Snippet from Demonic Desires by Mandy M Roth

Paranormal Vampire Shifter Demon Romance

Reform isn’t in every bad boy’s future…or past…

Ava Fenaly knows a thing or two about magik, and she knows exactly what she’s doing when she summons a demon in her bedroom. Well, almost. Ava is convinced the exhilarating night of passion that follows is all a dream. It has to be, because she’s dead set against revisiting her past—and the horrors she left behind long ago.

For the last three hundred plus years, Donatus Manlian has been living a peaceful life. Lonely, but peaceful. When the demon he has kept carefully locked within for centuries finally breaks free and responds to Ava’s call, the peace—and the loneliness—are gone. Now Donatus is forced to revisit tragedies long buried as he protects Ava from the evil that pursues her. But another evil lies within him—and now that it’s been awakened, the demon wants free.
Rating: Contains graphic adult material,

adult language, and explicit sexual content not suitable for sensitive readers.

EXCERPT

Must be 18 years and older to read this. If not, please leave this site.

Demonic Desires

Mandy M. Roth

Dedication

To Nick. Your insight, encouragement and words of wisdom are always appreciated.

Prologue

Donatus Manlian bit back a smile as he held the door for the elderly woman. “Mrs. Rosière, I’ve told you every day for a month and a half that I’m more than willing to pick up the things you need at the store on my way home. I can even hire someone to do it for you.” It wasn’t the first time he’d offer to do that and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last either. The elderly woman was stubborn. Almost more so than he.

Mrs. Rosière smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling with merriment. “You’re a good boy, Donatus. A good boy. Don’t let anyone tell you different.”

If you only knew.

He kept a smile plastered on his face as she entered her home. Shifting the bag of groceries he’d taken from her when he’d found her walking home alone—again—he followed her in. The smell of freshly baked cookies filled the air and Donatus wondered how that was since she hadn’t even been home. He also wondered would it would have been like to grow up in home such as this, with a caring woman to look after him and provide a steady supply of love and baked goods. You’d not be the jaded fool you are now if you’d been pampered.

As he strolled past the endless rows of holy artifacts she had, he thanked his lucky stars that the days of bursting into flames the moment a crucifix came into play were long gone.

It had been over three hundred years since he’d had that problem. Of course, Mrs. Rosière was none the wiser. To her, Donatus was in his early thirties and an upstanding citizen. Hell, to everyone but his brethren, he was just that. It was laughable to a certain degree.

In reality, he’d spent all that time atoning for the evil he’d help reap upon the world and caging the demon that would always remain within him. Being a good boy didn’t come naturally to him. He had to work at it. Harder than most.

“Would you be a dear and put the bag on the counter for me?” she asked, going straight to the cupboard and grabbing two glasses.

They had done roughly the same thing for over a month. He would find her walking with bags that were way too heavy for her and he’d help her home, and she would give him a glass of lemonade. The additional pep talks about how much the Lord loved him were always optional. It wasn’t a topic he wanted to dwell on and she seemed to respect that, most of the time. On a few occasions she’d gone out of her way to quote scripture to him, citing various forms in which forgiveness was granted.

Some acts are unforgivable. Just like some men.

Not wanting to agonize over that which could not be changed, he went to work on unloading the bag. Mrs. Rosière shooed him away. “That will be enough of that. Sit down, relax. There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

Reluctantly, Donatus did as she requested. When she sat down across from him, his chest tightened. In the short time he’d known her, he’d allowed Mrs. Rosière to fill a position he’d never actually had anyone fill before—mother figure. Grandmother, even. “Mrs. Rosière, is everything okay with you? Are you sick?”

She snorted, waving a hand dismissively in the air. “Oh, I’ve been dying since the day I was born. We all have. Or most of us anyways.” The glance she cast him made him wonder if she knew more about him than she was letting. “I want to talk to you about your family, Donatus.”

“I have no family. I have friends I consider brothers but that’s it.”

She pushed his glass of lemonade in front of him. “No, you have a family out there. You just haven’t taken the initiative to go find it. More to the point, you haven’t made an attempt to find her.”

“Her?” he asked, sipping his drink. He watched her carefully, doing his best to figure out where the conversation was going.

