Welcome to our blog!
Amy and Jennifer ARE Seduced by Books. We’re both in our 30’s, moms, close friends, work together, and share many of the same interests including our love of reading. Amy grew up in Maryland and has been obsessed with Vampires for as long as she can remember. Jenn grew up in Florida and loves the furry, the fey, and the fangs, in that order. Currently we are both in Orlando, FL. When we can be pulled away from books, Amy loves to bake and Jenn loves to take pictures and scrap.
We decided to create a place where we could direct friends, and acquaintances for, book suggestions/recommendations (Jenn’s been known to talk to strangers on the train while traveling in NYC). Once we started out with a simple page, we evolved from there. Now we are sharing our book reviews, fun comments, recipes, and giveaways. We try to give reviews on new releases, pre-releases, and oldies but goodies that we read, or are reading. We’re going to be adding author interviews for established and up and coming authors soon.
Showing posts with label blog tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog tour. Show all posts

Friday, June 14, 2013

Forsaken by the Others Blog Tour - Visit from Jess Haines

Welcome Jess Haines - and I could not think of any one better to help us talk about the Sexy Vampires we all love....she has one of my favs in her series. Not only do we get some insight in her inspiration but she has a great giveaway for us.

Sexy Vampires Who Provided Inspiration for the H&W Investigations Series

By Jess Haines


Hello there! Jess Haines here. I’m the author of the H&W Investigations series—urban fantasy novels about Shiarra Waynest, a human private investigator in an alternate, present-day New York. Somehow she keeps getting pulled into supernatural troubles way above her pay grade…

Since Jennifer is all about the sexy stuff here, I thought you might like to hear about some of the smokin’ hot vampires that have inspired me over the years.

5) Deacon Frost (from Blade)

Frost is such a delightful asshole. He has no qualms standing up to vampires more powerful than himself, a vision for how to drag himself up the ranks, and the guts to follow through with the plan to get what he wants no matter the obstacles. All while doing it with style and attitude.

It’s really too bad he’s so evil.

On the bright side, he did help provide a plotbunny that resulted in the formation of more than one of my own bad guys. It’s a good thing when your villains are well-rounded and know what they want, and stick to their guns to get it.

4) Blade (from Blade)

Man, that guy can pull of a trench coat but good. Dark, mysterious, broody—he’s everything a vampire should be.

Too bad he’s not quite a vamp.

Blade was more of an inspiration because he was a vampire hunter, rather than because of his nature. If you know me, you may have heard me mention this before, but I originally came up with the idea for the heroine of the H&W Investigations novels, Shiarra Waynest, when I saw a trailer for the first Blade movie in theaters ages ago.


3) Selene (from Underworld)

Strangely enough, Selene served as an inspiration for the opposite of how I wanted Shiarra’s adventures to start out. Selene is a strong, capable, and kickass vampire. Shia has her own strengths, but as a human, she can’t go toe-to-toe with a vamp or werewolf and expect to survive. What it made me think of was backstory. How did Selene reach the point of being so competent as an enforcer?

That was what I chose to explore for Shiarra. Not starting her in the boots of the ass-kicking heroine, but taking the opportunity to use the series to grow her into them.



2) David (from The Lost Boys)

A classic vampire movie, The Lost Boys set the tone for what I was shooting for in my books. At times frightening, others hilarious, I wanted a mix of camp and horror that wasn’t afraid to feature the absurd while also exploring the serious sides of dealing with supernaturals. On that count, David is playful and seductive, but undeniably dangerous. Just like I wanted the main vampire of my series, Alec Royce, to be.

1) Spike (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Where, oh where, would I be without a mention of Spike? Proving that even an immortal can feel emotions deeper than most mortals, that even a vampire can grow and learn to be more than a monster, that a killer can love with burning passion, Spike embodies so many of the things a vampire could and should be. All while pulling off hilarious one-liners and looking damned fine in leather, if I may say so.


Oh, and for the hell of it, even though I wouldn’t exactly call him inspiration for any of my characters, enjoy some Eric Northman!




So, who are some of your favorite sexy vamps?

For the next stop on the blog tour, be sure to visit the official FORSAKEN BY THE OTHERS blog tour calendar !

