Guest post with attending author Heather Gunter

I have been asked by several about why I chose to blog as well as write. Here is where it all began..Since I was a little girl I have always had a love of books. I was all over Little House on the Prairie, The Babysitters Club and Anne of Green Gables series. I could not get enough. I would read until my hearts content and well into the night just like I still do. Hence the name of my Blog Into the Night. I would scour antique shops for all of the Nancy Drew series books where I could get them for next to nothing.

I had such a love of these books that I wanted to be in these stories. At the age of 12 I decided to start writing my own stories. They were tales all right and I have had a love of writing ever since. I loved creating something. A new place with new people and different names. I loved coming up with character names.

Then I found this community that I never knew existed. This Indie Community where you can actually support the Author's themselves and as well as a place you could actually live and follow your own dream. Blogging became a way for me to be able to spread the word. A way to tell everyone what books they were missing out on and not reading and why they needed to read it. I am so passionate about my books and my husband so does not get it... 

Indie Author's have written some of my very favorite books and are so over looked.The Indie community is also where I have met some of my closest and best friends. People that will forever be in my life. Life long friends that I hope to meet one day.
If it were not for my friends I would not be writing and publishing my first book and following a dream I have had for more than 20 years and for this I will always be eternally grateful.

This is also a place that when someone needs help we all pitch in and do what needs to be done. I said this earlier today to someone I admire. Charity is more than just a word but the actions you put behind the word. I am proud to be a "small" member of this community. Though there may be ups and downs we all rally together when it counts and that is something to be proud of. 

~ Heather~

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Notes-ebook/dp/B00CLW2XJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367617551&sr=8-1&keywords=love+notes+by+Heather+Gunter

Guest post with attending author Suzan Tisdale

The Truth About Being An Author

By Suzan Tisdale

We’ve all seen it before. In movies, TV shows, and even books. Someone writes a book, a publisher picks it up, and voila! The aforementioned author is immediately wealthy. Rich beyond their wildest imagination. He goes from eating ramen noodles every night, to owning a mansion — complete with butler and guard dogs — and driving around town in a Ferrari or Porsche. He parties with Hugh Hefner and the President. He travels around the world where he meets all sorts of people who make great characters for his books.

I hate to burst your bubble, but it simply does not work that way!

Writing is easy. Writing very well? Not so much. Writing something people are willing to buy and share with their friends is even more difficult. Writing something that a publisher wants to pick up? Its easier to get a ride on a space shuttle.

Here are the simple facts.

1. You take a year or two to write your first novel. You ignore family and friends. You spend every spare moment in your writing cave, ignoring the spouse or significant other who is trying to remind you that you do have family obligations. You get upset when, right in the middle of writing the most profound sentence God ever let man create, your wife knocks on the door letting you know that dinner is ready, or worse yet, she is in labor. It completely destroys your train of thought and that beautiful, profound, elegant, gritty, gnarly, perfect sentence is lost forever. It takes weeks to get it back. Damn.

2. Once your book is finally perfect, you send hundreds of query letters and synopsis’s  to every publisher in existence. You’ve got the perfect elevator pitch and the perfect answer to “tell me about your book”. All you need now is a publisher who agrees. So you wait for a response. You eat lots of ramen noodles, drink cheap bourbon, and drive your family nuts with questions like “Did anyone get the mail today? Was there a letter in it from –insert name of publishing house here–?” As the wait continues, you begin to question why you are doing what you are doing. You must be nuts. Crazy. It is self-imposed torture. You’ll never write again. Ever. It isn’t worth it. Damn.

3. When you do finally hear back from the publishers or as I refer to them ‘the Gods of War’, chances are it will be in the form of a rejection letter. You spend the next few days or weeks in a deep state of depression, again, questioning why you are doing this. I liken it to the grieving process after losing a loved one. First there is shock, then sadness, then anger. Are these publishers nuts? How could they reject what is by far the best piece of literary work ever written? How can they destroy peoples lives like this? You question again, why you are doing this. Damn.

