SUSY Asylum Blog Tour: Week 2

Today starts the second and final week of the SUSY Asylum Blog Tour. Don't forget, there is a tour-wide giveaway, a $50 Amazon gift card, which you can enter at any of the blog stops.

Thank you so much to Candace at CBB Book Promotions for putting this tour together, and thank you to everyone visiting the stops for guest posts and reviews. Click on the links below to continue the journey, and I hope you enjoy the ride.

Monday, October 21th

• A Tiffy-Fit's reading Corner
• Bookhounds YA

Tuesday, October 22th

• Lizzy's Dark Fiction
• Curling Up With a Good Book
• Boarding With Books

Wednesday, October 23th

• Mary's Cup of Tea
• Becky's Barmy Book Blog
• Periodical Gazette

Thursday, October 24th

• Book-Mark's the Spot
• Gin's Book Notes

Friday, October 25th

•  Paperbacks & Pastries 
• Amethyst Daydreams

Next week, I'll be back to my typical Wednesday post. Have a great week!

SUSY Asylum Blog Tour Starts Today!

I'm so excited at announce the SUSY Asylum Blog Tour starts today! It is hosted by CBB Book Promotions, with scheduled stops for the next two weeks. There are even more blog participating than during the Provex City Tour, and in less time, so we have to keep moving.

There is a tour-wide giveaway, a $50 Amazon gift card, which you can enter at any of the blog stops. For Candace's Book Blog, on Wednesday of this week, there is a second giveaway just for her post, which is a $15 Amazon gift card.

Thank you so much to Candace at CBB Book Promotions for putting this tour together. Click on the links below to continue the journey, and I hope you enjoy the ride.

Monday, October 14th

• Every Free Chance
• A Diary of a Book Addict
• Gin's Book Notes
• The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl

Tuesday, October 15th

• Mommasez
• Reader Girls
• Jean Book Nerd

Wednesday, October 16th

• Kissed by Ink
• Mommasez
• Candace's Book Blog - Halloween Special for Something Wicked Returns (Flash Fiction & Extra Giveaway)
• Pink Fluffy Hearts

Thursday, October 17th

• The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something year Old Girl
• The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
• Alwaysjoart
• Eulana
• Donnie Darko Girl

Friday, October 18th

•  Insane About Books
• Leisure Reads
• Deal Sharing Aunt

Indie Life: Changing Seasons, Changing Gears

Indie Life is hosted by the indie authors of the Indelibles as a 2nd Wednesday of the month feature. It is a great way to discover and reach out to other indie authors--authors working hard and turning their dreams into reality. Share your thoughts and experiences with being an indie author, and speak with like-minded souls by visiting the author links below. Click HERE to sign up for Indie Life.

With my blog tour less than a week away, I've been thinking a lot about my next book. I have the new book I'd codenamed Project Winter outlined and started. But I keep going back to my outline for Book 3 of the Lorne Family Vault. It feels so unfinished. And it's been calling to me. And I hate things left unfinished. A big part of me wants to start something new, but another part--a nasty and more controlling part--wants me to finish what I've started.

So after much deliberation, meditation, and confrontation with the nastier part of myself, I've decided to switch gears. I am putting Project Winter aside for now and starting Book 3. I liked the idea of serializing my next book since I can't crank out multiple full-length novels in a year, and I had originally not wanted to change the format of the Lorne Family Vault halfway through the series, but what the hell. I've already figured out how to break up Book 3 into four clean parts, so I can still release in a timely manner.

I've regained the excitement I feel had been lacking most of the summer. Fall is here, and the change of season is refreshing. I look forward to continuing with Oliver on his adventure to discover who he is, what is in the Lorne family vault, and why he can no longer go home. I hope this isn't a mistake (from a business perspective), but then again, writing is never a mistake (from a  writer's perspective).

The SUSY Asylum (Lorne Family Vault, Book 2) blog tour begins on Monday, and will go for two weeks (averaging three stops a day). So I'll be posting on Monday next week with links to all the stops. See you then!

A Stopover from the Amazing M. Pax

As promised last Wednesday, I have a very special guest today, a wildly popular indie author and fellow blogger, M. Pax. She's here to share some valuable advice for finding success as an indie author from her experience with the release of multiple books in the past few years. Thank you so much for being here today, Mary!

On Being an Author-Publisher

It’s nice over here at Michael Pierce’s place. This blog swapping thing is awesomely fun.

He asked me to talk about what I’ve learned as an indie author to-date. So, I’ll share all the bounty and scoops I’ve learned.

Recently I heard a great new term for indies – Author-Publisher. Which is true. We not only write, we publish. We handle the creative and all the business. I’ve been at this two years now. Just this past summer my writing ‘habit’ started to support itself, meaning I don’t have to sink anymore money into it to publish my next book.

