True Colors Release Day Blitz and Masquerade Ball!

I am so excited to announce the release date of my next book True Colors!

I really wanted to kick off this new release with a bang! I wanted to do something special!

So...

I have decided to make a Masquerade Ball Event on Facebook!

(Facebook is in no way affiliated with this event or its giveaways).

To join the event, click the beautiful photo above!

*If you are a #blogger and would like to sign up for my cover reveal on January 16, 2013 please do so by clicking on the following link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F4CADA82CA02-cover3

*#Bloggers can also sign up for the Release Day Blitz Post on the day of the Masquarade Ball! To sign up to post on February 16, 2013 please do so by clicking on the following link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F4CADA82CA02-release2

Thank you so much to everyone for stopping by! I hope to see all of you at the event! There will be tons of news and updates leading up to the event, so make sure you join asap! :)

Countdown to Christmas Giveaway!!

November already? This year has gone by so fast. I love the crisp cool fall weather and the changes in the leaves on trees. It is also a little reminder that Christmas is almost here!

So by now you should know what is coming next...

For those of you who don't, I mentioned in September, I have some really cool things planned for December that I am excited about. 

To celebrate this, I decided to do some Countdown to Christmas Giveaways. There are a bunch of cool eBooks to win this month! Discover some new authors and books while helping me celebrate the fact that Christmas is less than 2(ish) months away! Whoopeee!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Freebies and Giveaways...Are They Worth It?

Author Lizzy Ford asked her followers on Facebook the other day if they thought freebies and 99c books were a good idea. Did they go for them? Or did the cheap price put them off?

I skimmed the thread and quickly picked up that people love a freebie. It's introduced many to authors they never would have discovered if they'd had to pay.

From a writer's viewpoint, this stings me just a little. It hurts that my hours and hours of time and energy will only be discovered if I make a book free. In saying that, I have found the strategy to be a good one and at the end of the day, I publish my work so people can read it. I know I'll never become a millionaire and I'm cool with that. It's more important to me that people are reading and enjoying my work.

So - in answer to my question... Yes - I think freebies and giveaways are worth it. They are a great way to reach a wider audience, it feels good to play the role of Santa Claus every now and then, plus, I have picked up some very loyal fans. By listing the first book in two of my trilogies free, I've had the flow on effect of selling the other two books in the series. By gifting copies of my books in numerous giveaways, readers have stumbled across my work and then gone and bought the rest of my books. It is a good marketing strategy.

So here's a question for the readers... Is it all too much?

I feel like I am involved in so many giveaways at the moment and I'm worried that I'm bogging down my followers with constant giveaways and promos. I don't want people to miss out, but I also don't want to put people off, because all they ever read from me is promotional stuff.

As a reader, do you appreciate freebies and giveaways? Is your e-reader stuffed with more books than you can ever read? What's your take on it all?

*****

If you are a fan of the giveaways, I've listed all the ones I am currently involved in, just in case you would like to enter :)

Also - Unknown is currently FREE through all major distributors, if you'd like to pick up a copy.
UNKNOWN FOR FREE.

Giveaways:
Countdown to Christmas Giveaway - a stash of ebooks from Indie Inked Authors.
Spooktacular Hop Giveaway - a massive hop. I am giving away paperback copies of The Elements Trilogy.
The Spooky Spectacular Sale - a huge sale of 99c books, plus a massive giveaway.
The Society of YA Storytellers Giveaway - to celebrate our new website :)
**And keep an eye out for next week when Indie Inked is doing a Kindle Fire Giveaway. I'll post about that on Tuesday.

Countdown to Christmas Giveaway!!

I can't believe it is already October! It's time for the next Countdown to Christmas Giveaway!

Like I said in September, I have some really cool things planned for December that I am excited about. To celebrate this, I've decided to do some Countdown to Christmas Giveaways. There are a bunch of cool eBooks to win this month! Discover some new authors and books while helping me celebrate the fact that Christmas is less than 3 months away! Whoopeee!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Introducing: The Society of YA Storytellers! Check out the new site and the Founders #Giveaway!

I am proud to be a member of The Society of YA Storytellers!

The Society of YA Storytellers is a talented group of novelists who write for and are fans of the Young Adult genre.

Check out the website and discover all the cool stuff we have going on. Fun Fridays, Princess Smackdown, an online book club and of course giveaways!

Check us out!

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Enter the awesome Founders Giveaway!

Countdown to Christmas Giveaway!!

I have some really cool things planned for December and to celebrate this, I've decided to do some Countdown to Christmas Giveaways. There are a bunch of cool ebooks to win. Discover some new authors and books while helping me celebrate the fact that Christmas is less than 4 months away! Whoopeee!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wohoo!! Who's Up for a YA Author Club Giveaway?

