Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Exerpt from: The Anaerris Code by 5-Star Author, LK Kelley

As I am editing, I thought my followers would love to read a "raw" exerpt of my newest book series.   Enjoy!  

the Anaerris Code - Gem

Time became superfluous as Gem tossed and turned. Her dream was miserable! Around her was volcanic ash, lava, and eruptions! It made the planet red, but part of it was black and gold as well. It was too fucking hot! She was almost sweltering in the heat. Gem's eyes barely opened, then closed again, because they seemed to burn. But, she was still hot, and sweating so hard, she was completely drenched. Her hair was so wet, it was like she'd stepped out of a shower, but it was plastered to her head and neck. She might as well have just been dumped by salt water! Hot salt water! Her body was stiff as if she had been laying in the same position for hours if not days.

“This is just not right!” she said to herself. “This dream is not real, so wake the hell up, Gem!”

Forcing her eyes to open, they were matted with a lot of gunk. It's the only description of it at the moment. She rubbed her eyes trying to remove it, before looking around her. Well, for one thing, she hadn't dreamed about the heat. Wherever she was, it was horribly hot! Squinting, she realized that her focus was off due to the heat, but she managed to catch large features. Overhead was rock. She tilted her head to the right to see – rock. Then, she tilted it to her left knowing, but hoping, it wouldn't be what she thought.

“Nope, that's rock, too,” she muttered. She remembered being kidnapped by a gigantic bird, and it took her into the air!

Rubbing her head, again, she asked the rocks, “Exactly, where is it written that the captive has to be put in a jail of rock? Oh, right. The villain would find the best place where she could not be tracked. Well, this qualifies!”

In all the books she had ever read, this was the norm. The heroine was kidnapped, and put somewhere that would ultimately lead her to her doom.

And, beneath her? Rock, what else? Confused, Gem knew it was far too hot, and any physical exertion just made her sweat even more. What she wouldn't give for a cold shower and a monster bottle of water right now! She licked her dried, cracked lips, remembering the giant bird that had swooped down out of nowhere! The wings had knocked out Jaxx as if he were a puff of wind, and then, grabbed her neck by its talons. That reminded her. The back of her neck was hurting, and she reached up behind her only to draw her hands away covered with sticky, drying blood. Her blood.

“Well, there's  'not a surprise!” she muttered, again.

OK...no matter what, she had to at least force herself to sit, and take her bearings. Try to figure out where she was. Slowly, she maneuvered her sore body into an upright position. Wincing with each move, Gem glanced around, while frequently wiping off the salty sweat that was burning her eyes, so she could at least see. The room couldn't have been bigger than a small bathroom, and it hurt like hell to turn around. But, she managed, and to her surprise, there were iron bars that “barred” her exit. She broke into loud gulps of scared laughter at her pun. Oh, hell! She was becoming hysterical as if she needed that in addition to everything else at the moment!

“Fucking get a hold of yourself, Gem!” she ordered.

After her laughter died down, she was surprised at other senses. She smelled...sniffed a couple of times...smoke? Smoke? No. Not exactly smoke. More like steam with a horrible stench. It reminded her of chemistry class in school, because it was so nauseous. She tried to remember why, but her mind wasn't working well, yet. But of one thing she was certain. She was in a cave. She looked closer at the rocks, and noticed it was catacombed with jagged holes, and in the dim light, the color looked dark rust except for the floor, which looked as if had been polished smooth. And, there was light! But, where was the light coming fromat the moment? As she looked around, Gem noticed that the reason she could see the rust color was that there seemed to be something behind the rocks that was making the glow! That made no sense whatsoever! Whatever that big bird was, how did it drop her into this God-forsaken place? She rubbed her back as she tried to slowly stand, failing miserably as her feet slipped out from behind her, falling to the rock floor.

“Ouch! Well, that's just great! The rock is slippery!” she whined, feeling more blood on her back. She turned, and looked at that stone floor. A small pool of her blood was laying underneath where her head and back had been, and it was bubbling as if it were beginning to boil! That was enough for her to jump up quickly – a bit too quickly, which caused her head to whirl.

