Suspense Magazine Tour - Guest Post - PICT

The number one question I’m asked is “How do I sell more books?” If I had a nickel for every time we are emailed that, I wouldn’t have to know the answer because I would be retired. Well I’m about to answer the most important question any author can ask, are you ready?

First let’s start by saying this. If you are an author and are looking to retire from your writing, or sell a million copies, get out now. It will only cause you heartbreak. While there are a handful of authors that actually do accomplish this goal, it’s the same as a young kid right now putting all his eggs in a basket hoping to play professional sports, have a backup plan.

I’m not saying it can’t happen, but it is very, very difficult. However I have the answer that will get you on your way. “How do I sell more books?” Yep, that’s what you want to know. Ok, so the answer is….

Ok, hold on. I know you really want to know this, but I’m going to tell you a quick story first, because if I tell you now you probably won’t read the rest of this post, and I’ll just be typing to nobody. When we got into the magazine business, our goal had zero to do with money. We wanted to help out authors. We wanted all authors, regardless of their sales or listing on any bestseller list to have voice. I will let you in on a little secret, every time you walk into a Barnes and Noble and you see all those books up in the front on the table or on the shelf, the publisher paid for those spots. That is not Barnes and Noble being nice, it’s pay to play for them. Most authors end up in the stacks, where less than 5% of all people actually go and look around. By starting the magazine we wanted to change the game and put the authors in control, and so far we have done a good job.

But now I think it’s time to reveal the magical answer once and for all. After all I’m a professional, an expert in the field you might say (except my wife since she knows what I wear to bed, but we will leave that for another post), I’ve done several years of research; I see what works and what doesn’t work. I’ve sat in conferences, given speeches, taught classes and talked with some very intelligent person. The answer to the question “How do I sell more books?” Write the absolute best book you can and work your butt off marketing it.

Oh come on, you didn’t really think I had fairy dust and could solve the problem that has been asked by authors for hundreds of years did you? The basic answer is there is no answer. There is no formula; there is only hard work before you write the book, during the writing process and after it’s finished. If you are not willing to put in the work, that’s fine, but don’t complain when your royalty check is under $10.00.

Writing is like everything else, a job. Either you are willing to put in the hours to make yourself better at your job, or you are just punching a time clock. The choice is yours to make.

John Raab founded Suspense Magazine in 2007. Also the host of three radio shows on Suspense Radio Network (Inside Edition, One on One and Beyond The Cover) also the producer for two more shows, Crime and Science Radio and The Story Blender.

The CEO / Publisher of Suspense Publishing a book publisher that publishes #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Paul Kemprecos, along with several other authors.

"Familiar Ties" Tour, Review & Guest Post

Familar Ties
Author: Naya Nikki
Pubisher: Inkspell Publishing
ISBN: 9780985011550
Paperback: 250 pages
Also available in eBook format

About the Book:

Max West is a widower raising Phoebe, his four-year-old daughter. Phoebe has to live with the fact that the day she was born is also the day of her mother’s death. As her fifth year without her mother approaches, Phoebe finds solace in her godmother, Amy Riley, and her daughter, Grace Crawford, another single parent family.

Amy Riley is a successful fashion designer who spends most of her days raising her four-year-old daughter, Grace, while her wayward boyfriend is travelling the world making the next best film. As the fifth year without her best friend looms she finds comfort in her ex-boyfriend, Max, and his daughter, Phoebe.

These two “broken” families have a tough week to face as the dreaded day approaches.However through their past, present and debatable future will their choices affect the outcome both parents clearly want and are simply denying? Or will Phoebe and Grace lose the only “whole” family they have ever known?

Guest Post: Favorite Summer Vacation

I love travelling and I have been fortunate to go to a different location every year for as long I can remember. However despite the long flights and the 8 year wait to finally get there I finally got to Australia. We have really good friends out there so when they moved away I was gutted but finally we got the chance to go see them and I fell in love. Although Sydney is the buzzing hype of Australia I could see myself visiting there and not living, however Brisbane was beautiful and the gorgeous weather definitely helped in making my decision to move there at some point in my life. We also visited the Great Barrier Reef which was beautiful and definitely worth the expense, despite my sea sickness. The Sydney Opera House was gorgeous and it was amazing to see it up close. That holiday was an unforgettable one and not just for the amount of photos and videos we took. Maybe I might set a story there, we never know.



