Banned Books Week 2017 - Some Celebrations and Links

It's time again for the annual Banned Books Week, a celebration of our right to choose what to read, sponsored by the American Library Association and other groups. This year's theme or emphasis is on the importance of the First Amendment. This focus was chosen due to an increase in complaints and challenges in 2016. “Our Right To Read” is "a celebration of the diverse range of ideas found in books, and our right as citizens to make our own intellectual choices." Curious what the most challenged books were last year? There's a top 10 list here.

2017 Nora Roberts/JD Robb Release Schedule

Woo Hoo! It's that time again when Ms. Roberts shares her release schedule for the next year. I love this look at what's coming up and planning my reading (and reviewing) around the release dates. As always the info is in graphic form and dates are subject to change.

Sending Books to Your Kindle - Do You Know How?

Recently, I've gotten into convos with people on Twitter and Facebook who were having trouble sending files to their Kindles. After the last conversation, I decided maybe I'd write up a post. Jax has a Nook, and she's working up a post for Nook users.

There are several options for sending a file to the Kindle besides downloading directly from Amazon: email a PDF or Word Doc directly to a Kindle, email a PDF or Word Doc for conversion to mobi format, drag a file via USB, and use the Send to Kindle app. There are advantages to each method. 

Tour Schedule for Playing with Fire by Kate Meader

I'm excited to be on the blog tour for Playing with Fire by Kate Meader. Please note that each participating blog will do a Fire Giveaway: one copy each of Flirting with Fire and Baby, It’s Cold Outside (which includes Rekindle the Flame, the prequel e-novella which will publish 11/30/15 for $1.99!) You can visit all sites on the blog tour to enter the Fire Giveaways – but keep in mind you can only win once! U.S. only. The publisher will mail the books to the winners. 

My review of Flirting with Fire and of Melting Point.

Bea Discusses: What Should Be On An Author's Website

DISCUSSION POST

Every so often, the topic of expectations around author websites comes up. I've seen several authors complain about readers asking the same questions over and over. Well, do you have a FAQ on your site? Not all readers use them and that IS annoying but one author who was complaining about readers constantly asking didn't have a FAQ section on her site or her FB page. BZZZZ! Sympathy lost! I know that I get cranky when a site doesn't have the information I'm looking for, regardless of what type of site it is. When I'm looking at author sites, I have certain expectations. I'll share those with you today and then I hope you'll share yours. The differences in our expectations will make for some interesting discussions I'm sure!

Holiday Haul-A-Day!

BookTrib, one of my favorite book sites, has presents, lots of presents for the holidays. From Black Friday to New Year’s Eve, BookTrib is giving away gifts to surprise and delight their readers. Everything from Etsy creations inspired by literature to hip new products from the book world, they’ve got the stuff to make a Kringle jealous. Did I mention books? A whole haul of them! One book, two books, three books—an entire box of books—are you excited yet?

Mark your calendar—the Haul-a-Day fun is about to begin!

Help Me Interview Author David Baldacci

I was fortunate enough to be asked to participate in a telephone conference interview with thriller author David Baldacci. The call itself will only be about thirty minutes and I don't know how many bloggers will be there but we're allowed two questions each. Since there will be a bunch of us, I want a list of questions so that if some get asked before it's my turn I still have some to choose from.

So, leave me your questions below and I'll add them to my list. I can't promise I'll get to ask them but I'll try!

David's publicist will email the transcript and I'll get that formatted and posted sometime between December 6th and December 12th.

Thanks for your help!

Entangled Publishing's Black Friday Sale!

   

Entangled Publishing is running a Black Friday sales from tomorrow through 12/6. They have LOTS of titles on sale for only 99 cents, and this is a great way to stock up ereaders, yours or someone else's. You can even gift them to anyone, for awesome stocking stuffers that won't break the bank!

Go here for the sale - http://www.entangledinromance.com/?p=15614

The Brit Babes Street Team is Recruiting!

I'm not a member of the Brit Babes, though I am on several other teams*, but I work with one of it's members, Lucy Felthouse, on tours and I have hosted several of the other authors on the blog. So when they asked if I'd share, I agreed.

The Brit Babes are Recruiting!

The Brit Babes are eight critically acclaimed British erotica authors and we need you for our Street Team!

Reading Addiction Blog Tours Summer Discount

Time is almost up to take advantage of the Reading Addiction Blog Tours Summer Discount. All Tours/PROMOs must start before August 31st to be eligible.  *Note, there is a 2-week notice for all PROMO's and a 4-week notice for all Tours! So make sure you book ASAP! * Summer Discount PROMOTION Reading Addiction Blog Tours will is offering 15% Off to All Authors who book a Tour/PROMO this summer! (Tours must start by August 31st) Contact us HERE and mention the CODE WORD: SUMMER

If you aren't familiar with RABT, check out their site. 

