R is for Reading #AtoZChallenge

This year my A to Z Challenge is all about wellbeing - something I'm particularly passionate about. Whether it's physical, emotional, mental, spiritual or even the wellbeing of my business, I want to lean more! Today it's all about Reading :D

I LOVE reading. I always have. It's one of the best ways to relax. To dive into a book, into another world and live the lives of those characters that have developed in your head. It's magical, don't you think? 

I've read thousands of books over the years and my tastes often change - I suppose it depends on my mood too. When I first started getting serious about books, I guess I was about 11 or 12 years old, I would devour everything I could get my hands on - which wasn't easy considering we'd just moved to the Algarve and English books were few and far between. The charity shop was the easiest option. I read every Jilly Cooper novel out there back then and I learned a few things from her (wink, wink). Then I discovered Sweet Valley High, Mills & Moon (lol) and every book my mother and father owned at the time which ranged from Danielle Steel, Michael Korda (Queenie was one of my all time favourites), Jackie Collins (I wanted to be Lucky Santagelo)), Shirley Conran (remember Lace?) to horror books by Dennis Wheatley and Stephen King! Some of my more unusual favourites included Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke, Z for Zachariah by Robert C O' Brien, A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.

Some of my old favourite reads... most from YEARS ago!!

But then I discovered Chick Lit and I was in my element. I loved the humour, the pathos, the unique quirky characters and ultimately: the love stories. So I read primarily chick lit until another genre presented itself to me: YA. Sigh... I was a grown up but it didn't matter, I just loved the innocence and the fantasy elements of these books targeted at young adults. Harry Potter and Twilight totally won me over. But I never forget my roots and I still find myself reading all manner of genres. Basically I just love a great story, although I prefer a happy ending. I can't be doing with books that'll make me cry my eyes out at the end (unless they're happy tears, of course). I don't mind a bit of sadness in the middle but the end needs to sparkle, which is why I write the books I write. I want my readers to be happy. I want them to close the book and be content with the finale and ultimately I want them to want to read more of my novels! And on that note, have you read any of them? I write YA and chick lit / contemporary romance. Check them out here. A couple of them are FREE you know? ;)

The Raven Saga & The Morgan Sisters: Now available as boxed sets!

I'm super excited to announce that The Raven Saga and The Morgan Sisters are now available as ebook boxed sets - just in time for Christmas! Both sets are priced at a reduced cost making them perfect Christmas gifts for lovers of YA urban fantasy. If you have friends or family who love Harry Potter, then these sets are perfect for you (or so I've been told)!

The Morgan Sisters

Books 1-4 of The Morgan Sisters

THE GHOST OF JOSIAH GRIMSHAW

Adopted sisters Lana Beth and Emma Jane are polar opposites, but when the same strange 'tattoo' suddenly appears and winds its way up their bodies within days of each other, they soon realize there's more to their relationship than they could ever have imagined.
Sent off to London for two weeks of 'work experience', the Morgan Sisters soon find themselves being initiated into the ancient Praxos Foundation, one that protects the innocent while fighting evil, both human and supernatural.
At the same time, Lana Beth and Emma Jane must also investigate why the sweet but sometimes pesky ghost of Josiah Grimshaw just won't leave them alone.

DAISY MADIGAN'S PARADISE

When tragedy falls upon 15 year old Daisy Madigan, she escapes to the only place she feels safe, the cemetery of Abney Park. There, in the company of the dearly departed, she realizes she is changing, growing stronger and faster by the day. But in the darkness lurks a terror even she can't imagine facing.

THE TEMPORAL STONE

It's been a couple of months since Emma and Lana entered the Praxos Academy and life has been hectic ever since. What with regular A level classes combined with learning all about the supernatural world, control classes, self defence and fight night, the girls are constantly busy.
But when their world seems to stop right in front of them, they and their fellow Watchers, have a huge mystery to solve. A mystery which will lead them on a long road trip across south west England where they will meet all kinds of strange creatures, some intent on causing harm and others desperate to put a stop to the problem.

LOOKING FOR LUCY JO

It's their first Christmas since entering the Praxos Academy and 16-year-old sisters Lana Beth and Emma Jane Morgan are looking forward to some serious R&R. But when their little sister mysteriously disappears from her bed on Christmas Eve, all thoughts of fun disappear with her. Emma and Lana must do everything in their power to locate her and bring her home safely. Easier said than done, they are forced to go on yet another journey, this time taking them out to the murky depths of the North Sea as well as to the far reaches of southern Portugal.