My Thoughts:

If I had to choose only one word to describe this romance, it would be "sweet". "Familiar Ties" is truly a sweet and heartwarming romance that centers around two little girls (Grace and Phoebe) who are best friends and the girls' parents who were connected by Phoebe's deceased mother.

Focusing on just seven days, this story alternates between past and present and paints a picture of how much Max loved his wife and how difficult his struggle has been to get to where he is now. Amy has always been a part of that - keeping him going and helping him out because she was his wife's best friend. As things progress naturally, there are some tough issues to face and one that could change everyone's life forever.

This book was quite captivating, but sometimes the characters seemed a bit too sweet and perfect. However, with that said, don't let that deter you, as it is truly a heartwarming book that is perfect for a summer read or for those days when you just want to get lost for a few hours.

About The Author:

Born and raised in London, England, Naya Nikki is a student who’s spent most of her life taming her creative streak through writing short stories. She’s signed her first contract with InkSpell Publishing to publish her first book “Familiar Ties.” The story follows the journey of two single parents whose daughters want nothing more than for them to become a happy family.

She is currently earning a degree in English with a minor in Creative Writing that will allow her to build her writing career. When she isn’t at the university, Naya loves nothing more than spending time with her parents and grandparents as well as meeting her friends for gossip sessions over some hot coco.

If you'd like to find out more about Naya Nikki, you can visit her website at: http://wwww.nayanikki.co.uk/
and on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/#!/NikkiNaya

I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher for this tour. I was not required to write a positive review, but instead, one that gives my honest opinion.

7 GUERLAIN - JASMINE by Guest Post M. J. Rose

M.J. Rose:  I've been fascinated with lost fragrances since long before I started writing The Book of Lost Fragrances... since I found a bottle of perfume on my great grandmother's dresser that had belonged to her mother in Russia. Here is one of those lost fragrances that stirs the senses and the imagination... (reasearched and described  with the help of the perfume writer  Dimitrios Dimitriadis)

GUERLAIN - JASMINE  Jasmin first appeared in the Guerlain perfume portfolio in 1924 as one of their numerous soliflore interpretations. 

The opening is an impression of mildly indolic jasmine blooms; rich and opulent, with a crisp green undertone. The perfume transitions further as a saccharine honey/vanilla accord emerges that remind one of chewy jasmine macaroons. Pale woods bestow a slightly 'toasted' vibe. 

Jasmin dances between juvenescence and adulthood - a rare and sadly discontinued soliflore that celebrated women both young, and those young at heart.


About the Author:

M.J. Rose is the international best selling author of eleven novels and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her next novel THE BOOK OF LOST FRAGRANCES (Atria/S&S) will be published in March 2012. Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the '80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors - Authorbuzz.com. The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose's novels in the Renincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype. She is also the co-founder of Peroozal.comand BookTrib.com.

Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

For more information on M.J. Rose and her novels, please visit herWEBSITE. You can also find her on Facebook.

#SisterQueensVirtualBookTour #Giveaway Sophie Perinot Guest Post

Today as part of The Sister Queens tour, Sophie Perinot has written a fascinating blog post for us. She is also giving away one copy of her new book to one lucky reader. (see below)


“No Lace I Beg You” – Confessions of a Closet “Description Minimalist”

I am a woman somewhat out of place in my own genre. I just don’t care what everyone’s dress looked like. Gasp if you will. Pummel me if you must. But when I am reading a historical novel and the characters attend a ball (or some other elaborate court festivity) and the author begins to offer me – in exquisite and doubtless accurate detail – descriptions of what everyone is wearing, the decorations, the meal, my eyes glaze over and the skimming commences. Skimming is NOT good.

Do you remember the moment in the 1995 Andrew Davies' adaptation of Pride and Prejudice when Mr. Bennet shouts,“No lace. No lace, Mrs. Bennet, I beg you!”? Well that’s me.

