Book Release! from Y. Correa “Reversal”

Multi-genre author Y. Correa is releasing her newest novel Reversal. Read below to get all the details on this interesting and intriguing story.

What else can we say, but, “It’s the official release day”?

Humanity in Retrograde

In this retro-futuristic era, the old look and reproduce as if in the prime of their lives. The babies delivered into this world—sickly, fighting for every second to have a slim chance of survival. To turn this existence on its heels, it requires something … or someone … Special.

When a healthy baby is discovered by Nurse Celestine, she makes it her mission to protect what she believes is a well-kept secret.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for the observant Nurse Trudy to put the pieces together to utilize for her personal gain as well as orchestrate Nurse Celestine’s ruin. Can Nurse Celestine succeed in combating the determined Nurse Trudy, or will all that is special be exposed and possibly destroyed? Find out in Reversal.

Babies.

Mere infants … fragile, feeble, sickly and flushed of color, lined the nursery of St. Agnes General Hospital NICU Department. This was nothing new, of course. They were all born that way. Those who made it past their first week of birth were among the blessed.

An almost invisible film of mauve and viridian—a sheath that covered their reality—was the translucent haze that weighed upon all things. It was as though the colors had been embedded into the fabric of the world, tinging everything—no matter what its candescence—in those pigments. The darkest of the dark, and the lightest of the light, all seemed ominous and void of vitality.

Dreary. That was the word that best described this place, these people … these babies.

The atmosphere was inauspicious. Everything seemed afflicted with lifelessness. The hospital, antiquated. Though hundreds of years in the future, the setting felt like a 1950’s time warp. The perimeter of the hospital was as inert as its own appearance—scant trees, barren bushes, leaf and debris covered streets.

The perils that distressed St. Agnes General Hospital was the lack of advanced technologies. It was as though the last ten centuries had never transpired. An entire fragment of time had evidently disappeared leaving behind a woefully dull and mechanically limited world which was forced to operate within its mediocre means.

The hallways of St. Agnes General were long, ominous, and cold. The walls were painted in a tainted light green. The doctors wore perfectly pressed white coats which covered their black business suits. Their hair, slick—brushed back into a tight, shiny do. The nurses donned white nursing uniforms with white hats which had red crosses in the center. Skirts at knee length, taupe pantyhose and white nurse shoes. They looked perfect. In complete contrast to their locality.

Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep; first in dots then in dashes. The sound carried a cadence of absolute fear which could give any person goosebumps—that river of icy-hot pimples that ran all over one’s body. Yet the screeching of the monitor’s blaring was far louder than the unhealthy baby that attempted to cry its woes. His voice was as decrepit as his leathery, bony flesh.

Nurse Juliette was an excessively feminine, soft-spoke Asian woman with the tiny frame. Blue-black hair fell to her waist, and Juliette’s spotless face was softly made up.

“Sh, sh, sh. There, there, little one. It’ll all be over soon, I promise. Mommy already knows that you’ll be going to a better place,” whispered Nurse Juliette who was sitting next to his cradle. She gently shook the child’s puny legs. Nurse Juliette’s tone was void of emotion, as though this were an everyday occurrence.

In all actuality, it was.

In complete opposition to the old-looking, ailing child was Nurse Juliette whose stature was strong, young, healthy and … well, perfect. So was the child’s mother and father who both waited for the news of his fate from their hospital room.

And, just as Nurse Juliette swayed the hardly sobbing yet profusely ailing child, the infant took in a sharp lungful and exhaled his last breath.

“Ahh, poor child,” Nurse Juliette concluded, then proceeded to get out of her seat to pick up the phone. “Nurse Celestine? Yes? Good. Please advise the Smithson family that the child has passed.”

“Certainly,” replied the voice on the opposite end. Neither one of the voices even remotely somber.

https://www.amazon.com/Reversal-Y-Correa/dp/B08SPSXG47/

To learn more about author Y. Correa, visit

http://www.authorycorrea.com

Book Release! “From Whence Jasmine Blooms” by C. Desert Rose

C. Desert Rose has been writing books for some time now and she hits the hot summer months with a new one hot off the press. Follow Jasmine in her journey through magical wonders and mysterious places in this coming of life novelette.

TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF “FROM WHENCE JASMINE BLOOMS” BY C. DESERT ROSE.

