In My Mailbox (123)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

N/A

Bought:

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

What did you get in your IMM?

Sticky Beak (75)

Sticky Beak is all about sharing. Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so that's where Sticky Beak comes in. By word of mouth (well you get what I mean) we are more likely to get to those blogs that we wouldn't have normally seen without someone pointing them out to us.


The links could be to your own post, a favourite blog post you would love to share, an authors blog/website, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything you would love to share with others. Just use the comments below to add your link!


Here's Mine:


Cool Stuff to Check Out:
Behind Yellow Eyes: Young Adult Magazine Interview with Maggie Stiefvater
Seeing Night Reviews: Spotlight of the week.  Teaser of Blood and Bone
Steph Su Reads: Finale Excerpt Reveal Blog Tour (Becca Fitzpatrick)
Disgruntled Bear: Happy Book Birthday Cursed - Also read first chapters there!

Enjoy!

Sneak by Evan Angler Book Trailer

Swipe's book trailer was really cool.  So here is the second book in the Swipe series.  Enjoy!

 

Waiting on Wednesday (120)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

Looking forward to reading this one!  Unremembered by Jessica Brody will be out in early March 2013.

Synopsis

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe. Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world. Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them. Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget? From popular young adult author, Jessica Brody comes a mesmerizing and suspenseful new series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

What are you waiting on?

MBOB: Beautiful Creatures

How excited am I to see this!! While I would never have picked Ethan to look this way I hope he lives up to my expectations when I see the movie. What do you think?

 

Waiting on Wednesday (119)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

Looking forward to reading this one!  The Farm by Emily McKay.  I seen this one on the Penguin Teen Australia site and am extremely excited.  This will be out in November of this year.

Synopsis
Life was different in the Before: before vampires began devouring humans in a swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined. These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the undead monsters, known as Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other…

 And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.

 Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help… 

Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...

What are you waiting on?

Ten by Gretchen McNeil Book Trailer

This looks good!

 

Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick

Title:  Shadows

Author:  Ilsa J. Bick

Genre:  Young Adult

Publisher:  EgmontUSA

Publication Date:  25th September

ISBN:  9781606843789

Stand alone or series:   Ashes Trilogy #2

Pages:  525 pages

Book Received from:  Publisher - EgmontUSA (Galley)

First Lines:  FUBAR: That was Jed's name for it.  Once a Marine, always a Marine

Synopsis: The end of the world in Ashes was just the beginning. Now Alex must face the realization that Rule was not the safe haven she thought. In fact, the people there are protecting themselves by feeding The Changed. Shadows picks up right where Ashes left off, but before anything in this dystopian world improves, it will get worse. A whole lot worse.

My Thoughts:
I was so excited when I requested it and it was approved.  I'd been hanging to find out what had become of Alex, the Changed and most of all Tom.

After reading Ashes, I was thrown a bit when in Shadows it's not just Alex's POV that we have.  Now with extra main characters including Tom the story's action seems a constant.  I'm not complaining, but alot of chapters end us on a cliffhanger which I have to admit pushed me through the story that little bit quicker.

I'm confused about a few things but.  Ellie isn't in this story at all.  There are a few mentions of her but it's like she has dropped off the face of the earth.  Even though she was quite annoying in the first book I had begun to like her towards the end.  

I also like how Ilsa has made the whole "Changed" concept an evolving sickness - if that's what it is.  I do worry about the other main characters but. 

We are also confronted with another group known as the Bounty Hunters/Private Militia.  While I won't say too much on this part I hope that their plans backfire on them.

There are a few parts where I felt the scenes stretched a little long for me.  I did find myself wanting to put the book down nearing the climax.  I did like reading about the other main characters but only two mattered for me the most: Tom and Alex.  I find it hard with some series when the author introduces more characters into the narrative that were only secondary characters in the first book.  It sometimes takes a whole book before some characters grow on me and I felt that only the main characters from Ashes really stuck with me over the others.  

Shadows is a great addition to the Ashes Trilogy.  Expect action, gore - a fair amount of it, and the urge to yell at the characters every now and then.  I look forward to reading the next book in the Trilogy.  Oh.. and remember, Ilsa likes her cliffhangers :)

MBOB: Hansel and Gretel - Witch Hunters

Yet another movie based on a fairytale, although this one for me is definitely a kick-ass version!

What do you all think of this trailer?

Waiting on Wednesday (118)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

I really enjoyed reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone and am definitely itching to get my hands on Days of Blood and Starlight which will be out in 6th November 2012.  I just love both the covers and titles!