You can also visit me on the web:
www.JessHaines.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JessHainesAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Jess_Haines

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jesshaines

Thanks again for having me, Jennifer!


Jess, you are always welcome here! You are killing me for the next book - and thank you for this great giveaway below.
We've got the details on Forsaken by the Others - out this July 2nd.
Forsaken by the Others Book Description:

The Others–vampires, werewolves, things that go chomp in the night–don’t just live in nightmares anymore. They’ve joined with the mortal world. And for private investigator Shiarra Waynest, that means mayhem…

Have a one night stand with a vampire, and you can end up paying for it for eternity. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, an expert on the Others, knows that better than most. Yet here she is, waking up beside charismatic vamp Alec Royce with an aching head…and neck. Luckily, Shia has the perfect excuse for getting out of town–namely, a couple of irate East Coast werewolf packs who’d like to turn her into a chew toy.

On Royce’s suggestion, Shia temporarily relocates to Los Angeles. But something is rotten–literally–in the state of California, where local vampires are being attacked by zombies. Who could be powerful enough to control them–and reckless enough to target the immortal? Following the trail will lead Shia to a terrifying truth, and to an ancient enemy with a personal grudge…


Hurry up and buy soon - you won't regret it

Buy Links:
Amazon / Amazon UK / Amazon Canada
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Books-A-Million
Powells
Indiebound

Enter the US giveaway here -

a Rafflecopter giveaway


International followers are not forgotten - enter here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Visit our other blog friends on the tour here - Forsaken by the Others blog tour





Friday, July 6, 2012

Giveaway and Blog Tour from Jamie Magee for Witness


We have the pleasure of once again being a stop on Jamie Magee’s Blog Tour.  This time she is touring to promote Witness - - this is Book 2 in the series, quickly following on the heels of SEE.  You will find the summary of both books below and our review for SEE can be read here 


Look today here on the blog, for our review of Witness as we also had the pleasure of reading it ahead of time and you can too!!!  




Jamie is giving away 1 ebook each of SEE and Witness to one lucky commenter.  Did you hear that?  BOTH BOOKS!!! Witness is not released until the 19thof this month so you will also get to read it early!  Of course, Jamie never stops just there, she also has some awesome swag, bookmarks and  guitar picks to giveaway along with the ebooks.  Wonder the significance of guitar picks???  WELL READ THE BOOKS :) you’ll be hooked.  


To win for the giveaway here on our blog, leave a comment below, tell us if you’ve read on of Jamie Magee’s books in either series, ask a question, or just let us know you say hi.  Make sure you are a follower over to the right  leave your email address and we will be choosing a winner on July 8th.  (international too :) )


THAT STILL ISN’T ALL!! Jamie brings us awesome books and packs in the giveaways.  She will be choosing a winner from all the commenters on the entire tour to win printed copies of both SEE and Witness, along with a $25 gift card to Amazon (swag bookmarks and picks too) and this is also international.  So you can see the list of participants below and make sure to visit and comment on their blogs for more chance to win.


THAT’S 2 GIVEAWAYS in 1 POST !


Thanks Jamie – as always it’s a pleasure to have you come by, love your books and helping promote you any time.   Next time maybe you can bring Draven by or Drake  you know they hold a special piece of my heart.


Visit Jamie at one of these links – she’s lots of fun, and I still wonder how she pumps out these works and has time to do anything else.  AMAZING!




Face Book http://www.facebook.com/Insight.Jamie.Magee 
Twitter http://www.facebook.com/Insight.Jamie.Magee
Blog http://authorjamiemagee.blogspot.com/
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Magee/e/B004DAU5JY