BLURB:

The Garden of Life does not thrive by concept alone—it takes the right ingredients to fertilize it, so it can rise to its fullest potential.

In order to bloom into her fullest life, Jasmine first needs to learn the components of living a fulfilling life. The six core elements of becoming are divulged to Jasmine in a fashion she would have never conceived.

In the coming of age novelette “From Whence Jasmine Blooms”, Jasmine will embark on a journey into magic, mystery, and most of all, knowledge.

EXCERPT:

Julian had a large smile on his face, his eyes beamed with pride. “I hear that you did well in your last lesson …” 

“I literally just walked out, so how did you hear that?” 

“News travels fast here.” 

“Yeah, I can see that. At any rate, thanks.” Jasmine smiled. Picking out her crumpled schedule from her backpack she looked to see what the next lesson was. Furthermore, it was an unexpected but gratifying thing to notice that she only had three lessons left. 

Strolling down the hall to the next class Jasmine fully expected another ginormous door with another shiny sign. Ready for the next lesson she trolleyed down the walkway with a mellow swagger that she hadn’t previously had. 

Shortly thereafter she and Julian had reached their destination. Only, something was incredibly amiss and suspect. Jasmine quickly found that there was no door or sign here. What there was, was an opening which led to a diving board that was approximately one hundred feet above a small tub of water. Above the opening a glowing red arrow was directly under the word JUMP. 

Jasmine’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “I am not jumping!” 

“Oh?” Julian asked in faux shock. “Why not?” 

“Nope! No. No, no, no, no, no! I can’t even swim! I am not jumping!” 

“Hmm … do you need a push?” Julian scratched his chin. 

“Absolutely not! Julian, this is not happening. Period.” 

“Alright,” Julian said then turned his back to walk away. Before leaving, however, he said one last thing. “Unfortunately, you cannot graduate unless you complete this course. To complete this course you have to jump.” 

Jasmine conjured up myriad cuss words in her head. None of which were nice. 

She paced, then stopped, then paced again. This went on for five or so minutes. Jasmine struggled with the having to and the wanting to. She couldn’t tell which one would win. Every so often Jasmine would glance up at the sign. 

JUMP … JUMP … JUMP … blink, blink, blink. 

Damn it! This is ridiculous! 

Jasmine scratched her head, took two deep breaths then taking five steps back and a running start she dove off the board. Jasmine held her breath the whole way down. The only thought in her mind was that she better not die. One-one thousand, two-one thousand and plop.

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Both in paperback and eBook format you can get your copy of “From Whence Jasmine Blooms” at Amazon.com. Just click below.

(https://www.amazon.com/Whence-Jasmine-Blooms-Desert-Rose-ebook/dp/B07W3NWXQC/ )

My Inhuman Condition

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My Inhuman Condition by A. Lopez Jr. & Damien Smith

This is my latest release and went to Amazon around Halloween in 2017. This short story of horror found its genesis in the form of a night terror. A young man, Damien Smith, came to me after having a vivid, but horrific nightmare. We collaborated to dig in and uncover the core of his nightmare and built the dark world around it. The final product is a fast-paced story where lives are changed at every twist and turn.

This title is available exclusively at Amazon until early February 2018. After that, it will be available in all eBook stores and outlets.

Here’s how it went down…

Landry Locker is a high school sophomore living in a small desert farming town in Arizona. What he wants most in life is to make it  through high school, get into a good college, and attain a high-paying  job. In the meantime, he’d love nothing more than to gain a friendship with his secret crush, Kat.

Much sooner than he imagines, he gets his chance, but fate had something else in store. A once promising night turns grim, leading Landry and everyone he cares about into a dark and unforgiving world. His life and the lives of everyone around him are changed in one short night.

This short story is dark and fast-paced and doesn’t look back until the fates of Landry and his friends, including Kat, are revealed. Even in a small town, one night can change everything in the blink of an eye. When the night gives way to dawn a shocking and painful truth is soon revealed.

To find out more about what drives My Inhuman Condition, please visit the webpage.

Thanks for reading,

~ALJ~

“A Quick Take” With Author, Y. Correa

Welcome, All, to my new interview series, “A Quick Take”

I will be doing interviews with authors I either follow, like or don’t even know – so that should about cover all of them! The idea is to get to know a different side of them. Some questions have been asked before and some not, while others allow us to get to know the author on a more personal note. AQT is only 7 questions, followed by the – one-word only – answers in the Rapid Fire section.

