If At First You Don't Succeed...

(Or What I'm Learning About Self-Publishing)

Spindle Dreams has only been out for a few weeks now -- a grand total of eighteen days, if I'm not mistaken. I was pretty stoked to release this book to Amazon and the world, considering how long I'd been working on it, and also considering how many years it'd been since I released The Rose and the Balloon. A lot of people had asked for more after reading RatB, and I was excited to give them more.

However, I have had very mixed feelings on this new release. For one thing, I've had incredibly positive feedback from the few people who've read the book. My beta readers were absolute saints to read SD on short notice and tell me what they thought. Some of my readers now gush over how much they loved it, and others tell me that they hate me and I've ruined them from reading an epilogue ever again. Both of those responses tell me that I'm doing my job as a writer correctly.

But that's the thing... only a few people have read the book. We're going on three weeks of being published and readily available to pretty much everyone in the world, and I've not sold near as many copies as I expected to. In fact, my reports tell me I've not even sold five copies of Spindle Dreams -- paperback and ebook combined. SD has five stars on Amazon since I've only gotten one text review on the story. On Goodreads, there's two reviews.

I'll be honest with you. That hurts.

Don't get me wrong -- I wasn't expecting to be a billionaire overnight with this book. I didn't expect a million 5 star reviews. It wasn't nearly that way with The Rose and the Balloon. Debut novels, however, I'm realizing do a lot better than seconds. With RatB, I sold enough copies in the first few weeks to make about $50 in royalties. That blew me away. I didn't expect to do that well with my first book, but I was hoping that I would do half as well with the second. Only I didn't.

What went wrong? I've been asking myself this question for the last three weeks. I advertised. I tried to run a fun blog party with promotion posts here on Lianne Taimenlore. I visited other people's blogs when I could. I promoted the book on my Facebook author page. I ran a countdown on both my Instagram page and my Twitter page. What more could I have done?

I'm learning that the world of being a writer and getting published is not all sunshine and daisies. Spindle Dreams hit so many snags for me that delayed its publication; I was frustrated with the book and just wanted it out and be done with it. And that, I think, was my first mistake. I didn't build enough hype about the book BEFORE getting the cover released and the actual story published. In self-publishing, a HUGE part of doing well is just how much and how effectively you market yourself. And I am a lazy marketer, to put it simply. And people don't buy a book they don't know much about.

Also, as an indie author, keeping your name front and center in people's minds is key. After publishing The Rose and the Balloon, I went three years before I got anything else into the book market. Three years. That may not seem like a long time, but for a reader, it's a long time. This is another part of marketing yourself well. Since you don't have a big publishing house pushing your name out there for the world to see, the way you keep your name hot in this market is to keep it active. The best way to do that is to publish something a few times a year. If you can't do that since you're working with bigger books, keep people excited about what you're working on by keeping active on social media. Which was something else I really didn't do. Plus, I've gone those three years with nada.

Please understand I'm not writing this post to garner sympathy or guilt-trip people into buying my books and writing reviews. I just want to be honest about what's happening to me as a writer. And I know I'm not going to be the only one who goes through things like this. My hope is that what I've learned and gone through with self-publishing can help other indie authors grow as well. Writers need to learn to accept the ups and downs of the self-publishing life. When you hit a snag, you pull yourself up by your bootstraps and try again. 

Self-publishing really is a learning process. There will be moments of extreme glory and excitement. There will also be times when you don't succeed. Just don't let those few failures keep you down.

Just try, try again. 

And that being said, I'm working on book three of the Once Upon a Twist Tales, folks. Diamond: A Rapunzel Story hopefully won't take another three years to complete.

God bless!

It's Here -- And 5 Reasons To Read It

Spindle Dreams is now available!! 

Unfortunately, Amazon is still in the process of reviewing and approving the files for the paperback, but the Kindle copy is all set to go! So, if you're in the mood for a cheaper, instant-gratification copy of Spindle Dreams, click here to get yours! I will let you all know once Amazon gets the paperback out.

[Update: The paperback version is now live and available to order! Link here.]

I still can't believe we're already to this day. It's been a long process, but I'm super excited to share this story with you all.

But why should you care? Why should you read it?

Oh, I'm so glad you asked.

Five Reasons to Read Spindle Dreams

1. It's a quick fairytale packed full of Sleeping Beauty elements.
Most of you have already read my post on the Disney Easter Eggs in Spindle Dreams here. But I had a lot of fun including more than just nods to the animated film. My goal with this series is to spin a tale that's dedicated to the charm and style of the original fairytale but twists things up just for fun. There will be much of the Sleeping Beauty you know and love, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. I mean, they don't call it a retelling for nothing. And since it only comes in around 26,000 words, you can easily read it in a day or two.