˃˃˃ "I would go so far as to say that this could be the beginnings of a series as good as those by J.K. Rowling!"
˃˃˃ "I loved the bad guys, the graveyard antics, the talking dead, the superpowers of the kick-a** ninja chicks, and the rite of initiation the sisters go through"

The Raven Saga

Books 1-3 of The Raven Saga

RAVEN

After the inexplicable disappearance of Lilly Taylor's parents, she has no choice but to move to Canada where she unravels some frightening yet intriguing family secrets...
Her whole life had been based on a lie. Lilly had grown up in a loveless home with a father who she had barely ever seen and a mother who was... well, not very motherly.
After they mysteriously disappear without a trace, Lilly is sent to Canada where she finds a whole new way of life. A life filled with love and people who care for her. But that's not all she discovers, Lilly also finds out that she isn't who, or what, she thinks she is.
Lilly has a very special ability and it's just a matter of time before her true self starts to shine. And when it does, her life will never be the same again.
Raven is a fantasy novel for children and young adults set in the beautiful province of British Columbia.

DECEMBER MOON

On her 15th birthday, December Moon discovers she is the descendant of a family of witches, kept in the dark her entire life in an effort to protect her. But when Lilly, her best friend, finds herself in danger from one of the world's most evil vampires, December will do everything in her power to stop him. December Moon is a fantasy novel for children and young adults set in BC, Canada.

THE LOST SOUL

December and Lilly have got their work cut out for them. Not only are they desperately trying to figure out the identity of the Lost Soul, and track him down, they've also got to investigate why Powell River's newest resident has got all of their men falling at her feet.
But when they learn that the Nephilim might be involved, it becomes clear that they're all in extreme danger...

About Suzy

Although Suzy is a Yorkshire lass at heart, she left her home town of Rotherham, UK, to move to Portugal with her family when she was ten. The Algarve continues to be her home, where she lives with her childhood sweetheart, Michael, two neurotic dogs and a cat who thinks she's a princess.
Shortly after completing her studies, Suzy was offered the position of trainee journalist for a local English newspaper. Her love of writing developed and a few years later she moved on to become assistant editor for the region's largest English language publisher. Since then she has also worked as the editor of one of the Algarve's most loved monthly lifestyle magazines. Early in 2010 however, Suzy began working as a full time author. She has since written several books: Raven, December Moon, The Lost Soul (The Raven Saga), Daisy Madigan's Paradise, The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw, The Temporal Stone, Looking for Lucy Jo (The Morgan Sisters), Forever Fredless and And Then There Was You (for adults only!).

Website: www.suzyturner.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/suzyturner
Facebook: www.facebook.com/suzyturnerbooks
Facebook Romance: http://www.facebook.com/suzyturnerromance
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/suzy_turner
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/suzyturnerbooks
YA Blog: http://www.suzyturner.blogspot.com
Chick Lit Blog: http://www.fictiondreams.com

Thinking of Self Publishing? Just DO IT!

Image courtesy of lusi (sanja gjenero), rgbstock.com

You've got nothing to lose. The publishing world is changing enormously at the moment and its becoming increasingly easy to get your own books out there.

If I hadn't gone ahead and self-published and, instead, waited for an agent to accept me, I'd probably still be wondering whether my book was good enough. Now I KNOW it is because of the fantastic response I've received from the awesome people who have bought it. Here is just a small sample of what some people said about Raven, my first book:

“Couldn't put it down.. willing to pay to get the next book in the series.. I thought it would suck kinda since it was a free title but it didn't and I was glad I downloaded it :)”

“Omg!!! This is the best book I have ever read. It was so detailed in everything that happened to Lily. This is the next big book.”

“I enjoyed reading.This book it.gives New.meaning.to.puberty. my preteen girls say they understand how Lily feels. Can't wait to read the rest of the series”

The best thing a reader said about Raven was that her heart ached for the main character, Lilly. I would never have known that my book had that effect on people had I not published it myself, would I?

