For more on these specialized werepets be sure to check out author Douglas R. Brown’s newest werewolf tale with a twist, Tamed.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer living in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus, Ohio. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he can draw from his lifelong love of the genre.

Douglas R. Brown’s website is at http://www.epertase.com. Tamed can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing, http://shop.rhemalda.com, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

ISBN: 978-1-936850-70-9

Rhemalda Publishing

PO Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807

marketing@rhemalda.com

www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books, through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Florida author Karen Amanda Hooper writes about epic events taking place under the sea near Florida’s coast

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA  (PRBuzz.com) February 17, 2012 — Karen Amanda Hooper is a beachcomber living in Florida and a diehard Disney lover who believes in magic and fairy tales. Karen’s lifestyle and passions shine through in Tangled Tides, a fantastical young adult romance about rival merfolk and selkies. The story is told in memoir form by three sea creature characters who are battling for their lives in an underwater adventure.

Hooper explains her fascination with the ocean: “Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, I spent many summers on the beaches of Ocean City. I also frequented Wildwood, New Jersey, and Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. I could spend hours jumping the waves, or just walking along the shoreline. My mind was always creating stories about who and what might be lurking beneath the water. The details of Tangled Tides have been churning in my mind for decades.”

Hooper is available for author signings and events. Please contact her through her website.

Tangled Tides can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing at http://www.shop.rhemalda.com or your favorite online retailers. Karen Amanda Hooper’s website is at http://karenamandahooper.com.

Tangled Tides ISBN: 978-1-936850-43-3

Rhemalda Publishing

P.O. Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807

marketing@rhemalda.com

www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA  (PRBuzz.com) February 17, 2012 — Romance novelist Bronwyn Chase (fictional character) mysteriously disappeared from her Chicago home. A person of interest in the case, Albert Barron, was forced to turn over a manuscript describing a fantastical tale of time-travel and twelfth-century witches. After intense review and investigation, officials have no comment on the matter. When questioned by the press why federal investigators traveled to Cornwall, England to review centuries-old records, the official response was, “No comment.”

An inside source obtained a copy of Bronwyn’s last manuscript entitled Spur of the Moment.

Find out Bronwyn’s tale for yourself when it becomes available through Rhemalda Publishing on February 1, 2012.

Florida author Candace Bowen Early is pleased to present Spur of the Moment. A collector of all things Medieval Europe, Candace’s idea for this novel came to her as she purchased and held a pair of centuries-old religious medals. Candace Bowen Early’s website is http://www.knightseries.com. Spur of the Moment can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

Spur of the Moment ISBN: 978-1-936850-25-9

Rhemalda Publishing

P.O. Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807

marketing@rhemalda.com

www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

The sad thing is, that what readers are willing to pay is at one of the lowest amounts I can remember–ever.

The publishing industry became an interesting world when Amazon became one of the largest booksellers in existence. Not only are they a bookseller, but they are a bookseller that can purchase at the distribution rate, rather than the wholesale rate, and as such, undercut all other booksellers prices while still turning a profit.

Three years ago when I saw the phenomenon growing at a phenomenal rate I sat back to silently watch it unfold. Ebooks were already around, but they were really starting to catch on. As I watched, I thought that ebooks would come out with a bang, undercutting the price of paperback and hardbacks but then settle in at a steady price point that everyone could respect. They would be less expensive yet still show regard for the author and their hard work.

Here we are years later and I am sad–yes sad–that this is not the case. Readers have become accustomed… dare I say expectant of practically free ebooks. Not only that, but having bookstores that can purchase at a distributor rate and pass on the savings to the consumer is great in essence, but it is hurting the industry. Readers no longer know the value of a book. They see what was once $15.99 selling for $9.99 and yet the cost of paper has increased. The cost of labor has increased. The cost of distribution has increased. Online book prices are ultra low. This has inhibited book buyers at their local Independent Bookstore. When they walk in and see the book at the full retail amount they hold the books, read the bask, flip through a few pages and then pull out their cell phone and order it with one-click online.

To pour salt into the open wound, Independent Bookstores must purchase the books to put on their shelves for you to come and see. They make a vested interest in the author and in the book. Whereas the online retailers simply put an image of the book on their website and then (frequently) don’t purchase it until your order is fulfilled. Then the book drop-ships from the publisher or distributor’s warehouse directly to you, the reader. Plus you pay shipping so they don’t eat that cost, like a bookstore does. Or should I just say that the cost comes out of their discount and as a result out of their profit.

They sell the books at full retail price and make less than the large online retailers who sell at discounts. I adore the book industry, but this makes me sad.

As Rhett and I attended college we loved to walk to Jerrols, our local Independent Bookstore in Ellensburg, Wa. Here we didn’t just purchase textbooks and college supplies, but rather jumped into the worlds of Robert Jordan, Jane Austen, Stephen King, Elizabeth Gaskell, Neil Gaiman, and so many others. When we graduated and moved to Spokane it was Aunties Books downtown. When we moved to Ephrata it was The Bookery. In Olympia Fireside Books and Orca Books. Now here in Wenatchee we make the 35 mile trip to Leavenworth to experience A Book For All Seasons. I even take the time once a year to drive 7 hours and visit Powells in Portland, Oregon.

Books are my life, I have the fondest memories of these places. Let me tell you a little story to illustrate my point.

In a small basement bookstore in Chicago I found a brand-new–or should I say, sat on the shelves for 25 years–hardback copy with the original ugly orange dust jacket of a book I had searched high and low for, for more than 10 years. I was so excited I shouted, literally shouted for joy. I yelled to Rhett to come see my treasure. He looked at the book, said it was ugly and asked me what it was. After a rather lengthy description of my treasure we figured we could never afford it since battered and used versions were selling for over $1,000 on eBay. I gingerly carried the book to the counter and asked the woman the cost.

She said nothing at first, then she picked up the book and told me a story. Her late husband, of almost 50 years, went to Oxford in the 1950′s with the owner of the British Press that published the book in the early 1970′s. Both her husband and the publisher had passed on, but the wives still lived. The book that lay on the counter between us was not the most highly read book from the press, but it was the two men’s favorite. As a result, the wife who inherited the press, gave all of the remaining copies of the book still in print to her husband’s Oxford roommate’s wife who owned a small bookstore in the USA. The book then went out of print.

I wanted to cry listening to the story. There was no way we could afford this book that I had searched for, for years, and now I wanted it more than ever. I looked at the woman and almost whispered. “How much?” Then I took a deep breath praying it was under $500 and hoping she had a lay away program or would let me work in order to purchase the book.

Do you want to know what price she told me?

$30.

No I am not kidding. I looked at Rhett with huge eyes, dying to grab the book from her hands, slap some bills on the counter, and run out of the store like a crazy woman before she realized she said the wrong price. The reader in me, you know the one, the one who truly values their books. Well she won out.

I looked the woman straight in the eyes and told her I would purchase the book, but before I did she needed to know that her price was too good to be true. I told her of my years of searching. I told her I had found books in worse off condition from this one selling as high as $7,000. I told her the cheapest one I had ever found was $1,250.

I then very cautiously asked her again what the price of the book was and she once again told me $30.

As you can guess, I purchased the book. I was afraid to read it for a few days, but then I sat and devoured it, never once cracking the spine, but rather held the book in front of me with it only open a couple inches. I had to really test myself to read all of the words, but my book is read and still in mint condition. I then purchased a special box for the book and sealed it in. I will never get rid of this book, no matter what. It represents so much to me. I will never forget the story that the woman told me about it’s history.

It is memories like this that make Independent Bookstores so special.

Guess what happened within a year of all of this?

Both the publisher’s wife and the bookseller’s wife passed away. The press was inherited and the new owner printed a reprint of the book that I searched so many years to find. The book that once only had 500 copies in existence, was so hard to find, and hardly anyone had ever heard of it has now been a bestseller, can be found in every bookstore in America and has a fashionable cover that appeals far and wide.

I tell you what though, I will take my tacky orange cover any day, especially with the history that it represents.

That is the true value of a book. Something that means so much you are willing to search years for it and pay just about anything.

So, back to the reason of this post. Readers are becoming so accustomed to clearance-priced books from the publication date forward, that the value of both books and authors is diminishing.

The average book takes years to write, edit and publish. Years I am telling you. And it is not cheap. Then there is marketing and publicity which again takes time and money.

And all of this so that the book can be sold at rock bottom prices and an author paid pennies.

Think about it … some people are willing to pay between $7-$15 per person to attend a movie, an event that lasts on average 2 hours, but are not willing to pay between $7-$15 for a paperback that will be read and treasured like a best friend forever.

I am glad my priorities are in place and that I have mountains of books that fill my home.

Emmaline Hoffmeister is Vice President of Rhemalda Publishing

I was in Vienna last week, (very cold, lots of snow, sickeningly romantic – highly recommended!) wandering about without a care in the world and it occurred to me that I do talk an incredible amount of utter nonsense. Things pop into my head, ideas and theories and weird images that I always assumed were the same as those running through everyone else’s mind. I thought people just didn’t voice them because they tend to be, you know, crazy. But when I’m on holiday with someone I can just relax around, and my guard is so far down it’s a floppy boneless mess on the floor, I just say whatever I think.

This has led me to an interesting conclusion:

Other people might not think the way I do. In fact, my thoughts are a little odd. Often, a little more than a little.

It’s that moment when you see a woman walking in a strange way and wonder whether her legs are jointed backwards under her coat, leading to the conclusion that there is a secret cabal of insect-limbed people walking the streets of Vienna, under insidious instruction from an segmented overlord to infiltrate human civilization. Or the fact that the waitress has left a single candle unlit in the restaurant; has she completed a painstakingly intricate ritual in this building, at this exact moment of planetary alignment, in order to bring about the apocalypse? If so, what would your first move be on seeing the gaping maw of Hell unfolding in the sky, the cacophony of the damned filling the streets of the Austrian capital? Run to the church? No escape from there and the doors are not sturdy enough to keep anything out. Hide in the restaurant? But that’s where the priestess/waitress is awaiting her diabolical masters. Stand and fight? With what though? Bits of old spaghetti are no match for Beelzebub.

Anyway, this got me thinking. After being given quizzical smiles and pitying looks, clearly questioning my sanity, I began to wonder if my brand of abstract theorizing is less common than I thought.

In an attempt to stave off the idea that I’m round the twist, I’ve decided that this is merely an aspect of being “creative”. I never really thought of myself as “creative”, but I would imagine that part of it is letting your thoughts flip and twist over everything that occurs to your mind without binding the process with what’s normal or sensible (or likely not to result in your being sectioned under the Mental Health Act.)

I rather suspect that the thing that draws me to writing is that I get to focus my bouncing thoughts into a single stream, a continuous story that I can explore and unfold however I want. I get to start with nothing, no expectations and no boundaries, and see what I come up with. The art of crafting it into something coherent is the binding process; but the jumbling thought-spiral is what creates the story. That’s the creative bit. So by my reasoning, you can be creative without creating anything physical. Creativity is in your head; a state of mind. Possibly an unhinged state of mind.

So when people say they have a story but they can’t write a book, I’d say they’ve got it wrong. If they have a story, they have a book already. It just isn’t physical yet. The creative part is complete, it’s the manifestation that isn’t. I wonder if that part can be learned or taught. I should imagine it can. As long as the story exists in the first place then acquiring the tools to harness it in a physical medium is all that stands between the storyteller and a book.

So can creativity itself be taught? I wonder. Is it wise to take perfectly normal happy people and teach them to let go of their inhibitions and to see the world in terms of bizarre possibilities and unfounded theories? What would happen if the world was full of people who couldn’t go five minutes without feeling the need to express some mad observation? If everyone was driven to vent their thoughts in prose the world would become a library of ramblings.

But that’s taking it to an extreme. I think creativity can be discovered within anyone; perhaps too much emphasis is placed on it being a “gift” or some kind of innate quality of a lucky few. Maybe that way of thinking holds people back from letting go.

Anyway, I suspect this entire post has been about me trying to think of a response to the accusation “you’re insane.” In the future I shall now simply raise an eyebrow, clear my throat and then cackle like a madman as I jump through the nearest window.

Because I would never suggest that I’m “just being creative,” since it sounds utterly pretentious and awful.

Interestingly, Graeme Green said:

“Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation.”

So we’re not crazy; we’re writers.

Chocolates disappear, flowers fade, and jewelry goes out of style. Books remain forever. If you are looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, Spur of the Moment is sure to suit.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA (PRBuzz.com) February 13, 2012 – With her debut novel, A Knight of Silence, voted Best Romance eBook of 2010 by the Gatekeepers Post, Candace Bowen Early now releases her second novel, Spur of the Moment.

In Spur of the Moment. best-selling author Bronwyn Chase never quite fit in with the 21st century world around her. On a publicity trip to New York City, a mysterious woman claiming to be a mystic from Bronwyn’s past gives her a silver knight’s spur. Asked to save Euric, a man she never knew existed, Bronwyn finds herself transported to twelfth century Cornwall. Landing at the feet of an entranced Euric, she discovers the instant connection she feels to him comes from a midsummer rite gone horribly awry on the eve of her birth. Forced to face a dark wicce who plans to use Euric for her own nefarious ends, Bronwyn summons her own mystical birthright to free him.

Candace Bowen Early’s website is at http://www.knightseries.com. Spur of the Moment can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer. Also by Candace Brown Early, Wicked Embers will be released by Rhemalda Publishing in September 2012.

A Knight of Silence is currently available from 7Realms Publishing. Jack of Hearts will release in Fall 2012.

Spur of the Moment ISBN: 978-1-936850-25-9

Rhemalda Publishing

P.O. Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807

marketing@rhemalda.com

www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Rhemalda author, Karen Amanda Hooper, teams up with fifteen other authors to present In His Eyes, a romantic young adult anthology

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA (PRBuzz.com) February 13, 2012 – Not long after the announcement of her book deal for Tangled Tides, Karen Amanda Hooper was invited to join a new group of indie authors, The Indelibles. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Indeliblesare offering readers a one-of-a-kind young adult anthology: original short stories, all from the point of view of the authors’ favorite male characters.

Hooper contributed a short story, The Qualm Before the Storm, told from the point of view of Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turns Yara Jones into a mermaid in Tangled Tides. Readers can read about the day before Treygan lures Yara into an underwater world, and experience the opening chapter of the novel told from a different perspective.

The contributors to In His Eyes include award winners, frequent “Top 100″ placers, and hot 2011 debut authors. The anthology can be downloaded on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords.

To find out more about the Indelibles, visit http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com.

Karen Amanda Hooper’s website is at http://karenamandahooper.com. Tangled Tides can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing at http://www.shop.rhemalda.comor your favorite online retailers.

Tangled Tides ISBN: 978-1-936850-43-3

Rhemalda Publishing

P.O. Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807

marketing@rhemalda.com

www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA (PRBuzz.com) February 13, 2012 -  As a dog lover and fan of the urban fantasy genre, Author Douglas R. Brown set out to explore how humans treat their pets while giving the world a fresh take on the werewolf genre.  Douglas shows the cruelty some people have toward their pets in a vivid and fresh way.

Reviewer Scott Poe of Indiebookblogger.blogspot.com recently said about Tamed, “Tamed is a whole new take on a werewolf story with humans being the true monsters.” While Tamed is a werewolf story at its core, Douglas feels he has given the world permission to feel sorry for the creatures in a similar way to how one might feel about captive lions or abused dogs. But be careful. Like a lion or an abused dog, Douglas’ werewolves can bite back.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer living in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus, Ohio. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he can draw from his lifelong love of the genre. Douglas R. Brown’s website is at http://www.epertase.com. Tamed can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing at http://shop.rhemalda.com, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

Tamed ISBN: 978-1-936850-70-9

Rhemalda Publishing

PO Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807

marketing@rhemalda.com

www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

For the past two years I have been working on and off on my latest novel THIRD LIFE’S A CHARM. My first draft is complete, but at this point in desperate need of revisions and a major overhaul. I have been discouraged by what appeared to me as an insurmountable task, but do you want to know the truth? The truth is, I diverted from my snowflake plot and my story took on a life of its own. One I could not keep pace with. Oh how disheartening that is to an author.

I have been tempted to scrap the story, only saving the scenes that I love, but it breaks my heart to cut more than 75,000 words. There’s a chance that I may be able to save approximately 20,000 of them, but I would need to be skilled to do that. So what did I do? How skilled am I?

The very first thing I did was save a second copy of the novel and begin at chapter one with what I considered a complete overhaul. I think I made it two chapters when I had to start over again. I think this time I made it three chapters before I again went back to the beginning. I am sure you can see my frustration mounting here.

As an author working on what is, to date, my favorite novel I was devastated and I gave up… laid the novel completely aside, perhaps forever *sigh* I feared.

After being discouraged about having to set the manuscript aside I wasted my time on the internet. My time was spent researching some elements for my novel DAUGHTER DESCRIED. What did I discover? Well first I discovered that I am not ready for DAUGHTER DESCRIED. It is an emotional novel that plays havoc on my emotions as I write it. I don’t know how any woman is going to read the novel without a box of tissues (and I’m normally considered heartless when it comes to female emotions).

Anyways I was just about to give up on the internet and disconnect for the night when I came across my new best friend; MindMeister.com.

As I said, this little tool is my new online best friend. It is a brainstorming and mind mapping tool and is perfect for people who prefer to write using the snowflake method, plot charting, character profiles, mind mapping, brainstorming or profiling. I think the only people it won’t work for is PANSTERS… Sorry Karen Amanda Hooper, it won’t work for you *cheeky grin*.

After first playing with the website/program for a few days I felt ready to tackle the job of plotting THIRD LIFE’S A CHARM. I spent a night laying out the first 7 chapters of woo-hoo, I have already found two enormous plot holes. These two plot holes are the basis of all of me writing headaches. Now that I have filled them in with basic content, I can get to actual writing and feel like I am making progress. Oh happy day!

I hope to chart out the remaining 9 or 10 chapters this weekend. With this plan in place now all I need is a good solid month of writing and revisions to have another novel ready for the world. Unfortunately a month’s worth of time will take significantly longer than one calendar month. Let’s all cross our fingers that I can make it happen quickly.

Would you like to see my plot map/mind map/snowflake method?

by agnes-cecile

Admit it. You’ve done it. You’ve reached out for that bathroom mirror and been disappointed when your hand went THUNK against the cool, smooth surface.

…no?

Well you’re more normal than I am. Granted, that isn’t altogether difficult to pull off, but in my defense, I was probably five or six when I attempted to go through the looking-glass.

Still, I’ve been thinking about that instant of pure imagination where anything is possible. In art, it’s called, “The moment before the moment,” a split second before the sudden and inevitable betrayal, beyond the point of no return.

There’s magic (or if you want to get all technical, tension) tucked into that moment, a handy trick if you’re a wordician, but that isn’t what I’m really struck by. What is interesting to me is how we react to the aftermath of touching the glass when all the while we secretly expect to feel air.

In publishing, once you start to reach out for the mirror of authorship, you see yourself differently. Tantalizing dreams of fame and glory (or being able to pay the bills, even) glimmer in your reflection, and it makes you reach all the more fiercely for what you think is waiting for you on the other side.

I’ve seen some folks become consumed by their quest for the other side of the looking-glass. I’ve watched them lose their souls to it. Once your fingers reach the glass you ultimately realize, whether you fall through into Wonderland or not, nothing about publishing is worth losing your soul over.

I may be a relative rookie, but thanks to some other life experiences and time in the arts in general, I can tell you this: Wonderland isn’t better. It’s different. That’s it. Fame, glory, paid bills and enormous houses and all the dye and makeup in the world can’t hide dysfunctional relationships with loved ones, a lingering sense of spiritual emptiness, and ennui that is just as pervasive in Wonderland as it can be in Real Life.

The thing is, if we as writers continue to strive solely for the Holy Grail of Whatever-It-Is-We’re-After on the other side of that fiendish little looking-glass, we won’t get outside of ourselves long enough to find out where all the real magic lives: inside of the people around us.