2. It's (mostly) a standalone novella.
Meaning you don't have to read The Rose and the Balloon to understand what's going on. There are some characters from RatB who make some fun cameos in SD, but the main cast is brand new. My qualification for (mostly) standalone is that SD does contain an epilogue that links it to the third book in this series. I've already had some hate mail concerning the epilogue, but that just means I'm doing my job as an author right. If you really want the book to remain standalone or if you wish to remain sane, don't read the epilogue <-- wise words from my readers.

3. It doesn't contain any magic. 
Have you ever wondered how a fairytale could come to life without magic? Wonder no more, for it is done! By mixing in some science and steampunk-esque elements, this novella is now my second fairytale retelling without magic. Personally, I like to see heroes get the upper hand and win the day without having to dabble with or against magical things.

4. It has a sweet and clean romance. 
I'm not a big romance writer, but I can't help when my characters fall in love. That's just part of life. I can, however, monitor what goes on the written page so the story doesn't get packed down with a lot of mushy dribble. (If you're looking for a book dripping with rippling muscles and passionate kisses, that ain't me, folks; I prefer real narration.) I enjoy romances with a good dose of humor, credibility, and intrigue. And Felix is just the sort of cinnamon roll to get the job done.

5. It has Samson.
Ok, yes, and Merryweather, but for me, Samson's the one who stole the show. You remember how mischievous and stubborn the twins in RatB were? That's Samson in this book. He was meant to be a horse in the background, but he was not content to stay there. I've had my stories torn from my grasp on countless occasions by my characters before, but never by a horse. And despite my better judgment, Samson became my absolute favorite. Pretty much of all time. And Merryweather is the fluffiest, cutest, most loyal sidekick a girl could want.

~*~

Important links to remember today:

• Kara interviewed me on her blog!
• Get your Kindle copy of Spindle Dreams
• Or your paperback copy

For those of you who have beta-read or are influence readers for Spindle Dreams, please consider copying your review onto Amazon now that the book is live. I would be so grateful!

God bless!

How We Did It - Cover Design

(Today's quote is not necessarily connected to the following post, but Samson wanted more spotlight.)

Three years ago, when The Rose and the Balloon came out, my designer guy (shout out to Latitude 40!) put together a post on how he did the cover. I remember reading it with no small fascination, just feeling so grateful that that beautiful cover was mine and that I didn't have to try to design it myself.

Still in awe. It's just so purty.

This time around, my hubby was the hero of the story. While he didn't design the whole cover start to finish, he was a tremendous help in getting the background picture of the wheel to where it is today. I am beyond grateful for all his help. And then it was just up to me to tweak some things and finalize the text for the end result.

After all the headaches, I was at the point where I wanted to release the cover and forget about it. I was happy with how it turned out, but I realized how much more picky I was since I was the one in charge of how it looked. It's so much easier to trust someone else's artistic eye and judgment on jobs like these.

Anyway, I can't forget about the cover (for very obvious reasons), and since I enjoyed reading the post linked above on how The Rose and the Balloon's cover was created, I figured you all would enjoy seeing how we created the cover for Spindle Dreams.

This was my original mock cover that I put together for inspiration as I worked on the book.

I did not own the copyright to the photo, so I knew I couldn't use that. Besides, the mock cover just looked too dark to me. I wanted something with more color, something that really matched the cover for The Rose and the Balloon.

So -- to start from scratch. I needed a new photo.

I knew I wanted a spinning wheel. I also knew it would be a lot more difficult to get a photo of a spinning wheel than it was to get a photo of a rose. For some reason, people enjoy their roses a lot more than they enjoy their spinning wheels. I began a long and pretty much fruitless search. Even when I found pictures of wheels, they were at awkward angles or looked too modern or had too much going on in the picture besides the wheel.

It was frustrating.

Until I saw a Facebook friend post a bunch of pictures of her new spinning wheel. It's almost impossible to describe how excited I was at that point. Immediately, I contacted her and asked if she'd mind if I used a picture of her wheel for my book cover. She didn't, and quickly sent me tons of pictures of the wheel from a million different angles.

This was the photo we settled on.

My husband has some experience in using GIMP to edit photos. I, on the other hand, had never heard of GIMP before he brought it up. I still don't know all that it does, so I'm not giving you guys a run-down now.

Obviously, the first step was to remove the background stuffs, since we wanted to try fire with the wheel.

Once all of that was blocked out and colored over with a nice, neutral, all-purpose slate color/texture/thing, my husband cleverly added the fire. I don't know if you can tell, but there's actually two layers of fire: one in front of the wheel, and another behind the wheel.

Once the wheel and fire were set, the next step was to adjust the color to best set off the text. This fell to me, and of course, I got super picky and couldn't decide on the exact brightness of the thing for... well, days. I'm really good at procrastinating when I don't like the job I have to do.