“Yes, her. Your wife. The woman you’re destined to spend the rest of your life with, Donatus.” She smiled, snow-white wisps of hair dancing around her pale face. The wrinkles nearest her eyes crinkled. “Tell me why you haven’t looked for her.”

He chuckled. “I wasn’t aware I had someone earmarked for me, Mrs. Rosière.” That wasn’t entirely true. In theory, all supernaturals had a special someone. At least that’s what people told him. He didn’t really believe it. The idea of forces greater than one could conceive granting someone like him a wife were highly suspect.

“Well, you do and you’ve wasted too many years sitting back and doing nothing. A man your age should be out living life to its fullest, trying to find that perfect someone, that match.”

Men my age are dust at best.

He held back from speaking his mind. It wasn’t like he could really tell her he’d been alive for centuries. Even if she believed him, she couldn’t have the knowledge. No one could. It would put too many lives at risk. Smiling, he tipped his head. “I’ll start looking for her right away. Want me to bring any candidates past for your approval?”

A slow, knowing smile moved over her face. “That won’t be necessary. When you find her, you won’t need anyone else to tell you it’s right. Your heart, your entire being will know.”

“As romantic as that sounds,” Donatus sighed, “I don’t think happily-ever-after is for everyone.”

Especially not men like me. Men who did unspeakable acts centuries ago and have to live with the harsh reminder daily.

“Donatus.”

“Yes?”

“Have a little faith. It’s not what a man is. It’s what a man does.”

BUY LINKS

LINK

Marketing with Mandy Self-Publishing: Leigh Ellwood

Q: Please take a minute to tell us a little about yourself.

A: Thanks for having me here. I am Leigh Ellwood and I mainly write romance and erotica, though I take on other genres under another name. I have been writing all of my life, but didn’t publish a book until 2001. When I’m not at the day job helping clients with social media, I’m writing and reading, and hope to complete at least one novel a year.

Presently I have works out with Phaze Books, Samhain Publishing, Loose ID, and a number of works pubbed myself through an co-op imprint, DLP Books.

Q: What prompted you to self-publish your book(s)?

A: There are a few reasons. Early in my writing career, I had a few non-erotic books publish and quickly fizzle. I didn’t know much about marketing back then, and the publisher of the first book unfortunately had little experience, too. When I got the rights back to these works I noticed few publishers were willing to take on the reprint rights, so I published them myself through DLP. To my great pleasure, those titles are selling better now than they had with their original publishers!

As for new material that I self-publish, the works are mainly genres that didn’t interest some of my target publishers. I have a number of F/F erotic stories, which were once hard to place with pubs. After publishing them myself, though, I’ve noticed they sell well.

Q: How has the experience been to date?

A: I find the experience is good. I like that I get to keep most of the spoils when the checks are cut. The challenge for me is time to handle all of the marketing in addition to the writing. It’s expected even when you’re with a legacy publisher, yes, but publishers do relieve you of some of the book production that now falls on you.

Q: What do you know now that you wished you knew when you started?

A: I know cover art is very important in terms of making the package attractive to readers. I feel I have grown as a self-publisher in a sense because I know where my weaknesses lie in the process. I can produce an “okay” cover, or I can invest in a professional to create something more visually appealing.

Also, I wish I were a better accountant! Just a note for those of you new to this: keep track of EVERYTHING you buy – ad space, stock photos, etc.

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

A: I believe content is king. I find that blogging and guest blogging (blog tours) are the way to go to get your name out there. I am planning one for my next work and hope to do one for every release going forward. I do also play around with Twitter and Facebook, but mainly for personal purposes. Your name needs to be where the readers go, and I think readers are more inclined to check out the book bloggers for recommendations.

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

A: Write, revise, and revise some more. Find a good critique partner who will stick with you and be honest about your work – one who tells you when things don’t work. If he/she doesn’t, a reader just may tell you later.

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

A: My latest, ODD, is a M/M short out through All Romance’s Perfect Strangers imprint. It is a contemporary, humorous short about two partygoers who meet at a most unusual event. It is available exclusively through ARe along with others from the line.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s (works in progress)?

