- See more at: http://blogtimenow.com/blogging/automatically-redirect-blogger-blog-another-blog-website/#sthash.UVsgb4Gv.dpuf Erin's Alter Ego Writes Books: September 2012

Thursday 27 September 2012

Photos of friends and fans

I just had to post these pictures of my friends and fans (and they're both at the same time). It means a lot to me and I hope they enjoyed my books as much as I enjoy seeing them with a book.

A special shout out Chandler, who's already reading Bedtime at the Zoo:


And a shout out to Emily, who was the first to tackle my very rough first draft of Jacob Smith:

Thank you Tina, Ashleigh, Chandler, and Emily. I seriously had tears in my eyes when I saw these pics.

With love,
Erin x

Tuesday 25 September 2012

Reviewing Books

Here's just another shameless plug: Jacob Smith has been approved on iBooks! http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/jacob-smith-is-incredibly/id563129831?mt=11&uo=4
So if you haven't bought it yet, please do. I think you'll like it.

Onto the actual topic of this post:

I posted a few days ago that I would start posting written reviews for books I've read. Usually I'm pretty bad about reviewing a book. I might leave a review just in stars. Or I might just let others leave reviews for me.

After finishing one of my favorite indie author's books, Rhiannon Frater (for her excellent book, Pretty When She Kills), I realized that as much as I love any of my favorite authors and books, I rarely ever review it. And as someone trying to self publish, I know how much reviews can make or break your book. So I proclaimed that I'll start leaving reviews on books that I've read, whether or not I liked it.

Usually my feelings towards book are very dichotomous, but it should help I think. I don't know. As it is, I hope it acts as karma. I review a book, someone will review my book. That's the idea.

Hopefully.

Anyhoo, I did one of those Scarlett O'Hara moments (you know, where she promises that she'll never go hungry again) where I proclaimed that I would review books.

I hope it works.

I'm reading Life After Death by Damien Echols now. It's going to be interesting trying to come up with a review for it. It's absolutely fascinating and well written, I just need to collect all these emotions into a coherent review as it is leaving me both exhausted and contemplative when I read it. It makes me appreciate every bit of fortune my life has provided me.

Strangely enough, since I never read nonfiction, my next book might be Lizzie Velasquez's Lizzie Beautiful, as I had stumbled on her story yesterday and find it sad and fascinating as well. I wish her the best with every endeavour.

And that's the end of my blog entry. Jacob Smith is on Goodreads with a giveaway now. If you're curious, head here.

Until next time,

Erin x

Sunday 23 September 2012

Official Release and a whole heap of links

Hey guys!

So Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average has been officially released on all major platforms for ereaders. There are still a few stragglers that haven't had their approvals ready yet, but here's what's available so far:

Amazon:
eBook:
Print

Barnes and Noble:

Smashwords:

Kobo:
TBR

Sony:
TBR

Apple iBooks:


I'll be updating these as the links go live. Also, be sure to check out the Goodreads listing, where I'm giving away 2 print copies of my book for two lucky readers.

Please give it a go if you're interested in an extraordinary story about a very ordinary boy.

Sequel is well under way!

Thanks,
Erin

Thursday 20 September 2012

Night before the fabled release of Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average

So I'm sitting here, debating what to say about my release date for Jacob Smith.

I guess I'll go ahead and start.

If you're friends with me or Chris, you will have already heard that I've had a bit of a "soft" launch day already - the book is up on Amazon, BN, and Smashwords at the moment. It's also available in print at Createspace and Amazon, which I frankly think is one of the coolest things I've ever held. It adds a bit of reality to something that I've only otherwise seen on screen. I was in awe. I hope you guys will be too.

I apologize in advance, guys, because you will see me re-posting these links throughout the day on Friday on my social media sites.

So why the soft launch?

I am, admittedly, still new to this whole publishing thing. I knew that it would take some platforms a bit of time for them to post my book onto their store, not to mention I'm combating formatting and technology when I'm submitting it. So I tried allowing for a time difference between when I hit "submit" and when it appears in the store. Apparently, some are far quicker to approve than others.

Within a week or two, you'll see Jacob Smith popping up on Sony, Apple, Kobo, and some other formats that I didn't know existed. I'll be posting those links as soon as I know what they are.