Disclosure: By posting and sharing this information, I am eligible to win a $20 Gift Card.

Anachron Press is Looking for Reviewers

Have you ever had a hard time convincing a publisher to send you a book to review? Did you know that publishers often have a hard time getting reviewers to agree to review one of their books? It's even harder for a small press to convince reviewers to review their book. Anachron Press, publisher of fantasy, science fiction, horror, thrillers, and weird tales, will send anyone a free ebook in any format in return for a fair review. The review can be on your site/blog, Goodreads and/or Amazon. This offer applies to any book in their catalog.

Print copies can be expensive for a small press, so they can only offer an ebook. If you like small presses and want to see more independent fiction, lend them a hand if you can. Don't see anything that appeals to you? Maybe you know someone who might and you can share this information with them.

To get your review copy of anything in the catalog, email Colin Barnes, and tell him what book you'd like to review and your email address. You can also sign up to join their roster of reviewers.

I'm not affiliated with Anachron Press in any way but the owner is an acquaintance of mine. I also like to see smaller presses make a go of it as it gives readers more books to read and a wider variety of books to choose from.

Special Deal on What Kings Ate & Wizards Drank by Krista D. Ball

I don't post many deals or sales but this was a book I loved and the author is a favorite of mine. "What Kings Ate & Wizards Drank" is a conversational look at common myths and mistakes in historical and fantasy books concerning food and eating. Ball educates without preaching and, as in most of her writing, infuses it with humor. You don't need to be a writer or a foodie to enjoy this book.

For 3 days only, it's on sale at Amazon for 99 cents. Don't have a Kindle? Not a problem. Purchase the Kindle edition, email the receipt to Krista ( be sure to block out any personal details that you'd rather not share) and she'll send you the book in a different format. Krista's email is kristadball@gmail.com.

 

Finding Free Ebooks

As you know if you read my Sunday Book Share posts (ie book haul & blog news, The Sunday Post, Stacking the Shelves, etc). I download A LOT of kindle freebies. Several people have asked how I find them so I thought I'd share. While I download books for kindle, the methods and many of my sources are applicable regardless of your e-reader.

My book budget is abysmally tiny; some months it's non-existent. I currently have a gift card balance at Amazon so I've been able to purchase some print books and digital books but I'm trying to stretch it and make it last so I have been very picky about what I pay for. Freebies are my friend. :) The library is, and has been for years, a fantastic source. The downside of course is that I can't keep the books but I have to give them back. Still, it does let me read authors who are favorites but not on  my auto buy list, and it lets me try new authors. They also have ebooks, both kindle and ePub, and I have taken advantage of that as well. Free books are an excellent way to try a new-to-you author or genre; you're investing your time but not your money.

So, the library is one source for free books that I don't keep. For books that I want to keep, well, there are many sources. Have an author that you like? Join their mailing list, whether it's print or digital; follow them on twitter or facebook (or any other social media where you both are users), make a point of regularly visiting their website/blog/discussion board. All of these are ways to find out when your author has a book that is free or being given away. Are you on goodreads? Often authors will make a book free temporarily and invite their goodreads friends or post a book in the goodreads giveaway section. I'm not on shefari or librarything so I don't know if they have similar activities. Anybody know?

What else? Publishers. If you have a publisher that you're a fan of or that publishes a series or several series that you enjoy, sign up for their mailing list and visit their sites and blogs. Don't forget to follow them on twitter, facebook, etc. For instance, the publisher I work for is celebrating it's second birthday this month by giving away 2 books every day on their blog. Each day there are two different titles and coupon codes so you can download them for free. My publisher invited all staff who are on facebook, and everyone that liked their page as well as everyone who's part of their facebook book club. They've also been talking it up on twitter. They've also been encouraging people to share the news and spread the word.

Of course, the people that you interact with and follow are also sources. Talk to your blogging buddies, your tweeps, your facebook friends, etc. Know a deal or freebie? Share the news. Forward the email, write a blog post, share info and links on twitter and fb, etc. I get many of my freebies from reading other book sharing posts, the Sunday Post, Stacking the Shelves, IMMs, etc., particularly the Melissas - Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf and Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries & More. Now, sometimes by the time I read the book share posts, the freebie is no longer free but it might be on sale, reasonably priced, or a book I add to my watch list or see if my library has.  The Book Vixen regularly tweets freebies and deals. There are book blogs that post, either regularly or occasionally, freebies and deals. Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Reviews is one, there are others if you just look. I almost forgot! Both Dear Author and Smart Bitches have daily listings of romance titles that are either free or on sale and usually those are available in different formats, not just kindle.

