Executive Decision

Yes, I have made one... and it wasn't easy, but I've decided not to create a book trailer for WitchLove. Basically I know from experience that it will take up a minimum of three full days to do: 1 day to make the thing, but the rest of the time will be spent looking for suitable images and music. As my other book trailers only have 100 or so hits on you tube I really don't think they are a marketing tool that is worth the time; unless you are already well known on YouTube and have subscribers... which I don't!

I also get quite frustrated because in my head I can perfectly imagine a proper 'movie style' trailer. I know exactly which bits of the book I would want to shoot and which emotions I'd want to capture, but with my very limited resources and funds this just isn't possible, and so I end up with a slide show of images and some unknown music which is always disappointing.

What I really need is for one of the pro-movie makers on YouTube to do me a trailer. The ones that do their own versions of book/movies. The one that springs to mind is MainstayPro who have done a whole Hunger Games series. Some are quite violent, but this one is totally cute about Annie & Finnicks back story just after Annie has come back from the HG. Love it! I suggest you watch all the episodes :)

So can anyone make me one of these?!

Birthdays, Bunnies & Writing Chaos!

This title pretty much sums up my life at present! Chaos due to lack of time, snowfall and arranging my daughter's 8th birthday (along with making a Lego brick cake!) The snow isn't too bad really and it has only affected the last few days. Yesterday was the worst affected due to a fast snowfall on Sunday night which meant all the schools were closed and the majority of local roads were dangerous. Unfortunately this was the day I planned to have a tete a tete with my proof reader and go through the entire novel once again. Instead this was what I did! Sledging fun yey!

 

Subsequently I have been doing the final edit on WitchLove today (it's nearly done guys!) and I have to say I have had some fantastic feedback from my lovely beta readers this time. So I have 3 weeks till the publishing date and all the promo stuff still to sort out. That means sorting all the Blog Tour posts, writing any guest posts and the biggest job I need to do is creating a book trailer! Hmmm along with the snow and my work/home life chaos I have added a new pet to the family. So we now have a labrador, a cat, 3 chickens, 9 fish .... And Princess Wisher the bunny! (my 8yr old daughter named her lol) So apologies if my blog posts thin out a bit over the next few weeks!

Although as an aside I do have a book to read and review for the Rachel McClellan Fractured Soul Blog Tour. Look out for that on Feb 7th. This is a great looking series. Have any of you guys read them yet?

 

Miserable Movies and Reading Again

 

Right so I've finished my first book of the year. After my barren three months of non-reading I started with a quickie; Eight keys by Suzanne LaFleur. I first came across this author last summer when I read and fell in love with Love Aubrey.

Eight Keys is a book about the awkward transition between childhood and adulthood. The desire to fit in, make friends and be loved. The Goodreads blurb says:

Elise and Franklin have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too young to remember them. There's always been a barn behind the house with eight locked doors on the second floor.
When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in. Franklin suddenly seems babyish. Then, soon after her 12th birthday, Elise receives a mysterious key left for her by her father. A key that unlocks one of the eight doors upstairs in the barn...

I thought Eight Keys was another touching and beautifully written novel from Suzanne LaFleur. It was slightly mysterious without being fantasy. It had depth and emotion and the characters all felt very real. I felt every moment of Elise's need to feel loved, her anguish following her mistakes and I enjoyed seeing her grow as she discovered more about her past.

 

I will happily pass this onto my daughter to read when she is ten+ as I think it is a lovely novel with some good morals.

 

Equally enjoyable was my trip to the movies with my husband, last night. It has taken us far too long to arrange babysitters this time as the last time we went out was for Breaking Dawn back in early November! Now both of us are musical fans, he has seen Les Mis in theatre, but I have not. Les Miserables the movie was a definite must see for us both and it didn't disappoint!

 

The premise of the story is based around the character Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after he breaks parole. Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's daughter, Cosette. The fateful decision changes their lives forever. Set amid the heartbreaking squalor of the 19th-century French Revolution Les Miserables is a film that had me sobbing and haunted my dreams by the frightening events that take place. Apparently both Anne Hathaway (as Fantine) and Hugh Jackman (as Jean Valjean) are nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes and Brits... I hope they get them. They thoroughly deserve it. I have never heard 'I Dreamed a Dream' sung with so much emotion... how the hell did she sing, cry and scream all at the same time and it come out sounding so beautiful? This is a film I'll be owning on dvd when it comes out.



So what book shall I read next and what films have you been to see this week?

Witchblood Anniversary

Haha I've been so busy recently I have only just realised at 19:41 that it's the 1year anniversary of Witchblood being uploaded & published to Kindle and subsequently me becoming an indie author! Wow! What a year it's been with two books published, 27,000 copies downloaded, two books written and my third book due out next month.

In that time my blog and facebook page have done pretty well too, considering I was a social networking virgin! To date my blog has had 25,112 hits and getting over 100 a day which is better than I hoped for last year.

One thing I love is watching the map of the world go green as I get hits from everywhere! Almost every country is green now (even pale green!)

My Facebook Page  has had over 500 likes on it now and astounds me every day with the amazing and uplifting messages people leave me. I still can't quite believe that Witchblood has fans! So to wrap up the last year I'd just like to say a massive thank you to everyone that has read, enjoyed and reviewed my books, and leave you with my Plans for 2013:

 

Feb 14th - WitchLove will be published and available.

May - Flying with Fire (Book 1 of a spin-off series to WB books)

November - WitchHunt the fourth (& prob last instalment of WB series)

 





New Year: New Challenges: New Books

I'm well aware I've not been blogging as much recently... I've not been reading half as much either! You only have to look at my Reading Challenge page to see that evidence! I started the year pretty well, but after Meningitis headaches where I couldn't read for a couple of months and then writing WitchLove I've just not had the time. So to summarise, last January I had challenged myself to read 25 sequels... I've read 7 Ooops! Overall I wanted to beat last years Goodreads challenge of 50 books... but only made 30. I guess my school report would read 'Must Try harder'!

Looking through my list of books I have chose my Top 3 of 2012. It's quite interesting actually and shows that my obsession with YA is moving on. Yes my number one is a YA (but it's not Supernatural), No 2 was well overdue and had been sitting on my bookshelf for a couple of years and the third was a book club read which I reluctantly took on holiday and turned out to be one of the most uplifting and interesting books I've ever read.

No 1: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green   Review
No 2: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
No 3: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

Writing today's blog has made me realise something and remember something... I have forgotten how much I love reading! I have forgotten how much I love immersing myself in a good book, not necessarily prize winning literature (more often than not I find those ones too depressing!) Just good in a seriously addictive kind of way.

So there are a couple of books on my shelves that I didn't get round to reading last year (OK there's way more than a couple!) and there are also books I want to read before the movies come out, or because of recommendations. They are as follows:

Life of Pi - Yann Martel (if you haven't read this it is currently only 20p on kindle!)
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
Debutantes - Cora Harrison
Slated - Teri Terry
Eight Keys - Suzanne Lafleur

Yes they are all YA again, but apart from City of Bones, I've already bought them and they are waiting patiently to be read! Do any of you guys have any other must read recommendations to get me back into books?