Summary of SEE 
Forgetting who you are, your ambitions, your passions is crippling….but remembering – embracing your purpose with a new sense of determination is more than empowering….it's life altering. Charlie Myers is on a life altering path that will cause the dammed to humble in silence.
One night…just a few friends, how could it go so wrong? That was the question seventeen year old Charlie Myers was asking when she found herself in the ER. Outwardly nothing was wrong with Charlie, she was a vision of perfect heath, internally she was battling a raging headache…one the doctor told her she would overcome shortly, but Charlie knew something else was wrong …very wrong.
Part of her had been stolen…she was missing memories. Those memories were sacred. They held the key to her sanity. They told her that the sinister whispers, the shadows that came to life before her were not as ominous as she felt they were. They held the bond with her late father, a famed musician. They caused her to forget the one talent that allowed her to face the darkness that haunted her every waking hour. They also masked a much deeper bond, the face of the one that had stolen her heart, long before the age of seventeen.
Sitting in the ER with her angry mother she couldn’t figure out what she was missing, or even how. Her thoughts told her that she needed to protect Britain, a friend of hers, but that didn’t make any sense – Britain didn’t need to be protected from anyone, he was strong, young, and absurdly wealthy. Charlie also knew that even though her friend Bianca called Charlie her best friend, she didn’t trust her …she was almost sure she despised her, but she couldn’t figure out why, or understand how random thoughts were telling her that she adored both Britain and Bianca – that they were her saviors – that they brought silence to the unstoppable whispers, but the silence scared Charlie. In her mind anyone or anything that could bring silence to something that dark could not be good.
Charlie wanted to stay in NY, figure out what she was missing, why, and who was behind it all, but her mother had other plans. Against her will, Charlie was sent to Salem to live with her sister, within that small town Charlie found her memories and so much more.
Her story begins now.


Summary Of WITNESS 
Forgetting who you are is hard, but not as hard as remembering. Remembering that you have no idea how to face your demons, how to save the lost.
Charlie is at a sacred threshold.The ‘glass box’, as she calls it, is slowly falling. Her childhood has ended. The moment she has yearned for, the moment where she can go and do anything, anything at all without seeking permission is now. She’d dreamed of this time, all of her friends had, but now that it’s here, she doesn't know which way to run, or if she should even run at all.
Charlie knew that running would be a goodbye forever, and she didn’t want that, she wanted to freeze the time she was in, to stay in the calm before the storm, the illusion that she could out wit the ones who seek her, hold the one she loves, and play the music that gives her passion. She’ll soon discover no one can hide from their fate, that time does not stop in place, and that whether she chooses to perceive it or not, the darkness has come.
What Charlie feared most, losing him, is a threat now more than ever. A realm, a dark and twisted dream world has called him, and now she must fight to save him, and others like him. Standing in her way is a soul from another life, a boy that promises that he will destroy her world, to save her life. With this threat in hand, with the dark path that her friends are on, Charlie must fight to find a way to leave, to trust that beyond her dimension there are souls that can help her, help all of them. The only question is, will she find them before it's to late, and if she can't, how is she going to use her gift, the gifts they all share to save them.




BLOG TOUR MEMBERS -


July 6th Seduced By Books - http://seducedbybooks.blogspot.com/ 


July 7th The Shadowed Realm -  http://xtheshadowrealmx.blogspot.com/


July 8th The Cozy Reader - http://thecozyreader.com/


July 11th MoonStars Fantasy World - http://moonstarsfantasyworld.blogspot.com/


July 12th The Reading Geek -  http://thereadinggeek.blogspot.com/


July 13th Lovey Dovey Books - http://www.loveydoveybooks.blogspot.com/


July 14th The Lovely Books - http://jessicaslovelybooks.blogspot.com/


July 15th Sassy Book Lovers -  http://sassybooklovers.blogspot.com/


July 15th  Delphina Reads Too Much - http://www.delphinareadstoomuch.com/


July 16th  Page Flipperz - http://pageflipperz.blogspot.com/?zx=6ba9dca96e7fe7b5


July 16th Between the Lines -  http://www.betweenthelinesbookblog.com/


July 18th Paranormal Reads - http://paranormalreadsreviews.blogspot.com/


July 19th WITNESS RELEASE DATE


July 19th Better Read Than Dead - http://www.angelsdemonsandvampires.com/


July 20th Book Reader Addicts - http://bookreaderaddictsgiveaways.blogspot.com/


July 20th Parnormal Books Fan  http://paranormalbookfan.blogspot.com/


July 21 Taking it One Book at a Time - http://takingitonebookatatime.blogspot.com/


