Friday 29 March 2013

Party On – virtually!

 

This week I’ve attended several Facebook Events – virtual parties where peeps can share photos, comments, laughs and celebrations – and it was all fabulous fun!

When I hosted my first virtual party, Mr JH thought I’d gone a bit crazy and he couldn’t stop laughing. He just couldn’t see the point of fun without leaving your laptop or even changing out of your PJ’s (this has happened to me – as virtual partying, being global and therefore 24/7, can be surprisingly all consuming!) But fun it certainly is and even more so if you can laugh your way up a bestseller chart or two at the same time.
Over the past year, I’ve been prompted to explore online partying in greater detail, from both the promotional angle and the fun aspect. During that time, I’ve been asked many times how to plan, organise, arrange, and host a variety of fabulous and fun online party events. I was even asked to talk on the subject at a ‘real’ writer’s event last summer. As a result, I’m now collating this advice for online party peeps as an ebook.
My cover designer finalised the cover this week and I’m thrilled with it – what do you think?



How To Party Online will soon be available to download from Amazon.

I was thrilled with this quote from DG Life Magazine and I have used an extract from it on the cover of How To Party Online.
Janice has made it her business to get stuck into the whole self-publishing malarkey. Savvy enough to realise it’s not enough to simply write, she’s studied social media marketing until it could be her specialist subject on Mastermind. She can plan a book launch, maximise publicity, keep the momentum going after the first initial flush, and perhaps most of all, she knows how to make the whole thing fun, which is no mean feat”.  DG Life Magazine.

So while I’m still busy exploring virtual party fun -
what are you doing this Easter weekend?

Sunday 24 March 2013

Author Showcase - Nicky Wells

Today I’m hosting fabulous friend and fellow Loveahappyending Lifestyle author Nicky Wells, as part of her launch tour for Sophie’s Run, the second book in her trilogy featuring the rock star and the girl next door.




Hi! My name is Nicky Wells, and I am the author of the Rock Star Romance Trilogy. It’s my great pleasure being here on Janice’s fabulous blog and to give you a peek inside my character’s rock star lifestyle, you see I’ve brought them with me, Dan the rock star and Sophie the girl next door. Or rather, I’ve brought you a little glimpse behind the scenes at one of Dan’s recent gigs in Edinburgh. Are you ready to rock and roll?


The truth, and nothing but the bare naked truth?
 
Now this is a really special treat for you; it’s actually an out-take and this scene isn’t in any of the books. BUT there is mischief, innuendo and more in Sophie’s Run, so go on, join Sophie and Dan on their adventures on this second leg of their journey!


Sophie: *enters the Green Room, skids to a halt, mouth hanging open incredulously* What are you doing?

Dan: *flashes her a smile* I’m getting dressed for the gig. *twirls*

Sophie: I can see that but… what are you wearing?

Dan: *takes a careful bow* A kilt.

Sophie: A kilt?

Dan: A kilt. It’s kinda obvious, don’t you think? *twirls again*

Sophie: *giggles* But… why?

Dan: When in Edinburgh, do as the Edinburghians… the Scots do, right?

Sophie: *waggles her head doubtfully* Don’t you have to be at least part Scottish to wear a kilt, legitimately, like?

Dan: *frowns* What’s the problem? Don’t you like it?

Sophie: I do. I do. You’ve got fine knobbly knees and all that. It’s just…

Dan: What?

Sophie: *shrugs and remains silent*

Dan: What?

Sophie: Well… you do a lot of dancing and jumping in your shows. I must make sure I get to be in the front row tonight.

Dan: *frowns some more* Why?

Sophie: *rolls her eyes* Go on then, do me an air guitar solo of… of… White Poison.

Dan: *obligingly pretends to play the guitar, takes giant leaps around the room* Duurrrr-durrrrr-dur-dur-durrrr-roooinnnng

Sophie: I knew it, I knew it! *chases Dan around the room, trying to get a peek* You’re going commando under there, you are, you so are.

Dan: *screeches to a halt* OMG, is that what got you so excited?

Sophie: Why, of course. I’ve always wanted to know.

Dan: You know wrong.

Sophie: *lifts corner of kilt, then recoils as Dan swats at her hand; steps away, singing* I am so right, I am so right, and there is nothing under there but the bare naked truth…

Dan: Wrrraaaggh! *chases Sophie around the Green Room* Come here you Sassenach wench, I’ll show yer the bare naked truth!