It's time to celebrate the awesomeness of giveaways...by having a giveaway!!

From an authors point of view, giveaways are a great opportunity to increase exposure of your writing, possibly pick up some more reviews and show how generous you are.

For example, on my YAlicious site, I'm running a three day giveaway. All people have to do is share news of my latest book's release and they automatically receive a free copy of the first book in the trilogy. Readers win with a free book and I win with spreading word that The Elements Trilogy is complete!

If you're an author, trying to get the momentum going on your work, I highly recommend a decent giveaway to get the wheels turning.

So - without further ado - here is another most excellent giveaway, brought to you by the YA Author Club! Discover some great indie authors and support these writers at the same time.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So Many Things To Tell You!!

Man - I really do have SO many things to tell you. Having been on holiday with my family, it's been challenging to stay on top of all my writing stuff. But many things have been going on in the background and I want to tell you about them.

Firstly - The Elements Trilogy is nearly complete!! This is a big month - Unleashed will be published on Thursday 8th. On Friday 23rd and there will be Facebook Party run by Mrs Potter's Publicity Services to celebrate. If you'd like to join in, you can follow this link - The Trilogy Is Complete Release Party! There will be a bunch of prizes and competitions going on.

To celebrate the completion of the trilogy this month, I am running a sale on Unknown. You can pick up a copy of the book for only 99c! Unknown on Amazon.

There is also a Blog Tour scheduled for September. If you'd like to be a part of it, you can sign up here.
ATOMR - The Elements Trilogy Blog Tour.

And if you haven't had a chance to see it yet, here is The Elements Trilogy Book Trailer.

*****

In other news, I have started work on Before (a novella prequel to Betwixt). I am having SO much fun hanging out with Dale again. I really do love him. Keep an eye out for a cover reveal later this month and an announcement of the release date.

And finally, I'd like to highlight Indies Unlimited latest book - First Chapters. For only 99c you can grab a sampler book filled with new authors to discover. I've bought myself a copy and am really enjoying reading the first few chapters off all these books and adding a bunch of new reads to my TBR list.

Indie Life - It's All About Exposure

I'm very excited to be part of The Indelibles Indie Life series. These posts run on the second Wednesday of every month and include ideas and articles from a wide variety of indie authors. Check out the links below to learn more about INDIE LIFE.

I am doing a bit of a series with these posts. I've talked about balance, quality and attitude.

Today I want to talk about the importance of exposure.

There is no point writing all these amazing books if no one can find out about them. For me, marketing is the hardest part of this job, but I am learning as I go and here are a few things I've discovered that work really well for me.

These are all cases of: "You have to give a little to get a little."

- Giving out copies for review. I know this kind of goes without saying, but it's really important to get a bunch of solid reviews behind your book before you start really pushing the advertising. This is just my opinion, others may disagree here, but I think reviews give your book credit. Plus book bloggers rock - like mega rock - and if they like your stuff, will help you spread the word far and wide. Be nice to bloggers and they'll be nice to you ;-)

- Doing a freebie. I put my first novel, Golden Blood, online for free. It was the best decision I ever made. I have subsequently sold hundreds of copies of the other two books in my series, something I never would have done if it hadn't been for me being willing to lose the money on the sale of my first book.

- Paid advertising. I have paid for advertising twice so far and both times it has been worth every penny. I have made my money back really quickly and it's led to higher rankings, more exposure and continuing sales for the few weeks after. I have used Bookbub.com for my advertising so far, but I know there are plenty of sites out there.

- Group sales. If you can be a part of a group sale, this is a really great way to get your book some exposure. You want to open yourself up to as many readers as possible, so if you are part of a group sale, all the cross promotion can only do you a favour.

- It's the same with giveaways. What better way to score your fan page some likes, gain some more followers and generally get your name out there. It costs you nothing more than a few e-books. Better yet, if you go in with a group of authors, you can put together better prize packs for really low cost. I have an example going on at my YAlicious blog if you'd like to check it out.
Indie Inked Mother's Day Giveaway.

I know there are plenty of other ways to gain exposure for your work. I am learning new things all the time, but the ones above have been my most successful.

What have you done to gain yourself readers?

Goodreads - What's Good and What's Not

YA writers and bloggers unite each week to share their thoughts on what it's like going indie in today's publishing world.

As a reader and a writer, I am a big fan of Goodreads. 

From a reader's perspective, I love being able to add books to my reading list. I love being able rate books, tell people why I loved them and let people know what I'm reading. I love seeing what other readers think about books too. I have read some amazing stories thanks to recommendations on Goodreads.

