A Question of Identity

One of the major takeaways for me from last week’s ThrillerFest in New York City was that authors can and should diversify their identity.  I had already been thinking about this when, at the final night’s cocktail party, a publisher (who shall remained unnamed) eagerly approached me with a request to get a photograph of “someone so famous.” 

There were a few ways to go with this.  I could have smiled and said cheese.  I could have waved my hand dismissively, muttering “Talk to my publicist.”  Instead, I asked, amused, “Who do you think I am?”

“Well, you’re Erin Brockovich.”  Smile faltering now.  “Aren’t you?”

We are, even for brief moments, who we are perceived to be.  Authors are who their readers perceive them to be.  And it’s our job to deliver a solid book that fits expectations based on how that book is touted.  But that doesn’t mean that you can only write one type of book.  I don’t.  Of course, my thing is genies.  But genies can be summoned and woven into thrillers, romances, young adult suspense, graphic novels, and screenplays.  I am limited only by my imagination (okay, and my time management skills). 

Like a portfolio, the writer and what she writes is her investment.  Don’t put all your eggs in one basket has been an age-old piece of advice and applies now more than ever.  I would estimate that one out of every five published authors who I spoke with is branching out from their established genres.  For example, many thriller authors with established adult fiction have added young adult novels that tap an entirely new audience; the main reason being market share.  Different aged readers simply mean more readers.  Some authors have tapped into their romantic sensibilities to add romantic suspense to their straight-up thriller tales.  Many thriller authors are exploring the graphic novel world.

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner presented a session during which she discussed her transition from the romance genre to thrillers.  Jonathan Maberry, author of zombie mayhem and the stupendous Joe Ledger novels, has added young adult author to his cache.  Rebecca Cantrell, with a second series book newly released — The Night of Long Knives – is quickly following it with a clever take on the Bram Stoker legend for young adults.

The real Erin Brockovich. (I wish I owned a dress like that.)

Back in the day, an author developed a specialty within her craft and stuck with it…like a union carpenter.  When we stray into other genres, we slip on the guise of a pseudonym.  There is still a lot of discussion around the practicality of changing names, and there certainly are reasons to do that.  But more and more, I’m seeing authors who display their skills through a variety of storytelling methods and readers who are willing to go along for the ride.

And if my next novel banishes genies from the page, I’ll let you know it’s me…Erin.

Best Wishes,

Kellyann

My Facebook Friends

It seems ironic and maybe a little dishonest to say I have 1,400 friends.  But on Facebook, I do.  However, I selected each and every little avatar as people who may have similar interests to myself.  (Not counting the dozens of family members and friends I know in real life.  That’s genuine friendship!)  Let’s be honest, though.  I don’t need that many friends.  I started my Facebook page initially with the sole purpose of social marketing.  I’m an author.  I write books.  I would love people to know about them.  This is one way to do it.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the forum.  I’m making what can be considered real friends among the thousand or so.  People I’ve never met who regularly stop by my page and say hello, make kind comments, or just share their experience about a certain topic.  And isn’t that what a friend is.

This week, I had a lovely phone call with a woman I know only from Facebook.  We had a great chat about writing and publishing, and even family (i.e. making time to work with little ones scampering about).  And another woman I know only from Facebook generously read and then reviewed my book The Third Wish on her blog.  I say generous, because it was a good review — but you can read it for yourself.

I’ve never met most of the people who I share comments and laughs with on Facebook.  But I consider them friends.  Lots of people knock the Facebook community (I myself have done so in the past).  But it is a community.  And that’s a friendly thing. 

Come on, be honest.  Haven’t you made some real friends through social marketing?

And if you want to be my friend onFacebook, come on over.  You can never have too many friends.

Join the June Jubilee

Every day in June, I’ll be blogging and chattin’ genie chat over at Coffee Time Romance as part of their June Jubilee.  Click the pretty purple box to enter the gateway…like magic.

It’s a great way for authors to connect with readers, writers and anyone else who happens to be surfing by.  Please stop in and drop a question or a comment or just let me know…

What Would You Wish For?

