Talking with Jade M. Phillips about MER

Jade M. Phillips is here today to talk about her new young adult fantasy/science fiction novel, MER, published by Kith Books.

About the book:
In a land where the sea grows restless, the summer breeze turns to ice and sleet, and Mother Nature has plans of another sort, dark and supernatural forces begin to unfold, fighting to unite the broken prophecy. In the midst of a tangled web lie the Castlecrays, a family with deep tragedy and mysterious secrets, who are torn apart and forced on a treacherous journey. Coming from a time when kings rule the realm, knights fight for honor, and eminence is power, the children of Castlecray are thrown into an unknown magical ambiance where nothing is as it seems, and bedtime stories come alive right before their eyes. Sweeping from a land of severe and savage seas to the sparkling underwater spires of a magical unknown world, this is a tale of lords and ladies, knights and nobility, traitors and trolls, who are all intertwined in a weaving maze of conspiracy and deception. Amidst gallantry and guilt, love and loss, the Castlecrays find their fate to be in the hands of their enemies, of each other, and of their new mysterious  allies, the Wavekeepers—all vying to keep the balance between good and evil, land and sea, in a fight for the ultimate desire; the power of MER.


Jade, how long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I’ve been writing short stories, poetry, and music since I was in grade school, for almost twenty years now, but this is my first published novel. I started writing because of my best friend. She was really into poetry and that sparked an interest in me that never went away.

How did you come up with the title of your book?

This book has a secret. And I am going to give you some VIP information by telling you this...but if you couldn’t already tell by the title, its secret is Merpeople. The idea came from a couple different sources. First of all, my five year old daughter is obsessed with mermaids, so I guess there is always a mermaid floating around in the back of my brain. LOL!

Second, my husband and I were up late one night discussing the current trends in young adult fantasy books (my fave of course). We were talking about vampires and werewolves, zombies, and faeries, when I was like, “Wait! What about mermaids?” And thus: MER was born!

How would you describe your book in a tweet? (140 characters or less.)
MER, the new young adult fantasy series, is dark and magically gripping, sure to have you hooked!

Great! That's not easy to do. Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

A little bit of everything! I start with an outline, but as I go on the story and the characters take on a mind of their own. I am sometimes surprised on where the book leads me!

What is your favorite quote?

“Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” –Albus Dumbledore

That Albus was a wise man. How do you get to know your characters?

My characters are started with a vague idea, a thought in the back of my mind, a general age, sex, and a name. They then begin to develop personalities and traits on their own as the story progresses. I love how they sometimes say things that shock me! Haha!

Do you have a favorite of your characters?

That’s difficult because I love (or love to hate) all of my characters. But yes, I have a favorite. I’d have to say Quin. She’s a feisty, tomboyish ten-year-old girl who isn’t afraid to speak her mind; quite the contrary to the lady of nobility that she is expected to be. She cracks me up by always getting into trouble!

She sounds like my kind of girl. Which author would you most like to invite to dinner, and what would you fix him or her?

I would love to invite George R.R. Martin to dinner. Not only is he a fantastic writer, he is a great historian and fabulous person (from what I’ve seen of interviews). I would make chicken parmigiana, and hopefully not burn it.

What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?

I am currently absorbed in Laini Taylor’s Days of Blood and Starlight, the sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone, in e-book format. I would HIGHLY recommend these books, they are phenomenal!

Do you have a routine for writing? Do you work better at night, in the afternoon, or in the morning?

I am a lover of routines, but since I am a mother of two little ones who aren’t in school yet, I write whenever I can! That usually means at night after the kids are asleep, or on my husband’s days off I hand them over and bolt out the door to Starbucks, as quick as lightning, to get my write-on!

Where do you prefer to do your writing?

Starbucks is okay when necessary, but I really enjoy writing on my back porch, where I can hear the birds and see the trees. We have these comfy sofa-like chairs out there and I just grab my lap-top and a cup of hot tea and click away on the keyboard!

Do you ever get writer’s block? What do you do when it happens?

I throw things and curse a lot...*crickets*.
Haha! No, I’m kidding. I take breaks. A good walk helps me to clear my mind of all the stumbling blocks and refresh with new ideas.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Read. I LOVE to read. I love to play video games and have dance parties with my kids.

