Scattered: KDP and Free Promotion!

So, I have been looking into removing Scattered from KDP's select program.  As apart of the publishing program, I have to keep that specific work exclusive to Amazon.  There is nothing wrong with exclusivity if you have a killer marketing team or great promotional skills.  However, I feel that exclusivity has its drawbacks.

For one, your work only appeals to those with Kindles or Kindle apps.  Now, I happen to know that the Kindle app is very popular among android users.  That is a plus, but I have found that I receive the most sales from Barnes and Noble, not Amazon.  While being enrolled in KDP Select is supposed to change that, giving you work more exposure, it hasn't for me.  I made it onto a list of highest downloaded shorts with a mere 24 downloads.  That is nothing compared to the readership on Barnes and Noble.

Another drawback is that on Amazon your work has to be sold at a price.  I prefer my short stories to be free, but in order to do that, I have to space promotions that last only 5 days over a few months.  My short stories allow readers to get to know my writing style and so they become promotional tools within themselves.  If people like my shorter works, they are more likely to buy my novels; however, if I can't give them away for free, it defeats the purpose.  I do like that if I post this particular short to other outlets, Amazon should have a price match, making it fee on their site permanently.

Looking into my arrangement with KDP Select, I can place Scattered on Smashwords and other outlets in August where it will be FREE!!!  Right now, I decided to use my five days of free promotion.  So, from 5/22/15 to 5/26/15 Scattered will be available to download for FREE on Amazon.com.  Please take advantage if you are interested in reading it.  Otherwise, the next time you will see it free is in August.  Click the link below tomorrow for a free download.

Link: SCATTERED on Amazon

Yearly Novelette for 2014 is...The Collector

Hello, everyone!

Happy New Year!  Hopefully everyone has a wonderful 2014 in front of them with continued health and blessings.

Every year I release a free novelette/short story for my readers.  This new year is no different.  I'm releasing The Collector.  This story has been a long time coming since it is loosely based on a dream I had many years ago which I still think about.

I am currently going over formatting for publishing my work on Smashwords.  It should be published by the end of the day and within a week or two at other online bookstores. Please be sure to download it and leave a review.  Your reviews are important to me and other readers who don't know whether or not to give indie authors a shot.

Again, have a Happy New Year!

Download The Collector here

Download Scattered for FREE

Hi, everyone.

By now everyone knows that it is impossible for an author to place any work on Amazon for free for more than five days.  I have seen works marked free for longer, but I can't figure out how it is done.  I usually post my short stories on Smashwords for that reason.  Yet, I decided to post Scattered on Amazon.

I have put Scattered up for free, but it expired after five days. So since I have waited three whole months to get the right to post it for free again... I am spreading the news that after Christmas I will be making Scattered free for another five day period. Please download it and leave a review to help me spread the word.

Thank you!

Progress Report

Hello!

I am happy to report that I have roughly eight chapters to write for Malcontent.  The projected word count exceeded my expectations.  The final book might end up 5,000-10,000 more words than I originally thought.  This book will mark the end of the Restraint Trilogy and conclude a journey that began for me when I dreamed with these characters a little more than 16 years ago.  It is both a sad and happy event.

I know that many people are interested in knowing details of Wicked Love.  Wicked Love will pick up exactly where Wicked Magic left off.  In Wicked Magic, Willow was the main protagonist, but Nalin will take the lead in Wicked Love since he must first remember his lost love and then rescue her like all good heroes do.  I want to have it out by mid-2014, but if I can have it done sooner, then I will release it earlier.

As soon as I am done with Malcontent, I will begin work on Wicked Love without delay.  In fact, I am pretty eager to get started.  There are a lot of great ideas I have that I can't wait to get started on.

I have written a yearly novelette for 2014 entitled The Collector.  Look for it in January 2014 in Smashwords first and then in other online bookstores.

To all those who left reviews and recommended by books to friends, thank you for helping me reach those who wouldn't have otherwise come to know my work.

The Decision...Scattered Will Be Published!

Hello.

