Designed for updates, bits of undeniable wit, unasked for wisdom and story scraps.

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Showing posts with label buy my book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label buy my book. Show all posts

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Extra Special Birthday Surprise: ESBS

It's that time of year again! The ESBS is here, because it is what?

November 9th! (Best day of the year in my extremely biased opinion)

http://youtu.be/GKAHA4Yohi8

So, first things first:

1. Giveaway of Only The Stars Know by Ryan, from RyanReadsBooks on YouTube. This will be a US Only Giveaway. I believe it will be opening tomorrow, and I'll post again to make sure you have all appropriate links and videos available. Giveaway Includes: Signed & Personalized copy of Only The Stars Know: The Immortal World Book 1, Signed Submerged In Darkness bookmark, and two extra signed business cards for Only The Stars Know.

Next!

2. Scene release from Shadows On The Wall: The Immortal World Book 2!!! That will be posted right here, in just a few moments!

3. Book Orders can now be made directly through me, via email & Paypal. EMAIL ME HERE if you would like to take advantage of this! Be sure to include "Book Order" in the subject line, and your name, how many books, personalization wanted, and mailing address. In return I will send you my PayPal information. The books should end up costing about $8 plus shipping & handling! (Probably $11 total, for continental US)

4. Pre-Release copies of Shadows On The Wall: The Immortal World Book 2 can now be requested by reviewers! Please EMAIL ME HERE if you are interested. Make sure you put "SOTW Pre-Release" in the subject line, include your name, review forum links and any personalization you might like for the book.



There now, aren't you happy I'm alive?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Oh Good Gracious...

How long has it been since I blogged????

What the heck happened to me??

DID I DIE?


These are some questions you may have been asking, I know I have. Then you saw my OSK VidBook post and probably thought I had lost my mind...then you saw the OSK VidBook Prologue and thought I was a genius....

Right?

You had best agree with that. Meaning: You had best have seen the Prologue on YouTube. (If you didn't my heart shall wither and die)

Just In Case:


Well, I'm partial to a little blood and guts I suppose, but I think that was pretty darned good.

Anywho, so yes, that is what is up with me. No, I didn't die (though I plan to at some point in my life).

Essentially my entire life comes down to juggling necessity ('real' job) with my greatest passion (writing)...My greatest passion is overwhelmed by the necessity to destroy the necessity for a 'real' job. Which means marketing Only The Stars Know like a death bead patient with only another year to live.

Other things going on in the life of me: poking Pangur Ban in the stomach whilst she sleeps, avoiding grocery shopping in the hopes that I'll magically grow (shrink?) thin, attempting to force small paychecks to cover big bills.

Not all that exciting...or realistic for that matter.

Things going on the in the writing world of me:

Giveaway of Only The Stars Know by Lindsay Mead, The Book Vlogger! Starting sometime this afternoon on her lovely YouTube channel: Lindsay Mead TBV

Chapter 1 of the VideoBook went up Monday afternoon: OSK Chapter 1 VidBook

And I am developing a plan to enter the (ABNA) Amazon Break Through Novel Award for 2013. I have not yet decided which book to enter because I am a lazy bum who sits on her cushy arse rather than writes Shadows On The Wall.

I also just upgraded to Google+ even though I have absolutely no idea what that means or what to do with it..


You may not have noticed this, so I'll tell you: the world of my writing is much more busy/fascinating that my 'real' life.

In the end you are likely still wondering why I have not blogged all of these wonderful things. I am sorry to leave you wondering.



.... te-hee.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Waiting On The World

And I keep waiting, waiting on the world.


I seem to be having one of the rough days. The kind where it seems like everything is in slow motion, just waiting on that first spark that catches.

Do you know, when you're reading a book and at some point a week goes by in steady time for the main character and the author just summarizes it in a few paragraphs?

I feel as though this year and maybe even last year, could be summarized in a few paragraphs and just slipped into the middle of the book. It's the kind of thing a reader guiltily skims through, not really worried about the down time, but not appreciating that the main character had to go through all of that. Every minute of it, experience it all...and you just skimmed a couple paragraphs and it was over.

I'm not trying to make you feel bad (well, maybe a little) but you have to admit, the analogy brings a certain poignancy to the boredom that is right now for me.