As I neared completion of my first novel, A Knight of Silence (“AKOS”), I started to prepare myself for the tedious submissions process. I read somewhere that an author should have a website so I set about creating one. Displaying more confidence then I felt at the time, I selected the domain, www.knightseries.com. I did not have a contract for the first volume, much less a complete series. Still, it felt right and I went with it. By the time I finished what would become volume one, I had ideas for parts two and three.

It wasn’t long before I was fortunate enough to land a contract for part one. Sometimes it still amazes me that it happened at all. Because it was my first novel, the editing process was a nightmare, but I looked at it as a learning process and I am pleased to say I have yet to make the same mistakes. Once I was ensured it was good to go, I anxiously started on part two, A Knight of Battle (“AKOB”).

During the process, there were some major changes at my publishing company. As it turns out, A Knight of Silence would be the only romance to be published by the company because they had decided to drop romance from their catalog. Undeterred, I decided to keep writing. I had a sound idea for a story and needed to tell it. Unfortunately, it did not take me long to realize that I was still too focused on the hero and heroine from AKOS to do justice to AKOB. Deciding to step away from AKOB for a bit, I “gave birth” to my novels, Spur of the Moment, Jack of Hearts and Wicked Embers.

Rhemalda Publishing released, Spur of the Moment, at the beginning of February. It’s sequel, Wicked Embers, will be released in September. Jack of Hearts is scheduled to be released through Seven Realms Publishing in 2013. As proud as I am of my other work, Spur of the Moment and Wicked Embers are my two personal favorites to date. Whether because I relate so well to the characters or storyline, they will always hold a special place in my heart.

Even though I proved to myself that I could move on, in the back of my mind, it nagged at me that I left something unfinished. Contracted or not, I had always planned on finishing the Knight Series. I did not think I would be doing it anytime soon; however, last week while chatting with a Facebook friend (who happens to run a blog) we discussed the emerging positive press for Spur of the Moment. In that conversation, my friend casually asked when the second volume in the Knight Series would be published. I told her the series had not been picked up. It was at that point that I learned one of the most valuable lessons of my life: Don’t underestimate the power of one determined individual.

Through her blog, my friend rallied the fans of the first book, AKOS, She also campaigned my publisher on behalf of the series. Thanks to my friend’s efforts, Seven Realms Publishing offered me a contract for the entire Knight Series this past weekend. The Knight Series and Jack of Hearts shall remain Seven Realms Publishing’s only romance product.

As I will be dedicating A Knight of Battle to my intrepid champion of The Knight Series, so shall I now dedicate this blog to her. Misty Rayburn of The Top Shelf (http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/the_top_shelf), I shall never be able to thank you enough nor will I ever forget the lesson you taught me: The Power of One.

Candace Bowen Early
February 6, 2012

Getting to know Florida fiction writer Candace Bowen Early, author of several romance and suspense novels

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA (PRBuzz.com) February 9, 2012 – Readers crave knowing the authors behind their favorite novels. The readers of Spur of the Moment are no exception. We took the opportunity to interview Candace Bowen Early, author of four novels, which gave us a chance to get to know her. As an avid reader, my number one question when interviewing authors is where they get their inspiration. Author Candace Bowen Early finds her inspiration in places that some people may consider strange, but I think are fantastic.

It is obvious that Candace Bowen Early is a visually oriented person. She told me that, “The story for A Knight of Silence came to me as I was watching actress Marlee Matlin dance. The image of her dancing in addition to her demonstrated award-winning acting despite her deafness left a profound impression on me.” Candace built upon that image and combined it with her love of both history and romance. Candace explained, “A Knight of Silence is a tribute to all people brave enough to dance to their own tunes.”

A collector of all things Medieval Europe, Candace purchased a pair of centuries-old religious medals. As she held them, a story formed in her mind–Spur of the Moment. Candace at first rejected several ideas that would believably transport her heroine to twelfth century Tintagel. Then a silver knight’s spur popped into her head. Candace said, “The rest of the story came to me as I was writing, sometimes faster than I could type.”

The idea for Jack of Hearts, scheduled for release through 7Realms Publishing in Summer 2012, came to Candace over dinner with friends. “Talking over a Jack the Ripper movie, the idea for a romantic suspense story surrounding the family of Jack’s last victim was just there,” Candace said.

The idea for Wicked Embers came to Candace as she neared the end of her novel, Spur of the Moment. Reluctant to let go her characters, she created a sequel using Bronwyn Chase’s descendants.

I enjoyed getting to know Candace and seeing her in a constant state of amazement as she contemplated having not only one, but four books being published.

As we were concluding, I asked Candace: if there was one thing she could tell me about herself, what would it be? Candace said, “Unlike life, every story I write has a happy ending. Now if I could only get the Chicago Cubs to listen.”

Candace Bowen Early’s website is at http://www.knightseries.com. Spur of the Moment can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

Spur of the Moment ISBN: 978-1-936850-25-9

Rhemalda Publishing

P.O. Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807

marketing@rhemalda.com

www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Author Douglas R. Brown visits high schools in Ohio to speak to and inspire creativity in students

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA (PRBuzz.com) February 9, 2012 – After the release of The Light of Epertase: Legends Reborn from Rhemalda Publishing, author Douglas R. Brown was invited to high schools in Ohio to speak to and inspire creativity in students. Douglas describes his PowerPoint presentation as a motivational speech using his careers as a firefighter and author to further inspire the students into reaching their goals in life. Among the topics Douglas covers in his presentation are lessons learned as a firefighter, along with advice on the publishing world and pointers in general when it comes to writing.

His second book, Tamed, is a werewolf tale with a twist and released on January 26, 2012. He uses aspects from creating Tamed along with lessons learned while writing his first novel, The Light of Epertase: Legends Reborn, to further enhance his presentation.

Douglas is available for classroom visits in the Central Ohio area and can be reached at epertase@gmail.comfor scheduling. To learn more about Douglas and his writing, go to http://www.epertase.comor http://rhemalda.com/.

Unlike most authors, Douglas does not charge a fee for his presentation; however, he requests that he be permitted to make his books available to the students for purchase.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer living in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus, Ohio. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he can draw from his lifelong love of the genre. Douglas R. Brown’s website is http://www.epertase.com. Tamed can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing at http://shop.rhemalda.com, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

Tamed ISBN: 978-1-936850-70-9

Legends Reborn; The Light of Epertase ISBN: 978-1-936850-10-5

Rhemalda Publishing

PO Box 2912 Wenatchee, WA, 98807

marketing@rhemalda.com

www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Karen Amanda Hooper’s debut novel Tangled Tides is the first book of The Sea Monster Memoirs. Fantastical tales of underwater adventure and romance are told firsthand by a mermaid, selkie, and gorgon.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA (PRBuzz.com) February 9, 2012 – There are many sides to every story, and Karen Amanda Hooper took a chance by writing her debut novel, Tangled Tides, from three different first-person points of view.

When asked why she chose a triad of narrators, Hooper explained. “Tangled Tides is book one of The Sea Monster Memoirs series. My hope is to release more memoirs (novels) that focus on different characters and relationships from varying species of sea creatures. I wanted the main characters to tell their stories firsthand so readers could see, think, and feel through the heart and soul of the mermaid, selkie, or gorgon sharing their tale. Head hopping is frowned upon by some readers, so I knew I was taking a risk, but telling their stories in third person just felt wrong and impersonal to me. I had to follow my heart.”

Following her heart has worked well because reviewers are praising the alternating points of view:

“The three main protagonists speak alternately and their voices resonate with magic, mystery, intrigue, rivalry, secrets, passion and romance. I loved how the story flowed and how all the characters were given significance.” ~AOBibliosphere

“There was no putting this book down.  It’s told from different points of view, each one gripping in its own way, with their own distinct voice and personality.” ~Trish Wolfe, YA Bound

Tangled Tides can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing at http://www.shop.rhemalda.comor from your favorite online retailers. Karen Amanda Hooper’s website is at http://www.karenamandahooper.com.

Tangled Tides ISBN: 978-1-936850-43-3

Rhemalda Publishing

P.O. Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807

marketing@rhemalda.com

www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Up to this moment, over the weeks and months spent dreaming of what it would be like to hold not only my own book, but my first, it was exactly that. A dream. I always imagined that I would get my first copy and I would dance in the streets, or break into song, or weep. I thought I would weep. I thought I would be so overcome with emotion that any coherent thought would be impossible. Yet here I was, holding my completed effort, and a thought struck me: There is no going back now. For better or worse, it is done. It is out there for others to read and scrutinize. Poke, prod, and criticize. Compare and contrast.

And so was I. I am protective of my privacy, sharing what I feel like I must.  To have a part of me available to anyone with an amazon account is slightly terrifying. Before, Subliminal existed for me and the few that knew of its existence. It was my private world and it was invitation only. Now it is in the stream, going wherever the current takes it. No amount of dreaming will affect what lies between the covers. No more tweaking or editing. It must stand on its own now and there is nothing more I can do or say that will affect the reader’s experience.

I am proud of it. It is the collected effort of dreamers, artists, and technicians. It was a labor of love and I loved being a part of it. I’m sure it’s just rookie author nerves and I’ll look back on this one day and laugh. At least now I know how I am going to feel when my children leave home.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA  / PRBuzz.com / February 8, 2012 — Rhemalda Publishing and author Candace Bowen Early are excited to tell you what advanced readers have to say about Candace’s latest romance novel, Spur of the Moment.

“Sparkling with magic that literally transcends time, Spur of the Moment is a story that touched my heart. Candace Bowen Early knows how to wrap fantasy around a sweet center of realism, and like anything worth savoring; I won’t forget her characters easily!” – Michelle Davidson Argyle, author of Monarch.

“One of those books … when you start it, you can’t help yourself but FINISH it in one day!!!!” – Bj Gaskill, Goodreads reviewer.

“Absolutely perfect – highly recommended!” – Katy Sozaeva, Amazon Vine Voice – Top 1000 reviewer.

“Thoroughly enjoyable – Seldom have I come across a book that has me laughing or thinking with the turn of each page. … A beautiful love story, I would highly recommend Spur of the Moment to anyone.” – S.Licht, Amazon reviewer.

“Spur of the Moment will sweep you away to a magical world with the spin of a spur and the flash of a moment.” – Cherie Reich, writer, freelance editor and library assistant.

If you have read Spur of the Moment, we would love to hear what you think.

Candace Bowen Early’s website is at http://www.knightseries.com. Spur of the Moment can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

Spur of the MomentISBN: 978-1-936850-25-9

Rhemalda Publishing
P.O. Box 2912
Wenatchee, WA 98807
marketing@rhemalda.com

www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA  / PRBuzz.com / February 8, 2012 — After watching the first season of the hit HBO vampire series, True Blood, author Douglas R. Brown was inspired to create a unique take on the werewolf genre much like True Blood (The Southern Vampire Mysteries) creator Charlaine Harris did for vampires. Douglas appreciated the fresh spin vampires were given in True Blood with the question posed: If vampires didn’t need human blood to live, would they be accepted within society? With Tamed, Douglas asks a different question, with werewolves as the focus. He asks: Would people own a werewolf as a pet, if it was possible? He believed the answer would be yes and wrote Tamed to explore that theory.

When asked about why he attempted to change how the world sees werewolves, he replied, “I used to love the werewolf myth, but I felt the stories of the creatures had become predictable and stagnant. I felt an entirely new take was needed. And that’s what I set out to do.”

If you enjoy your urban paranormal fiction doused with werewolves and horror, be sure to check out Tamed by author Douglas R. Brown.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer living in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus, Ohio. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he can draw from his lifelong love of the genre. Douglas R. Brown’s website is http://www.epertase.com. Tamed can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing at http://shop.rhemalda.com, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

TamedISBN: 978-1-936850-70-9

Rhemalda Publishing
P.O. Box 2912 Wenatchee, WA
www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA  / PRBuzz.com / February 8, 2012 — Young adult authors are praising Karen Amanda Hooper’s debut fantasy novel, Tangled Tides.

“Kudos to Karen Hooper for a brilliant and well-executed debut novel! This novel does for mermaids what Twilight did for vampires.” ~Addison Moore, author of the Celestra series

“Karen will change the way you think about mermaids and will forever alter the way you look at the ocean. I truly think with this novel she could very well do for mermaids what Stephenie Meyer did for vampires.” ~Heather McCorkle, author of The Secret of Spruce Knoll

In June 2011, a USA Today article mentioned that Stephenie Meyer was working on a mermaid novel. When asked to comment, Hooper had this to say:

“I’m beyond flattered (and flabbergasted) that anyone would even mention me and Stephenie Meyer in the same sentence. I’d love to read a mermaid story written by her.”

As more mermaid titles are being released and announced, many readers have been commenting on websites like Goodreads.com and Amazon.com about the growing popularity of mermaids.

“I’m thinking mermaid is the new vampire. Hooper really loves what she’s written about and it is evident on every page.” ~Diane Estrella

Estrella is right. Hooper has been fascinated by mermaids, sea creatures and the ocean since she was a child.  She wanted to debut with a novel she was passionate about, and Tangled Tides happened to release at the perfect time.

“I’m grateful that Tangled Tides released at the beginning of the mermaid wave,” Hooper said. “As more great books come out, I think sea creatures will become more popular. However, I want readers to know that I wrote my story years ago, and I wrote it because of my genuine love and passion for sea creatures, not to chase a trend.”

Tangled Tides can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing or from your favorite online retailers. Karen Amanda Hooper’s website is at http://karenamandahooper.com.

Tangled Tides ISBN: 978-1-936850-43-3

Rhemalda Publishing
P.O. Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807
marketing@rhemalda.com
www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Children’s books have a few constraints that must be taken into consideration and be included in this process. Imagery is extremely important in children’s stories, and that visual piece offers the artist, and writer, an opportunity to participate in one of the world’s purest forms of communication. In other words, the written language is only part of the story, a limited part, the illustration offers an opportunity to tell the nuances, the humor, the emotion, the setting; whatever is key to turning the idea into a good story. In children’s literature, the words are specific and limited. offering a wonderful opportunity to self edit. The illustrations are there to help tell the story, so you can’t just repeat with words what is happening in the illustration, the words have to work in partnership with the illustration.  I strive to write a story where a child’s vision of the world is affirmed, including the magical parts. Just like with adults, children are looking for escapism, but in the context of a clear, meaningful story. So, I let my questions ruminate.

I know that I have 32 pages, and about 1500 to 2000 words at my disposal, and I begin to play. Sometimes I storyboard first, creating a 32 page table on my computer. I begin to place the text in, knowing that where the words fall will most likely be moving. Other times I have clear images in my mind, so I start plotting with an illustration or two. Usually it is a combination of the two. If I feel stuck, I will open my journal or sketchbook, draw 32 squares and begin to thumbnail sketch the story using only images. That can really help give a clearer vision of how you want to tell the story. What I find when I use images rather than words, is that humor emerges. This is great because I am frequently looking for ways to incorporate humor, word play and an opportunity to learn something. After I storyboard, I go back to my original questions and ask them again. This is the beginning of the rewrite stage.I do this a number of times: rewrite, refine, and reread. I read my stories out loud so that I can listen for pausing, cadence, how words fall off the tongue (are they smooth and easily read or are they cumbersome and difficult to say out loud). This is important for children’s picture books, largely because they are read out loud. Then, the next step, when you think you have the least amount of words, chop more and use the images to tell the rest. Then you go back to your dummy book, and ask these questions: Is the climax verbally and visually satisfying? Is it happening at the right time? In children’s literature, the climax is usually occurring around page 30. Then, is the ending satisfying? It is important to make sure the ending is inevitable, but not predictable. Finally, I ask myself, can the story live on beyond page 32? These questions create a solid foundation on which to build my story. Of course, other things emerge as the process continues, it is a living thing, but for me this is a solid way to move beyond the inspiration and into a story.

Electronic words.

I had heard tell of these mysterious machines and knew they were the newest thing, but here was one in the flesh, so to speak, and it intrigued me.

I know enough about the changes in the market to know that these are the future, that they are putting pressure on both authors and publishers to compete in the world of fast-moving, high quality, high quantity, low-cost content. What I didn’t know is how attractive they were. How quietly, elegantly, incredible they are. The fact that they represent a mind-boggling level of technology but come in such small, low-cost forms is a little bit freaky.

As an aside I would note that I am constantly amazed by technology despite being fairly young and having no excuse not to take it in stride and master it without batting an eyelid. I only just got a new phone and ended up wandering around London being shocked by the accuracy of the GPS and navigation apps. That’s not even new technology.

So I think I might just invest in one of these readers, and relegate my bookshelf to a mere anachronism. A very colorful one, and one which is carefully arranged to give the impression of a widely read, interesting person (important first impressions for anyone new to my bedroom) but an anachronism all the same.

Perhaps in time it’ll make me seem retro or ironic rather than tragically unable to embrace the modern world.

I do however consider it important to recognize the merits of the printed book whilst embracing the merits of the electronic. I love books; I love having collections of them. There’s something cozy and intimate about sitting with a book in a dimly lit room at night, waiting until your eyes get tired enough to go to bed. I somehow feel that the light-emitting machine will ruin that. The romantic quality of a physical book, the aesthetics of a beautifully made cover and the peculiarly satisfying feeling of ownership all add up to give the physical book the edge over the electronic, in my opinion.

Then again I’m sure people said the same about their horses when cars were becoming popular. Horses are still around, they look lovely and retain their majesty and all that, but if you want to get to work you hop in a car.

And once upon a time I had a load of CDs in a nice rack. Now I don’t even know where that rack is, or the CDs, or even what they were. I’ve been fully digitized for years. But I remember thinking what a shame it was that my carefully hoarded CD collection would become obsolete; it’ll be my DVDs next. Noooooooo!!!

So times change. But I consider myself privileged to be the author of a book which will be in physical form as well as electronic. In a decade or so perhaps no one new will be able to say the same, so I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.

But electronic books are the way forward; they just look so effortlessly impressive and, if I’m honest, elegant and aesthetically pleasing in their own way.

I’ll get one for my birthday maybe, and then hold a Viking-style funeral for my bookcase.

Why did this resonate with me? In Uncharted, a segment of the story deals with a freed slave, and the letter from Jourdan Anderson reminded me of the reason why I chose the post-Emancipation year of 1867 to set that part of the novel. The fact is, I’m extremely impressionable and I don’t have a stomach for human atrocities.

Originally, I thought I’d assign the protagonist in this portion of the story, Captain William Wesley, the occupation of slave trader and shipwreck him on an uninhabited island with a slave. I understood it would be a challenge to write that, but not until I refreshed my memory on slavery did I realize why I couldn’t (and it took only one image in Wikipedia to remind me of how horrific slavery is). If I attempted such a literary feat, I could never do it justice. I would only end up trivializing that whole period in history (and the slave trade that continues to exist). So, I backed away and came up with a different approach.

I introduced Tomas, a freed slave, educated by and loyal to his liberal owner-now employer. I decided to veer away from most of the stereotypes of freed slaves of that era. Tomas is articulate—brilliant, really, and above all, noble. Even though Captain Wesley considers himself a liberal Northerner, an officer in the Union Blockades who fought for Emancipation, Tomas challenges everything the captain believes about freed Negroes. I chose to focus on the dynamics of prejudice, and not the atrocities of slavery.

Was it a cop-out to veer away from writing about the unspeakable? Maybe. But if writing has taught me one thing about myself, it’s that I can not compartmentalize my plots and characters, shelving them when I back away from the keyboard. I still need to sleep at night, and I can’t with those images—those real individuals and their plights—seared in my brain.

The workshop format was this: there were 20 students who met Monday through Friday for six weeks. Each week we would each write a new story. We got guidance from instructors who came from the pro SF/Fantasy field (a new one each week). We were there from 9am to 3 or 4 in the afternoon, critiquing, learning from the instructor, and joking around when we got burnt out. In the evenings we read the stories due up for critique the next day, while trying to also write our own stories. To say things got intense is an understatement.

