One Last Post Before…

COMIC CON THIS WEEKEND!

Yaaaaaay!

I’m so excited, y’all.  It’s going to be so amazing.  There was even an article written about it on our local news site: http://www.wfaa.com/story/life/2015/05/28/11-reasons-to-go-to-fan-expo-dallas-this-weekend/28056701/

I even got myself a shiny new Square credit-card reader for the event.  Fancy, fancy.  I feel so official now.

I also wanted to remind you all that Cemetery Tours and Between Worlds are still on sale for $0.99 on Kindle!  That deal is only going to last until MONDAY so take advantage while you still can!

Also, if you have a spare moment, stop by and check out my friend’s Kickstarter fund!  She is in the last two days of making her dream a reality and I hope and pray she reaches her goal: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hannahkalvarez/snapdragons-mix-and-matchable-stuffed-animals

I must confess, I wish I was a better marketer.  I have so many friends who are so creative and brilliant and amazing and I try my best to share their work and help them in any way that I can, but I don’t think I’m very good at marketing and spreading the word.  It’s probably because I’m a libertarian.  I don’t discuss politics here (mostly because anything I say is guaranteed to offend at least one person and I don’t like fighting or confrontation) but I do know I have very centrist, libertarian views.  I’m really bad at telling other people what they should be doing or reading.  I’m like, “Yeah, hey, go buy my book.  Or don’t.  You know.  Whatever works best for you.”

Maybe one day I’ll get the hang of it.

That being said, enjoy your weekend and if you or someone you know is in the Dallas area, tell them to stop by Comic Con and say hi!

Self-Published Authors are Real Authors

Over the weekend, I read an article. I’m not going to mention names or titles, but if you’re an independent author, you probably know which one I’m talking about.  In his article, the author lists many reasons why self-publishers should not be considered real authors.  Believe it or not, the article didn’t make me angry.  It did irk me enough to write this post (twice – I had just finished when I accidentally clicked a different tab – deleted everything), but to be honest, it really just made me roll my eyes.  It was written with such ignorance.  Clearly, this guy knows nothing about independent authors.

There’s a stereotype out there that independent authors are the ones who aren’t good enough to be published by a big traditional publishing house.  We’re the second-stringers who are so desperate for notoriety and publicity, and perhaps even fame and fortune, that we publish our own work ourselves because no one else will touch it.  Let me tell you right now, if writing books and going through all the work is just for fame and fortune, I can think of like, a hundred different ways to try to go about that, all of which would be significantly easier and less of a hassle than publishing your own book.

Don’t get me wrong.  Writing and publishing is a joy, one of the greatest joys in the world.  But it’s also a lot of work, work that I wouldn’t be willing to put into anything that I didn’t want to do with all my heart and soul.  Independent authors don’t have the luxury, the resources, the funds, or the man-power of a traditional publishing house.  True, I have editors and a cover designer whom I appreciate all the way to the moon and back, but everything else, I’ve done on my own.  But I don’t regret it for a moment.  By choosing the independent route, I retain all rights to my work.  I never have to worry about contracts or bottom lines.  There’s a great deal of freedom in the indie world.  There is also a great deal of love.  Independent publishing is a labor of love.  And it always will be.

In related news, I spent yesterday reading Snow Globe by my friend and fellow author, Jeanne Skarsiaris yesterday.

It’s a great book about a teenaged psychic, thrilling and the perfect read for a cold, dreary day.  Also, I’m quoted on the back!  How cool is that?

You can read the rest of my review and the reviews of others here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24847594-snow-globe?ac=1

Finally, my dear friend and editor, Hannah Alvarez, is in the process of getting her new business up and going.  She’s designed a line of mix-and-match stuffed animals called Snapdragons and they are simply adorable.  Her campaign will be coming to Kickstarter in April.

Everyone have a wonderful Monday.  And stay warm.  We’re iced in down here.  Perfect writing weather!

Snapdragons

Big, huge, exciting news, people! 

One of my best friends in the world is starting her own business, a line of mix-and-match stuffed animals called Snapdragons. 

She’s been working on the idea and designs for months now and this week, she sent them off to a manufacturer!  The prototypes are being developed as we speak! 

What exactly are Snapdragons? To quote the description on the Facebook page:

Snapdragons are stuffed animals with interchangeable heads, bodies, legs, tails, wings, and horns. You can mix and match them in any way you want. All of the pieces attach with magnets that are safely and permanently secured inside the stuffed animal. 

You could put a lion’s head on a dragon’s body with a wolf’s tail. Or a unicorn’s head on a wolf’s body with dragon wings. And so on!

There are four creatures to mix and match: a unicorn, a dragon, a wolf, and a lion. All of the pieces attach with magnets that are safely and permanently secured inside the stuffed animal.

Why mix-and-matchable?

Mixing and matching stimulates creative play and allows kids to create a creature from their imagination. The result is a lovable, huggable animal that can be disassembled and reassembled at any time.

When will they be available?

They are currently in development, final prototypes will be complete at the end of September 2014. We’ll start our Kickstarter campaign in October, and we expect to open our online store in December.

Hannah Alvarez, the woman who designed and founded Snapdragons, is absolutely brilliant and an incredible artist.  She’s not a bad writer either.  I still have a short story that she wrote when we were in high school.  It was absolutely chilling.  I’m trying to convince her to write a book of short stories, with this particular one included, and I’m hoping she’s considering expanding her writing career.  For now, however, please stop by and help support her newest creative endeavor, Snapdragons! 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snapdragontoys

Twitter: https://twitter.com/snapdragontoys

Website: http://www.snapdragontoys.com