Obviously description has its place in historical fiction. Historical writers are “world builders” in a way that writers of contemporary fiction are not. If you write a novel set in 2012 you can rely to some extent on the knowledge and experience of the reader to fill in the details. We can all imagine, for example, what a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt look like– even if you imagine Levis Jeans and I imagine Joe’s. The same may not be said for a dress in the le saye style worn with a Spanish farthingale. Descriptive details can transport a reader to a time and place and give our historical stories authenticity. But I would argue it’s the quality of those details and not their quantity that does the trick.

So how does a writer pick the right details?

I don’t know what other writers do but I start by asking myself this question—is this descriptive information something that will help the reader OR is it something I want to include because I want to show off my research? Yes, I’ll admit it, sometimes when I’ve done a lot of really great historical digging, when I know exactly what was danced, worn or said on a particular occasion, it seems a shame to leave it out. But a shame for who? That’s the trick. So if I am feeling the urge to put in detail just because I have it, then chances are I’d better leave it out – or at least 99% of it. If on the other hand the detail benefits the reader than in it goes.

Of course that raises another question—what uses of description are beneficial to the reader? I would argue that appropriate and successful description needs to do at least one of the following:

1) Help the reader get inside a character’s head. For example, in The Sister Queens while Marguerite is awaiting her groom on her wedding night she examines the carvings on a prie-dieu. Her reaction to image of a gilded holy spirit dipping low over a swooning Mary tell the reader a great deal about her frame of mind.

2) Place the reader firmly in the historical setting in a given scene. Ice on the top of Eleanor’s basin reminds readers there is no central heating and it is pretty nasty, even indoors, in an English winter thirteenth-century-style.

3) Forward the plot or make a plot point clearer or more feasible. For example, an author might describe the myriad of layers of clothing a female character must put on to put the rigors of a daring escape involving running and riding into perspective.

4) Build the atmosphere where atmosphere is important. For example in The Sister Queens the description of a character praying continuously under her breath helps build the atmospheric tension in a sick room where a King is expected to die.

But even when description serves a narrative purpose, I would still argue that brief is best. If you want independent proof, I challenge you to read the description of Egdon Heath at the start of Thomas Hardy’s Return of the Native. If you are eager to continue reading the book after that lengthy description I tip my hat to you. Personally, I was so bored and traumatized by this particular piece of descriptive writing that, even thirty years after I read it first, just calling it to mind is painful.

About the Author:

Sophie Perinot writes historical fiction. In Spring 2012 her debut novel, The Sister Queens, will be released by NAL. Set in 13th century France and England, The Sister Queens weaves the captivating story of medieval sisters, Marguerite and Eleanor of Provence, who both became queens – their lifelong friendship, their rivalry, and their reigns 

Ms. Perinot has both a BA in History and a law degree. She left the law to pursue artistic interests, including writing. An avid reader, especially of classic literature, and life-long student of history, it seemed only natural that Sophie should write historical fiction. As someone who studied French abroad and a devotee of Alexandre Dumas, French history was a logical starting point. An active member of the Historical Novel Society, she has attended all of the group’s North American Conferences. 

Active among the literary twitterati as @Lit_gal (a moniker she also uses at Agent Query Connect www.agentqueryconnect.com), Sophie is a regular contributor to the group writers' blog "From the Write Angle"http://www.fromthewriteangle.com. Find her on facebook atwww.facebook.com/sophie.perinot.author.

For more information, please visit Sophie Perinot's WEBSITE. You can also find Sophie on her blog, Facebook and Twitter.

Giveaway!!!

"Louisa and the Crystal Gazer" by Anna Maclean - Guest Post & Review

I am thrilled to be hosting Anna Maclean and her newest book, "Louisa and the Crystal Gazer"! I want to thank Anna for being so kind to share a favorite time her main character's life in her guest post below. I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I did. Also, make sure to leave a comment below, as Anna will be giving away a prize to one lucky commenter on the tour (see details below).

A Favorite Time In the Life of Louisa May Alcott

Thanks for hosting me!

My third mystery featuring Louisa May Alcott as sleuth, Louisa and the Crystal Gazer, is set in 1855, in her early adult years, when she is still living with her mother and sisters and father, in Boston. She’s not yet famous, but is beginning to write, and publish, and develop that very important side of her life.