Sophie: *stops abruptly so that Dan crashes into her, swiftly wraps her arms around him* Now then, is that a promise or a threat…?

 

 

About Nicky Wells: Romance that Rocks Your World!



Rock On! Nicky Wells writes fun and glamorous contemporary romance featuring a rock star and the girl next door.  A signed author with U.S. publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, Nicky is in the throes of publishing her Rock Star Romance Trilogy. Nicky loves rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters.  When she’s not writing, Nicky is a wife, mother, and occasional teaching assistant.


Originally born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993, and currently lives in Lincoln with her husband and their two boys. In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C.
 

Visit Nicky on her blog where you can find articles, interviews, radio interviews and, of course, an ongoing update on her work in progress. You can also follow Nicky on Twitter and find her on Facebook. Nicky is a featured author on the innovative reader/author project, loveahappyending.com and has joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Nicky also has author pages at Sapphire Star Publishing, Amazon and, of course, Goodreads.

 
 

Friday 22 March 2013

It’s a Whiteout Writeout…!




Yes, that's really me – on the hill at the back of our cottage and holding my sister’s Labrador puppy out of the snow . It’s a whiteout again here in Scotland and despite the slightly longer days, the promise of Springtime is nowhere to be seen. There are no daffodils in bloom, no buds on the trees, and my poor hens won’t come out of the hen hoose. I know how they feel!

But it’s not all bad, as this weather has been super conducive to writing, and while holed up in the cottage I’ve been working on my new book. It’s a nonfiction guide to online promotion and its title is How To Promote Party Online with all the emphasis on fun. Thank you so much for all your comments last week, which were all super helpful.

I’m hoping to show you the cover next week, as I’ve seen a couple of drafts and my wonderful designer is soooo close to the final version now.

So, I’m going to ignore the whiteout and I’m going back indoors to write.

I could be some time!

What are you doing while the winter lingers on – are you doing lots of writing or reading or both….?
 


Janice xx

Friday 15 March 2013

Help with The Work in Progress...



One of my current writing projects is a work of non-fiction – it’s a 'How To' on tackling aspects of online promotion and making it fun. I’ve been prompted to write this by lots of lovely fellow writers who, over past year or so, have emailed me for advice on hosting online parties to promote or launch their book/s.

Some of those writers are debut novelists and others multi-pubbed. Some are with traditional publishers and others are indie. Most have previously attended or taken part (and reportedly enjoyed) my launch parties and want to know how I did it and more to the point, how they can do it too.

The title of this new and fun look at book promo is ‘How to Promote Party Online’ with the emphasis on the party aspect, because everyone wants to have fun, right?

So, I have a couple of questions for you to help me with research and I’d really appreciate your comments. You can leave them here on the blog or in an email to me at: janice@janicehortonwriter.co.uk

Q1: Have you attended one or more of my launch parties - which one/s?

Q2: Did you personally find it fun and engaging – and can you say why?

If you are not familiar with, or like me you were a bit giddy with virtual fizz at the time, then these links will give you a wee recap on our previous online frivolities:


Reaching for the Stars – Wish I Was Here Party

How Do You Voodoo? – The Spellbindingly Fun Party

Voodoo Wedding – Facebook & Twitter Party

I’d really appreciate your feedback as it will help me enormously. The info you give will help me to focus on giving helpful advice. If I would like to use your comment as a quote – please be assured that I would always contact you first to ask for your permission. The book will be available soon from Amazon for Kindle. Thank you in advance.

Love, Janice xx

Friday 8 March 2013

Books, books and ebooks!


This has been a busy week – a wonderful week – a week full of books and talking about books. On Tuesday night I was chatting via Skype on Blog Talk Radio with Inspirational Storyteller host Nancy Wait in New York. The subject was ‘inspiration’ and the special guest on the show was Linn B Halton, my lovely friend, fellow author, and the inspirational founder of Loveahappyending.com. Linn has written a fabulous blog about the programme here and there are links to the show.
 