The most important aspect of being an author is to have people read your book, right? If you're sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring, who is reading your book? Nobody. So why wait? If you're still holding out for an agent or a publisher, they are more likely to pick you up if you've already got a decent following, don't you think?

So get your book out there on Amazon (US and UK), Kobo and Smashwords. Send out as many review copies as possible, ask book sites to interview you, offer to do guest posts on as many different sites as possible and get your name known. Or pay to do a book tour if you struggle with time. There's loads of amazing tour hosts out there.

So what are you waiting for? Go for it! If you're considering making your first book free of charge, check out this post to see what happened after Raven became free. It was such a success that I made the first book in my next series, free too!

I actually wrote most of this post back in 2011 – now I've published a few more books (six in total – Raven, December Moon, The Lost Soul, Daisy Madigan's Paradise, The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw and The Temporal Stone!) and I continue to gain great reviews from readers across the world. Of course with the good comes the bad and I do occasionally get negative reviews as well (fortunately only a fraction of the total) but I've learned to live with this. It's something every author must accept. So if you're still wanting to become an indie author, make sure you're strong enough to take criticism as well!

If you're looking or advice on self publishing, I'm always happy to help. Plus, if you're a woman (sorry guys!), I have a women's fiction blog called Fiction Dreams where I post about other authors and their books – I'd be delighted to feature you once you're published. Oh and I do post all things YA here on my YA blog (if you're a guy that's ok lol!).

If you've written your book and are now wondering about how to go about the cover, here's some advice from another author that featured on my blog some time ago. And here's a post from a (then) 12-year-old author Spencer Brokaw. How awesome is that huh?

If you're still wondering about going down the indie route, here's just a small list of some of the amazing authors who are all doing enormously well after self publishing:

1. Amanda Hocking
2. E.L James
3. Lisa Genova
4. Bella Andre
5. Nick Spalding
6. Samantha Towle

After writing this originally a few of years ago, I came across this very interesting post and thought it might back up my points.

Darlings of Darkness #FREE

I'm SO EXCITED about this. Darlings of Darkness is a fabulous anthology which not only features some of the best vampire books out there, but it also includes RAVEN!! If you haven't downloaded your copy yet... what are you waiting for? It's FREE!!! Grab your copy from Amazon (also available from all other online retailers!)

10 thrilling full length vampire novels in one volume
10 sexy heroes.
10 strong heroines.
All for FREE!

10 bestselling novels by 10 bestselling authors. This is ten complete novels from some of today's most exciting authors.

A star-studded anthology of thrilling, action-packed and totally swoon-worthy first books from ten different vampire series by your favorite women authors.

(Some stories have been previously published)

Book 1 – Blurb: A werewolf with an unusual power is forced to face the monsters of her past and the uncertainty of the future after a dangerous vampire awakens the darkness within her.

ONCE BITTEN by bestselling author Trina M. Lee of the bestselling Alexa O'Brien Huntress series.

Book 2 – Blurb: His precious touch could prove deadly…

CRUSH by bestselling author Chrissy Peebles of more than ten novels including the popular series The Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series and The Ruby Ring Saga.

Book 3 – Blurb: After the inexplicable disappearance of Lilly Taylor's parents, she has no choice but to move to Canada where she unravels some frightening yet intriguing family secrets...

RAVEN by bestselling author Suzy Turner. Suzy Turner is the author of The Raven Saga trilogy and The Morgan Sisters series as well as a chick lit novel entitled Forever Fredless.

Book 4 – Blurb: An unhappy vampire gets a second chance to be mortal in this dark, yet often humorous tale of creatures at war.

VAMPIRES RULE by bestselling author K. C. Blake. She’s the author of two other exciting series which include Bait, Crushed, and Witch Hunt.

Book 5 – Blurb: It lurks in the dead of night…

BLUR by bestselling author Kristen Middleton

Book 6 – Blurb: Rayea is a daughter of Satan, and a vampire. But the good thing is…she’s on our side.

THE VAMPIRE FROM HELL by bestselling author Ally Thomas. Her books have been on the Top 100 bestsellers list in Fantasy at Amazon since 2011.

Book 7 – Blurb: Sixteen-year-old vampire Tessa's throwback human genes make her an outcast in her world, but fate and near death teaches her that who you are on the inside is more important that what you on the outside.

