I’m excited to reveal the cover of my new book, Time and Blood! The ebook is available for pre-order now, and both ebook and print version will be available on Oct 31!  My treat for you. The cover was designed by the very talented Marisa-rose Robyn of Cover Me Darling and you will be delighted when you see the interior designed by Cassy Roop of Pink Ink Designs.

The story is a paranormal romance between a phoenix and a vampire. Here is the book’s blurb:

Historians in Atlantis inscribed a prophecy in The Great Book of Forgetting about a pair of phoenix whose union would change the future of all magical creatures. When the sea swallowed Atlantis and all her inhabitants, time forgot the people and this prophecy.

But one creature survived.

Rhea is a scarlet phoenix and the last of her kind. She escaped Atlantis with The Great Book and for over ten thousand years roamed the earth, grieved for her lost immortal beloved, and endured nightmares from her past lives. Today, she hears a familiar voice on the wind luring her to a new place. Rhea follows and hopes for the impossible.

     She crossed millennia to find him. 

Jean-Louis is a 250-year-old vampire in New Orleans. For fifty years, nightmares plagued him, and a violent wind haunted him whispering in a foreign tongue. In his dreams, Jean-Louis sees the face of a woman he knows and aches for but has never met. He feels her approach; however, the vampire senses a connecting malevolence waits in the shadows.

     He risks his immortality to keep her.

An accident will bring Rhea into Jean-Louis’ arms. The shock will give new life to the ancient prophecy. But others whisper of the legendary phoenix and are hunting for Rhea. They must steal The Great Book and prevent any chance of the prophecy’s fulfillment. If they fail, the phoenix must die.

     Together they battle destiny for the future.

Rhea will risk everything for love, even death.

     When time and blood converge, blood must win.

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To celebrate the book’s release, YOU are invited to join me on Facebook for my Release Party. Several authors will be sharing the event with me, doing games and giveaways! These authors are: Robbie Cox, JC Layne, ND Jackson, Kim McDougal, Alyne Hart, HL Girton, MM Koenig, Ashlynne Laynne, and T.A. Mooreman. It’s going to be FUN! I hope to see you there and maybe you’ll get a free copy of the new book!___________________________________________________________________

Have you been following me on Instagram? NO?? Well you should. I don’t post enough to annoy you. And every Monday I post a picture of my pen for the week. It’s #pinyourpen day every Monday. You should join me with pictures of whatever pen you are using that week. Everyone has favorites and I am blessed to have many. So hook up with me on Instagram and let’s see yours. Here is last week’s offering. It is wood hand carved from New Zealand. I love it.

Come out to Instagram or my Facebook page to see what pen I’ve posted today!

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AUTHOR EVENT!  I’m preparing to attend an author signing in Columbia, SC called Authors Invade Columbia. It is the inaugural event and there will be about 100 authors, plus models, designers and bloggers in attendance. If you are anywhere near Columbia, SC, join us on Nov 11 from 10-3pm. Not to be missed. And I will have a monster basket of goodies to raffle off.  Here’s the link for info.  I hope you’ll join us.

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Finally, I love to connect with YOU. That’s why I have a monthly live chat on Facebook called Fireside with the Phoenix. The chats are only 15 minutes and I cover announcements, writing tips, questions from readers and anything else that is relevant to the month. Look for my time and date on my Facebook page. This month’s will be on Oct 28 (my 28th wedding anniversary!) but time isn’t set yet (usually around 11 a.m.). 

Thanks for stopping by. Looking forward to seeing you on Facebook, Instagram or other places. I’m on Twitter and Goodreads too. Or you can always contact me via my Contact page on this website.

I remain Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

(Next week, let’s discuss National Novel Writing Month!)

Author Photographs

By now you know how crazy I am about helping Indie Authors produce books that are at least as professional looking as traditionally published neighbors. What that means is making sure every Indie book doesn’t look homemade or amateurish by comparison. I’ve written about getting professional book covers and professionally formatted interiors as well as investing in a knowledgeable editor.