Inspirational Storytellers on Blog Talk Radio
 
Also this week, it’s Read an Ebook Week! Check it out on the website. You may or may not know that my books are exclusive to Amazon to download and read on the Amazon Kindle Ereader. If you are an Amazon Select customer my books can be downloaded for free. If you don’t have an ereader and would like to read my books, then don’t despair, because you can download a FREE Kindle App from Amazon for your PC, Mac, Tablet, Android Phone and other mobile device. Just click here to pop over to Amazon and find out more about their range of free Apps.

Did you know that yesterday, March 7th, was World Book Day? Billed as the Biggest Book Show On Earth, the website is a fabulous resource. If you are a teacher, parent, bookseller, librarian or journalist – let’s celebrate books and help kids to read and enjoy books in all formats!

Also this week, I’d like to thank my writer buddy and fellow Romantic Novelist, Jude Roust. She surprised and delighted me by posting my debut TV appearance of three years ago to her blog 'Mad About Romance'. This short ITV news feature came about after I’d had a piece on research published in a writer’s magazine. At the time, I was researching my ‘disgruntled celebrity chef’ novel Reaching for the Stars, which caught the attention of a TV Producer. It just goes to show how one thing can lead to another! You can see the short film on Jude’s blog here.

This has also been my birthday week – so thank you for all the lovely messages on Facebook and Twitter and for your emails – I have enjoyed and appreciated every one!
 
 

Thank you to my lovely friend Jeannette for making me this birthday cake!
See you next Friday - Haste ye’ Back!

Saturday 2 March 2013

Voodoo Magick…!

 


I just wanted to say how thrilled I am, how touched at the support and the turn out yesterday at the launch of Voodoo Wedding, and I want to say a big thank you to all those who attended the Voodoo Wedding Facebook and Twitter Event and for being such fabulous fun. The wedding photos of cakes, champagne, hats, shoes, handbags, dresses and kilts were - I’m sure you’ll all agree – interesting, entertaining, fascinating, and in some cases, emotionally charged. As an added bonus ‘Voodoo Wedding’ finished the day in the Amazon Top 100 Chart for Short Stories at #61 which was even more thrilling. So thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
 
 
 
 
I wish there were enough sparkly purple tartan pens to give one to everyone and I’m so glad I didn’t have to choose the winners myself from the three prize draws. This was done independently this morning by my son using assigned numbers and not names and these are the winners. Congratulation ladies! These pens are the exact same purple colour tartan as Voodoo Wedding and come in a black pouch to keep them safe in your handbags. Please email me at: janice@janicehortonwriter.co.uk with your postal addresses.
 
For ‘signing up to join’ the party – Gilly Fraser
For uploading a wedding photo – Gina Dickerson
For Tweeting #voodoowedding – Charlotte Foreman
 
 
Finally, I can assure you that the virtual fizz last night was very real - as was my headache this morning!
Thank you!


Friday 1 March 2013

You are cordially invited…




Friday 1st March 2013

Today I’m excited to launch the second book in my Voodoo Romance series: Voodoo Wedding!
 
There’s just one thing I associate with a book launch - and that is a book launch party! So do join me today on the Voodoo Wedding Facebook Events Page and/or on Twitter using the hashtag #voodoowedding

There will be fun and prizes and wedding ‘favours’
 
 

Of course, I’ll also be anxiously awaiting the verdict of the book reviewers. Two book bloggers who had previously read and enjoyed Book One in the series ‘How Do You Voodoo?’ have been sent review copies and are today revealing their verdicts on ‘Voodoo Wedding’.
 

Are you considering downloading ‘Voodoo Wedding’ from Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle App today – but haven’t yet read ‘How Do You Voodoo?’

Then go ahead and buy ‘Voodoo Wedding’ today (£1 or $1.50)

Amazon UK or Amazon.com

And mail me today with ‘I JUST BOUGHT VOODOO WEDDING’ in the email subject line to: janice@janicehortonwriter.co.uk and I’ll send you a FREE Kindle copy of ‘How Do You Voodoo? by return.


 
So come on over and join the fun!
Post a photo of your wedding dress or in fact anything wedding related you’d like to share – to the Voodoo Wedding Events Page or to Twitter #voodoowedding.

Still single/unwed?
Then you have carte blanche to post the wedding dress of your dreams, be as quirky or as bridal couture as you wish, and feel free to photoshop yourself into it if you can! Or, what about a photo of your dream honeymoon destination…?
 
 
 
Haste ye ta’ the Party!