Each student also got one individual meeting with each instructor. Our instructors that year were Nancy Kress, John Shirley, Howard Waldrop, Pat Cadigan, Gardner Dozois, and John Crowley. They were all stellar.

Gardner Dozois was then the longtime editor for Asimov’s Magazine of Science Fiction. He was extremely harsh with us, and I wound up disliking him a lot, especially when it came time for my one-on-one meeting. I’d been churning out blithe, lightweight stories with a humorous or absurdist bent. He’d read all of my stories from the previous four weeks. He told me, “Your writing is slick but empty. You should write from your heart.”

Oh, how I hated him. How wrong he was! How dare he! Who was he to dash my hopes of selling a story to his much-vaunted magazine? Grrrrr! Arrrrrrrrrrrhhhh! I would show him he was wrong.

I went right out and sold two blithe, lightweight, humorous stories for cash money to admittedly tiny magazines with circulations of around 300 which published my stories and then promptly went out of business. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t my fault.

Then I spent the next ten years or so writing the same sort of thing only at novel-length, and getting absolutely nowhere. And then one day I woke up.

There’s a proverb I’ve committed to memory which allegedly comes from China which goes like this: “To believe in one’s dreams is to spend all one’s life asleep.” It takes some thinking. I thought about it. A lot. And one day I realized that Mr. Dozois was one-hundred percent correct. I had been living in a dreamland where all I had to do was keep churning out fluff in a slick fashion and I would become a famous rich author who could quit her day job. This turned out not to be the case.

So I thought long and hard about what Mr. Dozois told me, and I thought long and hard about what my heart wanted to write about, and I wrote a novel which still had its lighter-weight, humorous elements yet also contained very serious underpinnings. I wrote for the first time about issues which touched a nerve – memory, the mystery of life, the mystery of death. I wrote from the heart. And you know what? I finally stopped hating Gardner Dozois, and I finally got out of Clarion West what I had needed.

Lessons learned:

Being facile can be fun, but it isn’t necessarily satisfying in the long run.

Pay attention when the professionals take the time to teach you.

What I find most interesting is that Scales has turned into a story I never expected to tell. Even with all my outlining and planning and plotting and thinking, it has taken more twists and turns than any other book I have written. When I stop to ask myself why, I am stumped. The phrase that keeps coming to mind is “squeezing blood from a stone.” I love working on the book, but SERIOUSLY? It has been a more painful experience than any other book. And yes, writing a book is often painful. Ask any writer. Awesome, but at times painful.

I guess as I round the corner to the finish line on this draft, I’m left standing in awe at what an experience it has been. I keep asking myself if it has been so hard because the book is freaking awesome and amazing, or if it has been so hard because I’ve been so distracted with everything else going on in my busy life that I need to find a new balance with writing. I really don’t know. Since Cinders and Thirds will be published with Scales in one collection (an omnibus, specifically), it has been more difficult to finish it, I think, because it feels almost like I have to top the other two. I don’t know why; they aren’t a series, and they aren’t being published separately (although Cinders has been). So I think the expectations of this story is really huge in my mind.

I often wonder if the most painful fiction an author writes is more important than other fiction that is not so painful. I also wonder if it’s because there is something that is a huge part of me buried deeply in this story. Who knows! First I need to finish it and then maybe I can see it more clearly. I’d better get back to writing…

So should we keep not only the twist quiet, but also the fact that there is a twist?

Or should we tell people there is a twist when there isn’t, in order to make people engage more fully with the film or book as they attempt to second-guess it? Yes, they might be more disappointed when it turns out there was no twist, but they’d be able to tell you what the main character was wearing in The Man With a Twisty Jumper, and thus appreciate the story all the more.

Like The Iron Lady…it turns out [SPOILER ALERT] that Mrs Thatcher was secretly a robot all along, (the clue is in the title) and people spend the whole film trying to spot the give-aways. Unfortunately Meryl Streep is too good an actress to be accused of robotic acting so the twist is incredibly well hidden. So well hidden in fact that I honestly can’t say I’d have realised if the studio hadn’t given it such an obvious name.

So I’m not going to comment on any twists or any lack thereof in Shifter, so as not to colour anyone’s thinking.

Or was that an elaborate triple bluff?

Or was that?

Or that?

[evil cackling]

Understand Yourself and Your Book

Facebook. Twitter. Tumblr. Digg. Blogger. WordPress. LinkedIn. Myspace. YouTube. Forums. Google Plus. Goodreads. Shelfari. Libary-Thing. LiveJournal. Ning…

Two things happened when I put together a list of all the places where I could promote myself and my business (and that list is much longer than what I’ve listed above); first I wanted to hide and do nothing, and then I wanted to ‘prove to the world’ that I could become a networking god and do everything. After months of trial and error, I finally discovered that Facebook, Blogger, and Goodreads are the sites where I’m most comfortable and that, as far as stretching my comfort zone goes, I’m willing to get better at Twitter, Google Plus, and LinkedIn.

Unfortunately, burnouts and months of trial and error is what happens when you go into marketing without a thorough understanding of yourself, your comfort zone, and how far you’re willing to venture outside of your comfort zone. It doesn’t matter if you’re promoting a book or a small business or a service; if you’re doing the majority of marketing yourself, you should answer these questions: How social are you? Would you be comfortable with lots of small chatter, like with Twitter? What type of statuses would you write on Facebook? How much time are you willing to spend talking to a variety of people? Do you have the energy to keep up with leading or joining a group or would you rather avoid them altogether? What are your skills? Are you good at art, videos, advice, etc.?

You don’t have to stretch yourself thin to come up with a good marketing plan. All you have to do is understand yourself and plan accordingly.

Just like how you shouldn’t market yourself without first understanding what resources and methods best fit your personality, you shouldn’t market your book without first understanding what methods and resources would best fit your novel. Novels are, after all, alive. They’re conceived and born; they breathe and grow; they have a personality and a certain style.

So how would you go about learning a book’s personality in regards to marketing? Well, Rhemalda has a great article called ‘Plan Your Marketing Approach’ that has the questions you should answer to properly come up with a marketing plan for your book.

When Paying is a Better Option

Before I get into the long section about free resources, I’d first like to say that there are definitely times when paying is a better option. I learned that not too long ago, when I realized that doing stuff the free way is mostly a lonely endeavor where your end product is only as good as what you know and your promotion is only as large as your circle.

If you absolutely can’t grasp video production or know that what you’ll produce could never be as good as what you’re aiming for, hire someone else. If your website creation skills, even with a free domain, is just terrible, hire someone else. If maintaining a social network page like Facebook or Twitter would be too complicating for you, hire someone else. So forth and so on.

Sometimes hiring someone else can be just as simple as knowing that they will help you promote outside of your circle. In fact, that’s the whole purpose of my Promotion Plan. There are three options – free, five dollars, fifteen dollars – that spell out exactly where I’ll promote my review of your book. At the end, I’ll also send you a report of how statistically well the review did at Reader’s Den as well as my thoughts on your platform (website and social networks). So far, the authors I’ve worked with have found it pretty helpful!

Promoting Your Book for Free

Below are some of the most common promotion methods for books:

• Book Trailer
• Website/Blog
• Facebook and/or Twitter page
• Bookmarks, book business cards, etc.
• Virtual Tour
• Reviews and Book Blogs

When it comes to doing things for free, I can get carried away. Sure, doing things the free way can be harder at times, but I don’t mind working harder as long as I’m saving money. That mindset has pointed me to a number of free methods. I won’t share them all in this article because I don’t want it to be too long, but I will share about two or three free resources for each.

Book Trailer

In ‘What Works and What Doesn’t – My Experience So Far Pt. 3,‘ Douglas Brown talked about book trailers. He said studies show that there appears to be no direct correlation between sales and trailers, but it’s good for exposure. Maybe the viewer watches the video and goes to your website as a result. Maybe the book title sticks with them and if they see your book on a shelf or at Amazon they’ll feel a sense of familiarity that may lead to them buying it. Regardless, book trailers are becoming a big thing among the book world because the video can only help as long as it’s well done. To learn lots of free information about making trailers, I’d turn to Darcy Pattison’s site. As far as making the trailers go, there are plenty of free video making programs, like Windows Movie Maker or Stupeflix.

Website/Blog

Having a website and/or a blog is very important. It’s where you can put all the important info about yourself and your works. There are plenty of free places out there – like Webs, Blogger, WordPress, Livejournal, and Wix – where you can make a free site with ease. I know for certain that it’s easy because I made my first website with Webs (back when it was Freewebs) in the 6th grade and taught my computer class at the time how to create sites with it as well. The coding is already there. All you have to do is click things and do some copy/pasting. I’ve been using Blogger for about two years, so I know a lot about that site. For instance, if you want a bigger selection of templates, you can always look through btemplates, and if you want to remove ‘blogger’ from the url and have a ‘.com’ at the end, you can buy a domain through blogger for only ten bucks a year.

Facebook/Twitter Page

Both are free anyway, but there are also many free ways of making your book or author page (at Facebook) interesting.

Bookmarks, business cards, etc.

What do you do when you’re at the store and you start a conversation with an individual who, by the end of the talk, wants to know where they can learn more about you and your book? Well, you whip out a business card or a bookmark with you and your book’s info on it and give them one or two! Vistaprint is a great place to go for your business cards. Unfortunately, though it says it’s free, it’s not entirely free. You do have to pay for shipping and handling, but they let you change the design and font and you’ll get 100+ cards.

Virtual Tour

I plan on doing a virtual tour for my new business, Honest Crits. It won’t cost me a thing, but time and patience, to search for blogs where a freelance editor would be welcome and e-mail the owners of said blogs about guest appearing. For tips on how to go about putting your own virtual tour together, the article ‘Blog Tour Tips and Tricks’ by Rhemalda Publishing is extremely helpful.

Reviews and Book Blogs

Reviews and book blogs are almost always free (except for when you have to provide the reviewer with a print copy of your book) and can really help your sales. In fact, I think Amanda Hocking’s post in dedication to book bloggers says it all. I’d turn to sites like Goodreads or just message the owners of book bloggers and offer your book to them.

Tiffany T. Cole is a freelance editor, writer, and reviewer. She owns a critiquing and promotion business called Honest Crits as well as a book blog called Reader’s Den with reviews of books in almost every genre. Beside editing, promoting, reviewing, and networking, she also writes fiction in the form of novels and short stories.  You can find her on Facebook and her personal blog.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA / PRBuzz.com / January 27, 2012 — Dave Landgraf, a national master’s champion cross-country skiier and “founder” of America’s greatest ski race, the American Birkebeiner, was tragically killed in the summer of 2011 while training on his bicycle.  Although well past retirement age, Dave was still competitive with elite athletes from all around the world and participated in the world’s masters championships in Fallun, Sweden in 2011.

Landgraf is a legend in the Wisconsin cross-country skiing community, and his achievements as an athlete are quite remarkable.  In addition to his master’s championship, Landgraf completed every one of the 38 American Birkebeiners, a 50 km cross-country ski race held in Hayward, Wisconsin, often in sub-freezing conditions.

In December of 2010, author Walter Rhein was putting the final touches on his cross-country skiing memoir Beyond Birkie Fever, a novel published in October 2011 by Rhemalda Publishing. The novel is a collection of tales that capture the unique appeal of a sport as grueling and physically demanding as cross-country skiing.  Rhein’s ambition was to write “the definitive ‘Birkie’ book,” to promote and further popularize the sport.  However, he quickly realized that he couldn’t call his book “definitive” if it didn’t contain a contribution from Dave Landgraf.

On New Year’s Eve 2010, Rhein visited Landgraf at his home and interviewed him about his experience in the very first American Birkebeiner.  The interview was as much to preserve Landgraf’s story as it was to generate a historical record of one of America’s great races.  The Landgraf interview about the first Birkie is as culturally significant as an account from the first Boston Marathon would be.

Rhein recorded and transcribed the interview, and it appears as the prologue of Beyond Birkie Fever with a mention of David Landgraf’s participation in the book on the cover.  Landgraf himself gave the prologue his seal of approval, although he unfortunately wasn’t able to see the finished product.

Since Landgraf’s passing, Rhein has been working closely with Emalea Landgraf to set up some foundations in her father’s honor.  Emalea has established a non-profit foundation called “Ski Strong” which is meant to generate funds to help develop young skiers.  The retail bike and ski store CyclovaXC in St. Croix Falls also offers a skiing hat that says “Ski Like Landgraf!” with all proceeds going to charity.

Walter Rhein was born in northern Wisconsin. As he grew up, he developed a deep appreciation for cross-country skiing, the American Birkebeiner, and the Worldloppet circuit. His pursuit of international cross-country ski races sparked a powerful wanderlust that resulted in a ten-year period living and working in South America. However, a true skier cannot resist the call of winter forever, and Rhein has recently relocated to Wisconsin. He currently contributes articles to the run, bike and ski blog at http://cyclova-xc.blogspot.com/ and writes novels for Rhemalda Publishing. Feel free to contact him for questions or interviews at walterrhein@gmail.com, and be sure to check out his personal website atwww.LetItRhein.com and his blog at http://www.streetsoflima.com.

Beyond Birkie Fever can be purchased in paperback or as an ebook from Rhemalda Publishing, online retailers or your local bookstore.

Beyond Birkie Fever ISBN: 978-1-936850-02-0

Rhemalda Publishing
P.O. Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807
marketing@rhemalda.com
www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA / PRBuzz.com / January 27, 2012 — In late 2011, animal enthusiast Terry Thompson released 56 exotic animals, including Bengal tigers, African lions and grizzly bears into the population before allegedly committing suicide. Most of the animals had to be put down for the safety of the public.

Art imitates reality. In an eerily similar premise, Douglas R. Brown’s paranormal novel Tamed is about a future where werewolves are kept as pets. Tamed is a reminder of what can happen when people mistreat powerful animals by using werewolves as the exotic pets. In Zanesville, deputies came face-to-face with some of the most ferocious animals on earth with only seconds between life and death; in Tamed, a savage werewolf will make you wish a lion had escaped instead.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer living in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus, Ohio. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he can draw from his lifelong love of the genre.

Douglas R. Brown’s website is http://www.epertase.com. Tamed can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing at http://shop.rhemalda.com, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

Tamed ISBN: 978-1-936850-70-9

Rhemalda Publishing
PO Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807
marketing@rhemalda.com
www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA / PRBuzz.com / January 26, 2012 — Author Douglas R. Brown follows his fantasy novel The Light of Epertase: Legends Reborn with Tamed, a werewolf tale with a twist. In Tamed, Douglas explores what would happen if people owned werewolves as pets. Over the last few weeks, buzz has been building, with Obsessive Bibliophile saying,”Highly recommended! A must-read for fans of horror, urban fantasy &/or werewolves!”

Author Ashley Knight called Tamed “viciously brilliant.”

See what the buzz is about and get a copy of Tamed today.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer living in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus, Ohio. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he can draw from his lifelong love of the genre.

About Tamed:
Werewolves are real.
And they make excellent pets.

Owning one of the legendary creatures is the latest fad. The WereHouse insists werepets are loyal, docile, and 100% safe, but what happens when these gentle giants turn on their masters?

While on a routine EMS call, paramedic Christine Alt is attacked by a rogue werepet. She escapes with her life, but the encounter leaves her with more than just scars. As her body begins to change, she discovers the WereHouse is hiding a terrible secret, and they will stop at nothing to keep her from exposing them.

Douglas R. Brown’s website is http://www.epertase.com. Tamed can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing at http://shop.rhemalda.com, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

Tamed ISBN: 978-1-936850-70-9

Rhemalda Publishing
PO Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807
marketing@rhemalda.com
www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

As my second novel launches on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012, I am realizing something interesting about myself and this entire publishing process. I think I now know what my favorite aspect of this publishing roller coaster has been.

Receiving a publishing contract, releasing my first book, and having my first book signing have all been unbelievable moments in my life, there is no doubt. But the part I am finding that I love as much or more than any other moment is something much smaller. You see, the part I love most is when someone contacts me and tells me how much they have enjoyed what I have written. It means a lot to me. I mean A LOT.

I’m not talking about reviews as much, though I love good reviews, I’m talking about when someone goes out of their way to let me know how much they liked my story. In fact, I save all of the emails. As people comment to me where they are in one of my stories, I sometimes pull up the book on my computer just to refresh my memory as to what is coming next for them. I get excited when I know they are about to read one of my favorite sections, or a see a big surprise, or just finish the book in general. I’m kind of goofy that way.

This brings me to another point which I believe relates. There are two main reasons that I write books, neither of which are for money. The first reason is that there are stories in my head needing to be told and there is nothing I can do to shut them up except put them on paper. (OK, that kind of makes me sound insane, but let’s pretend I’m not for a moment.)

The second reason, and most important, is that I write to entertain people. I’m sure all authors would say the same thing, so I’m not being particularly revolutionary here. But it is true. My ultimate wish is that a million people read and enjoy my work—much more than I care about the riches that would come from such success. (I mean, I’ll take them, don’t get me wrong.)

And that brings me to Rhemalda and one of the reasons I love them so much. As an author I have unbelievable say in every aspect of my book, which I believe is very important for any author. In fact, I had an issue with the finished product once and the folks at Rhemalda went way out of their way to correct it which, trust me when I say, wasn’t at all easy or cost-effective. But they bent over backward so that I would be happy.

Though I can’t promise that everyone will fall in love with my writing style or my stories since every reader enjoys different styles, but I will promise that I will always do everything in my power to make sure a quality product is always associated with my name.

And luckily for me, Rhemalda feels the same way.

So, if you wanna own a werewolf, or at least read about what would happen if you did, check out my new story, Tamed. It’s being called “better than the Twilight books,” but then again, my mother is the one who said that. It will be available … well … now actually.

In addition to helping the Birkebeiner, Snowmageddon in Wisconsin would greatly aid those who rely on income from downhill skiers and snowmobilers.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA / PRBuzz.com / January 25, 2012 — Various parts of the country have recently been hit hard by snow, which is good news for a struggling winter sports industry.  Although some resorts are grateful to have been recently buried by fluffy, white precipitation, Hayward, Wisconsin, home of the American Birkebeiner, has seen only mild accumulation.  There is some concern that if conditions do not improve soon, this year’s event could be in jeopardy.

The American Birkebeiner is a 50 km ski race that has been going on for four decades and which draws Olympic caliber competitors from all over the world.  Although it’s usually a good bet that there will be a significant amount of snow in Northern Wisconsin on the last Saturday of February, this year there hasn’t been enough snowfall to adequately prepare the course.

Walter Rhein’s newly released novel from Rhemalda Publishing, Beyond Birkie Fever, chronicles the beginning of the American Birkebeiner and discusses how this famous ski race can have a radical impact on people’s lives.  The novel, which has been very well received, is intended to be the “definitive” book about cross-country skiing, and as a result, it explains the importance of a well-maintained course.

Even after a significant snowfall, a trail must be groomed to perfection in order to meet the expectations of the athletes who will be participating in the Birkebeiner.  Proper trail maintenance is as much an art form as it is a science, and the Birkebeiner Foundation has literally spent tens of thousands of dollars on machines specifically designed to produce world class quality ski trails.  These machines grind and compress the snow into a flat, smooth base, which then needs to be left alone to set-up overnight.

In order to ensure perfect conditions, a few heavy snowfalls must come in the weeks preceding the event so that the trail maintenance crew has time to mold it into shape.  In Beyond Birkie Fever, Rhein details two instances when lack of snow severely impacted the event: once through a cancellation, and once through a shortening of the race.

In addition to helping the Birkebeiner, Snowmageddon in Wisconsin would greatly help out those who rely on income from downhill skiers and snowmobilers.  The novel Beyond Birkie Fever has had solid sales for a new release, but even its numbers would benefit from a blizzard or two.  As a result, more of Wisconsin than you might think has been left troubled over this year’s brown winter.

