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Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Saturday Conversations 04/27/2013
Managing Social Media...
Today I had two reviews posted on That's What I'm Talking About, and with each post comes publicity. I recognize that without even modest exposure, my blog would collapse into obscurity. So I Tweet (2-3 times per day per post), use Facebook, Google +, Amazon, GoodReads and Shelfari. Also, if the book came from a publisher or author, I need to send them a link via email. And then there are sites like NetGalley and Edelweiss, where you post the review and a link to your post. Bottom line... posting reviews and publicizing them takes up a lot of time. Time I could be reading. Or writing new reviews. Or socializing. Or playing with my kids. :-)
So... what about you... How do you manage your social media? Bloggers: where do you post reviews and how do you publicize posts? Readers: where do you look for reviews? Those who use feed readers: do you ever link through to the site, or do you just get your views on the reader?
Thanks for stopping to chat!
Labels:
Amazon,
blogging,
Facebook,
GoodReads,
Google +,
Saturday Conversations,
Shelfari,
social media,
Twitter
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4
comments
Monday, April 22, 2013
Author Guest Post & Giveaway: Stacey Kennedy
Hello Readers! Today I bring you one of my favorite people, author Stacey Kennedy. Stacey is an urban fantasy lover at heart, but she also enjoys losing herself in dark and sensual worlds. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who gave her a happily-ever-after. Together, they have two small children who can always make her smile, and who will never be allowed to read Mommy’s books. If she’s not plugging away at a new story, you’ll find her camping, curling up with the latest flick, or obsessing over Sons of Anarchy and Game of Thrones.
Stacey is here today to talk about tortured characters and her latest release, Werewolves be Damned. Keep reading for a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card! Please help me welcome Stacey to That’s What I’m Talking About. Tortured Characters
So, I got to thinking the other day about tortured characters. I’m not going to name certain books as examples, but there are books out there that have heroes who are the definition of an emotional mess. And I fully admit I enjoy the tortured hero.
Why?
Good question.
Is it a woman’s caring nature that makes us want to somehow fix him? That makes us accept him, no matter how flawed he is? To be honest, I haven’t a clue. What I do know is that I like emotional journeys. I love seeing a character start out in one place and end up somewhere different by the end of their story. I don’t mean how they feel about something or someone, but I mean that their life comes full circle. That they find peace and happiness within themselves that couldn’t be achieved without the crazy adventure authors put their characters through. And for me, this can’t happen with one book, but needs a whole series to allow the character the time to grow.
In the end, it gives me that appreciation of what a person has been through, and maybe makes their happily-ever-after more deserving, even if that person is imperfect for a little while. Really, that’s what makes us people. Haven’t we all been angry when we’ve lost something, or sad when things didn’t go our way? Or haven’t we all acted a certain why we wish we hadn’t at some point in our lives?
Now, on the flipside, what happens when it’s the heroine who is tortured?
Nexi, from my newest release, Werewolves be Damned, is flawed. She’s the first heroine I’ve written who I’d consider tormented right from the get-go. Only a month has passed since she witnessed the murder of her family by a group of werewolves. Everything she’s known has been ripped out from under her and she’s been thrust into an uncertain supernatural world, leaving Nexi grieving, angry, and hungry for revenge.
For me, writing emotional characters keeps ‘em real, and I enjoy watching them grow and change in their new life.
Luckily, for Nexi (and us), I’ve always believed true love is seeing into someone’s soul and accepting them regardless of their flaws. Maybe that’s the romantic is me. But that’s the one thing with Nexi and her hero, Kyden that honest-to-god melts my heart. He sees past the anger she feels, past the feelings of injustice she experiences toward the world, and he understands she is grieving. He’s patient and understanding, simply being supportive. He gives her a safe place to let go of all that “pain” that comes with her past and he’s there for her to fall safely into his arm.
Yeah, and that makes him a hero in my eyes.
So, now, I ask you: are emotional journeys as important to you? And can you forgive a character for being flawed?
