The Book Cove

THANKS, Jessi and L.A. for inviting me to hang in The Book Cove today . Very cool. Appreciate the chance to write a guest post on your site. What I like around here are the blogs and reviews of writers writing and doing what they love to write and do. That works for life same as art, no? Whatever your thing is. And around here you have a lot of love for NA and YA books. So I thought I’d write a little about how “adults” reading “kidlit” is somehow now a thing. Lots of bloggers and trad-media-types speculate as to why so-called grown-ups (or anybody older than thirteen, basically) is all over some of the big books of the last few years that feature teen protagonists: The Hunger Games, The Harry Potters, The Maze Runners, the Divergent et al. Or why mags that no Millennial ever reads, like TIME, continue to proclaim the “golden age of young-adult literature” and generate their top-100 lists of YA fiction, new and old, featuring books that we already know are great. I mean, is...

Previously I posted on how to have a successful first year blogging . My biggest tie-together point was that it is absolutely necessary to have community involvement if you want readers and other bloggers to know that you exist. I included many of the social media sites that I’m involved with that have helped to connect my blog with others. But when it comes to community engagement, I don’t consider Facebook and Twitter on the top of the list. Mostly because of all of the other posts they get covered up in on newsfeeds and the wonky visibility ratings that these sites casually roll out with every month. Compiled here are a couple of the sites that I go to whenever I am on my blog. These are sites that have a variety of discussion posts, blogging and writing tips, and a general friendly environment. If you’ve been around the book blog/writing world for a while you’ve probably heard of these. If you have others to suggest, please leave links in the comments!

Words touch us all in different ways. Sometimes the original intent of a quote resonates so profoundly with us that it is hard to believe that another wrote it. Other times it is a single word, peculiar phrasing, or an alternative meaning regarding an event in our lives that resonates the most. I believe in the power of starting the day (and week) off with a positive thought -- and so was created  A Penny For Your Thoughts . This is a weekly blog hop that will feature quotes of all kinds; classics, character, book-movie, personal, etc. The themes will range from funny to serious, but really it all depends on how you interpret it! How does this work? Every Sunday a quote will be posted Post your thoughts on your blog and/or the comment section   of a participating blog.  You only get the penny for one or the other. You can do both but it doesn't count twice. Those with posts can join up on the Linky -  Linky will not be active until day of post Collect the pe...

Just before Christmas I started reading the Lux Series by Jennifer Armentrout. I cruised through the first two books and fell in love with the characters, plot, writing style, everything. I immediately bought book 3, Opal , and started reading that the day I finished Onyx . Here I am about a month later and I'm still only 20% through Opal... It's not that it's not as interesting, or well written, or swoon worthy as the others. I just don't feel like reading it. At first I thought it was because I cruised through so many books in a short period of time that I wore myself out. But I'm still reading a lot and enjoying other books. I'm just choosing books that are a little less complex and are stand alones. Maybe I wore myself out in the paranormal/sci-fi genre. Or maybe I wore myself out with the characters. Does anyone else experience this about midway through a series? The first book is great because it introduces everything and the second builds on relatio...

Who is reading your blog? www.thebookcove.com Who is reading your blog? Are you aware of your demographics? Who is sharing your posts? What kind of posts are getting the most attention and who is driving that attention? If you want your blog to continue to progress or move in a certain direction, then these are questions that you must answer at some point. Your generic blog stats on Wordpress or Blogger may not provide accurate or extensive answers to these questions, but there are external sources that you can use to identify these; one being Google Analytics. This isn't meant to be a post on how to monitor blog stats per se  so I will not go into detail about the variety of trackers out there. Just know that using one outside of your generic blog stats feature is a good idea. So back to the question -- who is reading your blog? Does it appeal to a certain age group or -- as the case is for book bloggers -- a subset of bibliophiles? Which social media site is driving th...

Words touch us all in different ways. Sometimes the original intent of a quote resonates so profoundly with us that it is hard to believe that another wrote it. Other times it is a single word, peculiar phrasing, or an alternative meaning regarding an event in our lives that resonates the most. I believe in the power of starting the day (and week) off with a positive thought -- and so was created  A Penny For Your Thoughts . This is a weekly blog hop that will feature quotes of all kinds; classics, character, book-movie, personal, etc. The themes will range from funny to serious, but really it all depends on how you interpret it! How does this work? Every Sunday a quote will be posted Post your thoughts on your blog and/or the comment section   of a participating blog.  You only get the penny for one or the other. You can do both but it doesn't count twice. Those with posts can join up on the Linky -  Linky will not be active until day of post Collect the penni...