Yet one item continues to drag down Indie books and I’m here to help you ensure your book does not fall into that trap — the Cheesy Author Photograph.

When someone picks up your book, they examine your cover, read your blurb and then check out your author photo when they read who you are. Assuming your cover design is first rate and your book blurb is sharp and concise, what remains for that first impression is the author picture. And there you are in a grainy, cell phone close up, acting goofy. Your book is a mysterious bit of fantasy and you look like a comic. Epic fail.

You’ve destroyed your image and probably your brand unless you write comedy. So let me give you some tips to be sure your author photo is as professional as the rest of your book.

First, be sure you go professional. Ditch the idea that a quick snapshot taken as a selfie or by your best friend’s roommate will do the trick. You invested good money in a cover, an interior, an editor and so you must now do the same for a photographer. A good author photo will last you for a few years and is the professional image that does a couple things:

• It says you are a professional. You are a business and not a hobby. You want to be taken seriously for your hard work and you have an image/brand that is important.
• A professional photo highlights your good side, showcases your personality and you let your readers see that part of you which they will look for in the books to come.

Next, your author photo highlights your genre, albeit subtly. If your genre is romance, then perhaps you want a photo that is soft and wistful. You could take it outdoors and dress in pastels or even fancy dress if you write historical fiction. If you write mystery, you can sit and stare away as if you see something we cannot. Be serious but not too serious. If you write crime drama, maybe your photo will be black and white and you lean against a lamp post or are catching a taxi. You probably aren’t smiling in this one. Fantasy, be fanciful and maybe in the woods or on the lake, or at a tea party. Whatever you choose, make it fit your genre.

Make it fit your age. If you are older, don’t try to look like you’re 18 again. A good black and white photo can highlight (and disguise) a great deal. Ask your photographer what he/she recommends. Whatever you do, make sure you are act and look natural. Readers want to see people in their authors and not more characters.

Stay away from gimmick shots. I know you love the sex aspect – -and yes, sex sells books. But not for your author photo! Unless, of course, you write erotica and porn, then maybe you want your author photo to show you in your nightgown. Or not. Let’s go with not. Anyway, don’t get your picture in the bed or in the bath or hanging upside down in the garage. If you write sports or fitness, by all means go to the gym or get a shot in your sport. But don’t do it just for shock and awe or “because you want to be different.” That kind of different doesn’t look professional and silly is a hard brand to lose once it is applied.

So get a photographer that is experienced in author head shots. HEAD SHOTS. Yes, sure you can have your picture taken in the cemetery on a tombstone if you write urban fantasy about vampires or beasts. Heck it worked for Rob Thurman. But you aren’t her. Sure you can take your photos with your dogs and horses. It worked for Carolyn Haines. She’s best-selling. But again, you aren’t her and maybe you should worry about something more established until you have her success.

Your photographer can tell you what he/she recommends for you. Because of your age or your coloring. I will warn you against dressing in black and white. Unless you plan to shoot in black and white and then check with your photographer. I was told that gray works better.

Here’s a good shot and it’s me!

Spend money for a good photograph. And no, it won’t cost you like your cover, formatting, and editor will. I got a great deal for less than $100. And I got 10 various shots in color and black and white. Standard prices run from the low end like mine to around $200. Check references and go look at photos taken in the past. Find a photographer who “gets” you. 

And here’s a fun BAD shot, a selfie of me screwing around

Don’t be afraid to show some personality but remember, saying “cheese” doesn’t mean you have to be cheesy about it. Skip the urge to selfie. Remember, one day this picture could be the shot heard – or seen – around the world. Imagine — the magazine shows a photograph of you, the serious, best-selling, professional author. Think on that and smile for the camera.

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My new book is scheduled for release on Oct 31. Get ready! Read The Gypsy Thorn while you wait and please leave me a review. I thank you!