After that, it was just a matter of getting the text done. And voila! We had ourselves a book cover.

~*~

What do you think about Spindle Dreams's cover? Fellow authors out there, how do you design your book covers? Let me know below!

Important links to remember today:

• Add Spindle Dreams on Goodreads
• Follow me on Facebook

Don't forget that Spindle Dreams releases TOMORROW!

God bless!

What I Stole From Disney: Part Two

Or... Disney Easter Eggs in Spindle Dreams.

(Read Part One here: Disney Easter Eggs in The Rose and the Balloon.)

If there's anything that'll grab my attention as I'm scrolling through my blog feed, it's someone announcing a post about Disney. Whether that's a movie review, character spotlights, hilarity loaded with gifs, whatever... anything on Disney makes me want to click and read through the whole post. So that may or may not be the reason we're doing two Disney-related posts as part of Spindle Dreams's release.

Easter Egging Disney in The Rose and the Balloon was very easy, very natural. I was super familiar with the film, so I knew most of what I wanted to do in my little nods. And the rest of the eggs just popped up naturally as I was writing.

Sleeping Beauty, however, was not as familiar to me. I'd watched the film a few times, but not in recent history when I was working on the novella. So, I actually went back and watched it again, just to see what I could see.

So, what Easter Eggs are we looking at, exactly?

While rewatching the film, I quickly knew that one of my all-time favorite scenes is the Once Upon a Dream song and sequence. While Aurora sings with the animals in the woods, Prince Philip hears her song and determines to find out who belongs to that lovely voice. However, in the process, Philip's valiant stead, Samson, accidentally loses his rider to a low-hanging branch and returns to find him dripping in the river. When he apologetically approaches, Philip flicks water at him and says, "No carrots." Although I love Tchaivovsky's score, THAT is the single greatest moment in the whole film. I knew it had to be in the book.

The only difference was, my Samson did it on purpose.

And on that note, I do believe it's safe to say Samson was the biggest thing I've stolen from Disney yet. I tend to really love Disney animal sidekicks, and Samson from Sleeping Beauty doesn't get enough love from fans. My Samson was all too eager to run wild and gain a fanbase of his own. He's stubborn, mischievous, and lovable. And my absolute favorite part of writing this book.

And poor, poor Felix. His constant habit of losing his boots and going around in his stockings is also a nod to the film. After falling in the river, Philip pulls his boots and cloak off to dry and the animals steal them to go dance with Aurora. When Philip finally meets the mysterious Brier Rose, he's in his stockings still. And does the whole romantic dance with her still in his stockings.

And in case anyone is wondering, yes, Inga's dream is a not-so-subtle nod to the Once Upon a Dream sequence.

One of the big parts of Disney's film are the three good fairies: Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. My novella doesn't have any magic in it, and sadly there are no fairies either, but I still kinda wanted to nod to them since they were so fun in the movie (even though they basically stole Aurora's screen-time). In my Sleeping Beauty research, I found one adaptation of the fairytale that had the Beauty awaken by a dog licking her hand (she'd been sent to sleep by a piece of flax getting stuck under her fingernail). So... putting these two pieces of information together, we ended up with Merryweather, the good-natured, copper-colored, protective pup.

This next Easter Egg isn't as noticeable, and I'd be surprised if anyone caught it before I admit it here. Normally, I allow my characters to name themselves. Oftentimes, they come to me with names and I just go with it. Marita, however, was willing to work with me, and she's actually named after the original voice actress from the Disney film, Mary Costa. Adding "ita" onto a name in Spanish lends it the meaning of "little" -- which I thought was appropriate, considering Marita was my little Sleeping Beauty.

Felix's nightmares are also a nod to the film. In fighting Maleficent to get to Aurora, Philip encounters a hedge of thorns that the dragon sets ablaze. There was no fire mentioned in the original fairytale, but that scene was always a piece of nightmares for me. Felix's nightmares came to be through combining that fire with the idea of reoccurring dreams the romantic, cartoon couple sings in Once Upon a Dream.

~*~

Be on the lookout for those Easter Eggs and a whole lot more when you read Spindle Dreams! We're inching closer and closer to the release date. Don't forget Friday is the special day!

Important links to remember today:

• My amazing friend and fairytale enthusiast, Christine, reviewed Spindle Dreams here
• Add Spindle Dreams on Goodreads
• Twitter countdown to the release!

God bless!

Character Spotlight: Marita Kadlec

Since Felix got some time in the sun yesterday, it's only fair that Marita take the spotlight today.

Marita Kadlec

Ah, and who is this Marita, you ask? I'm so glad you're curious. Allow me to give you an archived set of questions from Cait's blog, shamelessly borrowed from the no-longer-live linkup, Beautiful People. Here, we will discover more (or less) about this mysterious Marita -- who, somehow, has not been properly introduced before now on my blog.