VAMPIRE IN DENIAL by bestselling author Dale Mayer

Book 8 – Blurb: A reclusive hybrid vampire is forced to reacquaint herself with the human world in order to rid herself of an accidental slave problem.

THIRST by bestselling author Claire Farrell, author of over a dozen speculative fiction novels.

Book 9 – Blurb: Sarah reads her grandfather's journal in stunned disbelief. What was once her grandfather's responsibility has passed to her father and now to her. She has become the Warden. Her life will never be the same.

THE VAMPIRE’S WARDEN by S.J. Wright

Book 10 – Blurb: What if courage was your only option?

COURAGE RUNS RED by bestselling author W.J. May

Download Darlings of Darkness.

Indie Author Series: Pricing our ebooks

Photo by EJP Photo via photopin cc 

Today, the YA Author Club is talking about how we decide to price our books - something that is crucial to gaining a good following. Personally, I prefer to keep my prices as low as possible so you'll find all my ebooks at $2.99 or less. In fact, I often make my books free. Currently, Raven, Daisy Madigan's Paradise AND The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw are free. Its a great way to create interest and so far I've literally had tens of thousands of downloads.

I don't believe in over pricing. If you do, you just risk alienating yourself from potential readers. Considering my books are aimed at teenagers, I want that precise group to be able to afford my books, you know what I mean?

So what about you? What do you think about ebook prices? At what price level do you say 'no thanks'?

Check out the other YA authors in the club!

1. Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series
2. Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3. Heather Self
4. T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5. Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
6. Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy
7. Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog
8. K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
9. Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series
10. Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy
11. Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey
12. Gwenn Wright, author of Filter
13. Melissa Pearl, Author of The Time Spirit Trilogy
14. Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga
15. Courtney Cole Writes
16. Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
17. Ella James
18. Maureen Murrish
19. Valerie Sloan
20. YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings
21. Terah Edun, author of Red Madrassa and An Amlah's Diary

Click here for more Indie News:

Feature Follow Friday

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Its my first time taking part but I'm delighted to link up with so many awesome bloggers!

To follow me, you're welcome to do so via Bloglovin (my favourite), Networked Blogs or email (!). You can also find my on facebook and twitter.

In light of the recent Mother's Day, today's featured question is 'Who is your favourite fictional Mum (or Mom depending on where you're from!)? 

Ooh, that's a tough one. I adore Mrs Weasley (who doesn't?) from Harry Potter but I'm going to go with Meredith from The Raven Saga. I know I'm totally cheesy, choosing my own character but I can't help it. She's exactly how I would have liked my Mum to be. You see, tragically, I lost my mum when I was very young so I grew up not really knowing what it's like to have a mum, you know? And to top it all off, I also don't have any kids of my own (not by choice).

But back to Meredith. She's totally adorable, adores her kids and her niece, Lilly, who she kind of takes under her wing. She loves to bake and can often be found in the kitchen in her apron happily preparing goodies for the rest of the family. She's almost always smiling, even in the face of danger and I love her for that. She's a glass half full kinda gal :)

Don't forget to download your FREE copy of Raven. There are two more books in The Raven Saga: December Moon and The Lost Soul. You can also get a FREE copy of Daisy Madigan's Paradise, a Morgan Sisters novella. The sequel to Daisy Madigan's Paradise is also available: The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw and the third, The Temporal Stone, is out later this month YAY!!

#AtoZChallenge: R is for Raven

Raven is the first book I ever published. I made it free to download quite a while ago and downloads are probably over 100,000 by now (isn't that awesome?). It's almost hard to get my head around that!

The idea for the book came to me during a holiday to Canada at the end of 2009. Specifically it was during a picnic on a gorgeous little beach at Powell River, British Columbia. There we were surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, beautiful trees, the mountains in the distance and I just started imagining paranormal creatures hiding all around us. It sent shivers down my spine and it was there that my mind began to create the story of Lilly, a girl who moves to Canada after her parents mysteriously disappear from their London home.

There are two more books in The Raven Saga: December Moon and The Lost Soul. I frequently get emails from fans wanting me to write more. I'm considering it :)

If you'd like to read Raven. you can download it from Amazon for free right here (it's also available from all other online retailers). You can also get a FREE copy of Daisy Madigan's Paradise, a Morgan Sisters novella.

Here's the book trailer:

2013 is going to be AWESOME!!