I think this would have been a particularly happy time for her. Illness and death have not yet struck her family, the war has not begun and her family’s dedication to abolition of the slaves encourages them to have a positive outlook, to believe that justice will become the rule of the land. Louisa is surrounded by people who love her, and by the great thinkers of the time: Emerson, Thoreau and other friends of the family who share her father’s philosophy.

How exciting it must have been! And she was young, and herself full of good health and curiosity. When her friend in this mystery, Sylvia, asks Louisa to join her in a séance Louisa says yes, thinking she may find some good material for a new story. At the time, in real life, Louisa May Alcott was living with her aunt in Boston, and working as a seamstress to earn some much needed money. I thought letting her have some adventures with a spiritualist might help pass the time for her, and so set the mystery in that milieu.

Spiritualism was very popular in the mid-nineteenth century. Mark Twain, himself not a believer, once commented that there were so many spirits coming and going that they should be required to get passports, like other tourists. I think Louisa would have agreed with Mark Twain, that much of spiritualism was bunk – and encountering P.T. Barnum at the séance would have confirmed that opinion. Louisa was looking for a good story – Barnum was looking for a new act.

What was real, though, was the need of people, then and now, to somehow communicate with a lost beloved or friend or family member – to resolve something not yet resolved but cut short by death. And so Louisa, not really fully believing but not completely disbelieving, gets involved in the murder of the spiritualist, Mrs. Agatha D. Percy.

Was there really a spiritualist of that name? I invented Agatha, but she is a reasonable creation based on the lives of many known spiritualists of the time. The young Louisa would have heard of these women, would have been intrigued by them, as were later Henry James and Elizabeth Browning. After Lincoln was assassinated, Mrs. Lincoln attended séances to speak with her husband. Louisa, alert and interested, would have been paying attention to the new pastime of séances and table tilting and rapping. Despite her own happiness at the time, her sense of her life beginning to be as she imagined it and wished it to be, she would have been intrigued…and willing to investigate to those who spoke with the dead.


For more information about Anna and her work, you can visit her website at: http://www.annamaclean.net/index.htm

Louisa and the Crystal Gazer
Author: Anna Maclean
Publisher: Signet
Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN: 9780451218322
Genre: fiction, mysteries, cozy mysteries

About the Book:

Gentle Reader,

In December of 1855, I found myself once again in Boston, temporarily separated from my beloved family, living as a seamstress by day and writing my secret "blood and thunder" stories by night. I welcomed the companionship of my dear friend Sylvia Shattuck, but was quite taken aback by her strange desire to contact her long-dead father through a medium.

Nevertheless, I found myself at the home of the city's most famous crystal gazer, attending a séance with none other than the notorious showman Mr. P T Barnum. But what began as an idle curiosity became a compelling investigation--for upon our second visit to the medium, Sylvia and I found she'd been murdered! And to solve the mystery of her untimely death, I first had to uncover the surprising truth about her life...

Louisa May Alcott

My Thoughts:

I grew up adoring Louisa May Alcott's work, so naturally, I just had to get my hands on this book. This series focuses on Louisa May Alcott and makes her sort of a young Miss Marple type character. Louisa is an inquisitive and busybody sort that is always looking for pieces of puzzles and something to write about.

"Louisa and the Crystal Gazer" is the third book of the series, but can easily be read as a stand alone. There is enough of a back story that the reader is not lost or feeling like they missed too much to become involved with the characters.

Anna Maclean has done a brilliant job of giving her main character realism and seems to have been able to capture the essence of Louisa as I have imagined her to be. Louisa's sewing job, her curiosity, love for family and her writing paint a very interesting and fun protagonist to follow throughout the novel.

This cozy mystery is written so that both the young adult and adult audience will enjoy reading it. I found I must now go out and get the other two books of the series because of how much I enjoyed the writing style. Anna Maclean's prose it perfect, especially by adding phrases like "Gentle Reader" and "blood and thunder".

Make sure to add this to your must-read list!


**Make sure to leave a comment below because Anna will be giving away a gift basket to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour!!

A copy of this book was supplied through NetGalley to read and honestly review for this tour.