~*~

1. What’s their favourite food? (Bonus: favourite flavour of chocolate!)

Her grandmother's stew. Hearty and thick and filling and savory, it's just the thing Marita craves on cold nights. Now, chocolate? She definitely seems like a dark chocolate kind of girl. Dark, but still rich and a little sweet.

2. What do they absolutely hate?

Spinning. Marita's convinced the spindle hates her, because no matter how careful she is, she's always pricking her finger and staining her aprons with the blood. There are only so many scars one can put on a fingertip. However, being the only daughter of a spinner, she's expected to take up the family business.

3. What do they enjoy learning about?

She enjoys tinkering and inventing, and she's very curious to figure out how things work and why they work the way they do. She wants to know how she can make things work better.

4. Who is the most influential person in their life?

Probably her grandmother. Inga Kadlec isn't in the best of health, but she's been around basically since Marita was born. With her father away at the gambling tables so often, Marita has learned to rely on her grandmother for advice and friendship. The two of them became very close after an accident killed Marita's mother.

5. What is their childhood fear?

Failing and never earning recognition for what she wanted to do. Even at a young age, Marita was interested in tinkering, but continual failure at her projects made them impractical child's play in her father's eyes.

6. What is something they have always secretly dreamed of doing, but thought impossible?

Marita obviously wants to invent useful things, but she struggles with perfecting her inventions in the eyes of others. Her main goal right now is to complete a mechanical spinning wheel that will take over her spinning for her for the rest of her life. After that? Who knows?

7. What is something he is impractically afraid of?

People's expectations and thoughts about her and what she does.

8. Are they a night owl or morning person?

Definitely a night owl. Mornings do not agree with her at all. She'd rather sleep in as much as she can.

9. Do they say everything that pops into their head, or leave a lot unsaid?

She probably leaves more unsaid than not. She's not a stranger to talking, but she's just not used to opening up deeply to people to let them know what's really on her heart. After being brushed aside by her father so many times, she does have difficulty with trusting people -- especially on a personal level.

~*~

And there we have it! For me, Marita was one of those characters who I had to get to know through writing her and following her around. Part of me expected her to be more hot-headed like Janelle had been in The Rose and the Balloon, but as her character came through the story, she was oddly calm. But reserved. Not so much as Disney's Aurora, however. I feel Marita has a little bit more backbone than that. At least, I hope she does.

One thing that I had fun with diving into her character was trying to find ways to keep her from sleeping. Sleeping Beauty is renowned for her 100 years of sleep, and I thought it would be fun to twist up the story and keep my Beauty awake. That was easier said than done, for Marita dearly loves her sleep -- much as Elizabeth Bennet dearly loves to laugh.

Important links to remember today:

• Add Spindle Dreams on Goodreads
• Instagram countdown to the release!

God bless!

Character Spotlight: Felix Barath

Welcome back to my week of shameless advertising!

I've realized that Spindle Dreams hasn't been much showcased on my blog. I recorded a short dialogue between myself and my Little Writer back in 2015 when I first began working on this story. After that, I remember posting snippets of the book here and here. And then I joined up with Melody's Quote Queste once here, and oddly enough that scene made it into the final edit of the book. Other than that, I've really only posted how much I wanted to publish it and how frustrating it was to hit so many setbacks.

But enough is enough, I always say. And this week, we're going to do this book some well-deserved justice and introduce it properly to the real world. Starting with introducing our lovely main leads. Staring with our humorous and handsome hero. (Also, yay for alliteration!)

Felix Barath

I debated how to do this post for only a few minutes before I decided to sneak into the archives on Cait's blog and steal a month of questions from the long-favorited, but sadly cancelled, Beautiful People.

Let's get to know Felix, shall we?

~*~

1. What’s their favourite book/movie/play/etc.?

Since movies aren't around in the fantastical, fictional time period that I've created for Rohesia, I'm going to have to say books would be the only thing realistic from this list. Felix is typically an on-the-go kind of person, so he doesn't read a ton, but he enjoys short stories full of humor or a how-to book. He was never one to sit for a play or opera. 

2. Is there anything they regret doing?

As of right now, I can't think of anything he'd regret. He's had a good upbringing and education, he's active, he's got a good sense of humor. He desperately wishes he weren't plagued with these reoccurring nightmares, but he has no idea where they came from, what they mean, or how to get rid of them. 

3. If they were sick or wounded, who would take care of them and how?

His mother, hands down. Felix is an only child and is very close to his parents. They waited several years for a child before Felix was born, and she would be the one to stick to his bedside to nurse him back to perfect health from anything. 

4. Is there an object they can’t bear to part with and why?

Samson. His stubborn, mischievous horse. Felix loves him to death, even though many of his acquaintances are convinced Samson will be the death of him. 

