From the mind of an Indie Author, The Creation of Chaos, and the latest news from the Petals!
I know, I know, it's Tuesday, not Monday, and I am late again. All I can say in my defense, is that I am currently editing and it is easy to get lost in the story. None the less, I have gathered a bit of news from here and there, slapped it together with a few of my own opinions and laid it out for you all to see. Who knows, you may even enjoy it! LOL Anyhow, let's get started! First off, I'd like to get something off my chest. I, like many others I know, am an Indie Author, meaning I am an Independent Publisher. I do my own work, and don't have a huge publishing house backing my name. I have my co-Authors, and my fans! I love being an Indie Author. I love the stories, the fans, the gossip and the constant nomination for awards, oh, the list goes on and on.... just like my stories. (Ten books, one universe, and four more needing editing... just saying! LOL) The love I get back is super cool, and watching it all unravel before my eyes is amazing, I only wish I could do more; but it seems the Indie world is pretty limited. The bookstores are hesitant to stock their shelves with our books, because we aren't backed by a major publisher. Our reviews are monitored, sometimes even deleted, and we work hard for those reviews. You need at least fifty reviews, to get your works on the front lines, and finding honest reviewers is hard enough with social media sites making it harder to spread word of your new release. On top of all of this, our works get lost behind those published by major publishers. Our stories, get sidelined, because we chose to do it our way, or simply couldn't afford a hefty publishing package. The latest in this crazy toss up, brought to my attention by a fellow Indie Author, was an awards event, where nominations flew in from all over the country, and beyond... and the only issue, was that the books being nominated, where from Authors everywhere, even the big time, top brass, best selling authors of all times. Don't get me wrong, those are some epic stories, written by some brilliant minds, but when Indie Books get tossed in the midst while the drums are rolling and votes are piling in, who, do you think they're all voting for. An example: Who's your favorite horror story? Most people looking at the nominations, would see a Stephen King novel and automatically vote for the King of Thrill, because everyone would; but what about the others below it, some of which, were written by Indie Authors? Sure, Indie Authors promote like crazy, but who really has five thousand in their pocket to drop on promotions and the like? Not me, that's for sure. So, when my friend pointed out that one of our stories had been nominated, and I went to check it out and found that, I couldn't even find it due to all the big shots that had been nominated alongside it, I got a little peeved. Don't ask me why, I don't really know, but I didn't have any interest in watching it sink as a known super star took the lead once again. Nothing against said, star, it's just, it got me thinking. Indie Authors, don't really have a voice, unless we use our own. We write, edit, publish and design our own covers, and we promote our finished projects as best we can, so shouldn't we get our own categories? Just because we didn't sign up with a major publisher, doesn't mean we're not worthy, it just means we have to work a little harder. All I'm saying is that, if people see Best Fantasy Author, they're going to nominate and vote for Tolkien and Martin, but add Indie to the title, and you open up a whole new selection and introduce people to twice as many books. There, I said it. Whether or not it made sense, who knows, you be the judge of that. In a world where self publishers work hard to get their works out there, try looking for the words Indie Author when voting or browsing for new releases, and know a vote for them would mean one step closer to a dream. I do my best and try to promote as many as I can, which is how this blog came to be! Between teasers and promos, stories to fill anthologies, cartoons and book trailers, I like to help out, and I love hearing the raves and reading the reviews! I like to work in trade, but have contracted out my services, and I always stay in the Indie Community. Just look at some of the stuff I've gotten in to with others...
With these two being my latest works... A banner for Mandy Kim's heated story called Undercover Love!!!
And a video trailer for Marsha Black's, The Triplet's Curse- Hope's Story!!!!
Both are must reads, and can be found on Amazon, among other places!!! I had a lot of fun working with these Authors, and look forward to many more doodles in the coming months. You can browse the rest of my website, and take a peek at what else I have out there. So many cool Authors, but I'm not gonna lie, it needs a good update, for I've been spending most of my time editing... Which brings me to the last, but not least, section of this blog, news from The Rose. The Petals have certainly been busy, have a look for yourself. From W.I.P- The Child written by Mara Reitsma and Mark McQuillen... "Euphamia, wait!" He called to her, and she stopped, if only to allow him to catch up. Who was she to ignore a Dragon? She'd listen, if he could keep the pace. "I am not in the mood to argue, Raimon! Don't think I could entertain that epic mind of yours for long!" "I am not in need of entertaining! You however, need to stop walking and start talking!" He tried to stop her, his hand on her shoulder and that look in his soft, fur trimmed eyes. "Why? Because mother needs me back at the campfire for more of her tales?" She rolled her eyes, her feet moving forward once more. "No, because the trail ends in about fifteen meters, and it's a nasty fall to the rocky waters below!" He shook his head, and she stopped short. "That would suck!" She muttered, and crossed her arms as she turned to face him. "Exactly! So why not hop up on that log over there, and we'll chat?" Bloody hell! Not only was the male extremely good looking, for having fur, but he was smart, and way too good with his words. He knew how to talk to people. 'It's all in the genes, which they altered, of course; but damn I look good!' Oh, Raimon was a character alright, but he'd never lied to Mia, not even to protect her; and she valued that most of all. "Now out with it, or do I have to go digging?" He added, and stood in front of her. Didn't help that over the decades, and being one with a Dragon, the bastard had learned some pretty nifty ways to surf someone's thoughts; even Mia's. "She's always got to be so prim and proper, and right!" Mia finally blurted out. "That is her role in life! The Benevolent Lady of Light, protector of all things good and serene!" Rai crossed his arms over his chest to mock her. "A role she accepted, in order to repair a Verse she found in dismay!" "I'm talking about the last three hundred years, you know? The shit I've been around for?" Mia raised her brows at him. "Seriously now, it's but a fraction of her life, but it was all of mine, and she's lied to me continuously!" "And I have lived a thousand lifetimes, watching those I care about drifting in and out of space and time. Thousands of souls and millions of memories, but none as sweet as those between mother and child!"
"Yay, for all those children who got to spend their innocence with loving arms and truthful words of wisdom! I grew up believing one thing, only to fight for it and learn that it was never real at all. It was a lie, one on top of another; and they never seem to end!" Mia threw her hands in the air. "We are El'Terran! Lie! It's just a name they chose, and not one that was passed down through the centuries. We must be truthful! Ha, you see where that one led, and then there's the big ones. The 'I'll protect you and never let anything hurt you; tell that to T'ryx. I watched him die in my arms, and it fucking hurt. Tell that to Nyx, who watched me die in his arms. Ask him how much it hurt us both!" Raimon was silent, whether because he had nothing to say, or she had so much more to let out, she had no clue, but she was far from done. "Do you know, what it's like to watch your sisters bear young, and know that you can never have any? Watch them grow and learn, without ever having any of your own?" "No!" Raimon replied. "Welcome to my world, and for years I believed I was sacrificing my maternal side for the love of a mate who was sterile, only to find out that it was he, who had sacrificed, for me!" She shook her head. "He could have raised his own army by now, had he been with another..." "He didn't want any other!" Raimon reminded her. "He wanted you!"
Euphamia...
Hope you've all enjoyed my little blurb fest today, and don't forget to check out the books you've seen above! Give an #IndieAuthor a read, you might be surprised by what you find! Happy Reading!