It is always fun to answer questions in an interview, but I am finding, asking the questions can just as fun.

First up is, Y. Correa, multi-genre author of several short stories and novels. And as a bonus…her ebook MarcoAntonio & Amaryllis is FREE through Sunday the 27th!

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1.  We all get inspiration from different people, places or things, but which person (author or not) has inspired or influenced you most to get creative and become a writer?

This is a great question. I cannot say for sure that my inspiration has come from a person. I find that my inspiration comes from other things, places and situations. It’s odd, because for the most part, authors are inspired by people. I, however, am inspired by the things that surround me—Sounds, smells, circumstances. Also, science and history, which I love. Things of that sort.

 2If you could sit down with one person, dead or alive, famous or not, and have dinner with them, who would it be and why?

It would be my Abuela (my grandmother). She passed away 22 years ago and I miss her more than words can say. She was my everything and a true saint. She may not have been famous, but she was more than enough for me. It would be her because I would love to hear what she would have to say about my accomplishments in life. I would also love to hug and kiss her and tell her how much I love and miss her.

3.  Of your stories or books, which is your favorite? Tell the readers why…

Woooow! Good question. I have favorites that I haven’t even completed yet, and some that I have. From my completed stories, I’d have to say I have two that I adore.

erath882coverEarth 8-8-2: The Genesis Project. I love this one because I dared to venture into a mash-up of genres that most cannot marry well. It’s a Science Fiction, Paranormal, Thriller, with a tad bit of horror at the end (not anything gory) but just enough to leave the reader with his/her mouth wide open.

maMarcoAntonio & Amaryllis is my other published favorite. This one is also a mash-up (most of my works are). It ventures into the medieval past and explores that notions of true love, romance, history, adventure and paranormal fantasy. The goal of that story was to consider the phrase “Love is the result of all things conquered.”

Then there are my unpublished works.

First there is “Peter Blade”, my first collaborative work with, Mr. A. Lopez Jr, (what!? no one told me lol) and a psychological horror/suspense. This story I love because of the fact that I’m writing it with a fellow author whom I truly admire, and because I am daring to enterprise in a genre that I’ve not tampered with before. I’d like to make a name for myself in this genre, and I believe that “Peter Blade” will accomplish that.

 This story takes place in the not so distant past—the 1970’s—and talks about a serial killer whom the media has dubbed “Peter Blade” although no one really knows his name. The entire story (beginning to end) is narrated during the span on one night. It’s a convoluted mess of flashbacks and events taking place at that very moment. However, I can assure you that the action never stops. It’s intense!

Genesis Ellipse …” I love this story because I dare to venture into a number of religions and folklore, science, history, even arithmetical figures, utilizing it to tell a Science Fiction tale—or retelling, if you will—of the story of Adam and Eve. I can promise you that you’ve never read a story like this before.

4.  And from that book or story, can you give us your favorite passage or quote.

From all of them? Whoa! Okay. Here we go.

Earth 8-8-2: The Genesis Project

Walls pulverized, the ground crepitated upwards beforehand, then concaved, creating gaps of pavement that slowly descended into the abyss below.

MarcoAntonio & Amaryllis

The sisterhood were an alluvion of transcendental beings which flooded the room in a tsunami of vengeance.

Peter Blade

The sun began to peak over the horizon, his father now crouched on the ground in front of the smoking embers, exhausted and surrendering to the fate of his home and wife. Still Papo stood and stared.

Genesis Ellipse …

Tranquility. Peace incarnate. Serenity and docility—all married together in the form the flawless absolution of the timber filled pasture in which they basked. Paragon was the transcendental plenitude of the vastness of valleys and plains which surrounded them.

5.  Some authors can create their stories as they come to them, without any personal attachment; How personal is your writing?

Very! To me writing is a form of art. What artist do you know that doesn’t consider his/her works a piece of their soul? None, that I know of.

That is what my stories mean to me. They are an extension of me, therefore they become incredibly real to me. The characters become my best friends, or family members. Unfortunately, I do not have the knack for detaching myself from my stories, for they represent who and what I am.