5. What are 5 ways to win their heart (or friendship)?

1) Making him laugh. 2) Through his stomach. 3) Engaging in outdoor activities together. 4) Accepting his help when he offers it. 5) Being there to understand and sympathize when he is down. 

6. Describe a typical outfit for them from top to bottom.

Top to bottom, eh? Well, since Felix is a nobleman, he'd wear fine tunics and trousers, some with embroidery when the occasion demanded such frippery; his favorite outfits are ones that allow him to ride his incorrigible mount, Samson, around, particularly with a nice riding hat. However, Felix's silk stockings would normally go ripped and dirtied as he has picked up the odd habit of going about without his boots. 

7. What’s their favorite type of weather?

Anything but rain, really. Windy days are great to get out in, sunny days are great to get out in, snowy days are great to get out in, etc, etc. 

8. What’s the worst fight they’ve ever been in?

His latest fight with his father. Felix hates disappointing his dad, since his dad is basically his best friend, but they just can't seem to agree on what to do about these horrible nightmares plaguing Felix. 

9. What names or nicknames have they been called throughout their life?

Felix's closest friend growing up was his cousin, the Crown Prince Dmitri. However, Dmitri never told me if they'd ever had any nicknames. I feel a little left out knowing this now. 

10. What makes their heart feel alive?

Being needed. He loves helping people and making them laugh.

~*~

Felix was so much fun to write. Honestly, he was my little cinnamon roll from start to finish. I felt bad that I made him go through so much, but I knew he needed it. And he's all the better for it now, I'm sure.

I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about Felix today! Marita (our fearless heroine) will be featured with another set of Beautiful People questions tomorrow.

Important links to remember today:

• My Facebook Author Page 
• Spindle Dreams on Goodreads
• Book Review by Live. Love. Read.

Questions/comments/fangirling -- please drop me a comment below!

God bless!

(Shamelessly reminding you that I've written another book. Link.)

Cover Reveal: Spindle Dreams

At long, long last, I am delighted to finally share with you the cover we've been slaving over. I cannot begin to describe what a process this has been. My original hope had been to publish the book last October, but so many setbacks pushed the publication until now. As of right now, I'm still working on formatting the Kindle version, but happily, the paperback is all ready to go.

But you didn't want to know about that since the book won't be coming out until next week. You're just here for the cover. I know, I know.

To keep the REAL cover off your preliminary sneak peek, here's the original mock cover I put together when I began working on this story way back in 2015.

It was a good start, but I'll be the first to admit it wasn't the ideal cover that I wanted. Besides, I didn't own the copyrights to the photo, so using that at all was against the rules. I just wanted to have something on hand to inspire me to get the story done.

And guess what? The inspiration worked; the story's done, and we're now publishing it for the world to read!

So, I won't tease you any further, because I know you want to know what cover we came up with. And here, I am very happy to present to you my Spindle Dreams.

Maybe later this week, as part of the promo for this book, I'll do a post detailing what hurdles we had to go through for this cover. My husband was the main hero behind it all; I can only take a small amount of credit for its final look.

~*~

About the book: Marita Kadlec is the only daughter of Rohesia's poorest – and laziest – weaver. Her father prefers to spend his days gambling in the tavern, leaving the spinning up to Marita. She hates the family business because she's constantly pricking her finger on the spindle. She'd much rather be tinkering on an invention that she hasn't had the courage to show anyone yet. A special invention that will rid her of spinning for the rest of her life. 

Felix is a young nobleman plagued with the same nightmare – a giant machine, twisting and clanking, shrouded in fire, bent on pain and death. He's determined to find out what it means, no matter where the answers may lead him. 

This is Sleeping Beauty with a twist like you've never seen it before.

~*~

Be sure to come back often this week to check out this blog (as well as my other social media sites) for book updates, cool posts, and general promotion fun! I'll be popping in onto a few other blogs and I'll share those links as they become available.

For now, please share the cover and add Spindle Dreams on Goodreads! 

Additionally, the first book in the series, The Rose and the Balloon, is available on Amazon Kindle for $.99! 

God bless!

Featuring Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rose Red, and Rapunzel

Inspiration cover; not the real deal. 

The days are slowly creeping closer to Spindle Dreams's release! I'd like to remind anyone who'd like to participate to sign up for the cover reveal (August 1st) and blog tour (August 2nd-9th). Links are below!

Cover Reveal (sign up closes on July 30th).

Blog Tour (sign up closes on July 31st).

~*~

ALSO, I'm very excited to announce that my very first post just went live on Fairy Tale Central! As part of the month celebrating the fairytale Snow White and Rose Red, I completed a book review on Patricia Wrede's version of the tale. Be sure to pop over there to check it out!

This was a super fun month to jump into Fairy Tale Central. Snow White and Rose Red is a lesser known fairytale, but by no means less exciting or fun. Sometimes, I believe it loses too much of its spotlight to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, just because of the name similarities. However, it is NOT the same tale.