Synopsis

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she’ll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

Pre-order Days of Blood and Starlight at Book Depository!

What are you waiting on?

In My Mailbox (122)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

N/A

Bought:

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington (#1 Violet Eden Series)
Managing Death by Trent Jamieson (#2 Death Works Trilogy

Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris
One Book Many Brisbanes by Various Authors

The Australian Writer's Marketplace - Writing Competitions.

Thanks to the Brisbane Writer's Festival I got some very cool books.  Can't wait to read these!!

What did you get in your IMM?

Haunting Obsession Tour

Haunting Obsession Tour

R. J. Sullivan resides with his family in Heartland Crossing, Indiana. His first novel, Haunting Blue, is an edgy paranormal thriller about punk girl loner Fiona "Blue" Shaefer and her boyfriend Chip Farren. R.J. is hard at work on the next chapter in Fiona's story, Virtual Blue, coming soon from Seventh Star Press. R.J. is a member of the Indiana Horror Writers.

Website: http://www.rjsullivanfiction.com 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/R.J.SullivanAuthor
Twitter: @RJSullivanAuthr

 

Synopsis 
“She wants to be loved by you…alone!” Daryl Beasley collects all things Maxine Marie, whose famous curves and fast lifestyle made her a Hollywood icon for decades after her tragic death. Daryl’s girlfriend, Loretta Stevens, knew about his geeky lifestyle when they started dating, but she loves him, quirks and all. Then one day Daryl chooses to buy a particularly tacky piece of memorabilia instead of Loretta’s birthday present. Daryl ends up in the doghouse, not only with Loretta, but with Maxine Marie herself. The legendary blonde returns from the dead to give Daryl a piece of her mind—and a haunting obsession he’ll never forget.



A 101 guide to fan support in the social media age 

We interrupt the R.J. Sullivan Blog Tour for a message of great social and political import! Oh, Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz...oh, wait, I mean...

You're an avid reader of small press authors. You Tweet and Facebook, Pin, and Google everyone about your favourite reads. You have an account at Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com and Goodreads, and you're not afraid to use them. You want to use your powers for the greater good and you probably don't know how much power you command in the social media age and the rise of the small press.

We're small press authors and we love you. We love your reviews and your retweets and your complimentary posts, and we want to help you help us.

 And there are lots of ways to help us--simple ways to affect the internet's inner workings all summarized in a techie blanket term called "analytics," which comes down to "ways in which web-savvy readers [that's you] can raise an author's chances [that's us] of being seen by even more web savvy readers [our mutual goal]."

Analytics. Got it? Great. Now we can forget it and move on to practical matters.

1. Follow me.

Follow the author on Facebook. Follow their author page, Twitter, and personal page if the author openly allows fans to do so (For instance, I do. as do Tanya Huff and Melinda Snodgrass to name two others). Follow them on Goodreads.

 If they have a newsletter, subscribe to it. You don't need to read every tweet, every post, or even every newsletter. (let's face it, the same information gets repeated over all these various channels--we get that, but if these are you’re absolute favourite new authors you are trying to promote, you just need to be subscribed to them)

Why? Because it's a numbers game. Remember those analytics I told you to forget? Um. Yeah. When the publishers and bookstores ask an author how many followers they have, high numbers are good; low numbers are bad.

2. Like me.
Really like me. Find those "Like" buttons and click them. Find the author's um...author page on Amazon and click the "Like" button(found to the top and upper right.) But don't stop there. Each book title on Amazon also has its own "Like" button--on Amazon. Go to every title and click those, too (assuming you genuinely"like" all of an author's books).

Do the same to alternate formats--On Amazon, Kindle and paperback versions each have their own pages--that means two separate "Like "buttons (No I don't know why--seems kind of stupid, I know).

On Barnes and Noble.com, you can like both Paperback and Nook versions.

3. Review me.

Amazon and Barnes and Noble both welcome starred and written reviews, as does Goodreads. A formal article is not necessary, it's about analytics again--the content is less important than the starred rating. It can be no more in-depth than "if you like ghost stories, give this one a try. I loved it." It's okay to add more, but you don't have to.

What I usually do is type a review, and once I have it how I like it, I copy the content of the review so I can paste it in its entirety into the alternate windows and pages.

 A word about star ratings and your long-term reputation as a reader and a reviewer.

I'm about to say something that not all authors will agree with. As a reader, reviewer, and possibly a blogger in a social media world where you plan to make an impact for the next several years, you are building a reputation and protecting it. That means posting with integrity.