Here are six things I’ve learned that may help you: 

1. Have a business plan with a budget. Know what you will spend your money on and do not deviate. Know at what points you can consider expanding. Reinvest all your earnings in your business. Don’t spend it at Amazon. ie, When I began making $40-60 a month at Amazon, I invested in new cover art. Know at what income points you will expand your team and invest in improvements.  


2. Have a marketing plan. How are you going to get noticed? What worked for me: keeping The Backworlds permanently free, releasing book 2 shortly after and keeping the price low. If you do not make the impact you wish, you can change your plans as you go along. But do have one before you start. What works and doesn’t will very from book to book and author to author. Never give up. 


3. Make good use of that network on blogs, Twitter, in person, Facebook, etc... Recruit people to help you get the word out. Lately, I’m finding this blog swap thing to be my preference.


4. Find a reliable team. You should hire an editor. It’s the most costly aspect of publishing for me, but it’s worth it. I now have an editor who edits only and was recommended by a trusted friend. Do get recommendations via private communication. Just because an author credited someone as editing or creating a book cover, does not mean the author would recommend that vendor. This is where networking and friends really come in handy. Hiring out my book covers came early on in my business plan and was worth the reinvestment. 


5. The trifecta of publishing – title, cover, blurb. Play around with these and categories until you find something that works. I had recently rewritten my blurbs to match key words in google searches and on Amazon to optimize my visibility. Know what? It seemed to work, but then I noticed some typos so I updated them again. My sales spiked again. What does this mean? Write two blurbs, swap them out on Amazon and B&N every 4-6 weeks. Something about that makes you temporarily more visible. 


6. Social Media – Be active, be consistent. Pick what you love and concentrate on it. I love Twitter. I talk to people. I RT people. I have fun. I’ve gotten to like FB more and have become more active on it. I have a presence at LinkedIn and Goodreads – I’m there but not involved. I’m also on Pinterest which I find really useful for gathering images to help inspire what I’m working on. Another practical use – for the newest Backworlds cover, I sent my graphic artist to the album so she was inspired by the same images I was. I also use Wattpad and upload a new chapter/read every Tuesday.

I hope some of the lessons I’ve learned help you. What about you? What great lessons do you have to share?

M. Pax-- Inspiring the words she writes, she spends her summers as a star guide at Pine Mountain Observatory in stunning Central Oregon where she lives with the Husband Unit and two demanding cats. She writes science fiction and fantasy mostly. You can find out more by visiting her at:

Website / FB / Twitter / Goodreads / Pinterest / Wattpad

Beyond the Edge 

Blurb

Some truths are better left unfound.

For two years Craze’s dear friend, Lepsi, has been missing. The murmurings of a haunted spaceship might be a message and may mean his old pal isn’t dead. The possibility spurs Craze and Captain Talos to travel to uncharted worlds, searching. Out there, in an unfamiliar region of the galaxy beyond the Backworlds, they stumble upon a terrible truth.

Meanwhile, Rainly remains on Pardeep Station as acting planetlord, dealing with the discovery of her lover’s dark and brutal past. Alone and questioning her judgment, her introspection unlocks more than heartache. Latent protocols in her cybernetics activate, forcing her to face a sinister secret of her own.

In the far future, humanity settles the stars, bioengineering its descendents to survive in a harsh universe. This is the fourth book in the science fiction series, The Backworlds. A space opera adventure.

Amazon / AmazonUK / Nook / Smashwords / Kobo / Other Outlets

Now, as I also mentioned last Wednesday, today is a blog swap, so I'm over at Mary's blog today. If you've got a few more minutes to spare, then be sure to come over and say "hi!" THIS WAY TO THE M. PAX DIMENSION.

IWSG Wednesday: Committed to the SUSY Asylum Tour

Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Wednesday. Thank you again to Alex J. Cavanaugh, the creator of the group. The first Wednesday of every month is dedicated to this group of supportive writers. If it's something you're not familiar with, then please click on Alex's link above for more information and to sign up!

Is it just me, or is each month flying by faster and faster. This week I'll finally finish everything for the SUSY Asylum blog tour, which starts on October 14th. I wanted to be done with all the posts by the 1st of the month, so I didn't quite make that, but I'm close and I'll take that as a win.

I am so anxious for the tour to begin--I haven't been this nervous in awhile. There are quite a few blogs signed up to give reviews...and I'm terrified for the responses. SUSY Asylum is longer, darker, and less restrained than Provex City. I feel like I held back a little with Provex City, but with SUSY Asylum, I went for it with everything I had. I'm spending too much time fidgeting and tapping anything within reach. I've been drowning in headphones. Music is my healthiest distraction right now. I already can't wait for the month to be over, just to know what will happen. I want to skip to the end of the book, even though I know I'll only be cheating myself.