Christine Blevins Guest Post & #Giveaway #TurningofAnneMerrickVirtualTour

I'm so excited to be able to again host a stop for a very talented historical fiction author. Today we are returning with an informative and interesting guest post from Christine Blevins - the author of "The Turning of Anne Merrick" (see my review here). Christine is also giving one lucky reader a set of 18th Century paper goods complete with a quill pen (see below to enter). This set is one of the coolest prizes I've ever seen! Thank you so very much, Christine.

Up the Rebels!

I love history, but am particularly drawn to stories involving insurrection, rebellion and revolution. Large or small, joyfully successful or dismally inept, these political cataclysms have all the stuff I look for in a great story.

“We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”

This sentence from Common Sense, by Thomas Paine (one of my favorite revolutionaries) sums it all up for me. It is perhaps ridiculously simplistic – the notion that we always have the ability to change – to begin anew.

And spanning time and culture, and for reasons religious, political, or economic, it happens – and often. Revolution. People rising up to say enough is enough. Some lead, others follow, but together they muster the strength to sacrifice and struggle in an effort make their world into a better place. The American Revolution is a prime example.

But not all rebellions end well. History is rife with examples of failed efforts. The Roman slave revolt was eventually squashed. Spartacus was captured and he, plus 6,600 of his followers were crucified on the Appian Way, their bodies left to hang for years as a warning to dissuade budding revolutionaries. Scotland’s Jacobite Rising in 1745 did not restore Bonnie Prince Charlie to the throne. The confederacy of Native American tribes in Pontiac’s Rebellion did not drive the British from their lands, or put a stop to colonial expansion.

Revolution can also create strange dichotomies. The French Revolution propelled by cries of “liberté, égalité, fraternité” devolved into the Reign of Terror. Iconic Che Guevera is vilified as “the butcher of La Cabaña” by some, but he is also prayed to as “Saint Ernesto” by others.

And even the revolutions that are deemed successful don’t ever seem to end in perfect solutions. The American Revolution created a radical form of self-governance based on a constitution that left women unable to vote and the slavery issue unresolved.

For all these reasons and many more, revolutions in both the distant and recent past persist as the basis for novels, movies, and even Broadway musicals. Within rebellion there lies a classic David and Goliath quality – the weak making a courageous stand against the mighty. Revolts inherently abound in conflicts where courageous heroes and martyrs face brutal, tyrannical oppressors, creating veritable petri dishes for adventure and romance to grow. Who can resist?

Author Christine Blevins writes what she loves to read – historical adventure stories. The Turning of Anne Merrick is the second in a 3-book series set during the American Revolution, and the companion book to The Tory Widow. A native Chicagoan, Christine lives in Elmhurst, Illinois, along with her husband Brian, and The Dude, a very silly golden-doodle. She is at work finishing the third novel inspired by a lifelong fascination with the foundations of American history and the revolutionary spirit.

Christine’s website.

Giveaway: 

18^th Century Paper Goods – these sheets and envelopes are perfect for scrieving all manner of treason and revolutionary ideals. The bundle is supplied with a quill pen and wrapped for convenient stowing amidst your gear.

 - Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.

- To enter, please leave a comment below and include your email address (only comments with email addresses will be entered in the giveaway).
- For +5 additional entries, be a GFC follower of Just One More Paragraph. Tell me if you are a new or old follower.
- For +3 additional entries, join the Just One More Paragraph's Facebook Page.
- Giveaway ends March 1, 2012

Blood on the Pen Blog Tour - Guest Post

Blood on the Pen by David W. Huffstetler

Christmas in Texas?  Not if Eddie Carter has anything to say about it, unless your gift list includes a knife blade into your spleen. Eddie hasn’t been in the holiday spirit since receiving that most recent rejection letter from Thornton Creative Properties, and literary agents are dropping like ornaments from a falling tree.  Jack Harden, the big, strapping Texas Ranger, who lost his wife to a drunk driver last year, can’t decide who he wants to kill, himself or the man who killed Jenny.  The only things that keep him going are his job and trying to find Eddie Carter.  And, he can’t seem to shake that pesky reporter, that young woman, Elsie Rodriguez.