Walter Rhein was born in northern Wisconsin. As he grew up, he developed a deep appreciation for cross-country skiing, the American Birkebeiner, and the Worldloppet circuit. His pursuit of international cross-country ski races sparked a powerful wanderlust that resulted in a ten-year period spent living and working in South America. However, a true skier cannot resist the call of winter forever, and Rhein has recently relocated to Wisconsin. He currently contributes articles to the run, bike and ski blog at Cyclova-xc and writes novels for Rhemalda Publishing. Feel free to contact him for questions or interviews at walterrhein@gmail.com, and be sure to check out his personal website, LetItRhein and his blog at Streets of Lima.

Beyond Birkie Fever can be purchased in paperback or as an ebook from Rhemalda Publishing, online retailers or your local bookstore.

Beyond Birkie Fever ISBN: 978-1-936850-02-0

Rhemalda Publishing
P.O. Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807
marketing@rhemalda.com
www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Gate to ruined castle in Pembroke, Wales, UK.

Some of my fellow authors have blogged recently on the subject of editing and, with the second book of my Artesans of Albia series, King’s Champion, nearing this process, I thought I would add my own thoughts.

Being a British author in an American publishing company brings its own unique set of circumstances when it comes to edits. As I am also a freelance editor, proofreader and writing mentor, I have experience of this process from both sides. Does it make having my own work edited easier or harder? The answer is that I don’t really know. No one likes to see their precious text covered with red, or have someone tell you that a certain scene doesn’t work, or that you have failed to spot a glaring typo in the sentence you’ve read a hundred times. Yet maybe I can take this process easier than some, because I have personal experience of trying to be diplomatic when dealing with other writers. I know that the process isn’t personal, and that my editor is trying to help me make my novel as clean and as good as it can be. And I do know how hard it is to spot your own mistakes! A case in point was when I first decided to design and have printed some King’s Envoy bookmarks and flyers. How many times did I check and recheck the wording on the files before I sent them to the printer? And how ticked off was I when they came back, and my mother instantly spotted the “h” missing from the word “publisher” and the “g” missing from the middle of “engaging”?

Very ticked off. Seriously – very!

So, if an experienced proofreader can still miss typos, a good, impartial editor is invaluable.

Yet there is leeway for discussion when your edits come back, especially if your novel, like mine, is set in a particular historical period.

My Artesans of Albia series is set within a completely fictional fantasy world, yet for inspiration I drew heavily on the English Medieval period. There are no machines in my novels, no guns or engines; people rely on horses for transport and swords, bows and knives for defense. The nobility live in fortified manors or castles, wealthier citizens in towns, the ordinary people in small villages. Health care is basic, with drugs being purely herbal, although procedures such as blood transfusions are just coming into use.

Ok, you are thinking – what does this have to do with editing?

It all comes down to terminology.

If you follow a certain trade, you will use terms that most lay people will not understand. For instance, how many people today could name all the parts of a sword? How many of you know what a tang is, or a quillon? Yet a swordsmith or blacksmith would know these terms intimately. The same applies to the various sections of a castle – it’s no good someone telling you there’s a fire in the bailey if you run with a bucket of water to the keep.

This issue of long-forgotten, or specialized terms came up for me once the first round of King’s Envoy edits came back. Two in particular caused some confusion. The first was the word “midden”, and the second was the term “sally port”. For those of you who don’t know, the word “midden” means a dung heap. It can apply to what comes out of a horse’s stable, or to the unusable leftovers from a kitchen. It is, quite simply, a pile of refuse. This is where the differences between UK English and US English come into play because although it’s an old word, I believe more UK readers would recognize the term than readers in the US. As it was not vitally important to the story, and I didn’t want to make my readers keep reaching for their dictionaries, I was quite happy to substitute this word and use “dung pile” instead.

However, the term “sally port” is a specialized term relating to castles and fortified manors. Simply put, a sally port is a small door either to the side of, or actually let into, the huge doors or gates leading into a fortified building. It would be used when a small number of people, on foot, wanted to enter or leave. The word “sally” can also mean a charge or sortie (as in battle) or to go forth, as in an excursion. The term is derived from the Latin “salire”, meaning “to leap”. (Who says fantasy novels can’t also be educational?

In this case, I felt justified in sticking to my guns and asking for the term to be kept in the novel. As the photographs show, I also managed to find a living example of a genuine sally port in the ruins of a small castle in Pembroke, Wales, UK.

So, although the editing process can often mean change, it can also be useful for highlighting what is important, or what needs to remain.

The writing's on the wall!

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA  / PRBuzz.com / January 24, 2012 — After last August’s successful launch of Douglas R. Brown’s debut novel, The Light of Epertase: Legends Reborn, Barnes and Noble of Pickerington, Ohio, has agreed to host the launch party for Douglas’ second release, Tamed. Tamed is a werewolf novel with a twist where werewolves are sold to the wealthy as pets.

The launch party for Tamed begins at 6:00 p.m. on January 27, 2012, at Barnes and Noble’s Pickerington, Ohio location. Douglas will be meeting fans and signing copies of both novels for two hours or however long is needed.

Barnes and Noble is located at 1738 Hill Road, Pickerington, Ohio, 43147.

More about Tamed:

Werewolves are real.

And they make excellent pets.

Owning one of the legendary creatures is the latest fad. The WereHouse insists werepets are loyal, docile, and 100% safe, but what happens when these gentle giants turn on their masters?

While on a routine EMS call, paramedic Christine Alt is attacked by a rogue werepet. She escapes with her life, but the encounter leaves her with more than just scars. As her body begins to change, she discovers the WereHouse is hiding a terrible secret, and they will stop at nothing to keep her from exposing them.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer living in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus, Ohio. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he can draw from his lifelong love of the genre.

Douglas R. Brown’s website is http://www.epertase.com. Tamed can be purchased as an ebook or in print from Rhemalda Publishing at http://shop.rhemalda.com, Barnes and Noble at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tamed-douglas-r-brown/1108017684?ean=9781936850709&itm=1&usri=tamed+rhemalda , your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

Tamed  ISBN: 978-1-936850-70-9

Rhemalda Publishing
PO Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807
marketing@rhemalda.com
www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA  / PRBuzz.com / January 24, 2012 — Joining the new phenomenon of Twitter interviews, or Twitterviews, Author  Douglas R. Brown will be on Twitter to promote his werewolf tale with a twist, Tamed. Douglas will be answering questions on Thursday, January 26, 2012, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. If you’d like to join us, be sure to follow Douglas at @Rasi22 and his publisher, Rhemalda Publishing, at @rhemalda. Add hashtag #Tamed to any questions and direct them to Rhemalda or Douglas on the 26th to join in on the fun.

During the Twitterview, Douglas will discuss life as a firefighter, both of his books (Tamed and The Light of Epertase), writing in general, and whatever else you, the reader, would like to chat about.

Rhemalda Publishing and Douglas R. Brown can’t wait to meet you online.

About Tamed:

Werewolves are real.

And they make excellent pets.

Owning one of the legendary creatures is the latest fad. The WereHouse insists werepets are loyal, docile, and 100% safe, but what happens when these gentle giants turn on their masters?

While on a routine EMS call, paramedic Christine Alt is attacked by a rogue werepet. She escapes with her life, but the encounter leaves her with more than just scars. As her body begins to change, she discovers the WereHouse is hiding a terrible secret, and they will stop at nothing to keep her from exposing them.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer living in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus, Ohio. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he can draw from his lifelong love of the genre.

Douglas R. Brown’s website is at http://www.epertase.com. Tamed can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing at http://shop.rhemalda.com, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer such as Amazon.

Tamed  ISBN: 978-1-936850-70-9

Rhemalda Publishing
PO Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807
marketing@rhemalda.com

www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Rhemalda Publishing launches a spectacular 2012 book line-up with the widest selection of genres to date.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA  / PRBuzz.com / January 24, 2012 — After a successful 2011, Rhemalda Publishing is picking up where they left off with the release of J.S. Chancellor’s Icarus; The Kindred in December, Rhemalda bounces from vampires to werewolves with Douglas R. Brown’s newest creation, Tamed, on January 26, 2012.

This book came out with a brilliant beginning. The author, Douglas R. Brown launched the book with an NBC4 Morning Show in Columbus Ohio. His interview with Mindy Drayer was a huge success. Douglas will be signing books at Barnes and Noble in Pickerington Ohio this Friday the 27th at 6:00 p.m.

In Tamed, Douglas R. Brown explores what would happen if werewolves were real, tamed, and sold as pets. Author of the Fins trilogy Ashley Knight said, “Tamed is vicious and brilliant in every aspect of the words.”

After Tamed, novels from Brian Blocker (Subliminal), Candace Bowen Early (Spur of the Moment), Robyn Chance (C is for China), Alexandra MacKenzie (Seattle Sleuth) and Michelle Davidson Argyle (The Breakaway) will fill the first few months of 2012. Rhemalda is quickly being recognized as a quality-first, author-friendly publisher with no slowing of its momentum in sight. In celebration of the new year, Rhemalda is offering all of their titles at discounts in their bookstore. (http://shop.rhemalda.com)

Rhemalda Vice President Emmaline Hoffmeister looks forward to another year of exciting  reading, with quality Rhemalda offerings leading the way. When asked what makes her so excited about the coming crop of books, she answered, “The 2012 book line-up is spectacular in that it is our widest genre selection thus far. The varied selections, fantastic writing and vivid cover art are bound to spark every reader’s interest.”

Rhemalda Publishing
PO Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807
marketing@rhemalda.com
www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Rescuers must learn to cope with witnessing devastating events. If not, they could become the very victims that they work so hard each day to save.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA  / PRBuzz.com / January 23, 2012 — After working the most devastating call of his career, Central Ohio firefighter and Rhemalda Publishing author Douglas R. Brown began writing as a way of dealing with what he had witnessed. Using his long-time interest in writing, he wrote a memoir detailing his life as a firefighter and paramedic. His ability to relive his feelings from each horrible, unbelievable and life-saving call of his 15-year firefighting career and share them with readers exposed a talent that would serve him well in his renewed passion for storytelling.

The act of writing, whether about performing CPR on a two-month-old baby or shocking a person back to life, brought out a lot of emotion in a short amount of time.

Instead of being cathartic, reliving such tragedies and triumphs overwhelmed him and affected his relationship with his family. In his own words, four years later, “I’ve seen just about every type of person die in every imaginable way. In dredging up each terrible moment, I became depressed without realizing it. The fact that my wife didn’t leave me during that period in itself is a testament to her resilience.”

Today, if you ask Douglas about the one call that started his writing career, even four years later, you will see the difficulty on his face as he tries to discuss that crushing day. He points to the moment a little boy died in his arms as the reason he began writing. That little boy is never far from his thoughts.

With his memoir finished and tucked away in a special place, Douglas was able to recover. The only difference was that he had discovered a passion for words, and with it, an escape.

His decision to write about topics removed from his real life turned into a blessing. With his debut fantasy novel, The Light of Epertase: Legends Reborn, released on August 1, 2011, from Rhemalda Publishing, he has found success far away from the sometimes difficult and stressful world of his job. His second novel, Tamed, a werewolf tale with a twist, releases on January 26, 2012.

As a 20-year firefighter/paramedic, author Douglas R. Brown saw no better profession for the lead character in his newest novel; a werewolf tale with a twist.

In Tamed, Christine Alt responds on an emergency call where a werepet has gone savage. In her struggle, she is infected but escapes with her life. Read Tamed to see how her firefighter friends help her escape the WereHouse as WereHouse employees fight to keep the company’s secrets hidden.

Tamed has been receiving rave reviews and Douglas couldn’t be happier.

If you’d like to read about Douglas and some of his firefighting experiences, he writes about them on his blog at www.epertase.blogspot.com.

Douglas R. Brown will be signing books at Barnes and Noble in Pickerington, Ohio, on January 27, 2012, at 6:00 p.m.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer living in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he can draw from his lifelong love of the genre. Douglas R. Brown’s website is at http://www.epertase.com. Tamed can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing at http://shop.rhemalda.com, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

TamedISBN: 978-1-936850-70-9

Rhemalda Publishing
PO Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807
marketing@rhemalda.com
www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

In August of 2012 Jessie, and Three Youths Media Agency, will attend the foreign rights book fair also held in Beijing.

I hope that you enjoy this snippet of the international book community.

If you would like to visit Three Youths Media Agency please visit their website.

Watch the interview below:

If you read my blog, “On Behalf of the King,” you know that I come up blank when it comes to writing reviews. I just do not feel confident enough to judge or to do justice to another author’s work. So far, the rating system only works for me if I love a novel and then I gladly give it five stars. On the other hand, if I don’t feel a work warrants five stars, I am reluctant to leave a rating without a review or explanation.

As an author, I appreciate readers’ feedback. The feedback allows me to see what the reader is looking for in a novel. When I see a rating of less than five stars and no review, I am left to wonder what was missing in my book or how I failed the reader.

Last October, a reader on Goodreads rated my novel, Spur of the Moment, three stars. If she actually read the novel, I wouldn’t have had a problem with the rating. I’m sure somewhere along the line, I’ll be seeing more three out of five-star ratings. The problem with this specific rating is this reviewer never read my novel since it was not available until this January. While I am loath to rate books I have read, I am bewildered by people who leave low ratings for books they have not read.

I am currently in a whirlwind of marketing and promotion. There once was a time when I never gave a thought to such things. I just wanted to write. My older twin from another mother and close friend basically informed me to toughen-up. Albert’s words were much more eloquent, but I’m sure you get the gist. This brings me back to the problem I am currently having with “Press Releases.” The word itself has become a curse to me. How I can write hundreds of pages of my novels seemingly without effort and struggle is beyond me. But when asked to create thirty press releases, I literally stared at my computer for over an hour waiting for an idea to form. Instead of coming up with exciting ideas for press releases, as did my fellow Rhemalda author, Douglas Brown, I formed a plot for another story. It’s as if I have a crack in the motherboard in my brain rendering everything that pertains to reviews and self-promotion inoperative.

Anyone who knows me will understand how utterly frustrating I find this glitch in my thought process. If I start a project, for better or worse, I will not stop until I have it finished. I am a dog with a bone about such things. I may be staring at my computer screen for days in the next few weeks, but I will smash through that dreaded wall whatever it takes.

Candace Bowen Early
January 20, 2012

In response to the growing fad of owning werewolves as pets, Senator Wooten institutes the W.O.C. (Werewolf Oversight Committee) in author Douglas R. Brown’s latest fiction novel, Tamed.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA / PRBuzz.com / January 20, 2012 — In 1982, WereHouse CEO Bernard Henderson began developing werewolves to be sold as pets. Twenty-plus years later, werepets have become the latest fad among the wealthy. Senator Wooten has decided that werewolves, docile as they may seem, should be regulated. As a result, he has developed the W.O.C. to oversee WereHouse.

Find out what happens when people choose to own creatures that were never meant to be owned in Tamed, the newest novel from The Light of Epertase author, Douglas R. Brown.

Douglas will be interviewed on NBC4 out of Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, January 21, 2012, at 8:00 a.m. If you get NBC4 out of Columbus, be sure to tune in. Otherwise, stay tuned for us to post the interview on YouTube and the Rhemalda Publishing blog.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer living in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he can draw from his lifelong love of the genre.

Douglas R. Brown’s website is at http://www.epertase.com. Tamed can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing at http://shop.rhemalda.com, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

Tamed ISBN: 978-1-936850-70-9

Rhemalda Publishing
PO Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807
marketing@rhemalda.com
www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Because although you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, you so clearly do. I certainly do. And so does everyone else.

If it didn’t look attractive you wouldn’t pick it up in the first place, much less judge it.

It’s a strange feeling, coming to this stage of the process because up until now it’s all been somewhat abstract. The book you worked so hard on, the one you’ve fretted over and revised a million times, is going to become a reality. It’ll go from a huge long electronic document (one that you’ve stared for so long that the words don’t mean anything anymore – they’re just a horrifying jumble of crazy black symbols against a cold impassive background) to a bound physical object with a specially crafted image on the top and your name on it. It’s mildly terrifying. The fact that, all being well, people will read the book and judge you for it still feels like a far away idea. Like Christmas; you know it’s coming but it doesn’t feel real just now since there’s so much between here and there. However, the idea that people will see the cover is becoming clearer and more concrete; like looking at the clock at 6am knowing the sun will rise in about an hour or two.

All of Rhemalda’s books have beautifully crafted cover images; to imagine that Shifter will sometime soon have a cover of such quality is quite mind-boggling. However, since Shifter is most easily described as a paranormal thriller, it seems to me that it needs a cover that reflects its themes rather than its scenes or characters, which could be quite a challenge. I could of course be overruled; I’ll be more than happy to defer on any creative point to those more qualified than me, but it can’t hurt to think about these things, however horribly ill-conceived my ideas might be.

So I started wondering about the themes and how they might be translated into a visual concept. There’s the juxtaposition of the real and unreal, the known and unknown; I wouldn’t say there is “good and evil” per se but there is certainly right and wrong, moral and immoral and those are on a sort of sliding scale. The basic idea in the book is that nothing is certain, it focuses on the unreliability of reality itself – hence why there is no clear boundary between good and evil.

The trouble is that none of those scream a particular image at me, though they do suggest visual ideas; stark contrast and unfocused blur, light and dark, black and white. That kind of thing…(aaaaaand now you can see the basis for the “enthusiastic” comments of my primary school teachers!)

I can’t wait to see what the art team come up with. And if they have to smile and nod at my ideas and then politely ignore them, so be it! I’ll still be having fun.

I can’t believe this is all happening so soon!

[excited squealing]

Author Douglas R. Brown will be interviewed by Mindy Drayer and Marshall McPeek on the NBC4 Morning Show in Columbus, Ohio for his newest novel TAMED.

January 19, 2012 (Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA) / PRBuzz.com / — Author Douglas R. Brown will be on NBC’s Columbus morning show with Mindy Drayer and Marshall McPeek to promote his new book, Tamed, on Saturday, January 21, 2012. The show starts at 8:00 a.m.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer living in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he can draw from his lifelong love of the genre.

In Tamed, our main character is a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus. This pays homage to Douglas’ full-time job as a Fire Lieutenant.

If you get NBC4 out of Columbus, be sure to tune in. Otherwise, stay tuned for us to post the interview on YouTube and the Rhemalda Publishing blog.

If you would like to know more about Author Douglas R. Brown, please visit his website at http://www.epertase.com.

Tamed can be purchased in both print and electronic book form from Rhemalda Publishing at  http://shop.rhemalda.com, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

Tamed ISBN: 978-1-936850-70-9

Rhemalda Publishing
PO Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807
customer_service@rhemalda.com
www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

Author Douglas R. Brown’s newest novel, Tamed, launches as an ebook one week ahead of its official release date.

Rhemalda Publishing, Wenatchee, WA / PRBuzz.com / January 19, 2012 — Have you ever considered owning  a werewolf?

Rhemalda Publishing along with author Douglas R. Brown are excited to announce the availability of Tamed as an ebook. With one week until the official release of Tamed, Rhemalda surprises fans with an early chance to own the book that author Ashley Knight called “… vicious and brilliant in every aspect of the words.” At an unbelievable bargain of $4.99, Tamed seeks to find its way into Kindles and Nooks everywhere.

See what the buzz is about and get a copy of Tamed as an ebook today.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer living in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic in Columbus, Ohio. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he can draw from his lifelong love of the genre.

About Tamed:

Werewolves are real.

And they make excellent pets.

Owning one of the legendary creatures is the latest fad. The WereHouse insists werepets are loyal, docile, and 100% safe, but what happens when these gentle giants turn on their masters?

While on a routine EMS call, paramedic Christine Alt is attacked by a rogue werepet. She escapes with her life, but the encounter leaves her with more than just scars. As her body begins to change, she discovers the WereHouse is hiding a terrible secret, and they will stop at nothing to keep her from exposing them.