Thanks for stopping by,
I remain, Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

Truth. This morning I realized it was Monday. I hadn’t written my blog post! Honestly folks, I’m neck-deep in final book edits, did a live chat on Facebook on Saturday Aug 26, watched Eclipse 2017 last Monday and had a variety of workers/delivery people at the house — okay, so maybe I’m making excuses but real life does have a way of pushing some things out of your mind. Despite my PAA reminding me last Thursday to start my blog, I let it slip away. So let’s catch up.

First, the eclipse last week was incredible. We live in one of the “almost total” area, 98.7%. Not total darkness, not even a real twilight for us, but then everything turned a bit hazy green, shadows sharpened, crescent shadows were everywhere and I was as excited as a kid going to her first birthday party. The shadow shot is from my driveway and the crescent shot my husband took with his smartphone through glasses (that’s why it looks dark). That’s as close as we came to a full eclipse. For me, it was as if I experienced the big bang. I am so easy to please and hey, a once in a lifetime experience!

Confession. We plan to see the total eclipse in 2024 by going to Indiana (warning, family!).

Besides the multitudes of people passing through our place this last week (Sears, Trugreen, ValuePest, Salvation Army, Schwans, UPS) and being a total and complete distraction, not much else happened. Everyone’s been planning for the kids to head back to school, and wondering if a roundabout built in a major intersection would be done in time for school.

And yes, it is done and people are acting like they’ve never driven a circle before. Indeed most have not if they have never been overseas or to another large metropolitan area. It is a bit laughable to hear people cheering how they successfully navigated a circle. I don’t mean to be mean, but honestly, it’s a circle.

I suppose it isn’t nice to laugh at people’s discomfiture, but from the videos posted online, it is funny to listen to people breathe and laugh at themselves when they realize there was nothing to their fear. I laugh harder when they say, “oh I didn’t realize it was only a circle.” Too rich.

As for what’s happening with me? I’m working on the final edits of my new book, Time and Blood. Later this week, my PAA and I will get together for the oral read through. That’s always painful, long and often funny. Next week, I will write about why that is so important.

(Please note the reference books:  Words’Worth by Jane Riddell; How to Write Dazzling Dialogue by James Scott Bell; Writing Fight Scenes, by Rayne Hall; and Revising and Self-Editing, by James Scott Bell)

Also next week I should be working with my cover designer, Marisa-rose Robyn, owner of Cover Me Darling designs to do the exciting new cover. Marisa did the covers for my books, The Gypsy Thorn (my last book), Breaking the Glass Slipper and The Book of Now. She’s won several awards lately and will make my book shine. Her cover work on The Book of Now has won a couple awards. 

At the end of September/first of October, Cassy Roop of Pink Ink Designs will do the formatting for the new book. She did the formatting for The Book of Now and Breaking the Glass Slipper. The interior of The Book of Now won an award from Independent Press Awards (IPA). 

You can see why I revisit designers and formatters who do fine work. And yes, they are worth the money. Please pay for quality work. And if you decide to do your own covers, learn how to do them well and learn about the various genres including fonts and colors. Or do as I do and leave it to the award-winning professionals. They will make you look good!

A few personal notes. I do a Fireside With the Phoenix live Facebook chat at the end of every month. Most of the time I discuss a little something about writing, make some thanks yous, answer questions sent to me, and talk about upcoming events, giveaways, or contests. You don’t want to miss these going forward. Trust me. Keep an eye to my Facebook Author page for the when and time of each live chat.

Finally, every Monday I like to participate in #pinyourpen. It’s a fun way to showcase your favorite handwriting tool. Some like fountain pens and others like ballpoint. Some like gel pens and others collect quill pens. Whatever you like, be sure to join in on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and show me yours. This is mine for this week.

Thanks for stopping by for a bit of this and that. See you next time.

Until then, I remain,