–see you there,

Kellyann

How to Sell an eBook in a Bookstore…

I’m not really telling, I’m asking…  The bookseller for the Empire State Book Festival, which I’ll be participating in this weekend, e-mailed all the authors asking them to bring their books.  I wrote back and explained that, except for my first book which did come out in paperback, I write electronic books….no paper…no flipping through…no tome on a shelf.  I suggested that I could provide the file on a nifty CD and, surprisingly, the bookseller was very interested and accommodating. She wrote that she realizes publishing is changing at high velocity and that, as a bookseller, she wants to adapt.  I love that!

So, I could go the CD route.  But then I thought, why not flash keys?  They’re flashy, small, seem more techy that the now-clumsy CDs, and can be packed in a pocket.  I went online to investigate bulk, customized flash keys.  Minimum orders are generally 25 or 50 units.  Even then, each unit could cost between $4 and $8.  My book sells online for $3.50.  Doesn’t really add up.  The other issue is that hardly anyone makes less than a 2-gig flash drive anymore.  Most novels in a pdf file are going to take up less than 1 mb…a 64 kb would do it, and is nearly impossible to find. 

I happen to have some small, black, blank flash keys — don’t ask — just hanging around.  I’ve loaded them with The Genie’s Curse and, with a flick of one’s wrist, a reader can unload it onto a hard drive.  A genie in a flash.  I love the metaphor…there’s a genie in there!  Attach a full-color postcard that has all the information that a book cover would and Shazam, an e-book on the shelf.  We’ll see how they sell…

And if anyone has any experience/suggestions for selling ebooks in a non-virtual setting, I could use them in a flash.

Join me on the Flying Red Carpet…

All Romance eBooks is hosting their annual Best of 2009 Award Show on Monday, April 5th @ 9 p.m. EST.  I’m a pre-party sponsor and will be there with my glitter on.  The awards begin at 9:30, but if you come at 9, you could win a copy of The Genie’s Curse.  Sure to be a glamorous book event and you don’t even have to get your hair done.

Now you see him….

Today’s technology makes book marketing magical.  Even without a genie of your own, there are all sorts of clever tricks that can promote  what it is you need to promote.  I’d always wondered how a jpeg file could be made to shift and change from one scene to the next, as though mystical powers controlled time and substance.  It’s easier than that.  It’s called  a rotating banner, and I made mine at www.mybannermaker.com. 

I’ll bet there are other simple ways to do the same thing. (Love to hear suggestions if you have them.)  But this was pretty easy.  I’ll be running this very ad over at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books for the month of May.  Stop by and watch the genie appear….then disappear….then appear…then disappear….then appear…

How about A TASTE OF LIBERTY…

I’m currently reading a new release by my friend and fellow author at Sapphire Blue Publishing Lisa Pietsch.  A Taste of Liberty is the second book in the Task Force 125 series, and it is riveting!  I recommend you shift your control and click over to Sapphire or Amazon or any of the many online bookstores where this novel is available and download!

EXCERPT:   (Warning: Adult Language)
   Sarah walked into her apartment and closed the door.
   She pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed Vince.
   No answer. Those sons of bitches are going to answer for this.
   The more Sarah thought about it, the angrier she became.
   Where the hell do they get off scaring my dates away like a couple of big brothers puffing up their chests?
   She called Will.
   He picked up on the first ring. “Sarah, you okay?”
   “I’m pissed. Where’s Vince?”
   “We left the club about fifteen minutes ago. He was going straight back to his place.”
   “Great. I’ll find him.”
   “Sa…”
   Sarah hung up before he could say anything. She left her apartment, stomped down the hallway and punched the elevator button.
   Son of a bitch.
   When the elevator didn’t show up immediately, she ripped open the stairwell door and ran down the two flights of stairs to Vince’s floor.
   She banged on his apartment door like a cop ready to bust a drug dealer.
   Vince opened the door within seconds wearing a casual smile. “Hey, sweetheart.”
   A flash of pink silk caught Sarah’s eye. She looked past Vince to see a beautiful brunette in pajamas lounging on his sofa.
   Rage boiled beneath her skin. Every muscle in her body tensed with anger. She glared at him but he seemed oblivious as he smiled at her.
   Mutherfucker!
   She didn’t try to stop herself as she threw her whole body into a hard punch to his stomach.
   Vince wasn’t expecting the hit. He braced his hands on the doorframe, bent slightly into himself and stepped back before recovering. His face was red and he looked genuinely surprised when he looked up.
   His voice boomed. “What the hell was that for?”
   “Don’t sweetheart me, you bastard! You get to bring women home whenever you like, but I finally find a nice guy to go out to dinner with and you and your flunky, Will, have to fuck it up?”
   He shook his head and grabbed her arm. “Now hold on a minute!”
   Sarah cut him off. “No, you hold on!” She shook her arm free of his grip. “Let’s get something clear here. We may work together but my off-duty time is mine.”
   Sarah turned without waiting for a response and stormed down the hall. Behind her, she heard Vince’s door slam shut.
Son of a bitch!

