Monday April 29, 2024
Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:
PG Forte writes magickal tales of love from yesterday, today, tomorrow. A little steampunk, a little supernatural, a little sci-fi...and a whole lotta heat!I am NOT here to talk about the events last week in Denver. First of all because I wasn't there, secondly because plenty of people (some of whom ALSO were not there) have posted huge manifestos on the subject. I have nothing to add and I don't care to speculate. There's enough of that going on in the world right now. On the other hand, last week's events, coupled with a plethora of "memories" of former conventions that showed up in my various social media feeds in the same time frame, left me thinking a lot about the topic of Author Convention/Book Signing/Reader Events in general.
So here's a list of random reflections on the subject.
1. There are several things authors want from conventions. They want to meet readers who already love their work as well as the readers who will discover them and go on to become super fans. They want to hang out with their author buddies talking books and drinking wine FOR HOURS. They want to network, attend seminars and learn about new opportunities. They want to be wined and dined by their publisher, their editor, their agent--preferably all three. Alternately, they want to be wooed by publishers, editors, agents, etc. They would really like to sell some books. And they also want to be able to sneak away (when the peopling becomes too much) in order to write in peace.
2. No matter where the event is held, the venue will fail to provide enough staff, especially in the first few days. They will specifically underestimate how much staff will be needed in the restaurants and bars. They will not comprehend how extremely verbose and sedentary authors are. We will spend hours gathering in bars and restaurants talking books and drinking wine. Yes, hours. Yes, every day.
I mean, think about it. We routinely spend all day, every day conversing with imaginary people. The biggest difference with conventions is that we're only responsible for a fraction of the conversations we take part in, rather than doing all the talking, all on our own.
If you are the event producer, you will likely have warned the venue that this will be the case. If this is not your first time producing this type of event, you will understand that there is nothing you can say to convince them of this.
3. If you're the type of author for whom thousands of readers will be willing to plunk down good money for the chance to stand on line for hours in order to get a minute of your time, you probably shouldn't attempt to sign books at a large event. Show up. Chat with your friends. Allow your publisher/editor/agent/etc to pamper you. Maybe take part in a small, ticketed event where you meet with readers.
If you attempt to sign in the same place, at the same time as everyone else no one will be happy. Readers will spend hours on line in hopes of getting your signature on books they've brought with them from home. You won't make new sales. They won't get to buy new books or discover new authors and possibly they won't even get your signature. The event promoters will call you a diva no matter how you behave. The other authors will hate you.
Oh, yes we will. Especially if your line of readers stretches for hours in front of our table making it impossible for anyone to see us or talk to us or buy our books. You're wasting our time. You're forcing us to spend hours smiling at people who have absolutely no interest in us or our books. Hours that we could have spent in the bar talking shop, plotting new series, drinking more wine...etc.
4. Invariably, there will be problems. Things will get lost, stolen, broken, misplaced. Things will be said. Many of those things will be misinterpreted. In large part this will be because all the introverts will have hit the wall, become depleted of energy and will start to spiral. And all the extroverts will be drunk, at this point, on the energy that they've siphoned off the introverts (sorry, not sorry) and begin to act out. And almost as invariably, the event producers will attempt to assign blame to someone else. To anyone else, really. Authors. Readers. Volunteers. The venue.
My personal belief is that the event producers need to shoulder the majority of the blame because all these same things happen at every single event. They should be expected.
***
Anyway, that's about it. I don't know if or where or when I'll ever attend another big author event. This makes me sad because--problems aside--it was always so much fun and I miss it horribly.
PG Forte writes magickal tales of love from yesterday, today, tomorrow. A little steampunk, a little supernatural, a little sci-fi...and a whole lotta heat!
Monday April 22, 2024
Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:
Each month I'll be posting one of them FOR SALE for only $10, and that includes postage. Plus I'll autograph them!
Quantities are limited!
April’s Title:
Sensuous Contemporary Fantasy Romance
Word Count: 121.5K
Buy Here: https://lindam54.gumroad.com/l/bdsyx
Miranda Sayers's best friend is her wheelchair. It has been her refuge for most of her twenty-six years. But the time has come when her grandmother can no longer help take care of her. Now Randi is faced with having to survive on her own, and unfortunately that future doesn't look promising.