Well, 2012 is now behind us and it's been an amazing year for me and my writing. Not only have I released several books, but my latest series is literally 'flying off the virtual shelves'. Since Daisy Madigan's Paradise went free, it's been downloaded more than 12,000 times on US Amazon alone! And that means, those who have enjoyed it, are starting to buy The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw! YAY!
Add to that the most amazing, fabulous, awesome reviews and you've got a very happy gal right here. I'm absolutely delighted - clearly ;)
Since my journey as an author began (two years ago), I've learned so much. My writing has improved and I've made some wonderful connections with readers, authors, bloggers and more online folk. When I think about what has happened over the past couple of years, well, I just can't take the grin off my face.
I've released five books:

Raven (FREE)

December Moon

The Lost Soul

The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw

Daisy Madigan's Paradise (FREE)

With free downloads and sales, there are probably well over 100,000 copies (which goes up every single day) of my books out in the virtual world. How awesome is that?
AND 2013 is going to be an amazing year. I've got plans to release at least three more books, hubby and I are planning a huge move and I'm going to be approached by a movie producer who wants to make my books into awesome movies.... Hey.... a girl can dream can't she?
Happy New Year everyone! I hope all your hopes and dreams come true this year.
Virtual Hugs XXX

BRAND NEW COVERS for The Raven Saga

I'm absolutely delighted to have brand new covers for all three books in The Raven Saga!!
Fabulous author and book cover designer, Emma Michaels, has worked her magic and produced these gorgeous masterpieces for me and I couldn't be happier :)

Stay tuned because I've got another Grand Cover Reveal for my new book on 1st September!! WOOP WOOP!!!!

The Raven Saga OUT NOW in PAPERBACK

I'm delighted to announce that both Raven and December Moon are now available in paperback!! Priced at just $10.99 each (or £6.88), I reckon they'd make a great Christmas present for both kids and adults alike. Don't you agree? Then why not go grab yourself a copy....
AMAZON UK
AMAZON US

Raven reaches TOP 100 in FREE KINDLE CHARTS!!

I'm absolutely thrilled to bits at the moment... I had been trying to get Amazon to make my first book, Raven, free on their site but after several weeks of failed attempts, I all bit gave up and didn't even bother looking at Amazon KDP for a few weeks. And then, tonight I opened up my page and nearly fell over!
A couple of days ago, Raven became free and has since shot to the top of the children's fantasy-sci-fi charts... in at NUMBER TWO!! It's also reached the TOP 100 Free in Kindle Store!!
At first glance, I thought they must have made a mistake but nope... it's correct! Raven is a FREE bestseller (if that makes sense?!). Let's hope it stays up there!
To get your copy of Raven, FREE, visit:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

And now, excuse me a moment as I do a happy dance!!

YA Indie Carnival: fan zone

Welcome to another YA Indie Carnival! This week we are writing about our best fan experience and I can honestly say that to receive any kind of positive comments is simply amazing, so imagine how incredible it is to know you have fans?!
The very first time I hopped around the room like a total nutter (regarding my book, that is) was after a close friend of mine re-posted news about Raven. Immediately, one of her friends (who I don't know) commented that she liked the sound of it. Moments later, she'd bought it!
About a week later, I noticed a post on my facebook page... she'd devoured it and was DESPERATE for the sequel. She wrote to me as well, telling me how much she'd loved my first book and would I 'please, please hurry up and finish December Moon?!' Needless to say, I was so overjoyed (hence the hopping around the room like a complete wacko).

I'd also like to mention my lovely cousin, Lesley, who sadly I don't actually know very well as I left England when I was ten and I guess all us cousins kind of drifted apart. It was only through facebook that we've all become pals again (fab, eh?!). Imagine my surprise then, when she left me a comment telling me she'd bought Raven and absolutely loved it... so much so that she's since since bought the sequel and loved it even more! It means so much to me that she loves my writing and when she wrote a message telling me how proud she is to be my cousin, I was close to tears. Lesley works as a nurse... doing such wonderful work for the sick and needy and I am incredibly proud and honoured to be her cousin.
A few weeks ago, after 20 odd years, I finally met up with her at a family party and she told me she's a huge fan. I just love her! Here's a picture of the two of us.
For more memorable fan moments in the YA Indie Carnival, check out my fellow fabulous indie writers below.