On the upside, I might be getting some time off from work in the next couple months where I could possibly devote a large amount of time to writing.

I have been feeling mentally constipated (I apologize for the crudity, but that is truly the best metaphor) lately and really need to get it all out on paper. I figure, time off and no money will prove a very good laxative.

Now I really feel bad about that metaphor. Seriously, I am sorry. This sort of thing will only get worse until I find time to really write.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

New Venues for Only The Stars Know

In my tunnel vision, I originally only published Only The Stars Know to Kindle and Paperback...how stupid is that? Well, via Smashwords Only The Stars Know is now available on just about ALL ereaders. Including, but not limited to: Apple iPads/Books, Nooks, Sony eReaders, etc... Click Here to go to the Smashwords page for my book where you can buy it for only $0.99.

 Also, you can read the first 20% of the book for free to see if you like it. If you do, and you read the whole thing, please post a review! Reviews are something my books and I need to live and thrive!


In other news! I got about 30% of the outlining for In The Darkness Remain done yesterday. Those of you who know me well probably remember that I normally don't outline at all. Well, I've been having so many ideas for the story that I'm afraid I'll start forgetting them. As for the actual writing itself, I have started some drafting from Damon's POV, which most of the story will be in, but I doubt any of what I've written thus far will be in the book. Mostly it's just background on his life before being a vampire to help me understand him as well as possible. There are certainly some curious circumstances...Don't worry, I'm not going to continue being this vague within the book. You will understand Damon almost as well as I do, once you read it.

In my personal life, my Pangur Ban is turning 7 months old this Sunday, the 15th! Her birthday present is something she would have been most happy to do without, she was spayed yesterday by the Paws Clinic in town. She is not altogether happy with me. She's taking her pain killers with a good grace that makes me suspicious, and frankly I fear she will kill me in my sleep.

Also, I'm decorating my apartment. I'm hanging pictures and art like crazy. I am cleaning a lot as well, my roommate thinks I'm either on drugs or suffering from some type of hormonal imbalance due to pregnancy. I told her she's insane and then threw out the 5 year old apple cider dry mix that was rotting in the kitchen cabinets. Honestly...

I am in my second month of my new job and my stress levels have gone waaaaay down. I do have a wee bit of a cold at the moment, but I'm taking Zicam and vitamins like crazy, so hopefully it will amount to nothing.


One last note, I know you might be wondering why I am working on In The Darkness Remain instead of Shadows On The Wall. My normal routine is to write the rough draft of one book, then revise a different book until I publish it. I was going to scrap that routine after I published Only The Stars Know in favor of a faster publishing time for the next book, but Damon has been bugging me lately to write his story. And I recognize the feel of the pull, the story is ready to be written.

Until we meet again! Adieu!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The Extra Special Birthday Surprise! (Is Here!)

Welcome to the ESBS, and thanks so much for joining me on this auspicious occasion!

You would think that just the fact that there is an Extra Special Birthday Surprise would be enough, but NO! I love my readers so much that I have made this into a two-part special!

2-parter for double the awesomeness!

Part 1: How I Met Cameo
Part 2: Prologue of Shadows On The Wall

Now that the requests have started coming in for the next Immortal World book, I am going to reassure you that the third book (#2 in the series) IS in the making! For those of you who cannot simply take my word for it, I have formed the ESBS. What better way to convince you than to introduce you to the main character?

People like to ask how I come up with the ideas for my books. Well, here's the secret: I don't. The characters find me. They are the ones telling the story. I am a vessel for their words.

In the case of Submerged In Darkness, Alex found me when I was just a fledgling writer. She convinced me that I was wasting my time trying to write about characters I created. She told me that she had a story for me to write, and then introduced me to Liam. But much like the time in Tears You Apart, when Aubri meets Angela and Connor, I could only see Damon once he was in my eye-line.

When I first finished writing Submerged In Darkness, it was just after Christmas and I was absolutely heart-broken. How could Damon be dead? You see, I had done what any good author will; I had fallen in love with my character. I wasn't sure I could write again. I know now that I was being a bit melo-dramatic, but the experience was incredibly tramatic. It was the first time I had killed a character that I was absolutely, soul-wrenchingly in love with.