Slowly, trying not to keep her head from falling off of her neck, she grabbed the wall to keep from falling down. Her hand drew back at the intense heat that met her palm. She held it out in front of her seeing the seared red palm, and fear gripped her. Feeling like an inchworm who could only move a quarter of an inch, Gem reached out to touch the rock wall, again, drawing her hand back fast for a second time as she felt the heat coming from it.

“Bloody hell!” she yelled hoarsely, shaking her reddened and burned hand. “Where the fuck am I? It can't possibly get any worse than this!”

And, as always, the very minute you ask that question...well, we all know that is exactly when the shit hits the proverbial fan!

“Of course, I shouldn't have said those fucking cursed words!”

She looked around, again, this time without touching the walls. She noticed a tiny hole in the wall at floor level was glowing a brighter orange. In seconds, she saw something that made her scream, but with no sound. The terror and shock that consumed her was so strong, she backed up against the nearest wall regardless of the heat! Was this the way her life was going to end? If so, just the thought of how she was going to die made her gag, and she begin to throw up.

Dry heaving after emptying her stomach's contents, she wiped her mouth, then her eyes fixed on the tiny, thickened, orange rivulet that was flowing toward her. It was just a thin ribbon at the moment, but it was just a matter of time that the slow moving stream of orange would grow as it melted the rock around the tiny hole.

“Why?” Gem breathed softly the one word you should never ask, because you usually never received an answer. Or, if you did, it was never what you thought it would be.

The rivulet of brilliant, glowing orange with tiny flames erupting now and then had Gem's eyes growing larger by the moment, especially when she realized what was lighting up the cave around her.

“Lava?” she whispered in shock. Louder, “I'm inside a volcano? I'm in a volcanic cave with iron bars? In a cave of lava? I'm in a volcanic prison? Ah! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

The cave reminded her of a dead, Jabba the Hut hollowed out fossil! It certainly looked wrinkled enough. Why the hell was she even imagining that right now? Really, Gem? That's all you have?

Reality grabbed hold of her as she continued to stare at the rivulet of orange. OK. So, she couldn't ignore it any longer! Terror gripped her as she saw the tiny rivulet growing as it melted the rocks around her! It had already doubled in size, and was slowly headed for the iron bars! At the moment, she could keep out of its way, but she was certain that it wouldn't stay this way for long! Her life had just been cut short by lava! In minutes, she knew that the entire back side of the cave would be eaten through by the monstrously hot lava, and fill the cave! Looking beyond the bars, she realized that the cave that she was in wasn't actually a cave, but it must be part of even more tubes that had been carved by lava as it flowed through it in the past! Lava tubes were what they were! For the Creator's sake! Gem's heart pounded hard within her chest, and not only the roar of the lava behind her met her ears, but the roar of her blood vibrated within her body as well! Terrified of what would happen to her, she felt her “fight or flight” instinct arrive – only it would be flight! She sure couldn't fight lava! What should she do? Only one answer.

“Oh, God! I have to get out of here!”

Saturday, January 23, 2016

In the Blink of an Eye...




We do our loved ones a disservice by telling them that we will protect them, and that nothing would ever happen to them. Why? We would be lying. Instead, we should tell them that our entire world can crash down around us in...the Blink of an Eye.

On September 11, 2001, we never saw the truth of this as well as this day.










