First contest EVER!!!

Hello my friends!


I'm running my first contest EVER and I'm really excited about it.  Entry is easy.  Go to my Willow Cross fan page and like it.  Leave a comment on the page stating you have entered the contest.  Repost the link on your facebook pages and get your friends to like the fan page.  Your friends will need to leave a comment (on the fan page) under your comment thread.  If they choose to enter themselves, they must leave their own comment in their own thread.  Sound easy enough? (I hope!)


Prizes will be:  The top 20 with the most comments will receive a coupon for a free download of both Birthright and Oceans of Red.  The top 3 of those twenty will also receive a coupon for a free download of Inheritance when it releases next month!!!  


The facebook groups Paranormal Reads and I Love Vampire Novels are also helping with this contest.  I'd appreciate it if you'd like their pages too.  I Love Vampire Novels is also doing a contest of their own with 10 prizes for winners.  


That's a lot of free books! :)   


Let the games begin!!!!!

Can you be yourself and network?

Good morning!  I hope the day finds you well and happy.

I’ve been having a bit of a personal dilemma.  Almost a multiple personality disorder or something along those lines.  I’ve been reading many articles and posts about maintaining a professional persona on the net (and of course in real life).

It makes perfect sense.  I certainly don’t want potential buyers to think I’m a raving lunatic.  Except, sometimes I am a raving lunatic.  Then what?  If I am all professional and keep everything neat and tidy, isn’t that just me putting on a mask to keep other people happy?  And there’s the rub.  I’m trying to figure out if I believe in that set-up or not.

What I know:

My writing comes from deep inside me.  My dreams, ideas, beliefs, and personality seep into every aspect of it.

I really truly don’t want to offend people.  It’s just bad form to be offensive for no reason.  (And I have a massive fear of burning crosses in the front yard.)

I definitely don’t want my readers to think I’m a blithering idiot.

What I don’t know:

If I am lucky enough to have readers fall in love with my books, am I being phony by pretending to be someone I’m not?  Am I letting them down?

(From Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary)  Professional:   characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2): exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace

Although I can be all business at times, how much fun is that?  I mean seriously…I am an exuberant person!!!  I LOVE exclamation points!!!  I love lol’s and omg’s.  Sharing my excitement over small and large events is so much fun.  Is that unprofessional? 

When I turned forty, I acquired this massive desire to be myself.  Finally.  I’ve spent most of my adult life working in service industries.  Keeping a smile on my face and being ever-so congenial all of the time.  You have to, or you won’t make any money.  I understand it’s much the same for writers. (Another service industry)  I wouldn’t dream of getting on here and lodging complaints about politics, religion, or anything confrontational.  But I do want to be able to say on fb author page: OMG!!!! It’s sooooooooooo awesome!!!!  I’m really excited!!!!! Lol  Honestly, sometimes I feel like doing that on my blog too!!!  Is that unprofessional?

How do you guys feel about it?  Unless I’m mistaken, everyone following this blog is a writer of one sort or another.  Do you feel free to be yourself when you’re networking and blogging?  Are you constantly second guessing what you say?

Tell me about it.  Sign in as anonymous if you don’t want to go on record. Lol  I’d seriously like to know what you think.

Makeover!

Everyone needs a little makeover now and then.  Don't they?  Well my consultants (ie writer friends) got together and decided Birthright could use a little sprucing up.  Something a little less dark and horrorish, but still having a bit of a creep factor.  After thumping our heads together repeatedly, we came up with the new cover.  : )


http://www.amazon.com/Birthright-The-Dark-Gifts-ebook/dp/B0052F7IHQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1307846417&sr=8-2

Don't forget, It's almost time for the release of The Dark Gifts: Inheritance.   Although this is not the final cover, I thought you might enjoy a peek at one of the mock-ups.