Well, I have come to a decision after watching a YouTube video online about how to make a work free on Kindle. I have decided that I will publish Scattered exclusively through Amazon.com. It will not be published anywhere else digitally. I should have the short story up by the end of the night since all of the work is done, and I just have to add a few details.

If you do not have a kindle, do not fear! There are kindle phone and computer apps that will allow you to read the story from most portable devices. I had to put in a price of $0.99, but it must be approved before I can make it free. So it should be a day or two.

Scattered is similar to, this years novelette, Shattered in that it is a murder mystery. I hope all of you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thank you all so much for your continued support, and I look forward to your reviews.

Rebecca Ardsley was a witness to a traumatic event that she cannot remember. All she knows is she was found wandering in the woods in the early morning hours, suffering from shock. She hasn’t seen her friends and family in months. When she is released from a recovery facility, she finds it hard to adapt and return to the friends she has known her whole life. Feeling like a stranger in a foreign land, Rebecca realizes the only way to settle what happened is to release the memories that are trapped in her own mind. Even at risk of her own life.

Q/A: Are certain literary themes 'played out"?

Q: Are certain literary themes "played out"?

A: NO! I am a firm believer of writing what you love, regardless of the trends.

Why? Because like all trends, they come and they go. A few years ago angel books were all the rage. I read my share of handsome fallen angels, which were somehow really good at heart, that fell in love with the young protagonist. I read about three of those kinds of books when they were in style.

I read Fallen by Lauren Kate which was definitely not for me. I found all the babbling about how cute the love interest was in every chapter annoying. Plus, there were a lot of plot elements that didn't work for me. I read the Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson which I liked a lot. The first book was intriguing. By the time I got to the third book, it was less so. Lastly, I read, Indie author, Abra Ebner's Feather Trilogy. At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like novel. I was a few chapters in when I realized the first book was actually a page turner. I ended up liking it very much. Yet, before long, I was looking for something else....

The next trend was dystopian novels. While I like novels where the classic utopian society takes a downturn, I found myself looking for new novels that went against the grain. I wanted to read about witches, vampires, werewolves, and supernatural worlds. In other words, I found myself wanting to read something different from where the trend was going.

During this time, I re-read the Wicked Series by Nancy Holder which happens to be one of my favorites. It is about a battle between a family of witches and a powerful warlock. The first four books were awesome. I was not too pleased with the final book, but it was still worth reading. I read the whole Sookie Stackhouse Series, because I was a huge fan of True Blood. (Last season was horrible though). I also made a point to read, my favorite author ever, Richie Tankersley Cusick's Walk of the Spirits. It was basically about a girl who can see spirits and has to unlock the mystery of what happened to one who continues to plead for help. I liked it, but not as much as I loved her Unseen Series. I mean, I actually ordered the series before it was available in the U.S., having it shipped from the U.K. That series is about a demon who is in pursuit of a girl who it becomes obsessed with, killing everyone she is close to. Interesting, huh? I love Ms. Cusick's writing so much that I purchased all of her novels from my teenage years and read them again!

What can be learned by my reading habits? Well, as you can see, I read what I like. So, a trend can steer your writing choices, but it doesn't always translate to an instant audience. Odds are, when there so many books of one genre, a reader will be looking for a book that is different. Don't worry that the vampire or werewolf thing has been done before, because trends rotate like the earth...they always come back around.

Shattered Reviewed!!!

Hello, everyone!

I should have posted this a two weeks ago, but I am posting it now. Shattered has been reviewed by two blogs.

Emma Wolf's Blog: click here to see the full review


"I liked her writing style. The author used a lot of metaphor and imagery that I thought added depth to descriptions."

Turn the Page Book Blog: click here to see the full review

"I really enjoyed this short story by Sandra Madera. I thought it was really well written, well put together and had a great plot. I was left in suspense throughout the whole story and found myself liking or disliking characters, that in the end were justified."


*As a side note: The Weeping Willow shorts were also reviewed by Book Heaven. To see that short review click here.

Shattered

Hi, everyone.