6.  As writers, we all have our routines or quirks. As you sit down to create, do your words flow better listening to music (who?) or do you prefer dead silence?

This is a fantastic question!

My method varies from book to book, and day to day.

Sometimes, I need music. (Thank heavens for Pandora. LOL) The music I listen to is completely contingent on what I am writing at any given time. Other times, I need utter silence. This happens when I am in the middle of a scene that requires meticulous research and/or narrative.

Sometimes, I have to have the television on as background noise.

It all really depends. It’s never the same for me, and I think it’s because I depend highly on “vibe”, this is to say the emotional sensation/feedback of my characters. So if my characters are feeling sad, I am also. This means that I need soft music … sometimes even chocolate. So on and so forth.

7.  If a movie was made of one of your books (which one), and what actors do you see playing your main characters on the big screen?

That’s another fabulous question!

I would love to see what “MarcoAntonio & Amaryllis” would look like on the big screen. Mostly, because it’s been compared to the likes of “Romeo & Juliet”, “Tristen & Isolde” only with a paranormal twist. It would be incredibly interesting to see how it would pan out on the big screen.

I would cast as follows:

David Bisbal (Spanish Singer) as MarcoAntonio.marco

Amanda Seyfried as Amaryllis/Mother Haydie. Although, she may have to gain a few pounds. LOL. Oh, and learn an English accent.ama

Admittedly, I am not certain who would play the roles of Aishé and Damian, but I’m positive that I’d know them when I saw them.

Nevertheless, I must be honest here. I am a bit of a control freak—true story. So, if movie producers tried to change, alter in any fashion or cut any parts of the story out, then I wouldn’t do it. The movie would have to be just as good as the book, or it’s a no go.

Rapid Fire – One-Word Answers

Vanilla or chocolate?

Chocolate!

Cold or hot weather?

Cold!

Coffee, tea or …?

Coffee.

Fuzzy or tube socks?

Fuzzy.

Do you make the bed in the morning, or say “screw it”?

Screw it. (ß … Wait! Technically, that’s two words. Did I fail the test? LOL.)

 Be honest…have you ever gone out in public with your shirt on inside out?

 Yes. LOL.

Before we let you get back to your creative writing lab, do you have any upcoming works you care to share with the readers?

 I have several works brewing in the lab.

 “Peter Blade”, which I already spoke of.

Genesis Ellipse …” which I mentioned already too.

The 2nd installment of “MarcoAntonio & Amaryllis” which does not have a title as of yet.

The 2nd installment of “Earth 8-8-2”.

A.L.O.M.” the novel.

And, an entire slew of short stories and anthology pieces. LOL.

My mind is never quiet. LOL.

There you have it! I hope you had fun learning something you may have not known about, Y. Correa.

To learn more about Y. check out her webpage or the rest of her works on her Amazon page. Twitter Facebook

Concordant Vibrancy Anthology Book Release!

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Welcome one and all! Thanks for joining us today in the celebration of the Release of Concordant Vibrancy: Unity, An All Authors Anthology.

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Blurb:

All Authors Publishing House, a subsidiary of All Authors Publications & Promotions, is pleased to present its first short story anthology, Concordant Vibrancy .

Concordant Vibrancy represents the interweaving of unity and uniqueness through the eyes of eleven incredible writers. Through the array of genres, all of these talents share a phenomenal love of writing which aims to leave imprints in the reader’s imagination.

Short stories in this collection:
Butterfly Mask” by Nicola McDonagh
Messarii’s Blood Hunt” by D. John Watson
Seven Days” by Harmony Kent
Touch Me” by Andrea Houtsch
… and we” by Adonis Mann
Til Death Do Us Part” by A. Lopez Jr.
Coalesce” by Da’Kharta Rising
Her A to Z” by C. Desert Rose
Lester’s Release” by Synful Desire
The Authentic Snap” by Queen of Spades
Alma’s Unsung Angel” by Y. Correa.

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What makes Concordant Vibrancy Different than most Short Story anthologies?

