May 6, 2015 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG — Book Signings, Promotion, and Marketing, Oh My!

Today’s the day for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) where, on the first Wednesday of every month, writers get together to share their insecurities and offer encouragement. The IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, and you can learn all about it and sign up for it here.

Now that my book is finally published and I’ve done some online promotion with a blog tour, I need to think about doing promotion in person. Both the local independent book store, which is carrying my book, and the local library, which has also agreed to stock my book, host meet the author/book signing events if I want to schedule them. I know I should do this, but the idea scares me half to death.

How do other introvert writers handle this sort of thing?

April 7, 2015 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Dragon of the Stars Release Day Scavenger Hunt! and A to Z Challenge: More Fictional Favorites! Day 6: Princess Fiona

Available today!

Dragon of the Stars By Alex J. Cavanaugh

Science Fiction – Space Opera/Adventure/Military

Print ISBN 9781939844064 EBook ISBN 9781939844057

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/ http://whatarethekargrandes.com/

The ship of legends…

The future is set for Lt. Commander Aden Pendar, poised to secure his own command and marriage to the queen’s daughter. But when the Alliance declares war on their world, Aden finds his plans in disarray and told he won’t make captain. One chance remains – the Dragon. Lost many years prior, the legendary ship’s unique weapon is Hyrath’s only hope. Can Aden find the Dragon, save his people, and prove he’s capable of commanding his own ship?

SCAVENGER HUNT! Comment to win an autographed copy of Dragon of the Stars, tons of bookmarks & postcards, and a $20.00 iTunes gift card – where is Mini-Alex? Visit Alex for a list of the participants. (Open through April 11 – winner announced April 13 at Alex’s blog.)

Amazon Amazon print Amazon UK Barnes and Noble

Kobo Chapters iTunes Overdrive Goodreads

Now on to A to Z!

F is for — Princess Fiona from Dreamworks’ Shrek films

Princess Fiona starts out as the typical fairy tale heroine — the beautiful damsel in distress, trapped in a tower, awaiting a handsome prince to come to her rescue. In a creative twist to the story, Fiona’s “handsome prince” turns out to be an unhandsome, un-princely ogre named Shrek.

Fiona soon proves that she’s not what she seems, either. When surrounded by enemies, she shows off some pretty cool ninja moves, both as a human princess and as an ogress. In Shrek the Third, she organizes the other princesses and fights against Prince Charming and his minions, and in Shrek Forever After, she rescues herself from the tower and leads a band of rebel ogres against the evil Rumplestiltskin. No helpless damsel is she.

I also like how Fiona embraces her ogre side. She realizes that, for her, this is “love’s true form.” So what if she’s not the most beautiful in the land, or if she has to shave her face like Shrek, or if she makes rude noises like he does? She’s beautiful on the inside where it counts, and she’s found someone who loves her the way she is. And, most importantly, she’s happy just being herself. You don’t have to be the “fairest one of all” to have a happy ending.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Photo Credit: http://fairytaleadaptations.wikispot.org/Shrek_Films

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

April 1, 2015 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG and A to Z Challenge: More Fictional Favorites! Day 1: Anne of Green Gables

I took a couple of my print books to the local independent book store and talked to the manager about stocking them. I was nervous, but he was friendly and encouraging and said the store was happy to support local authors. He took the books on consignment and said he’d let me know if and when they needed more. Deep breath.

I’d love to hear about other self-published authors’ experiences with indie book stores and what worked for them.

Now on to the A to Z Challenge!

A is for — Anne from Anne of Green Gables

Anne Shirley, the lively, imaginative orphan girl of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 classic, Anne of Green Gables, enchanted me when I first read her story many years ago. I was a schoolgirl myself at the time and loved reading of her adventures. Who can forget Anne’s cracking her slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head when he called her red braids “carrots,” or her walk along the ridge-pole of a neighbor’s roof on a dare, or her accidentally dying her hair green?

Her wild imagination and indomitable spirit endeared her to me. Of course, the fact that she was a budding writer made me love her even more. Montgomery wrote several sequels, which I also enjoyed, and Anne’s story has been portrayed in numerous TV series and in film. My favorite of those I’ve seen is the 1985 CBC TV mini-series with Megan Follows as Anne — a must watch for Anne fans.

Photo Credit: http://anne.sullivanmovies.com/films/anne-of-green-gables/

March 4, 2015 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG — I Did It!

After so many years of working on my book, it’s finally published! There’ve been snags and setbacks along the way, including a major formatting snafu with the e-book on release day, but I’m not focusing on that today. Nor am I thinking about all the insecurities that have increased a hundredfold now that my book is actually out there for all to see.

Right now, I just want to say Whoo, hoo! and Yes!! and dance around the house with glee.

On Friday, the print proof should arrive in my mailbox. I’ll get to hold the actual book in my hand, and it will finally start to sink in. I am a published author!!! Whoo, hoo! (More dancing around the house…)

And all aspiring authors take note — if I can do it, so can you. Just take that dream and make it happen. 🙂

February 4, 2015 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG — The Waiting Game

I had hoped to be celebrating my book release at this point in February, but unfortunately, things are not working out as planned. Between the communication issues and the variety of problems my cover designer is having, the cover still isn’t done.

I feel bad for her, as it’s been one thing after another — things breaking down, computer crashes, kids getting sick. Dealing with life’s snarls is obviously more important than publishing a book, but, man, it is frustrating to be so close and not be able to get there.