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts about tortured characters, Stacey. Here is more about Werewolves be Damned:
Werewolves be DamnedBook 1 of the Magic & Mayhem series
Entangled Publishing, April 15, 2013
Nexi Jones—part witch, part guardian, and wannabe kick-ass warrior—can’t throw a punch or conjure the simplest magic. But that doesn’t stop her from hunting the werewolves who slaughtered her human family. She’ll have her revenge, but only if Kyden, the elite guardian, would get the hell out of her way.
Kyden can’t decide if Nexi wants to get herself killed or if she just has no clue what she’s doing. But her father made it clear: keep Nexi safe…or else. Of course, the more Nexi runs toward revenge, the more she needs Kyden’s aid, and as she grows into her power and confidence, so does his desire to protect her. The only problem? She’d rather he dropped dead.
But when a vampire paints a bull's-eye on Nexi’s back, she’s hard-pressed to deny Kyden and the help he’s offering. Even if it means getting her revenge will be a little bit harder. At least it will still be as sweet.
You can find Stacey online ...
Website - Facebook - Facebook Fan Page - Twitter - Goodreads
GIVEAWAY:
Stacey is generously giving away a $100 Amazon Gift Card. To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form at the end of today’s guest post. Contest ends May 20, 2013. Stacey will announce the winner on her website after the contest is over.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you have problems with the Rafflecopter form, please email me at twimom227 (at) gmail (dot) com, and we can add you manually.
Labels:
Amazon,
Author Interview,
contest,
Entangled Publishing,
giveaway,
guest post,
Stacey Kennedy
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17
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Thursday, December 13, 2012
Review: Collected by Shawntelle Madison
Collected
Author: Shawntelle Madison
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2012
Publisher: Amazon Digital
Coveted Series #0.5
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Novella
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Free on Amazon
About the book:
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Natalya Stravinsky, the charmingly neurotic werewolf from Coveted, is featured in this prequel novella. Before Thorn Grantham returned to South Toms River, New Jersey, Natalya lived alone with her stash of holiday trinkets. Her life takes an interesting turn when she faces a difficult challenge: to find a stolen figurine she'd recently won from a magical creatures auction website. It should be simple, just demand for it back from the pesky thief. But a set of events occurs that puts not only her life at risk, but her family's as well.
What I’m talking about:
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The novella, Collected, takes place about 7 months before Coveted, the first book in Ms. Madison’s wolf-shifter urban fantasy series. Although technically a prequel to the series, it was released after the Coveted, and I think can be enjoyed either before or after the first book. However, for me, already knowing the idiosyncrasies of our heroine made this story more enjoyable.
Once again, our story is told from the first person point of view (POV) of Natalya (Nat) Stravinsky. Nat is a rogue werewolf, kicked out of her pack and virtually alone. She is also a tad neurotic and suffers from OCD, making her an even greater outcast. She lives to feed her collection of hard-to-find or one-of-a-kind holiday decorations. Nat was looking forward to the delivery of her newest “treasure” only to discover its package has been taken from her home. She begins to track down the culprit with a single-mindedness that is fierce, although she battles her need for cleanliness and order against the "unsanitary" conditions of the woods, which makes for entertaining reading.
After successfully tracking down the thief, Nat agrees to a dangerous mission in which she works with/for not one but two different nefarious creatures. Nat recruits her younger brother Alex and his buddy Miles to help her break into a Leprechaun-run factory and fulfill her bargains to win back her prize.
I like our heroine, Nat, so much more in Collected than in Coveted. Although she's got her disorders and is far from perfect, she doesn't come across as the broken, beaten-down woman she did in Coveted. This time around she's determined and no longer wishy-washy. She goes up against a dragon creature, a water-based demon, and very dangerous leprechauns to fulfill her commitments. She follows through and stands up for herself. I found myself cheering for Nat this time around.
I also enjoyed reading more of her younger brother, Alex. We see how and why he ends up in the situation he finds himself in Coveted. The brother-sister bond is tight and special, something that wasn’t really present in the first book.