July 23rd Insane About Books - http://insaneaboutbooks.blogspot.com/


July 24th Lovey Dovey Books - http://www.loveydoveybooks.blogspot.com/


July 25th D's Bookworld - http://ds-bookworld.blogspot.de 

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Welcome J W BACCARO

We are so excited to have back Jason - he's so much fun!!!  His books are intense and you can read our reviews on his Guardian of the Seventh Realm series.  We are also lucky to have a giveaway - for 1 lucky commenter you will receive a SIGNED set of paperbacks for all 4 books!!!!! A second commenter will receive a PDF set of all 4 books.  AND a third commenter will also receive a PDF set of all 4 books!!!!  That's 3 winners - - - Comment up - we'll be selecting winners the night of Dec 15th and the winners will be announced on the tour host's site - http://thewytchsmirror.blogspot.com/ on December 16th


About the Author
J.W. Baccaro has written the epic fantasy series ‘Guardian of the
Seventh Realm. Home is in upstate New York with his wife Melissa. When
he is not creating fabulous cities such as Loreladia, he is creating
music with his band. Jason spends his time with literature, gardening,
the wonders of nature, the mysteries of space, and time with his
family.
Contact J.W. Baccaro: jwbaccaro@yahoo.com

Guardian of the Seventh Realm
http://www.guardianoftheseventhrealm.com/

Follow Jason on Facebook
Follow Jason on Twitter
Follow Jason on Goodreads
Follow Jason on Book Blogs
Follow Jason's Blog  http://prophecyoftheguardian.blogspot.com/


Hello Jennifer and Amy at Seduced By Books. I’m very pleased to be on your Blog once again. Thank you for the time.




If any of your followers have seen me before, then they already know the basics of my Epic Fantasy series “Guardian of the Seventh Realm.” If not, just follow the link below and it will take you to the interview Jennifer had given me back in August 2011:

http://networkedblogs.com/lr3ad/

Today, I’d like to talk about the “violence theme” in my series, something many people love and comment on in my writing. Those who know me are dumbfounded because they call me a “teddy bear” in everyday life, and yet my stories are full of decapitating heads, broken bones and good guys being stomped into the ground by the boots of my sexy Dark Queen Talvenya. *smiles*

For starters, I have to say that I'm happy people are seeing the “darkness” in this story. I admit it is very dark, a tale of brutality, and even some perverse sections involving the Dark Queen Talvenya. There are many reasons why I had written it like that. First, I didn't wish to write a “candy-coated” adversary. When I get involved into a tale of good verses evil, I want to feel “afraid” of the dark—to a certain extant. If I don't feel threatened by the adversary or his or her minions, I gradually lose interest in the conflict, and soon enough the story.

Second, for me, the violence in my series—especially book two “Siege of Darkness,” is a reflection of how cruel mankind can sometimes be, and even the “red in tooth in claw” of Mother Nature herself. Sure, nature is beautiful; I mean, one of my favorite simple pleasures in life is to gaze at a blue summer sky filled with mammoth-sized white clouds (which still remind me of marshmallow fluff!), as a warm breeze blows against you, carrying with it the delightful smells of summer, or the gorgeous lilacs and majestic peonies with their immaculate scents. I swear I could get lost for hours with my face stuffed in a lilac bush or a peonies flower...I just have to watch out for the bumble bees and ants! Darn things! And let’s not forget those adorable little fawns walking with their mother. They often cross our yard—a doe with her two fawns, the little ones following her lead, strolling down the grassy slope, by-passing the apple trees and wandering into the wilderness. Yes, very beautiful indeed, and yet, what goes on every night within that wilderness when the coyotes awaken is far from beautiful, but that is the way of this world, beautiful at times, but also very dark.

”Guardian of the Seventh Realm” is also a reflection of the trials in life that we all face, unless you are one of the blessed ones who have never tasted darkness or even seen it...but that is a rarity. The main protagonist of my stories, Darshun Luthais, learns the hard way by facing this darkness, brutality and death. For him, it was necessary to experience the evils of the world and suffer before he could truly come to terms with what he was born to be, the Guardian of the Seventh Realm. I can parallel this to my own life as well. I would not be where I am now had I not faced my own demons, trials and hardships, and to a certain extant, conquered them. It is an unfortunate suffering many of us have to go through in life, but a “fortunate blessing” once the tribulation is over. And though I often felt alone, as Darshun sometimes feels, there would always be someone there to lift me up with a helping hand, as there always is for Darshun.