I just wanted to give everyone an update. I have finished Scattered and sent it off to my editor. Hopefully, the story is cohesive enough for magazine submissions. If not, I am in for some rewrites. So, while one manuscript is being edited, I have begun another. I have started writing Shattered which is my new short that will be released to the public for FREE via all major online bookstores. It feels really good to write new characters and to put these ideas, which have been floating in my head for quite some time, onto paper. So, to tease you a bit of what is to come. I posted the first scene below as well as the books blurb.

Thanks and continue to leave those awesome reviews!



Identical twins, Miranda and Nastasia Moralez, couldn’t be more different. Being the head of the cheerleading team, Natasia is the most popular girl in the school. Miranda is not, taking photographs in her spare time for the school paper. Life is normal until a tragic accident takes the life of one twin. Miranda quickly realizes that the car crash that took her sister’s life was no accident. It was planned. Now, Miranda has to find out who wanted her sister dead before she succumbs to the same fate.

Story Excerpt (Unedited):

The impact was enough to throw my body up against the steering wheel, knocking the breath out of my lungs with a single blunt force. The sound of my ribs cracking echoed through my ears like the sound of branches breaking in a silent forest. Opening my mouth to scream, both in pain and panic, my voice was silenced by my own fear, blocking my airway like an obstruction.

Without warning, there was a turning and a sound of metal being crushed like a tin can under a great weight. Within an instant, my world spun around as if I was in a blender, cracking all the glass windows. Then the splintered windshield shattered. Small pieces of  glass rained on me like drops of water suspended in air. Each shard was as sharp as a dagger, stabbing me all over my body.

My head and shoulder hit the roof of the car as it slammed into the asphalt. Whimpering, I fought to regain control of my body, but when the car turned a final time, my forehead crashed into the steering wheel. The force was so great my head ricocheted off, causing the back of my head to hit the car seat. With my body beaten and broken, I could not move to shelter myself from the blows.

When the car came to a complete stop, it was on its side. The hideous shrieking of metal rubbing on asphalt evaporated into the air, and I was left in utter silence. Struggling to breathe, I managed to cry out for help before I lost consciousness and drifted off into nothingness....

Malcontent Trailer and Wicked Magic Review

Hi, everyone.

I just finished working on the Malcontent Book Trailer. I posted it on my website and Youtube for your viewing. I also posted it below.

I haven't been feeling well so I took a short break from writing. But I hope to be writing again soon, because I want to get started on Malcontent and probably a new short.

I just wanted to let everyone know that Josie Epping from Josie's Haven Blog will be reviewing Wicked Magic on her blog soon. She posted a short review on Goodreads (CLICK ON THE LINK TO CHECK IT OUT). So, keep leaving those reviews. I do read them, and I am loving the positive energy!!! I know many people want the short stories to be longer, but I see that as readers wanting more. So, that means I am on the right track. So, sit tight and look out for more works later this year and early next year.

Wicked Magic Update

Hello, everyone!

I just wanted to update all of my readers that are anxiously awaiting the release of Wicked Magic. I am currently writing the last ten chapters. I hope to release this novel withing the first two weeks of June. I know it has been a long wait, but I am striving to create a novel that fans of the Weeping Willow stories can enjoy. Sometimes that takes a lot of time and imagination, but the final chapters are planned out and all I need to do is put them down on paper.

I have already contacted Josie Epping from the Josie's Haven Blog about writing an honest review once it is done, and she agreed. So, I hope to have a link to her review after the book release. I am sure she has a long backlog of other books to read, but I am very pleased that she will make time for a review.

I hate to give release dates, because life never goes according to schedule. I hate to miss release dates, but I am usually never more than two weeks off. Sorry for everyone who was interested in reading the novel now, but I hope to have it for you come June.

Update on Wicked Magic

I passed on the first half of the book to my editor, and she loved it. I hope to have it done by the end of the month. I have been writing about 1500 words a day. So, if I roughly write a chapter every weekday than I should be done with it on schedule.