It was best described by Y. Correa, the Founder of All Authors Publications and Promotions …

Excerpt of Concordant Vibrancy:

Once upon a time I sat under a large and old tree—the tree was surrounded by many others like it, all of them contented with one another.
I marveled at the wave of wind that passed by, which like an invisible tide drew past the trees making the leaves on them swish like the perfect choreographed symphony—first one, then swiftly and smoothly the rest followed in suit. It was an inspiring thing to behold.
I thought …
There is no better demonstration of unity than that of Mother Earth. She teaches us that all things are connected—the heavens to the earth, the earth to the ocean, the ocean to the heavens—round and round it goes, dancing without squabble in absolute unison. It truly is a beautiful thing to see.
In addition I pondered …
As the matter of fact, the bigger picture is that the entire universe is connected. Whilst our planet is the size of a marble in comparison to the enormity of our universe, that by no means makes us any less valuable. She, Mother Earth, depends on the universe and vice versa. Could you imagine the impact on our solar system if just one planet became misaligned with the rest, just the smallest bit askew? We would all feel the repercussions of that micro-movement. The surface of earth would spin out of control, ravaging humanity with a cataclysm of natural devastation.
And so, I thought further, and said to myself, “Does humanity not realize the impact they have between one another? Do they not see that one action of strife can cause a wave of destruction?”
While it is true that I do not know you, I know this; you and I are linked simply because we are inhabitants of this planet.
Why do I say these things? Because unity was the foundation of the establishment of All Authors Publications and Promotions.
A year and a half ago a thought occurred to me, it was “Why are authors competing with one another? Why can’t they just work together?” Now I’m certain that I was not the first person to think that way, and certainly not the first to act on it, but I did see that while some authors were trying to work together they were doing it in a way that rivaled one another. It was around that time that the idea of the All Authors Blog Blitz crossed my mind.
I’d done some research on Blog Blitzes, their use and aim, and I thought, we can all do that together. We can create a tidal wave of recognition if we just work together.
What I did not expect was all that would follow after the All Authors Blog Blitz. In less than a year’s time, All Authors Publications and Promotions was born. A place created by an author, for authors, trying to establish unity in this market.
In time the All Authors Magazine was born, then All Authors Graphic Design, then the All Authors Certificate of Excellence, and many more projects.
Some people ask me why I chose the name All Authors. Well, that’s pretty self-explanatory, it’s because we advocate all authors, and try to reach all readers.

So, like leaves on a tree, we are all connected.

Mother Earth, the best example of unity mankind has.

Today, marks the historic event of the RELEASE of Concordant Vibrancy: Unity, An All Authors Anthology. In commemoration of this wonderful day we’ve decided to give 3 lucky people a chance to win a Paperback Copy.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Concordant Vibrancy by Adonis Mann

Concordant Vibrancy

by Adonis Mann

Giveaway ends January 31, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Also Available NOW at Amazon.com

Cover Reveal for Concordant Vibrancy Anthology

I am proud to be a part of the Cover Reveal for Concordant Vibrancy! My short story Til Death Do Us Part The anthology is based on a theme of Unity with each story making its own connection to the theme. All Authors Publishing House is putting it all together. Here’s a look:

Cover Reveal

Welcome!

Today we are happy to present you with the cover of
Concordant Vibrancy: Unity, An All Authors Anthology

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Before we show you the cover, lets tell you a little bit about Concordant Vibrancy.

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Blurb:

All Authors Publishing House, a subsidiary of All Authors Publications & Promotions, is pleased to present its first short story anthology, Concordant Vibrancy.

Concordant Vibrancy represents the interweaving of unity and uniqueness through the eyes of eleven incredible writers. Through the array of genres, all of these talents share a phenomenal love of writing which aims to leave imprints in the reader’s imagination.

Short stories in this collection:

Butterfly Mask” by Nicola McDonagh

Messarii’s Blood Hunt” by D. John Watson

Seven Days” by Harmony Kent

Touch Me” by Andrea Houtsch

and we” by Adonis Mann

Til Death Do Us Part” by A. Lopez, Jr.

Coalesce” by Da’Kharta Rising

Her A to Z” by C. Desert Rose

Lester’s Release” by Synful Desire

The Authentic Snap” by Queen of Spades

Alma’s Unsung Angel” by Y. Correa

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It was important to portray both the unification and individuality of each author as well as the theme of this anthology on its cover. In the introduction of Concordant Vibrancy, Y. Correa, the creator of All Authors P&P explains it this way, “like leaves on a tree, we are all connected. Mother Earth, the best example of unity mankind has.