From a writer's perspective, I really do love it. I think it is a great way to get exposure for my work. I love the Event feature, the Giveaway and the Listopia features. I have had many people add my books to their reading lists because of these. Unfortunately these do not always result in sales, but at least the interest is there. 

I know some authors do not like Goodreads. I think people are far more ready to leave their honest opinions on this site and they hold nothing back. Some authors have been badly burned by nasty comments and reviews. I don't have a problem with someone not liking my books. Reading is a very subjective thing and people have a right to their opinions. I do think people need to be careful how they word these opinions though. You can still be respectful in your dislike of something. 

All-in-all I will be forever grateful to my friend, T. G. Ayer, who put me onto Goodreads in the first place. It has been awesome for my writing career and it definitely motivates me to read more as well. 

What do you think of Goodreads?


Check out what the other YA Indie Carnival members think on their sites, which are listed below.

You can also check out the YA Author Club for the latest updates and news on what we're all up to.

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series	4.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
5.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	6.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
7.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	8.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
9.	Ella James	10.	Maureen Murrish
11.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings	12.	A Little Bit of R&R
13.	Melissa Pearl	14.	Terah Edun - YA Fantasy
15.	Heather Sutherlin - YA Fantasy

So Many Things To Tell You!!

Well, it's the beginning of December, so time for my monthly progress report.

November saw the release of Betwixt, so that was a great lead-in to one of my favourite months of the year... December. Why do I love it so much?

 Because I love Christmas!! The family time, the presents, the decorations, the food, the history... I love it all.

And speaking of Christmas, that is my first piece of news. I am involved in the Christmas For Authors celebration that is being run by Young Adult and Teen Readers. If you'd like to take part in the Treasure Hunt Giveaway, you can check out my recent blog post here. This celebration will be running throughout the month and there are so many giveaways and awesome prizes. It is definitely worth joining in the event.

December has kicked off with a bang for me as A Tale of Many Reviews is currently hosting the Betwixt Blog Tour for me. Day One was filled with amazing reviews. I am so excited that people are enjoying it so much. Thank you so much to all the participants. I feel honoured to be featuring on your amazing blogs. There is a giveaway running and there will be plenty more posts to come - including interviews, a tweet chat between Nicole and Dale and a few other goodies. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out the tour schedule on my YAlicious site - Betwixt Blog Tour.

The first book of my fantasy trilogy is well underway. In fact I am hoping to finish it before I fly home for Christmas (in two weeks!! Squee!!). I am finding this project extremely challenging, but also so much fun. I have never written anything like this before and it's really stretching me. I currently have a "Name That Troll" competition running through my updates newsletter. The person who comes up with the best name for my monstrous yet completely adorable baby troll will win an Amazon gift card. If you'd like to participate, you can sign up for my Book Updates and Giveaways Newsletter. Entries close December 21st.

I had a photo shoot last week with some of the students from Suzhou Singapore International School. One of the teachers there helped me out and snapped some shots of these gorgeous kids. They are going to be the faces on the covers of my fantasy trilogy - The Elements Trilogy. The books are tentatively titled - Unknown, Unseen, Unleashed. I can't WAIT to see what my talented graphic designer comes up with. We've been discussing ideas and I think these covers are going to be pretty awesome-sauce.

On my YAlicious blog this month I have some pretty cool posts coming up - I have the amazing Patti Larsen visiting the site on Thursday, a surprise book blogger will be doing an interview for me the week after that. I also have some posts planned while I'm away for Christmas, including a giveaway, so keep your eye out for that.

In the meantime, I really hope you have a fantastic December filled with lots of warm, Christmas fuzzies. I know this season can sometimes be stressful, but it's also a season of giving and reflection and I hope you can all come away feeling better for it :-)

Betwixt Pre-Release Giveaway

Only two more weeks to go until Betwixt is online.
Wohoo!!
So, so uber excited. Can you tell?

Last week I started up the pre-release party by sharing the Betwixt book trailer. If you'd like to check it out, follow this link here.

Today, I would like to offer you the opportunity to enter the Betwixt Pre-Release Giveaway and be in with a chance to win a digital copy of Betwixt. I have five to giveaway so there are plenty of opportunities. Please help me spread the word!

Keep an eye out for posts over the next couple of weeks as I share excerpts from the book as well as character interviews. I'm so excited to have you join me for the countdown.

Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Betwixt Book Trailer and Giveaway

I'm so excited!! Yes I am!

In less than three weeks, Betwixt will be available to the world. This project is very precious to me and I can't wait to share it with you all.