The Task Force 125 series began with The Path to Freedom. Read the following excerpt…
    “Only a strong woman can do what you’re about to, and we need to know now if you can handle it or not.” 
     Sarah stared up into Vince’s eyes and tried to reassure him.  “I wouldn’t have come this far if I couldn’t.  I can do this, Vince.” 
    “When you were in the Security Police, it was all black and white.  You’re deep in the gray area now and the success of this mission depends on how convincing you can be.” 
    Sarah fixed her eyes on his.  “Vince…I can do it.” 
    Vince uncrossed his arms and slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans.  “We’re all getting our hands dirty in this war.  Nobody on this team is going to judge you, but no matter what, at the end of the day, you have to be able to live with yourself.  We can’t put you in there and then have you melt down over a moral dilemma.”             
    How am I going to convince this guy I can handle this?  Once I convince him, the rest of the team will be onboard. 
    There’s only one way… 
     Sarah smiled a thoughtful smile.
     Sarah locked her gaze onto Vince’s and stood.  She took a deep breath and exhaled with a soft sigh.  “Oh, Vince.”  She couldn’t believe the seductive purr of her own voice as she ran her hands slowly over her hips and down the length of her mini-skirt to straighten the creases that had formed from sitting.  Still maintaining eye contact, she took two slow steps toward Vince until she stood about six inches away from him. 
     “Did I ever thank you for the pearls?”  She raised her right hand to her neck, gently caressing the pearl choker from left to right. 
     “They’re so beautiful,” she whispered as she trailed her fingertips slowly down the edge of the v-neck blouse she wore until they rested on her ample cleavage. 
     His gaze dropped from hers to follow the path of her fingers to her full breasts as she breathed slowly and deeply, but she continued to stare directly at him.  With her left hand, she gently touched his right shoulder and trailed her hand seductively down his muscular arm.  Liberated by the charade of playing a part, she drank in his scent, the texture of his skin, the form of his muscular arms.   
     “Mmm…so strong.” 
     When she reached his hand, she gently placed it on her left hip, holding it there with her left hand.  Her body burned for him and she thrilled at his touch. 
     His gaze dropped to where she had placed his hand, and he took a deep breath before pulling her close and looking into her eyes once again. 
     The heat between them was unmistakable to Sarah.  She could have him now or make her point.  What she wanted to do and what she needed to do would lead to two distinctly different paths in life.  The importance of her new job was far greater than the momentary satisfaction a roll in the hay might bring. 
     She caressed his neck just below his left ear.  Her fingertips told her his heartbeat was fast and strong.  She skimmed her fingertips along the line of his jaw and down his neck to his shoulder where she rested her hand.  Then she whispered, “So hard.” 
     She pressed against him, closing the space between them.  Her body was full against his and she could feel his interest rising, a hard length against her stomach. 
     The power she had in this situation was better than any buzz she’d ever felt.  Every cell in her body was yearning for him but she fought it and stayed in control.
     She led his right hand around her waist and then let her left hand creep up his strong, solid chest and around to the back of his neck. 
     His mouth opened slightly and she knew he was ready to kiss her, so she sighed meaningfully and moved to within a breath of his lips with hers.  Dark desire filled his eyes. 
     Sarah let her own eyes reflect what her body was feeling.  Her mind maintained true control.    
     Vince’s left arm tightened around her waist and held her close while his right hand slowly caressed her hip and began to travel slowly up her waist.
     When he moved to kiss her, she very gently moved her head to the side and whispered sensuously in his ear, “I am going to make him an offer no man could refuse, and then, I’m going to rock the bastard’s world.” 
     It took every ounce of strength she had to step out of Vince’s embrace and pretend it was all an act. 
     He can never know exactly how much I wanted to finish that! 
    Sarah allowed herself the luxury of looking Vince over slowly, from head to toe, as though he were dinner and she hadn’t eaten in, well, she’d never eaten a dinner like that. 
    Her gaze paused at the impressive and telling bulge below his waistline. 
    Such a shame we have to let that go to waste. 
    Her body screamed at her own betrayal.  He was a sexual electromagnet switched on.  Her mind fought to keep control of her body.
    Walk out of the room, Sarah. 
    Walk out of the room, Sarah. 
    Walk out of the room, Sarah. 
    When she met his gaze again, she nodded to his apparent arousal.  She barely managed to control her urge to pounce. 
He couldn’t tell her in any more obvious a way that he wanted her. 
    She took a deep breath and appeared all business when she spoke.  “Sorry about that, but I needed you to understand I can do this.  By the look of things, I’d say I have you fairly well convinced.”  She straightened her skirt and tossed her hair back over her right shoulder.  “Now you guys need to back me up and make sure I don’t get left hanging in the warm Mediterranean breeze.”