In the Blink of an Eye…

The phone rang at work long before the doors opened for our patients.
“Kim! Quick! Turn on the TV in the reception room! We're under attack! We're under attack!”
For only one second, I was paralyzed as I sat staring at the receiver I had just slammed down on its cradle. The next thing I knew, I was running up the hallway to tell everyone, only to find that several others had been notified. We ran into the reception room, and one of the girls turned on the TV.
Complete silence rained down on us as we stood watching the horrifying scene before our eyes. A plane flew directly into the WTC, and the building exploded. How it managed to stand at that point, I had no idea. Of course, it was a replay of the first incident.
The news anchors were truly professional in their coverage, but they couldn't hide the shock in their eyes and voices. This was the first attack. Discussion back and forth revealed that it never entered their minds that this was an attack. That's when the second plane dove into the second tower – live! None of us could believe what we were seeing. While we sat stunned, and silent, we were all thinking the same thing. Is this real? No! It can't be real! It's some sort of joke! But, deep down, we knew it wasn't.
True terror broke out in our little room, and even more obvious...on TV. The anchors kept asking if this was an attack, but like us, our brains weren't connecting.
Then, the next plane crashed into the Pentagon. At that point, realization, finally, grabbed us in the grip of terror unlike any of use had ever felt. We were under attack. There was no other option. But, if so, WHERE would it end? That's the question that kept going around and around in my mind. Answer was? The next plane was on its way to Washington after it turned in the opposite direction.
This plane was taken down by the people on the plane after several called their loved ones on their cells – something we are not allowed to do. These people chose to go down to keep who knows how many people from being killed in the end. True heroes are never born. They are made in the moment of choice. The plane crashed into a field. All planes were grounded. We will probably never know how many more planes were actually going to crash into other major government areas.

In the Blink of an Eye…

It was time to open our office doors, so we all went to our places in silence, and dazed. None of us wanted to be there, because of the feelings we were all holding, but were unwilling to express. The idea of talking was abhorrent to us, but we knew that wasn't possible. No matter what, our days would go on, our lives would continue, but something inside of us changed that day – with just a blink of the eye. One second, all was normal, the next second, it would never be the same again. Like a person who has had his home invaded, our home just felt no longer safe.
First, I grabbed my cell phone to call my husband and my daughter. For the next two hours, I could not reach them, and I was beside myself, but I went through the motions of my job as patient representative and collector. I had a radio in my office, which I turned on to listen to see if another attack was coming. Once all the planes were grounded, the chances of that dropped to almost zero. But, that still didn't stop that tightness in my chest that made breathing so hard, and that knot in my stomach wouldn't let me eat that day. When my husband answered after a couple of hours later where I discovered he had been trying to call me as well, my chest eased a bit. Then, I finally talked to my daughter, and it eased up even more. She, too, had been trying to reach us. At that time, she was covering everything for her college TV station.


In the Blink of an Eye…

I listened to the radio all day long hoping that is was over, only to find out it wasn't – not by even a mile! No. Some experts were brought on the air, and suddenly, I heard them say they hoped that the Towers would not collapse! Again, I was stunned speechless. I stopped what I was doing, and stared out the thin window in my office. And, then, in the middle of the “what ifs”, I heard them yell that it was going down! One of the towers was going down. At this point, I know they had mentioned flight numbers and towers, etc., but I was fixated on planes crashed, and tower collapsing. My heart sank into my shoes when I heard the horror in the voice on the radio as he described what was happening. It didn't make a difference that I had never been to New York, or DC or even Pennsylvania. As far as I was concerned, everyone of those people were my brother and sister. We came from many different countries and races. We were different colors. But, that didn't matter at all. We were one, because we were Americans. We may bend, but we do not break. It's our diverse culture that makes us so strong.
And, then, I just waited. The other one was coming down, too. I knew it. There was just no doubt in my mind at all. Later, we would see the horrific scenes of people jumping instead of burning to death. At this point, I had not seen the TV, but even our patients couldn't speak that day. It was as silent as the grave, except for what we had to do. I spoke several more times to my husband and daughter. We needed reassurance that we were as OK as possible. It was the only certainty that we had that day.

In the Blink of an Eye…

When we came home, my husband and I – like billions of others – sat in front of our TV as if we were in some type of spell. And, perhaps, we were. We couldn't take our eyes off of it. I saw everything that had happened that I had not seen while listening to the radio. We went through the motions of eating, but not tasting anything. Sleep was long in coming that night, and quite frankly, I doubt anyone in this country slept.

And, for One Moment in time, Just One Moment...

Everyone on TV were covered in a gray dust. Suddenly, I was reminded me of a line out of “Volcano”.
“They all look the same,” the little boy told the officer holding him, who had asked him if he saw his Mom.
And, for just one moment in our history and time, just one moment? Everyone was a “gray”. We were all the same: the same color, same people, same faith, same life, but only ONE PEOPLE! While we all knew that we would return to our silly bickering about everything and the kitchen sink, just for just this ONE MOMENT in time? We truly were ONE!