What are you working on now?

I am working on MER (volume 2) the second book in the MER series. It is going to be fantastic! I get goose bumps just thinking about it!

Good luck with it, Jade, and come back and tell us about it when it's out.

                                                                MER book trailer

About the author:

Jade M. Phillips, aside from being an author, can play guitar, do a frighteningly accurate portrayal of a spider monkey, and has the unique and magical ability to vanquish entire armies of snarling trolls with a flick of her pen.
When she is not writing about mystical creatures and lovable characters, she’s having nightly dance parties with her kids, blogging about whatever tickles her fancy at the moment, and testing new recipes on the stove (which coincidentally, usually ends up testing her smoke detectors as well).

Jade M. Phillips resides in Arizona with her husband, two children, and her crazy cat, William Wallace Braveheart Fuzzy McFarland the Third.

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Talking with Jennifer Comeaux

Jennifer Comeaux is the author of Edge of the Past, the sequel to Life on the Edge. Both are contemporary romance novels geared toward the teenage audience, published by Astraea Press.

About Edge of the Past:

Emily’s skating career and personal life have never been more golden. She and her partner Chris have won every competition they’ve entered this season, and she’s found the man of her dreams in her coach Sergei. But when one of the biggest competitions of the year takes Emily and Sergei to Russia, Sergei’s past explodes into the present and makes Emily doubt everything in their future.

Scroll down for an excerpt from the book!


Jennifer, how long have you been writing, and how did you start? 

I started writing when I was very young! I had a very active imagination, and I loved writing stories. I wrote my first “novel” when I was twelve. As I got older, my fiction writing took a back seat to school-related writing, and I didn’t write anything of substance again until three years ago. I had the idea for a romance between a skater and a coach, and one of my friends kept bugging me to write the story so she could read it. I felt so rusty when I first started, but then the words just flowed! That rough draft eventually turned into my first published novel, Life on the Edge.

How would you describe your book in a tweet? (140 characters or less.) 

Can true love survive the ghosts of the past?

Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write? 

I did a mixture of both for Edge of the Past. I had a very jumbled outline that I tried to follow, but many times I’d start working on a chapter and the characters would have different ideas! Even though I’m a very organized person in my day job as an accountant, I find that in my writing, I’m not a very structured plotter.

Did you have any say in your cover art? What do you think of it? Tell us about the artist. 

I love my cover! I’m very lucky that my publisher has an awesome artist, Elaina Lee, who is very receptive to feedback. She listened to my ideas and worked with me to create the perfect cover for the story.

I keep a running list of new names, and I even troll the obits for ideas. How do you name your characters? 

My main characters’ names just sort of came to me a long time ago. I liked the name Emily and thought it fit her personality. For many of the minor characters, I’ve been using the names of my friends’ children. The kids get a kick out of seeing their names in print!

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose? 

I would be Emily because I’d love to know what it feels like to be a champion skater – to feel like I’m flying over the ice. And she has a pretty amazing fiancé too!

With which of your characters would you most like to be stuck on a deserted island? 

I would most like to be stuck with Sergei because, well...he’s hot, haha! He’s also incredibly sweet, generous, and caring, so I think he’d be great if things got rough on the island.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book. 

My favorite scene in the book is one where Emily and Sergei get to spend some quality romantic time with each other after a rough couple of weeks. I love writing those romantic moments where I can really showcase the chemistry between them.

What song would you pick to go with your book?

I have a whole soundtrack for the book that you can find on my blog! One of the songs that’s closely tied in with the theme of the book is “Fall Away” by The Fray. The chorus of the song is “You fall away from your past but it’s following you.”

What are your favorite books or favorite authors?

a) as a child: Judy Blume
b) as a teenager Francine Pascal. I read every Sweet Valley High book I could get my hands on! I also loved her Caitlin series.
c) as an adult: I’ve really enjoyed Tammara Webber, Rachel Hawthorne and Stephanie Perkins.

What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)? 

I’m currently reading Summer Swing by Delia Delaney on my Kindle.