~*~

And by the by, if you're not already aware of the fact, FIVE new Rapunzel retellings will be hitting Amazon in early August! In fact, the release dates for those coincide (unintentionally) with Spindle Dreams's release. If you'd like more information the Golden Braids tour and release dates, Kendra's heading things up (her main blog is here). Sign up for the tour is now closed, I believe, but there's still time to preorder books and get your hands on these lovely tales!

Aren't fairytales and retellings just the coolest thing? *grins*

God bless!

DETAILS: Spindle Dreams Cover and Release

At long last, Spindle Dreams is making its way into the published ranks of Amazon! Although this book, overall, didn't take that long to write, it has taken many, many moons to get to this stage. I am so happy, and I cannot wait to share this Once Upon a Twist Tale with you all. I can't say it out loud that SD holds a spot closer to my heart than The Rose and the Balloon did (mainly in fear of what Nicolas and Nicoline would do to me if they found out), but I'm still so excited to see this project FINALLY to completion.

Here's what you want to know...

I will be releasing Spindle Dreams's cover LIVE here on my blog and my other social media sites on August 1st. I intend to run a blog tour from the 1st all the way to the 9th of August, upon which date I shall be publishing Spindle Dreams LIVE ON AMAZON.

Do ya hear that, folks? OUR PUBLICATION DATE IS AUGUST 9TH! 

Below are two Google forms available for sign-up. You do not need to feel any obligation to sign up for either, but I would appreciate any publicity you can give me concerning my newest release. One form is ONLY for the cover reveal happening August 1st. The other is for the blog tour. Please sign up as you wish.

Sign Up for the Cover Reveal!

For the cover reveal, all posts must be on public blogs anytime during the 24 hours of August 1st. After the cover is live on your blog, you may share it across the interwebs as you wish. I will be sending cover, book info, and author info in an email for bloggers to post as they wish. Please sign up soon if you'd like to participate in the cover reveal, but I should be able to send the reveal information to bloggers up until July 30th. 

Anyone who doesn't have a blog and would like to share it may do so once they see it live on others' blogs and social media sites. I just don't want the cover sneaking out before it's meant to.

Sign Up for the Blog Tour!

For the blog tour, I'm offering several options for posts: a character interview with either Marita or Felix, an author interview, or a guest post by the author. No limit on interview questions, but all questions must be submitted through the form above by July 31st. 

I will also be offering a few PDF copies of Spindle Dreams for review; the catch on that is, your review MUST be published during the blog tour. Once you sign up for a review, you should have the PDF in your email within a day or so. Again, the deadline on that is July 31st. I won't be able to send out the PDF after that day. Spindle Dreams runs around 26,000 words and is easily read in an afternoon or two.

Any questions/concerns/fangirling? Please comment below!

God bless!

Not an April Fool's Announcement or Two

I wanted to send off a quick announcement that since I'm participating in Camp NaNo this month, I won't be posting here on my blog until May. So, a mini hiatus, if you will.

For those of you interested in following my camp writing journey, I'll be posting updates on my Facebook author page. If you've got Facebook, please feel free to follow me there! I would be posting updates on my Instagram, but unfortunately, my tablet is down and I haven't any way to post there. Why wouldn't you be able to post to Instagram from a computer, for cat's sake? Anyway.

ALSO...

Mark your calendars because Spindle Dreams is getting closer to publication! 

It was my goal previously to have it out before camp, but yeah... that didn't happen. I've had some setbacks in cover design, but we're rolling now and I'm praying that I'll have a final cover to share by the end of the month, and shortly after that it'll be available to purchase from an Amazon near you!

*Note: I do testify that the above announcements are true, and not fabricated as a joke of any kind.* (Just in case anyone was curious.)

I'll see you all when I return! Anyone else out there participating in Camp NaNo?

God bless!

News on Spindle Dreams

For those of you have been chomping at the bit wondering what in the world I'm doing with the latest novella that I said was coming out this fall...

Or for those of you who completely forgot I'd promised Amazon another book...

I'm still working on it. We hit a couple of snags in the publishing process, namely that of the cover, and I regret to announce that I'm gonna have to push the release date back. My goal was to have it available by the end of October, but we're looking at a date closer to the end of the year now. I haven't been able to nail down an exact date yet, but Spindle Dreams is coming! I will let you all know once the release date is set.

In the meantime, please think about participating in my cover reveal (TBA; once I have the final cover), and have a snippet to sample.

~*~

Obstinate as always, Samson refused to move.

“Come on, Samson.”

The horse snorted and tossed his head for good measure.

Felix groaned. “You’re not going to be stubborn now, are you? Please move.” He was certain Samson was pretending not to hear him. He dug his heels in again. “You definitely know how to try my patience.” 