In the Blink of an Eye…

...remember this. Life can change in just that minute moment of a blink of an eye. We almost have no time in the short life that we are granted upon this Earth. Why waste the short time that we do have?
Everything changed that day. Everything. Instead of arguing, we need to be vigilant, because what happened on 9/11 could easily happen once again – only this time? The outcome could be a lot worse. And, it can all happen…


In the Blink of an Eye.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Puzzle for My Fans

AMAZON
My Website


Richard closed his eyes, trying to calm down. Nope. There was no way he was going to get out of this, now.
“Wait with the others, Linora. Please. I have to retrieve something.” He walked with Lynne to the others, and left her there. Then, he walked back to the lift. He rode the lift up to The Hall. Stepping out, he stayed in the shadows as his eyes went to the icon he had hidden so long ago to protect his real identity, and had never thought to need again. He held out his hand.
“Lynne? What the hell?” Sarah asked as they all just watched Richard leave.
Lynne shrugged her shoulders. She had known Eric for thousands of years. But, never had she seen him like this. She was as confused as everyone else. So, what wasn’t confusing about all of this?
Kaitlan’s new form was giving her a clarity that she never had as a werewolf, or human. She was trying to remember something Richard had said in an earlier conversation she had with him while she made him a sandwich. It was on the tip of her tongue. What was it? Then, snippets came back to her as she felt the fog lifting. He had told them that he had chosen to protect Earth and its inhabitants. Damn, it was starting to give her a headache! Well, she’d figure it out sooner or later. In that same instant, she heard four words popping into her head. The Hall of Records. Why did that sound so familiar? No, it’s not just about the archive of all knowledge. It was the NAME of The Hall. And, according to Richard, it had never been in Egypt under the Sphinx as was the current thinking in alternative science. That was it! Richard had told her that he had moved it from a northern country. A northern country ….
The entire cavern lit up with thunder and lightning, blinding everyone.
Turning slowly toward the direction from where it all seemed to come, a man on the lift, his arm raised with an odd object in his hand. From that object came lightening and thunder.
“Who the hell is that?” Cordone demanded to no one.
He was commanding in his very stance. His height? Almost six-foot nine? His bare torso was very broad, toned, tight, and his skin fair. He wore brown leather pants. His arms were massive as were his legs. His eyes glowed with a blue light, and his shoulder length hair was blonde! In his hand he held a what? A triangle? On a stick? Kaitlan almost had it! Her brain started working overtime.
Their mouths open, their bodies frozen with shock at this figure that wielded such massive power. The man stopped his demonstration, and jumped from the lift to the assembly. Where a werewolf had no problem jumping long distances up and down, this man almost flew! He landed directly in the center of all. Then, raised himself to his full height. To look at the women gape, you would think that they were teenage girls with their first crush! Yes, he was that gorgeous!
It was then, Kaitlan realized what he held in his hand, and her white furry legs collapsed out from under her. Cordone caught her before she reached the ground.
“OMG!“ she said, almost to herself.
“It’s not possible! It can’t be! You’re not real!” Kaitlan vocalized aloud. “That would be too crazy!”
The man smiled at Kaitlan with beautiful, snow white teeth.
“I knew you would guess who I am, Kaitlan. Your knowledge, reading and editing skills belong to the only person who could possibly figure it out!”
Lynne’s mouth dropped - and so did her legs. Dan caught her before she hit the ground.
“It can’t be! This gorgeous man was speaking - with Eric’s voice!” she thought.
“Yes, mate. It is I.” Eric answered her.
“E-Eric?” Lynne stuttered softly. “How … I mean … why … I-I mean….”
“I’m sorry, Linora. I should have known. The tornado … It was time unraveling.”
He held out his arm, picked Lynne up as if she were a feather, and held her by his side as he turned to explain things to everyone. All Lynne could do was stare up into the face of the most gorgeous man she had ever seen.
“Eric, and Richard are only a few of many names by which I am known.”
Kaitlan looked at everyone else. Their eyes were questions. Sarah, Lynne, and Anita were just dumbfounded. The men were puzzled. She frowned at them.
“What is it with all of you? Don’t you know who this is?” Kaitlan was exasperated.
“Uh … no? Should we?” answered Dan.
“Oh for the love of …. ” And, that’s when the final piece of the puzzle came forward. Kaitlan put it all together in an instant.
She whispered loud enough for all to hear.
“Hot damn! It’s been there … right in front of us all this time, hasn’t it, Richard?” He grinned at her deciding to let Kaitlan tell everyone who he was. “The Hall of Records.”

