Updated Website

Hi, everyone!

I updated the short stories tab of my website. I added cover art and blurbs for The Collector, Scattered, and Shattered. I finished writing The Collector, but I submitted it to a literary magazine for consideration, and one of the stipulations is that it must be previously unpublished. So, I cannot release it to the public as of yet. I am currently writing Scattered which I will also submit for consideration for another literary magazine.

Shattered is the next short I am going to write, and that one will be released to the public as a free download. I don't have an exact release date. It really depends on how fast I can write. These are not the only shorts I have in mind, but these are the first ones I am writing.

I have to also make video trailers, because it is something I like to do for all of my works. They may not be added to the website for another month or so, because my focus will be on my shorts and Malcontent. I am going to try to get more done this year than last year. That should have been my New Year's Resolution!

Remember to leave reviews for all the works you have read, and join me on facebook and twitter!

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?

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!

Library Thing

Hi, everyone.

I just wanted everyone to know that I created a Library Thing account. I am just learning to work it, and I probably wouldn't have joined if it weren't for the users cmorr and MyBear. They added my books.

I am still learning to work everything, but it is a great site to rate my works and the work of other authors. So join up. You can use your twitter or facebook account to sign in.

Profile Page: http://www.librarything.com/profile/Sandra.Madera
Author Page: http://www.librarything.com/author/maderasandra


P.S. Don't be afraid to friend me on twitter. I always follow back the people that follow me. For all those that have chosen to follow me, thank you for your support!

Wallpapers

I have finally gotten around to adding wallpapers to my site. I started off with desktops for Restraint, Lament, and Wicked Magic. I hope to have at least one for each of my works so stay tuned. I will be adding one for Sangre Falls and both parts of Weeping Willow.


I also have to work on a video teaser for Wicked Magic which will be posted soon.


If you have any other suggestions on what I should post, let me know by posting a message. Don't  be afraid to be vocal!

Bookmarks and Wallpapers

Hello, everyone.

I just posted a new bookmark on my site for Wicked Magic. "The quote is something that I plan to add to the novel. It is something Willow will say about Nalin to justify her search for him.

I plan to add more bookmarks and wallpapers in the future for all my works. I have many ideas and I will hopefully have the time to execute them in the near future.

Stay posted to this blog and my website to see all the things I will be adding to my website.

Thanks!

Bookmarks

 Hey, guys!

Since I know the majority of readers read the old fashioned way, I have added bookmarks to the About Me page of my official website, using some of my favorite quotes. They are 2x6 which make them easy to use in both small paperback books and large hardcovers. So, check them out.

They are easy to make. Save the image and print on card stock or photo paper. If you are using card stock, use clear book protectors which is a sticky clear liner that comes in a role to protect the ink and paper.

I will be adding more bookmarks in the future as well as creating wallpapers for each of my books. So, look out for future materials. Thanks!

Feedback and Reviews

I wanted to take the time to thank everyone who has posted reviews or sent me emails. I appreciate the feedback and kind words. I do take into account what the readers say, and thankfully, most of the reviews are quite positive. 

For those that have not left reviews, please take the time out to leave feedback. Whether it is positive or negative, I take what you think into account when I come up with other works. What you think is important as my target audience, and no voice is too small so start reviewing!!!

Thank you to everyone that has written. I hope you don't mind that I share your writings... There are so many more I want to share so look out for more posts in the future.

Some of Your Words:

ZBomb0:

- 5 stars - Weeping Willow 1 and 2

Weeping Willow was "An intriguing though short tale after reading both I know I love these characters and the story behind it this was a fun read and I look forward to more like it. Honestly a sweet short lovely two books if you haven't yet these are a must read."

Joni:

"You do such a good job of putting down a story and not a bunch of unneeded blah! You know what I mean. (You) get to the story and tell it!!!!! Cannot wait for more! Congratulations. Wonderful storyteller. Hope you can post this somewhere for reviews."

LFF:

- 5 stars - Weeping Willow 1

"Action at its best! Madera could give Stephanie Meyer a run for her money with Weeping Willow."