Where’s home for you?  
Home is right across the Mississippi River from New Orleans in an area called the West Bank. It’s been my home all my life!

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go? (Don’t worry about the money. Your publisher is paying.)

I would go to Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympics. I attended the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, and it was such an amazing event!

What are you working on now? 

I’m currently working on the third book in the EDGE series! It will wrap up Emily and Sergei’s journey and also tell Emily’s best friend Aubrey’s story, as they all prepare for the 2006 Olympics. I also just finished a short story that’s sort of an epilogue to Edge of the Past. It will be available as a free download in early 2013!

Great! I know your fans are anxiously awaiting the third book in the series. I hope you'll come back and tell us about it when it's out.

Excerpt from Edge of the Past

Mom’s eyebrows were still raised as she returned to her seat. I stayed standing and tapped Sergei’s arm. “Can we talk for a sec?”

I led him away from the table to a quiet spot near the entrance. A couple of Canadian ice dance coaches passed us, and we swapped brief hellos. I retreated further into the corner and looked up at Sergei.

“What was your dad angry about?”

Sergei rubbed the back of his neck and let out a frustrated sigh. “He wasn’t happy that he left work and now you’re not skating.”

I laughed dryly. “So, now he has something else to hold against me.”

“No, it’s not you.” Sergei touched my cheek. “He doesn’t even know you. It’s just him...and the way he is.”

“When you said he’s not a ray of sunshine, you weren’t joking. He didn’t even shake your hand.”

“He’s never been good at expressing emotion.”

“I’m sure glad you got your mom’s personality.” I tugged on the end of Sergei’s purple tie.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around me, but I could feel the tension in his body. What else could go wrong on this trip? With two days left in St. Petersburg and three more in Moscow, I was almost afraid to ask that question.



About the author:

Jennifer Comeaux earned a Master of Accounting from Tulane University and is a Certified Public Accountant in south Louisiana. When not working or writing, she is an avid follower of the sport of figure skating, traveling to competitions around the country. Those experiences allow her to see a different side of the sport and serve as an inspiration for her writing.

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Book Feature: Normal, with Author Janet Bettag

Normal is the true story of the author’s survival and recovery from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. It poignantly and humorously addresses dealing with altered self-image, finding ways around barriers, and appreciating the play of serendipity and synchronicity in our lives.

Welcome, Janet. You have a fascinating story. How long have you been writing, and how did you start?

Technically, I started writing when I was about 9 years old. I did a newsletter for a youth group of which I was a member, and I’ve been writing ever since. However, I didn’t really start writing as a profession until 2010 when I started working on Normal and contributing feature articles to a golfing magazine. Funny thing, the articles I was assigned to write were very loosely related to the sport. I wrote about charitable organizations that derived benefit from golf outings, profiled the chef at an exclusive golf club, and wrote about a studio that handcrafts knives, pens, and golf accessories. At the publisher’s request, I even did a fun piece on the best places in the metro St. Louis area to shop for holiday gifts for golfers.

How did you come up with the title of your book?

The working title of the book was Normal Is So Overrated because that’s the conclusion my brain aneurysm support group came to after much discussion. Trying to return to normal after brain trauma is like trying to eat broth with a fork…it just keeps slipping away from you. I shortened the title to Normal after the cover art was designed because I felt that word paired with the image most accurately conveyed how I felt at the start of my journey.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

Not at this time. I recently retired from a municipal police department after serving for 17 years as the police chief’s administrative assistant, so I could focus on my writing.

How would you describe your book in a tweet? (140 characters or less.)

Got #brain #trauma? Read #NORMAL. True story of #author’s recovery from a #bleed. Sample here: NORMAL on Amazon

Why did you decide to write this book?

Normal is a book I tried for more than a decade not to write. Then a good friend pointed out to me that telling my story might make somebody else’s journey a little less difficult. I started reflecting on that suggestion and realized that without the support of other aneurysm survivors I might not have made such a great recovery. There’s a more complete explanation in the book, but the short version is that I wrote Normal to give support and encouragement to other survivors and their caregivers, to increase awareness of the condition, and to help raise funds in support of aneurysm research focused on patient support, early detection, and prevention of ruptures.