“Kaitlan, what the hell are you babbling about?” Cordone asked her grabbing her shoulders, and shaking her.
“The [T] Hall [H] of [O] Records [R].” Kaitlan said it like a cheer. “And, what does that spell...? 

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

From Editor to Author in 2 Years!

How did I get here?  Becoming an #author,  I mean.  While it's not really that complicated, it sure did surprise me!  

2 years ago, I was asked to edit a book, and I said, "Sure!  Why not?"   


Why I never thought about #editing, or #writing, I will never know. I was an A student in English, spelling, lit, and anything else that had to do with words, sentences, paragraphs, etc.  So, it was obvious that I should have done something along this line all my life!  It's amazing what you learn later in life that you never thought about earlier.  But, well, live and learn!  

As the years went by, I had my daughter, and as fate would have it, she entered into television as a great producer. She wrote a lot, but she hated to edit, so I edited her writings from the first day she started writing seriously.  I would give her suggestions in school, but I did not do her work for her. 

So, I edited the book for a writer, and she was very pleased.  Then, she asked me to edit her next book as well.

About 7 months later, an idea for a book found me while I was sleeping. The next day, I couldn't wait to get it down. I began writing my Trilogy in July of 2013, and had the entire series written in 3 months.  And, I had F u n doing it!  What was even more important to me were friends who read my first book.  One of them is a teacher, & has a Master's degree.  She told me she loved it, and I should have been writing books for years!  That meant a lot to me, and then others started picking it up & reading The White Wolf Prophecy ~ Mating ~ including authors who love it!  

But I wasn't satisfied before it was published.  After finding out how expensive covers were, I knew I had enough talent to design my own, and I did.  So, my books really ARE my books!  

I chose an independent publisher for paperback, and will release an ebook soon, probably in Kindle format.  

But, there is one thing i do know... I never, EVER thought I would be a published author, yet, here I am!  

I'm now a published author of two of my Trilogy, and I have several more books just waiting for completion! I hope to write for years to come! 

If you love werewolves, vampires, & elves, read my books, because you will see them in a whole new way!  

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Werewolves and Vampires - Overdone?

Which of the two have been "overdone" in writing?  Answer?  As long as they are around, they will be used as themes for books.  But, in this case, vampires have been overdone in teen books.  Trying to find an adult themed vampire book is extremely hard, let alone other supernatural books.  It's hard to pick up a fantasy book, and it's not about a 17 year-old kid that matures almost overnight into situations that no teen should ever be involved.

Background of the Book is Echo Lake close to Idaho Springs, CO
Using a personal photo, I designed the book cover
Official Website of The White Wolf Prophecy Trilogy


My book is about werewolves, vampires, and elves with a smidgen of humans.  When I first began to write the book, my characters were going to be about vampires.

That's when I realized something I never really thought about - you can't go that far with vampires that haven't already been done.  Because they are "undead", you get blood, gore, guts, fangs, and darkness.  The settings seem to be in cities, yet humans don't seem to see them.  

Werewolves, on the other hand, have not been overdone.  They took a backseat to vampires for whatever reason, except the range of situations for werewoves is endless. Elves didn't completely take a backseat to vampires, but they took enough of one.  

I had a whole story about vampires, except I couldn't do what I wanted to do with them, so before I knew it, my story became about werewolves.  I realized that they were far more fun to write about altogether, and the ideas were totally endless.  In fact, with werewolves, the imagination can fly further than with vampires.