-5 stars - Weeping Willow 2

"A must read!!! Awesome! The only regret is that it is over, I could keep reading the Willow Saga for as long as possible. Thank you!"

Anonymous:

- 4 stars - Weeping Willow 2

"Should be a movie!!!!! ;) Awesome nice twist in the middle just short. But some times the shorter it gets the better it is! ;)

Anonymous:

- 5 stars - Weeping Willow 2

"OMG. Read it my only complaint is that it wasnt longer jst read it and hope she start to write longer books."

Anonymous

-5 stars - Weeping Willow 2

"A must read. A good storyline, developed characters that keep you interested. My only complaint is the book is too short! I can't believe this book was free."

Website is Up and Running!!!

In case you were wondering, my website is now up and running!!!


I never thought the day would come that I would have my own website, but I'm tremendously blessed to have the support of my family. Thank you to all the readers for your praise and well wishes. Your feedback is important to me and helps me to move forward in the writing process.

For the latest information on my upcoming novel Restraint and for its sequel Lament, please go to  www.sandramadera.com

Problems Publishing Website

My website is all but complete. I am so excited, because I never expected to have a website. But I found a way to have a website where the costs of running it aren't through the roof.


I find that it is better to customize a website than stick to a template. Even though my website and blog have a "home-made" feel by adding my own art, I like it better than using a sterile template. As I learn more about website design, I hope to have it looking a bit more professional, but, for now, I am really satisfied with the look of it.


I am ready to post it, but I am having problems publishing it to the web! Drives me nuts, but I am trying to talk to techs to solve the problem. So, look out for my website. It will probably be out as soon as this week.

Creating My Website

So, before I release my novel, I wanted to set up my website. Every writer needs a website...


I decided to make it using Intuit's Website Services, because I am not really knowledgeable in building webpages. I know nothing about computer lingo. I was a little lost using their website builder, but I quickly got the hang of it after a few tries.


My website is completely custom, because I couldn't find a template that was exactly what I needed. I am happy with the result though. There are certain things I wished looked more professional, but I still like what I created.


I definitely recommend using Intuit, because their customer service is excellent. However, it you know a lot about website building then you can really make your website stand out. Mine is a bit plain, but it is a start and I can always edit it. I just can't wait until it is up and running.

Druming Up Attention

So, basically, I have been writing stories since I was young and, even though, I have another profession, I decided to try my hand in the self publishing world. Not unlike other people before me...


So, I decided I needed to drum up some attention by releasing some short stories I wrote for FREE before releasing my novel (which I expect to charge for). I found several websites that offer these services and quickly published some of my short stories. They have been selling well - by well, I mean better than I expected but not great... Yet, I have been wracking my brain about how to get the word out there so my stories are available to others on a broader scale. I am sure others have had these problems when starting out and it is a natural part of the process. But I am an impatient New Yorker. What can I say?


I think it is important to be proactive whether your book has been out there two weeks or a year. My advice, from my limited experience, set your book apart from others within the retail site. I made little promo videos for each short story I released, posting them on youtube. Every time I log onto my channel, the views of my teaser trailers have gone up. A teaser works because it really brings the book alive, but you need some artistic ability if you don't want to spend a pretty penny.


I am fortunate to have some artistic ability with different mediums. My advise, for those that draw, is to get familiar with Twisted Brush. Twisted Brush is a digital art program that can be downloaded for free at download.com. It is useful in many ways. One such way is it can be used to create covers for your ebooks or create slides for book teasers. But like I said, you must have some artistic ability to be able to draw with Twisted Brush. Copyright free images can be purchased, but be prepared to spend some dough to put a entire video together. Once you have your image slides, windows has a great program called Video Maker which should be on XP and Vista automatically. It is incredibly easy to use and create effects such as fading from one image to another. Dabble with the program. Sometimes I learn more by playing around with a program than someone telling me how to work it. So play on...


For inspiration check out my channel on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/smadera23
You can download my short stories for FREE at: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/sandramadera
Follow me on Twitter (screen name: S_Madera)