Douglas R. Brown’s website is at http://www.epertase.com. Tamed can be purchased as an ebook from Rhemalda Publishing, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

Tamed ISBN: 978-1-936850-70-9

Rhemalda Publishing
PO Box 2912, Wenatchee, WA 98807
marketing@rhemalda.com
www.rhemalda.com

###

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books, through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

The reason I tell you this is because of a name I used in my new werewolf novel, Tamed, and more specifically how it came back to haunt me at my job as a firefighter. For those who don’t know, firefighters are brutal in their ability to bust chops.

I don’t mean, “Hey, nice haircut” when your barber must have had a few too many drinks before you walked in for a trim. I mean the kind of chop-busting that when a firefighter at my station leaned against a glass window one time and it shattered, sending him and all of the glass to the concrete floor, the guys drew a chalk outline on said floor memorializing his epic fall. You know, like someone had been murdered? Yeah, that kind of chop-busting.

Anyway, back to my book. In Tamed, I used the fire department as my main character’s place of work. During the course of writing the story, I needed a name for a powerful and important Senator. One of my closest friends on the department is a guy named Sean Wooten. So I named my senator Senator Wooten. Not a big deal on the surface, but again, I can’t stress enough how brutal firefighters can be.

In the time since I had actually written Tamed, I was promoted to Lieutenant and my friend Sean (Senator Wooten) had been promoted to Chief. And then, as even more of a coincidence, out of all the many Chief positions that are available on Columbus Fire, Sean became the Chief of Battalion Four which, ironically, is where I am assigned. To further add to the perfect storm brewing last Tuesday, I was working at Station 14 which is where Sean is stationed when a guy named Roger received a copy of Tamed. He began reading right away.

And then my nightmare began.

Imagine Roger sitting on the couch reading my book and, naturally, enjoying the story, as he came across the name, Senator Wooten.

The first thing Roger did, after busting out laughing, was announce to everyone at the station what he had just discovered. I mean, it wouldn’t be fun keeping this little jewel a secret, right? He acted as though he had found a pot of gold (which in the harassment world of firefighters, I guess he kinda had).

That’s when Chief Wooten walked in and immediately became “Senator Wooten” to the guys. Or should I say, “You-have-got-to-be-kidding-me, Senator Wooten.”

So all of a sudden, even though I had written this long ago before I was a Lieutenant and he was a Chief, I was now the king suck-up of the station. But then the first morsel of good luck quickly came my way. Whereas, Chief Wooten was stuck at Station 14 for the night, I was on my way out the door to a different station. I couldn’t be happier to leave the taunts of my station 14 buddies behind and head over to Station 15 which is not too far away.

Crisis averted for now.

Well, not quite.

At 1:30AM, station 15 responded to a house fire in 14′s district. Once the fire was out and we were all waiting for the investigator, I heard the following from behind. “Did you know that Chief Wooten is now a senator?”

I didn’t turn around–it would do no good. I merely dropped my head in embarrassment as I listened to the epic retelling of Roger’s monumental discovery to all of 15′s crew. I think the hot poker jammed into my back at that moment was more scorching than the house fire had been.

At least the crew members at 15′s are the nice, non harassing types and I was able to escape virtually scratch-free …

Do you believe that? Yeah, me neither. They’re worse.

Could someone please draw a chalk outline for my pride?

It has come to my attention that some authors may be under the mistaken impression that Rhemalda requires its authors to write blog articles. I can tell you firsthand, we are not required to write blog articles. Rhemalda has been kind enough to offer us an opportunity to write blogs to bring attention to our work. I for one jumped at the opportunity to have my articles posted on Rhemalda’s website. My own personal website receives nowhere near the “hits” and exposure offered by Rhemalda’s.

Currently contracted with two small publishing companies, I find it extremely unfair that small publishers are often forced either to explain or to defend themselves. I highly doubt an aspiring author seeking representation from a large publisher would question that company’s marketing process. My advice to aspiring authors who do question publishers’ processes would be to remember that it is you who are seeking representation, not the other way around.

In my opinion, any author who looks down on a small publishing company needs to understand one thing. A small publisher has more at stake than a large impersonal one. For that reason alone, they are forced to be more selective in the authors they choose to offer a contract. Once you realize that fact, you will understand it is an honor to be signed with a small publisher.

Candace Bowen Early
January 17, 2012

Oh, boy.

You know that feeling when you had when you were in elementary school and you turned in a (gasp!) FIVE PAGE REPORT that you knew you just did the most awesome job on? You were certain that an ‘A’ was headed your way, especially after you splurged on the nice report folder that no teacher could resist. Remember the same feeling when you got it back and thought the teacher bled all over it? Remember the feeling of seeing your clauses and references torn asunder? Recall the forehead slapping moment when it was pointed out that you used the wrong verse for a verb, or wrong word altogether?  Now imagine instead of five pages, it’s three hundred, and instead of it taking you a few hours during the weekend, it took you a year. That was me two weeks ago.

Rhett told me to have a thick skin. It’s not personal, I kept telling myself. I looked at it for a few minutes before closing it in disgust. Two days later, after the storm cloud of curses that had formed over middle Georgia had cleared and my mind cooled enough for me to dig in, I saw to my amazement that it wasn’t a personal attack on my character. I am spoiled by the fact that the books and articles I read have already been edited. My editor wasn’t attacking my ideas, she was just pointing out that my execution was lacking at times. Where I initially saw her as someone adding commas for spite, I now see that she is the one doing me a favor, because really, if it’s confusing or oddly worded for a professional, how is a casual reader going to react. Flaming copies on my doorstep, that’s how. Writers have the problem of knowing what we meant, and reading it into everything we write. Editors have to slow down enough to break the sentence up and see if it actually makes sense. What I’m saying is that if you ever meet an editor, you should thank them from shielding you from the shotgun blast of redundant words, repeated phrases, dangling participles and misplaced homonyms that would make you give up and read something else. She got my baby down to its fighting weight. So now, Subliminal has dropped about five thousand words of fat, got its thoughts in order, and is ready to come out swinging.

I was talking to a friend once about the piano she inherited from her mom, who had inherited it from her parents. Why is that interesting? The piano was from a “Jack and Jill” bar in England. At the time, I didn’t know what a “Jack and Jill” bar was, so I did some research. Apparently, and Cas Peace you may correct me if I am wrong, but it was a Pub where service men and women would go when they had leave. The “Jack’s” and “Jill’s” were World War Two enlisted military. What a great story, to write a children’s picture book from the piano’s perspective. So, I wrote it in my journal.

A pigeon adopted us for about a week this last Summer. It appeared one day flapping its wings and looking in our window as if to say, “I am here”. It followed me all over the backyard when I went out and actually sat on my arm one day. If we sat on the chairs on our balcony, the pigeon would sit on the back of the chair and hang out with us. I went out and bought pigeon food for her. I set it out on our deck, along with a bowl of water, which she happily accepted. We named her Bridgett (said with a French accent) because she reminded us of a homing pigeon. Actually, she had a tag with hand writing on it attached to her leg. When I was telling my dad about this, he shared a similar story. Although he had read the tag and it had a phone number on it. He called the number and discovered that he had a racing pigeon using his deck as a rest stop for a number of days. The owner was located about 45 miles south of my Dad’s and was impressed his pigeon had made it that far already. Luckily, for me, I had taken some pictures of Bridgett, knowing that she would probably leave us one day. She did, after about a week. What a great children’s picture book story, I wrote it in my journal.

One of my sister’s told me about this very amazing thing that happened recently when she and her husband were on a run in Capital Forest. They came upon a barnyard pig and two goats. Being worried that the pig and goats would become a Cougar’s lunch, she and her husband coaxed the pig, and two goats, by yelling out “Come on Pig” to get them to follow them to the Ranger’s Station. The pig was obviously the leader, with the two goats coming along for the adventure, so where the pig went, they followed. They gave the animals water, which apparently they were in dire need of, and the Ranger set out to find their farm. My dad and I were talking about this incident one afternoon, and he said, “I thought about you when Amy told me this story. Wouldn’t that make a great adventure story for a children’s picture book?” I absolutely agree, so I wrote it in my journal.

These kinds of things happen all the time, and it is wonderful! My journal is jam-packed with great ideas. Now, how to tell the story, make it engaging, entertaining and marketable…?

Join me next time for part two, “Taking it Beyond Inspiration”.

My friends argued with me.  They told me nothing beat the convenience of an eReader.  Having all of your books in one location was awesome; it was like an mp3 player for books.  They would buy one just for traveling.  And you never had to worry about your children pulling your bookmark out and losing your spot while you weren’t looking (I can’t tell you how many times that has happened to me.  In fact, anyone looking for a job shoot me an email; all I need is someone to follow my kids around 24/7 and make absolutely certain they never, ever touch my stuff).

Still I resisted … until a month ago.  What changed?  The simple fact that the newest eReaders are so much more than just an electronic book – you can use them to browse the internet, check your email, download music, and watch movies.  Add in the fact that both of my parents – who still struggle with email and texting – bought iPads, and I realized it was time for me to take the plunge.  So I did my research and decided to go with the Nook Tablet.  And now, a month later, what do I think?  Who was right – me or my friends?

The answer – we both were.  As much as I wanted to hate my eReader, and as much as I feel like a traitor for saying so, I have to say it is awesome!  I love everything about it.  I love being able to browse the internet, check local movie times, and read up on the day’s sports news.  I love the read-along books for my youngest daughter, and I love, love, love the chance to sample books before I buy them.  I call it my Skim Shady (Skim because it’s exactly what I want out of a tablet without all the extra “fat” that the others all have and Shady because well … I still feel shady about using it).

As for my previous concerns about the mood that comes with a traditional book, I feel they are valid.  I still do most of my reading at home from traditional books and plan on doing so for the foreseeable future.   Half of my enjoyment from reading comes from the nostalgic mood I get every time I do so, and I don’t think I’ll ever feel that while using my Nook.  When I brought up the subject on Goodreads, I found that most readers felt the same way; they enjoy an eReader but still do most of their reading the old-fashioned way.

So in summary, I look a lot like a certain football coach who has guaranteed a Super Bowl for the last three years and has yet to deliver (sorry Jets fans, too soon?).  I take back every negative comment I ever made regarding eReaders and hope they find it in their little electronic hearts to forgive me.  If I’m ever found unconscious beneath a pile of Kindles, Nooks, and iPads, you’ll know they got their revenge.

Seriously, my first novel, though a fantasy, was set in contemporary Britain, and by the time I’d managed to find a publisher, the technology of “contemporary” had changed. Did I need to go back through the whole manuscript searching for places where my characters were likely to use cell phones (or rather, since it’s British, “mobiles”), which came into widespread use after I wrote it? Would that change any of the characters’ actions? In the end, I opted not to, since it would have driven me crazy.

Thus my second book, happily set in 1921, where things are what they were and no editor can come along later and say, “Gee, shouldn’t your police officer be using a Taser to subdue the criminal? Get with the times!”

Sure, you have to do a ton of research. That’s fine. I didn’t get a college degree in Art History for nothing. I remember how it works. You read a whole bunch of stuff — primary sources comprising the bulk — and you take a bunch of notes. Librarians are your best friends. The research is fun and easy compared to the hard part. The hard part is seamlessly weaving that background into…well…the background. You don’t want it to show too hard. Historical fiction that dumps pages of information on the reader are boring. Don’t tell us how the radio stations got going, who set up the first one in Seattle, or the technical details you spent hours writing down at the library. Get the characters involved — how does the radio affect them? In Seattle Sleuth, I had my character Helen complain to her husband that listening to the nasty-sounding newfangled radio would ruin the lovely evenings when she used to play the piano for him instead. Enough said.

And I never had to fret over whether the radio would be outdated by the time the book found a publisher. Whew.

If you write stories set in contemporary times, do you worry about the details becoming outdated before it’s published? I read a “contemporary” mystery recently and wondered at one point why a character didn’t just call a person on her cell phone, and then checked the pub date — it was 1992. Sigh. Are these things moving too fast for writers to bother worrying about?

As for me, I’ll just stick to the 1920s for now.

1. Selena K.
2. Sophia R.
3. Calista B.
4. Veronica L.
5. Renee’ S.

I’ll get to that whole library thing and Megan Fox’s subsequent non-injury in a moment, but first I’d like to talk about my new Kindle.

Yup, I just got myself a Kindle and this thing is paying vast benefits already.  One of the great advantages is that it allows me to get caught up on the works of my fellow Rhemalda authors at a significantly reduced cost.

The only time in my life that I ever remember paying what I felt was a fair amount of money for a product was back when I was 13 or so and I could get a cool fantasy book for $5.  Seriously, I actually remember standing in a bookstore, holding the book and thinking, “wow…$5 is the EXACT perfect price for a book!”

Well, today $5 for a book is just not possible.  Heck, the PAPER in a modern book probably costs more than $5 all by itself.  Actually, the prices that booksellers are charging for their books, even when it’s $15 or $20 is entirely reasonable when you think of all the people who are involved (editors, publishers, artists…not to mention the actual author).

…sigh…

It’s just big business bringing such entertainment to the world.

But that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t prefer that everything was free, even when it means reducing the amount of profit I see from a work.  Actually, I’ve been writing for more than 10 years now, and it’s been very infrequent that the rewards I’ve received have been monetary.  As a writer, you get to meet awesome people and go to awesome places, but you rarely get checks in the mail for…say…$50,000 (except from Rhemalda of course where I get checks like that twice a week j/k).

Kindle, however, makes everything a lot more reasonable.  After all, my new release “Beyond Birkie Fever” is available for only $4.97 on Kindle…that’s even better than the mythical $5 book!  And my other Rhemalda publication, “The Bone Sword” is an incredible value at $.99!  At that price, you can’t afford NOT to buy it!

Oh, but getting back to that burning library…er…it didn’t happen (the part about Megan Fox being uninjured is true though).  Still, at some point, now that I have a Kindle, I could almost justify burning down a library (well, maybe not).

I guess what I’m trying to express is that I’m excited about my Kindle.  I wonder if Megan Fox has one?

]]> http://rhemalda.com/2012/01/frenzied-mob-kindle-readers-burn-down-library-megan-fox-uninjured/feed/ 10 http://rhemalda.com/2012/01/the-rookie-report-firsts/ http://rhemalda.com/2012/01/the-rookie-report-firsts/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:00:20 +0000 Annie Laurie Cechini http://rhemalda.com/?p=9352 Hello! I’m tempting the fates by setting up my first blog post on Friday the 13th, but hey. I’m feeling daring. Also uncharacteristically shy as I’m sitting here typing on someone else’s blog (probably because that someone else is my publisher) (I have a publisher!), but here we go.

As the newest member of the Rhemalda team, I’m the rookie. I feel like Moonlight Graham, stepping out onto the plate for the first time and winking at the pitcher. My goal with the Rookie Report is to talk a bit about what standing at home plate for the first time really feels like. While every writer’s experience will differ, I think there are some things we all go through the first time we step up to the publishing plate. Today I’ll touch on five of those things.

FIRST WAVE OF REALITY

Feels like: *jaw drops* I did it. AW CRAP, I DID IT! *barfs*

Anxiety-inducing (on a scale of 1-10): 11

Rate of recovery: Varies. For me it took about a week and a half. Also, I suspect this one is cyclical.

Upside: DUDE. It’s real. Frame that signed contract and hang it next to your first rejection letter! Go out to dinner and dancing!

FIRST FIB

Feels like: Ew. I used to be all open about what I was experiencing and now I’m holding a hand of cards I can’t show the other players (I’m looking at you, Twitter, aka writer’s group therapy).

Anxiety Inducing: Meh, this one is more discomfort-inducing, largely because I’m a truly awful fibber.

Rate of recovery: It all goes away once the news is out.

Upside: Learning discretion, especially in our tell-all society, is not necessarily a bad thing.

FIRST BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Feels like: how I imagine it would feel being high. Lots of high fives from friends, family. It’s nice. But you’re high, and after a while your fingers start to tingle because what goes up…

Anxiety inducing: 1 (and it’s only 1 because of the finger tingle). Not gonna lie here, this one feels awesome!

Rate of recovery: Varies. It took a week or two for the finger tingle to win out.

Upside: The cat is now out of the bag! *whew*

Side note: There may be some weirdness with this one. People you love and care about may not respond the way you think they will. That’s okay. My friendly advice is to give them their space and don’t stress about it.

FIRST OOPS

Feels like: Varies (along with your definition of what an “oops” is), but generally it feels crummy. I’m not brave at all, but I’m just goofy enough to sometimes go for it when I shouldn’t.

Anxiety-inducing: Ranges. 5-8? Somewhere in there.

Rate of recovery: Varies depending on the situation, but I’ll say a couple of hours. Possibly less if you work with nice people.

Upside: The passing of the first oops often ends the honeymoon phase, which is actually nice because then it’s easier to be real and learn how you are going to work together as a team.

Side note: I misunderstand, make mistakes in judgement, leap before looking, etc. We all do. In the end, honesty is really the best policy, and forgiveness is your friend.

FIRST TIME WRITING POST-CONTRACT

Feels like: THIS.

Anxiety-inducing: The numbers, they don’t go high enough, because it isn’t just you anymore. People who are in no way related to you are going to read your words, dish on your ideas, and potentially pan your premise (ah, the alliterations abound! ). If you aren’t careful you’ll even start hyper-proof-reading text messages. This is a key moment to take a big step back and not let the brain-crazy win.

Rate of recovery: The jury’s still out. However I suspect, like the other firsts on the list, that the angst is both temporary and cyclical.

Upside: You finally have the job you’ve been working so hard to get. It’s like going from unpaid intern to a legit 9-5, and there is something very validating in that knowledge.

Side note: Having really good friends and supportive family to help talk you off the ledge is critically important at this point, I’m discovering. Also: long walks, puppies, faith, healthy habits, and remembering that there is life outside the mesmerizing glow of the laptop.

Well, there you have it. Like anything new, there is attendant anxiety and some stress as everyone adjusts, but what it all boils down to is that you get to publish stories! You get to be a part of the process of books. When the stress monsters are threatening to have me for lunch, I go back to that foundational point. I get to do what I love, and it’s a roller coaster worth riding.

*winks*

p.s. Elana Johnson posted something here that I wish I had read when I first started writing.

I begin with a vague outline, just a sketch. Perhaps it’s only a brief scenario: Shipwreck on an uninhabited island; a conversation: Two men gossiping about a new arrival in town; a What If?: A repressed memory is recalled. Whether it’s painting or writing, even a compelling face or expression might spark my imagination.

By adding a wash of color, I identify my major plot points and characters. With the composition laid out, I know the direction the story is taking. Someone unexpectedly shows up and becomes a catalyst for change. A family member confronts dysfunction. Basic tropes. As for my characters, initially, a lot of this has to do with the setting. For instance, if most of the story takes place in Maine, USA, I need to know the cultural ‘colors’ I’m likely to encounter. At first, the occupation, activities and preferences may also appear generic and cliché in this unformed stage.

Little by little, I subtly shade a scene or chapter, providing my protagonist with clearer attributes, backstory and motivation. I ask: What makes me (and my readers) care about this shipwright? How is this peculiar waif more than just a pretty face? Who are these people and how will they play together when things get complicated?

There are even times, once I’m well into a project when something goes wrong—when a plot point doesn’t add up or a character behaves ‘out of character.’ Then I might have to scrub out the errant feature (see 2nd row, 1st image) and hope I’ve expunged any reference to the offense.

The closer I get to completion, the better I know my characters. My plot is well-defined. Now I add lots of the little details. The personality quirks, foreshadowing, enhancing the emotional intensity of certain scenes. Lot of those bits make up the whole but don’t jump out at first glance. Sometimes they aren’t even seen unless scrutinized. Perhaps a reader will go back and say, “I didn’t pick up on that clever subtlety first time around!” or a viewer will adjust the light and their glasses and exclaim, “Look at the text on that page! Is that actual prose?”