A: I am also finishing up a full length M/M work, tentatively titled Act Daring. This story is about an actor who makes a bad career move and leaves Hollywood to recover. While visiting his parents, he falls for a small town man directing a play and looking for inspiration. I hope to announce a release date soon.

Author LINKS:

Homepage

Blog

Twitter

Snippet from Red Light Specialists by Michelle M Pillow and Mandy M Roth

Bianca, Sonja and Trinity were given a choice—become RLS-69 special agents or continue to serve out their prison sentences at the Restigatio Woman’s Correctional Facility. Trained to complete their mission by any means necessary, these women aren’t afraid to pull out all the stops. With their freedom on the line, they’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done. From combat to seduction, their targets won’t know what hit them until it’s too late. There’s only one problem…their handsome targets have a few secret weapons of their own.

Rating: Contains graphic sexual content, adult language, and violence. This title is erotic.

EXCERPT

Must be 18 years and older to read. If not, please leave the site.

An Excerpt From: RED LIGHT SPECIALISTS

Copyright © MICHELLE M. PILLOW AND MANDY M. ROTH, 2005.

Bianca’s body was tossed into a wall. For a moment, she stood pressed to the hard surface, stunned that the damned A-mac had actually spit her out onto stone. If she wanted stone, she could’ve stayed on Restigatio, where she’d spent four years in the mines. If not for Director Simon’s offer of rehabilitation, she’d still be there—sleeping in some dark hole in between digging shifts, her hands bleeding and raw, her body always aching.

Rehabilitation.

Bianca snorted. What a fool she’d been when she signed on for that. She actually thought she would spend a few months saying she was sorry to a counselor in a halfway house, repenting her sins and begging forgiveness for her heinous crimes.

Instead, she was sent to a training facility where they taught her how to fight and, more importantly, how to seduce. They turned her into a Red Light Specialist, part of the RLS-69s. She was elite now, special.

She was especially annoyed to have landed on stone.

“I specifically said no stone. Was it really too much to ask?” Agent Bianca rolled her eyes. Gingerly, she pushed away from the hard barrier and grumbled, “Ouch.”

Bianca took a deep breath, trying to get her bearings. Big evenly cut blocks of gray stone lined the walls of a long hallway. Torches lit the otherwise dim area. It wasn’t much to go on.

This is an alien planet? Looks more like the images of those Medieval Earth castles Abbi showed us. Blessed Stars! I’m not in a place that primitive, am I? Damn it, Simon! I thought those images were just so we could make fun of old Earth culture, not an actual training lesson.

“This blows!” Bianca frowned.

Her mission was supposed to have downloaded into her brain during the transfer to the planet. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as she first feared. Concentrating, she had no clue what she was doing or where she was. Although, she was thinking in a different language, so that was something at least. It meant the information she’d been embedded with was working. Now, if only she could find a place to hide for an hour or so while her brain released the rest of her assignment.

The A-mac embedded everything she needed into her head during transfer. But Abbi had warned her that the brain could only take in so much at once and sometimes, due to the sudden burst of new information, it had to recharge afterward. That would account for half of the headache she now had. The damned stone wall would account for the other half.

Bianca decided to find a good hiding spot until she knew what she was up against. Feeling a chill against her legs as she began to walk, she glanced down and caught sight of what the A-mac had dressed her in. She froze, unable to make her feet move.

“Ah, blazes, no!” she swore. “Come on guys! You have got to be kidding me! Ha! Ha! Ha! Rookie hazing joke is now over. Get me out of here.”

Bianca waited, hoping she’d be jerked back to the training facility. Nothing changed. Damn! She’d really hoped this one was a joke. She was going to strangle Simon and Abbi when she saw them next. Then she’d strangle the A-mac.

This was just too humiliating. She could see every last stitch of skin through the thin red gauze of her non-existent outfit. She might as well be naked. Well, to be fair, there was a triangle piece of cloth over the thin thatch of hair guarding her pussy and two more, tinier triangles fitted over her nipples.

Grimacing, she tipped her head back, doing her best to see what the back half of her looked like. Yep. It too was covered only in the thin veil. Turning in a circle, she caught the slightest glint of light further down the hall. It was a long mirror. Going to check out her outfit, she posed before her reflection. Her eyes were lined with thick, black makeup and her cheeks had been painted a bright red with rouge. She didn’t care for the makeup, but her body looked damned good in the outfit.