So for now, I’m sending positive thoughts and energy her way in hopes that it might help smooth things out on her end. After all that’s happened, she deserves a break! And it’s a great lesson in patience for me.

Is anybody else out there playing the waiting game?

January 7, 2015 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG — Less Than A Month Away — Aaaaaaaah!

We were asked to introduce ourselves today, so here goes. I’m a writer of fantasy adventure who lives in Vermont with my kids, two of the best teenagers ever. I’m working my way up the self-publishing mountain, and I’ve almost reached the summit, which makes me giddy — or maybe it’s just the thin air up here…

I’m planning an early February release date (my target date is the 3^rd) for my fantasy adventure novel, Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble, providing I can accomplish the rest of what needs to be done by that time. All the usual first-time-author insecurities are plaguing me more than ever. Sometimes I feel like I’m sitting on an over-stuffed suitcase, trying to close it, while the monsters of insecurity are trying to force their way out. I know all aspiring authors go through this, and I just need to persevere. I’ve been waiting so long for this dream to become a reality. I’m not going to let my insecurities stop me from reaching my goal of becoming a published author.

On that note, if anyone would like to help by reading e-ARCs for reviews, posting about my book on the release date, hosting me on your site with an author interview or whatever format you like, and/or sharing the news of the book’s release in other ways — Facebook, Twitter, or whooping and shouting to the rooftops (sorry, that’s what I’ll be doing 🙂 ), I’d be super grateful! Just let me know either in the comments or through the contact form, and I’ll send you whatever materials you need.

Thanks so much to everyone who has supported me on this journey! I know 2015 is going to be awesome!

December 3, 2014 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG — To Review, Or Not To Review…

I will soon be sending out ARCs and requesting advance reviews for my fantasy adventure novel, Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble. I know that getting reviews is vital if I want my book to rise above the obscurity that self-publishing can bring. A solid word-of-mouth campaign is essential for an Indie book to succeed.

So it stands to reason that if I’ll be requesting reviews, I should be willing to give them in return. I’ve never written a book review because of the horror stories I’ve heard about authors who took offense at not-so-shining, albeit honest, reviews and retaliated by trashing the reviewers’ books, giving them terrible one-star reviews on all the online sites, and having their friends do the same.

The thought of going through something so devastating has persuaded me to keep my opinions to myself. However, I don’t feel that it’s fair of me to ask other writers for reviews if I’m not willing to reciprocate.

I would love to know how other writers feel about this. Do you write reviews? Do you ever worry about the bad apples out there trashing your books?

I would also like to thank the IWSG for putting together the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond – Available Now! Thank you! Can’t wait to read it!

November 5, 2014 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG — Best Time To Publish? and New Book Release: Wickedly They Dream

I’m getting close to publishing my fantasy novel, Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble. If all goes well, the big event will happen this winter.

Realizing this, I began to wonder, in general, what the best time was for new book releases. What month or time of year for a release date generates the most sales? Or does it really make a difference? I’d love to hear about others’ experiences with this and why they chose their publishing dates for their books.

And on this line of thought, today’s the exciting release date for Cathrina Constantine’s new book:

**Happy Release Day**
**GIVEAWAY**

Wickedly They Dream

Genre: Paranormal Thriller/Fantasy

Publisher: Black Opal Books
Grab it today for only 99 cents!
HERE

How Far Will Jordan go to rescue her mother. It will cost her everything–even her angel, Markus!

Buy Links: Amazon

Black Opal Books

Author Cathrina Constantine resides in Western New York. When not with her family, you’ll find her in the forest behind her house walking the dogs and conjuring a new tale.

You can find Cathy Here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

October 1, 2014 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG — Book Trailer Photos

I’ve been working on my book trailer and have a script and music I’m happy with. However, the photos/videos to incorporate are giving me a problem. I have a lot of ideas of what I’d like, but translating them into photos I can take myself is a challenge. I’ve looked at a couple of royalty free photo sites and read both good and bad reviews about them. I’m on the fence about trying to take my own photos or go with a service. I need to make a decision.

So, my questions for today: for anyone who has made a book trailer, did you use your own photos/videos or use a service such as iStock.com, canstockphoto.com, or something else? If you used a service, were you happy with the results? Did you have any problems with the service? I know of one person who has used iStock and is, so far, happy with it. Or did you hire someone to do the trailer? How did that turn out? As always, any and all advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!

July 2, 2014 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG / Font-tastic Dilemma

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Click here to see this post with the various fonts.

Click to see this post with the various fonts.

I’ve been playing with various fonts, trying to decide which one to use for my book cover title. But it seems like there are a zillion fonts out there. How on earth does one choose?

My novel is romantic fantasy adventure. The romance element inspires thoughts of flowery and curvy script like Vivaldi from my computer’s font files or like this free file I found online called A Yummy Apology. Fantasy should be more exotic like Endor or Half-elven or Immortal, while the adventure element needs something strong and bold — Bodoni MT Black, Stencil, and Impact are all possibilities.

Swordplay is essential to the plot as well, which draws me toward a serif font that is clean and sharp like a blade. I really like Castellar and Imprint MT Shadow because of the added depth of the lettering. There is so much more to the main character than even she knows and in my mind, the shadowed depth of the letters symbolizes this.

So many choices. And once I figure out the title font, I need to decide if I’m going to use the same font for both title and author or choose another for the author.

Lori L. MacLaughlin (Cardinal), Lori L. MacLaughlin (Slender Gold), Lori L. MacLaughlin (Celtic) …

Which will it be? Sigh …