Without further ado, we present you with the cover of Concordant Vibrancy created by All Authors Graphic Design.
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Now available for Pre-Order at:

Amazon.com

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What Is DRM And Should You Use It?

What is DRM?

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DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. That is tech-speak, but in layman’s terms, it means your electronic content is protected from it being shared or ‘pirated’ over the internet without your consent or knowledge. Having DRM on your content restricts access to copying, editing, and printing.

This can give digital content creators (musicians, authors, publishers) a bit of security and keep a tighter rein and more control on their works. As with anything else, there are varied opinions about how it works, the real security of it, and whether it’s a good thing or bad thing.

But, let’s step back and take a quick look at some of its history.

History

The idea of having digital content protected at the source has been around since the old ‘floppy disks’ (I hope I didn’t date myself there). From the floppy disks, the process extended to music CDs. This is where most of the controversy was thrust into the public spotlight, and where the music sharing company, Napster, was brought under heavy scrutiny. Many musical artists protested and sued Napster over the music being shared to listeners for free through mp3 files. This was a matter of the bottom line, money, and well totally justified, but more importantly, it was about the overall violation and disregard of copyright and ownership of the content.

The music industry was the first to take the hit from peer-to-peer file sharing, and from their experience and mistakes, the movie industry learned a lot and began to lace their DVDs with the code to prevent movies from being copied and shared endlessly. An owner of a DVD can legally make a copy for his or her own use, but this ability is limited by the digital management code in the disk. Music CDs were soon equipped with a similar protection to help cut the piracy and in an attempt to preserve copyright and keep the musicians from losing money.

The new player on the market is now the booming business of ebooks, and with that, it brings about the same issues that the above mentioned industries faced. Authors and publishers, the creators of ebooks, are now in the position of protecting their craft and hard work – leading back to the biggest protector, DRM.

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Should you use DRM?

Here, I will be speaking about eBooks. First, in uploading your content to a retailer (Amazon, Apple, Kobo, BnN) you may or may not be given the option to apply DRM to your content. Once you are at that point in uploading your book you have to make a decision about protecting it.

To me, it’s a matter of personal preference and what your expectations may be. Piracy runs rampant on the inter-webs, and realistically there is no good way to stop it. ‘If it can be taken for free, it will be.’ That’s the unfortunate truth.

With that said, let’s say you are releasing a free ebook. In that case, DRM might be a mute point. I say that because in a strange way, if you are putting something up for free, your content will more than likely be downloaded many times online, creating pub and exposure for you, your writing style, and your book. If putting it up for free, with the notion that word will spread about your product, then DRM-free might be the way to go. The only problem with that is, as piracy goes, there are some websites taking free works and then selling them on their site with no pay out to the author. Here is a very interesting post about this issue written by Y. Correa.

Another thing to consider is that is some circles, there have been reports of consumers having trouble using DRM content. I don’t know how true this is or what the percentages are, but if you are on the fence, you may want to look into these potential problems before you decide.

Not having DRM on a bestseller might not have a significant effect on sales if it is already at that level, and in the case of J.K. Rowling, she moved into the ebook market being DRM free. Piracy was always something Rowling has had to deal with, especially early on. Her thought in going DRM free was that she might build an audience of pirate readers and convert them into paying customers. But, very few have J.K. Rowling’s clout to pull that off.

For my ebooks, I do not use DRM when going through the retailers, unless they require it on their end. If there is a chance that a consumer might have a technical issue that may reflect negatively on my product, then I try to avoid it if possible. I want my reader’s experience to be the best it can be.

This all can seem very confusing, so I tried to give a little background on this ongoing topic of discussion in the internet community. There is no right or wrong way, and honestly, if a consumer really wants to buy your content, I don’t think DRM will sway them one way or the other.

The good news is that if you are asking this particular question, then it must mean you have completed your hard work and are ready to send it out to the masses. To that I say…Congrats!!