4. Now at this point, only those authors who own a significant amount of intestinal fortitude will press on and continue to write. They’ll keep trying, again and again and again.

5. Then that magical day finally happens. A publisher wants to talk. This is the day you’ve convinced yourself that you’re waiting for. You meet with them, they tell you they loved the book and with a few minor changes, they can make it perfect. (You only thought it was perfect. A publisher’s idea of what is perfect and an author’s idea of what is perfect are sometimes quite different.)

6. The publisher presents you with a standard contract and say an advance of $5,000. You pretend that you need to talk it over with your husband. But you and I both know the truth. You don’t care what your husband says at this point. A publisher wants to publish your book! Your husband would be crazy to even suggest that you turn down this once in a lifetime offer. What does he know anyway?

7. This is where almost everyone outside of the writing world gets it wrong. The devil, they say, is in the details. The contract that the publisher presents to you is standard and the benefits of this contract lean in favor of the publisher, not the author. You will not be an instant millionaire. You will not be buying that mansion or hiring that butler anytime soon. And forget the Ferrari. You’ll be lucky if you can afford to upgrade your 1999 Toyota to a 2002 Impala. And you won’t be giving up your day job either.

8. This is how a standard contract between publisher and author works:

1.  The publisher now has almost complete control of your work. They will edit, change, red line, and otherwise wage and all out assault on your perfect novel. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes it isn’t. Don’t get me wrong. Publishers have lots of experience with publishing. This is after all, their area of expertise. They do provide a very useful service and they work very hard at it. We still need the big publishing houses. I just happen to believe that not every author needs one.

2.  Once the editors are done with your book, the publisher will print, lets say 10,000 advance copies of your work. They send it out to all the book and mortar stores. YOU will have to schedule all the book signings and events. The publisher isn’t going to do that for you.

3.  Here is where it can get quite ugly. Lets say you only sell 5,000 copies of your book in the first year. Now what? Well, you will end up owing the publisher money for those 5,000 copies that didn’t sell. It is true. You don’t get a royalty check until you sell a certain number of books. And if you don’t sell a certain number of books, you owe the publisher money. There went the mansion and the Ferrari. And you thought writing was the hard part!

4.  And even if you do sell all 10,000 copies, your royalty checks are going to be quite small. Again, everything is in favor of the publisher. They are, after all, putting up a good chunk of change to get your book out there. It isn’t cheap for them to hire editors, cover artists, or advertising. This is a very expensive venture they’re in. If they’re going to put up all this money upfront, then they will reap the rewards. All you did was write the book. They did the rest

9.  It can take years, if not decades to become a successful author. There is no getting rich over night. Unless you are J.K. Rowling, it simply doesn’t happen over night.

10. So why bother? Well, today authors have other options on how they get their work out to the masses. As an author, the first thing you must ask yourself if why do I write? The answer is different for each of us. Some of us write because we simply must. We’ve got all these thoughts, ideas, scenarios, and creative monsters running around in our brains and if we don’t write (or as I call it, purge the demons) then we will go nuts. Other authors are blessed with the ability to tell a story easily and beautifully. For many authors, we write because we have a story or stories that we want to share with the world.

The next question you need to ask yourself is what do I expect in return?  For many of us, it isn’t about the money. We simply want to share our stories with the world. We want to leave something meaningful behind, once we’ve left this celestial plane. We want to inspire or encourage. We want people to go, “wow, that book was amazing!” Or we want to have a positive impact on society.

If you’re writing simply because you want to make money, then I suggest you stop now and find another avenue. Yes, you can make money at this. I’m a perfect example. Because of the success of my first two novels (that I self-published), I was able to give up my day job in October of 2012. But you have to know that this does not happen for everyone. And you have to know that I didn’t go into this because I wanted to make money.