Visit Lisa online at Lisa’s website where she gives away at least one book per month to a lucky blog subscriber.

Hunted!

If you want an iPod Touch, head on over to All Romance eBooks.  Every day in March, a new author is featured for their Spring Into Romance extravaganza!  Today, I am the hunted one and happy to move slow so you can catch me.  All you have to do is scroll that cursor way down into the festive spring foliage at All Romance’s website, until you come to “Meet K. F. Zuzulo.”  That’s me. ; >

There’s an interview with yours truly, sharing some background on how I captured my genies, along with a couple of angels, and transported them into fictional tales.  Answer one simple question about my books by filling out the contact form link at the very bottom (link is tiny so you may have to squint), and you are entered to win an iPod touch.  [No purchase necessary!] You can also win some e-book bucks to buy yourself some new reading material.  It’s a win-win situation, one in which the quarry doesn’t mind being caught.  And because I’m feeling generous, I’ll give you a hint about the answer.  The book in question features the jinni Shai.  He wears an alluring shade of green…

The Hunt (remember, you’re scrolling through many other authors to get to me) is a great way to discover some new authors, too.  There are many subgenres there, so you’re bound to bag a book or two along with your genie, and, if your wish comes true…an iPod Touch.

Go now & enter…. Good luck!

How the Irish Saved the Romance Genre…

…specifically, the paranormal romance genre.  But not vampires…Irish like beer, not blood.

The Irish…romantic?  Before you roll your eyes and cluck at the idea of the romantic Irish, consider the fact that the basis for any great romance is the language by which that most enduring of all emotions – love – is conveyed.  And if there’s one thing the Irish have always excelled at, it’s language.  More specifically, the Irish are great storytellers. 

Yes, many of those with Irish blood running through their veins have penned a romance novel (ahem). And according to a 2009 InfoTrends Survey, 74.8 million Americans read at least one romance novel in 2008. According to Nielsen Bookscan figures, recent retail sales of romance were up seven percent, while overall adult book sales were down and adult fiction sales were flat. But the diversity of the authors and their stories that make up this genre are as numerous as the blades of grass on a dewy hillock.  So what does that have to do with Ireland, you ask?

While the romance genre in the United States burgeoned in the late 19^th century as ripe as the pink, moist lips of a … rose … unfurling, the Irish came to America steeped in tales of the mythical exploits of fairies, warrior giants, and shape-shifting lovers torn from one another.  Sound familiar?

There’s Cú Chulainn, perhaps  the most legendary of Irish heroes.  Brave and ferocious, gorgeous of visage, and fierce of heart.  He shifts to a monstrous form when in the frenzy of battle, loves many women, but gives his heart to the fairy Fand.  Every Irishman knows his name.