The point is, I want this book to do well. Embracing Her Wolf has sold about 1300 copies, Bedtime at the Zoo is far less, but it's to be expected for that type of book.

Jacob Smith's story is exactly the story I wanted to write, and I want him to grow up to be special. I'm proud of the story, proud of the cover I did, proud of my editors, and I'm proud of the book. The premise has gotten a great reaction from friends and co-workers, which is encouraging. I'm also going to try putting a bit of advertising behind it to see what happens.

I'm not expecting a million best-seller or anything - I'd have to be delusional for that - but if I gain some fans out of this, I'd consider it a job well done. There are two other books I want to write to tell the rest of Jake's story, and I want there to be an audience ready for it. Don't worry, the first book is entirely standalone, just in case you don't like it.

So, what's next? I'm writing the sequel to Jake Smith, as I've said. I have a third book up my sleeve to complete Jake's journey, and I also have an adult horror novel to write, which I plan on doing for NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo is a slippery slope - I've tried it the past two years and I have gotten too busy to finish it. But I do have an interesting story to tell there - oh boy. It's based upon a nightmare I had. And I think it has a place.

I've also decided that I should start writing more reviews for books I read, in light of all of the recent controversy around authors paying for reviews. I usually leave an honest starred review, but I am also going to start leaving a text review. I figure it's a karma thing. I shop like a normal person, so the more good reviews a book has, the more I'm inclined to read it. So, for karma's sake, I'll start reviewing books I've read, and I'll possibly go back and review some of my favorites. It's only fair, if I hope people review my books.

So, watch out on Friday, guys for the official release. And, as I've mentioned before, I hope you like Jake's story. Because I do.

Erin.

Friday 14 September 2012

Jacob Smith will be released September 21st and full cover wrap reveal!

Hey guys,

So I've been a busy little bee the past few weeks, what with work and trying to get Jacob Smith ready for publication.

But the awesome news is that I had a big surprise waiting for me at work on Monday - my proofs came in. It's an amazing feeling, holding the book you've been working on for months in your hands. It makes what was just a document on your computer into a real, tangible thing. Truly, it is such a great feeling.

Behold its awesomeness!

Isn't it gorgeous? Chris got a huge kick out of it and we had coffee to celebrate. It's now sitting on a revered spot on my desk and it keeps distracting me because I constantly check on it to make sure it's there. 

And if you like the cover, here is the full wrap, featuring the back description.

Behold this one's awesomeness too!

The back description reads:


"Jacob Smith is an average thirteen-year-old boy. 
 He’s of average height, average intelligence, average looks. He even has a normal family, like an over-achieving brother, a rebellious sister, a kooky grandfather, and one or two family secrets.  Maybe he was living too normal of a life.  When his mother announces she’s expecting another baby, Jake starts noticing that he’s being followed by strange beings. They want Jake because he is the most normal, average person on Earth. And they need him so they can take over the planet.  Can a boy like Jake save the world?"


Sounds like something you want to read, right?

Well guess what? Jacob Smith will be released SEPTEMBER 21st for print, Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Smashwords, and hopefully Sony. I'm trying to figure out how Apple iBooks works and will try to get it on there, but you have to fill out an application and such to publish on that platform. So I'm working on it. Until then, if you do read from an iPad and such, you can download one the Kindle or Nook reading apps and read it like a pro on there.

I'll do a whole host of links when that happens, guys, so you can find it really easily. I really want this book to do well, so I'm going to be pushing for it everywhere I can. And once it gets its proper push, I'll delve headlong into the next book.

This is so much fun, and thank you for your support.

Erin x

Sunday 2 September 2012

Jacob Smith Progress and the first chapter!

Chris just gave me an idea for the title of two vampire books. I might just have to write two vampire books in order to use those titles. They're awesome.

But, before that happens, I'll have released Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average. I just got my final proof back from the editor, and it's exciting to have it starting to feel like a real book. I'll let you know when to expect it to be released - should be next weekend that I'll send for a proof from Createspace, so my eta is end of September for a release.

Until then, here's a preview of the first chapter to whet your appetite for Jake's world. I hope you'll enjoy it.