Excerpt from Normal:

Chapter 3 – Ghost in the Mirror

“We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.”  –-Stephen R. Covey

Days and nights transposed themselves and faded one into the other. There was no distinction between dream and reality and only a thin curtain separated unconsciousness from awareness. A figure in a long, blue robe drifted across my field of vision. Were my eyes open? Was I seeing this phantasm or experiencing a fragment of some reverie?

As the fog of sleep lifted, I became acutely aware of the stranger walking silently through the room, seemingly unaware of my presence. Who are you? I arose and followed the figure down the hall and into the bathroom, but as soon as I stepped inside she vanished. Confused and frightened, I pushed aside the shower curtain. I was half expecting to hear the eerie, slashing violin notes from the Psycho shower scene and genuinely fearful of finding a maniac lurking there with a butcher knife.

The tub and shower were vacant. I was alone in the small room. Where did she go? Previously skeptical about all things paranormal, I didn't relish the possibility that I had seen a ghost; yet there seemed no other logical explanation.

While washing my hands I glanced up and caught my reflection in the mirror. I examined the cold and seemingly lifeless entity whose dull gray-green eyes stared back at me without a hint of recognition. Who are you?

The specter in the mirror was a startling and terrible vision. Staples formed a gleaming ‘C’ along a surgical wound above the left temple. A cross-stitch pattern of black sutures sealed an incision slashing across the neck. Approximately one-third of the head was shaved, exposing bare scalp. Mousy brown hair lay tangled, matted, and sinfully unwashed over the remainder. I quickly averted my gaze from this female version of Frankenstein’s monster who pretended to be me.

This was not the first time I had seen my own ghoulish reflection, but my previous glances were buffered somewhat by medications and my general lack of connection with anything outside myself. Somehow I didn’t know whether to be frightened, sad, or apathetic. That’s not me. I felt disconnected from the image staring blankly at me. Where am I? Simultaneously hoping and fearing that I would find the strange intruder, I wandered aimlessly through the house, blissfully unaware that something was amiss.

The next day I spotted the phantom again. The figure materialized in the bedroom just as I awoke. During the days that followed, she appeared to me more frequently. Eventually, she began haunting me elsewhere in the house. She never spoke to me, nor did I speak to her. I always followed her and she always vanished as though she had never really been there.

The encounters always ended the same way. I would follow her around until she entered one of the bathrooms and disappeared. It wasn’t as if she faded away. She was there one instant and gone the next. My awareness of her would dissolve the instant my eyes fixed on my own reflected image. Oddly enough, I don’t recall ever seeing the woman when there were other people present. It was as if she waited until I was alone and vulnerable to make her appearance. What had begun as curiosity became fear. Sensing some connection between the ghost and the face in the mirror, I became terrified that I was insane in addition to being brain-damaged. Thinking it was only a matter of time before I lost all concept of reality, I wasn’t about to tell anybody what I had been experiencing. In my irrational state, I was terrified that if I did so, I would be institutionalized.




About the author:

Janet Bettag is a career administrative professional and an award-winning writer. She is also a ruptured cerebral aneurysm survivor. Normal recounts with poignancy and humor the effort required to reconnect with reality and move forward in the weeks, months, and years following the life-altering event.

Her works include published magazine articles, short stories, book reviews, and paranormal fiction. Janet lives in O’Fallon, Missouri with her husband, Mike. She is currently writing a ghostly novel.



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Talking with J.L. Petty

 About the book:

Set in the fall of 2001 and purportedly based on actual events. Michael Devoe, journalist for the New York Times, is the victim of the most compelling evidences of disappearances ever documented in United States History. After a plane crash, Michael disappears one night during an encounter with an unexplained supernatural force. Authorities report that his body was never found.

About the author:

J.L. Petty is an author of several short stories. She published her first book, Death and the Journalist with Solstice Publishing, February 14, 2011. Her stories range in contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy fiction. Over the years, she’s written for various magazines and has been featured as an author in several anthologies. Petty discovered her love of writing at an early age and started working as a contributor for The Virginian-Pilot newspaper. After working with the local newspaper in her hometown, J.L. Petty embarked upon a career in entertainment journalism and also worked for United States Congress. She is currently working towards a Masters degree and resides in Virginia.


