Ready Set Review!

Today one of the bloggers on GoodReads kicked off a read and review event called Read It & Reap for A Marked Past. She was offering 25 ebook copies of A Marked Past in exchange for reviews and her offer was filled in less than 24 hours.

I’m really looking forward to the reviews and critiques.

I got a teaser message from Ed today letting me know about a new url for the Mercer Legacy website and that I am going to really like the new design. Eek…can’t wait to see it!

A little more detail please...

Coming to the end of a great week. I am in Orlando enjoying some sun in between speaking at a conference, planning another speaking event, and working on content for my website upgrade. The weather has been beautiful, the conference audience was great to me, even asked questions after my presentation, and really seemed to enjoy the presentation. Speaking at the conference has been great; it is so rewarding to talk with other people who do what I do, and truly understand the world I work in every day. It’s also AWESOME to hear thank yous for giving such a “great” presentation and be asked for your card because they want to learn more from you about how to fix their own processes. Sometimes the consulting world can be pretty rewarding.

But now on to the exciting stuff. I had a conference call with my web design team this week. We talked through current state, expectations, themes, colors, things I like about other sites, things I hate, a million other little things. And at the end of it all I started to hear about their ideas for the new direction of my website (currently A Marked Past, to become The Mercer Legacy Site). They asked for more content, way more information, about me, about the books I read, about the characters themselves, other things I written, and what I'm currently working on. It should be amazing when they are done. I can’t wait to see what they come up with!

Here’s a picture of my web design team hard at work. (Thanks guys!)

Web Design 101

My days are buzzing again, slipping into evenings and then into midnights, and I’m not a full time writer. I am a full time thinker, doer, consultant, planner, part time baker, and overtime dreamer. What this means is, that I am packing for an upcoming business trip and finalizing reader review markups at the same time. But, just when I think I’m slipping under the surface of the literary lake I have built for myself, a bit of sun shines through and I climb back above the water, ready to doggy paddle for a bit longer.

Today that light came in the form of a phone call from Ed. He and I are working on the design concept for Book 2. We’ve gotten an amazing photo to consider for the cover and have started kicking around ideas for a website upgrade. So, because Ed is brilliant, he throws out an idea that I love to help define the new design. He’s going to poll his art students, maybe hold a contest of sorts, to see what concepts they have for marketing a second book in a series, my book – A History Renewed!

Of course I said YES. I love this idea! It merges so many things that are important to me, promoting A History Renewed, helping students gaining real world experience, sharing successes with young people, giving students the opportunity to showcase their artistic talents in a real setting.

College changed my life, it gave me a future that I would not have had otherwise. It didn’t change who I am, just gave me a few more rungs the same ladder. I’m so excited to be giving someone else an extra rung in their ladder, a line on their resume, and a real world experience that will benefit us both.

I’ll be sure to share news along the way!

A Marked Past Goes Global

This was another busy week of stretching out my arms to create as much attention as I can for A Marked Past. So, I was very surprised and pleased to receive an email from a book review blogger who is excited about the upcoming release too! AND she’s offered to help me do some marketing! She has a link on her blog A Diary of a Book Addict about A Marked Past and has also posted a page out at GoodReads. In addition to her generous links, she also reached out to her blogger buddies and has them sharing the cover, a new blurb, and the release date with their readers around the world. I can’t thank them enough for sharing in my excitement! Don’t forget, the website will be launched in the next two weeks with a sample chapter so keep checking back for the launch!

Now, just for you, here’s a more detailed blurb for A Marked Past, hope you enjoy it!

Lyla Mercer’s life changed the moment her dad was murdered, and again when she heard that she could be next. Forced to move to Salem for safe keeping, Lyla soon discovers her family has a dark history in the small town, and when a glossy black moon appears on the back of her neck she becomes newest part of that legacy. Her family is marked and being hunted, but Lyla may be the weapon they need to survive. Lyla attempts to ignore the danger, pretending to be ordinary, but whispers and rumors follow her everywhere. She thinks nothing can ever be normal for her again until she meets Caleb, the minister’s son, and the absolute wrong boy to be dating a witch. He’s everything she wants to be, just a normal kid from a normal family. At least that’s what she thinks, but nothing is as it seems in Salem. Caleb has secrets to keep about his family that rival her own. Until recently, Caleb’s step father has managed to keep his true identity and murderous ways a secret, but when Lyla uncovers the truth about him, nobody is safe, especially her.

Busy busy bee

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. I was a busy busy little marketing bee this weekend, trying to make some marketing plans for A Marked Past. The good news is that in addition to the thumbs up for hanging a poster and hosting a book signing at Esoterica; Books a Million has agreed to pass out book marks; and my favorite Chain Mail Maestro said he would pass out stickers at his Renaissance Festival booth in September! If you are a local to the Dayton area go check it out!

I’m working some more angles and waiting to hear back on them. I’ve got a call into the local libraries requesting that they hang a poster and give away book marks and I’m working on an application with Barnes and Noble requesting them to stock A Marked Past online and in the store when it comes out.

Ed is building out a website for me right now that will have a sample chapter on it for you all to read so watch for an announcement because it should be going live in the next two weeks!

These are small steps but I am so very excited to see the pieces coming together. I can’t wait for October 1^st!!