Blogger Book Fair Spotlight: E.M. Tippetts

Synopsis

Alex had everything when he was with Madison. But the darkness within him wouldn't go away.

After two years apart, he returns to Pelican Bluffs and to the girl he never wanted to leave. Madison wants to give their love another chance, but Alex can't fight fate.

He is what he is.

Ruined. Crazy like his mother. And Madison deserves so much more. When his secrets spill out into their small town, Alex has a choice to make. Hide away in the darkness forever, or let love in.

Author Q&A

Tell us 3 fun facts about yourself.

1. I'm half Chinese; my father's family immigrated from Shanghai in the 1940's

2. My father's a glider pilot, so when I was a kid I spent a lot of weekends hanging around the airport and flying planes.

3. I've got more names than you can shake a stick at. I was born Emily Mary Mah and my Chinese family gave me the name Shi Yue. Then when I married my husband I got the last name, Tippetts, so I can do a lot of different pen names and still have them be my real name.

What book are you currently reading, and in what format?

Hardwired by Walter Jon Williams, as an ebook. I'm going to serialize it for him so I'm reading to find the best places to break each episode.

Do you have a book that you read over and over?

The Bible and the Book of Mormon, but I assume you mean a novel. When I was a kid it was King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry. Nowadays I never find time to re-read a book, though!

Is there a book you know you’ll never read?

The rest of the Twilight series. It just isn't my kind of thing.

You’re deserted on an island. A genie appears and gives you six wishes. You can’t wish for more wishes, and you can’t wish to be home. You can only wish for three specific items and three people to have with you. What are your wishes?

A computer with magical internet access so I can keep writing. A study home to live in that won't require a whole lot of maintenance. A boat and fishing equipment.

The people are easy. My husband and two boys!

If you could time travel, where would you go first and why?

To the future, past when I can expect to live naturally, simply because there'd be no other way for me to find out about it.

What are you currently working on, and when can we expect to see it for sale? (title if you have it and a synopsis)

The title is Break It Up and it's a new adult romance. Kyra Armijo (whom some readers will know from my Someone Else's Fairytale series) gets the chance to work on a documentary about the chart topping boy band, Triple Cross. As part of the job, she goes on tour with them in Europe where she strikes up a romance with one of the band members. Since she assumes it's all an act on his part, she doesn't bother to tell him about her racy past, which would destroy him if the tabloids found out. Things get awkward when she realizes he's being sincere, and even more awkward when one of the other band members tries to compete for her attention.

Excerpt from Love in Darkness

“We have to break up,” I hear myself tell her. I’m standing on the rocky beach, my back to the crashing surf. In front of me is Madison, gazing up at me with pure pain in those ice blue eyes. Behind her is the rugged rock wall of the cliff face. Her hair is pulled back in a simple ponytail and the breeze stirs the wisps that frame her face. The air is cool, but not cold. “I know myself, all right?” I explain. “The moment you move on, I won’t be able to take it. So I’ve got to let you go.” “Don’t do this.” “I’m sorry.” “Take it back. Please. Alex, I don’t want to break up.” Her eyes are wide, like clear, crystal pools. “And I need you not to write to me,” I say. “Why?” Now she claps both her hands over her nose and mouth as if to hold back pain or tears, or whatever it is shining from her gaze. It takes every ounce of my control not to back down. I have to stop kidding myself and finish this. “Because, I don’t want to know the moment you move on. I just… I need you to give me space.” “You’re going to Japan. That’s not enough space for you?” “I’m sorry, all right.” I back away, stepping carefully on the rocky beach. “But it’s not like we were ever going to last.” “Why not?” That, I should think, is obvious. Because the two of us together makes no sense. She’s beautiful and popular and has guys lining up around the block for a chance to be with her. I’m a high school dropout with a criminal record and no future. She should be embarrassed to be with me. Eventually we’ll both have to grow up. At least I’ll have the memories. As I turn away, I hear her scrabble behind me, then the rapid beat of her boots against the stony ground. “Alex, wait.” Her tone is anguished. I set my jaw against the pain, like I’ve stitched my own heart with a silk thread and am now yanking it hard enough to tear the organ. I keep walking. She grabs my hand, her supple fingers wrapping around my palm. “Stop.” I stop, but I don’t turn. It doesn’t matter because she darts around in front of me and puts one arm around my waist. The other hand she slides up my back to grasp my shoulder. Her soft curves fit against my body. It’s how she always holds me, and I can’t endure it this time. I bow my head and just let the tears fall. “Alex,” she whispers, touching her forehead to mine, that soft breath against my lips. “Don’t, okay? You promised you’d never hurt me.” At that I let out a sob. Forget saving face. She knows me for who I am anyway and now she’s wiping away my tears. “Listen,” she says, “you need me not to distract you from your mission, fine. But I’ll always be here for you, and when you come back, I’ll be waiting.” She strokes my cheek with the backs of her fingers and leans up to press her lips against mine. I don’t want to kiss back, but at the same time, I can’t resist. She runs her fingers through my hair and the kiss goes on and on until I’ve got both arms wrapped tight around her and I’m drinking in her essence, liquid fire that pools in my core. I have to stop this. But when I do, she doesn’t let me pull back. She leans in and looks me straight in the eye. “I’ll wait for you. I don’t care if you don’t believe me. Let’s not end things with a fight, okay? Let’s end it on a good note for now.” “Goodbye, Madison.” “Bye, Alex. For now.” “I love you.” I don’t mean to say it, but it slips out, my whisper barely loud enough for me to hear it myself. Madison’s chin snaps up. “What?” I shake my head, willing her not to press me. “Alex-” I start to pull away but she reels me back in, not by force, but with her gaze. Her eyes beg me not to leave. She puts one arm around my waist again and slides her other hand up my back. “It’ll be all right. Everything will be all right,” she says.

