Deadly Obsession on iBookBuzz!

I have to get used to putting Deadly Obsession out there. Every spare minute I have, I'm trawling the internet looking for viable marketing opportunities. No one said it would be easy. Identifying the opportunities are one thing; serving it up for all to see is another.
A few posts ago, I spoke briefly about pen names - to use or not to use. I was really conflicted about which way to go until right before I thumped the 'publish' button and chose to go with my real name.
Its a lot like baring your soul to a stranger and not being sure what kind of response you will get. Will they be kind and thoughtful or will they take your dreams and dash them against the nearest rock.

The fact is I never know. If I cannot rise above my angst on this subject then I might as well lay down my quill and stow away the parchment.
My first huge hurdle was actually publishing.... now I'm over that. What seemed so huge now feels very  de rigeur. The next big leap was asking an independent reviewer to give me feedback on the book. Why I thought she might get back to me in one day, I don't know. Probably because I was gnawing my fingers to the bone at that point.  Its been three weeks and Deadly Obsession is scheduled for her read list next week. So, I guess I've overcome my anxiety on that one.

Then, I found this site  for book lovers which runs a monthly vote geared to a specific genre. Five books are selected from a bunch of submissions, and then the 5 books are voted on. The book with the highest votes is selected to be read for that month. Readers can then give their feedback on the book.

So, I submitted Deadly Obsession, and held my breath. It was another of those 'should I, shouldn't I' moments just before I hit send.

You could have knocked me over with a feather today when I found out it has been selected as one of the top 5!! Yeeeeeeeeeeeha! I am so excxited!

Have a look at Deadly Obsession on the iBookBuzz site. I know you cannot be as excited as me, and maybe I should just wind my neck in but I'm over the moon.

However ...its not over yet....
Now I have to wait until 15 February to find out if it has been chosen as the Romantic Suspense read for March.

So cross fingers and hold thumbs ... I'll keep you posted.

Gabi

The Hunger Games - will I ever write a story like this?

I heard the buzz from a friend's daughter just before Christmas. She and I often swap YA books and when one finds a winner, we pass it on to the other. I had just swapped Beastly and Red Riding Hood with her for Shiver, Linger and Forever (I'm a faster reader).

"Have you read The Hunger Games?" She asked.
"The what?" I looked blank.
"Its amazing, the best. You have to read it. My new all time favourite."

So, I googled it, the hype built. I started reading blogs, and news releases. The excitement grew. Then I found the movie trailers, the voting for who should play the heroine, the countdown to the premiere, and I was hooked.
Ordered them straight away from Amazon, and let them lie. Why? How?
Well, I had to finish The Colour Purple (Alice Walker) for my book club get together next Friday and, I was engrossed in Linger (Maggie Stiefvater). The minute I flipped the cover at the end of the book, I dived into The Hunger Games.

That was last Monday. I started the second in the trilogy, Catching Fire five days later, having devoured THG.

Suzanne Collins had me at 'this is the day of the reaping' on page 1. The story launches right into the action from the get go and there is plenty of it.
Katniss is a very compelling heroine although not always likeable at first. Her interaction with Prim and then Rue, gives her a soft side that she doesn't often show due to the nature of the situation she finds herself in probably. I don't want to share too much more because I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. The story is the grip in THG. Its a whole new world, and it takes you deep inside.

One day, I hope my stories will do that. When I write, I get totally engrossed in the story I am writing, and the hours fly by in a heartbeat. I'm hoping I am able to do the same for my readers.

Gabi

Marketing Deadly Obsession online

It's Friday evening, and I've spent the entire day co-ordinating my online marketing activity for Deadly Obsession.

It feels like a fulltime job.I've been at it all day and not sure that I have really achieved anything substantial. I guess I am just new to social media and blogging and that's why it takes so much time. 

The learning  is key and that can consume a couple of hours before you take a breath!

But onwards and upwards as they say.

I entered Deadly Obsession into a book competition today on a book competition today on http://www.ibookbuzz.com/, where I stand the chance to be the voted for Book of the Month in March in the genre Romantic Suspense. So I'll keep you posted on how I go with that. 

The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award started on Monday and I'll be entering in the Fiction category of that competition. I'll be up against about 5000 hopefuls so hold thumbs for me. The process involves various phases where the list is narrowed down, so when (positive thinking!!) I make it into the next phase, I'll let you know. It will be tweeted and facebooked from the heavens, you can be sure. 

I think that's enough for me for one day. Its a pamper evening tonight ... washing my hair, doing my nails, watching a bit of TV ... you know how it goes. 

Yes, I should probably be out on the town, but its grim outside and I feel like cloistering myself tonight. 

Gabi

 Available on: Amazon.co.uk; Amazon.com; Smashwords