So, the library is a source, stalking following authors and publishers on their sites and social media is another source, your social media buddies are a good resource, but your best bets, the ones that will give you the most options are sites and blogs that specialize in finding the freebies. There are dozens, heck probably hundreds, for kindle alone. I get a daily email, Latest Kindle Free Books, that collects free titles for kindle on Amazon and Smashwords. I found them by browsing Amazon, looking specifically for blogs and sites that collected free Kindle titles. Over on facebook I liked/friended several groups and pages: eReaderlove (which despite its name is primarily kindle titles), Chelsea's Free Ebook Finds and her other page, Chelsea's Cheap Paranormal Reads. There's also Free Today on Kindle and Beyond, which focuses on indie books that are free. Over on goodreads there are groups that specialize in free books; I belong to Booksy Cup Freebies and Bargains. ETA: D'oh! I forgot to mention that I found some of these groups via friends and others by searching facebook, and in goodreads groups, by entering "free kindle books" and variations on that phrase in the search bar on the respective sites. Obviously, you'll enter whatever e-reader you use in place of 'kindle'.

The freebies and deals are out there, if you're willing to put in some time and effort up front to find them.

Do you have a source for free or cheap books? Please put a link in the comments; it doesn't have to be for kindle but can be for any e-reader. Share the love!

Moving from FeedBurner to FeedBlitz

As you've noticed, FeedBurner has dropped the ball and is no longer providing subscription services for the blog. I lack the skills to fix the problem and there's no customer support. I am moving to FeedBlitz and moving all current subscribers to their services. FeedBlitz has support and they have been helpful so far. Ideally, about mid-week, you should once again start seeing the Nook in your reader or receiving an email or whatever RSS service you signed up to use.

There are a few things you need to know:

• Please add feedblitz@mail.feedblitz.com to your address books
• Keep an eye out for the message from FeedBlitz advising you that the change has taken place.
• You do not need to do anything to stay on the subscription list or email list.
• You will receive an email notifying you of the change and giving you the chance to opt-out. If you choose to unsubscribe, please do so by using the links provided in the email, and not your ISP's spam or abuse buttons.

I have my fingers crossed that this all goes smoothly. If you have a question or encounter a problem, please email Bea at beasbooknook @ gmail . com

Feedburner Broken

You may have noticed that you're not getting any new posts via RSS or that the email post digest hasn't been showing up in your inbox. I have looked at feedburner and what they say the problem is and I am clueless as to what it's talking about or how to fix it. Since Google no longer supports feedburner, I can't get help there. If you have any experience in fixing feedburner issues, and would be willing to talk me through it, please email me at beasbooknook@gmail.com

In the meantime, I am looking into alternatives. Once I find one I can work with, I'll start transferring the RSS list over and I'll post on here, letting people know. Thank you for your patience.

Hey, what happened to the reviews?

Good question. I tend to run light on reviews anyway most weeks, with only 2, occasionally 3, sometimes 1. I aim for 2 a week and hope I can do more but now that's getting blown to heck. The cause is a good thing, but the slowdown in reviews is disappointing.

So, why are reviews going to slow down even more? Editing. I'm picking up more assignments, both from my publisher and from freelancing, which is wonderful. But, it means the time I was devoting to reading and writing reviews is now going to reading and editing manuscripts. I have two right now, a short story for content edits and a very, very long novel for copy edits and some content edits, and a proofread coming my way in December sometime. Add in the day job and the holidays and something had to give.

I'm aiming for one review a week during edits but even that may not happen. I do have blog tour posts and some guest posts coming up and those will still happen. I need to stay away from NetGalley and Edelweiss and get firmer about turning down requests from authors and publishers that I already work with. I have a pile of books, both virtual and digital, that I promised to review so my focus will be on those. I did stockpile a few reviews and I have those scheduled for the week between Christmas and New Year's.

So, I'm excited about the editing and that it's picking up, though I had a panic attack when I got the short story for content edits. I hadn't done content edits before! Eeek. So far, it's going well, though my office program and the author's office program didn't want to talk to each other. That meant more work for both of us for the first round of edits; now we can work around it for the next round of edits.

I do apologize for the lack of reviews; you'll know when the editing slows down by the upswing in reviews posted. I hope I'll still see you around.

Love Astraea Press? Show Your Love & Win A Kindle Fire

 CONTEST: Beginning Nov. 15th until Dec. 15 my publisher, Astraea Press, will have a picture competition! Who can come up with the most creative way during the holidays to say, "I LOVE ASTRAEA PRESS"? Most unique wins a Kindle Fire! Pass this along to everyone you know! Pictures must be emailed to stephanietaylor@astraeapress.com and posted on the Astraea Press Facebook page! 

 ETA 11/29:  Runner up gets a Simple Nook! C'mon. It's free. If we get a lot of entries, we'll throw in some free books, too. ;o)

Disclosure: I work for Astraea Press. I am not being compensated in any way for posting this information.