I wanted my characters to be different.  Most werewolf stories are set in only forests away from any human beings.  Well, except for a few who stumble into their midst. There's always a "turf war" based upon the fact that werewolves are territorial with Alphas and Betas.

I threw those pre-conceived notions totally away in my book.  They are highly civilized, own huge corporations, and have secrets right under everyone's noses. As for their "get-aways", well, I kept with the Colorado Rockies, because there is so much that an author can use - including the cover of my book which I designed entirely by myself since I didn't want a "stock cover" like so many do use.  I also didn't have a lot of money to spend for a professional which was another reason to design it.

I decided to drop the Beta, term, and Alpha was scattered around a bit.  I also added something a bit more contemporary:  Alpha, Second and Third.  I wanted to throw out stereotypes, and give werewolves a makeover.  According to the 5-Star reviews at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com, it seems I succeeded.  (Read them at any link below)




I also changed the idea that they lived in small communities within woods/forests, and, instead, invented a whole new place for them to live - a house carved out of the side of a mountain complete with all the amenities.  My main male character, Cordone Valon,  also is a collector of antique cars as well as contemporary vehicles which he keeps at the carved house.  To understand how this could be done, you will have to read the book. The description of who built it resides in the third book of the White Wolf Prophecy Trilogy.  It is a unique design which is described in book 1, and I've had a lot of complements, and questions about how I came up with the idea as well.  But, that's another blog.

The books also present another unique idea using other themes as well.  The "bad guy" is also totally different.  

My conclusion is that I don't think the supernatural can be overdone - especially with werewolves and vampires. But, it's time to think outside of the box with them, and to start thinking of them in different venues and behavior.  

But, one thing I can guarantee...The White Wolf Prophecy Trilogy is a whole new concept in werewolves, vampires, and elves.  While their physical looks are pretty typical, there are still changes in those looks, and they are all part of one, supernatural world within the human world.  


9781615000500

The book can be found all over the world on Amazon.com, and on Barnesandnoble.com as well as on some shelves. 

I would also like to invite you to read my two most popular blogs:


and my most popular of all:

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Thank You!

I want to thank all of you who are following my blog.  I try to make sure each one has something informative, instructive, and DIY in it,  especially for writers and authors.  
I have learned a lot over the past several months  on how to write a blog, how to write a book, design my own book cover instead of using a "stock photo" (my most popular blog to date), publish it, promote it, and many other things.

(Here's the link to my most popular blog if you missed it)



I am thrilled that so many of you have read it.  I try to make sure I have one blog a week as the rest of it is taken up with promoting my book:

Read The 5-Star Reviews on My Website

We all know that when you write a book, there are "zillions" of others that we compete with all the time.   But, what works for one person, may not another.  So, we keep on trying to get the word out as much as possible.    

No matter what, I want to thank you all for reading my blog, and encourage you to comment on it as well.  

And, if you have read my book, please let me know what you think of it.  It's not the average everyday book about werewolves!  I guarantee it's totally different!  

Anyway, thank you so much.  Here is my Google + Fan page for The White Wolf Prophecy ~ Mating ~  Book 1. 



I also want to encourage you to share the blogs you like the best with others as well as my Fan Page, and website. 

Again...THANK YOU !!!  














Monday, April 7, 2014

If a Vampire Endorses Your Book ...


We all know how hard it is to get our books out there.  With millions upon millions of titles, well, it's almost a full time job.  And, it makes it harder if you have little to no budget to promote it. There are ads in magazines, and other periodical both in print and onine. There are interviews and photos.  And, then, of course, everyone's favorite - Social Media.  

What can you do?  Well, if you're lucky, a video might come your way.  Since my book is about werewolves, vampires, and elves (OH, MY!)  -  sorry.  Couldn't resist! ;) Who better to actually give my book a shout out but Deadgar Winter in person! He hosts Deadgar's Dark Coffin Classics - a marvelous show that shows old horror, fantasy, and science fiction movies on Channel 14, Milwaukee Wisconsin!    

