Logos, Logos, and Branding

As an author I am a brand. Who knew, right?

As an author I am selling myself.  Man, I really hope you like the product. I’ve gone through lots of soul searching, lots of thoughts, and lots of renditions of a logo.

When it came down to it, I had to figure out who and what I write. I should know this right?

Well here it is.  I write strong, sassy women.  Every one of them is escaping something holding them back and growing. They don’t always do it with a smile; sometimes it’s with a frown, some cussing, and a lot of determination.  They refuse to fail.

So my brand is strong and sassy women moving past what is holding them back. I hope we all can do this!

Here is my logo. Sort of a ‘kiss mine’ attitude, something my heroines are telling the world.  They don’t care what the world thinks anymore, as long as they love who they have become.

Marketing When No One is Listening

“You have to stay out there.”

“If you don’t promote yourself, no one will find you.”

Do those sound familiar? If not, no one is pushing you out loud. It’s true. If you don’t market, no one can find you. Be it paid ads, marketing departments, blog tours, you name it. They all have advantages. If they have the right reach and can target the market you want, they can be effective. That being said, I feel like for the most part my efforts fall on deaf ears.

It hurts when you see other authors being shared, but somehow you’re forgotten. It’s doesn’t help me motivate myself when I see small businesses being supported and never my books. Because lets face it, most authors are a small business. So what can we do when it feels like no one is listening? Well, push harder. Push through it And when in doubt, be creative.

I am trying new tactics. Yes, still pushing my books, but maybe in a different way. I want to catch more eyes, make people smile and laugh. I want them to see the business they support is human and wants to make them smile.

What are you creative ideas?

These are my latest. Thoughts?

Halloween Scavenger Hunt 2016

It’s scavenger hunt time! Anyone ever play Ghosts in a Graveyard – a game of tag played at night?  Some know it to be flashlight tag, but when I grew up across the street from a cemetery …

Well, guess what. Tag you’re it!

If you have found yourself at my blog rather than just my facebook page, don’t worry, you can enter here as well. Don’t forget to visit the lovely Sam Destiny next.

A sneak peek into my new book is the continuation of Finding Bell, about the Dark Queen and the Princess that came long before Bell. I’ve had plenty of questions about who the Dark Queen is and was. She isn’t the main Character, but rather the queen and mother of a princess desperate to get out of her own kingdom that is more a prison than a home. Her burden is to guard the portal of the demon realm and to never get the one she’s quietly loved forever.

What is your idea of Demons? Are they fallen angels or something much darker? Tell me your favorite Demon Book out there, favorite Angel story, or movie on either.

Poisonous Whispers Cover Reveal

Poisonous Whispers
Romance / Fantasy
By Jana Begovic
Release Date: December 5, 2016
Keywords: Fantasy, Romance, Saga, Reincarnation, Destiny, Betrayal, Past lives, Passion

“Don’t you ever forget about me…,” echoes the karmic whisper from lives past, poisoning her peace.

“Don’t you ever forget about me…,” he whispers during their secret encounters. Like a curse, these simple words now haunt Leandra, a reputable psychiatrist, who finds herself in emotional chaos after the sudden breakup of her illicit affair. Unable to heal on her own and tormented by dreams in which supernatural forces create havoc with her fate, she desperately turns to David, a colleague psychiatrist, asking him to take her through past-life regression therapy. She hopes that this unorthodox and somewhat suspect technique will explain her profound connection to the lover who has abandoned her so abruptly.

The sessions take Leandra through 17th and 19th century Ireland, Italy and England, where love, loss and betrayal are the leitmotifs in an ambiance of co-mingled fantasy and reality. In her hypnotic state, Leandra recounts a saga of intoxicating love, dizzying passion, flaming lust and profound heartbreak. Despite the painful answers she finds under hypnosis, Leandra still cannot let go of the hope to reunite with her lover. Ultimately, the shattering revelations from her past-life incarnations, along with the turmoil over her ruined marriage, become the stepping stones of her introspective path to healing, self-discovery and an appreciation of true love.
With its seamlessly interwoven sub-plots, “Poisonous Whispers” lures the reader from one continent to another, from past to present. The affair at the center of the story is an anatomy of the heart in which the heroine’s sorrow-laced journey reflects the universal themes of love and loss.

Image URL:

https://flic.kr/p/M9CALB
About Jana Begovic

Jana Vasilj-Begovic was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina where she lived until 1991. In 1991, she immigrated to Canada and after graduating from the Faculty of Education – Queens’ University, Kingston, she began to work for the Government of Canada in the field of foreign language education and training. As a subject matter expert in language training and testing, she has participated in multiple international conferences and projects, and designed and delivered numerous specialized seminars and workshops. As the result of a multinational research project she led, she co-authored an article that was published in 2015 by Cambridge Scholars as a chapter of the book, “Language in Uniform.” In addition to a B.Ed. degree in English and Dramatic Arts, she holds an M.A. Degree in Philology, as well as B.A. degrees in English and German Languages and Literature. Her debut novel, “Poisonous Whispers” is the reflection of her love for the written word and her lifelong fascination with storytelling. She is currently working on her second novel. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with her husband.