“Hmm, not bad,” she said to herself. Good thing her ass was sexy and toned. She flexed it for effect, tensing, releasing, tensing, releasing, jiggling it fast to make the muscles ripple under the almost non-existent weight of the red material. Not bad. Not bad at all. Four years of lifting boulders could really tone up a figure. It still didn’t mean she wanted her ass out for the world to see, but hey, as long as she was the only one looking…

“This is a dance I have not seen before.”

As the words rolled over her, Bianca shivered with feminine awareness. It was the first male voice, besides Simon and the prison guards, that she’d heard in nearly four years. It was deep, low, sexy…

Wait a minute. Whoever it belonged to was watching her wiggle her ass.

Blazes!

Think, think, think.

Bianca’s first instinct was to beat up the guy. Well, the A-mac would surely give her the instincts she needed. Fighting it was!

Bianca focused on where the voice came from. Twirling on her heels, she threw out her fist. For a brief second, she saw incredibly dark eyes, before focusing on a white mist. Her fist went through the mist and hit the stone wall.

“Ah, sacred comet!” she gasped, cradling her injured hand. She’d swung hard. Now her knuckles were bleeding and she couldn’t move her fingers. So much for her dominant fighting hand.

“That looks like it hurt,” the man’s voice continued. He was behind her. He sounded amused, mocking. “I would not have done that, gengli.”

© copyright 2011

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

 REVIEWS

“5 STARS! This collection is full of beautiful woman, handsome men with unusual abilities, and subplots that connect the stories together. The women make use of their seduction training as well as their fighting abilities and give them just the right amount of action. A large dollop of humor is added to the mix to make this collection one of the best I have read in a long time. I hope the authors will continue to write more adventures for these women. I want to know what happens next.” Candy, eCataRomance reviews

“5 HEARTS! I love both of these authors and when they collaborate, they are even better…. The love scenes are extremely hot, and the characters very well developed. The authors also leave plenty of room for sequels. I can’t wait to read them.” Maura Frankman, The Romance Studio, July 2005

“5 STARS! Red Light Specialists is wonderful, I loved this book! From start to finish I was immersed within the pages… Mandy M. Roth & Michelle M. Pillow have a fan for life in me!” Chantay, Euro-Reviews August 2005

“4 1/2 Blue Ribbons! This book is a true testament to the talent of Misses Roth and Pillow…. A wild, sexy and very enjoyable ride into one of the most creative books I’ve ever had the pleasure to read!” By Romance Junkies Reviewer Christine Ventura, June 2005

“4 STARS! Red Light Specialists is a super sexy series of adventures …The sexuality is explicit, adventurous and arousing with each couple finding that their passions are ignited on first sight. But M&M also infuse each situation and character with humor as well as lusty satisfaction. This is a fine start to an exciting new paranormal series!” Patrice Storie, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

“4 ANGELS! Mandy M. Roth and Michelle M. Pillow are a great writing pair… I loved spending time with the Red Light Specialists and hope to read more stories about these sexy special agents very soon.” Tanya, Fallen Angel Reviews, June 2005

“4 Tattoos! Red Light Specialists proves to be an exciting, adventurous and highly erotic read… from start to finish I was deeply engrossed.” Erotic Escapades, July 2006

“Mandy Roth and Michelle Pillow are a writing team that will set you on fire with this story.  Red Light Specialists is definitely one of those books you cannot put down.” Debbie Braaten

“…intriguing, fast-paced…”

Sinclair Reid, Romance Reviews Today

Additional Book Information

Amazon ASIN:B004Y1M18K

Electronic ISBN:978-1-4524-1748-6

PRINT ISBN-13:978-1466250222
PRINT ISBN-10:1466250224

Release Date: April 2011

BUY LINKS

Stats from my blog and Raven’s.