The horse’s ears went up.

“Now I know you can hear me…”

Samson bolted. Caught unaware, Felix lost his hold and, with a yell, toppled out of the saddle. He hit the ground hard and rolled. When he finally managed to regain his feet, the rough forest floor had rewarded him with several painful scrapes and bruises for his trouble.

“Samson!”

The horse was gone.

Felix resisted the urge to shiver, even though the wind had picked up a little. He would have to walk back to the palace. “Look on the bright side of things,” he said aloud. “You could have fallen in the river again. At least your clothes are still dry.” He turned to follow the river out and froze.

There, standing on the river’s opposite bank and only a few yards away from him, was a woman. 

~*~

God bless!

Free Book, Anyone?

The Rose and the Balloon is officially two years old today! 

I cannot believe that it's already been that long since I sent Janelle and Dmitri off to Amazon. Any writer will tell you that it's an adventure to write a book; an indie author will also emphatically tell you that it's an adventure to publish it yourself.

And the adventure with Spindle Dreams is only half over. The book is in the final stages of being complete, then comes the dreaded formatting stage, and then somehow I have to survive all of the marketing and publishing gimmicks, but I'm excited to share my Sleeping Beauty tale with everyone! It's definitely coming out this fall, but I'm still trying to nail down an exact date. We may be looking at something nearer October, but we'll see.

There are some important links I'd like to share with you guys.

First off, I'm on Facebook! If you'd like to follow my author page there, I'll probably be keeping that page updated more about my writing, books, and publishing news than I will this blog.

And second -- Spindle Dreams is on Goodreads! Be sure to add it to your to-read shelf!

Now, you're probably thinking, Kiri, your title said something about a free book. What's that all about? That's the reason I clicked over here to read this blog post. 

Don't fret; here it is: In honor of The Rose and the Balloon being 2 years old today, my offer for a PDF copy of that novella still stands for a few reviewers. If you're interested in posting a review of this book on Amazon for me, please contact me at liannetaimenlore(at)gmail(dot)com. All reviews must be posted publicly on Amazon (and whatever other sites you please) by September 30th.

God bless!

Mark Your Calendars!

I am excited to announce that Volume 2 of the Once Upon A Twist Tales will be available this fall!

It's been a while since I indie-published the first volume of this series, The Rose and the Balloon, and I can't wait to show this second installment to everyone! I don't have a publishing date set down in stone yet, but once I do I'll be letting you know. I've already been in contact with my cover designer, and Lord willing in a few months Spindle Dreams will be yours to order from Amazon and CreateSpace!

Spindle Dreams is the follow-up to The Rose and the Balloon. We're still in the same kingdom, though only a year down the road. Instead of following Dmitri and Janelle (since they already had their own adventure), we're instead focusing on the tale of a young weaver and her loyal dog, as well as a nobleman with his mischievous horse.

About the book:

Marita Kadlec is the only daughter of Rohesia's poorest – and laziest – weaver. Her father prefers to spend his days gambling in the tavern, leaving the spinning up to Marita. She hates the family business because she's constantly pricking her finger on the spindle. She'd much rather be tinkering on an invention that she hasn't had the courage to show anyone yet. A special invention that will rid her of spinning for the rest of her life. 

Felix is a young nobleman plagued with the same nightmare – a giant machine, twisting and clanking, shrouded in fire, bent on pain and death. He's determined to find out what it means, no matter where the answers may lead him. 

This is Sleeping Beauty with a twist like you've never seen it before.

COMING THIS FALL!

~*~*~*~

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

We're starting the celebrations off early for this new book! I'm offering a PDF copy of The Rose and the Balloon to a few readers for review to kick things off. If you're interested in getting a copy to review, please email me at liannetaimenlore(at)gmail(dot)com. I'm asking each reviewer to post a review on Amazon (copied to their own blog, or Goodreads, or wherever) by September 30th.

God bless!
 

Snippets From Spindle Dreams

See? I'm back. This makes the second blog post this month for me... which, considering my record from the last four years, is pretty good. 

I began this summer with great plans for writing, books, editing, etc. While I've not been as consistent as I would have liked, I have knuckled down on a few things. FIRST OF WHICH was actually finishing The Rose and the Balloon's companion novella: Spindle Dreams. 

Confession time, folks. I began writing this short story back when Rooglewood announced its third fairytale retelling contest. IN 2015!! Yeah, I was in college and writing for fun doesn't come easily when you're cramming for tests and procrastinating on homework assignments. Three years, though. And do you know what the sad part was? I wrote most of the story that summer (2015) and then stopped a few chapters from the end. I picked it up again in 2016 and wrote all but the last half of the last chapter. 

And then the story sat that way for 2 years. Pretty pathetic, huh?