(I’m not going to elaborate on how I overwork a project and don’t quite know when to put the paintbrush down or back away from the keyboard—that’s for a whole ‘nother post!)

My mom has always been the first person with whom I share anything newsworthy in my life. Her response to my news is what allows me to gage the level of my accomplishment. I have always found my mom’s tone of voice or facial expressions easy to read. To me, she has always been an open book (no pun intended).

Growing up, she perfected what my family calls, “The Look.” The last thing my brothers or I wanted was to be on the receiving end of one. My dad, on the other hand, must have been quite fond of seeing, “The Look,” as he was the recipient of quite a few of them over the years.

I think the thing that struck fear into us the most was that my mom inherited, “The Look,” from my great-grandmother, Antonia. “Little Grandma” only spoke Sicilian and three words of broken English. As children, she would use those three words on us while pinning us with the original version of, “The Look.” Shaking her hand in the air, she would say, “You no good? Bacula!” If the thought of getting spanked with a dried fish doesn’t have the power to strike fear into the heart of any adolescent, I don’t think anything will. It didn’t help matters that mom forced us to get within range of her for a brief peck on the cheek when she arrived for a visit.

We always believed there was a conspiracy between my grandma and mom that we were never forewarned about Little Grandma’s visits. My brothers and I would go charging up the stairs only to skid to an abrupt halt to see her sitting with a scowl in the living room. Lucky for me and my eldest brother, my brother Mark usually took the brunt of Little Grandma’s stares. He loved sugar a tad too much and was extremely hyper afterwards so I was always more than happy to throw him under that proverbial bus.

My mom once told me that growing up she never saw Little Grandma smile. That is something I am glad she failed to pass down. My grandma, on the other hand, was everything you would expect a grandma to be, just like my mom is now to my son. When my mom is happy, you know it. When she is ecstatic, she glows.

This past weekend my mother raised a glass of champagne to toast my latest writing accomplishment. Afterwards, she wasn’t the only one glowing. I’ll gladly be on the receiving end of one of those kinds of looks any day.

Candace Bowen Early
January 10, 2012

You would be forgiven for thinking that having your first book published is the epitome of excitement, that it doesn’t get any better than that. And, in many ways, you’d be right. Before my Artesans of Albia series was accepted by Rhemalda, I spent many years believing nothing could top being offered a contract, and then seeing my very own creation, my book, displayed on a bookstore shelf. Don’t get me wrong – that was, and still is, one of the best moments of my life. But, of course, the excitement doesn’t end there.

There’s the entire exciting process before the book is ready for publication – editing, cover design, layout, etc – followed by reviews, a book launch and, hopefully, the thrill of fan mail. There’s a bit of stress involved there too, of course, but on the whole, the process is exciting, especially the nearer you get to completion. For some reason, I didn’t consider any of these things when I was dreaming my dream of publication. I guess I thought I wouldn’t have much involvement in the cover design and book layout stage; I imagined the publisher would have their own style and that I, as the author, would have little or no say in how the book looked. It’s one of the many perks of signing with a small press rather than a large, impersonal one – you get much more say in these important decisions, and it was my first unexpected excitement.

There have been others along the way and they will probably be subjects of other blog posts. But my latest excitement was the most unexpected of all, and I can still hardly believe it happened. It resulted from a casual stroll around an antiques centre following a nice walk with  my husband, Dave, back in the summer. The UK has many of these centres – they sell traditional antiques such as furniture, items of silver, old paintings, etc, but they also sell architectural salvage, such as old stone urns or statues from people’s gardens, as well as “kitchenalia” and jewelry. In fact, you can find almost anything. Outside this particular shop, mounted on the wall high above my head, as if it was flying, was the most gorgeous metal owl. Sculpted in rusted iron, it is, to me, a thing of incredible beauty. It was a bit pricey though, and we left the shop without buying it. Imagine my excitement when I found that Dave had bought it for me for Christmas! He is just so lovely (Dave, I mean. Well, and the owl too.)

After I had opened this wonderful present on Christmas Day, Dave proceeded to tell me the story that went with it. As a way of advertizing my book, both of our cars carry flyers in the window depicting the King’s Envoy cover. When Dave went to visit the workshop of the artist who made the owl, in order to collect mine, the artist saw my flyer. He was instantly drawn to the depiction of the tangwyr, the strange flying predator on the cover, and asked Dave all about it. He said he liked to create strange and wonderful creatures in metal and that my tangwyr would make an excellent sculpture. He said he might make one later in the year. In fact, he was so taken with the idea that he made his sculpture within two weeks, and sent Dave some photos of it. Because Dave didn’t want to tell me about the owl, he had to wait until Christmas to show me these incredible pictures. To say that I was amazed and excited would be a huge understatement!

So it seems that being an author and having a book published can lead to all sorts of wonderful and exciting things. I feel so proud that my tangwyr creation, brought to life initially by the talented artist Eve Ventrue, should have led to its existence as a striking and beautiful work of the metal smith’s art. I simply have to have one, and have high hopes for my birthday in March. Watch out for another blog post then!

Here at Rhemalda, ringing in 2012 means looking for the perfect manuscripts to publish in 2013. If you have an exciting, well-written novel, we’d love to read it. Our submission guidelines are at http://rhemalda.com/manuscript-submission/.

What are we looking for in 2013? As you can see from our published novels, we’re interested in a wide variety of genres. We’re looking for talented, hard-working authors who are open to editorial direction. We like to establish a long-term relationship with our authors.

Although we are open to submissions in many genres, there are a few genres, Diane Dalton, our Acquisitions Editor, wishes she could read more of in 2012:

We’d like to add more Science Fiction to our offerings.

Young Adult novels are still making waves. We’re looking for all types: paranormal, contemporary, fantasy, romance, and mash-ups of those YA genres.

We’d like more Middle Grade novels to consider. As in YA, we’re interested in all genres of middle grade novels.

We love well-crafted Historical Fiction. It can include elements of romance, mystery, or biographical fiction.

We could use more Chick Lit manuscripts.

Women’s Literature and Romance are great reads. We don’t publish erotica, though.

We’d like to see more Mystery/Suspense/Crime submissions. Diane loves a great detective story.

Fantasy is one of Diane’s favorite genres: high fantasy and urban fantasy.

We haven’t seen much Steampunk, but we want to read your steampunk novel!

Whatever you write, if you’ve revised your novel to a professional level, this is the perfect time to submit it to Rhemalda Publishing for consideration for our 2013 list. Please read our submission guidelines carefully. We look forward to getting hooked on your voice!

Some prefer watching the ball drop in Times Square while yelling the countdown at the top of their lungs, toasting their drink of choice in the air and again kissing everyone freely.

Do you see my recurring theme here? Loud event, drinks and kissing.

Well if that’s what you are hoping for in this post I apologize, you are going to be seriously disappointed. Rather this post is about a quiet, comfortable and relaxing New Years Eve snuggled into the corner of the couch with a large fleece blanket wrapped around me. I will have an over-sized mug of hot-chocolate sitting on top of an electric warmer so as not to get cold–ever. And a stack of books piled high on the floor next to me. One or two in my lap and at least one in my hands.

Yes, I am on of ‘those’ readers.

Hot Chocolate from L.A Burdick in Harvard Square.

Most likely the kids will be in bed early and Rhett will be either on the other couch or in the recliner, also with a book in his hand. The difference being his will be on the eBook reader. We will likely have the timer set on the microwave to alert us of New Years–so we can get our kissing in, we wouldn’t want to miss that part.

As we each read our respective books we will occasionally laugh or gasp and say, “You have to hear this …” Then read a sentence or two out loud to one another. We will both laugh, perhaps spend a few minutes discussing it and then let the silence and pleasure of reading return.

What will I be reading you ask? Well the newest and greatest Kristen Hannah book… yes, I have one non-Rhemalda author that I simply must read every book she has published. I will also be re-reading Beyond Perfection one of my favorite cheesy Pride and Prejudice adaptations that I love so much. This year a I add a few more books though.

I have to catch up with my Rhemalda authors. Yes I hate to admit it, Rhett has read every book but I have not. For some reason the authors figured getting paid their royalty’s was more important than me getting to read the latest book. So without further adieu this New Year’s Eve and Day I will be completing Tamed by Douglas R. Brown, Seattle Sleuth by Alexandra MacKenzie, Subliminal  by Brian Blocker and last but not least I will top off the weekend with The Academy Defenders  by T. J. Robinson. I have started all four of these books and am determined to finish them before their publication dates. I think it will be possible as long as I stay off the computer…

How will you be spending New Years Eve? If you spend it the same way as me, let me know what you are reading?

Emmaline – Vice President of Rhemalda Publishing

So for those of you that already have this breathtaking calendar gracing your walls, what do you think? Which image is your favorite?

Do you like it over-sized, 12×12? That’s a full two-square feet of breathtaking art by Eve Ventrue.

For those of you who have been putting off ordering, you better watch out, they just might be gone if you don’t hurry up.

The calendar’s are sitting right here next to me in big boxes. So are the shipping packages. If you order a calendar it doesn’t have to ship from a warehouse it ships right here from my office. I can get the calendar in the mail to you same day if ordered before 4pm. It ships 1st class USPS.

Order now, before the calendar runs out.

Did you received a Kindle, Nook or other eBook reading device for Christmas? For Thursday only, Witch Song will go on sale for $.99 cents. The sale goes from midnight to midnight on Thursday Dec 29 2011. Here’s  your chance to visit Amazon and Barnes and Noble to get your copy.

We look forward to tweeting with you tomorrow.

Press Release – Wenatchee, WA

Monday, December 19 is the release date for J.S. Chancellor’s newest title, ICARUS. Chancellor is teaming up with her publisher, Rhemalda Publishing, to promote ICARUS on Twitter with an all-day Twitterview, or Twitter Interview. The novel features vampires hundreds of years old, but the novel’s promotion will be purely 21^st century.

ICARUS is a paranormal romance: a love triangle between vampires who need a substance called Icarus to stay immortal. In this richly drawn world, Jessica Slate is kidnapped by vampires who claim that Trinity, her “bad boy” lover, is the Anti-Christ. They  take away her source of Icarus, which enables her to process light. With the clock ticking, can she escape her kidnappers—or will she discover that she belongs with them and that they’re right about Trinity after all?

Vampire legends may be centuries old, but ICARUS gives the mythology a thoughtful, modern twist. Promotion of the novel is just as modern, including a video book trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdkniL_nKHI&feature=g-all&noredirect=1), a Goodreads page (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13124547-icarus), and the Monday, December 19 Twitterview event. Dozens of book bloggers are promoting the Twitterview event and book on their blogs, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. On Monday, ICARUS’s release date, anyone will be able to ask questions of J.S. Chancellor on Twitter using the hashtag #Icarus. She will respond to questions through her publisher, Rhemalda Publishing (@Rhemalda), who is sponsoring the event.

J.S. Chancellor is the popular author of the Guardians of Legend trilogy (Son of Ereubus, Blood of Adoria and Eternal Requiem). ICARUS is the first book in The Kindred series. Matthew Robert Best called ICARUS, “… a refreshing take on an otherwise exhausted genre, leaving me more than a little pleasantly surprised …. Such a fun read, with much more substance than I’m accustomed to in paranormal fiction.” ICARUS is available online through B&N for the Nook (and other e-readers) and Amazon for the Kindle, and can be purchased through Rhemalda Publishing’s bookstore at http://www.shop.rhemalda.com/.

ISBN: 978-1-936850-37-2

Vampire legends may be centuries old, but ICARUS gives the mythology a thoughtful, modern twist. Our promotion of the novel is just as modern, including a gorgeous video book trailer, a Goodreads page, and the Monday, December 19 Twitterview. Dozens of book bloggers are promoting the Twitterview event on their blogs, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. If you’d like to help us promote ICARUS, too, email us at marketing (at) rhemalda (dot) com.

On Monday, ICARUS’s release date, anyone will be able to ask questions of J.S. Chancellor on Twitter using the hashtag #Icarus. Be sure to follow @Rhemalda and @Jschancellor on Twitter to be part of this awesome event. If you want to submit your questions on Monday use the hashtag #Icarus. You can also submit questions before Monday to @Rhemalda … just keep them to 140 characters or fewer.

ICARUS is available online through B&N for the Nook (and other e-readers) and Amazon for the Kindle, and can be purchased through Rhemalda Publishing’s bookstore at http://www.shop.rhemalda.com/. Come join us for the Modern Vampire launch on Monday!

Tangled Tides Makes a Splash

Author Karen Amanda Hooper shares how the movies SPLASH and CLASH OF THE TITANS helped her debut novel TANGLED TIDES make waves in the reading world last week.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Nov 30, 2011 -
Black Friday was no ordinary day for many in America who braved long lines and loose tempers for deals on holiday shopping. That same day was extraordinary for Tampa Bay author Karen Amanda Hooper. It was the release day of her debut novel, Tangled Tides.

The debut was fantastic, with lots of online word-of-mouth publicity. Karen spent the day interacting with her readers in a Twitter Web War, having each person choose a side from among the different underwater creatures in her novel: merfolk, selkie, siren or gorgon. The merfolk won with 25 votes, sirens and selkies tied for second place with 21 votes each and gorgons solidified last place with 9 votes. However, as Karen tweeted on Friday, “the gorgons are too powerful to care.”

Where did Karen get her inspiration for such a dark and romantic tale? Karen explains it this way: “As a kid, two of my favorite movies were Splash and Clash of the Titans. Odd combination, I know, but my love for both of those movies inspired some of the world-building and character traits in Tangled Tides. In Splash, I loved that Madison the mermaid had a tail in the water but legs when on land. I made sure my merfolk and selkies had the best of both worlds too. When Medusa was killed in Clash of the Titans, it always made me sad. In Tangled TidesI finally gave Medusa the happiness and power that I thought she deserved. She’s the creator of the sea creature world.”

Cyber Monday brought more people online to catch the Tangled Tides wave. Karen expressed her thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of Tangled Tideson her blog. “I’m a writer. However, I can’t find the words to adequately express how grateful I am to everyone who celebrated my book release with me.”

That was only the beginning, though. Karen shared the results of her book giveaways, her increased Twitter following and her Amazon rankings for both the Tangled Tides paperback and ebook. Karen closed her thanks with the heartfelt statement, “I will remember how I got here. I will remember all of the friends and supporters who helped me along the way … My gratitude is deeper than the ocean.”

Karen Amanda Hooper’s website is at http://karenamandahooper.com. Tangled Tides can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing, http://shop.rhemalda.com, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailer.

ISBN: 978-1-936850-43-3

Rhemalda Publishing
Wenatchee, WA
www.rhemalda.com

# # #

We provide high quality books by working hand-in-hand with our authors, so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision of the manuscript.

— end —

I’m also asked quite often where I get ideas for my books. I’ve been told by many who have read Epertase that I have some crazy stuff floating around in my head. I often tell them that part of being an author (particularly a fantasy author) is in opening your mind to creativity. I believe everyone has a little creativity inside them. Once you open your mind to it, it’s like when you want to buy a new car. You may pass 50 Chevy trucks on a daily basis and never really give them notice. But, once you start looking at buying one, you see them everywhere. That’s how I would describe the way I get a lot of my ideas. All I have done is unlock that creative part of my mind and let it run. Do you remember when you were a kid and you saw shapes in the clouds? Yeah, me too. But as an adult, we tend to lose the imagination needed for such a game. It’s still there, just buried.

To better show you what I mean, I thought I might describe how I came up with the concept for my werewolf novel, “Tamed.” It was several years ago after I saw the first episode of “True Blood” and I was inspired. I loved that Charlaine Harris took old creatures (vampires) and gave their myth a unique spin. I was intrigued by the question of “what if vampires came out of hiding and simply wanted to be treated like everyone else?” That was, IMO, a genius premise. (I have since become disappointed with the series, but that first season was phenomenal.)

I’ve always been more partial to werewolves than vampires and thought it would be fun to write a werewolf story one day. Not the Twilight-type werewolves either, but the big, monstrous Howling-type werewolf. So I sat back and asked myself, “What could I do with werewolves that I’ve never seen done before?”

I wanted to do a story where people felt sorry for the creatures and maybe even routed for them to win. I spent a couple of days tossing around ideas without any real breakthroughs…

Until one afternoon. I was sitting in my cozy leather chair petting my 95-pound Doberman Pinscher when a question hit me much like Ms. Harris posed with her Sookie Stackhouse stories (True Blood). Again, I never would have had this idea if not for opening my mind to creativity.
Here I was petting a dog that, if we were in a different set of circumstances, could be more than a handful for any person to handle. I said to myself, Would I own a werewolf if they were real and guaranteed to be docile?

OK, so my personal answer was “probably not,” but what about other people? Hey, Mike Tyson owned a tiger. Sometimes, large exotic pets are for status symbols more than for loyal companionship. And I started thinking, What could be more exotic than owning your very own werewolf?
And that was it; that was my idea.

I began fleshing out what kind of story I wanted to tell and what kind of obstacles would arise? Several issues came to mind right away. Here are a couple of them, though I’m not going to tell you how they played out. You’ll have to read “Tamed” on January 26, 2012 to find out. I assure you that I have answered these questions and more in a way that will satisfy.

The big question became, “How could people own werewolves when werewolves were people too? I had to focus on this issue before I could start putting my story together for the book to have any chance of working.

The next question was, “Why don’t the werewolves simply chow down on their owners or the entire neighborhood for that matter? Well, I’ll give you a hint. The book is called “Tamed.”

What would the cost be for such a pet? Would the government regulate the industry or shut them down completely? These are just a few of the things I had to work out before I could get into the meat of the story, but work them out I did. And I am thrilled with the results.

So that’s the story of how I came up with my concept for “Tamed.” I hope you are intrigued and choose to check out my story in January. If you’d like to have an email reminder on January 25, sign up on my Tamed teaser page and I’ll give you that reminder. I won’t start spamming you either, I promise.

Tangled Tides Spins a Magical Underwater World

Yara Jones is a human pulled to the depths of the ocean and into the tangled relationships between merfolk and selkies in Karen Amanda Hooper’s debut novel, TANGLED TIDES.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Nov 25, 2011 – Tangled Tides, released November 2011, from Rhemalda Publishing, is now available for sale. Karen Amanda Hooper’s work on Tangled Tides was inspired by a childhood in Baltimore, MD, and her current beachcomber life in Florida. A diehard Disney lover, she is also a believer in magic and fairy tales. The result of this inspiration is Tangled Tides, a fantastical young adult romance with a strong main character ready to fight for the sea creatures that need her help to survive.

Rae Carlson, author of The Girl of Fire of Thorns, called Tangled Tides “… a delightfully, smartly plotted tale of adventure, family secrets, and sizzling romance. I couldn’t put it down!”

In the novel, Yara wakes up with fins after a hurricane rocks her island home. Caught between rival merfolk and selkies, she’s expected by both races to be able to open the sealed gateway to their realm. When Yara falls for the stormy-eyed merman Treygan, she may open the gateway to a love deeper than the oceans. But will she lose her soul under the waves?

“I adored this tale of sea monsters and forbidden love,” said P.J. Hoover, author of Solstice. “Full of deception, romance, and intrigue, Tangled Tides is a story best savored but impossible to put down.”

Karen Amanda Hooper’s website is at http://karenamandahooper.com/. More information about the author and Tangled Tides is available on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12047201-tangled-tides. Tangled Tides can be purchased from Rhemalda Publishing at http://www.shop.rhemalda.com/, your local bookstore, or your favorite online retailers.

ISBN: 978-1-936850-43-3

Rhemalda Publishing
Wenatchee, WA
www.rhemalda.com

# # #

Rhemalda Publishing’s mission is to provide high-quality books through careful treatment of manuscripts by working hand-in-hand with authors so as not to take away, but enhance, the original vision for the written word.

— end —

Instant Inspiration

One of the commonest questions fiction writers get asked, I think, is “where does your inspiration come from?”