Mandy blog 2011 Page impressions (blog only)
Quarter 1
/blog/feed/ 9,262
/blog/index.php 4,199
/blog/feed/atom/ 2,826
/blog/ 2,499

Quarter 2
/blog/feed/ 9,884
/blog/index.php 4,051
/blog/ 2,640
/blog/feed/atom/ 2,508

Quarter 3
/blog/feed/ 8,035
/blog/index.php 4,084
/blog/ 3,326
/blog/feed/atom/ 3,141

Quarter 4
/blog/feed/ 9,175
/blog/feed/atom/ 8,704
/blog/index.php 3,731
/blog/ 2,548

Raven Blog 2011 Page impressions (blog only)
Q1
/ravenblog/ 88,945
Q2
/ravenblog/ 90,428
Q3
/ravenblog/ 78,434
Q4
/ravenblog/ 69,230

We know times are tight. We’re feeling the pinch too. We also know that the first things to be cut from most household budgets are the luxuries like book buying. Often we have contests that features free downloads or paperbacks (yes, we’re including those in this too) but we thought it would be nice to do more—to help ease the pinch as best we could. Our solution, a massive gift card giveaway contest. We’re giving away thousands of dollars worth of prizes! (We’ve given away thousands and are STILL doing it!)

How does it work?

Glad you asked! Once a month we’ll randomly select winners from those who have entered. They’ll be notified via email.

What are you entering to win?

You’re full of awesome questions! We have lots and lots and lots (can’t really stress this enough) of gift cards to nationwide retailers to give away, plus free book downloads, free paperbacks, and pretty much whatever else we can think to toss at folks come winner selection days. Examples of just some of the ones we’ll be giving away—Wal-mart, Meijer food, Gordon Foods, Kroger, Visa pre-paid cards, Borders, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Outback, Chilis, Red Lobster, Old Navy, Macy’s, Sears, Hot Topic, JcPenny, prepaid gas cards, starbucks, and many, many more. Also, we’ll be tossing in free downloads of our books and paperbacks as they’re available to us to giveaway. UPDATE to prizes: DSI Lites, kindle ereaders, video games, moives, tv box sets and much, much more!

How often are we selecting winners?

Monthly! Again winners will be notified by email and if it’s a gift card (rather than an e-gift card) that you won, we’ll need your snail mail addy to send it to you. Don’t worry, we’ll ask you for it if you’re a winner.

Can I pick which gift cards or prizes I get?

No, sorry. We’re randomly selecting winners and pairing them equally as random with prizes.

How do I enter for a chance to win?

We’ll be drawing out winners from a few different places this time around. From our Raven Books newsletter mailing list members, from Raven Books Twitter Followers and from Raven Books’ owners Michelle Pillow & Mandy Roth’s personal mailing lists, facebook followers and twitter followers. If you’re already on all the mailing lists and follow each twitter/facebook, yay, you’re already entered to win! If not, here are the direct links for each.

The Raven Books Email Newsletter

The Raven Books Twitter

Mandy M Roth Email Newsletter

Michelle M Pillow Email Newsletter

Mandy M Roth Twitter

Michelle M Pillow Twitter

Mandy M Roth Facebook

Michelle M Pillow Facebook

Why aren’t you posting winners name publicly?

We got dinged for doing this and are taking a small break. Apparently, not all people who enter contests want their name out that they entered and won. (Frankly, I find this odd but that’s me… Ouch, Michelle just slapped me for saying that publicly. I feel someone had to.)

When should I start?

Now! The sooner the better. We’ll repost this contest page in its entirety at the start of each month of the contest as a refresher for any who might have missed it and a reminder to any who might want to enter more than once.

Can I get a bonus entry if I also promote this contest in addition to promoting Raven Books?

You sure can! Just be sure you’re promoting Raven Books first and foremost. Then, if you spread the word about the contest too, you’ll be entered multiple times.

Any stipulations?

Yes, you must be 18yrs old or older to enter. Contest is void where prohibited. No, we will not send you cash equivalent and all the other normal disclaimer stuff inserted here_____. Yadda yada yadda yada….