YA Indie Carnival News

Courtney released her Bloodstone Saga finale, My Tattered Bonds.

Check out The Paranormal Plumes Haunted Book Tour in Savannah Halloween Weekend! http://www.theplumessociety.com/

30% of the royalties of Lexus Luke's Manitou The Sky People Saga go to the ASPCA.

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines will release on Oct 21. Here is the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aAp6chU-d6o

For a limited time, Kimberly Kinrade is selling signed copies of her YA paranormal thriller/romance Forbidden Mind. As an All Hallow's Read bonus, she is also including some awesome gifts with each purchase... including a very special bonus to the first 5 lucky people who place an order. Get a copy for yourself and buy one for a friend in celebration of All Hallow's Read. For more details, visit http://bit.ly/qGMQkz

Filter Giveaway on Gwenn Wright's blog!http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/2011/10/von-strassenbergs-giving-it-away.html. When she reaches 100 followers she will give away a signed copy of Filter AND one of her fancy new mugs!


The Fuji Mermaid Dani Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews
Leopard Girl Patti Larsen Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, The Hunted Series and the Hayle Coven Novels
Fire Breather Courtney Cole Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles
Strong Woman Nicole Williams Author of Eternal Eden, and Fallen Eden. She is also a contributing author in the Glassheart Chronicles
Champion Sword Swallower Fisher Amelie Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles
Snake Charmer Amy Maurer Jones Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles
Pretzel Woman Rachel Coles. Geek Mom. Book Reviewer Author of Diary of a Duct Tape Zombie, Whistles, Beergarden, Plagues, Bees of St. John, and Mushrooms
The Giant T. R. Graves T.R. Graves: Author of Warriors of the Cross
Jungle Woman P.J. Hoover Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis
Shape Shifter Alicia McCalla Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free
Tarot Card Reader Heather Cashman Author of Perception
Fortune Teller Abbi Glines Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys
Knife Thrower Cheri Schmidt Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden
Fire Dancer Lexus Luke Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga
Fire Breather Suzy Turner Author of December Moon and Raven
Dragonslayer K. C. Blake Author of Vampire Rules
Elephant Trainer Gwenn Wright Author of Filter
Ring-Leader Kimberly Kinrade  author of Bits of You & Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind.
Prestidigitator Darby Karchut Author of Griffin Rising and the upcoming Griffin’s Fire
Lion Tamer Madeline Smoot Author of Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls
Siren M. Leighton Author of the Blood Like Poison Series, Wiccan, Caterpillar, Madly & Wolfhardt & The Reaping
Horse Whisperer Cidney Swanson Author of Rippler
Flying Trapeeze Artist Heather Self awesome book blogger.

Suzy on camera

I'm getting better... just a little bit... at creating videos (I think!). This time I talk about the history of The Raven Saga, what inspired me, what it's about, etc.

Yes, in case you're wondering, I'm sitting in the bathroom (good light) but fear not, I'm sitting on the floor not on the toilet!

Sadly, no appearances by Hermione the cat this time... just the faint sound of a house alarm in the neighbourhood. Hope you enjoy it!

BOOK TRAILER: December Moon

I'm very excited to launch the book trailer for my upcoming book, December Moon (out in September!!!) I adore the music... (Arcadia by Kevin Macleod). Check it out... do you like it?

The grand reveal: December Moon book cover

I'm very excited to reveal the cover for my upcoming release, December Moon, Part II of The Raven Saga (out September 2011). I just love it!! Do you?

Unsure about self-publishing?

Are you thinking about self-publishing, but can't make your mind up? Just DO IT. You've got nothing to lose. The publishing world is changing enormously at the moment and its becoming increasingly easy to get your own books out there.
If I hadn't gone ahead and self-published and, instead, waited for an agent to accept me, I'd probably still be wondering whether my book was good enough. Now I KNOW it is because of the fantastic response I've received from the awesome people who have bought it.
The most important aspect of being an author is to have people read your book. If you're sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring, who is reading your book? Nobody. Why wait? If you're still holding out for an agent or a publisher, they are more likely to pick you up if you've already got a following.
So get your book out there on Amazon (US and UK) and Smashwords. Send out as many review copies as possible, ask book sites to interview you, offer to do guest posts on as many different sites as possible and get your name known.
The best thing a reader said about RAVEN was that her heart ached for the main character, Lilly. I would never have known that my book had that effect on people had I not published it myself, would I?
So what are you waiting for? Go for it!

