The Hidden Secret in My Cover Art*

Cover art can make or break a novel, but for the traditionally published author, this critical facet of the work is often totally out of the author’s control.  Sometimes, that results in a horror story complete with tears and terror. In my case, it resulted in an unexpected gift.  When I signed my contract with Minotaur Books, I accepted that the cover art was out of my control. I made a decision: whatever my cover looked like, I would love it.  I told myself so over and over … “you’ll love the cover, whatever it looks like,” and yet, some fear

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An Interview With Mariam Kobras

Today’s guest author, Mariam Kobras, is not only an award-winning author and a delightful person, but a testament to the power (and importance) of social media. I met Mariam through Twitter (we’ve since connected on Facebook, too) and immediately found myself drawn to her joyful demeanor, engaging personality, and professionalism. If you want an example of the way authors should behave on social media, follow Mariam–and read her books, which are equally wonderful. Today, Mariam is here to celebrate her upcoming release, WAITING FOR A SONG: Naomi’s Story (Buddhapuss Ink, June 3, 2014), a prequel to her award-winning Stone Trilogy (Buddhapuss Ink): Where do

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Getting Real Value from Virtual Tours – Part 1

Today, the Wednesday publishing legal series begins a three-week “mini-series” on virtual tours, aka “blog tours” for authors. Today’s post will discuss the basics, which apply whether you’re “touring” with friends or with paid blog tour companies; next week, we’ll look at setting up your own tours, and the week after that, we’ll focus on tour companies. Live signings and national book tours are beyond the budget (and scheduling capacity) for many authors, especially since publishers don’t usually pay for book tours. Also, live signings often don’t sell many books unless an author is established enough to draw a crowd

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A Post-Memorial Day Book Recommendation: Spectras Arise

On Memorial Day, we remember and appreciate the military men and women who gave their lives in the service of our country. However, we also have living vets, some of whom have now gone on to careers in the publishing world (and one of whom is a very good friend of mine), and I’m a big believer in remembering people’s service even after the official holidays have come and gone. One way to thank a veteran is to buy her books – but to buy them, you have to know that they exist, and that they’re an awesome read. That’s where this

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Growing Up … on the Reef

A couple of months ago, I acquired a baby Moyer’s Dragonet (Synchiropus moyeri) – a fish that many aquarium enthusiasts know as one of the species of dragonet that shares the general trade name “scooter blenny.” We named him “Tai,” a word which means “fat” in Japanese and “supreme” in Mandarin Chinese – both of which are starting to fit him well. The Moyer’s dragonet differs from other species within its genus mostly in terms of color: the Moyer’s has yellow fins with black or green highlights and a more brilliant adult coloration than its cousin, the Red Starry Dragonet (Synchiropus

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Shinobi News: May 24, 2014

I’m delighted to announce the first tour dates for the Blade of the Samurai live tour! As of today, I have confirmed signings in the cities and at the great locations below. If you’re close to one of them, I hope you’ll stop in and say hello! Santa Monica, CA: Thursday, July 17, 2014: 7:00 PM Reading & Signing: Barnes & Noble (3rd Street Promenade) 1201 Third Street Santa Monica, CA 90401 Map Link Huntington Beach, CA: Saturday, July 19, 2014: 3:00 PM Reading & Signing: Mystery Ink Bookstore  8907 Warner Avenue, #135 Huntington Beach, CA 92647 Map Link Napa, CA: Saturday, July 26, 2014,

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Say What? Finding Topics for Your Author Blog

Today, our ongoing series on author marketing takes a look at how to find great topics for your author blog. The techniques we’re discussing work for other blogs, as well – so if you’re blogging, or want to start, here are some ways to find content to fill those electronic pages: 1. Re-Use (and Recycle) Your Research.  95% of an author’s research doesn’t make it into the book, or shows up in the book in an altered form. Turning your research into blog entries gets more mileage from the time you’ve already spent, and helps readers learn about your areas

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Capitol Crimes … and Taxes

I hope you’ll join me at the Capitol Crimes (Sacramento area Sisters in Crime) meeting tomorrow (Saturday, May 17), where I’ll be speaking on: “ART AND TAXES: Managing the Business Side of Your Writing Career” The presentation is free, and the meeting starts at 1:00pm, at the Rancho Cordova Library (9845 Folsom Blvd., Rancho Cordova, CA). For more details, please check out the Capitol Crimes Website. I hope to see you there!

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When Should an Author Blog?

Today’s post takes a look at a much-debated question: when, where, and how much should an author blog? The answer is: “it depends on several factors.” Let’s examine some of them in more detail: 1. When Should an Author Start Blogging? It’s never too soon–or too late–for an author to blog. Blogging increases visibility, and builds platform, at any stage of an author’s career. However, blogging is “short-form writing,” which differs from writing novels, so it does represent a completely different skill. Some novelists may not make great bloggers – and that’s OK. Blogging is not a mandatory element of writing

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Writing by Hobby, Habit, and Happenstance

I am blessed to have many writer friends, who sit at many spots on the publishing journey. Some are New York Times Bestsellers. Some have never sold a story. Some have written twenty books, while others are still hard at work on the first. Some preferred the traditional route, while others picked self-publishing; yet others have pursued hybrid careers. More interesting, though is the manner in which these people approach their writing, and the correlation between that approach and success. In my experience, writers fall into one of three general categories: they write as a hobby, they write by habit,

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