Snippet from Sacred Places by Mandy M. Roth

Paranormal Dark Fantasy Romance

Coyle O’Caha, a seven-hundred-year-old, immortal druid sorcerer, has one claim to fame—his experience mentoring fledgling witches. Three years ago, he found his soulmate, Deri Sullivan. With Deri haunting his dreams, he can no longer wait to claim her. He’s tired of waiting for her to fall for his charms and see that he’s the man for her. Of course, that’s easier said than done since Deri is immune to both his charm and magik.
Deri Sullivan’s boss is a real piece of work. Not only is Coyle a millionaire with a body to die for and an attitude to match, but he also has a Scottish lilt which makes her knees weak. He’s a certified ladies’ man. A man she should avoid at all costs. A man she can’t seem to quit dreaming about. A man with whom she wishes she could share her secret. Sometimes love happens at its own pace, other times, a supernatural nudge is needed.

WARNING: This book contains hot, explicit sex and violence explained with contemporary, graphic language.

Marketing with Mandy Author Spotlight: Trinity Blacio

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Ravenous Romance. (insert publisher name here or if self-published put self-publishing here).

A: I first started working with Ravenous Romance four years ago. Lori Perkins brought me on board. Everyone at RR has gone out of their way to work with me. Holly Schmidt, Allan Penn, and Lori Perkins are always working on promoting their authors, getting Ravenous Romance books out there to uncharted waters. If you have a suggestion they listen and they are always on the lookout for more talented authors.

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

A: Short and sweet. Do not step on toes, follow the rules when promoting. Interviews, blogs, radio shows, anything that gets your name out there. Carry business cards with you and hand them out when you do your errands. They might not be interested in what you write, but they will be telling others they met an author and that could get you a sale.

Leave free stuff at your local library’s, book stores, and colleges.

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

A: Never give up. Any business you go into there are ups and downs. Cut throat people who will try everything to discredit you and your stories. So believe in yourself, talk to other authors, most of them would be willing to give you any advice they can. They can even point out some do’s or don’ts.
Also you find a great place on the internet link it, write it down you never know when you’ll need that place again.
Ask authors to do interviews for your website, other authors also bring different readers to your websites. Plus, you help others, others will help you.
Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: My latest release is Book seven in my series, Running In fear: New Beginnings Jubilee, and yes it is better to read the books in a row.
They have a new world, a new beginning: now all they need is for their enemies to drop dead and leave them alone. Jaycee LeBlathe, Suzanne Hazelfield, and Lissa Elam have no idea how to be the first ladies, to be queens, let alone rule over anyone. All they know how to do is survive, until now.
Nikola, Dominic, Remi, and Dane have decided it is time for their female companions to live again, to love, and to know what a family unit is all about. Their people now brought over, settling into new homes on a new planet, everyone waits for the word that the war on Earth is over. Are their mates truly safe now? Or will this New Beginning Jubilee be put on hold?

The previous titles are as follow, which all can be found at Ravenous Romance:
1. Running In Fear: Escape
2. Running In Fear: Abandoned
3. Running In Fear: Coming Home
4. Running In Fear: Cupid’s Venom
5. Running In Fear: Dragon’s Den
6. Running In Fear: Ghost Warrior
Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?

A: Right now I’m working on the first book for my witch series called, Rapturous Celestial Sanctum. The first book, The Triad Warriors.
In the year 2020, vampires, witches and warlocks, shifters live among the human race, trying to survive. A peace has settled among the races, but the witches and warlocks still trust no one. Prosecuted throughout time, the gods have stepped in to set up havens for said witches and Warlocks.
Fourteen Sanctums are scattered across Earth. Each one is run by an ancient warrior, protector of witches and warlocks, giving them a haven from those that would kill them or use them for evil purposes. Each Sanctum will have at least three novel-length stories. The Sanctum is hidden behind the image of private BDSM clubs.
What better way to hide, to fuel their powers, and to shore up alliances for the threats against their people in a private club of sex?
A: Q: How did you get into writing? A: Actually, my mother encouraged me, after seeing some of my college papers printed in the local newspapers and such. Ever since then I haven’t stopped. I’ve wanted to, believe me especially after the first set of bullies came along. Yes, there are authors who are bullies in our world. Just have to learn how to ignore them.

Q: How do balance family and writing?