Today begins the start of my pre-release... well heck, let's go ahead and call it a party! Over the next few weeks I'll be posting excerpts from the book, character interviews and running a couple of giveaways.

I love watching book trailers and I adore making them, so I thought I'd start off with a bang and show you the BETWIXT BOOK TRAILER.

I also wanted to let you know about the Betwixt Goodreads Giveaway. You can enter here.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Betwixt

by Melissa Pearl

Giveaway ends November 05, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

The giveaway ends the day the book is released. Yay!

I hope you have fun joining me for this party.

And I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has helped and supported me so far. There are many amazing readers out there reviewing Betwixt for me and getting ready to help me launch it world wide. Thank you a million times over for all that you are doing. You are much appreciated.

And The Winners Are...

Wohoo!!! The winners for the Forbidden Territory Blog Tour have been picked by Random.org.

And the winners of the Prize Packs are...

- Artemis
- Rose
- Marla

And the winner of the Grand Prize is...

- Jen Hutchinson

Congratulations winners!! We will be in touch via e-mail within the next 24 hours.

Thank you so much for everyone who checked out this blog tour. We really hope you enjoy the book when you get your hands on it.

Thank you also to all the amazing bloggers who participated in the tour. You are all officially legends!!

So Many Things To Tell You!!

Well, it's the beginning of July and you know what that means... time for my  monthly progress report.

June flew past so fast, my head is still spinning, but I had a ton of triumphs. A few highlights were...

- I finished my first draft of Betwixt and have had a few critique partners get back to me with really positive comments. Such a thrill :) Today is the day I promised myself I'd get it to my editor, so after this post, I'm doing my final read through then flicking it off to her. Nervous!

- I spoke to the New Zealand School Librarians Association. What an awesome bunch of people. School librarians rock. They are always so enthusiastic and encouraging. They love to get kids reading... and so do I. It's always such a buzz meeting them. Subsequently, I've managed to arrange two school visits in a couple of weeks, plus also sell some more of the trilogy. It was a great chance to promote Forbidden Territory too.

- Another totally spunky thing that happened, was I popped into our local library to ask if I could leave some Forbidden Territory bookmarks on the counter. They were so excited they ended up inviting me to the FUSE launch party, which is a initiative to get teens reading. How cool is that?!? Brenda's coming down to join me and we'll have fun chatting to the kids and promoting our new book...

Which brings me to July!!
Wow - there is SO much to celebrate this month. I will try to be brief as there really is a lot to say :)

- The release of Forbidden Territory!! Wohoo!!! The book can be purchased from Amazon stores or through Smashwords...

- Speaking of which, Smashwords is having a huge July sale. A heap of books are available at discounted prices - some are even free. If you'd like to pick up Forbidden Territory for 25% off, just click the link below and use the coupon code SSW25.
FORBIDDEN TERRITORY ON SALE!!

- Another fun thing happening this week is the Forbidden Territory blog tour. You can check out the schedule and enter the giveaway here. There are some pretty fun prize packs to win.

- Brenda and I are also running another giveaway through Goodreads. If you'd like to win a paperback copy, you can enter here. There are two up for grabs :)

- And the last thing I wanted to mention was the INDIEpendence celebrations going on. There are some fantastic indie authors to discover. It's definitely worth taking the time to discover them.
INDIEpendence Day Celebrations.

Thank you so much for all the blog tour participants who have given their time to read and review Forbidden Territory for us. You are all such fantastic people and we have LOVED working with you :)

Whether you're cooped up indoors with rain pouring outside (c'est moi) or lounging on a hot sunny beach somewhere (hopefully you!), I hope you have a wonderful July!!

Forbidden Territory - Tour Schedule and Giveaway

Hey everyone!!

Brenda and I are VERY excited to be hosting the Forbidden Territory Blog Tour.
We all hope you have a wonderful time checking out these awesome blogs and learning more about the first book in the Mica & Lexy Series.

The blog tour is running from July 2nd - 6th, but we have decided to open up the giveaway on the day of publication - JULY 1st.

Make sure you stop by and enter to win some cool prizes.

But first things first.... the tour schedule....

July 2nd
J. C. Hart - Just Cassie
Review and Interview


Parchment Place
Guest Post - Location, Location, Location


July 3rd
Maji Bookshelf
Review


Book Briefs
Review, Giveaway and Dream Cast Post


Dragonfly Scrolls
Interview


July 4th
SJ Byrne
Guest Post from MC, Mica Latham, about geo-caching


My Book Chatter
Review and Interview


July 5th
The Life of Fiction
Review and Giveaway


Laura's Magic Day
Review


July 6th
Novels on the Run
Review and Excerpt


My Home Away From Home
Guest Post from Mica & Lexy about keeping secrets


Claire Reads
Guest Post - Series vs. Stand Alone novels


July 7th
Winners will be announced!!