There’s the glorious St. Brighid, who actually started life as an ancient Celtic goddess, sentinel of home and hearth, healing, and wisdom.  A comely maid who was also wise and skilled in warfare.  And, of course, there’s Fionn mac Cumhaill  –  Finn MacCool – the prototype for every Alpha-male protagonist, whether you’re a writer who has heard of him directly or not.  Finn is a giant in Irish literature, figuratively and literally.  Because he once threw a clod of earth at an enemy, it landed in the sea and became the Isle of Man.  The Giant’s Causeway was Finn’s construction to keep his feet dry as he crossed from Ireland to Scotland.  Finn’s most famous wife, Sabdh, was turned into a deer by a druid…but Finn was game anyway. 

And let’s not forget the angelic form of that most lauded race of Irish supernatural beings, the Tuatha dé Dannan, precursors of the fairy folk who once commanded Ireland with wisdom and beauty.  They descended to the nether world when Christianity arrived to the pagan land that had embraced them, preserved forever in stories. 

Flash forward to the 21^st century paranormal romance genre and you’ll find many of these same characters and emotions.  When ripped bodices were tossed into the late-20^th century ragheap, romance readers turned to tales of the fantastic.  And why not?  Millions of Irish had come to these shores armed with nothing more than their hunger and their beliefs in the fae, the sidhe (shee), and leprechauns. 

That’s not to say the Irish invented the paranormal romance genre.  Oh my, no. For millennia, romance has been gorgeously embellished by the dulcet narrative of …. Sanskrit, Arabian, Norse, Inuit, and Slav.  But because the Irish had already insinuated the rhythm and terms of paranormal elements into their new society, it was an easier pint to swallow.

Every self-respecting Irishwoman has a story about her great-uncle Paddy (that would be my maternal grandmother’s brother) crossing a misty field on an early-morning hunt and encountering the whirl and frenzy of a tribe of flocking fairies. (He swore he hadn’t been drinking…)  These “tales” were so comfortably shared in shanty towns and along thousands of miles of rail laid across the adolescent United States that terms like leprechaun, fairy, and banshee came into common usage.

Besides, these new, fair and freckled Americans had a credibility weapon tucked under their homespun by the name of W. B. Yeats, their countryman and purveyor of the paranormal.  Yeats’s poetry abounds with references to the mystical fairy realm of the Emerald Isle and the lyrical love of the spirit world.

Take a look at some of your favorite paranormal romance stories.  Can you see a green thread woven into the knot of the story?  One of my favorite genre authors is Karen Marie Moning with her captivating Fever series: Darkfever, Dreamfever, Faefever, Blood Fever….a saga of elemental angst, thrills, conflict and passion that’s actually set in Ireland.  Where would these stories be without the Irish?  Simply, they would not.  But that’s just one example.  I’ll leave it to you to come up with more….

Sure, every culture has their tales of the supernatural, but when the Irish came to these shores in droves with their tales, they helped make the paranormal normal, and solidify a popular romance subgenre that I predict will be as enduring as the primeval keening of a fearsome banshee riding the…well, you get the picture.

Join the Hunt to Win an iPod Touch…

Yes, there are loads of wonderful romance books out there, and you want to hunt for the best … but you don’t have a lot of time to do it.  And your horse is getting tired.  Well, call off the dogs.  All Romance eBooks has done it for you.  This massive online outlet for today’s best romances has put together a list of 31 of today’s “hottest romance authors.”

Spring Into Romance: The Hunt is On! is a month-long contest over at All Romance eBooks.  Each day, you’ll be introduced to a new romance author and get a chance to win a free download of one of their books as well as a $10 Omni Bucks Gift Certificate.  You’ll also be entered in the grand prize of an iPod Touch loaded with titles from each of the 31 authors. 

I am one of the hunted.  I’ll have my genie camouflage on to hide in the underbrush.  After all, jinn means the hidden.  (HINT: March 22) Meanwhile, check in every day to discover some really fun reading.

Tally-Ho!