A: I work when ever and where ever I can. Making supper I’ll be running back and forth to the computer when I can writing, but the majority of my writing comes in the early morning hours, when all is asleep or in school.
LINKS:
Author HomePage
Author Twitter
Author Facebook

When invited to guest blog on another’s blog it’s important you make the experience as painless as possible for the person hosting you that day. I know what you’re thinking “but I’m the author, it should be me, me all about me”. Odds are, the person you’re going to be visiting that day is also an author, if you’re lucky one with a very large following or steady fanbase—or they’re probably in the industry somehow. Regardless, they are doing you a favor. They are helping you reach more people, even if it’s just a handful, they are helping.

Here are some pointers to help you make your blog post as “user friendly” as possible. While it may take you a few extra minutes it will make you appealing as a return guest blogger. And you never want to lose marketing avenues.

Tips and Tricks:

Due Date: Be timely and don’t email a bunch of times with various questions. If you have questions, put them all in one email.

Forms and files: Fill out any forms you are given properly. Example: If they have a spot for name and you leave it blank do not be surprised if they accidentally use your real name (on your email if you sent from non-author name account), or if they leave your name blank. I’ve seen this happen before. Not effective marketing in the least.

If no form was sent to you and you’re winging a blog post be sure it’s more than just a shameless “buy my book” self-promo plug. That will turn off readers and do the opposite of what you’re wanting. There is nothing wrong with including a buy link to your book or even mentioning your book but do so in a way that “fits” with a post.

Example: In my upcoming release (name of title) I tackle the age old question of blah blah blah and find that in today’s society blah blah blah. Go on with some related relevant info or discussion starters.

Linkage: Provide proper URLs. This does not mean you type in www.yourweb.com and expect it to link perfectly later. You must type in http://www.yourweb.com (or whatever the exact url to your site is).

Be sure you provide your website addy and that your website is up to date. There is a chance people who are reading the post will in fact click through the link. Nothing worse than having them show up on your page to find it’s totally outdated. Stay current and make it easy for them to navigate around. Once you have them there, the goal is to keep them there a bit not frustrate them into leaving. And ALWAYS make your buy links on your website easy to spot, understand and access.

Cover/Photos: Some bloggers ask that you send the cover to them and they in turn handle sizing and what not. More often than not, they will ask you to provide a URL link to your cover. It is important you send the url to a cover that is sized properly for a blog post. Another words, do NOT send them to your full high res on the web or your jumbo-sized low res. You will often find your cover left off the post if this is the case because they deal with many guest bloggers and time is a factor.

Don’t know how to find the URL of your cover? It’s easy. Simply find your cover on your website or your publisher’s site. Right click on it. Click on view image. The image should then become the only thing you see in the window. If so, go to top of the navigation page and copy the URL in the title bar. Paste this into your form or email. That’s all there is to it. I make sure I have three sizes on my website of each cover. A thumbnail size often shown while browsing online bookstores, the web res, the slightly larger (and most used on the web for blogs) size and then my larger low res. This is rarely used but I still have a “ghost” page on my web that hosts only my covers in various sizes so I can go to it and get the urls for the size I might need.

Does the blogger want you to send them a separate file of the cover at a smaller/different size than what you have and you don’t know how to resize your cover? That’s easy. I made a step by step video on the matter. You can watch it here.

Only provide one cover/url link to cover unless specifically asked to send more. Don’t assume the blogger wants to have endless photos of your covers on their blog. Don’t send a bunch and say use what one you like and if it’s not sized properly, don’t expect a cover on your post. And please, please, please send professional looking covers and photos. Glamour shots are a thing of the past. Pics of your cleavage—not really the “face” you want to put forward to be taken seriously in this industry.

What if I don’t have all the info for my post yet, like I don’t have cover art yet or a book title?

Honestly, pick another book to feature. If you can’t, politely ask the blogger if they would mind you sending this info at a later date. Do not assume they will be fine with this. Many pre-load the posts, meaning they spend several days going through and loading their blog for several months out and do not want to stop again and again to enter or tweak posts. If you really want to feature a book that doesn’t have all its info be SURE you keep YOUR website up to date. So if anyone clicks from the post when it comes up they will then see the cover and the buy links and the title and…. Well, all that good stuff.

This info is all well and good but I’m having trouble finding blogs that will let me do a guest post or interview me. How should I go about this?