The overall plot was a fun adventure. There wasn’t anything too tricky or difficult. The action was just right for the shorter-length story. It was entertaining to learn more about some of the other supernatural creatures in Ms. Madison’s world.
All in all, Collected is an enjoyable novella. The story provided solid background information about Nat. I loved seeing Nat as a strong and almost defiant woman, since we don't see much of that version of her in Coveted. Sure, Nat is broken and has her illness, but she can fight to get pass its effects on her.
My Rating:
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Liked it - recommend (B+)
NOTE: The author is providing a free copy of this novella for an unspecified time!
Reviews in the Series:
Labels:
3.5 stars,
Amazon,
Coveted Series,
novella,
Shawntelle Madison,
Twimom Review,
urban fantasy
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Saturday, October 13, 2012
Saturday Conversations 10/13/2012
E-reader vs. Book
In today's day and age, books are available to readers 24 hours a day. A reader has access to thousands of books on your phone, you can pre-order favorites online and have them delivered, and you can visit your local library or book store. I for one love this!
What I also love is the rise of the ebook. Thanks to the giants like Kindle and Nook, e-readers are a common gadget in our electronic arsenal. I myself have been reading via a Kindle (or the Kindle app) since late 2008. The first appeal was that I could get a book whenever I wanted. I was like a kid in a candy store. I also liked that I could easily look up words I didn't know instead of reading over them. But I still preferred the feel of a paperback in my hands.It wasn't until I began to review books in early 2010 that I fell completely in love with reading on a Kindle. First - I love that I can take notes and highlight passages right within the text. GENIUS! I also love the "cloud" feature - so if I forget and leave my Kindle at home, I can still read on my phone!
But best of all is the search/look up function. When I started writing reviews, I no longer was able to read books within a series back-to-back, and my memory of characters and events was a little shoddy. If I had the previous book on my Kindle, I could look up events and characters using keywords. This is such an important feature for me now - I use it within books and not just looking up old books. For example, when I'm halfway through a book and "Mrs. Brown" enters the room (and I don't remember something about her), I can look up to see what we have been told about her. If I can't recall the hero's favorite flavor of ice cream (because it is critical!), I can type in a couple keywords and voila!
So now, although I still read a paperback when tossed my way, I prefer to read on my Kindle. How about you? Do you prefer an e-reader or a book when reading? What are your pros and cons?
Thanks for stopping by to chat!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
That Techno Beat...
Although I have been using a computer since the late 1980's and I've owned an iPod for 4 years and an iPhone for the past 1.5 years... I'm not that knowledgeable in the techno world. I use Facebook. And I simply adore Twitter. In fact, I find myself trying to re-tweet Facebook status updates, only to remember, it's not Twitter. I have met so many wonderful people via "on line social settings," such as the Twilight Lexicon (http://www.twilightlexicon.com/) and Twitter. My family thinks it's crazy that I'm "meeting" friends online. I try to tell them it's not like I'm trying to pick up a date or meet for some sleazy porn romp (well, maybe...). I'm meeting people with interests like mine - mostly a love of reading and books. In fact, it was some of those great people on Twitter that motivated me to start a blog (I hope Ms. Bells, SexyRexy, Ms. Eden, Larissa, JoJo and others don't regret it!)
So this brings me to my other techno gadget... the Kindle. I purchased my Kindle (aka Kendra) about a month ago. I was in love. I still am in love. I want all my books to be in Kindle format. When I was deciding which ebook reader to purchase, I did my research. I asked lots of questions, read blogs, etc. And I finally decided on the Kindle. It made sense. I
already owned 2 dozen Kindle titles because I'd been using the Kindle application on my iPhone. I pretty much buy 75% of my books from Amazon and I've always been happy with their customer service.
