romance

Author's Blog: Deborah Brown Books
Twitter: @debbrownbooks
Facebook: Check Out Facebook




Crazy in Paradise - Buy The Book Tour feature







Author's Book List
Deception in Paradise
Crazy in Paradise

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For the rest of the story...View Deborah Brown - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Claude Bouchard
Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Website: Claude Bouchard Books - Crime Thrillers and other Stuff...
Twitter: @ceebee308
E-Mail: claude@claudebouchardbooks.com
Facebook: Check Out Facebook






New Book: 'Femme Fatale' - expect to released in late February/early March.


Increase Twitter Following: How I Really Got a 1/4 Million Followers which is a MUST read for any author trying to build a social media audience.

Book Trailers Impact: Every little bit helps but I don’t believe they make a huge difference.

Book Giveaways: KDP Select program…had several successful promotions. If one gives away enough books and obtain a high overall ranking in the Kindle Free store, Amazon subsequently promotes the book once it’s back on paid status.

Author's Book List
Discreet Activities
ASYLUM
6 Hours 42 Minutes
Mind Games
The Consultant
Vigilante
The Homeless Killer

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For the rest of the story...View Claude Bouchard - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Rosanne Bittner
Author Genre: Romance

Author's Blog: Rosanne Bittner - Heart of the West
Website: Rosanne Bittner
Twitter: @RosanneBittner
Facebook: Check Out Facebook


Sweet Prairie Passion - Buy the Book Tour Feature.










Author's Book List
Meet the New Dawn
Embrace the Wild Land
River of Love
Climb the Highest Mountain
Sweet Prairie Passion
Thunder on the Plains
Wildest Dreams
Ride the Free Wind

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For the rest of the story...View Rosanne Bittner - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Laura DeLuca
Author Genre: Travel, Mystery & Thrillers, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Website: Laura DeLuca - Author of the Young Adult Novel Destiny
Twitter: @authorldeluca
Facebook: Check Out Facebook


Destiny Unveiled - Buy The Book Tour feature.







Author's Book List
Player
Morrigan
Jessica
Destiny Unveiled
Phantom
Destiny
Flora And The Silver Coins

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For the rest of the story...View Laura DeLuca - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Debra L. Martin
Author Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Author's Blog: Two Ends of the Pen
Twitter: @dlmartin6
E-Mail: dlmartin6@yahoo.com
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook




New Books: … working on 2 sequels at the moment—“Witch’s Curse” and “The Silver Double Cross.”


Socal Media: … extremely important to authors, not only for getting the word out about your books, but for the personal relationships you develop with readers and fellow authors

Book Tours: Book tours are one of the best ways to get the word out about your book.

Author Blog: I started Two Ends of the Pen in 2008 as a way to promote our books, but early on I found that talking about just us became rather boring. I wanted to know what other authors were doing and how were they managing this new self-publishing arena.

Author's Book List
The Silver Cross
Assassin's Curse: The Witch Stone Prophecy
Love by Chance
Love by Moonlight
The Path (3 Dark Future Stories)
Love by Secrets
Path to Destruction (Post-Apocalyptic Military Story)
The Right Path (Apocalyptic Novelette)
The Crystal Facade (A Fantasy Adventure)
The Quest for Nobility (A Fantasy Adventure)

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For the rest of the story...View Debra L. Martin - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Jade Kerrion
Author Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Website: Jade Kerrion
Twitter: @JadeKerrion
E-Mail: jade.kerrion@gmail.com
Facebook: Check Out Facebook


New Book: EARTH-SIM will be coming out in February 2013.






Social Media: ...presence is necessary. Quantifying the value of social media is much harder. The value is often indirect, and is frequently based on building online relationships as opposed to just blasting out marketing messages.

Time Management: I don’t sleep. Actually, I’ve found that a systematic process helps.

Giveaway: I’ve had one Kindle Select promotion to date, and it was for my award-winning debut novel, PERFECTION UNLEASHED. The promotion was a success.

Book Tours: I utilized a blog tour company once, but mostly, I manage the book tour myself.

Author's Book List
EARTH-SIM
When the Silence Ends
Short Story Strands: Halloween 2012 Edition
Perfect Weapon
Perfect Betrayal
Perfection Unleashed

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For the rest of the story...View Jade Kerrion - HBS Author's Spotlight
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M. R. (Marsha) Cornelius
Author Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Science Fiction

Author's Blog: M. R. Cornelius
Website: M. R. Cornelius
Twitter: @marshacornelius 
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook


New Book: 'Losing It All' will be out this spring.





Twitter: Social media is my top choice for keeping in touch with readers. I tried to build a following on Facebook, but so many people were caught up in politics that I cut back to just friends.

Book Trailer for H10-N1: limited budget and family affair...I would say the impact it has had on my book’s success is less than stellar.

Support Groups: I’m a member of the Atlanta Writers’ Club. They were instrumental in my finding an agent at one of their writers’ conferences.

Author's Book List
Losing It All
The Ups and Downs of Being Dead
H10N1

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For the rest of the story...View M. R. (Marsha) Cornelius - HBS Author's Spotlight
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Tracy Brogan
Author Genre: Romance, History

Website: Tracy Brogan - TIMELESS LOVE STORIES, PAST AND PRESENT
Twitter: @tracybrogan
E-Mail: tracybrogan@att.net
Facebook: Check Out Facebook


Crazy Little Thing - Buy the Book Tour feature.





Must Read Comment on her blog: PUSH PAST THE FEAR
I ask myself, “Why aren’t I writing right now?”


Author's Book List
Hold On My Heart
Highland Surrender
Crazy Little Thing

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For the rest of the story...View Tracy Brogan - HBS Author's Spotlight
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