What is Feature and Follow? F&F is a weekly blog hop that consists of book bloggers. It is hosted by Alison Can Read  and  Parajunkee . The rules of involvement are simple: 1.) Link up on the blog hop Linky gadget below this post, 2.) follow the hosts via their network of choice, 3.) follow the weekly featured blog(s) via their network of choice (listed as "featured" in the blog list below), and lastly, 4) check out the rest of the blogs on the hop! If you become a new follower of a blog, let them know and they will follow you back. The F&F is a great way to network, meet other book bloggers, and gain new followers. Even more so, it's a great way to drive fun discussion on a weekly topic.

Second Nature (Book 1 of Blood at First Sight Series) by Marie Lavender www.thebookcove.com (Blurb):  She never expected it… Desiree Edwards has a problem. She’s been attacked, kidnapped and forced to get along with a vampire of all things. It’s something right out of the story books she reads, or her worst nightmare. But, sometimes he’s not the monster he appears to be. He seems so humanlike that she can’t help it when her emotions betray her, when her body betrays her. To make matters worse, she finds out more about herself than she ever wanted to know. She was unlike any other… Alec has a problem. The animal in him wants Desiree. But, so does the man. The more he learns about her, the harder it is to deny what he wants. But, he’s a freak, and she’s just a human. The two species don’t mix that way. Then an old enemy surfaces and Alec is forced to make a choice. His life or hers. Can Alec’s soul be saved by this unique human? Or will it be far too late?

The Immortality Game: ( Blurb ):  Moscow, 2138. With the world only beginning to recover from the complete societal collapse of the late 21st Century, Zoya scrapes by prepping corpses for funerals and dreams of saving enough money to have a child. When her brother forces her to bring him a mysterious package, she witnesses his murder and finds herself on the run from ruthless mobsters. Frantically trying to stay alive and save her loved ones, Zoya opens the package and discovers two unusual data cards, one that allows her to fight back against the mafia and another which may hold the key to everlasting life.

What to include in a book media kit. www.thebookcove.com We do a lot of promotions on here. From author interviews to book and author spotlights, cover reveals, giveaways, and more, we've done a bit of everything. We've worked with multiple media outlets, publishers, and marketers. Marketing kits and styles have varied greatly with these experiences, and over time we've been able to figure out what works best on our end -- which usually carries over to the author as well. Figuring out effective marketing tactics is something that comes with experience -- and perhaps a bit of luck. Sometimes less is more. You don't want to overwhelm a potential buyer by throwing five book trailers, three chapter excerpts, and a bunch of teaser posters all in one sitting. On the other hand, you need to provide enough information to peak interest, generate book clicks, and hopefully positively influence sales.

Words touch us all in different ways. Sometimes the original intent of a quote resonates so profoundly with us that it is hard to believe that another wrote it. Other times it is a single word, peculiar phrasing, or an alternative meaning regarding an event in our lives that resonates the most. I believe in the power of starting the day (and week) off with a positive thought -- and so was created  A Penny For Your Thoughts . This is a weekly blog hop that will feature quotes of all kinds; classics, character, book-movie, personal, etc. The themes will range from funny to serious, but really it all depends on how you interpret it! How does this work? Every Sunday a quote will be posted Post your thoughts on your blog and/or the comment section   of a participating blog.  You only get the penny for one or the other. You can do both but it doesn't count twice. Those with posts can join up on the Linky -  Linky will not be active until day of post Collect the pe...

Provence, 1970 Evolution is a funny thing. Most times it creeps along at a snail’s pace, but every once in a while you can jab a finger at the calendar and say, “Aha! It started there.” Such it is with the evolution of American cuisine. It’s hard to believe, but it wasn’t that long ago when food was bound by strict regional borders. People in Los Angeles wouldn’t recognize jambalaya if it stood up and shouted “True dat!”   Bagels outside of New York City were represented by Lenders. They make a very fine doorstop, but cardboard has more flavor. Ahi? Burritos? Jalapeño? Quinoa? Masala? Funny kind of words…They’re food, you say? And where exactly would I get the ingredients? Certainly, not nearby. Taste and refinement in food preparation were represented by French cuisine. Quel domage, but the American palate was certainly not up to par. Even the most celebrated food writers had an unabashed love affair with France. M. K. F. Fisher, Julia Child, and James Beard sung its praises...