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/J.Damselfly/

Amazon Best Seller

It happened, I am officially an Amazon Best Selling Author! I know right?  This is very exciting, I think.

In a sea of millions of books Once Upon a Time was noticed, and this is not an accident. How did we do it? Ads! Effective ad companies can actually help you get your name out there. Did we make back the money? I’ll send you that stats for Oct some time in November. I can tell you that the author who put together the anthology boasted that she made back her money in two days the first time the campaign was run on another title.

So what does it mean to be a best seller? At the moment I am not sure. I know it means that people thought our book was worth buying, and it means that Amazon will hopefully give us more visibility to sell. The thing is, we havn’t seen any additional reviews come through, something that is imperative to helping a book sell far longer than the initial release weeks.

It also means that I really need to get my next book in the series out. If people are noticing I need to keep up the momentum, something much easier said that done. All I can say is, I appreciate the author with a lot of experience in becoming a best seller for helping our book get to this point!

If you are interested in checking out Once Upon a Time the buy links are listed at the bottom of this post here.

Once Upon a Time Paperback is here!

I love all types of genres, but really love fantasy. I can’t lie. So my story Finding Bell is a very exciting release for me. Although the release date is Sept 30th for the e-book, the paperback is out now! So if you prefer paper to electronic books, here is the link. Happy reading!

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Eight magical stories based on the original tales you thought you knew…
In this cross-genre collection, you will discover retellings that will reminisce of your childhood, and those that will explore the darker side of the brothers Grimm. Traditional, modern, fantasy, and horror abound in this diverse group of stories sure to please those who love fairytales with a twist!

The Stories:

Finding Bell – Michelle Ziegler
Annabella can’t remember anything before the last six years, and her dreams are telling her something. She just doesn’t know what. Desperate to find the missing pieces in her life, she heads to France, where a castle exists that matches the one in her dreams. Once there, she has to figure out if the mysterious place holds the key to unlocking the past she can’t remember.

Henri, once a powerful Fae prince, is locked within the home he built for a princess who can’t remember him. A rose blooms every hundred years, signifying the chance to break the curse placed on him and his Faerie Court. Something is changing, and the girl he loves has returned—but can he get her to love him again and free them all from the endless cycle?

The Blue Mage – Amber Morant
Elona is one of the luckiest thieves in Tore. However, her eye is now on the treasures hidden within the Citadel of Hours where the Blue Mage resides. Becoming an apprentice is easy, but learning who he truly is becomes a nightmare in itself.

Dragon Kept – K.R. Thompson
Fairy spells are going awry—and for no good reason. Even though Morgana has managed to patch up her own botched spell and turn the toad back into a prince, she’s been given the task of fixing another fairy’s mistake as her punishment. But it won’t be easy. With an entire kingdom turned to stone, a princess forever charmed in sleep, and one unhappy dragon keeping guard—things could get interesting, to say the least.

If the Shoe Fits – Rosa Lee Jude
There’s more to Cinderella’s story than glass slippers and pumpkins. Waking up in a different time, a modern world, Cinder discovers that her storybook life was no fairytale. Is she brave enough to travel back in time and face the evil that threatens her future? This twist on a classic will leave you wondering if other fairytales are really fiction.

From the Depths – Kate Bonham
Carys, the favorite daughter of the King of Atlantia, has always wanted something greater for herself than to marry young and have more mer-children. She wants to be human—to marry the young sailor she’s seen by the docks. When she’s given the opportunity to become human, she jumps at it, hoping to meet her dream man.

Only problem is—humans are not what she has thought all her life. They are greedy, money-hungry monsters. What if the man she’s secretly hoping for, is the one she was destined to marry? What if it’s not always greener on the other side?

Godmother Death – Kellie Honaker
Philip was just an infant when Death became his godmother. As a gift, she presents him with a barrel of cider that bestows miracles to those who drink from it.

But there is a catch—it only works for certain people. When the barrel refuses to work for the only woman he’s ever loved, Philip must deal with the consequences of cheating Death.

The Steel Heart – Layne Aust
Emilio has been driven to madness since the death of his love, Natalia. Stuck in his shop, the heartbroken man tries to recreate the beauty with steel and nails. But the blacksmith is awarded a second chance by a wayward witch who makes him a deal—one that could either reunite the lovers or keep them apart forever.

Hook – K.R. Thompson
Sitting in the dark corners of the print shop, Archie Jameson dreams of adventure, never imagining it will find him.

A twist of fate lands him beneath unfamiliar stars with a small pixie to guide his way. What new adventures lie in Neverland?

Discover the untold story of the man destined to become Captain Hook.

 

 

Even they do it

While writing, stories take on a mind of their own. They change directions, and sometimes was have to delete a lot. This is all to create the best story possible, because let’s face it people are harder and harder to please, and it’s hard to sell books.

Incase you write or are already a published and trying to overcome writers block look to Disney for inspiration. If you ever watch their ‘making of’ extras, Frozen, you would see them deviate from their original storyline. This all happened because a character was more likeable than originally planned. It happens to Disney, it will happen to you. It happens to me all the time.

My current new release is a fantasy, something I have never written before. I am very excited. It’s about Faeries, but not in any way you’ve seen them before. They are my own making. No one says I have to stick to someone else’s made up rules. Well, the story took on a life of it’s own and it turns out the evil character who plays a minor roll in Finding Bell actually has a very large backstory. She needs her own story.

I suppose what makes a great story is that they can grow and evolve to become something people will actually want to read. Never force a story to fit what you had thought, your characters, although in our heads, have very real personalities. Yeah, that sounds a little crazy. No one is allowed to judge a writer.

So just remember, even the largest and most professional companies out there don’t stick to their original ideas and plots. AND THAT IS OKAY.

Happy writing. If you are a reader, happy reading and remember that the book you hold s a heartbeat to every author. Please read it with love.

 

I’m doing what?

I think I lost my mind this past month.  The good news is that I have a FREE contemporary romance story, I’ll Be Waiting, coming out that is a prequel to Winter’s Sweet Kiss – One in a Million Snowflakes. The other fun part is that I have a Fantasy Romance Novella – Finding Bell coming out in a collection called Once Upon A Time!

A little secret is there will be a scavenger hunt for Roane Publishing’s birthday this September and Once Upon a Time is on pre-order on Amazon for $.99c.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finding Bell Part of : Once Upon Time

Annabella can’t remember anything before the last six years, and her dreams are telling her something, she just doesn’t know what. Desperate to find the missing pieces in her life, she heads to France  where a castle exists that matches the one in her dreams. Once there she has to figure out if the mysterious place holds the key to unlocking the past she can’t remember.

Henri, once a powerful Fae prince, is locked within the home he built for a princess that can’t remember him. A rose blooms every hundred years signifying the chance to break the curse placed on him and his Faerie Court. Something is changing, and the girl he loves has returned, but can he get her to love him again and free them all from the endless cycle?

***

I’ll Be Waiting

Finding someone that makes you smile is worth every risk.

Angela has pined away for Nick since they were kids, but he’s off limits. She’s supposed to plan a going away party with his sister, but Angela’s spending more time daydreaming than planning. Every glance from him drives her closer to throwing caution to the wind and has Angela wondering if he might feel the same way.

Nick has devoted his life to the military and is heading out on one more deployment. The party his sister and her best friend throw him is another excuse to spend his last few hours  with the woman he can’t get out of his head. Nick chases off the competition, but might have overstepped this time. Will one last parting gift be enough to keep her thinking of him until he returns?

Manifesting Destiny (Changers) by M Pepper Langlinais

 

****

Top 10 Favorite Authors (and why)

M Pepper Langlinais: Really, guys? You’re going to ask me to pick favorites?

 Okay, I’m not going to rank them. But I will pick some favorite authors and why I like them. In no particular order: 

1. Richard Adams. He wrote Watership Down, which I read in sixth grade. It had a huge influence on me, simply captivated me. My friends asked me what it was about and maybe that was the moment that I learned to tell a story, or at least learned to pitch one. My friends started calling me Hazel-Rah (after the chief rabbit in the book—yes, Watership Down is about rabbits on a journey to find a new warren), and then they began choosing rabbit names too. It was a great experience of literature bringing people together.
2. Neil Gaiman. Someone gave me some copies of Sandman while I was an undergrad. I was never a comic book person, but that changed my view of ways stories could be told. I still really want to do a graphic novel some day, if I can find an illustrator.
3. Anne Rice. Yes, she can get flowery with her descriptions, but I re-read Interview with the Vampire every couple years. Lestat may be showy, but Louis is still my favorite.
4. Ben Aaronovitch. His Peter Grant series is just so much fun. When I told my 10-year-old son about it, he said, “Oh, it’s Harry Potter for grown-ups.” Yeah, that’s about right.
5. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Without his writing the original Sherlock Holmes stories, I wouldn’t have a career.
6. William Shakespeare. I’ve been in a Shakespeare troupe, and I’ve taught Shakespeare’s plays to kids, and I still just love his work. Once you get past the language (which isn’t a problem for me, but I had to show the kids how to read it), the stories are incredible. And really, the language is clever and lovely once you get the hang of it.
7. Jane Austen. Speaking of clever language. She’s so smart and funny and I can read her over and over.
8. Kate Morton. Her books have a definite formula to them, but I still find myself entranced and unable to put them down.
9. Tana French. The Dublin Murder Squad books are a neat interlocking chain of stories. In the Woods is still my favorite, but they’re all great.
10. Agatha Christie. I discovered Hercule Poiroit as a pre-teen and still just love to pick up one of those books when I want a quick, fun read.