The simplest, and actually truest, answer is “everywhere”, yet that always sounds like a cop-out to me. In reality, inspiration CAN come from anywhere; from your everyday life, from the people around you. It hides within the events of your day, or maybe what you see on TV or read in the newspaper. It can spring out at you from something you overheard, some joke or snippet of gossip while you were in the coffee shop or having lunch with your friends. Creative people can recognize inspiration where others might only see the ordinary, or mundane.

Personally, I think that finding inspiration also depends on what type of genre you write in. If I was a romance writer, or a crime writer, I could find a wealth of inspiration on any news channel. Horror writers too, I’d imagine – far too often! But what if you’re like me, a fantasy writer? How does a writer who works in unfamiliar, created worlds find inspiration? Does it come purely from our own imagination or can it also be found in our everyday lives?

The answer, of course, is “yes, of course it can,” and just the other day I found a prime example of how inspiration works for me.

I am extremely fortunate to live in a particularly beautiful and rural part of North Hampshire in the UK. I am surrounded by farmland, by fields of crops, by hedges that change their colors depending on the season. Rabbits and hares, deer and pheasant run in the fields (not always a good thing when you own Lurchers, as I do!) and there are wide field margins around which the farmer permits us to walk. Our roads are country lanes and therefore fairly quiet, and the village is one of the prettiest around. It also contains some of the nicest people you could wish to meet.

This area is primarily a working, food-producing farm. Wheat, sesame, oilseed rape, grass for seed and hay, sheep, cattle and pigs can all be found in the fields. Tractors are a regular sight and they can churn up the lanes and field margins, especially at this time of year. Farmers by nature and profession are a practical lot, not given, you’d be excused for thinking, to flights of fancy. And yet, one day, I turned a corner of a field I often walk around and was confronted by the scene in the photo above. There, in the entrance to a mundane, muddy, working farmyard were these fabulous standing stones, appearing as if by magic (although I suspect by tractor) overnight. I was entranced. Such an unexpected sight immediately set my writing senses a-tingle – how could I fail to be inspired?

What gets your creative juices flowing? Has anyone else come across something so unexpected, it resulted in a piece of writing? I’d love to hear!

I signed the book deal for it less than 5 months ago (July 8th). Rhemalda knew aiming for a November release date was a bit on the insane side. They warned me that it would be A LOT of work in a VERY small window of time. They warned me there could be setbacks, mishaps, unexpected delays, and who knows what else. From day one they asked if I thought I could handle it, and assured me it was okay if I couldn’t. From contract signing to launch day in 140 days is unheard of in the publishing world.

At one point, during a gray and hazy period, a major player at Rhemalda said there just wasn’t enough time. There was no way it could be done.

Another major player said, it could. And it would.

So, together, we did.

Six months ago, I had nothing but files full of agent rejection letters for two different projects. Today, Tangled Tides is a real live book. (And a pretty one at at that.) Some readers have already held it, some have read it, some have posted reviews which touched me so deeply that I cried happy tears. It’s very surreal.

Five months ago, if a future-telling fairy had told me that I would have a published book out in November of 2011, I would have laughed and told her she was insane. But what did I know? The universe works in mysterious and unexpected ways.

This wasn’t the path I expected. I have been a blogger for years, but I always read about how writers had to have an agent first, and then go into submissions, and then if the story got picked up, it would be slotted a year or two (maybe even more) from the signing date.

No one ever told me that it could all go so very differently.

I never imagined I’d pull a shelved manuscript out of its drawer, submit it directly to a publisher, get an offer a few weeks later, and be asked if I could handle a mad and chaotic dash to publication within 140 days.

I didn’t imagine it, because I didn’t know or believe it was possible. But it is. It happened. Many days, I still pinch myself to make sure it really is happening. So far, I haven’t woken up. I hope I never do.

I couldn’t have done this alone. These past few months have been chaotic, but I’ve still managed to find many quiet moments when I sit alone, close my eyes, and reflect on every single person that contributed to making my dream possible–to making my dream turn out better than I ever could have imagined. I constantly say prayers of thanks for them, for this journey, for everything.

SO many people were involved in making Tangled Tides become a reality. It’s like the universe provided me with the perfect dream team, and each person magically appeared at the exact time I needed them, able and willing to do the exact thing (or things) needed to link the next piece of the puzzle together. Together, we all managed to create a fantastic and complete picture.

One day soon, I’m going to do a post about all of them, and show you exactly what I mean. You will be astounded. Until then, I leave you with this: BELIEVE.

Wherever you are in your journey, whatever your dream is, believe. Believe in yourself. Believe in your abilities. Believe in every single person that has or is helping you along the way. Believe that the universe knows what it’s doing. Believe that you dreams will come true.

Wherever you are at this moment, is exactly where you are supposed to be. (Even if you’re frustrated, worried, stressed, self-doubting, been rejected, feel like the low man on the totem pole, or whatever else. It’s all okay. It’s all happening for a reason.)

Believe in where you can go. Believe in beautiful outcomes. Believe in the future. Believe in your dream team. Believe in your dreams. Because, I’m here to tell you firsthand, they can and will come true.

Just believe.

The universe will take care of the rest.

After reading numerous examples over the years, it has always amazed me how someone can make me want to buy a book based on their vivid portrayal of the story. I, however, do not have that knack.

One of the problems I find is that I would not even attempt to write a review for a book I did not enjoy. Because of this, I am so afraid I will not do justice to the work that I often feel I should leave well enough alone. Here again is where one of the quirks in my personality can make me seem standoffish.

Consider “King’s Envoy: Artesans of Albia” by Rhemalda Author, Cas Peace. I absolutely loved this book and look forward to future installments. In fact, I cannot wait until my son is old enough to follow the story. If anything will fire up his imagination, “King’s Envoy” will, and in the character, Taran, I know he will find a hero to emulate.

I have always found myself in awe of authors who can create fantasy realms the way Cas has done. Sure, I can tell a story, but my writing surrounds the real world. It takes someone special to create an entirely different dimension and everything that goes along with it. In “King’s Envoy,” Cas not only has managed to do this, she has done it so well it seems effortless.

Why I cannot summarize my fondness for this book is beyond me. I am even embarrassed to say how long it took me to come up with the brief blurb I finally did manage to write about it. Let us put it this way, I wrote this blog in a fraction of the time.

As you can see, I would highly recommend, King’s Envoy. In addition, just so you know, if you ever happen to read a lame blip of a review from me stating how much I enjoyed a book, please accept it as one of the highest recommendations I can make.

Candace Bowen Early
November 19, 2011

Last night I watched a young man named Astro struggle with his dreams of success. Currently he is in a heated competition, yes, I am watching a reality TV show. Anyway,  he has a specific niche, he is a young rapper. When I say young, I mean young; he is 12. He is an amazing writer, truly gifted. I am not really in to rap, but he has a way of putting thoughts and words together that create some wonderful poetry. Some of his lyrics really blow me away. I keep asking myself, “Is he really twelve?”. His background knowledge of music, history, life, and his use of metaphor is really amazing. He is a gifted writer, and he is also a gifted performer. As I said earlier, I am not into rap music, but Astro has me tuned in every week.

Now, for the difficulty, and many of you wrote about it in the last Opus and have addressed it here in bloggosphere; “What is success?” “What does success mean?” and “How does one deal with rejection?” Astro has never received a negative comment from any one on the show, and he has a strong fan base; his eyes are on the prize. But, last night during the “voting reveal” he found himself in the bottom two. I do have to say, I was stunned. I know, you may all be saying, what does this have to do with success, and how we deal with it? Well, let me see if I can answer that question. Astro was devastated, and reacted like a 12-year-old who had the rug pulled out from under him. He reacted  like someone whose spirit was broken and who simply wanted to maintain control over his future. He cried, he struggled with the information, he wasn’t sure he wanted to perform, and he was reprimanded by the judges. One of them said, something about handling all of this like an adult. Well, he isn’t an adult, he is a twelve-year-old boy from Brooklyn with big dreams and a real gift.

We all struggle with rejection. We all have a dream that we want to see realized, and it can be very hard when something that means so much to us personally gets questioned, criticized or rejected and we are once again plummeted into the goop of “Sorry, you are not good enough.” Some of us let that be the final argument. Some of us struggle with pride and a broken heart, which I believe was the case with Astro. Some of us get angry, depressed, withdrawn…I could go on and on.

The important thing is to realize that if it is your dream, if it is your passion, if it is your contribution, then get back up on your feet and do what brings you joy. You are the only one that really has control over whether you find success in your life or not. Even though, at times, it seems like that power has fallen into enemy hands, it hasn’t if you don’t let it.

I want to say to Astro, and all of the dreamers out there, do what brings you joy. Do what drives you. Bring your passion to the table, and you will be successful. You will have lived a life that was full of passion, energy and the creative spirit. That is the whole point, isn’t it? One final note, Astro, I voted for you and I will continue to vote for you, because you inspire me,

One of the coolest features of this store is their Special Pirate Storytime on Saturday November 19, 2011 11:00 AM.

The ONLY PROBLEM with this bookstore is that there is so much of it. This is a multilevel, multi-building bookstore that I could spend day and night in for a month and still not be satisfied that I was able to sufficiently browse it. I love this bookstore so much that in the past I have embarked on the 7 hour drive here solely to visit this store and then return home with a trunk-full of books.

Today I walked in carrying our bookstore gift with my eyes darting too and fro admiring my store. A very prompt associate came right up to tell me how the store works (as if I didn’t know, but I listened as if it was my first visit). I smiled and then handed over the packet and went shopping. Oh how I have missed Powell’s, it’s been far too long since I have been here.

As you can see from the pictures I let my time dwell in the Rose and Green sections of Powell’s.

Since we are inherently social creatures, our true identity won’t be fully manifest until a handful of strangers wash upon the same shore with us—likewise stripped. This is when we find out about our prejudices, our insecurities, our weaknesses and strengths. In a month, or a year, how are we known? As a giver or a taker, humble or arrogant? Do we contribute to the peace of the group or cause dissension? Are we known as forgiving and compassionate, or one who holds a grudge or looks for the flaws and weaknesses in others?

This scenario has always fascinated me. In my novel, Uncharted: A Story for a Shipwright, I put a post-Civil War Blockade officer, Captain Wesley on such an island with younger Tomas, a slave. How long before the walls of prejudice and social status crumble? Now, throw into the mix Benita, a beautiful young Venezuelan woman. Fidelity, nobility, worthiness, and even the will to live are put to the test.

How many of us go through life, caught up in striving for ‘things’ that would lend no advantage if a sudden circumstance stripped us of everything. Indeed, how many pause to ask, “Who am I—really?”

This bookstore has it together, they sell both print and ebooks right from their store and website and are willing to order any book that any reader wants if they do not have it in stock already.

As we left the store we drove through the neighborhood and saw some gorgeous and very large homes with well-groomed streets.

If you are in Portland I recommend that you visit Broadway Books.

From their website:

Cover to Cover Books and Espresso
6300 NE St. James Rd., Suite 104B
Vancouver, WA 98663
(360) 993-7777

Getting to this store was a trick with the one-ways and weird-roads. We almost went the wrong way. Woops, but we made it!

This little store is tucked away in the industrial heart of Vancouver.

The Black Lake Barnes and Noble is a prominent building that can be seen from the highway as we would pass. Our love of bookstores and the ability to see this one each and every day left a soft spot in our heart for it.

Orca Books in Olympia has been one of Rhemalda Publishing’s favorite Independent Bookstores since they hosted debut author Emma Hox for a signing when Longbourn’s Unexpected Matchmaker released in 2010. They were so kind and their store was amazing.

Thanks Orca, it was great seeing you again.

Rhemalda Publishing offers our sincerest congratulations on your 18th anniversary.

From their website:

We are the largest independent bookstore in Olympia, Washington, located in the heart of downtown’s vibrant shopping district. We stock new and used books, cards, and journals, and are proud to carry many locally-produced items by Olympia artists and craftspeople. We also offer coffee and tea from Olympia Roasting Company.

COVER COPY:
Falling in love with one of her kidnappers is probably the most dangerous thing Naomi could ever do, but she can’t get over the fact that her parents have never paid attention to her and her boyfriend punched her in the face the night before she was abducted. For the first time in her life she’s part of a family — even if it’s a family of criminals. Escape isn’t so high on her list as she’s forced to choose between parents and a boyfriend who never really loved her — or a family of thieves who say they only want to make her happy.

You can also find more about The Breakaway on its dedicated page here. I will keep that page updated with sales information, blurbs, promotional material, etc.

Hello, friends at Rhemalda Publishing! I’m Emily Adams, developmental editor, magazine editor, published author and poet, and owner of emsediting.com. I often like to begin my posts by explaining what I, as a developmental editor, actually do.  A developmental editor does quite a lot of multifaceted work, but the main goal is this: make the story function as a whole. A book, even the shortest and simplest of books, is a complex piece of work. I find where the story needs some reinforcement.

The main advantage to seeking out a developmental editor is that you get a lot of bugs removed from your story before the publisher or agent even takes their first peak. Publishers deal with hundreds to thousands of manuscripts, depending on the size of the publication house. Preparing each book for publication takes a staggering amount of time, energy, and money. Publishing houses will not invest in a story, no matter how spectacular, if they feel it will take too much work to produce. I have often heard publishers and agents both say, when faced with a choice between two manuscripts; they will always take the manuscript that needs least amount of work to get it ready for publication. By seeking out the help of a developmental editor, you gain an advantage over the competition.

Where do I usually start? Well, the beginning. I can tell you, as a junior editor of a magazine, that most publishers have already made their decision to invest in your book (or not) within the first few pages. I have heard some claim they can decide in the first paragraph. Slow or confusing beginnings will likely gain you a rejection before a publisher could even fully appreciate your novel. They simply do not have time to “get into” your story. As an author, sometimes it is hard to judge how interesting an opening is, or whether or not it is hard to follow. You, of course are profoundly interested, because you know what will happen next. You also fully understand your world, its rules, and limitations. You created it. These facts are both your allies and your enemies. You must be interested in your story, otherwise how can you finish writing it? You must understand your world implicitly, otherwise who would? As a trained outside observer, I can direct you to places where I am either confused or losing interest.

Characters are another aspect I look at early on in the book, and which I keep an eye on throughout the novel. Characters are the life blood of a story. Your audience needs to feel a strong kinship with the characters; otherwise they will put the book down. Your characters also need to be believable, or in other words, I need to believe in their motivations. You may describe a quest of unparalleled glory and wonder, but unless I believe in your character’s motives, I won’t be interested. You might have story of undying love, but unless I like your leading lady, I won’t care if she finds love or not. Again, as a trained observer, I can tell you where I find character’s motivations to be weak. I can also tell you which particular character traits can be softened in order to make your protagonist more likeable.

The next aspect I look at is how the story arch shapes up (please forgive the pun). I read to make sure that all the action builds properly to a well-defined climactic sequence, with a reasonably short resolution. I have often heard publishers complain that authors take too long to tie up their loose ends, or that a story completely skips the interesting points of drama, glossing over them with mere summary. I can spot these problems and help an author repair them before sending the manuscript off to the publishers.

From there I move on to more nit-picky concerns. I check to make sure your writing is appropriate for your target audience. I point out clichés.  I look for errors in style or tone. In short, I make sure that the book is aesthetically pleasing as well as correctly executed.

I’m often asked if developmental editors correct grammar and punctuation. Yes and no. A developmental editor’s job is to fix the story itself. Often after a developmental edit, large portions of the original text will be rewritten, enhanced by new material, or even excluded. Because so much of the content will be different after the developmental edit, it does not make sense to correct minor errors in grammar. While developmental editors can and do point out grammatical errors, they usually only point them out if the author frequently makes that error. Line editing or copy editing, is usually conducted by a copy editor.

Does having a developmental edit guarantee publication? No, I wish it did, but it does polish your manuscript, and will increase your chances of publication.

As a published author myself; I know how much time, effort, and love you put in your manuscripts. I know how frustrating the submission process can be. I would encourage each of you to continue in your writing. Effort and perseverance are an author’s best allies. I sincerely wish you all luck in your creative writing endeavors.

If you are interested in enlisting my help on your journey towards publication, come visit me at www.emsediting.com.

The Corner Shelf, Omak WA

6 North Main St.
Omak, WA 98841

Fall has set in and the air has turned crisp and cold. Leaves are showing their new colorful outfits and displaying their brilliance before they drift to the ground. The tree limbs they once covered now bare and exposed.

These very events were taking place in Omak, Washington this week as we spent four days enjoying the sights of this small town settled in North-Central Washington at the foot of the Okanogan highlands. Omak is currently celebrating their 100th anniversary. With a population of just over 4,700 in Omak, the ‘Corner Shelf Bookstore‘ is the perfect setting for readers of all ages.

Rhemalda Publishing had fun stopping in the store and browsing their collection of books … and seeing first-hand the passion that some readers have for specific books and the energy with which they display that passion towards bookstore proprietress.

The big news is that I’ve just been named an “Ambassador” to Inca runners.  What this means is that if you ever feel inclined to go to Peru and run the Inca trail (or walk it), I’m the guy to talk to.  The last issue of Opus has a story I wrote about doing the Inca Trail.  You can read it here.

In other news, I was also interviewed recently for the Illuminata of the Tyrannosaurus Press.  Terry Crotinger  happened to be driving through my neck of the woods so she invited me out for coffee and ended up taking notes (which was pretty flattering).  Here’s the interview she did with me when “The Bone Sword” first came out (she was insistent that the book needs a sequel…and was psyched to hear the book is currently available on kindle for only 99 cents!).

On October 1st, I also opened a bicycle and cross-country ski shop up in St. Croix Falls, WI, which is a great venue for selling “Beyond Birkie Fever.”  My cross-country skiing novel is selling very well and, perhaps more importantly, I’m getting a lot of really nice feedback from the people I know who have read it (check out this review on Amazon).  However, I’m frankly not getting as many published reviews as I’d hoped for, so if you’re out there with an ARC or review copy, please start posting some reviews!

I really didn’t use the same marketing strategy with “Birkie Fever” that I used with “The Bone Sword,” but that’s because “Birkie Fever” is a different sort of animal.  I’ve been driving it a little bit more with articles in relevant magazines.  For example you can read this article in Silent Sports or this one (which is an excerpt from the book) in Birch Scroll.  There’s also an article going out with the Inca Runners newsletter that you can read here.  Sales have been good so something must be working, and I expect this novel might really take off and fly when the snow hits!

Last, but not least, hits have been up about 10% for my web page “Streets of Lima.”  If you get a chance, do me a favor and “like” that page here.  Actually if you like my writing you should be liking this as well.  ”Streets of Lima” is my blog for furious venting about things that irritate me.  For example, if Verizon were to rob me of my promised rebate…”Streets of Lima” would be the place I’d go and scream and yell about it (not that it has happened).  I try to be completely honest on that blog (so I get the honesty out of my system) and for that reason I’d guess that most people will be offended by about 1 in 3 articles, so I apologize in advance (hey, when you’re trying to write in a way that’s not as bland as yellow cheese…you’re going to have some detractors).  For example, after writing this article, I got into about a 4 day argument with some dude who accused me of being an alcoholic (you might find the comments amusing on that and subsequent articles…although I stopped reading them).

Oh, and one more thing, for Halloween I dressed my daughter up as Chewbacca (more pictures of that here):

Well, I suppose that image pretty much steals the show.  Please get out there and give “Beyond Birkie Fever” a look (or at least a positive review on Amazon)!

If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to write me at:

Walterrhein@gmail.com

And make sure to visit:

Streets of Lima

CyclovaXC

Swordreaver

Happy Thanksgiving (in advance)!

Check out the step by step transformation (it’s pretty neat).
http://yaconfidential.blogspot.com/2011/11/undercover-wednesday-tangled-tides.html

Defending the Underdog

For as long as I can recall I have always cheered for the underdog. Regardless of what it had to do with, I would hear the term “underdog” and my protective nature would instinctively kick in.