The nights I had formerly spent plugging away at the keyboard were now spent staring up at the stars on my ceiling wondering, what now?

I got the answer one night. Here is the story of how I met the main character of Shadows On The Wall.

Part 1: How I Met Cameo

I lay in bed, contemplating the last pages of my latest book. Incredible, I was already wondering what I would write next. I had a few ideas of course, but nothing concrete yet. I was dressed comfortable in my favorite writing clothes: sleep pants, t-shirt, fuzzy socks. I had removed my roomy sweatshirt a few minutes before.

As I lay atop the covers on my bed, I wondered when I would see Damon again…It was something I couldn’t stop my mind from dwelling on. My decision to go back in time for my writing had been made by now. I was sure it was the right way to go. I might see him again…if not in the flesh, then at least through the memories of my characters. It was more than I had thought to hope for since finishing Submerged In Darkness.

His death nearly broke me in that first book. What would it be like to see him again? Even from afar….my heart beat unevenly for a few seconds. I missed him so. I missed his sweet laughter in my ear as I fell asleep, the teasing smile he sometimes turned on me. More than those things though, more than anything; I missed the sound of his voice. I had grown so used to it in those six months of writing…I barely knew what to do without him. It felt as though I couldn’t function properly without him.

How could I have let this happen? How could I have written his death?

An unfamiliar knock in the vicinity of my bedroom door caught me off guard. I jumped and, as I am wont to do when startled, gave a strange half-screech. My hand flew to my throat and I sat full-up.

Standing just inside my bedroom door (though it had never opened, I knew, because it squeaked terribly) was a woman I had never seen before in my life. She had shoulder-length dark red hair. In the bad light I thought her eyes were dark, but couldn’t be certain. She was only about five feet, four inches and was dressed in green cargo pants and a white spaghetti strap camisole.

I was about to scream, but she held up a hand.

“Wait.” Her voice was deep, catching me off guard, “Are you Shannon A Hiner?”

My eyes flew back and forth wondering if this was a trap. What answer would keep me alive?

“The truth, please. I was told that Shannon A Hiner could help me.”

“Who are you?” I said quickly.

“My name is Cameo.”

I repeated the name under my breath, trying to figure if I had ever heard it before. I didn’t believe I had. I looked at her afresh…she looked different. Not like a normal human. But who would send an immortal to me?

“Look,” the woman sounded exasperated, “If you’re not her that’s fine. I’ll just leave. I don’t have time to waste.”

I made a snap decision, “I am Shannon. Who sent you?”

She had been turning to leave, but when I spoke she turned back, “Someone who knows about your last project.”

“Who?” I repeated, feeling slightly testy at her evasion.

“I am not at liberty to say.”

I sighed, lying back against my pillows. The Immortal World could be such a pain in the ass.

She took a step toward me and, albeit hesitantly, sat down on the end of the bed. “I was told you could…tell stories.”

“Write. I can write stories.” I motioned to the new manuscript on my desk across the room, “If you’d like to read it I only ask that you wait until I’m done proofing it.”

The woman closed her eyes briefly and then shook her head, “No.”

My jaw clenched. I should have been used to rejection by then, but still her refusal hurt me. “That’s fine. You don’t have to. Whatever.”

“You misunderstand me, human.” She looked at her hands briefly before raising her face to meet my eyes defiantly, “I want you to tell my story. Write my story.”

“Your story…” I stared at her. Never had I imagined the characters would come to me. “I-who are you?”

She smiled bitterly, “I am not surprised you have not heard of me. I am something the vampires would like to keep quiet--a black mark on their history. Will you help me? I want the correct story to be told, not the propaganda.”

I was taken aback by the quiet fury that seethed under her calm exterior. Here was a story worth telling for sure. I had a feeling it would be harder to tell than any of the ones that had come before it. Cameo was already incredible to me, and I didn’t even know her yet.

“I will write your story to the best of my ability.”

“It’s not a happy story.” She said it as if she was apologizing.

I smiled at her, “I’ve a feeling it’s a good one though.”

“Thank you.” She stood up, “I will return tomorrow night at eight, if that is acceptable to you.”

“That sounds great.” I watched as she walked back to the door. She opened it, sure enough it squeaked, and left.

