Progress How Novel 50

Only did a little writing on Book 2 of Ghostwolf. Hard to get back in the groove of writing after my little Hiatus. 

Been messing around with Book 2 cover. I talked with my writing coach about it and she gave me her opinion of which she liked best. I like them all for different reasons. However other writers on FB have stated that they think they're all too 'homemade' and that I should 'get a professional'. That you 'just can't throw words on' or they didn't like the font. My writing coach liked some of them just fine and she's a published author with a good following. I'll take her word over theirs. Besides I never was a conformist. :)

This is one of the approved ones

But not the one I choose. 

Did a bit of writing in the Elemental Detective dabbles. Still thinking about a full book using the characters. 

I've had 41 clicks so far this month on ads but no sales. Some pages read have happened, enough for one book. So I'm in the red for this month. It can't be the cover or they'd not click so it has to be the blurb. I'm redoing the blurb for Raven Manor. And I'm thinking about redoing Last Dragon Kin. The covers are staying. 

Progress How Novel 49

 Settling back into writing now that Hootin An Hollarin is over.

I'm thinking of changing the name of Book 2 to The Riven.  I've been told The Riven is more intriguing than Old Debts.  Both titles relate to what is in the book, just on different levels. It's all in the meaning. 

And I did another cover. I don't want to do a typical Urban Fantasy or paranormal cover of a half-naked man on the cover so I'm thinking about going more toward a murder mystery or thriller cover. 

Something like this.

 I'll probably mess around some more tonight.

Also still working on the Elemental Detective dabbles. Might actually write a full book using this MC. 

Got my handful of Raven Manor books with the new cover. I like it. We'll see how it goes with the new cover and blurb. I haven't sold any books on Amazon yet this month though I had a few pages read. 

Interlude--Hootin-n-Hollarin

 

First day went well. 

Almost sold out of the Ghostwolf Raven Manor books. (Only had 8 and only have one left). And sold 3 Dragon Kin. 

Hope today goes as well.

Didn't get to look around but I still had fun. Only got one email for the list but maybe I'll get more today. 

Will update after the day today. 

Update:

Sold last of Raven Manor today and 3 of the Resurgent books before noon. Sold 2 of Earth Reader which was my first book I published which I warned them that it was and 2 of my Dragon fantasy. I also sold some bracelets and 2 beaded bookmarks.

So overall a good day Sales wise.

I wasn't expecting to do as well as I did since I'm not a 'crafter' and couldn't do live demos. Also I was on the side not the main route. Not to mention this being my first time there. But despite this I had a fair sale each day. I made back the booth price the first day and more than the book costs the second with a little left over after I bought some festival food. 

Would have more profit if I didn't like funnel cakes so much.  Festival food is sooo expensive.

I also had two repeat visitors. The one is an avid reader and the other is an aspiring writer. Both bought books from me and the aspiring writer promised to return next year and buy more if I was there. I told her I probably would be since this year I did fairly well. 

So it looks like I'm starting a yearly thing.

Progress How Novel 48

Still working on Book 2 of Ghostwolf slowly but surely. Deadline isn't until December now. I want to publish it in January or February. 

Been organizing some of my stories so I have them ready to go when I want to start working on them. Emergent, Book 2 of Time-Lost series, is next up with Last Song, a Song Saga story. I'm thinking of doing the Song Saga as an omnibus of 3 novelettes. I also got the two Alliance books coming up.  Then there's the next two Fallborn books with another story idea in the mix. Plus two contemporary dragon stories. 

I've also been getting ready for Hootin an Hollarin. H an H is less than 5 days away.  My ordered books should arrive by Wednesday. Setup is Thursday morning and it starts Thursday evening. I'm unsure what I want to use as my signing quote if they wish a signed book. 

So I've been busy with this plus taking dad to his PT appointments and helping my parents out around the property. Being the dutiful child. 

Progress How Novel 47

 September is here!

Hootin an Hollarin is in a little more than a week. 

Sent off for more books. They're suppose to arrive before the 16th so I'll have them for HanH. 

I have some of my beaded bookmarks that I plan to have at my booth so it not just books on my table. 

I have new table cloth and decor to unveil this year. My last table was set up minimally for mystery and murder as you can see. 

"Well-behaved women seldom make history"  Don't remember who said it but I like it so I think I'll use it as one of my signing quotes. 

Book 2 of Ghostwolf is coming along slowly but surely. Book 1, Raven Manor, is more of a prequel, the meeting, the setup, while Book 2 digs deeper and reveals more secrets. 

 I'm still on the third story of my elemental detective Urban Fantasy collection. Detective Calli Finn works for the Special Circumstances Division which handles all the cases that have to do with vampires, shifters, and immortals while keeping her own elementalness a secret. Elementals are feared because they can not be explained by science and have enormous power that can't be controlled by normal humans. I did the short stories in a 'movie style', fast-paced and action oriented. There's an overall arc to the stories that builds in each story. I'm thinking about making this into a full book, but I don't know...I like the idea of short stories, dabbles. I might do both.

I'll think on it.

Countdown to Hootin an Hollarin has begun! 

Interlude Reviews

 I appreciate it when someone reviews or rates my books.

But...

When they give a one star rating without a review, I wonder.

Did they really read the book or are they a troll? Did they just put that one star there to mess with the rating as their idea of fun? Or were they so disappointed in the book that they couldn't find the words to say so? 

I don't know what to think. 

As I said I do appreciate that they took time to rate, but is five more minutes to review really too much to ask? How am I to improve if I don't know where I need to?  

I'm bringing this up because I got a one star rating on my short read mystery collection. 

Maybe they didn't like it due to it not being urban fantasy like my Ghostwolf book. Or maybe they didn't like it because of the Poirot style I tried to do. 

Or maybe they're a troll.

I don't know. 

When I only get ratings, I don't know what the rater liked or disliked about my books. I don't know what to think. I am grateful they thought enough to leave a rating, but I'm left hanging. 

What did I do right, What did I do wrong, where do I need some work?

We Authors love feedback. We might not always change because of it, but we crave it. For some of us it is worth more than the money we don't make. 

So while you're rating, take a few minutes to scribble a few words. You'll make an author's day.