Since Wicked Magic will be out in both paperback (via Create Space) and e-book format, it makes sense that I should publish the original shorts as well. So, I will publish the original shorts in paperback format most likely with an additional unpublished story. This short will be about what happened between the second short and the novel. It will be called Wicked Chemistry. If I do release Wicked Chemistry, than it will only be available as part of the paperback version of the stories. I will NOT release it in e-book format.

Right now, these are just ideas, but I hope to make them into reality. We'll see in the next few weeks, because I am anxious to begin work on Malcontent.

Reformatting

Right now, I am hard at work reformatting Restraint and Lament for soft cover distribution. I have been getting some inquiries as to whether I was going to release any of my titles in other formats... Especially, from those that don't have e-readers or like to read things on the computer.

I have wanted to, but I didn't know what it entailed, and well, the amount of work involved. So, I did my research... I chose to go ahead and create an actual book using CREATESPACE.com.

As always, I like to do everything myself. So, I put together this book cover and formatted my book into a 6x9 book. However, the process takes many steps so I hope to have Restraint and Lament out in two weeks or so.

When I am done with Wicked Magic, I will publish in both formats; however, the soft cover will include both shorts so that reader doesn't miss reading complete story, because Wicked Magic begins where the shorts left off.

Eventually, I will add to my list of short stories. When I have enough to compile, then I will make a soft cover book entitled Series (as in series of shorts). Some of which, I will reserve only for the actual book. But right now this is only an idea. So, when I make this dream into an actuality, I will be sure to let everyone know.

Just wanted to give everyone who prefers an actual book a heads up. Stay tuned!

Malcontent Bookmark & Wallpapers

So, I have been working on the Malcontent bookmark which is available free on my website as an image that can be copied. I have made actual bookmarks in the past and gave them out at local libraries as promotional tools. It was a success. Eventually, I will print more and have them available for purchase at my online store, but I am not ready to do that yet. Maybe soon.

I have also been working on wallpapers for Malcontent. Above is one that I created with a quote from the ebook which is due out in December 2012. I am going to make another. I will probably get started on that tomorrow. Then I will get started on the book trailer. As soon as that is done, I will post that to my site and blog.

Malcontent Blurb

Malcontent is the third and final extension of the Restraint Trilogy. This will be about Louise May Reynolds and her family. It will also showcase how she fell in love with William Carter, bringing the story around full circle. I just finished writing the blurb and added it to my website. I will be adding the video trailer soon. As well as the bookmark and wallpaper images. I hope to have this novel out by December 2012. I am hoping for earlier, but one never knows what life will throw at them.

Raised in a world where the first born are often sacrificed, Louise May Reynolds believes it is her destiny to appease her family by entering into an arranged marriage. However, Louise May struggles as she finds marrying Bryan Froster, a powerful and ruthless vampire prince, revolting.

In her discontent, she tries to devise a way out of the union, fearing the only way to truly be free of Bryan Froster is death. Scared of turning her back on her family and the clan, Louise May struggles inwardly between what others expect of her and what she wants for herself. Until, she rebels against everything she has been raised to believe. Secretly vowing to escape a life of servitude, she risks disturbing the balance between vampire and servant which can cost her more than she can even imagine.

Can Louise May turn her back on her family in order to follow her heart?

Wicked Magic Update

I have been hard at work writing Wicked Magic: A Weeping Willow Novel.

The story is based on a dream I had that stood with me, haunting me. So, I decided to write about it. However, there have been a few hold ups. After I started writing, my pacing seemed wrong. With the short stories, something happened every minute, because I had to fit a lot of information in a small amount of words. Remember that Weeping Willow Shorts were only intended to showcase my writing style to potential readers. I never intended to make a novel.

So, when I started writing the novel, something was off. I had to give over a few chapters to my editor, Susan, for review so that she could explain what was off. I had to put my writing on hold for a short while, but she didn't find anything wrong with the flow.

The pacing of the short is really fast, but then again it was a short story. Not a novel. Anyway, I got used to that frantic pace of the short. It basically became the signature of the shorts. With the novel, the passing is longer, but the tricky thing is not to lose the feel of the original shorts. It has been tricky, but now, I am developing a flow.