You should have a network of peers. It’s very important you be out there, be it facebook, twitter, etc getting to know other authors in your genre. I’ve said this too many times to count but we, as authors, need to support one another. Writing does not have to be the solo career they make it out to be. That means, get talking with other authors, pay attention when they post they’re guest blogging somewhere or if they’re looking for people to guest blog on their site. Read their posts. Read their info and bios and learn from them—buy their books. I know this sounds stupid to type out but really, authors are readers too and what better way to know the industry than to study it from the inside out. Plus, I’ve gotten more readers by recommending fellow authors than I can count. Readers like knowing you’re not all about you—that you’re a team player. If you can’t play well with others, I suggest you get out of the business because at some point you will need the help of the fellow authors you’ve snubbed and then what?

Another way to find places to guest blog/be interviewed is to troll the net. Find blogs that deal with what you do and see if they have guest bloggers or do interviews. Read them to be sure you “fit” with what they do. No point if you write inspirational fiction and you’re on an erotic fiction blog. Not really your target market. Next step: contact them and politely ask to guest blog or be interviewed. Be sure to provide a brief bio, your website, author name, all that good stuff so they can peek and see if you fit what they’re looking for. Don’t be upset if you don’t. Move on to the next one. There are plenty more out there.

What should I do when my interview posts?

You should tell your readers that you’re guest blogging and give the link. Put it in your newsletter, mention on your website, your blog, your author board. And for heaven’s sake, even if NO ONE comments (which is actually quite common bc many people get a blog feed and do not go directly to the blog site) you still need to comment–even if just to thank the host for having you. And if people are there commenting, comment back.

Pay it forward or back or sideways: If you have a blog, open it to the people you’ve guest blogged or interviewed at. The worst they can say is thank you but no. Many will welcome the exposure even if your blog doesn’t generate much in the way of views or hits just yet. Make it easy for them to guest blog or be interviewed by you—have a ready-made form to send them. Keep it light, simple and to the point. Give them a clear date of when it will post.

If I missed anything be sure to tell me and I’ll try to answer it. I’ve been blogging for over 8 years and a published author for 8 years. My background is art and marketing and when you put it all together I’d like to think I know enough to “get buy”.

Mandy M. Roth

Mandy M. Roth grew up fascinated by creatures that go bump in the night. From the very beginning, she showed signs of creativity—writing, painting, telling scary stories that left her little brother afraid to come out from under his bed. Combining her creativity with her passion for the paranormal has left her banging on the keyboard into the wee hours of the night. Her books have won numerous awards, including an RT nomination for Best Paranormal Erotic.

Mandy lives on the shores of Lake Erie with her husband, their three boys and a boxer pup named Hercules. When Mandy is not writing, she’s doing cover art for various places with a super double secret brush name. She also co-hosts a live talk radio show, Raven Radio, which was recently mentioned in Romantic Times Magazine and has given several marketing workshops for authors. She has a Bachelor of Science and is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Marketing.

I wanted to say thank you again for making 2011 a record sales year for me. I know I’ve said it before but I do have the best readers out there. You guys are great!

On deck for 2012 (I’ll list just the things for first portion of year) I have Civil Twilight (Project Exorcism 4), Prince of Flight (King of Prey 4), Separation Zone (Immortal Ops 5).

As for my Rory Michaels books (by now I’m sure you all know this is my pen name) I have The Unabashed (Macon Valley Menage 6) and Theirs to Take (Hazard County Threesome).

I would love to get Parker’s Honor out. Its book two in my Cowboys and Supernaturals series but Blaze of Glory had lackluster sales but MUCH pirating. *sigh* I will say that if you enjoy my book (written under my name Mandy M. Roth) I think you’ll really like Blaze of Glory. It has my “flare” for sure. I’d really love to keep working on this series.

I keep getting emails from readers wanting to know what they can do to help me. Let me first say, that’s friggin’ awesome that so many of you want to lend a hand. I hope you feel as invested in my career as I do because so many of you have been there with me for the entire eight years. Those who are new to me, welcome! I always tell readers the best way to help an author out is by spreading the word about their books, telling others, recommending them. Another is by “liking” their books on online store sites such as Amazon, by agreeing with tags on products and most importantly, taking time out to review a book—even a few short words (good, bad, indifferent). This helps so much!