J.L., how long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I’ve been writing ever since I was 9 years old. My mother is a schoolteacher and writes children stories. She encouraged me at an early age to express myself through words.

What do you like best about writing?

I think the best part about writing is the creative process. I get inspired to write through watching horror movies. Sometimes, I may have a nightmare and just jot down ideas on my note pad.

What’s your least favorite thing?

My least favorite part about writing is editing. Sometimes I type so fast on my computer, I may make a lot of spelling errors and may have to go back and edit.

How would you describe your book in a tweet? (140 characters or less.)

Death and the journalist, A thrilling piece of work.

How did you create the plot for this book?

I had a dream about it once. I thought it would be cool to write a story about a journalist who comes face-to-face with death.

Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

Sometimes, I will do a character outline before I even get started on a story because it helps me to organize my thoughts so that I can portray each character accurately.

What do you do to market your book?

Sometimes, I speak at events or festivals. I also do guest blog posts and interviews on the Internet or for different literary magazines. Recently, my work was featured in Screem Magazine.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

My favorite scene in the book is the plane crash scene. Most writers struggle with showing vs. telling. It’s a lot easier to just tell a story but very difficult to paint a picture. It was good practice for me and to see the final outcome, I was extremely proud of myself.

Who are your favorite authors?

Michael Crichton and Stephen King.

How do you handle criticism of your work?

I usually enjoy all feedback; regardless of whether it’s positive or negative. I usually take it with a grain of salt. I look at my writing as art, and everyone will have a different opinion about it. I write for me. If I like it and am satisfied with the body of work, then I am happy. I think readers are entitled to their opinion, and I respect it. But overall, my opinion is what matters most.


Do you have a routine for writing? Do you work better at night, in the afternoon, or in the morning?

I don’t have a routine when I write. I write when I feel inspired. I work better late at night. Usually I write when I can’t sleep. I may drink a soda and eat junk food while writing at my computer. That area of my house is so junky.

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Libby Mercer Answers the Terrible Ten

Libby Mercer, author of Unmasking Maya, took the challenge to answer my Terrible Ten questions. She's a brave woman.

 1. One thing you couldn’t live without.

   The Internet. Sad but true.

 2. If you could only keep one book, what would it be?

   Gone with the Wind.

 3. Your last meal would be…
   Deep dish pizza from Pizzeria Uno (chain restaurant that nobody can understand why I
   love it so much) and my grandmother’s recipe for Coca-cola cake. Mmm.

 4. Would you rather work in a library or a bookstore?

   A bookstore (not that there are very many left). I’d love the excitement of opening
   boxes of new books on a regular basis.

 5. You won the lottery. What’s the first thing you would buy?

   Christian Louboutin heels!

 6. Would you rather be stranded on a deserted island or the North Pole?
  
    Desert island for sure.

 7. You’re given the day off, and you can do anything but write. What would you do?

   Honestly? Probably errands and/or housework. But if I decided to do something fun, I
   might go shopping (or window shopping) for clothes. It’s been too long since I’ve done
   that.

 8. You’re driven to a private plane and told it will take you anywhere your want to go.
   Where would it be?

   I’d go to London. I miss my friends there, and it would be so much fun to meet up with
   them again and go out on the town.

 9. You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?

   I wouldn’t mind spending a day in Carrie Bradshaw’s (designer) shoes. I lived in New
   York for five years, but I never lived in her New York, if you know what I mean – the
   one where there’s an abundance of available men who are easy to snag and always a ton
   of fun things going on.

10. Where would your dream office be?

   It would be a nice room in my dream house, which would be in a quiet place, overlooking
   the ocean or maybe a forest – but not out in the middle of nowhere. I’d want to be able
   to walk to the nearest market.

