<< Happy Dance >>

One week closer to the release of A Vampire's Tale! Can you tell I'm excited? The upfront work of writing a novel - plotting, researching, writing, and editing - can take as much time as you need (unless you have a specific deadline to keep). Submissions - finding the right home for your novel - can also be completed at your leisure. After you sign a publishing contract, your time is no longer your own. Multiple rounds of editing and book cover design and tagline writing all have deadlines in order to meet the release day target. Then, all the hard work is done and the author can sit back with an umbrella drink and watch the royalties roll in.

Guess again! All that stuff before? That was the easy part!

I'm still a novice - this is only my second solo release - but I find the marketing and promotion piece is the real challenge to being an author. An author can't just write. They also have to sell - themselves, their brand, their books. And, since we can't put ourselves on Amazon, an author website will have to do.

For my first release, paranormal romance novella Dream Hunter, I knew obtaining reviews would be a key component to success. After all, I was a virtual unknown. Who would be interested in reading an untried author without a recommendation? Exactly. Next came the establishment of an online presence, blog visiting and hosting, and the consistent use of third party promo services. All the while I knew my next promo move would be to release another book.

The time is near and my marketing and promotion strategy for A Vampire's Tale has been developed. Obtaining reviews is my first priority and I've been busy connecting with book reviewers and book bloggers. I have a list of third party promo companies with pricing and contact information at the ready. Once my pre-sale begins, it'll be off to the races!


Interested in reading my debut novella Dream Hunter?

Cynthia’s dreams are so real, they are actually coming true – complete with the prerequisite dream guy. But things are not as they seem.

Who said dreams are sweet?

Chicago businesswoman Cynthia Courtland is completely focused on her career when a sensual, reoccurring dream disrupts her orderly life. Then a threat against her workplace forces her to take time off. She is lost with nowhere to go--only her empty apartment.

Work is Gabe’s life too; he takes it very seriously and will do whatever it takes to succeed. He's been watching over Cynthia for a long time and he has her best interests at heart, but can he protect her from the danger she is blind to? When Cynthia insists on investigating the threat so she can get back to work, it makes Gabe's job all the more difficult.

When things settle, will there be more for them than a life filled with work? Will she give her dreams a chance to come true?

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