Perhaps I would be able to see Damon sooner than I had hoped.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Book Signings & Promotional Gear

Well if you're local you can now see me (or my books rather) on display in downtown Oroville, at Discount Books. A gorgeous 13x18in poster boasts of the new book as well as reminding you of the first book.

I have ordered business cards! The cards will feature the cover of Only The Stars Know and all the information on my websites. They should arrive in a couple weeks, at which point I will paper the town! If you want a couple just let me know. Any and all help spreading the word will be hugely appreciated.

Last and best: When I dropped off the books at the stor the nice owner asked what I thought about doing a book signing. You may imagine my reaction. I'm actually pretty impressed with myself that I didn't gleefully scream in his poor ear. I was able to control myself and say (quite happily) "That would be terrific!"

Sooo, I am now in charge of getting the word out. I'm contacting the local book reviewer, Dan Barnett, in the hopes that he will once again review for me. My marketing manager is also contacting all of the local newspapers with the story of me. If all goes well, we would like to set something up for the last weekend in November, which is historically a very very busy shopping time for America.

Even if you already have a signed copy, I hope you will come down and show your support. I'll look into doing a reading, and I'll even give hints as to the next book!

My Central Valley Representative has contacted me about possibilities at the Barnes & Noble in my old hometown, Modesto. Apparently there is a nice lady there who has a soft spot for local authors. Seeing as I spent 10 years of my life there, and started writing when I lived there, I consider myself to be a local author of their's as well.

As you see, we are busy busy busy here at Shanco! Updates will be coming with progress, and progress is being made!

If you have read the book already, I would love to hear what you thought of it! Please comment or email me: shannonahiner@live.com

Friday, October 21, 2011

A Note & The Last Bit of Sweet Innocence

Well the first batch of books is disappearing faster than I can replace it. More people put bids in on the books than I ordered for...so if you haven't tossed some money my way then you'll probably have to wait for the second batch. Sorry loves, but it's first-come-first-served.

I'm heading over to Discount Books, on Meyers in Oroville, tomorrow to drop off some books. Hopefully the nice owner will also let me put up a poster. He really is very nice though, so I can't imagine why not. I'm taking some of Submerged In Darkness as well as Only The Stars Know.

Payday is tomorrow! I'll order some new books ASAP and hopefully they will get here a bunch faster this time.

If you pick up a book from an online retailer or the bookstore and you want it signed, no problem! Just email me: shannonahiner@live.com
And we'll figure something out!

Because I love my readers SO much, I'm posting the final tiny bit of Sweet Innocence.

(If you haven't been following::
Sweet Innocence Pt I
Sweet Innocence Pt II )

Sweet Innocence (the end of PT I)

When his eyes opened again, Adrian's sight was different. He couldn't figure out what was wrong. His prey was kneeling next to him. The human's eyes were filled with merry pleasure as he patted Adrian's shoulder.

"Not to worry young one, this state of being is not permanent. If you find your light again, you will find yourself again. You need this chance. I thank you for helping me, I do not care what caused you to do so. Your keepers cannot find you as long as you are in this form." The human stood, "I must be going now. Best of luck!" He tipped his hat and began to walk off into the forest.

Adrian tried to speak but couldn't find the words or ability. He felt strange, and completely different. Hastily, he stood. He pushed himself up on his forelegs and walked a few steps before he realized what was wrong.

Forelegs?!

He frowned and turned his head to look down at himself.

Hooves?! What is going on?!

His tail switched in annoyance and he shook out his mane.

Tail?! Mane?! What am I?!

Adrian trotted over to the river and broke a hole in the ice with his front hooves. He almost collapsed as he saw his reflection. He was a horse. And then something sparkly caught his attention. Examining his reflection closer, he amended his first theory. He was not a horse. He had the body of a horse, but the legs of a stag, a lion's tail, and a very flashy horn coming straight out of his forehead. He was a unicorn.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

OSK Available in Paperback

See? I told you! Only The Stars Know is finally available in Paperback from CreateSpace.

Super Special Preview available....

Where to Buy the book

Also, for those of you local to me, I will soon be placing copies in

Discount Books, Oroville CA
& Lyon Books, Chico CA