Since I am averse to labels of all kinds, the name itself always rubbed me the wrong way. Who is in charge of labeling a person or team the underdog? The Statistics Department? Anyone who has witnessed an “underdog” come from behind to win can tell you a thing or two about statistics. Maybe being labeled the underdog gives an extra boost to a team. Perhaps the label even adds incentive to show the world that they are not inferior and should not be labeled as such. I know it would light a fire under me to excel.

If anything, I guess my aversion to the label would explain my personal choices in sports teams. Before being ripped up by the roots and transplanted to Florida (inside family joke), I was born and raised in a suburb of Chicago. When it came to football, you had two choices, you were a Bears fan, or you did not like football. When it came to baseball, the two choices were not as simple. In most households, the choice was already made for you at birth. You were born into either a Chicago White Sox household or a Chicago Cubs household. My grandpa was a huge Chicago White Sox fan. This trait was genetically passed on to my mom and eventually, my two older brothers. It was not so much that they did not like the Cubs as that it was not even an issue. Since the gene somehow skipped me, to my adolescent sensibilities, this made the Cubs the underdog.

Having always felt the way I do on the subject, what else could I do under such circumstances? I became a devoted Chicago Cubs fan. To my family’s credit, they did not tease me (much) or try to change my mind. I guess they recognized it as one of my many budding quirks that would later define my personality.

A few years ago for Christmas, I surprised my eldest brother with tickets to see the Cubs play the Sox at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Half of our group went decked out in Cub gear with the other sporting Sox apparel. The Cubs trounced the Sox, by the way. While we were leaving, I overheard a woman say, “That must be an interesting household.” Even though the two teams represent the same city, I believe the woman’s comment to be a perfect example of how deep the rivalry is between the teams.

Truth is it was an interesting household to grow up in. At the time, both Chicago teams were experiencing a decades-long dry spell in the World Series department, so one might even say it was peacefully interesting…well as far as sports go.

The fact that the White Sox won a World Series in 2005 after eighty-eight winless years while the Cubs have reached the dreaded century mark did not happen to go unrecognized by my family. In honor of my grandpa, however, I did cheer the Sox on to victory that year. I like to believe he was smiling down from Heaven when his favorite team finally brought a win back to Chicago.

Regardless if it is for a sports team or for a budding writer struggling to make it into the industry, I will always cheer for the underdog.

Candace Bowen Early
November 4, 2011

I was on a freaking high.

A book high, and let me tell you, when it ends. It ends. I think some friends told me this would happen. Coming off a high really sucks. I’ve spent a few good crying sessions in the shower. I have no idea why I’m all of a sudden freaking out and panicking. I have another book coming out in six months. I should be so happy! And yeah, I fear that someone might be rolling their eyes because I’m published and should be happy and not complain. Ever. Well, I still have feelings and emotions, so if anyone doesn’t like that, I’m sorry. Go read another blog. I’m honest here, and I’ll talk about this stuff because I need to talk about it. SELLING YOUR WORK IS HARD. No matter how you do it, no matter how much you make, no matter why you do it. I think it’s harder than just the creating aspect. Period. Writing. Painting. 3-D design, whatever you happen to create. Putting value on your work is hard. It’s probably one of the hardest things a human being can be expected to do because you have to find a balance somewhere between that value on your work and your real worth (which is truly beyond any value) as a person. It has been hard for me to separate myself from that value and what truly makes me happy. As my publisher puts it, however, happiness is nothing more than a choice. Period.

I think the key to happiness for any artist is making that choice in spite of the perceived value of what you produce. The mere fact that I’m creating something I love should be enough. It is enough. I was happy before I was published, so I’m the same kind of happy as I was then. The only difference is that I now have more exposure for my work and that has dragged me down more than I expected. As I contemplate more and more why that is, I understand more things about myself and what I need with all these changes going on.

So what do I need?…

To wake up every morning and make that decision to be content no matter what. Because constant happiness and joy is a bit sickening, but being content every day is something I can do.

And here’s my little pep-talk between me, myself, and I, but you’re welcome to listen in. Because I don’t care what happens to you, how many times you’ve been rejected, how sucky you think you are, how badly you want something, how much better you think anybody is than you. None of that is anything but a choice you make with how you feel about it. Period. If you can’t be content with where you are now, even in the crappiest, darkest of times or what should be the shiniest, happiest times, that will never change until you do.

Happiness.

That’s right, I think that every author should measure their success by nothing more than the happiness that they have in their life.

It does not matter what you drive, how big your house is or how much money you make if you are not happy with  your life. If you are not content with yourself and your situation in life then what are you doing?

How does one gain inner happiness? Can you order it from a catalog? Can you Google it? No, you can’t. You have to choose it.

Happiness is not something that you can seek, you will never find it. Instead you must seek the things that ignite it within you–and then do those things.

For me, as a person who works with authors on a daily basis and who dabbles a bit with writing myself, the one thing that I see bringing myself and authors joy is the time that is spent with family. Each book written and sold, each book signing attended, each event that an author speaks at, brings joy. I think these events bring joy because the author has their family either with them or nearby cheering them on, encouraging them. Their family tells them that they believe in them and when that happens the author feels  contentment, joy and most of all happiness. The relationship that an author has with their family, spouse, children and close friends is often the basis of their happiness.

Although it is a major player, family is not the only element that promotes an authors happiness, it is so much more.

When an author takes care of themselves by being healthy and fit they also become a happy author. Being healthy and fit gives more energy that can be directed towards a passion of writing. I have learned from my personal writing that my creativity is often at its peak when I am exercising and I let my mind wander. I create some of my most exciting scenes when exercising.

When I have a positive outlook towards the people and events around me it allows me that same outlook towards my writing and makes me more productive. If I allow negativity to creep in then my writing dwindles and I have trouble completing my novels.

For me another layer of happiness is my spiritual faith. Each author must choose their own belief system. That system must bring them peace, contentment and most of all give comfort to a restless mind when needed.

The present economy in the USA, in the world, is one of instability and confusion. There are men who, not long ago, wore suits and dress shoes to a job that they carried a briefcase for. Now these same men have lost those jobs and either are out of work or have accepted any means to support their families, even if they now wear gray flannel shirts and work boots. The sadness that surrounds this scenario is this… it is likely that neither of these positions brings happiness to the man. Not doing what you love, or living your dream is a true tragedy.

Each person, each author must create their own destiny and there are no limits to that destiny if the author allows their own creativity to shine. With the popularity of the internet and social media it has enabled people to get back in contact with friends or family that they would otherwise rarely see or speak to. It has also enabled the depths of creativity to be breached and unnumbered new opportunities for authors has flowed forth. As an author, your network is your greatest asset and the larger that asset the better.

The world is a large and often scary place, but on the flip side people are generally good. If an author can open themselves up to the world around them, expand their relationships with their family, expound their relationships with new friends wherever they go then they will reap success–because they will have found happiness.

I just read a manuscript submission that the underlying theme of the novel was choosing to find your own happiness. The MC had to choose to overcome her past. A past with much sorrow, much loneliness and much depression. She did it in much the same way I just laid out before you. She choose to open herself up. She choose to let people into her life, become their friend, perhaps even learned to love. She had to overcome her fear of that love and first accept that she could love herself and that she could have the same happiness that she saw in other people’s lives but thought that she could never have.

The journey that the MC took was so similar to that of an author. As an author, as a person, I can relate to the MC and the journey that she was on. I am glad that I have learned that the surest way to be successful is to help another person succeed. Likewise, the surest way to become happy is to help another achieve happiness.

To me, this is only one way to measure an authors success. How else do you think an author should measure success?

We receive many manuscripts each and every month. Publishing books is a business and only publishers who choose the best books will survive. Here at Rhemalda we strive to select the best books, from the best authors. We choose books and authors that we believe in and that we feel have stories that our readers will connect with.

But, with so many submissions and a limited number of releases each year we can only select a few out of manuscripts submitted. We have all heard the stories of authors who have submitted to a dozen publishers and have been rejected each time. Likewise, we have heard similar stories of authors that were persistent and went on to become best sellers.

A really good story of a rejected but successful novels is “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K Rowling. Believe it or not, the famed novel was actually rejected by dozens of publishers. Well-known names in the world of publishing like Bloomsbury, HarperCollins and Penguin missed the chance to publish a virtual gold mine because they thought that children do not want to read thick books – or so they thought.

It happened to many famous authors and the same can happen to you. Authors must have nerves of steel, they must not allow depression to move in. They must have confidence in themselves and their writing to continue after so much rejection. If not, the dream of being published can quickly fade away.

As a small press we try to be respectful of each and every manuscript. We try to give each author’s work the attention that it deserves.  We apologize if your manuscript is passed over by us, but like so many other authors before you, you too will persevere. It takes hard work and extreme dedication to be an author. Not everybody can handle it, but you can. You can believe in yourself, believe in your writing and believe in your dream enough to find the best publisher for your work.

For those of you still waiting to submit your manuscript to Rhemalda, we eagerly anticipate the day we will have the pleasure to read and consider it for publication.

If you would like to submit your manuscript to Rhemalda visit our manuscript submission guidelines to learn how.

The image on this post is the Summer 2011 Opus. If you would like to read other informative articles about manuscript submission please visit the Rhemalda Opus Summer 2011.

When a writer thinks about marketing their book, many times it can lead to nervous knots because you just don’t know where to begin. There are several options such as blogging, writing articles, book reviews, author interviews and book listing. and not to mention the involvement of social media.

There are seven main components of promoting your book on the internet:

Blogging – showcasing your experiences as a writer and sharing about the subject matter of your book while are you writing allows your readers to join in the journey with you.

Website - for an author, just like with any business, corporate or micro, you need to have a well equipped website for your potential readers to go to in order to find out about you and your book.

Guest blogging- join in different discussions on other blogs aligned with the message of your book and then email the blog host offering to write a guest blog post for their readers.

Article Marketing – submitting various articles on the topic of your book to article submission sites such as EzineArticles.com allows more people to find out about you and your book. You can bring more traffic to your author website by sharing a link back to the site or a special offer to a certain page on your site.

Interviews – requesting interviews from internet radio show hosts whose listeners would be interested in your topic is another great way to gain more potential readers and great publicity for you and your book.

Book Listings – Online there are several places such as Shelfari and Book Hitch were an author can list their books and create a community of readers. These sites are inviting places for authors to connect directly with their readers.

Social Media – Last on this list, but certainly not least, are the networks of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube to create an author platform. Start with one and you can join the others over time but being on social media is a great way to gain readers and connect with other writers and industry leaders.

During the time you are writing your book, you can begin to coordinate ways to increase the online promotion for your book. By starting the process while you are writing the book, it gives your potential readers time to get to know you and your book. You know, you don’t normally buy from people you don’t know, right? Well, neither do your potential readers. And being online allows you several ways to connect with your potential readers during the writing process so when your book comes out, they will be eager to purchase.

About Teresa Morrow

Teresa Morrow combines her three passions: writing, reading and networking in her business, Key Business Partners, LLC. She manages online promotional campaigns for authors, coaches, speakers and writers. Teresa is passionate about helping authors and writers spread their message to the world. She offers tips, resources and ideas with her ezine, Promotion Pieces and a free bonus “12 Top Notch Ways to Boost your Online Book Promotion”on website at Key Business Partners http://www.keybusinesspartners.com.

Publisher, Rhett Hoffmeister, was introduced to artist, Eve Ventrue in 2010. After working with Eve on a couple of covers, Witch Song, King’s Envoy and A Thief of Nightshade, Rhett approached Eve to show off her art in calendar form. She was excited and quickly sent us 13 gorgeous images to include in the calendar.

As Rhett worked with the layout department he thought it would be fun to add a bit of Eve’s German heritage into the piece. He accomplished this by having the calendar translated into German and including both American and German holidays.

The beautiful layout that includes both languages is synchronized with the cycles of the moon; adding that much more beauty and intrigue.

We have shown the front cover of the calendar all over the web for the past few months. In addition, we have shown the interior images of the calendar in small form on the back of the calendar. Upon popular request we are now including all of the interior images in a larger size so that you can see them in all their beauty.

Here they are.

So … what do you think of Eve’s art? Stunning isn’t it.

The calendar is over-sized 12″x12″ so the images are cropped a little, but I assure you all of the beauty is retained.

This calendar ships to the USA and all international locations. It will arrive protected in an over-sized cardboard packaging. We would love for you to see this calendar yourself. It is a perfect gift to treat yourself or to give to someone close to you this holiday season.

Order your copy from Rhemalda by visiting our store. If you prefer you can also find the calendar online at retailers worldwide.

Calendar Description
This 13 month wall calendar, Warriors and Goddesses, with art from German artist Eve Ventrue opens the doors of the fantasy realm and pours out a hauntingly beautiful compilation of cutting edge fantasy art.

This calendar will beautifully grace your wall from December 2011 through December 2012.

The calendar is translated in both English and German and includes all major holidays from both countries.

Synopsis:

Falling in love with one of her kidnappers is probably the most dangerous thing Naomi could ever do, but she can’t get over the fact that her parents have never paid attention to her and her boyfriend punched her in the face the night before she was abducted. For the first time in her life she’s part of a family — even if it’s a family of criminals. Escape isn’t so high on her list as she’s forced to choose between parents and a boyfriend who never really loved her — or a family of thieves who say they only want to make her happy.

This momentous event got me to thinking about how I publicly put myself out there. To be perfectly honest, when I wrote my first novel, A Knight of Silence, I figured it would be my only book. That being the case, I wanted to claim it as my own by having my legal name on it. It is only now that I question if that was the smartest thing to do under the current circumstances.

I know many would get a chuckle out of this, but I am an extremely private person. To me there is a big difference between telling entertaining anecdotes about myself and allowing someone to see my private side. Truth is there are only a handful of people that ever see that side of me.

Until now, I have never understood why some authors choose to use a pseudonym. I always believed if they were proud of their work they should very well want their name attached to it. Unless you are a member of the big leagues, the odds of being recognized are extremely rare and I have yet to hear of an average author being “mobbed” for autographs. Although I have become aware of authors writing under pseudonyms for publishing reasons, I presently do not see any of those reasons applying to me.

Chances are if you happen to be a friend of mine on Facebook, you have seen one of my many posts and perhaps even have been irritated or offended by a few of them. Although offending anyone is the last thing I would ever do intentionally, Facebook is the number one top referrer to my website followed by Google. My quirky personality aside, I figure if people are curious enough about me to check out my website I must be doing something right.

If I had it to do all over again, I would definitely have created a Facebook page solely for my author persona and another for family and close friends. Since I have decided to put myself “out there,” I do not think it fair that I drag my family along for the ride. My best intentions fail in this area when the proud mommy in me has me posting pictures of my son that, in any other circumstances, I would never do in such a public forum.

Knowing what I know now, I do understand why some authors choose pseudonyms. I also know that I am extremely proud of my accomplishments. Someday soon, I am hoping that things will fall into place so I can find the right fit for myself. Until then, I will walk the fine line between the two worlds of pseudonyms and public exposure.

While on the subject, why not stop by my website for a visit and say hello? Who knows, I may hit ten thousand by the end of the day. www.knightseries.com

Candace Bowen Early
October 19, 2011

Today I want to talk about writer’s resistance. If you are a productive author with no down time then this post may not be for you, but if you procrastinate your writing then read on.

First let’s talk about what the signs of writer’s resistance is so that you can determine if you have it or not.

• You’re too busy to write.
• You blank out after writing the prologue, first scene or chapter.
• You feel paralyzed or fearful when you sit down at the computer to write.
• You have a history of procrastinating every story you attempt to write.
• You want others to tell you what to write next or always feel that someone must justify your writing decision.
• You lose interest in your current writing and keep pursuing new ideas.
• You’re disorganized when it comes to outlining your story.
• You’re impatient with the research phase of your book.
• You’re workspace and mind are disorganized and you cannot focus.
• You keep running into people who deter you from your writing.
• You tell people your ideas before you have given yourself a chance to develop them.
• You feel like you are losing control over your story.

Remember, these signs are SELF-AFFLICTED. That’s write, you are bringing them on yourself.

Do you feel like you are surrounded by negative people? You are. You attract them. By not just writing your story, and instead talking about undeveloped story lines, you are encouraging others to criticize you before you even have a chance to wow them. It may feel like taking a huge risk to abandon these practices, but you must.

You must have faith in your writing, in your own creativity and in your ability to succeed. You will not fail, unless you allow it. As a successful author you cannot allow it.

The first thing you must realize, before you can set yourself on the path to success is what resistances you have and what you have to do to overcome them.

Do you recognize any of the signs that I listed above? Do you have any other signs that you want to add to the list?

Once you have identified your resistances you need to determine how to overcome them. Start by phrasing your resistance into a question and then answer it. I don’t mean to answer it in your head, I want it written. You are a writer, you cannot fear written words. By writing it down, you release it from within you.

• Why am I too busy to write?
• Why do I blank out after writing the prologue, first scene or chapter?
• Why do I feel paralyzed or fearful when I sit down at the computer to write?
• Why do I have a history of procrastinating every story I attempt to write?
• Why do I want others to tell me what to write next or always feel that someone must justify my writing decisions?
• Why do I lose interest in my current writing and keep pursuing new ideas?
• Why am I disorganized when it comes to outlining my story?
• Why am I impatient with the research phase of my book?
• Why is my workspace and mind disorganized and why can’t I focus?
• Why do I keep running into people who deter me from my writing?
• Why do I tell people my ideas before I have given myself a chance to develop them?
• Why do I feel like I are losing control over my story?

What this task does is help you identify the root of your resistance which is in reality your fear. You must explore and overcome this fear before you attempt to write more, or else you will easily slip back into your resistance wrought writing and never be as successful as you could be. What you also need to remember is that even if you work through and overcome your resistance while writing your current book you need to periodically re-examine yourself each time you enter another phase of writing or each time that  you begin a new manuscript. Writing resistance is all too easy to slip back into.

So far we have learned how to identify the signs of resistance and the individual fear that this causing it within us. Now we need to overcome it.

My favorite way to overcome any trial is to break it into small manageable tasks. That way I can tick off each step in the overcome process and as I tick them off I get a feeling of satisfaction, completion and success.

There are other ways to overcome resistance. The methods vary t, from setting deadlines for yourself and making sure that you hold yourself accountable. You could also allow yourself a treat/prize when you meet a goal or complete a task.

No matter what, you should be specific and visualize yourself completing your novel. Visualize yourself from the very beginning, selecting your hero’s name all the way to when you write your two final words, The End.

Metric Junkie is a free service that collects Amazon “Sales Rank” information for books and ebooks, and displays it in a meaningful and compelling way through vibrant charts and graphs. Amazon does not provide sales information directly to authors or even publishers, for that matter, however this fun tool will allow you to estimate a sale and get an idea of how effective your marketing strategy has been.

This tool in no way represents your total book sales, but we have found it to be a fun resource for tracking a books Amazon sales rank.

The Amazon sales rank is the books particular sales rank with relation to other books selling on Amazon. The sales rank in Amazon is a rank that is updated hourly. The past ranks are not saved, therefore you will never know your all time lowest rank (you want a low rank, 1 is good, 8 million is bad) if it occurs in the middle of the night when you are asleep (yes even authors have to sleep sometime). Metric Junkie tracks your past ranks so that you will always know what your lowest rank to date is.

If you want to know how your book ranks here are some estimates of what your sales rank means in terms of actual book sales according to Foner Books.

• A rank of 100 or less is approximately 30 book sales per day.
• A rank of 1,000 is approximately 10 book sales per day.
• A rank of 10,000 is approximately 2 book sales per day.
• A rank of 100,000 is approximately 1 book sale per week.

*Rhemalda Publishing is not affiliated with metricjunkie.com and receives no benefit for identifying their services to you. We recommend them because we have found their site to be a valuable resource for authors.