Oh, Elsie is cute enough, and she’s smart, but Jack doesn’t need someone to shadow him everywhere he goes, or does he? Can she pull him from the edge of sanity before he slips over? Eddie would like nothing better than to send them both home in a box, wrapped with a bow. But, the odd couple of Harden and Rodriguez has its own ideas about that.  They set out in a desperate chase across Texas from Austin to the Hill Country to the caves of Sonora. Eddie watches and moves, a shotgun blast here and a smashed car there.  The hands that wrote prose turn to murder, and there doesn’t seem to be a way to stop them.

The inspiration for Blood on the Pen came from the shared experience of many aspiring writers, who having their work rejected day after day, year after year. Eddie Carter takes goes to the extreme and starts killing literary agents.  Of course, that isn’t the right answer – really. But, then most writers are not sociopaths. Hmm? Then again . . .

David W. Huffstetler

Blood on the Pen 
Author: David Huffstetler  
eBook
Price: $5.95
Amazon ASIN: B0041G6JC2
BN ID: 2940012599278
Release: August 2010
Purchase from:
Amazon/B&N/Wild Child Publishing



Book Summary

Jack Harden is a modern-day Texas Ranger haunted by his wife's death a year ago.

But when a murderer strikes, he is called into duty. Now he must battle the urge to kill the drunk driver responsible for her death and the hunger to kill himself as he hunts for a serial killer who wants him dead.

Elsie Rodriguez is assigned to report on the murders for her newspaper and ordered to stay with Jack Harden. He's old school, tough, and doesn't want her there, but, despite his gruff manner, the big Ranger triggers something inside her. Something more than just her Latin temper.

Can she pull him back from the edge of sanity? Or will death win again? 

David Huffstetler's Bio:

Educated in Dallas, North Carolina, David Huffstetler holds degrees in Engineering and Business Administration. He has worked in the area of human relations and spent fourteen years weaving through the maze of politics, including participating in a Federal Law suit as Chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Commission, with a sitting governor over issues of separation of powers. David has served on Boards of Directors for numerous professional organizations including Crime Stoppers, SC Workers’ Compensation Educational Association, SC Safety Council, the SC Fire Academy, and the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Workers’ Compensation. He has advised governors and legislators on matters of public policy and legislation. His wealth of experience is broad and brings deep insight to his writing.

David’s work as a senior manager with a major industrial concern took him to international venues and exposures that helped feed his urge to write Disposable People, a dramatic expose of the working conditions and politics that engulf undocumented workers. Disposable People is a top-ten “Suggested Book” at Tufts University in Boston, MA.

He turned the frustrations and rejection that plagues thousands of yet-to-be-published authors into the heralded mystery/thriller Blood on the Pen, with a serial killer disposing of literary agents. David, an avid history buff, led him to write Dead in Utah, the story of Joe Hill, the controversial musician and union organizer accused of a double murder in 1914.

His books receive praise from mystery readers across the globe.

As an editor, David edited a treatise on the South Carolina workers’ compensation laws, as well as, Shannon Faulkner’s novel Fire and Ice. Shannon was the first female cadet at the Citadel. She received national publicity for her federal lawsuit and was a guest on Good Morning America.

As an editor, public speaker, and seasoned professional, David has appeared on television and radio, and has lectured on the East Coast, California, Canada and Mexico.

David currently lives in Lexington, South Carolina with his wife, Trudy.

David Huffstetler web site:
http://www.davidhuffstetler.com

David Huffstetler blog:
http://davidhuffstetler.blogspot.com

David Huffstetler Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1195650439

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Blood on the Pen blog tour site:
http://bloodonthepen.blogspot.com

Tour: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand with Guest Post

We have something special for you this weekend.  The amazing author and president of Novel Publicity, Emlyn Chand, is touring with her new young adult novel, "Farsighted" and we are pleased to be hosting her today and tomorrow.

I "bumped into" Emlyn a few months ago when I hosted an Indi event with Terri Giuliano Long and was thrilled to find an email from her a few weeks later asking if I'd like to read her book. Since then, I've found that Emlyn was not only an author but the president of Novel Publicity and a very active and driven woman   (a reliable source says she works 13-17 hours a day!!). On top of all of that - she's one cool lady :)

To kick off this weekend's stop, here's an awesome guest post that hints at how much fun Emlyn can be. (Make sure to back again tomorrow.)