Gunslingers and Ghost Stories

A few weeks ago I shared the cover for a forthcoming anthology, "Gunslingers and Ghosts Stories". One of the contributors, J.A. Campbell, shared an excerpt from her story, and some information about the book, with me but didn't have a complete listing of the authors or stories. Well, she emailed me recently with that information, so, for your enlightenment and reading pleasure, a complete listing of the stories.

Blurb and Author Lineup For Gunslingers and Ghost Stories:

Ghosts are not just found in haunted houses. They have a disturbing
tendency to turn up where you least expect them: like saloons,
brothels, Indian ruins–and sometimes even in the middle of a gunfight.
Saddle up for a haunted ride through the Wild West. Featuring spooky
stories by Joel Jenkins, Dana Bell, Laura Givens, Henrik Ramsager, Kit
Volker, Kenneth W. Cain, Adrian Ludens, C. J. Killmer, Darla Upchurch,
John Howard & J. A. Campbell.

1. Old Mother Hennessy - Joel Jenkins
2. The Ruins - Dana Bell
3. Chin Song Ping and the Hungry Ghosts - Laura Givens
4. Gentleman Caller - Henrik Ramsager
5. Smoke People - Kit Volker
6. Avenged - Kenneth W. Cain
7. Ghost Soup - Adrian Ludens
8. The Empty Holster - C. J. Killmer
9. Forever in Oro - Darla Upchurch
10. Mountain Man - John Howard
11. The Saloon of Doom - J. A. Campbell 

Publisher: Timescape Books, an imprint of Science Fiction Trails
Editor: David Riley
Release Date: December, 1st 2012
Formats: Print, possibly ebook

Only a month to go until it's released!

New Contest for Amateur Writers

If you enjoy writing and want to see if anyone (besides family and friends, that is) is interested in reading it, and maybe pick up some cash, here's an opportunity for you to consider.

DearReader.com, a book club site of sorts that tempts readers with excerpts from books in a variety of genres, is challenging amateur writers to share their best writing. Winners can receive up to $300 for their original work.

You can also find more information here.

Guideline:

1. Deadline: August 12, 2012
2. Maximum word count is 650 words. (Please be sure to count your words.)
3. Submit original entries that have not been previously published.
4. Feel free to submit more than one entry.
5. You must be at least 18 years old to enter.
6. Your story will be judged on style and content.
7. Email your DearReader entry to: contest@DearReader.com  

Meet Rachel Caine and Win Some Swag

To celebrate the release of LAST BREATH, the 11^th book in the New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires series, Rachel Caine is throwing a

“Welcome to Morganville Bash” in a city near you!

Readers who purchase books at the store will be eligible to win free raffle bags filled with notebooks, pencils, vampire swag, books and other cool Penguin gear goodies!  

There will also be free goodies for everyone who attends. 

Come to the bookstore, meet Rachel Caine, have your books signed, and participate in a raffle drawing to receive cool prizes! 

November 1, 3 p.m. ET

Live online launch event for LAST BREATH! 

You can see and hear Rachel LIVE by logging in to Project Paranormal's Facebook Page (click the Author Interview tab) - ask her questions live on the air! You'll also get a tour of her writing space, and maybe some wacky visitors. Who knows?

 

Wednesday, November 2^nd

MURDER BY THE BOOK

2342 Bissonett Street

Houston, TX  77005

6:30 PM

Thursday, November 3^rd

BARNES & NOBLE #2662

Oakview Mall

3333 Oakview Drive

Omaha, NE  68144

7 PM

*w/ Chloe Neill

Saturday, November 5^th

VEGAS VALLEY BOOK FESTIVAL

Historic Fifth Street School

401 S. 4th St

Las Vegas, NV  89101

10:15 a.m. Paranormal panel includes me plus Tera Lynn Childs, James Dashner, Bree Despain, Becca Fitzpatrick, Rachel Hawkins, Sophie Jordan and Veronica Wolff!

2:00 p.m. - Signing

7:00 p.m. - 

Paranormal Ball

ALL DAY

Sunday, November 6^th

BARNES & NOBLE #2614

Roseville

2100 North Snelling Ave

Roseville, MN  55113

2 PM

*w/ Chloe Neill and Andrea Cremer

Monday, November 7^th

BARNES & NOBLE #2808

5275 Harvery Street

Muskegon, MI  49444

7 PM

Tuesday, November 8^th

BARNES & NOBLE #2086

301 Main Street

Exton, PA  19341

6 PM

Wednesday, November 9^th

BARNES & NOBLE #2908

3454 Erie Boulevard East

Dewitt, NY  13214

7 PM 

Saturday, November 12^th

BARNES & NOBLE #2344

861 NE Mall Blvd

Hurst, TX  76053

3 PM  

Use this direct link for the most current event information