Collin First's job on Earth is to find the Ducts between his world and this one. As an Extinguisher, he has to eliminate those passageways before any of the dangerous creatures from Sandeflay can pass through and harm any humans. The last thing he expected when he took the assignment was to find was the beautiful, crippled woman living one floor below his apartment.
Before either of them can contend with the impossibility of their relationship, Randi and Collin are thrown together, seeking each other's love and help. And when circumstances force Randi to follow Collin to Sandeflay, danger and the greatest miracle of all awaits them both.
Warning: Contains nearly invisible predators, extreme poverty, generations of love and loss, bucking the system, hot flashes, and an ending you only thought you saw coming!
In a world bound by rules, love becomes the ultimate gambit.
In the glittering world of London, where society dictates everything, Nathaniel, Marquess of St. John, learned the hard way that playing by those rules doesn't always guarantee a happy ending. Jilted by a woman chosen for him by his father, Nathaniel swore off marriage and embraced the life of a steadfast bachelor.
Louise Hartfield is a talented seamstress with a disdain for the ton's rigid expectations. Trapped by her mother's antiquated insistence that as the elder daughter she must wed before her younger sister, Louise scoffs at the idea of conforming to such a preposterous rule.
When Nathaniel and his friends bet on whether love can transcend class, they turn to Mrs. Dove-Lyon, whose Lyon’s Den hosts their daring experiment. As Nathaniel and Louise navigate society’s expectations, they find themselves drawn together in a quest for true love.
Will they defy tradition or succumb to its demands? In this high-stakes gamble for love, who will emerge victorious?
Read free in Kindle Unlimited!
Pre-order here: https://www.amazon.com/Lyons-Gambit-Den-Connected-World-ebook/dp/B0D18F864Y
thought you saw coming!
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PG Forte writes magickal tales of love from yesterday, today, tomorrow. A little steampunk, a little supernatural, a little sci-fi...and a whole lotta heat!
Monday April 15, 2024
Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:
PG Forte writes magickal tales of love from yesterday, today, tomorrow. A little steampunk, a little supernatural, a little sci-fi...and a whole lotta heat!
New!
DERELICT
Sci-Fi Romance
by Linda
Mooney
Running from an attack by the Alliance and looking for cover, a derelict ship unexpectedly comes into view. JeVit of the Pure takes the opportunity to hide behind it, not expecting to find an open bay door inviting them in. Too late she realizes she should have rejected that invitation.
Centurion Zeke Rossi and his team are in pursuit of an enemy ship when it just…disappears. Spotting an alien vessel they don’t recognize, the Terrans temporarily give up the chase to investigate, and Zeke is tapped to board the ship first to look around. Immediately, his gut tells him something is wrong. It’s not until he enters the spacecraft that his feeling is validated, but he has no idea the worst is yet to come.
The ship seems to be truly deserted, but the two couldn’t be more wrong. When their paths cross, JeVit realizes that although Zeke is injured, their best chance of surviving is to call a truce and join forces. However, trust between enemies proves difficult.
When escape becomes possible, JeVit chooses the path most likely to save Zeke’s life, and hopefully not end hers on sight. But when Zeke awakens, his memories are nothing but flashes, other than the gray-eyed, blue-headed beauty he keeps envisioning. What happened to him? What happened to her? And how does she fit into the puzzle of his piecemeal memory?
Raised to be sworn enemies, the two can’t resist the pull to be together, despite what it means for their future. They’re willing to risk it all, but can they convince the Terrans and the Hafu to unite against a common enemy?
Warning! Contains beef jerky, lessons in swearing, absolute darkness, Vah plus six, trust issues, and one man making the ultimate sacrifice to return to the woman he's come to love when he knows he has nothing left to lose.
Excerpt and Buy Links: http://lindamooney.com/Derelict.htm
Monday April 1, 2024
Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:
PG Forte writes magickal tales of love from yesterday, today, tomorrow. A little steampunk, a little supernatural, a little sci-fi...and a whole lotta heat!