Available from:

Amazon

B&N

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iBookstore

About E.M. Tippetts

Emily Mah Tippetts writes romance as E.M. Tippetts and science fiction and fantasy as Emily Mah. She is a former attorney with degrees in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University and business law from UCLA. These days she lives in New Mexico - the place where she grew up - with her family.

She also designs book covers and formats paperbacks and ebooks for her company E.M. Tippetts Book Designs.

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Writing 101: Believability

What's the very best word you could ever find in any of your reviews? Stop trying to think of the most fantastic superlatives you can muster, because the best word you can find isn't a synonym for "fantastic." It's believable...and you can write books that are even if the pages are filled with unicorns and dragons. Let me tell you how. 

Being Believable

Believable writing isn't about creating a book that takes place in Dayton, Ohio. It's not even about writing stuff that's actually true (or even stuff that seems like it could be). Your book can still have believability even if it takes place on the planet of Jupiter (however, since Jupiter is a gas giant this would take some real creativity). Believable writing isn't the setting, and it's not about whether or not unicorns and dragons factor into the story. The Harry Potter books, at first blush, are ludicrously unbelievable. But read them, and you're going to catch yourself wishing you could get an Owl and an invite to go to Hogwarts. 

Because believable writing is in the characters you create. That's where believability lives and breathes, that's where it comes to the page. If you build a character that your readers can relate to, then they can also believe in fantastical things like unicorns, and magic wands, and vampires that live in a tiny Washington town. Anything happening around the character is believable if readers are buying into your character. 

So what you really need to know is the secret of creating believable characters. This is one of the most difficult things to do as a writer, and yet it can be summed up in just one word: reacting. The way your character reacts to external events and their own internal thoughts is what makes them feel real...or unreal, as the case may be. 

A lot of authors have difficulty writing reactions (at least, that's what I've observed). It's not easy to do, particularly if your story does involve fantastical elements or situations that you yourself have never been faced with. Lots of authors write stories involving vampires, for example, and I am completely certain that none of them have ever actually met a vampire. Yet the good authors can make even these horror creatures seem believable if the characters are reacting in ways that feel real. 

The trick to any good writing is using your own imagination. Don't skip over the reactions because you can't figure them out or you think they may not be important. Put yourself into each and every situation that your characters are in. Really see yourself there. Smell the smells. Feel the weather. And observe the events as they transpire. What would you do if this was happening to you? If you were seeing these things unfold? How would you react? 

You're a real person, so chances are high that you would have a pretty normal human reaction if you were faced with something completely wild -- let's say a dragon, for example. What would you do? Scream? Freeze? Start sweating and having a severe asthma attack? Be honest with yourself about it, and write honestly. Characters that react in real ways are more believable to every audience. 

