Book Signing

Looks like I will probably be doing a book signing already. My super fantastic step-mom-in-law talked to her local bookstore, the lady read a little about the book, and is interested in selling some of my books and having me come do a signing. It's a pretty small town, but if they advertise it and I get the word out, it will be really cool. I'm just excited about a little exposure. I'm working on getting into our local Hastings as well. If you haven't bought your copy yet, get it! Don't forget-it's on Amazon in paperback and Kindle, and also available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble's website.

What's in a Name?

So, I thought I would tell you how I picked the names for my book. At first, I named the main character, Madeline, but I decided that I wanted an English or Irish name. I looked up names and found Waverly, which is English. I thought it sounded so pretty, and I really wanted a three syllable name. For Finn, I have always loved that name. It's an Irish name and there's a cool legend about Finn McCool that goes along with the name. Waverly's dad's name kind of just came to me as I was writing. For some reason, I could just hear her mother calling to him, "Frank." Her name, Eveline, I thought was pretty. Finn's dad is Seamus, which is just a really cool name, and his mom is Deirdre. His uncle is Declan, which is another name I've always loved, and the leading guy in "Leap Year." His aunt is Aideen, which I also found beautiful. Kieran's name means "dark one," and when you read the book, you'll find out why that is appropriate. His dad is Darcy, another Irish name. Waverly's best friend, Jessie was also named as I was writing. It just sounded like a best friend name to me. Not sure why. So, other than Waverly being English, and Jessie's name, everyone else has a traditional Irish name. Including last names of course. It was actually a fun part of the process to name all of my characters. And not as stressful as trying to give your child a name.

Follow Me

I'm now on Twitter. I'm attempting to update my Facebook page daily with fun facts, but sometimes it's hard to think of something, so let me know if you have any questions you want answered. Anywho, they upload to Twitter if you'd rather see them that way. It's @MidstofDarkness, and on Facebook it's just the title of the book. I already have 9 followers on Twitter and 36 likes on my Facebook page. Woot! Tell all your friends. I even have a review on Amazon on the Kindle page. I can't figure out how to link the Kindle and the Paperback pages.

Mothers and Daughters

Today my mom got her copy in the mail. I sent it to her as a late birthday present. The surprise was that I dedicated the book to her. She called and as soon as I said hello, she said, "You're not supposed to make your mother cry." I'm glad it touched her. She and I went to Washington state two summers ago to do the whole Twilight tour thing. After a day in Seattle, we drove up to Port Angeles and spent the night, then went to First Beach in La Push, and back over to Forks for the day. We went back to Port Angeles the next day and even had dinner at Bella Italia (which was excellent, but make sure you make a reservation or you'll sit there for an hour picking your nose). We took the ferry over to Victoria, Canada the next morning and spent the day there. Canadians are awesome, eh? It was a great time and fun bonding experience. She's also flown up here to see every Twilight movie with me on opening night. We're kind of Twi-hards, but not too much that it's annoying and weird. So anyway, since my book is about vampires, I thought she would like the dedication. Check out my Facebook page too and get little daily fun facts about the book. Happy reading!

Famous

So today, I sold a book to another mom at swimming lessons. We've talked a little about books before, and today I just so happened to bring my last copy with me. I gave her the ordering info, but she was so excited that she wanted to buy that one and have me sign it. She was like, "I've never known a real life author before." I was really nervous, but I guess if I'm going to try to sell this book for a living, I'm gonna have to get used to talking to people about it. Now, if my readers will give me a few good reviews on Amazon once you read it, that would be awesome. If you think it's the worst book you've ever read, (which you won't because I rock) then keep your opinions to yourself. After you've written your own book and put yourself out there like that, then you can judge me. Also, if you have any questions about the book, the story, how I wrote it, etc., please don't hesitate to ask. I'll do my best to answer them in an individual post.

Just Like Christmas

The ten copies I ordered of my book came today. It was like Christmas cutting the box open and holding one in my hand. It turned out great. I'm happy with the way it looks. Although, my friend pointed out that the inside gutters are way huge. Thanks for pointing that out Amber. (Heavy sarcasm) I already noticed. Anyway, that's the minimum requirement through Createspace. I'd rather have them be a little wider than have the words all running into the crease. Anyway, it is also now available on Amazon and Amazon Kindle. Here is the direct link if you don't want to do a search. http://http://www.amazon.com/In-Midst-Darkness-Volume-1/dp/1475220650/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339633620&sr=1-5 Which I really don't suggest searching just by my name because apparently there's another Nicole Bailey out there who writes erotic books. Hello! Totally not me! So, force my book's title into your brain. And there's also another In the Midst of Darkness out there by another woman (that also happens to take place in Ireland), but it's historical fiction about some warring clans or something. Not nearly as interesting as mine. And my cover is way cooler too. And, also, I totally had the title first. I checked like two years ago when I first titled my book and there weren't any other books out there with that title. I'm thinkin' her title doesn't even fit well with her subject matter. At least it doesn't sound that way from what I read of the description. But, vampires-darkness, duh they totally go together. I've already sold about a dozen copies, so this is the most exciting thing to happen since my last child was born. Hopefully, I'll be able to focus on the sequel now. I promise I'm not going to have 6 books or even 3 in the series. That drives me nuts. There will just be two.

HOORAY!!!!

It's official! My book is now available on Createspace. In about a week you will be able to purchase it on Amazon, and in a couple of months, it will be available at other sites likes Barnes and Noble. I'm super stoked. I've already bought ten copies that will be here next Wednesday the 13th, that I will be selling to anyone local who wants one. Best day ever! Here's the site if you can't wait until next week to get it on Amazon. https://www.createspace.com/3855101

Almost There

Well, the end is in sight. I found the absolute perfect picture on DeviantART.com already completely photoshopped the exact way I wanted it. Thanks to Amaira who took 3 different photos and combined them into one. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to find something already done. Bonus-she was flattered that I wanted to use it for my cover and said I could use it for free. I just needed to notify the people who she took the other photos from. All three of them allow anyone to use their photos for free as long as they receive credit. Bran helped me that night to get it all the right size and add the title to it. I'm so stoked. It turned out freakin' awesome! I don't know how I could've done it without him. And thanks to Brian Lewis for suggesting the website in the first place. So, I sent it all in to Createspace and they approved it within a day and I am able to proof it online rather than having to purchase one. I've been working hard all week to get it done. There are a few spacing issues here and there, but other than that, it's looking great. I should be able to finish it up tonight and send it in again, and once they approve it again, it will be ready for you to get your hot little hands on a copy. It will be available on Amazon and I need to figure out how to put it on Barnes and Noble and a few other sites. If I didn't have kids in baseball and swimming lessons, I might have gotten it done earlier in the week. But such is life as a mom of four boys. If you want it autographed, I would be happy to oblige. Let me know and I'll buy it and you can pay me for it, plus shipping. Since I'm going to be famous, you should probably get it signed now. Okay, just kidding. I'm sure no one other than my dad wants it autographed. But a girl can dream. Another local author of a paranormal book did a book signing at Hastings, so I'm hoping I might be able to get in to them to sell my book (not necessarily for a signing). I'm looking into making it into an e-book as well. That will come after I get the actual book figured out. As far as pricing goes, I had to set it at what Amazon wanted so that I would get even a few cents royalties. It's comparable to other books its size out there. So, anywho, I'll update this as soon as it's available with the link to direct you to it. Can't wait. I know you're holding your breath and biting your nails.