On most sites, you have a range of "star ratings" to post; use that range. There are three choices between one star and five stars. Don't use the five-star rating unless you really mean it. I tend toward four-star ratings for solid reads and reserve five stars for those "OMG I was gobsmacked, everyone is getting this for Christmas awesome." Your rave terms may vary.

Why? Because a reviewer who only posts five star reviews will not be taken seriously, and claims that every book by their favourite author are *ALL* "the very best thing ever" will be ignored, and should be. In this case, forget analytics; protect your reputation. It's all you will have later. Let your endorsement MEAN something.

Here's another reason why: A page full of five-star reviews comes off phony, because it doesn’t happen in the real world. Not even to the very best entertainers on the planet. You want proof? I just looked at Adele's 21 on Amazon. 746 five star reviews, 41 three-star reviews, 38 one-star reviews. 38 one-star ratings for the biggest contemporary pop vocal talent on the planet.

4. Tags on Amazon means your author is "it"!

Most people understand Following and Liking. A lot of people get reviews. But tagging, as utilized by Amazon, eludes many readers. The benefit is not obvious and the procedure isn't as clear. But since Amazon is the biggest online store in the world, and that's not likely to change anytime soon, it's well worth putting into practice.

You know how, when you buy a book, Amazon comes back every now and then with a "recommended for you" email? That list is compiled from analytics (there's that word again) that looks at every book entry and considers the number of Likes, starred reviews, and tags.

Where are the tags? Pull up any random Amazon entry. Drop roughly 2/3 down the page. You'll see a section labeled "Tags Associated with this Product." You'll then see a series of labels with a small check box next to each one.
My novella Haunting Obsession, as I look on it today, has 11 tags. They include: paranormal thriller, paranormal romance, novella, ghost story, and it goes on.

Every reader with an Amazon account has several options:

They can agree with the tags shown.
They can pick and choose individual tags from the complete list (to a maximum of 16)
They can add tags if they feel an important label is not showing

You can cast a vote for tags on any book you reference from your account--but you can only vote for tags once from each account, so get it right. This prevents someone from voting over and over and over again and "stuffing the voting box."

The first step is to click the link that says See all (#) tags. Once you see the complete list, it's time to tag wisely. First, click on the box next to any tag you strongly agree with. You are essentially "voting for" a favourite keyword you think should be associated with the book.

In theory, that means keywords that make sense, keywords that are most appropriate, will get a lot of votes. Vote for the ones that make sense and which you yourself strongly associate with the book.

Next, look over the list. Are there any obvious ones that should be there? If so, add them in. It will only get one vote, but others may see it later and agree with the tag.

Sadly, inappropriate or misleading tags can also be added by someone, either misinformed or intentionally facetious. There's no way to dispute those tags. The best you can do is to not add your vote, so that the appropriate tags will get lots of votes and far outnumber the inaccurate ones.

And this is huge, because here's where the analytics come in. Say you finish a ghost story novella on Kindle and you give it a high star rating. Amazon regularly sends readers "Recommended for you" lists. What will that list consist of? Books with high Like votes, books with high starred review ratings...and books with tags that match what they've just finished reading.

Bottom line: Tags are often overlooked and they're hugely important.

This is a lot of words devoted to what adds up to about 15 minutes of your time. Once you get the hang of it, it will take you longer to read through this guide than to actually hit the web and support one of your favourite authors.

In today's world of social media, you can have your voice heard. And directly affect the careers of your favourite authors in ways undreamed of before now. And we authors love you for that. Use your new powers wisely.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog tour.

Waiting on Wednesday (117)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

This week's pic is Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum.  Revolution will be out in January 2013 so keep an eye out!

Synopsis

Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.

Nick, Kevin, and Cass have spent their whole lives in a community in the wilderness, hiding out from the robots that have enslaved mankind. But when the bots discover their location, they barely make it out alive — only to discover that their home has been destroyed and everyone killed or captured. Now, the siblings must risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world.

Preorder Revolution at Book Depository!

What are you waiting on?

In my Mailbox (121)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

   
A Witch in Love by Ruth Warburton
Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington (Violet Eden #3)
Twisted Heart by Eden Maguire

Thank you to Hatchette for sending this to me.

The Handler by Susan Kaye Quinn
The Scribe by Susan Kaye Quinn
Two short novellas in the Mindjack Origin series.

Thank you Susan for sending these to me.  I can't wait to get started on them

Bought:
N/A

What did you get in your IMM?