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.
My insecurities this month revolve around the impending release of my second book: Trouble By Any Other Name. I’m excited to get it out there, but I’m really nervous about it, too. The usual worries chase each other around in my head. Will anyone like it? Will it sell? Etc., etc., ad nauseum.
I’d also like to avoid the glitches I had with the e-book last time. I’m hoping everything will go smoothly over the next couple of weeks until it comes out, but I know all about Murphy’s Law, so I’m not taking anything for granted. You’d think that since I’ve done this once already I wouldn’t be so nervous about it, but it doesn’t seem to matter. I’ll be glad when the launch is over and I can relax and get back to writing.
I’m working on setting up a release day blitz and blog tour. If anyone who hasn’t already signed up (thank you!!) would like to help me out with one or the other or both, I’d really appreciate it! Please let me know in the comments. I’ll be happy to return the favor. Thank you!!!
This is it! I’m really excited to be sharing the cover for Book 2: Trouble By Any Other Name with everyone! It’s hard to believe I’m so close to publishing my second book. I want to send out a huge thank you to Carrie Butler of Forward Authority Designs for taking my vision for the cover and making it beautiful. She does excellent work!
And now I present the cover!
And here’s the full cover!
Title: Trouble By Any Other Name
Author: Lori L. MacLaughlin
Publisher: Book and Sword Publishing
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
The Blurb:
Tara Triannon is no stranger to trouble. She’s yet to find an enemy her skill with a sword couldn’t dispatch. But how can she fight one that attacks through her dreams?
With her nightmares worsening, Tara seeks answers but finds only more questions. Then her sister, Laraina, reveals a stunning secret that forces Tara to go to the one place Tara’s sworn never to return to. Her troubles multiply when Jovan Trevillion, the secretive soldier of fortune who stole her heart, is mentally tortured by an ancient Being intent on bending him to its will. And worst of all, the Butcher — the terrifying wolf-like assassin she thought she’d killed — survived their duel and is hunting her again.
Hounded by enemies, Tara sets out on a harrowing quest to discover the true nature of who she is, to come to grips with the new volatility of her magic, and to defeat the evil locked in a centuries-old trap that will stop at nothing to control her magic and escape through her nightmares.
*****
Thank you for visiting and celebrating my cover release with me!!
Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here.
It’s almost May! Whoo, hoo! I’ll be glad when it gets here because I think April and March switched places this year. I don’t know what the average temps are supposed to be for this time of year, but it’s been in the 20s every morning this week. Brrrrr!
Crazy weather aside, I’d like to celebrate:
That when it SNOWED earlier this week (ugh!), the snow melted quickly and was pretty much gone by the next day.
Another bookselling event coming up on Saturday at the Women’s “We Care” Expo in St. Albans, VT!
Another good book review on Goodreads!
Tune in on Monday for the Cover Reveal of Book 2: Trouble By Any Other Name!
Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here.
This has been an absolutely fantastic week. It started with being contacted by a writers’ group from a neighboring town. They asked if I would come and speak to their group about my book and writing in general. I was surprised and flattered and said I’d be happy to talk to them. They seemed really pleased and excited, which put a smile on my face.
Then midweek, I received an official Library of Congress (LOC) cataloging number for Book 2. Whoo hoo! I didn’t get one for my first book, partly because as a newbie, I didn’t know I needed to apply for one before the book was published and partly because I wasn’t sure self-published books could get them. Without that all-important cataloging number and information, libraries aren’t likely to buy the book because they’d have to create the catalog entries themselves and few are willing to do that. Apparently it’s quite a complicated process, as I found out from trying to get Book 1 into my local library.
As it is, I had to go through a two-step process to get the number. First, I had to apply online for an account in the LOC’s Preassigned Control Number (PCN) program. Because I have my own publishing company imprint, my application was accepted, and I was given an account number and password. (Yay!) Then, I had to fill out another online application for the book itself. I received an e-mail the next day approving the application and giving the PCN number. (Lots of happy dancing going on!)
And then to top the week off, I received a stellar book review (which can be read HERE) from a high school student who had bought Book 1 from me at VT Comic Con last fall. (Happy dancing ten feet off the ground, at this point!)
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.
A few days ago I received a Google Alert e-mail message alerting me that the title of my book and/or my name had popped up somewhere on the web. I followed the link and ended up at a site called TzarMedia.com. According to the site, if I signed up for an account, I could download my book for free. Completely unauthorized, with no compensation to the author or publisher.
Yes, I’ve been pirated.
When I clicked on the link again to go back and send a take-down notice, I ended up at a different site, LipsMedia.com. Then it was LilPlay.com, then DonnaPlay.com. I sent take-down notices all around, though I know it’s an exercise in futility.
It’s really infuriating to know that your hard work can be stolen so easily. With all the advanced technology out there today, it seems like there should be a way to eradicate these sites.
Has anyone out there had any luck dealing with pirate sites? What did you do?
*****
On a happier note, I’m planning on doing a cover reveal for my second book, Trouble By Any Other Name, on May 2nd, which is a Monday.