And so, as more fans of fantasy enter the “Seventh Realm” I have created, I hope they will continue to enjoy the journey I have paved for them, and feel as though you are traveling alongside Darshun and our other heroes as part of the quest. And maybe, just maybe, when Darshun gets out of line, give him a good kick in the arse! It will do him well, the cocky Nasharin he can sometimes be. *laughs*

Once last thing: besides the violence, I’m really pleased that people are seeing and feeling the courage, loyalty and romantic elements of the stories. Calm down fans of hot and steamy romance—it’s not an erotica, but there is a strong kiss of romance in it between a small number of characters, and also a bit of Dark Erotica. Fun, fun! :)

Thank you again, Jennifer and Amy.

PART ONE: Prophecy of the Guardian
by J.W. Baccaro
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
EBook formats ISBN: 978-1-60313-913-7
Print format ISBN: 978-1-61160-024-7

The Second Great War between the Light and the Dark has begun, and
Abaddon the Demon Lordis searching for the four ancient Wizard
Crystals of the Elements. Once the Crystals arein his hands, and
corrupted to evil, he will destroy the forces of Light upon the
earth,and transform the world into eternal darkness.

But Darshun Luthais, one of the last Nasharin warriors, along with a
few companions, sets out on a quest to find the Crystals first. Along
the journey they encounter giant six-legged serpents, the ruthless
Cullach, and other entities of darkness; yet the most challenging
obstacle is Darshun's constant struggle against temptations of evil,
and his vow to hold to the faith of all who are calling him the
Guardian—the prophesied warrior who will bring down the Demon Lord.


PART TWO: Siege of Darkness
by J W Baccaro
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
EBook formats ISBN: 978-1-60313-981-6
Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-60313-981-6

Tragedy strikes Zithel, and the city of monks goes up in flames. The
Earth-Wizard Mazarian has disappeared, and the army of Asgoth has
taken back the Wizard Crystals of the Elements, ready to deliver them
into the hands of their master: the Demon Lord Abaddon, where they
will be corrupted and used against the very elements they were created
to protect, deforming the world to a blackened void. As Darshun
Luthais—the
chosen Guardian of earth—emerges from the mystical Shajin Island,
having completed his training, ready to combat the forces of evil, he
not only finds himself in the center of this chaos, but is also torn
in different directions. Part of him longs to obey the wisdom of the
Elders by relocating the crystals and fleeing Asgoth, while his
Nasharin nature thirsts for battle, eager to take on the many trials
that stand in his way, keeping him from what he desires most,
challenging Abaddon, the ultimate terror.


PART THREE: The Coming of the Light
by J W Baccaro
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
EBook formats ISBN: 978-1-60313-985-4
Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-61160-269-2

The Wizard Crystals of the Elements have fallen into the hands of
Abaddon, forever corrupted and transformed to evil. Abaddon now
patiently waits in his northern kingdom for the coming of
Saruinkai—the evening when the spirits of Darkness rule the night, and
when he will unleash the Crystals' horrific powers against their own
elements and sweep destruction across the earth. The Light's hope now
lies in the young Nasharin warrior Darshun Luthais—the chosen
Guardian, for he alone carries the power to stop Abaddon's black
sorcery and end the war once and for all. But to do so he must cross
over into Abaddon’s kingdom, and that means destroying the one who
guards the border, a Fallen Angelic Throne, the secret to Asgoth's
three hundred year Rule and invincibility.
Led by the elvish lord Caelestias, Darshun and his companions must
seek out and destroy the Throne, encounter a Witch, and a horde of
other vile creatures, only to stir up the entirety of Asgoth, coming
face to face with them, a battle that will determine the fate of the
world.


