I recently moved my domain away from Go Daddy to WordPress, saving myself money and time (mostly money, as the annual fee for web hosting with Go Daddy was going … Continue reading Return of the Online Store
Category: success
Georgia, A Vegas Trip and Witches
When the order to stay home came about in Virginia, I thought, “I’m gonna stay home and write all the things!” Then my job informed me, even though we would be closed to the public (I work in a library, btw) we would still come in to work. But, it’s only twenty hours a week, or three days, so that frees me up for the remaining four days of the week. I still expected to get a ton of writing done.
I feel like the bank clerk in that Twilight Zone episode, “Time Enough At Last”.
But I, along with many of the writers I chat with online, haven’t felt like writing lately. It’s a bummer. I feel like the bank clerk in that Twilight Zone episode, “Time Enough At Last”. All those books and plenty of time…and he can’t read them (I won’t spoil it too much in case you’ve never seen it. If you have Netflix, please check it out). I finally managed to get out of my own way, and start writing again. I have three new books on the way, so here we go:
Barrin Heights
Fourth grade teacher Lena Scott and nephew James receive the opportunity of a lifetime. They purchase a new house in a new subdivision in a new town: Barrin, Georgia. However, this new neighborhood has the strictest Home Owners Association ever invented. There are rules that must be followed to the letter. Over time, Lena and James begin to learn the dire consequences of breaking the rules…
I Probably Should Have Kept That To Myself
I’m killing two birds with one stone here. One, Aidan is a fan favorite from the Our Lady of Righteous Rage series and I should have given him his own book a long time ago. Two, I wanted to write a book that was dedicated to my male readers (I tend to be very female-centric). In this Our Lady companion book, Aidan gets invited to spend a weekend in Vegas with his brothers. But, a tight space, plenty of alcohol, and a long weekend bring out some truths none of them are really prepared to deal with. Testosterone and pinned up hostility are a bad combination in this story, as Aidan leads readers through the present, back through his childhood traumas and to the present yet again, in his own honest, extremely sarcastic, unfiltered way.
And finally:
The Age of the Daughter: The Sequel to The Witch of Fulton Lane
I’ve been taking my time with this one, because I kept stumbling across little tidbits of information that I wanted to weave into the story. In this sequel, Fulton Lane’s resident witch Dylan Maycriss finds herself caught up in a prophecy believed by a peculiar coven of Dianic Wiccans. Even worse, is the adversary Dylan must face, who seems to have abilities which mirror her own.
I’m planning to have this one ready within the next few weeks, pandemic or not.
Keep reading and writing, folks. And stay home!
Finding My Writing Mojo
Like many people, I’m spending more time at home these days. The Coronavirus changed things for everyone. Some people have been laid-off from their jobs, or are working fewer hours. My hours have been reduced, so while I am still working, I’m spending more time at home than usual. I expected to spend this time getting a lot of writing done. Alas, I have barely written a sentence. Maybe being shut in has killed my writing mojo. At least, that’s what I thought.
Maybe being shut in has killed my writing mojo.
Sometimes you just need to get out of your own way. I decided to just sit in front of my computer, and get some writing done, even if it was only a few lines. A few lines turned into a few pages. So I guess this means I have found my writing mojo again!
This month, I’m sharing the titles of books I’ve read or am currently reading, by working my way through the alphabet. And, as I continue to work on drafts of new books, I’ll post previews, too. If anyone reading this feels like they’ve lost their mojo, never fear: you’ll find it again.
My Website’s New Look
I recently decided to order some new business cards. I looked at my old design, and decided I needed a change. The old red and black W.E. logo has been around for a long time now. I wanted to use something that reflected the fact that I am a writer. What could be better than a composition notebook? My new business cards have a composition notebook on the left corner. This inspired me to revamp my website: new colors, new theme. Starting on Monday, Feb 17, there’s going to be a new look on woolastonentertainment.com. 🙂 I hope everyone likes it.
The 5th Anniversary of “Our Lady of Righteous Rage”
Releasing a new book is always exciting and special. Something that you have created and worked very hard on, is now available to the rest of the world. One of … Continue reading The 5th Anniversary of “Our Lady of Righteous Rage”
20 Downloads in 1 Weekend!!!!!
This weekend, my mother’s third book, A New England Serial Killer, was available for free for Kindle and the Kindle App. I’m very proud to say, she received 20 downloads in three … Continue reading 20 Downloads in 1 Weekend!!!!!
Free Ebook This Weekend!