All Authors Blog Blitz

Today I am taking part in the All Authors Blog Blitz put on by Y. Correa and the All Authors Magazine. (a very well put-togther magazineyou should have a look)

I am featuring Debbie Boswell on my blog today. She is the author of House of Mirrors

Meet Debbie…

Debbie Boswell has a B.S. in accounting and an Enrolled Agent license (E.A.).  She is also the owner/manager of Crafts by Grace, a cottage industry in which she makes candles, soap and designs T-shirts.  Debbie co-wrote and co-produced her first screenplay, OPEN/CLOSE, through the Brooklyn Young Filmmakers Center.  House of Mirrors is her second novel.  Debbie resides in Brooklyn, NY where she was born and raised.

Here is a little bit about her journey in coming up with her novel, followed by the book trailer…

The first step is always the hardest. 

I was at Grand Central, watching the lunchtime crowd and worrying about a schedule I had to prepare that afternoon.  I’d never done that particular one before and in the anal attentive world of public accounting, perfection wasn’t an option.  I got my head chewed off by a tax manager once for not having the staples aligned evenly on a tax return.  To this day, I can’t staple my income tax return without developing a nervous tic.

As I observed workers hurrying back and forth with their Styrofoam cups or grabbing that quick bite before dashing back to the office, it hit me:  I hate my job.  Co-workers sighing loudly and scratching themselves before the day begins, permanent scowls branded on their faces, the schmoozing, the backstabbing.  This lifestyle wasn’t for me.  I needed to make a change.

I always wanted to work for myself.  I assumed it would’ve been accounting-related, but deep down, my soul was crying out for me to write.  I was writing stories ever since I was a little girl.  I used to get this spark every time our class went to the library or whenever I had to write a story, had art class or rehearsed for the school play.  While commuting to work or during lunch, I was reading books and magazines on how to write a manuscript.  I fantasized about seeing my novels in bookstores, even better, having them made into film!  Oddly, that spark returned during these activities.  I knew then what I wanted and if I wanted to feel that zest for my job again or for life, I was going to have to be true to myself.  I wasn’t an executive.  I was a writer.

However, the pressure to conform overrode my desires.  Fear of going against social mores kept me trapped.  So, I remained where I was, losing pieces of myself overtime, enduring nervousness and emotional abuse in the cutthroat environment of corporate America where I also faced the possibility of fading into oblivion.

Yet something inside of me kept saying, You don’t have to accept this lifestyle.

But fear is powerful.  It prevented me from taking the necessary step to make a changeuntil I got a little push, more like a shove—from a totally unexpected and unrelated incident.  I was figuratively, pushed into a pool without any water.  Devastated, hurt and angry, I took stock of my life and finally found the courage I needed to start living for me.

Gradually, I walked away from the corporate life.  Was it scary?  A little.  Adjustment always is.  Even starting this website is intimidating.  Plus, there’s risk of criticism and rejection.  Then again, I was experiencing that in academia, then in the work world.  Why not go through it while doing what I love:  writing?

Traces of my misadventures in accounting are in my debut novel, Miriam’s Journey.  The turning point I reached after that shove provided some material for my current novel, House of Mirrors, which ironically, which would’ve been my first novel, but after writing the first hundred or so pages, I decided that I wasn’t ready to write this particular story yet, so I put it aside.

The pain that led me to take that first step into writing produced two novels, my own business, Crafts by Grace and a screenplay but that’s another story….

You can also find out more about Debbie here: CraftsByGrace

Cover Reveal for “If Death Should Love Me” by C. Desert Rose

I am pleased to spread the word for fellow author, C. Desert Rose, in her cover reveal of If Death Should Love Me

I have read some short stories by Ms Rose and look forward to more of her works.

CovIDSHere is the blurb:

A dull roar, that’s all I could hear. Souls, that’s all I could see… So many people. Some good. Some bad. Some breathing. Some barely breathing. All souls. It was funny what you could see when you stood in the middle of the Emergency Room. Who survived. Who didn’t. All of them, every one, a soul. A soul for the taking.
So begins your introduction to the floating, clustered world of souls that will have such influence on Sophia, the young Puerto Rican-American girl who has just lost her closest ally, her grandmother, “Abuela”. It is just after the funeral, at the cemetery, where Sophia meets the tall, almost angelic man who will play the most unexpected role in her life.
A love story. A fantasy. An adventure. If Death Should Love Me tells a tale of “fate” far beyond the normal meaning of that little four letter word. How else would you explain why Sophia wonders what would happen If Death Should Love Me?

To learn more about C. Desert Rose please visit her website:  http://cdesertrose.com