Love is Blind stars a lovely young woman who happens to be, yes, blind. Olivia doesn’t let her disability thwart her own desire for a happy life, though. When chance (and an evil villain) puts her in the arms of a rather charming rake named Adrian (wait…is there any other kind?), Olivia defies convention to follow her heart. And Adrian himself has to defy his past to prove that he’s worthy of the proper Olivia. No spoilers, but story contains a dance, a dare, a dragon, and a duel. No biggie.
You might notice a bit of a trend with this book (if two things equal a trend). Like my first novella, A Winter’s Knight, this one gives one of the protagonists a physical disability. I wanted to write a story where I had to work a little harder to describe how the main character interacts with the world. But I also get frustrated when I read a romance in which an absolutely stunning, physically perfect individual has some sort of problem attracting a mate. Really? Really? If they can’t handle romance, what chance do “flawed” humans (a.k.a EVERYBODY) have? So I wanted to show that even characters who aren’t perfect deserve and can achieve a proper ending.
I hope you’ll check out Love is Blind. If you like what you read, the best way to show your appreciation is to tell your friends about it or write a review at your favorite online book site.
Buy at Amazon | Buy at Apple iBookstore | Buy at Kobo Books | Buy at B&N | Get in touch with Elizabeth Cole
Filed under Novel lit Writers on tumblr submission romance wow I really hate the new posting box thingy
treets:
The Goodreads contest has ended, but I still have one more signed copy of my book to give away! There are two ways to enter (and doing both will double your chances!):
1. Like this post on Facebook (click the “Like” link at the BOTTOM of the post, but don’t worry—if you click the big “Like” button by my name it likes the whole page, but I’ll still enter you in the giveaway)
2. Share it on your Facebook wall
Next Tuesday, the 29th, I’ll put the names of everyone who entered in a spreadsheet and use a random number generator to pick the winner (please make sure you have messaging enabled on Facebook so I can ask for you address—and of course, your info is safe with me). If the winner doesn’t respond in 24 hrs, I’ll pick a new one.
And thank you again to everyone who’s let me know how much they enjoyed (or are enjoying) the book. You guys are the best imaginary unicorn friends a gal could ask for.
Filed under contest giveaway shameless self-promotion
gibsongrand:
(cover photo by David Seelig)
The Kindle version of my book, Trash and Vaudeville, is available today and tomorrow for FREE on Amazon. It also includes some great artwork by Eliza Gauger, Molly Peck, and Katie West.
If you’ve enjoyed my stories, please help spread the word by reblogging this post.
(via redcloud)
Filed under Lit Writers on tumblr free reads
Online Whereabouts: Twitter, Tumblr, Website
Favorite Genres (to read and write):
I make a concerted effort to read widely, but occasionally A Work Of Classic Literature has to be the stick that gets me the zombie apocalypse novel carrot I really want. The stories I write tend to involve magic and ghosts, not enough to be considered outright fantasy or paranormal, but enough to keep them from being realistic or literary. My newest book, Magical Neon Sexuality, is about the mythology of celebrity relationships, for instance viewing the popular narrative around Taylor Swift (a woman continually wronged by her boyfriends, extracting revenge upon them through song) as a fable on par with the stories of Clytemnestra or Medea.
What appealed to you about self-publishing?
In terms of my overall publishing career I never really thought of it as an either/or choice, and I’m not even sure it began as a conscious decision. I grew up around musicians and artists who just made things and put them out into the world. By the time I was putting together my first collection of stories I had discovered the zine community. There was this really diverse and vibrant community of people writing their passions and putting them out into the world with as little friction as possible. I was like: Me too, I want to do that too. As far as Magical Neon Sexuality goes, my decision to write and publish this book had more to do with my personal writing goals for the year, and wanting to be able to say I had accomplished *something*, rather than any specific expectations for the book itself. For me, writing is first and foremost a mental health issue.
What has been most challenging for you?
The challenge is getting people to talk about the book, getting people to tell other people about it. All anyone wants for their writing is for the people who like it to talk about it—tell a friend, post a link on Facebook, mention it on Twitter/Tumblr, whatever. I have not yet discovered a way to physically FORCE people to do that, and it’s hard to encourage it without hounding people and alienating your friends and making them regret ever reading your book in the first place. Or it feels like that anyway.
What advice do you have for those considering self-publishing?
Self-publishing is not The Easy Way to publish a book. Self-publishing and publishing are not even two sides of the same coin, in my mind. Self-publishing means taking ownership of a variety of roles that people get paid to do full-time. Writing is an awesome thing and an important component to any human’s health and happiness. Editing, formatting, printing, marketing, (self-marketing!), and the patience and rigor required for each, are all very different and completely separate from writing (and often a lot less fun & fulfilling?). Think about your goals, and try to have a plan for every part of the process.
ALSO: pay an editor to proof-read your book. Editors are your friend. An editor will save you from a million dumb little mistakes that will otherwise sink your book. It took me a long time to learn this.
ALSO: support your friends who make things. Be a community. If self-publishing your book helps connect you with people doing interesting work, people who are passionate about similar things, people who will support you through the emotional ups and downs of your future projects, than it has been incredibly successful by any definition.
Kevin’s book, Magical Neon Sexuality, currently has a 5-star Goodreads rating, and can be purchased here!
Filed under author profile lit writers on tumblr kfan kevin fanning having formatting issues stop being stupid tumblr
everythinginthesky:
Publish your writing on the fly using Markdown and get a 90% royalty (minus 50c per sale), and do so with a one-button publish process.
Seems like at least one of you could use it?
Filed under news and info self-publishing
The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest has arrived. You won’t want to miss this incredible opportunity to win a publishing contract with Amazon Publishing. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $50,000 advance, and four First Prize winners will each receive a $15,000 advance. Now in its sixth year, our international contest promises to be the best yet.
This is running from Jan 14-Jan 27, but they’re only accepting 10,000 entries, so if you’re interested in entering, I wouldn’t put it off.
Filed under contests fiction contest news and info
With a storied military pedigree and unmatched war record, Air Force Gator achieved worldwide fame and legendary status among his peers. After falling into a years-long depression fueled by booze and pills, the alligator pilot is inspired to clean up his act and return to action after the tragic events of September 11th.
When a former partner goes off the grid and threatens to shake the foundations of the United States, Air Force Gator is forced to return from the Middle East to face him head-on. Can Air Force Gator stop his old partner Gustav, or will the dastardly crocodile’s plan for a reptilian revolution succeed?
(21 five-star reviews on Amazon)
(Ed note: Click the image for the link to Amazon.com)
Filed under submission humor sci fi lit writers on tumblr dan ryckert this sound hilarious