Chapter One

Under Surveillance


     The dark man sat in his car, frowning, although it was hard for him to have any facial expression other than a frown. He popped another sunflower seed into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
     Surveillance, he knew, was always a boring activity. But no one had informed him just how boring it truly was.
     He was watching a boy who lived in a house just like every other on this pathetic suburban street. The address was 592 Norwalk Street, Pflugerville, Texas, on this accursed planet Earth.
     He hated it.
     He hated how all the houses had a pitiful lone tree in the front yard. He hated how all the garages opened out to the street. He hated how the neighbors’ houses looked exactly the same except for their addresses. He hated how the mailboxes all looked the same. He hated how the grass was never green, no matter how much water everyone tried feeding the thirsty ground. And he especially hated how the boy was a bit of a loser, never doing anything really exciting or interesting.
     But then again, that was why he was constantly in front of 592 Norwalk Street, watching him. Watching him day in and day out. For all thirteen years of his boring little life.
     It wasn’t the most glamorous of jobs; his superiors knew that.
     He grimaced with a hiss as the classical music radio station turned over to advertisements. He hated how humans always ruined a good concerto with something about a mattress sale.
     And humans had such grating, annoying voices.
     He flicked through the other stations he had marked, but they were either on commercials themselves or playing something else that hurt his ears.
     He turned the radio off in disgust and sat back in his seat with a scowl, crossing his arms while continuing to frown.
     Such a boring job.
     After a while, his eyelids started drooping. There was no way for his superiors to know if he napped while watching the boy. And after all, he was only human. Or, alien, as was his case.
     Suddenly, his communicator sprang to life with whistles and hums, announcing the imminent arrival of one of his superiors by short-range wormhole.
     He jumped at the noise and grabbed the communicator—his commanding officer expected promptness, and a second too long was a second less than perfect.
     He answered back, with his own series of lilting melodies.
     There was no further response, which he knew just meant they were on their way.
     He sat up, grabbed some fast food wrappers from the front seat of the car, threw them to back, covered them with his jacket, and stepped out of the car. He straightened his black uniform, re-buttoned the collar, and tried not to notice how much he was suddenly sweating.
     The pressure in the air around his car dropped drastically. Despite himself, he shivered. He steeled himself for their arrival.
     Turquoise lightning crackled through the air, drawing power from the overhead power lines. The lightning bulged near the car and a sphere formed. From it, a group of three black hooded figures landed lightly on the ground.
     These new additions were dressed exactly the same as he. They were all bald and stood at exactly 6 feet 5.16 inches tall, even the female. None of them had a nose, just a smooth, slight bump where a nose should have been. Their eyes were milky white—the color of blindness—yet they had perfected their vision beyond human ability. They had no teeth, just lines of purple gums. But it was their tattoos that were really fascinating.
     They each had equations outlined on every part of their body, complex equations that would stump even the most seasoned mathematician on Earth. Every single equation was solved. Not a square inch of their otherwise pale skin was left free of them. They also had tattoos for their body proportions—the better they were proportioned, the more they displayed those perfect proportions on their skin, like living mathematical diagrams.
     He looked exactly like these newcomers, except with fewer tattoos and a less perfect face. That was the reason he was so lowly ranked—he wasn’t perfect enough to rank higher.
     The female was the leader of the pack. Perfect in every conceivable way, she regarded him with a cold expression. He met her eyes, at first defiantly, but then felt himself wither under her gaze.
     She asked him a quick question, to which he nodded. A slow smile came to her lips. She spoke to him some more, imparting the crucial information that their spy robot had gathered. Her companions stood stoically at her side, but his eyes widened.
     He asked her if she was sure the spy robot had been correct. She seemed annoyed that he would even consider asking her such a question. He lowered his eyes in supplication.
     She motioned to the soldier on her left, who handed her a small, flat, black object. She extended it out to him. The dark man paused briefly before taking it. This object contained information that could change everything for them. He could almost feel the power emanating from it. He was speechless at the thought of it.
     She gave him a curt nod and in another blast of turquoise light, he was left standing there, alone in the dark.
     This was it. This was the beginning.


See what happens in Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average, eta end of September!!