This is a guest post by Emlyn Chand, author of Farsighted

Dear Jacob Black,

Hi. How are you doing? Me? Not so good. You see, I have a bone to pick with you (tacky pun intended).

Okay, first of all, why on God’s green Earth did you ever fall for Bella? I mean, really. Even the most fanatic of Twi-fans can’t understand what you see in her. You are so much better than Bella Swan-Cullen (insert gagging noises here).

No, don’t get down on yourself, you are!

Look at you; you’re a hulking stack of gorgeousness both on paper and on-screen. You’re also really sweet and funny and strong and... swoon... Did I tell you that my husband is Indian—mind you, he’s not the same kind of Indian as you, but yeah, I appreciate that look (wink, wink, Jakey boy).

Back to my point... I don’t think I ever would have finished the entire Saga if it hadn’t been for you. You are just the kind of guy I would love to be friends with. You made Twilight so, so interesting. And that scene at the end of Eclipse when you told Edward that Bella loves you too? I almost died. I mean, that was one of the best scenes in modern fiction. Seriously, Jacob, it was, and that was because of you!

It’s cool how you were always there for Bella, no matter what the consequences—not that she deserved your unwavering loyalty. It is also cool how you not only ride motorcycles, but you also fix them. You’re a man’s man and a ladies’ man, Jacob Black.

But do you wanna know what’s not cool? It’s so not cool how you fell in love with baby Renesme.

So. Not. Cool!

I understand that there was some kind of cosmic imprinting thing going on, but yuck! I mean, she’s a baby, and she’s not even interesting anyway. I personally think your saga would have ended much better if there had never ever been a Renesme. She shouldn’t’ve existed not only from the freak of nature standpoint (cus let’s face it, you’re a freak of nature too, and I like you a whole lot), but from a literary standpoint. I don’t feel like she contributed to the plot at all. It was kind of a mess.

But what do you know about that? Did I just rock your world by revealing that your whole existence takes place within the pages of a book? I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to reveal this secret. Darn it! I have to be more careful.

But now that you do know and hopefully you’ve recovered from the shock a bit, I have to say this: the imprinting business with Renesme, that’s not really the universe playing games with you. It’s Stephenie Meyer. Oh, in case you didn’t know, Stephenie Meyer is the name of your God. She created you.

Anyway, I believe she had you imprint on Renesme for two reasons:

1. She didn’t want you to be alone after Bella rejected you but also decided to keep you hanging around on a tight leash (another bad pun, sorry) – but this bit shows that your God does love you – yay!

2. She was sick of people saying that 100ish-year-old Edward diggin’ on 18-year-old Bella was disgusting. She wanted them to be like Romeo and Juliet, so innocent, so fated. So what does she do? She takes the heat off of them by giving you an even more disgusting love affair. Gee, thanks, Steph.

I personally think you should be with Leah Clearwater. Maybe if the two of you both gouge out your eyes all Oedipus Rex-style, that horrific imprint will go away, and you can just be together.

I also think there’s a chance you could find happiness with Shapri Teak—she lives inside of my book, Farsighted. I’d be more than happy to introduce you...

So...

In summary, while Ms. Meyer clearly loved you, she loved Edward more.

Just like Bella. Ha, burn!

I come from a place of kindness. Eternally yours,


PS Edward sucks! Team Jacob!

PPS Do you know a guy named Sirius Black? If so, are you related to him? You have more in common than just your last name---aaaaawoooo!

 

Blog Tour Notes

THE BOOK:  Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t.  When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com’s Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author’s birthday).

THE CASH PRIZES:  Guess what? You could win a $100 Amazon gift card as part of this special blog tour. That’s right! Just leave a comment below saying something about the post you just read, and you’ll be entered into the raffle. I could win $100 too! Please help by voting for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll. To cast your vote, visit the official Farsighted blog tour page and scroll all the way to the bottom. Thank you for your help with that.  

THE GIVEAWAYS:  Win 1 of 10 autographed copies of Farsighted before its paperback release by entering the giveaway on GoodReads. Perhaps you’d like an autographed postcard from the author; you can request one on her site.  

THE AUTHOR:  Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

MORE FUN: There's more fun below. Watch the live action Farsighted book trailer and take the quiz to find out which character is most like you!