Hello! There’s a thing happening this weekend! My mother June Parris recently published her third book, A New England Serial Killer. It’s the story of a newlywed couple who settle into their new lives in Boston, in a house that has been in the family for generations. However, a series of bizarre murders take place, and with odd behavior from the staff, they’re not sure of exactly what is happening.
The ebook is available for FREE this weekend on Amazon. If you have a Kindle or the Kindle App, please download a copy. If you like it, please leave a review!
A New England Serial Killer on Amazon
Help! My Content Needs Updating!: A KDP Tip
As a self-published author, I don’t have the staff most publishing houses use. Traditional publishers have editors and graphic designers, and people who know how to handle marketing. I am a one woman show: I have to rely on my own editing skills, as well as act as my own graphic designer and do my own marketing. This means, I have to wear several hats. The upside of this, is I am constantly learning new ways to wear all three of those hats.
Lately, I’ve had other writers ask me about publishing their books through Amazon, and how it compares to other self-publishing services I’ve encountered. I often compare Amazon’s service, KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) to Xlibris, another well-known Print-On-Demand (or POD) publisher. Aside from pricing and creative control, a major difference is the author’s ability to update the content of their book. What does this mean? Let me explain.
Let’s say you’ve written your manuscript, and checked it and rechecked it for errors. You’ve read it so many times you’re literally sick of your own book. You upload it to KDP’s site, follow all of the steps, approve everything, and KDP publishes your book. It becomes available for sale on Amazon. You’re proud, as you should be! You order an “author copy” and read it when it arrives. Then, it happens: you find a typo. After all of that reading and editing and checking, there’s still a bloody typo. You’re thinking to yourself: “Oh, just end me already!” But all is not lost.
YOU CAN STILL UPLOAD NEW CONTENT FOR YOUR BOOK! Yes, if you make corrections to your manuscript, even after your book is published and Amazon has made it “live” on their site, you can still upload a updated version of your book’s content. You’re probably thinking, there must be some sort of time frame in which this has to be done. No, there isn’t. As long as the book is available on Amazon, you can update the content at any time. How do I know? I spotted a mistake in Our Lady of Righteous Rage: Extended and Uncensored, nearly three years after I published it. I made the correction, uploaded the updated manuscript, and all is well.
Now, you’re probably wondering: Publishing with Amazon is free, but will I have to pay a fee when I update my book’s content? No. It’s still free.
Xlibris, on the other hand…
I published the first edition of Valentine with Xlibris in 2010. They sent me an author’s proof copy, so I could check for any errors. The first few mistakes were corrected for free. I was told, if any other changes needed to be made, there would be a fee. And this is after I had spent about $350 on a publishing package. And that was a sale, by the way.
I’m not trying to tell you what to do. You’re your own person, with your own mind; you can decided for yourself. But I hope my personal experiences have offered some insight.
PDF vs Word Doc: A Little KDP Tip
In all of the years that I have published books with Amazon’s KDP (formerly Create Space), I have learned many things through trial and error. When it comes to uploading a copy of your manuscript, two of your best choices for formats are PDF or a Word Document. However, I’ve learned this depends on if you’re publishing an ebook or a printed book. So, here’s my advice.
Use a PDF for Printed Books
As long as you have made all of your page breaks, it seems the best format to upload a printed book, is a PDF. There’s a much better chance your book will retain all of its margins if you use a PDF. There’s nothing more annoying than looking at your print preview and seeing one heading on one page begin three or four lines lower than you intended, or seeing the beginning of a chapter start on the end of a page instead of the beginning. Also, when it comes to page numbers, you may want to have them start from a bottom margin of at least 1.3. You can try 1.2, but that’s pushing it.
Use a Word Doc for Ebooks
It’s been my experience the good old fashioned Word Doc works just fine for ebooks. I’ve tried using PDF’s in the past, and even Amazon’s KDP advises against them. When it comes to ebooks and PDF’s, it seems the two just can’t get along. Your best bet is to upload your manuscript as a Word Doc. Even if you’re using Google Docs, download your manuscript as a Word Doc, then upload it.
Update: Jo Fuentes: Project Sleep
I’m finally coming into the home stretch on this book! So many obstacles got in the way, when I was attempting to finish it: moving, working on other projects, my job…and ultimately, myself. Yes, I tend to get in my own way. But at long last, it’s nearly complete. I’m looking forward to releasing it by the end of this week.
Jo Fuentes: Project Sleep is coming VERY soon!
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