For those of you who may have been under a rock this weekend... Amazon and MacMillan Publishers had a big tiff. My basic understanding... MacMillan wants to dictate how its ebooks are priced (and raising the price of new hard cover ebook release from $9.99 to $14.99), Amazon felt it should decide the price. Amazon feels strongly about proposed changes and pulled all MacMillan titles off its site. This is where the story was at on Friday night and all day Saturday. I'm panicking... Are the books I've preordered MacMillan titles? (Have you ever really paid attention to the publisher?) Will my Kindle become obsolete now that I've paid the extra money for the extended warranty? I was searching high and low for all available information. I'd like to send special thanks to the one and only Kindle Vixen (http://www.kindlevixen.com/) for answering the thousands of questions I had. She is very knowledgeable and I recommend her site to anyone owning or looking into ebook readers.
On Sunday Amazon announced that it had to "cave" to pressure to allow its customers access to the b
ooks. Prices will go up on MacMillan ebook titles and Amazon will let the buyer decide what to purchase. I hope this doesn't impact other publishers! I refuse to pay $14.99 for a book that I can't resell, loan to a friend or read on another devise. But I won't think of that now. I need to stay calm and not worry about things I can't control. I have about 15 paperbacks still in my TBR pile and a few in my ebook TBR list. I really want to buy a lot of new ebooks, but I have sworn myself to NO NEW series purchases until I read all of my paperbacks. I can buy ebooks for existing series I read. SO meanwhile, I look forward to the release of Nalini Singh's Archangels' Kiss ... Which will be delivered to my Kindle on Tuesday because it is NOT a MacMillan title! And I will go back to my ignorant world and read my books.
Until the next big techno fight/deal/device... And I will count on my online social network to update me and keep me informed. Ignorance is bliss. Now pass me a cup of tea and my book!!
So this brings me to my other techno gadget... the Kindle. I purchased my Kindle (aka Kendra) about a month ago. I was in love. I still am in love. I want all my books to be in Kindle format. When I was deciding which ebook reader to purchase, I did my research. I asked lots of questions, read blogs, etc. And I finally decided on the Kindle. It made sense. I
already owned 2 dozen Kindle titles because I'd been using the Kindle application on my iPhone. I pretty much buy 75% of my books from Amazon and I've always been happy with their customer service.For those of you who may have been under a rock this weekend... Amazon and MacMillan Publishers had a big tiff. My basic understanding... MacMillan wants to dictate how its ebooks are priced (and raising the price of new hard cover ebook release from $9.99 to $14.99), Amazon felt it should decide the price. Amazon feels strongly about proposed changes and pulled all MacMillan titles off its site. This is where the story was at on Friday night and all day Saturday. I'm panicking... Are the books I've preordered MacMillan titles? (Have you ever really paid attention to the publisher?) Will my Kindle become obsolete now that I've paid the extra money for the extended warranty? I was searching high and low for all available information. I'd like to send special thanks to the one and only Kindle Vixen (http://www.kindlevixen.com/) for answering the thousands of questions I had. She is very knowledgeable and I recommend her site to anyone owning or looking into ebook readers.
On Sunday Amazon announced that it had to "cave" to pressure to allow its customers access to the b
ooks. Prices will go up on MacMillan ebook titles and Amazon will let the buyer decide what to purchase. I hope this doesn't impact other publishers! I refuse to pay $14.99 for a book that I can't resell, loan to a friend or read on another devise. But I won't think of that now. I need to stay calm and not worry about things I can't control. I have about 15 paperbacks still in my TBR pile and a few in my ebook TBR list. I really want to buy a lot of new ebooks, but I have sworn myself to NO NEW series purchases until I read all of my paperbacks. I can buy ebooks for existing series I read. SO meanwhile, I look forward to the release of Nalini Singh's Archangels' Kiss ... Which will be delivered to my Kindle on Tuesday because it is NOT a MacMillan title! And I will go back to my ignorant world and read my books.Until the next big techno fight/deal/device... And I will count on my online social network to update me and keep me informed. Ignorance is bliss. Now pass me a cup of tea and my book!!
What technology devices do you count on to make your life a better one?
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