About Libby:

Born and raised in the Midwest, Libby Mercer’s adventurous spirit kicked in after graduating from high school, and she’s since lived in Boston, NYC and London. San Francisco is the city that she currently calls home. For several years, Libby worked in fashion – first as a journalist and then as a shopkeeper. She also dabbled in design for a while. Even through the crazy fashion years, Libby never let go of her dream of being a published author, and has since developed her signature writing style, crafting quirky chick lit/romance hybrids. Fashioning a Romance was her first published novel, and Unmasking Maya will be her second. Libby has a third novel, The Karmic Connection, scheduled for release in 2013.


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Scroll down for a full interview with Libby!

Talking with Libby Mercer

I'm happy to have author Libby Mercer here today to talk about her chick lit/romance novel, Unmasking Maya.

About the book:

Defamed, Disgraced and Displaced...

Fresh from a career-killing scandal, New York fashion girl, Maya Kirkwood, arrives in San Francisco to reinvent herself as a fine artist. She's offered the opportunity to create an installation at the Silicon Valley headquarters of a hot new tech company. Fabulous, right?

Not so much.

She can't stand Derek Whitley - wunderkind software genius and CEO of the company. Hot as he may be on the outside, inside the man is a cold, unemotional, robotic type. Way too left-brained for her right-brained self.

As Maya and Derek get to know each other, however, their facades begin to crack. She catches her first glimpse of the man behind the superhuman tech prodigy, and he starts to see her as the woman she used to be. But is this a good thing? Once that last secret is revealed, will it bring them closer together or will it tear them apart?


Welcome, Libby. Tell us how long you've been writing, and how did you start?

I’ve been writing for almost my entire life! I penned my first “book” at the age of seven. A picture book called Big and Small. It’s a gripping tale that goes something like this: “Apartments are big. My dollhouse is small,” and “Dad’s hat is big. Mine is only little.”

You had talent from the start. How would you describe your book in a tweet? (140 characters or less.)

Fallen fashionista Maya finds refuge in the tech world. Cold, robotic Derek is immersed in his own world. Will their two worlds collide?

Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

I’ve always said I’m a seat-of-my-pants kind of writer. I think rather than allowing the characters to tell me what to write, the story takes charge and writes itself. In any case, I’ve never been able to stick to an outline. I’ve tried, but the story always goes off in a completely different direction.

Have you ever bought any books just for the cover? Did you enjoy the book(s)?

Absolutely. I’m a sucker for fabulously bright and pretty covers. I’ve done this a few times and usually I enjoy the book. Not always, though.

When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?

Definitely not. Since my stories are pretty much based on romances, I always have a vague idea of what my main characters will be like, but I make up everyone else as I go along.

What would your main character say about you?
She would probably tell me I’ve got a sadistic streak! I haven’t given her an easy time of it, but what can I say? It wouldn’t make for an interesting read if she’d had a charmed life with no complications.

Very true. Tell us one weird thing, one nice thing, and one fact about where you live.
I live in San Francisco, so there are a lot of weird things to choose from! I’ll go with the park/plaza in the Castro district where nudists regularly congregate. Fact: it’s the first (and I think the only) non-beach clothing-optional park in an urban American setting.
One nice thing about San Francisco is that it’s very non-judgmental. If I wanted to, I could walk around in my pajamas with messed up hair or fully decked out like a Klingon with the makeup and everything. I might get an amused smile or two in the Klingon costume, but I wouldn’t get any attitude or nasty remarks for that or for looking like I just rolled out of bed.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

To be honest, my favorite quotes are about as far from profound as you can get. They’re the ones that make me giggle, like this one from the movie, Daddy’s Dyin’...Who’s Got the Will? Two of the sisters are fighting and one of them says: “Chisel off that makeup and you’re looking at nine miles of bad Texas road.” I just think it’s the most hilarious insult. Tee hehe.

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go? (Don’t worry about the money. Your publisher is paying. )

I have always wanted to go to the Caribbean. I’ve heard such lovely things about it: the relaxed atmosphere, the fact that you can stand knee deep in the water and still see your feet… Plus, I love the food! Sigh. Someday…

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a rancher romance, but of course it’s got chick lit elements. Texas cattle rancher wants his enterprise to “go green” so he brings in a sustainable farming expert – a woman from Northern California (who also happens to be a vegetarian) to help him transition the ranch. Romance ensues. I’m having a lot of fun writing it, but the amount of research involved is insane!