This rule does get bent, a little, if your character is a crazy person. Say you're writing a book from the mindset of a psychopath killer, for instance. Obviously this character has to be written a little differently, but if you focus on putting yourself in that mind you'll be able to write it with a lot more believability. It helps that the vast majority of your readers won't be psychopath killers, and probably don't know what it's like to be inside the mind of one. 

Be believable by writing characters your readers can believe in, and you'll start seeing that great word in your reviews.

Writing 101: Why Stop at Writing Books?

You use social media to promote your books. You maintain a blog. You engage fans, you post on forums, you comment on blogs. You could still be doing more to boost your image as a writer...because you could be writing other things. Why stop at being an indie author, when you can be a freelancer, too?

An Author By Any Other Name...

Working as a freelancer is a great way to get your name out there. Even when you're not promoting your books directly, you're still promoting yourself as a writer if you're publishing content for others to read. The articles you create don't have to be related to your books, writing or even your genre in any way, but it's much easier to cross-promote your freelance articles if they are. 

Self-published authors have a lot of information to contribute about book writing, formatting for ebooks, self-promotion, social media -- well, you know all the stuff you've learned in your journey as an indie author. Look for topics that somehow relate to your genre or your audience, and write freelance pieces about that as well. For example, a children's book author might write about educating kids, or kids activities. Mystery authors might write about true crime and current events (banner trials, for example, create highly promotable articles). 

But even if you aren't writing anything that relates to your books in any way, you're getting your name out there -- and you're getting good writing experience. Good experience can't be underestimated. I once wrote an article for author and friend of blog Annalisa Crawford on the topic of weight loss. There's nothing about weight loss in any of my books (so far), but it's a topic that personally interests me so I was excited to write it.

Freelancing gets your name out there, and any way you can do that is helpful. Readers who like your writing might look you up on Google or follow your links. Maybe they'll find you on Twitter, and discover that you're an author. They liked your voice in your articles, so maybe they'll buy your books, too. 

See how it works? So start writing more than just books, and start getting your name out there in new ways. There are lots of freelance opportunities on the Internet. Always look for guest post opportunities at blogs you like, and branch out into other corners of the web to find new markets. 

Find out how to become an Examiner, and contribute regular content on a topic in which you're knowledgeable. Apply to the Yahoo Contributor Network, and start creating original articles or use their list of topics to get yourself started. Get a job with About, and let them tell you what to write about (you'll also learn a lot of HTML). 

You'll be getting your name out there, you'll be giving yourself some cross-promotional opportunities (because you can share all those links to your articles across all your social media profiles) and you'll be revealing yourself to lots of new readers. Working as a freelance writer comes with another (pretty good) incentive: you'll make money. All the links I shared above take you to companies that will pay for writing...and in my experience, 99 percent of all writers can use a little more money. So why stop at writing books, when you can be doing a lot more?

Writing 101: Being Accessible

I used to think all authors were tortured, anti-social artists who locked themselves in dank attics in order to create their amazing words. This is how I would probably behave, if I could.

But I'm an indie author. That means my main job description is availability. As an indie, you have to be accessible. Not just to readers, or other writers. You have to be available to the entire world.

Being Available

The idea that authors are untouchable and aloof is an old one, and untrue. Today's tech makes it possible for just about any two people to connect, and no author is an island anymore. That is especially true for indie authors.

Being accessible is about more than having social media profiles, or maintaining a blog. True accessibility means answering and responding.

What I mean is this: having a blog isn't helping you if you never respond to comments. Writing all those tweets is less meaningful if you aren't checking your mentions throughout the day and responding accordingly.

Accessibility isn't in the way you respond; it's all in the fact that you're responding. Being available to the world makes it easy, and more desirable, to buy your books. Readers like authors they can touch, metaphoricallly speaking, not that weirdo who's hiding up in the attic. 

So be accessible. Respond to emails, respond to blog comments, answer Tweets and give replies when people take the time to contact you through Goodreads, your website or any other medium. This is where you'll find new readers...not in that dank little attic.

Blog Tour Stop: The Oracle of Delphi

Oracle of Delphi Giveaway 

Prizes are listed

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Prophecy of the Author's Genius Contest  

Solve the prophecy, win a $25 Amazon Giftcard 

(must guess the classic book title and author)

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About the Author

Diantha Jones was born the day thousands of turkeys sacrificed their lives to fill millions of American bellies on November 22 which also happened to be Thanksgiving Day (Her mother says she owes her a turkey). She is a Journalism graduate who wants to be a career novelist (of books, not Facebook posts). When not writing or working, she is reading on her Nook, being hypnotized by Netflix or on a mission to procure french fries.  