PART FOUR: The Sword of Righteousness
by J.W. Baccaro
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

The Dark King Tanarokai...his ever-bitter Queen, and their ‘three
hundred year undefeated army of death’ never thought they’d see the
day when Asgoth would come crashing down by the hands of the Light.
The time draws near when the Light may hold the final victory, but
little as they know, the horrors and tribulations are just beginning,
and fate is not always fair and balanced.

Guardian of the Seventh Realm Book Four: The Sword of Righteousness is
another “chapter” in the Second Great War of the Seventh Realm.

Darshun Luthais—Nasharin warrior and chosen Guardian of earth,
continues his journey across the arctic land of Syngothra, seeking to
destroy Abaddon's Unholy Altar of Power, and bring the Second Great
War to an end.  But when a new and deadly sorcerer working for Abaddon
discovers his plan, he sets up a trap for Darshun and his five
companions, a colossal army of darkness lying in wait among the frozen
elements, ready to unleash its fury once the intruders are in sight.

Now it is up to King Loreus—ruler of Loreladia to unify the scattered
races of Light, and charge into Syngothra before the trap is sprung.
For Loreus wields the Golden Sword of Purity, a weapon forged long ago
by the Five Holy Races, before darkness had separated them.  With
little time to spare, the Loreladian King must stop the Elves from
another civil war, gain their trust and then encounter the Centaurs of
Cestmir, a pious Matriarchy and self-righteous race, where if they do
not remember the Sword, they may prove to be more of an enemy than
Abaddon.


Thank you Cynthia for hosting and putting this together!!
Visit The Wytch's Mirror
http://thewytchsmirror.blogspot.com/

Monday, August 1, 2011

ROMANCING YOUR DARK SIDE TOUR Kick Off PARTY!!

We are so excited to be participating in the Romancing Your Dark Side Tour starting this Friday, August 5th.
(hosted by Book Reader Addicts and Virtual Book Tour Cafe)


7 Authors are coming together for the next 3 months to blog, giveaway, interview and promote - HOORAY!

We'll have three stops on the tour scheduled (check back to see if we get more):

Sept 1 - Jamie Magee - Guest Blog & Giveaway - Jamie is the talented author of the Insight series - Book 1 Insight and Book 2 Embody - check her website out here and click for our reviews for Book 1 and Book 2.

Sept 7 - Jaz Primo - Guest Blog & Giveaway - Fun, witty, and author of the Sunrise Vampires series - Jaz Primo will be visiting us - if you haven't found his page - click here - currently 2 books - Sunrise at Sunset (click for review) and A Bloody London Sunset.

Oct 27 - A. Jacob Sweeny - Guest Blog & Giveaway - inspiring author joining us for some fun - check out her book here - Pulse of  Heroes Book 1 in the Pulse Series. 

In addition to all the FUN - Many of the Authors are doing Giveaways not just on our site, but along the tour ride.  AND 1 LUCKY WINNER will win a NEW Kindle - the comments from the posts on each site will be entered in a random drawing. 

We'll be promoting this tour throughout the 3 months.  For the tour schedule - be sure to check at Virtual Book Tour Cafe and get to commenting starting Friday :)

Good Luck - see you back soon
Amy & Jenn

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Scott Nicholson Blog Tour and Kindle Giveaway!!

We're so excited that Scott Nicholson is here with us today.  Read his post below to learn a bit about him and his books, as well as how to enter the awesome Kindle giveaway that he's doing with his blog tour!   As if that giveaway isn't enough, he's also doing a bonus giveaway with us.  You can win a signed copy of Thank You for the Flowers, a collection of his short stories.  To enter, leave a comment below. For an extra entry, follow us on Google friend connect. The book contest will end Monday, 11/15/10 at midnight (EST). Winners will be chosen on Tuesday.  Full details on Scott's Kindle giveaway in his blog post below!








Being “Big”
By Scott Nicholson
http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/


Success for writers gets really squirrelly.

Rankings, ratings, reviews, book advances, agent names, industry mentions, peer perspectives, and so much noise noise noise that sometimes you can’t tell your place in the universe anymore. And, to judge by all the noise, your needle on the hype-meter is the sole measurement of where you are. And what you are. And who you are.