(Blurb):  Can she let go of the past, before it destroys her future? All Toby Lawson wanted was to go to college to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher and to be free of her alcoholic mother and the painful memories of finding her and the guy Toby loved kissing. But when her mother nearly burns the house down, Toby must put her dreams on hold and return home to care for her. The only time she isn’t lonely and miserable is when she’s listening to her heartthrob, Elvis Presley. His music takes her away, helps her escape from everything wrong in her life. Noah Rivers has always loved Toby, but no matter what he says, and even though she knows her mother initiated the kiss, and that he didn’t kiss her back, she can‘t seem to get past what happened. He soon realizes that the true problem lies in Toby’s belief that she’s not good enough for him and in her fear that she will be just like her mother. What will it take to prove to her that she deserves to be happy, and that he would gi...

NARVLA’S CELTIC NEW YEAR BY THERESE GILARDI Narvla ’s life is as precisely choreographed as the routines that have made her a national step-dancing champion. She has a loyal best friend, a devoted boyfriend, and a lock on admission to her dream college, the University of Notre Dame - until her mother is named U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, and her life unravels. First Narvla receives a disturbing picture of her boyfriend and her best friend. Then she struggles to qualify for the Irish elite step-dancing squad, and her grades plummet. But the biggest obstacle in Narvla ’s new life is Dublin Boy, a cheeky musician with a disdain for academics and a distrust of Americans. Although Narvla is upset when she’s paired with Dublin Boy for the most important semester of her life, her real concern is the growing attraction she feels toward him. As the Celtic New Year unfolds, Narvla is pushed to abandon her lifelong need for control and embrace the charm of the unexpected.

The first time I received an email asking for an opinion on a new book cover, it kind of surprised me. Not because I thought that I was a completely random source for an opinion - I do review a lot of books - but because I figured that's what publishing teams were for. With the surge in self-publishing many authors are left designing book covers in their "spare time". There is a reason graphic design is a job in itself; it takes a good, objective eye to come up with an appealing cover design. I am the last person to claim to be any kind of designer (see below ) . I'm lucky if I can match my clothes up somewhat reasonably. But I do read a lot of books and I do have an opinion as both an outside source and as someone without a personal attachment to a book. Listed below are some issues that I find with book covers.

Words touch us all in different ways. Sometimes the original intent of a quote resonates so profoundly with us that it is hard to believe that another wrote it. Other times it is a single word, peculiar phrasing, or an alternative meaning regarding an event in our lives that resonates the most. I believe in the power of starting the day (and week) off with a positive thought -- and so was created  A Penny For Your Thoughts . This is a weekly blog hop that will feature quotes of all kinds; classics, character, book-movie, personal, etc. The themes will range from funny to serious, but really it all depends on how you interpret it! How does this work? Every Sunday a quote will be posted Post your thoughts on your blog and/or the comment section   of a participating blog. You only get the penny for one or the other. You can do both but it doesn't count twice. Those with posts can join up on the Linky -  Linky will not be active until day of post Collect the pennies! ...

What is Feature and Follow? F&F is a weekly blog hop that consists of book bloggers. It is hosted by Alison Can Read  and  Parajunkee . The rules of involvement are simple: 1.)  Link up  on the blog hop Linky gadget below this post, 2.)  follow the hosts  via their network of choice, 3.)  follow the weekly featured blog(s)  via their network of choice (listed as "featured" in the blog list below), and lastly, 4)  check out the rest of the blogs on the hop ! If you become a new follower of a blog, let them know and they will follow you back. The F&F is a great way to network, meet other book bloggers, and gain new followers. Even more so, it's a great way to drive fun discussion on a weekly topic.

It's 2015! Crazy to think that 2014 is over, but here we are with another year ahead of us. The beginning of the new year is always filled with promises of personal and professional development. From blogger resolutions, to reader resolutions, to job resolutions -- it's like a never ending barrage of what people wish to change and improve upon.