If anyone would like to help me out with the cover reveal, I’d really appreciate it! Please let me know in the comments. Thank you!!!
Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here.
I know it’s been awhile since I posted. I’ve been spending every free minute on my edits, and today I’m happy to say, I’m FINALLY done. It’s time to celebrate! Whoo hoo!!
Book 2 is a big step closer to reality. Unfortunately, it didn’t leave me any time to prepare for A to Z, so I’m going to have to bow out this year. I’ll be around to visit, though. I’m looking forward to seeing all the interesting topics everyone has come up with.
Can’t wait to see Book 2 in print! So far, I’m on target for May. Fingers crossed!
Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here.
I spent this morning helping set up for the Spring Book Fair at school. I enjoy checking out all the new books, and so do my kids. They can’t wait for the Fair to open on Monday. This week I’d like to celebrate:
Books! They can enrich your life in ways you never imagined.
Another snow day! Or maybe I should call it an ice day, since we had more ice than snow. The roads were so bad that even police cars parked on the side of the road at accident sites slid off into the ditch by themselves.
Going to the movies this weekend! My kids aren’t little anymore, but they’ve never outgrown Disney. (And I hope they never do.)
Next Tuesday, March 8th, is National Pancake Day at IHOP! Free pancakes! Whoo, hoo! I am so there.
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.
On this date two years ago, I posted my first blog post. I was embarking on a new journey, the pursuit of my dream of becoming a published author, and I wanted to document that journey in hopes that it might help someone else who had the same dream.
I went back and read that first post and couldn’t help but smile at how far I’ve come. Not only did I achieve my dream, I’m on the verge of accomplishing it a second time. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Book II: Trouble By Any Other Name will be published this spring.
To celebrate the revelation that dreams can indeed come true, I’m reblogging that first post. Never stop believing in your dreams.
*****
March 2nd, 2014 — It’s Time
Writing has always been a part of my life. It began with creating stories in my head for fun when I was young. Or rather, creating characters who wrote their own stories. I never told them what to do. My characters took care of that themselves. They lived their adventures, fought, loved, and sometimes died, in my mind. It was like watching a movie in my head, seeing and hearing the characters as if I stood beside them, holding my breath, along for the ride.
As I grew older, my mother suggested I write my stories down. Such euphoria ensued, sparking a dream of one day being a published author. To hold in my hand a book of my own making would be the greatest nirvana. But life being what it is, with the necessities of having a steady income to pay the bills, and later the beloved obligations of family, the dream stayed just that — a dream. Writing remained a hobby, though in my head my characters’ stories still clamored for release.
Until now. Now, circumstances are such that my dream might actually be within reach. I am going to self-publish my novel. There… I said it. I’m going to self-publish my novel and set my characters free. Wow. Just writing the words and putting them out there is enough to make me laugh and cry at the same time.
I know this will be a huge learning experience, and there will be bumps along the road, but I will persevere until I hold my book in my hand. It may not be the best book ever written, but that’s okay. It will still be nirvana to me.
This is my journey. I invite anyone who wishes to share it with me.
*****
Originally, I was planning to release my second book in April, but with A to Z coming up, I chickened out and decided on the first week of May. I hope to do a blog tour soon afterward.
If anyone would like to help me out by doing a release day post or hosting me during the blog tour, that would be wonderful! Please let me know in the comments. Thanks so much!!
Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here.
I hope everyone gets a chance to check out all the authors participating in the 2016 2K Indie Book Tour. Their books sound like amazing reads. Celebrations for this week:
A snow day! School was canceled last Tuesday because of an ice/sleet/snow storm. My kids were ecstatic. And next week is school vacation!
I saw a flock of robins on a neighbor’s lawn this morning! Either the birds are really confused, or spring is on its way.
More editing progress! The end is in sight.
Carrie Butler of Forward Authority Designs did a fantastic job on the cover for Book II: Trouble By Any Other Name. I’m not quite ready to reveal it yet. Soon.
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.
The print version of my book, Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble, is printed on demand by the distributors Lightning Source/IngramSpark (LSI), so I don’t have to keep cases of books as backstock in my basement. Recently, I received notice from LSI that their printing costs would be increasing to cover their rising costs. I was given a window of time in which I could raise the retail price of my book and submit a new cover file reflecting this increased price without having to pay for the file update. The deadline is the end of February.
So I have to decide — do I raise the price of my print book, or leave it as is?
I had originally set the price at $16.99, which was about as low as I could go without selling at a loss. I figured if I priced my first book too high, no one would buy it. But with the 55% wholesale discount the big retailers get, the margin of profit is miniscule.
If I leave the price as is, I’ll still be in the black, but just barely. I tell myself, it’s okay, I’m not in it for the money. And yet I have to say it would be nice to make at least a little profit. But I’m concerned that if I raise the price a dollar or two, I’ll lose sales, and that would defeat the purpose of getting my book out there into readers’ hands. What to do?
Has anyone else ever run into this problem? What did you decide?
Current work includes epic fantasy, science fiction, mystery, romance. Follow me on Bluesky @nathaliemlromer.bsky.social! Visit nathaliemlromer.com for information and news about the author and her publications.
Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams 