Marketing with Mandy ~ Samhain Authors Part II

Marketing with Mandy ~ Author Kally Jo Surbeck

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain.

A: Oh, wow. My experience with Samhain has been prompt, professional, and wonderfully surprising. I have unfortunately worked with some houses that were less than truthful in how they dealt with their stable of authors. I have not found that to be how Samhain works. The editors, the author liaison, even the owner are all incredibly easy to reach out to, tell them what you need or ask your question, and they’ll get back immediately. I’ve also been blown away by their business plan and how they are taking steps to insure the success of Samhain.

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?

A: Know your audience. That is a key element. I like to cross promote with my friends. Everyone knows someone and that someone is someone, I would not have otherwise met. I do love networking or socializing, so this is an easy way for me. Loop days are fantastic. I’m not a big fan of constant 24/7 coverage, but the special days are super.

Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?

A: Listen. There is always someone out there who was where you are now. Listen to them. Learn from their successes and failures, then run with it. Also, don’t let the business side of business drag you down. You started writing stories to tell a good story. Never lose that passion.

Q: How do you come up with your ideas?

A: Life. Dreams. Overheard Conversations. Some flight of fancy that zips into my brain.

Q: What authors inspired you growing up?

A: I never thought, or even considered that I would be a write one day. However I have always been an avid reader. I had all the Nancy Drews, the Hardy Boys, the Sweet Valley Highs, Tolkien, C S Lewis, Dr Sues, S Silverstine. (I know I’m gonna spell some wrong) Brontes. I just loved to read. All over the board.

Q: How do balance family and writing?

A: Sometimes, I don’t. I wish I did a better job with this. I know people have a better method than I, but I simply do what needs to be done every day. That means if there is something pressing with the family, that gets my attention. If it’s just cleaning the house that day or going to town for mail, then I think about it and generally get the writing done first.

Q: What would you do if you weren’t a writer?

A: I would like to be an adventurer. I can say that, right? We didn’t have money restraints. I would love to go in search of new things. Study various time periods. I would love to spend months in Europe studying the mysteries of mythology, tracking down the sources. That would be awesome. If I can’t have that job, then I would like to be a philanthropist.

LINKS:
www.kallyjosurbeck.com
KallyJoSurbeckAuthor_group@yahoogroups.com
www.sexualchocolate.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/kjwrite

Marketing with Mandy ~ Author Kate Rothwell / Summer Devon

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain.

A: I have one novella and a novella at Samhain, and a story in the dragon anthology will be coming out in the fall. I love the friendly yet professional atmosphere of Samhain–it feels like the perfect balance. And I have to admit, I get a kick out of the fact that they remember my birthday. Heck, my family doesn’t do that.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: Revealing Skills, which was already released as a Samhain ebook, is coming out in print June 19. In fact, it’s already listed as in stock at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Revealing Skills is an erotic romantic fantasy that features a shapeshifter who can take on different forms. It’s a little different from most shapeshifter books. One publisher rejected it because on the second page, the hero morphs into a rat, and she didn’t think a rat was a sexy form. She’s right, of course. (Hey, he only stays a rat for a few pages to escape a prison. And to keep myself from squicking, I pictured a creature more like a chinchilla than a regular rat)

Actually I don’t think he’s entirely appealing until he begins to fall in love. He’s one of my favorite heroes right now. I like the way he shifts–not just between animal forms but also between light-hearted nonsense and staunch devotion. And I think his human form is way hot.

I love playing around when I write stories and I put in a lot of references to a particular sixties sit-com in Revealing Skills. It doesn’t affect the plot (the story and the characters are most important of course!) but it’s there. Let me know if you read the book and don’t see what I mean.

Q: What’s your favorite genre to write in and why?

A: Whatever story I’m working on, that’s my favorite genre. As I’m writing, I can’t imagine working on any other genre, until the next day when I pick up another story to work on. I have to have multiple stories going at once–well, two at least–or I panic big time.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?

A: I’m currently working on three. Well, one is lying fallow while I try to figure out how to fix it. That’s a modern version of Jean Webster’s Daddy Long Legs.

I’m almost done with a novella about a wrong number that turns into a love affair. The heroine is a naiad who tries to hire the hero as an escort to go into her family’s wild–as in hot–territory.

The third novel is what would happen to Victorian society if a person like “Walter” got his hands on a powerful genuine aphrodisiac. (Walter actually existed–he’s the author of the anonymous smut– http://www.my-secret-life.com/. If you ever want to understand the difference between erotica/erotic romance and porn, he’s porn. When I read that for a while, I start to feel….icky. ) The Walter character is definitely NOT the hero, by the way.

Q: What types of research do you do for your books?

A: When I write historicals, I love to read primary materials. Actually history is pleasure reading for me even when I’m not working on historicals. There’s a copy of 1886′s Professional Criminals of America by the famous NYC police Chief Thomas Byrnes in our bathroom–hey, it is great bathroom reading. The profiles are each about a page long. The criminals’ nicknames and some of the descriptions of their crimes are hysterical.

I own a copy of King’s Guide Handbook of New York City, which is a great 19th century 2-volume set that lists just about every business, park and organization in New York. I also love looking through the ads in the old New York Times. Corsets for $2, what a bargain! I do use resources like “The Writers’ Guide to Victorian Terms” but I always look for things that were written in the time I’m interested in. The Gutenberg project www.Gutenberg.org is a great resource. All of this reading I mentioned is just background. I try not to have info-dumps in the stories but the tiny little bits of information make it feel more concrete to me–and then it’s easier to get in the mood to write.

Q: Why do you like writing romance/erotica?

A: I like writing erotic romance because for me, it is an enormous challenge to write the genre, not to mention to keep fresh. I want the heat and the plot and the characters to grow and change throughout the story. But how can sex get any sexier? Emotional connection, yeah, but how to convey that in the heat? Anyway, it’s the hardest kind of writing I’ve done. (Keep in mind I’ve written regular fiction, short stories, historical novels, ad copy, radio commercials, guides, cross-stitch instructions, brochures, feature articles, grants and hard news. I’ve been writing professionally for over 20 years.)

Okay, okay. The main reason I get a kick out of it is because I love writing what I enjoy reading, and there’s nothing better than a good romance– particularly a hot one. Yum.

LINKS:
http://katerothwell.blogspot.com
http://www.katerothwell.com
http://www.summerdevon.com
http://www.myspace.com/katerothwell_writer myspace page for both of us.

Marketing with Mandy ~ Author Barbara Sheridan

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain.

A: It’s been a positive one overall. For a “new” company it’s impressive what they’ve accomplished so far.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: Soul of the Night (co-written with Anne Cain) features things are very dear to our heart–hot Asian men, vampires and an historic setting.

On the streets of old San Francisco darkness threatens to consume a vampire’s soul, and one man’s love is all that stands between good and evil. But temptation and desire brings out the worst in the vampire Kiyoshi, triggering a fascination with the blood of a killer known as the Poisoned Dragon. As this interest quickly spirals into an obsession, everything Kiyoshi and his mortal lover, Ryuhei have come to treasure is in danger of being lost…forever…

Best of all, Soul of the Night (both the e-book and upcoming print
edition.) contains original illustrations by Anne Cain.

Q: What’s your favorite genre to write in and why?

A: Definitely paranormal. I grew up watching the Addams Family and the Munsters and twilight Zone and spent many Saturday afternoons and evenings watching the local TV stations’ B-horror movie “Chiller Theater” type programs.

Q: What types of research do you do for your books?

A: As much as the story and characters call for. I try to write about things I’m already somewhat familiar with. Since Anne and I are writing a lot of m/m research takes some ‘interesting’ turns.

Q: What authors inspired you growing up?

A: I devoured all the romantic suspense novels by Barbara Michaels, many of which were paranormal. I also loved the sprawling historicals of Taylor Caldwell and John Jakes.

LINKS:

Website: http://www.dragonsdisciple.com

Publisher page:
http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/barbara-sheridan-anne-cain

Blog: http://www.livejournal.com/users/dragonsdisciple/

Readers’ Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dragonsdisciple/

–
~ Barbara Sheridan
http://www.barbarasheridan.net
http://www.dragonsdisciple.com
http://slash-and-burn.blogspot.com/

Marketing with Mandy ~ Author Dayna Hart

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain.

A: Lol. I’d love to gloss it up a little, but here’s the true, unadulterated story.
I spent months writing a romantic suspense book. It was good, but kind of…well, plain. I got frustrated. Stuck on a plot point. And in a fit of ‘screw this’…I wrote my book Go Between. A fantasy-romance. My CPs all but dared me to sub it, because it was so much cooler than the rom-susp. (which, did I mention was really very bland?)

First, I did my research. I knew what I wanted: someone who’d been around a while, whose books I liked and who took fantasy (with or without romance), no matter the heat level. Someone who had a good reputation, nice covers, good edits. I had a list of four epubs when I was done. Alright, I had one…and three backups. Samhain was the only place I queried for Go Between. It was the only place I thought it’d fit, y’know?

My editor asked me to revise and resubmit it. And I was more excited over that than the contract, which came a week or so later. (I did rewrites for three days solid so I could resub right away.) I’d been so sure I’d overshot my mark…that I’d subbed a mediocre story, or that I didn’t have enough talent…the R&R was validation. The contract was a lot cooler, though J
My experience with Samhain has been fab J My editor has really been fantastic, and I’m learning a lot from her. I have to admit, though, I still see some of the other writers on the author loop and feel like a raving newbie. “Omg! Even I’ve heard of her!” (And I live in my writer cave.) With all the good things Samhain’s had happen lately…I sometimes am afraid someone will notice me and go “Hey, you! You don’t belong here!”

Um. This interview’s gonna be limited-circulation, right? I mean…it’s not going to get me on Angie’s radar or anything is it?

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: The first book in the Curtain Torn Series, my book Go Between releases on August 28th. I’m so impatient, this whole waiting thing is killing me! There’s an official blurb up now, so I won’t repeat it…I’ll tell you how I think of it.

Imagine someone fed Terry Pratchett a lot of Valium, showed him one of Brian Froud’s Pressed Fairy Books, and then asked him to write a book. My book is toned-down funny, and not quite as wildly out there as Pratchett. However, it’s not heavily serious, either, although I wouldn’t be me if there weren’t some of those moments.

So, what’s the story? Claire, on the worst 25th birthday a girl could have, gets a “squashed fairy book” as a gift. When she opens it, she releases Dell, a fairy who’s been trapped within its pages. Of course, Dell is yummy hot, and Claire is adorable. Even while fighting goblins, who’ve taken over Claire’s house, their attraction is obvious. But they’ve been lying to each other, and Claire has to wonder if that can be forgiven.

What’s the book about? It’s about ‘betweens’…the places and spaces you can find magic because it’s not one place or another, one thing or another, it’s between those two things. And it’s about magic.

Q: What’s your favorite genre to write in and why?

A: Fantasy!! I finally had a “aha!” moment this week. Someone asked what I do, and I said “I’m a fantasy writer.” I didn’t think about it, didn’t hesitate, and I was surprised. In epublishing, most people are romance writers. And my series is a fantasy-romance series. But, at the heart of it, I write fantasy. Sometimes there’s romance, sometimes there isn’t. I’ve only written two books without fantasy-elements (One was this bland rom-susp…oh, you’ve heard about that already.) I don’t have a single work in progress without fantasy/paranormal elements. I do have some without romantic elements.

This all sounds a lot easier than it really was to realize.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?

A: um. They’re fantasy books? J I’m working on the end of the sequel to Go Between (called Between Good and Aeval) and I’m already figuring out plot points for the third book (working title: Between Meals)

I also have a literary-fantasy piece called Candledancer in the works. It’s a very pretty, dark story about a woman who likes to burn herself and man ensorcelled into a candle’s flame.
I’m working on revisions to “Where is the Line”, a chick-lit fantasy erotic romance book. (It was R&R’ed this month. Ugh, honesty is so brutal J However, I’m okay with all the changes, so I can’t really complain)

I have a cat-shifter f/f/m polyamory erotic-romance novella I’m working on.
And I’m actually spicing up my bland rom-susp by making it a paranormal-romantic-suspense, which is kind of fun.

Um. That’s not including the ones in the pipeline. (two historical fantasies, two fantasy-epics, and the rest of the Curtain Torn series…) I like to keep busy.

Oh, geeze, Mandy you didn’t want a novel for this answer, did you?

Q: What would you do if you weren’t a writer?
A: Cry?

I’ve done a lot of jobs (badly)…. The world is better off with me penned at my computer. However, epublishing has taught me some very valuable skills, and I think I’d likely go into web design and cover artwork, which I do on a freelance basis occasionally now. I’d also love to go back to school one day.

LINKS:

My website:
http://daynahart.com
My Blog
http://daynahart.com/blog
Group Blogs:
http://thenoveltygirls.com
(Six Authors, One Blog. Complete Mayhem.)
http://fantasyandenchantment.blogspot.com
(Fantasy writers on the loose!)
Reader Group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thenoveltygirls_readers

Marketing with Mandy ~ Author Pam Champagne

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain.

A: It’s been great! I received a prompt response to my first submission, Bed of Lies. No months of waiting and wondering. My editor has been fantastic. She’s prompt and patient. I love the way they keep their authors informed of what’s happening. I think this is extremely important.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: Bed of Lies will be available on June 19. Having lived in Maine, I’ve set a few of my stories here. The culture and Mainers, themselves, are too colorful not to share with the rest of the world. Spruce Harbor, the setting of Bed of Lies is a small sleepy fishing village that ends up with a drug problem. Not only that, the heroine and hero become embroiled in discovering secrets that have been kept hidden for years. If you like suspense, treachery, sprinkled with your hot romance, then Bed of Lies is for you.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIPs?

A: I have several WIP’s going. All but one are novellas. The RS full length wip centers on a woman in Reno who was born with a curse. Like her mother, she can’t lose at the casinos. Her mother is murdered and Tina fears she may be next.

One almost completed novella is a contemporary with a touch of the paranormal. The heroine’s husband is killed in the MiddleEast. His ghost appears and wants to make sure she finds happiness again. The dead husband even finagles a situation where she meets the hero and has no choice but to become involved.

Another wip novella involves a framed FBI agent on the run from both the good and bad guys. The heroine, a fellow agent who’s lusted after him for a long time, takes vacation and hunts him down in Canada. They travel the Alaskan Highway to Ninilchek, AK where the hero has friends he believes can help. Quite a bit of action on the way. Sparks fly between the H/h as well as from guns.

Q: How do you come up with your ideas?

A: I use the old standby – what if question. Every one of my stories has evolved from those two words.

Q: How do balance family and writing?

A: Since it’s only my husband and me, it’s not so much balancing family with writing. I work 40 hours a week and have an hour commute morning and evening. So it’s finding the time to write. My job exhausts me and my weekends are full of grocery shopping, house cleaning, laundry etc. Time is my enemy.

LINKS:

www.pamchampagne.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pamchampagnenews
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/killer_passion_newsletter/?yguid=228517622
http://killerpassion.blogspot.com

CONTEST: Monday-Friday of this week– anyone who comments on ANY of the posts for Marketing with Mandy’s Samhain Publisher Spotlight (going on all week long) will be entered to win a download of their choice from Mandy’s Samhain backlist and Michelle’s Samhain backlist. (There will be two winners, each selecting one download)

To enter: Comment on the blog this week! The more you enter, the more chances you have to win. Winners will be selected on Saturday and announced on the blog.