This novel is darker than the shorts, because it is based upon a nightmare I had. Without giving too much away, there will be creatures from other realms that make their presence known. I was inspired by Dante's Inferno and the idea of combining it with my dream. This book will take off where the other one left off so the shorts must be read before attempting to read this novel.

I am really excited to get this one out. I hope everyone like it. I don't know if anymore Willow novels will be in my future, but I am sure all of my readers will get back to me with input about that.

So, I am back on track with my schedule. I am hoping to release it by Late May/Early June. Then I will begin work of, Malcontent: A Restraint Novel, the last of the Restraint Trilogy.


One chapter of WICKED MAGIC can be read at FEEDBOOKS where I have posted a chapter preview.

Setbacks

I have wanted nothing but to continue to work hard at completing Wicked Magic. Yet, I have been hit with one problem after another. First, I had a severe cold that would not go away. Now, I have a stomach virus that my nephew passed to everyone in the family. So, I have been sick for almost three weeks straight!

Still, I am pushing forward with writing my new novel, and I have to say that I like the way it is turning out. It is a struggle to write while sick. I would have wanted to be further along than where I am, but at least, I am not rewriting. I actually like what I am writing although it has a darker theme than the original short stories.

As for the bookmarks I printed, I gave them out at libraries and schools in the New York City area which was a success as I gained more readers. I plan to eventually print more and also print postcards to sell them on my website for a few cents, but that is for the future. Until then, I may print more for promotional purposes.

Stay posted!

Editing Done for Lament

So, my editor finished up editing Lament. I have to make the changes and then I can publish it. Look for it on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Smashwords.

For those that posted comments, I could not choose so you both get a Free copy of Lament! Look out for my email to the address you commented with. Thanks!

Right now I am in the midst of writing Wicked Magic. For a one chapter book preview, go to Feedbooks.com and search "Sandra Madera."

Lament Update

So, I just finished writing Lament, and I will be sending it to my editor tomorrow. After her careful review and the changes that I need to make, I hope to have it in stores by next week. If that is not feasible, than it will be released the following week. So, please leave feedback in the "WIN A FREE COPY OF LAMENT" blog post, because I will be picking a winner really soon.

Thanks for all of your positive feedback on Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, and other sites. I do try to read them, and take everything into account. So keep posting!

Professionally Printing Bookmarks

Today I formatted bookmarks to send so that they can be professionally printed. My idea was to use them as marketing tools by giving some to my niece to spread throughout her school and leaving some at a local library. So wish me luck!

I was not really happy with the clarity of a bitmap image over time. The writing starts to look blurred. It was a challenge to change the format but needed. I wanted the image to be clearer than just a regular bitmap image. I learned how to do this using a PowerPoint-like program from Open Office. I hope to update all the bookmarks on my site so that they could be just as clear, but everything seems to take more time than I would like.

Also, for those waiting for the release of Lament, I hope to release it later this month. Sometimes I think I will have a book done way in advance and then life happens and things get in the way. But despite all distractions, I will be releasing it as soon as possible.

Thank you to all the fans that have posted reviews!!! I have read some of the wonderful feedback, and I hope to continue to write books that will surprise and captivate your attention. Thanks!

P.S. DON'T FORGET TO ENTER TO WIN A FREE COPY OF LAMENT. LOOK AT MY BLOG POST FOR INFORMATION.

WIN a free copy of Lament!!!

I have been hard at work writing and juggling my everyday life. Being so close to the holidays, I find that I am in the Christmas spirit. After a hard year, I wanted to give back to my readers. So, I decided I am going to give away a FREE copy of Lament in the ebook format of choice. The winner will be chosen once the book is done, but before it goes on sale in online bookstores.

So, what do you do? Easy... Write a sentence or two about why/what you like about one of my works. Be sure to name the work and post it below as you would a comment. A winner will be chosen from the posts and they will received a FREE copy of my book Lament by email.

This book will retail for $2.99 US at Smashwords, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Click JOIN THIS SITE on the right side of the screen to keep abreast of the details. If this is a success, then I plan to do more free giveaways in the future. So, please join in. Happy Holidays!!! Good luck everyone!