And now for the giveaway. Please spread the word far and wide. The more, the merrier.

We are giving away 3 prize packs, which include:
- a digital copy of Forbidden Territory
- a friendship necklace like the ones Mica and Lexy wear
- Forbidden Territory and Time Spirit Trilogy bookmarks

We are also giving away a Grand Prize, which inclues:
- a paperback copy of Forbidden Territory
- a friendship necklace like the ones Mica and Lexy wear
- bookmarks
- a digital copy of Golden Blood (Bk 1 of the Time Spirit Trilogy by Melissa Pearl)









a Rafflecopter giveaway

Easter Bunny Book Hop - this giveaway in HUGE!!

Hey everyone :)

Because YA Indie Carnival is having a week off, I thought I'd take this opportunity to let you know about the Easter Bunny Book Hop.


This giveaway is the biggest one I've ever seen. SO many amazing authors, SO many amazing books.


You can enter five different giveaways so there are plenty of chances to win.


Here are the links... GOOD LUCK :)


Books4Tomorrow blog: EBBH Giveaway Links (Angie’s blog)

GRAND PRIZE:

http://bookstomorrow.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter-bunny-book-hop-giveaway-grand.html

US PRIZE PACK:

http://bookstomorrow.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter-bunny-book-hop-giveaway-us-prize.html

INTERNATIONAL PRIZE PACK:

http://bookstomorrow.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter-bunny-book-hop-giveaway.html

Tattle Tale blog: EBBH Giveaway Links (Wanda’s blog)

INTERNATIONAL PRIZE PACK:

http://tattlet.blogspot.com/2012/03/easter-bunny-book-hop-international_29.html

US PRIZE PACK:

http://tattlet.blogspot.com/2012/03/easter-bunny-book-hop-giveaway-us-only.html

The Debutante Ball Winners

The party is over. I have danced until my feet hurt, I have twirled until I've felt dizzy and I have loved every second of it.

It has been a total blast. Following each blogger, reading up about their awesome books and spreading the word - it's been so much fun!

And now I get to end this awesome party by announcing the three winners.


It is my absolute pleasure to congratulate....

1st place - Heidi L. Murphy

2nd place - Cindy M. Hogan

3rd place - J. C. Martin

I will be in touch to find out which format you would like your ebooks in.

I hope everyone has enjoyed the Debutante Ball. It was a fantastic way to end 2011.
Good luck for 2012 everybody, I hope it brings you all a ton of awesomeness!!

What To Say?

I always have a ton of things I want to blog about. I have a list on my desktop, which grows continually, but when I look at it this morning, I'm just not sure which topic to choose.

SO - since I am involved in a couple of cool giveaways, I thought I'd take the chance to do a little more promo before they both finish up.

The Debutante Ball, A Feast of Debut Authors is a fantastic blog tour introducing you to a whole heap of debut authors and their fantastic books. Check out my side bar for details. It is definitely worth following along. Everyone has really cool stuff to giveaway and all you have to do is leave a comment! I'm having so much fun reading everyone's posts and finding out which actors each author would pick to play their MC. Super fun.

You can either follow along on this blog or you are most welcome to join us on Facebook as well.

The tour runs until December 31st. 

The other cool event that I'm having so much fun with is the YA Indie Carnival Secret Santa Giveaway. A whole bunch of carni's are giving away ebooks on their sites, PLUS there is a grand prize with a TON of ebooks to win. Again - all you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling us why you've been naughty or nice this year.

This event ends on December 23rd.

There is a world of new authors and books to discover constantly, but it's great when you get some guidance from cool events like these. I hope you have fun checking them out. It's a really fun way to get into the Christmas spirit.

Giveaway Time!

It's December!! YAY! I love this month. You all know why, don't you?
That's right - Christmas is coming!

I love this time of year. Christmas is the coolest season ever. You get to decorate things, string up fairy lights, catch up with family and friends... and best of all, you get to give presents to each other.

I love giving gifts to people. It's one of my favourite things to do.

So in celebration of this awesome season AND in the build up to the release of Black Blood (later this month), I am giving away Golden Blood for the next two weeks.

Go to Smashwords and enter this coupon number AP58L to get your free copy.

I hope you manage to nab yourself a copy and I really hope you enjoy it.

Feel free to spread the word as far and wide as you like - Twitter, Facebook, Blogging, - whatever takes your fancy :)

Keep an eye out for my Black Blood promo contest on YAlicious next week.

I hope everyone can get into the Christmas spirit and have an awesome December :)