Sounds great. Good luck with it, and stop back when it's done and tell us more about it.


About Libby:

Born and raised in the Midwest, Libby Mercer’s adventurous spirit kicked in after graduating from high school, and she’s since lived in Boston, NYC and London. San Francisco is the city that she currently calls home. For several years, Libby worked in fashion – first as a journalist and then as a shopkeeper. She also dabbled in design for a while. Even through the crazy fashion years, Libby never let go of her dream of being a published author, and has since developed her signature writing style, crafting quirky chick lit/romance hybrids. Fashioning a Romance was her first published novel, and Unmasking Maya will be her second. Libby has a third novel, The Karmic Connection, scheduled for release in 2013.


Connect with Libby:
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Robin Sanders Guest Post

Robin L Sanders is the author of An 8-Track to 81 Chapters--Experience Limited, a young adult, fantasy novel, available on eBook at Lulu.
 

Given unlimited resources, how would you change the publishing world?

I would totally make a couple changes to the publishing world.  Many traditional publishing industries are declining while self-publishing authors and eBook industries like Amazon, Lulu and iBooks are rising in profits by the minute.

Although I truly hate writing query letters to established publications that vomit rejection letters by the forest load, I do admire their skill in marketing.  Traditional publications can save an author a good amount of time by doing everything else for them, such as marketing, copywriting, purchasing ISBN numbers, printing, book covers and etc., while the author’s only job is to write.  An author may lose his or her freedom when it comes to writing and the royalties wouldn’t be all that worthwhile depending on how popular the book is.

As a solution I would definitely try to make printed hard copies a bit affordable. Prints are very, very expensive and I feel that the prices can be a bit unfair at most. Another thing I would change is the cost of an illustrator for a book. I definitely believe without a doubt that many industries under pay their artist while the author receives a large subtraction from an overpriced fee in their royalty check.

The royalty fees are definitely unfair which that of course should be raised to at least a fifty percent rate for the author and not fifteen to twenty five. If they want to give an advance, then they should lower the rate but nothing lower than thirty five percent.  Another thing I would definitely change is the mandatory need of literary agents in order to be accepted in the traditional publishing industry. Literary agents require a good percentage of your income as well as a great deal of ass kissing in order to get things done but in my opinion isn’t worth it. I know that agents are here to represent you and negotiate your contract but what’s the point if they only go to the same publications?

Self-published authors may have the freedom to do whatever they please but a ton of work would be necessary in order for them to stay alive. Not only do they have to find an editor, but purchase an ISBN, copyright protection, hire a professional editor, an illustrator for book cover if necessary, printing services, an agent and etc...sounds like a lot of work. On a positive side, depending on how hard they work, the profits in royalties would increase over time.

One solution that would help is to create a small business that would benefit self-publishers to copyright, create an ISBN and copy edit their work for an affordable price that range somewhere around $400USD. I think this would attract a lot of self-publishers and maybe some traditional ones as well. Virtual book promotions like Createspace and Lulu are indeed a bit too steep but there are other affordable and professional ones that could absolutely pin point the exact market the authors brand is catered to.

In conclusion I would absolutely make some changes in the publishing world.  In my opinion I think the industry definitely needs some improvement and adjustments.

An 8-track to 81 Chapters - Experience/Limited

When a Social Studies teacher assigns a special project to six high school students, (Richard, Shelly, Nathan, Charles, Morgan and Britt) they receive a lesson that may indeed change lives of many worlds. As they work on the problems set before them they come to realize that the typical real world issues that each student had been dealing with doesn’t look all that bad. As the unlikely group of misfits explores the project, they discover strengths that they were completely unaware they had. 

For seven whole days they stay in a mysterious book unlocking puzzles, fighting demon-possessed statues, creating bonds with a memorable cast of characters and fighting a villain who controls the powers of the heavens. Mr. Hutchenson, a professor of social studies at St. Cardinals, is a man who plays a large part within this story, but just as the kids have to discover that, so does the reader. These six kids work on finding that strength by not only fighting the enemy, but the enemy within.

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