****

Manifesting DESTINY

(Changers)

M Pepper Langlinais

Romance/Paranormal/Fantasy

65K, Evernight Teen Publishing

Sixteen-year-old
Cee has a hopeless crush on her best friend Marcus. Unfortunately for her, he’s
gay. In the wake of Marcus’s older brother leaving home to join the Aerie,
Marcus has become increasingly distant. When Cee discovers she has a
troublesome dragon named Livian living inside her things grow even more
complicated. 

Marcus urges Cee to go to the Magi to have Livian
removed, but the more Cee becomes attached to Livian, the more she questions
the decision. Should she change her natural self for the crush who will never
love her anyway?

Buy
Links:  ARe   Evernight
Teen   Amazon

Evernight
Teen:   http://www.evernightteen.com/manifesting-destiny-by-m-pepper-langlinais/

Amazon:  https://goo.gl/PZCF1b

ARe:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-manifestingdestiny-2084785-140.html

Excerpt:

Heat spread through her. Cee’s face elongated, her
arms extended, her nails formed into claws, and her feet became suddenly very
heavy. The bony spires erupted from her shoulders, and Cee was compelled to
double over to allow the wings to grow.

Throughout, Cee fought the urge to resist, though her
instinct was to do just that. She wondered what she looked like, caught a
glimpse of red scales, and realized her eyesight had become sharper. All the
details of the trees around her impressed themselves upon her brain: the cracks
and flakes in the bark, the saw-tooth edges of the leaves, and every little spot
and insect thereupon.

How big was she? Cee realized she was at eye level
with the middle of the trees. She looked down and saw her friends pushing
themselves even harder against the trunks, making way for Cee’s—or Livian’s,
she supposed—tail as it snaked by.

Yes, we’re very pretty, said
Livian impatiently. But we don’t have time for showing off just now.

The massive wings began to move, slowly at first,
gathering speed that put the force of the helicopter’s artificial wind to
shame. Cee realized she had no control over what was happening. It was all
Livian, and she was housed inside him, somehow, along for the ride.

It was equal parts thrilling and petrifying, bursting
through the treetops and being free of gravity. Cee would have liked to spend
more time experiencing it, but there was the helicopter, like a massive black
bug, and Livian went right for it.

* * *

About the author:

M
Pepper Langlinais is an award-winning screenwriter, produced playwright, and
author. Her latest novel CHANGERS: MANIFESTING DESTINY, first in a new YA
fantasy trilogy, is now available from Evernight Teen. 

M holds a Master of Arts in Writing, Literature and
Publishing and a Bachelor of Science in Radio-Television-Film. She has a love
of Shakespeare, having both performed and taught his work, and has also
interned on Hollywood film sets. M worked for Houghton Mifflin and Pearson
before deciding to devote her full time to writing (and occasionally
parenting). She lives in Livermore, California with her family, cat, and
hamster. Find out more about her and her books at PepperWords.com.

 ***

Giveaway:  $25
Amazon Gift Card

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Vanity isn’t Always in the Mirror

Do you know what a Vanity Press is?

Not everyone does and I am not looking down on someone who goes this route, but it is warning to ensure authors understand the risks.

Obviously I am a fan or independent publishers as well as traditional publishers. I have my reasons. Self publishing is a whole new world that is allowing a lot of new books to flood the market. What of vanity presses though?

A vanity press is a ‘publisher’ that requires the author or perspective author to sign a contract that requires them to pay money up front in order for a book to be accepted.* I don’t mean a small amount either. Most request a few thousand. Some request the author to buy a certain amount of books, or to buy others books from the publisher. There are a lot of different ways to identify a vanity press, but the biggest is that your book was not accepted due to merit, quality, plot line, or any other point that most agents and publishers look for.

A indie and or traditional publisher has contracts, but they never ask the author to foot the bill. Some do not pay advances; this is usually an Indie publisher due to their size and is not uncommon nor a red flag to worry about. Royalties should always be addressed, you’re a publishing to make money – let’s not kid ourselves.

If you aren’t sure if the publisher is a vanity press, where you are pretty much paying to have your book printed rather than self publish in ebook first, Google search and look for reviews. I am not saying all vanity presses are bad, some help market even. Just be aware of what you are getting into before you sign over a lot of money that might be lost for good rather than an investment.

*Please know that it is not uncommon for agents to ask for the author to pay their printing of manuscripts that will be shopped around to potential publishers.