I’ve definitely had my ups and downs, both externally and internally. I went from a guy whose first book was an alternate selection of the Mystery Guild (the mail-order book club, for those who remember the pre-Kindle days), to a guy whose books went out of print almost as fast as they rolled off the press. I went from a guy with an agent at one of the Top Three agencies in the world to a guy who couldn’t even get agents to bother responding to a query.

I went from a Nobody to a Top 30 Amazon Kindle bestseller. And I’m almost certain to be a Nobody again at some point.

And I am almost certain to be exactly the same person, doing the same things, writing the same stories. That’s really the only connecting link and common denominator, besides the loyal core of readers who travel with me.

“Success” as measured by outside observers is a loaded term and attracts weird energy. When I first started self-publishing on Amazon, I’d write “reviews” of my own books, telling funny stories about the book. Someone ratted me out to Amazon—I didn’t know it was against the rules and it wasn’t like I was trying to trick anybody by pretending I was a real critic with a false name.

But even weirder was a few days ago when my wife got a notice saying HER funny reviews were being pulled. Now, no computer on earth would know she was my wife, because we have different last names, if she hadn’t said she was my wife in the review. That means there is someone, or more than one person, going around playing “Amazon cop” on me. Amazon’s message was “It has been brought to our attention…”

After my initial hilarity that someone was so lacking in usefulness as to spend time that way, I felt a little invaded. I don’t care about me, but don’t mess with my sweet little Lefthanded Puppeteer. But she said, “That’s a sign you’re succeeding. People are noticing you. They want to tear you down. That means you’re up.”

Others have told me a lot of people are watching my indie efforts and blog tour, because I am charting a crazy new course. Some will be jealous because they think I am having the success they deserve. Others will support me because they see, like I do, that more people reading good books means more people wanting more good books.

I haven’t been successful at all. What has been successful is the accumulation of book bloggers, partners like Amazon, Kindle Nation Daily, Dellaster Design, Stephen and Neil at Ghostwriter Publications, my supporters that I consider “friends” instead of “fans” or “followers,” and a handful of books into which I poured my heart and talent.

All I can do is write the next sentence as best as I can, as truthfully as I can, and hope that it reflects onto you and gives you a little joy or meaning or escape or insight. That’s what I call being “big.”

-------------

Current 99-cent specials are As I Die Lying and Disintegration. For every book of mine that hits the Top 100 during the tour, I will throw in an extra Kindle 3 giveaway. Tell your friends. Amaze your neighbors. Shock your therapist.

Scott Nicholson is author of 12 novels, including the thrillers Speed Dating with the DeadDrummer-Boy, Forever Never Ends, The Skull RingBurial to Follow ,and They Hunger. His revised novels for the U.K. Kindle are Creative Spirit, Troubled, and Solom. He’s also written four comic series, six screenplays, and more than 60 short stories. His story collections include AshesThe FirstMurdermouth: Zombie Bits, and Flowers.

To be eligible for the Kindle DX or Kindle 3, simply post a comment below with contact info. Feel free to debate and discuss the topic, but you will only be entered once per blog. I’m also giving away a Kindle 3 through the tour newsletter and a Pandora's Box of free e-books to a follower of “hauntedcomputer” on Twitter. Thanks for playing. Complete details at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/blogtour.htm



Don't forget to visit the other blogs on his tour for more chances to enter his giveaway!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Scott Nicholson Kindle Giveaway Blog Tour




Author Scott Nicholson and Amazon are giving away two Kindles as part of his fall book blog tour through November, including a stop here at Seduced By Books on Nov. 9. A Kindle DX will be given away through the participating blogs, and a Kindle 3 will be given away through the tour newsletter. A Pandora's Box of free ebooks will be given away through Nicholson's "hauntedcomputer" Twitter account.


As a bonus, for each book of his books that hits the Top 100 in the U.S. or U.K. Kindle Store during the tour, he will give away an extra Kindle 3 through the blogs. Sign up for the newsletter at scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to get daily links to the participating blogs. Winners will be selected at the Watauga County (NC) Public Library in December. No purchase necessary, and the contest is international. Co-sponsored by Kindle Nation Daily and Dellaster Design. Details at http://hauntedcomputer.com/blogtour.htm