The Oracle of Delphi fantasy series is her first series. She is also the author of Mythos: Stories from Olympus, a companion series, and there is another fantasy series in the works. She also writes (new) adult fantasy/paranormal romance under the name A. Star. Invasion (An Alien Romance) is her first title released under this pen name. Future releases under A. Star include, the Love & Steampunk series, the Purr, Inc. stories, and more.

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  Pinterest  |  DJ's Book Corner

Email Diantha Jones at: theauthor (at) diantha-jones (dot) com


Book One

eBook: Amazon  |  Barnes&Noble

Paperback: Amazon

Goodreads

Book Two

eBook: Amazon  |  Barnes&Noble

Paperback: Amazon

Goodreads

Come back to the blog next week for a guest post from author Diantha Jones!

Writing 101: Go Google Yourself

If you aren't checking Google every day, you're missing a ton of marketing opportunities for you and all your books. Find out why you should go Google yourself at least once in every 24-hour period, and find all those missed promotions that are falling through the cracks. 

Powering the Indie Engine

You should already be doing periodic searches of your pen name to avoid plagiarism (or at the very least, catch it when it's happening). But an occasional content check just isn't enough, not if you're going to catch all those potential marketing opportunities that are just out there waiting for you.

To do that, you're going to have to perform a search every day. Narrow down your results by time frame, an option you'll usually find above or below the search bar (depending on the search engine you're using), to look at results from the past 24 hours. Do this every day, and you're going to catch all those marketing opportunities you'd be missing otherwise. 

If you've been sending out those review requests, like you're supposed to, this is the best and most effective way to catch all those new reviews. Not every blogger is going to personally email you to tell you that a post about your book is about to go live. Some do; most don't. Only by doing a regular, daily search are you going to find them all. And you want to find them all, because you want to promote all of the good ones. 

A daily search will also alert you to any mentions that you would be missing otherwise. When someone refers to you in a blog post or talks about you and your books in a forum post, you might miss it completely. Doing a search on a daily basis will make sure you don't. This allows you to respond to those mentions, keeping yourself more accessible and engaged with readers and potential readers. 

If you aren't searching for yourself every day, you aren't getting all those marketing opportunities that are passing you by. Tweeting about someone else's blog post is some of the easiest promotion you're likely to get, so it's well worth your time to do the daily search. So quit reading -- and go Google yourself, already.

Judgment Now Available in Paperback!

Tired of your ereader? Stick of straining your eyes to look at a screen? Now, you can enjoy the thrilling conclusion to the Deck of Lies series on good old paper.

Judgment (Deck of Lies, #4) is now available in paperback. Get every exciting moment, inside the courtroom and out, and never worry about your battery power.

Here's what other readers are saying about Judgment: 

"It is everything I could have asked for (had I known what to ask for) in an ending!!"

       -Theresa Jones

"All I hoped it would be... I couldn't and didn't put it down."

       -Leslie Chadwick

"A must read!"

       -Sienna, Lost to Books

Cashing Out 

Do I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? How can I, when the truth will destroy us all? Now that I've started telling lies, I can't stop. Not until all this is over, and I'm free of the family that never felt like mine. 

Maybe it's wrong. Maybe I'm a bad person. But it's definitely the only way I'm ever going to escape them. I have to take this opportunity to end things between us once and for all, no matter what it takes. 

Don't I?

Indie News: Self-Publishing Spreads to Gaming

Reports are circulating that Microsoft may put indie software developers on equal footing with the big-name giants. If the rumors are correct, a whole world of indie gaming may open up to you on Microsoft's ultra-popular platform XBox Live. 

Indies, Not Equals

But, don't run right out and buy that year-long subscription to the online service just yet. Microsoft hasn't confirmed that it's involved in any game-changing talks, and the whispers are saying that the platform won't be open to all indies. Small single-man and two-man operations still won't find a foothold for publishing their games with Microsoft, but small indie development firms will find themselves on more equal footing with the big boys.

The news is important to indies of all types, including authors, because it represents a growing trend that even the little guys and the smallest operations could have the chance to put their products "out there." If even Microsoft is considering the self-publishing bandwagon, big corporations could become next year's dinosaurs.