... I mean ... if a Vampire endorses your book, who am I to argue with him? Not this human! 



White Wolf Prophecies Shout out/ LK Kelley








Next, an ad in a magazine, especially one with alternative news is excellent!  Having your book, and name, out there constantly is the best thing you can do.  Whatever you can do to keep it out front and center.



For instance, an ad for my book is in a fantastic magazine that I subscribe to, and have for many years.  







Ad in Atlantis Rising Magazine - pg 61




Book signings are an absolute must - if you can get them.  These will be among the hardest things you can obtain.  But, be persistence.  Once you get one, don't just sit at the table and do nothing.   Walk around the store, and hand out fliers!  Do something to engage the people in the bookstore.  As I said...this is the hardest thing to do.   And, I am working hard for my first one.  It may be coming soon. 

As an example, one of my very good friends, Anita Charlet Meyer, is an author in her own right, and she is always at a book signing, or on the go with book tours.

Anita Meyer - Author of The Primordial Language - Confirmation of the Divine Creator  one of 3 books she has already written, and fourth will be coming out soon. 

And, then there are interviews.  These can come in the form of radio, TV, and online interviewers of books - especially if they have a real following.

Here's an example.  Many of them ask questions, then post the interview later.  This was my first interview about my book, and me.  


Now, it's time for your Social Media.  This is where you will be your busiest.  I administer all my social media all by myself at this point.  And, I'm going to tell  you, now, it can be OVERWHELMING!  

At first, I tried to do every social media at the same time.  But, I found I was not doing my best by spreading myself so thin.  It also kept me from doing my best writing in my blogs.  

I finally had a talk to myself, and we came to the conclusion that the best thing to do would be to spread the social media throughout the week.  I discovered that this not only made my life easier, but at least once a week, my blogs, and other media were spread out well. It kept my book up front and center at all times somewhere on the internet.  For examples, these are my social media, and photo media.






(Oh, and I connected my Facebook accounts to my Twitter. That way, Twitter updates every time I update Twitter.  A great tool to use if you don't have the time for everything)





And, if that's not enough, write a blog like I do.  I am also a freelance editor, and have established an editor page as well.


And, finally, don't forget to design your own website!  There are any number of great online, and free, website design companies.  I love mine, and update it at least once a week.  Keep it going. Don't let it just sit there doing nothing.  



Don't try to update all of these except once or twice a week.  It'll overwhelm you, and you'll get too tired to do anything else.  

Now, after this, join author/book groups and communities - as many as you think you can handle.  Keep your book out there - front and center.  

For a final touch ... use #'s and any word you can think of that describes your book.

For instance, here are some of mine. 

#whitewolfprophecy   #lkkelley   #whitewolfprophecyblog   #photoshoot

#wolf   #werewolf  #werewolves  #vampires  #elves  #colorado  #stlouis #paranormal 

#paranormalfantasy  #fantasybook  #fantasy  #sciencefiction  #romance 

#paranormalromance  

You get the idea.  Make sure you use these everywhere as well.  You can make up your own that matches your book.  

So, I have to end with "If a Vampire Endorses Your Book, Don't Argue!"  Hey!  I may be overwhelmed, but this human "ain't" stupid!   

Keep optimistic!!!

9781615000500





Monday, March 31, 2014

BOOK CHARACTER PHOTOS - Behind the Scenes of a Book Photoshoot - Make Them Real

I did not want a "stock" cover for my book.  And, this carried through to my characters as well.  I didn't want "stock" character photos for my book, either.  Photoshoots have become an essential part of books these days. When you write your books, your characters should be fully vivid to you.  You should be able to picture exactly what they look like.   


The White Wolf Prophecy ~ Mating ~ Reviews on Website

See the reviews on both Barnes and Noble & Amazon below




(NOTE: How to design a book cover is my most popular blog to date. You can read it here)



Why?  Well, so many book covers in the genre "Fantasy" which  look just like ever other book cover, I wasn't wanting mine to get lost in translation.   I wanted REAL photos of REAL people.  I knew, without a doubt, what the characters looked like.  I could see their faces, and everything about them. Now, where the heck was I going to find them?  How would I get their photos?  Geez, that was a big problem for me! 