Breathe.

Okay, aside from my blog tour anxiety, I'm excited to announce that I'll be swapping blogs with the legendary M. Pax next Monday. That's right, I'll be over at her place, and she'll be right here talking about her experience as an indie author. So if you're an indie author or thinking of becoming an indie author, then park your butt in front of your favorite computer screen and prepare to take some notes.

What do you have going on this month? Are you ready for Halloween, cooler weather, and pumpkin lattes?

Banned Books Giveaway Hop!

September 22nd to 28th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & BookHounds

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my giveaway! I'm so excited for the opportunity to participate in this blog hop and offer a lucky winner one of the controversial books listed below.

On to the books...

Fifteen-year-old Virginia Shreves has a larger-than-average body and a plus-size inferiority complex, especially when she compares herself to her slim, brilliant, picture-perfect family. But that’s before a shocking phone call — and a horrifying allegation — about her rugby-star brother changes everything. With irreverent humor and surprising gravity, Carolyn Mackler creates an endearingly blunt heroine who speaks to every teen who struggles with family expectations, and proves that the most impressive achievement is to be true to yourself.
~Go to the entire Goodreads description of The Earth, My Butt & Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself
~Go to the entire Goodreads description of Hold Still by Nina LaCour

 In Crank, Ellen Hopkins chronicles the turbulent and often disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and ne'er-do-well father. While under the influence of the monster, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree...
 ~Go to the entire Goodreads description of Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is kidnapped. He escapes, narrowly. The only person he tells is his best friend, Conner. When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses. Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury...
~Go to the entire Goodreads description of The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith

Here are the official rules/guidelines for the giveaway:

1. You must be a follower of this blog. Just click the Join this Site box below "Followers" on the sidebar.
2. You can gain extra entries by following me on Goodreads, Twitter,"liking" my Facebook fan page, tweeting about this giveaway, or leaving a comment below.
3. This is open to international followers. (Only if The Book Depository ships to your country; please check this link to see if your country's included.)
4. This contest runs from Sept. 22 - 28.
5. The winner will be selected on September 29th via Rafflecopter random selection and announced in this post. You will have 48 hours to respond or I will draw another winner. 

***As the winner, if you are just dying to get another YA book, then you may substitute one of the books listed above for another of similar value from The Book Depository***

Thanks Again & Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Also, make sure to check out the other blogs participating in this Giveaway Hop, too!

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The Storm We've All Been Waiting For: CassaStorm!

Congrats to the Ninja Captain, Mr. Alex Cavanaugh, for the release of his third book, CassaStorm! The storm has just begun and this book is about to consume the blogosphere. Here is my question to The Captain:

Which of your three books was the most fun to write? And now that the trilogy's done, are you considering a four book?

Each one was different. It was fun writing CassaStar, because I was rewriting a story I’d imagined when I was younger and there were no expectations or pressure when working on it. CassaFire was lighter and involved more humor, plus the story flowed really quick from my mind. With the third one, it was just seeing the improvement in my writing skills. And knowing I was completing the story.

CassaStorm

By Alex J Cavanaugh

From the Amazon Best Selling Series!

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

“CassaStorM is a touching and mesmerizing space opera full of action and emotion with strong characters and a cosmic mystery.” – Edi’s Book Lighhouse

"Cavanaugh makes world building on the galactic scale look easy. The stakes affect the entire known universe and yet Cavanaugh makes it intensely personal for our hero. The final installment of this series will break your heart and put it back together."
- Charity Bradford, science fantasy author of The Magic Wakes

“…mesmerizing story of survival, personal sacrifice, tolerance, and compassion. It’s a rare jewel that successfully utilizes both character and plot to tell a story of such immense scope and intimate passion…” - Nancy S. Thompson, author of The Mistaken

$16.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 268 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

Science fiction/adventure and science fiction/space opera

Print ISBN 9781939844002 eBook ISBN 9781939844019

$4.99 EBook available in all formats

Find CassaStorm:

Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1116848619?ean=9781939844002

Amazon -

http://www.amazon.com/CassaStorm-Alex-J-Cavanaugh/dp/1939844002/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378484337&sr=1-1&keywords=cassastorm

Amazon Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/CassaStorm-ebook/dp/B00F2O9QMC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378811366&sr=1-1&keywords=cassastorm

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17670532-cassastorm

Book trailer -

Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. The author of the Amazon bestsellers, CassaStar and CassaFire, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.

Website – http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

Twitter – http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh  

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4287922.Alex_J_Cavanaugh

Get your copy of CassaStorm today!