Anyway, that was one of the first things I knew I needed to do this summer. FINISH THE STORY. It was practically at the end anyway. My Little Writer was after me to complete the thing. Ha. And that was after he'd forbidden me to begin writing it in the first place. 

Anyway, we're at some 23K words right now, and I've already jumped into editing. I'm more pleased overall with how Spindle Dreams turned out -- almost more pleased than my first draft of The Rose and the Balloon. No promises, but I'm hoping to have SD self-published here in the somewhat near future. We'll have to see how things go. 

But I promised you snippets, and so snippets you shall have. Here you go. 

~*~

Dmitri noticed his odd attire for the first time. “What happened? Did you meet up with bandits?”

Felix waved away the concern. “No such luck. Samson decided I needed an impromptu bath. Twice.”

“You still have that rebel animal?”

“He's not a complete rebel. Just active and slightly mischievous. But he means well.”

Dmitri grinned. “Slightly?” 

~*~

Felix shut his eyes against the sight of the fire. The deed did no good, for he could still see fire with his eyes closed. He opened them again. The same dark laugh that permeated every dream was still clinging to his memory, taunting him, mocking him, squeezing his sanity to shreds.

“It was just another nightmare,” he whispered to the night, hoping to alleviate his thumping head.

The words, however, were too powerful. The echo of Dmitri's scream still rang in his mind, and the more Felix thought about it, the more he was certain he could never go back to sleep. With a strangled groan, he threw the blankets off and got out of bed.

No – tumbled out of bed described it better, for Felix's legs gave out and he hit the stone floor on all fours. Rubbing his stinging palms, he was suddenly very glad that bedrooms were private chambers.

After he had gotten dressed and finished the mug of hot chocolate left by the servants – now cold – he headed for the stable. The grooms, to be honest, were more than a little surprised to see the Crown Prince's cousin wanting to ride in the dead of night, but Felix needed some air. The hard, confining walls of the castle were too close. After he'd convinced the grooms he wasn't mad or sick, he rode out on Samson.

It was only then that he realized he’d forgotten to pull some shoes on. He suppressed a groan and looked away from his stockinged feet. Dmitri had loaned him a very nice pair of riding boots, too. 

Samson, the jovial creature that he was, delighted in the midnight ride. It wasn't often that he got the chance to frolic about when all other sensible animals were asleep. Felix let him go full out, and the night swallowed the echo of his hooves.

~*~

“We are very pleased,” Erland crooned, raising his glass, “to have such friends with this Rohesia. We have a long history of alliance, and it is the hope of us that we go together far in the future.”

The lord's thick accent did not merit him well-understood, but Felix thought he could stand firmly behind that claim of friendship so he raised his glass as well. Lord Erland, however, apparently was not finished. After giving Felix a glare until the latter lowered his glass, he cleared his throat and continued.

“We know that this fair land will not be the cost of our trade, and that our dear king will not harm his friendship with us. Trothen has seen her woes, but there is a time soon that she will rise again! From dirt she will rich, and from pain she will glory. She once the brightest star will shine forever.”

As his toast droned on, Felix tried hard not to show his confusion. National pride was definitely a virtue for all men, but the ambassador's thick accent did not merit him well-understood. When Erland began to quote the kings of Trothen, in order from the first crowning, Felix sighed. Nicolas and Nicoline would have smashed a pie over his head long before this.

~*~

Dmitri, looking worried, met him outside his room. “Felix! Where have you been? Do you know what time it is?”

“Couldn’t be that late, cousin, surely?”

Dmitri looked him up and down. “It’s well past midnight, surely. Janelle was certain something had happened to you and was ready to send a search party out. Is something wrong?”

“Couldn’t be better.” Felix smiled again.

Dmitri’s eyes narrowed and twinkled in the same motion. “We need to talk, then.”

A half hour later, Felix was still sitting in his sitting room with his cousin, both with cups of hot chocolate at their disposal. He’d already told the entire tale to Dmitri, but the prince insisted on hashing out all the good parts just to make Felix’s face go red. Why cousins made a hobby of that sort of thing, Felix didn't know. All he knew was that his cousin was thoroughly enjoying himself.

~*~

Janelle watched him walk away and then turned her eyes on Felix. “I know you’re not going to like this, but I’m putting food into you, getting you into a bed, and having the doctor look at those burns. And you can’t deny a royal order.” 

Merryweather let out a whimper. 

“The dog can go with you.”

~*~

Felix didn’t waste any time. As soon as the doctor left, he bolted for the door. He was already sixteen bounds down the hallway before he realized that he’d forgotten to pull his boots on and that Merryweather was close at his heels. The dog had become a close companion the last three days of confinement, and he was grateful for the company. As for the boots -- he’d already been making a fashion statement in the kingdom, so he didn’t bother with going back for his footwear. 

God bless!