And, then, it suddenly dawned on me that my main two characters I actually knew in person! If you have been to my website, you will find all kinds of photos of my characters.  My villain is being developed as I write the blog, and have already asked him. He will be on my next cover design - and yes, I will be designing that one as well. 

OK. Back to the subject.  At first, I hesitated in asking them.   When you know someone personally this way, it's a bit tricky.  Very few people are willing to put themselves out there where everyone can see them all over the world.  

I was trying to develop a "pitch" to ask them, when suddenly, they came to ME, and asked to be my characters on my book cover, and on my website!  Well,  that just took my project from low gear, and kicked it into high gear! HOW could I ever turn that down?  So, I accepted, and suddenly we were in photoshoot mode.  The priority, of course, was the photos for the cover of my book.  Since one of my characters, Kaitlan, live about 1000 miles away from my other character, Cordone, as well as myself, this presented a whole,  new logistical problem, 

It meant that I had to rely on two different photographers!  But, luckily, I found two great ones!  Matt Mclenahan of Razorbackfoto of Little Rock, AR,  and Erica Boniface from Westminster, CO.  After speaking to them, the first photoshoot was ready.  Tons of photos of Kaitlan were taken, but I only needed a couple of shots of Cordone. Here are some of them.




1. Erica Boniface - Photographer

2. Erica Boniface - Photographer

3. Erica Boniface - Photographer

4.  Razorbackfoto

5. Razorbackfoto

6. . Razorbackfoto

7. Erica Boniface - Photographer




Well, after much consideration, and tons of photos which had my eyes watering with a huge decision, the cover shots were chosen.  These are #1 and # 5.  You can see the result in the Book Cover at the top of the page. Now what?  I didn't have photos of the two of them TOGETHER!  I wanted them in photos together, but how?  Unbelievably, a solution happened without a hitch.  I had specific ideas of what I wanted, but something happened to totally alter it. I'll explain later in the blog.


It just happened that Kaitlan would be in Arkansas around Christmas time!  Now, all three of us were only about 200 miles from each other.  Our plans were for outdoor shots.  So, on December 21, 2013, everyone converged on Little Rock, AR for the shoot. We were all pumped up for it!  Until a massive rain storm moved in the early morning hours.  And, when I say massive, it was as if someone turned on a waterfall, and didn't turn it off for hours on end.  

Driving in this storm was a nightmare.  A literal nightmare! But, we made it.  It totally ruined our outdoor shots, so we had to do them inside. But, where there's a will there's a way, and we found it.

First, Kaitlan's hair had to be done.  Now, while Matt Mclenahan was getting ready for shooting, I decided to bring my camera and get some behind the scenes shot just specifically for you!  And, that is what I did. 

Second, I learned that it's not at all glamorous.  In fact, it's downright time consuming, and boring while you're waiting to begin.  By the time Kaitlan's hair and makeup were done, we were already pooped! ;) 


 BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOSHOOT FOR 
THE WHITE WOLF PROPHECY ~ MATING ~ Book 1





Makeup and Hair = 1 1/2 hours or more





The guys were really bored, and had to find something to do!  So, it's time to play on the phone!






FINALLY, the shoot was over!




Something you do need to know is that it isn't glamorous at all.  It's tiring, and in a lot of cases boring just waiting for the next shot.

But, now, it's time to judge the finished products!  Is it worth it? You bet it is!  




Isn't LOVE grand?


The best is to have someone you know to be willing to be your characters.   What this does is really make your book, website, and all yours social media completely personal.
Now, to money.  Yes, it may cost your some money, but it is highly worth it.  And, if you don't know anyone, there are any number of book cover models!  No matter what happens, your book is going to cost you money in some way or form.  

No matter how you look at it, make your book TRULY YOURS!   You won't regret it!  I, now, invite your to my website, and to see the 5-Star rating on both Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.com.











#whitewolfprophecy

#lkkelley

#whitewolfprophecyblog

@lkkelley1

9781615000500