After writing this, I came across this very interesting post and thought it might back up my point:
http://hbspublications.blogspot.com/2011/07/ebook-authors-self-publishing-is-like.html

Photo courtesy: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=851

How Powell River changed my life

The exact spot in Powell River that changed my life 

Have you ever visited a place and just been blown away by it? I mean, totally and utterly awe-struck by its beauty? That happened to me a couple of years ago when my husband and I first visited Canada. We were immediately struck by how friendly the people were... genuinely friendly, you know? It wasn't just that of course, it was the natural surroundings that just took my breath away.
One particular spot had such a profound effect on me, in fact, that it inspired me to begin writing a whole series of books. That spot was located in Powell River, British Columbia.
We'd driven all the way across from Banff (not all in one go, mind you!) so we'd seen our share of gorgeous locations, but when we stopped and got out of the car, we decided we'd have a picnic. So we carried our food down to the shore and sat on these massive pieces of driftwood that were scattered all over the beach. I'm pretty sure I barely ate anything because I was too busy falling in love.
It was breathtaking... but it was also so inspirational. There was an air of mystery to it too which made me imagine all kinds of weird and wonderful possibilities. After reading, watching and falling in love with the Twilight series, I could imagine supernatural events happening right there in Powell River.
I wanted changelings, witches, vampires, werewolves, ghosts and more, all to have a place in what would later be known as The Raven Saga. It would centre around a young girl who moves to Powell River after her parents disappear and discovers she is part of a supernatural world. The first book, Raven, is out now. You can buy it here, and the second, December Moon will be out in September.
It was that little beach in Powell River that inspired me to write The Raven Saga. In fact, it changed my life. It made me realise my dream. The dream that I can write books that excite people, books that people want to read. I've already had messages from readers desperate to read the sequel! I'd like to thank Powell River for that.

Ian Harding... the perfect Sammy Morton!

I'm sitting here, enjoying a glass of white wine watching Pretty Little Liars (season 1) and it suddenly hit me. Mr Fitz would make the most perfect Sammy Morton!
In my original post about who I would cast in Raven: The Movie, I cast Jensen Ackles but that was more because he's just so damn sexy (sorry, Jensen.... I'll write a new character for you!). When actually, Mr Fitz is just perfect! Of course, his real name is not Mr Fitz so I've just googled him and discovered his real name is Ian Harding and he is, in fact, German.
After I'd made my casting discovery, I continued to watch and noticed something else. In this particular scene he's wearing a T-shirt with wings on it! OMG it's like a sign, or something! (You need to read Raven to understand!!)
Here he is though... my Sammy Morton. Ian Harding (not the best picture but you get the idea!):

Do you feel it

These are exciting times. Do you feel it too?

Authors have so many options available to them now than ever before. When it would have taken years to publish a book, now you can do it yourself much quicker without all the heartache and rejections we all receive (let's face it.... we've all been there).

Once your book is written, edited and polished, all you have to do is to epublish it on one (or various) of the many sites available like amazon, smashwords, etc and readers can be reading it in no time. Okay, we hope they'll be reading it in no time. Provided you market it as well as you possibly can, and price it competitively, you're going to get readers and if you write well and produce great stories, you'll get fans too.

I'm still waiting for my 'editors' to finish 'editing' Raven but once they are... I'll be giving this a go myself. I've got nothing to lose. I just hope that people love my book as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Especially considering the sequel is now in the works!

Nearly there!

So, I've just received the first ten pages of my book back from one of my editors. Good news, not only is she really enjoying it, she also loves my writing style! Phew.
I say one of my 'editors' as Raven is currently being read by four different people. Granted, they are four good friends, but three of them just happen to be in the publishing industry. I'm a lucky gal to be able to count on their expertise in my time of need. Not only are they pals, but they're honest pals and I know if they think it's not good, they will tell me it's not good - at the same time they'll suggest ways in which I can improve things.
I am incredibly grateful to be surrounded by such great professionals and I can't wait to receive the rest of the comments.
In the meantime, I'm working on the sequel to Raven, December Moon. It's great fun to create and I can't wait to get them both up on amazon!