I Eat Crayons and Poop Rainbows

COME CHECK OUT THESE GREAT AUTHORS!

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CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT A BUNCH OF GREAT BOOKS BY GREAT AUTHORS, on SALE!

Happy Friday the 13th! Check out this promo page featuring a bunch of great authors and books on sale from free to 99 cents!

HAPPY READING!

On May 2nd our ten year old son, Henrik, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Please pass the following website on. We can use all the prayers we can get. 

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/henrikthebrave

An erotic short story of approximately 5,400 words. 
Intended for ages 18+ due to explicit sexual act descriptions and language. 

Two years ago, Buck left Alice heartbroken when he dumped her and moved away. He's back in town, and at 18 little Alice isn't such a little girl anymore. She's saved herself for him, even after he hurt her by leaving. The night gets HOT when they reunite in the woods and she's finally ready to let him in.

Save the date! Fri March 21 @ 7pm CST I'm "taking over" a FB page for an hour or two! Stop by and chat with me live...ask questions...from the Grace Series to the Sun Trilogy to writing & publishing questions to "what's next!"

https://www.facebook.com/indiebookbabes

That's all. 

Oh god, seriously? =_=

Whoo hoo!

I'm offering my book "The Athena Effect" free from March 2nd to 8th in every e-book format known to mankind right here:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/223226

Click on "buy" and enter the code REW25 for a free download.  So go ahead and grab a copy! It's not complicated...

Click HERE for link:

There seems to be a social sitgma attached to being an Indie Author. I'm hoping one day that will change.

Myths & Misconceptions

1. An Indie Author writes - and is no good.

2. An Indie Author wasn't good enough to be signed by a traditional publisher. 

3. Indie Authors aren't "real" writers. 

4. Indie Authors make "real" authors look bad.

The Truth

1. Some Indie authors aren't the greatest. Some are magnificent. The truth is, we're individuals and as such our work varies greatly from one author to another.

2. Many Indie Authors were turned down by numerous agents and big publishes many times. So were most traditionally published authors. Some Indie authors simply do not feel a need/do not have a desire to be represented by an agent, or a major publishing house. 

3. Yes, we are real writers.

4. Prove it. 

There are three types of writers. Those who write and never show their art to the world. Those who feel a need to be represented by a publishing house. Then there are Indie Authors - those of us who write, usually because of a fire inside  us that has to burn, and who take charge of showing their art to the world on their own terms. 

Since I'm an Indie Author (as well as an Indie Publisher) I'll speak to that category. I certainly can't speak for every Indie Author, but I will speak as to what I have come to see in the past eighteen months since I published my first book. Yes, most of us write for the money. We're people, just like everyone else, and we need money to live. It's deeper than that, though. Much deeper. We write because there's something inside of us that makes us write. It's almost like the need to eat, sleep, or breathe. The need to write and tell stories can consume our waking thoughts and intrude upon our dreams. The income is secondary to that internal need to create new worlds. Indies like to have control over their work. We like it to remain truly ours. We can control content, editing, covers...and keep prices down. We have the final say. No one else. We are not limited in what, or how, we write. 

It seems that traditionally pubished authors tend to look down their nose at those of us who chose to stay independent. As does some of mainstream society. Many of us could be traditionally published - if we wanted to. Many of us simply chose not to. It's a beautiful choice. 

Putting aside all the negativity lately regarding indie authors, I want to celebrate the fun side to this form of publishing. My first post on the subject is fitting since I published two very different books this week.

The first was a dark novella for my Bijou Hunter pen name. Violent, sexy, first person POVs in present tense (my 1st attempt at that), Gator will likely sell well. While it’s different than my Damaged books in some ways, I don’t have anyone telling me I can’t write outside of my brand. True, readers could hate it and say I shouldn’t write outside of my brand, but that’s a whole different matter.

My second book published this week is part of my Christian fantasy series. Scattered has a dozen third person POVs. The sexual stuff is fade-to-black and there’s no cussing. The audience for my Dakota Shepherd books is much smaller. If the series was traditionally published, it likely would be dropped before the final book. In indie publishing, I can finish my series for those readers who need to know how it all works out. Sales aren’t my only focus as compared to a traditional publisher who has a fixed number of bills to pay to stay in business.

As an indie, I can write whatever the hell I want. That doesn’t mean people will buy whatever the hell I write. It just means if I have an idea then I can turn it into a short story, novel, series, etc. Only my imagination limits me.

I’m not the only author who genre hops. This month, my girl Marcy published her first NA romance as Blythe Santiago. She’s already built a fan base with her Grace zombies series, published under M. Lauryl Lewis. This Side of the Sun started with a suggestion from me (yep, taking full credit) that she might try a straight romance because the romantic elements of her Grace series were so well received.

Marcy isn't limiting herself to romance and zombies either. She has a haunted house style novel planned for later in the year along with a non-fiction book about the death of a relative at the hands of a serial killer. If she can imagine it, Marcy can publish it as an indie.

We’re not the only authors using the opportunity to try different genres. Many indies I’ve promoted on my blogs are doing the same. There’s freedom in indie publishing that isn’t always found in traditional publishing. Whether authors use this freedom is up to them.

I began reading Bijou Hunter's books just this past year. Love her style and ability to really weave a world that grabs me and sucks me in. GATOR was amazing. A wickedly dark romance that is disturbing (be prepared for some serious darkness and twistedness). The happy ending...was...well...amazing. Job well done. 

Sad that some authors feel a need to "bash" others in order to feel better about themself. See reblog below. 

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A day after his KDP forum nemesis sizzles up a second genre, this petty little man (I won't make any jokes about what he's NOT packing) decided to carpet bomb her books. Yes, jealousy between indie authors is alive and well and Grampa Peake is the green-eyed poster asshat.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IK06HKY