I write because I have to purge the demons AND I write because I want to share my stories with other people. I want whoever buys my books to be able to escape from the day-to-day stuff we all have to deal with. I want to encourage others through my characters. I write from my heart, not my wallet. I write because I love writing. I never, ever, ever, expected the success that I’ve been blessed with. I did not publish my first book thinking “now I can sit back and rake in a million dollars.” Quite the opposite.

When I published Laiden’s Daughter in December of 2011, it was meant as a gift to my mom. I thought maybe, just maybe, I might sell ten copies. I thought that would be a really nifty number. I didn’t know a thing about self-publishing. I didn’t have a twitter account. I didn’t have a blog. I didn’t (and still don’t) spend money on advertising. I don’t troll the internet saying “BUY MY BOOK!!!” I don’t do that. I simply write for the joy of writing.

I didn’t know a thing about publishing a novel until after I published my first. I didn’t know about contracts with publishers. I didn’t know anything about self-publishing either. I simply wrote my novel and uploaded it to KDP so that it would be on the Kindle I wanted to give my mom for a birthday present.

Honest to God the thought of selling 50,000 copies in one year never entered my mind. I never thought Laiden’s would ever be on Amazon’s Top 100 Best Sellers list. She’s been there for over a year now. I never imagined making enough money at this so that I could write full time. I figured I would write full time after retirement, in my 60′s. Now, I write full time. I am blessed beyond all comprehension. And I certainly never thought that people would leave reviews or contact me to tell me how much they love my stories.

I think the point I’m trying to make is this. If you write because you love to write, then GO FOR IT! If you write because you must purge the demons, the GO FOR IT! You might be the next JK Rowling. You might be the next James Patterson. Who knows? But write for all the right reasons.

But if you’re writing because you think it is an easy way to make a quick buck, or if you’re self-publishing because you think you’ll make a million dollars in your first month, then you are in for a rude awakening. You can’t take three weeks to write novel, slap a $12.99 price tag on your ebook version, upload it to KDP and expect to sit back and rake in the money, and then complain when the sales are not what you expected. Life doesn’t work that way and neither does self-publishing.

Write from your heart, write with passion, with zeal, with fervor. Your heart will never let you down.

The winners of the reader choice awards!

I want to say congrats everyone that was nominated, to me your all winners because of the fact you were nominated by a real reader. I really hate polls because things never goes as planned with them especially the free ones, but I wanted to do something to get the Indie authors recognized and this was one way to get that done. This also helped me in getting the word about for the convention and for that I want to think each and everyone of you for helping voting and the sharing of the polls.  
This is not the only time you can vote for the Indie authors, if you planning on attending the convention to make sure you read up on the attending authors 2013 books because there will be another voting poll just for them at the convention. 

I now want to give a Huge congrats to the winners of the poll below. 

 A couple of these polls were really close as you can see below. 

Best Indie Romantic Suspense, Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton

 Best Cover artist, Harris Channing

 Best Tour host, Book Monster Promotions
 Best Indie Romance Series, Big Bad Wolf series by Heather Killough-Walden 

 BEST Post Apocalyptic,Reign of Blood by Alexia Purdy

 Best review blog, Totally Booked Blog 

 Best Indie BDSM – D/s, Seduced in the Dark by C.J. Roberts 

 Best "Friend to Readers", Heather Killough Walden

 Best Indie YA Romance, Sam I Am by Heather Killough-Walden 

 Best Indie Fantasy & Futuristic Romance, A Sinister Game by Heather Killough-Walden

 Best Indie Short Romance, The Erotic Love Story of Amy and Troy Red Phoenix

 Indie Author of the Year, Heather Killough-Walden Best

 Indie Book Cover, Brie Learns the Art of Submission: Submissive Training Center by Red Phoenix

 Best Indie Erotic Romance, The Proposal by Katie Ashley 

 Best Indie Regency Historical Romance, My Highland Love by Tarah Scott

 Best Indie Romance Novella, A New Tradition by Tonya Kappes

 Best Indie Historical Romance, Runaway Heart by Claudy Conn 

 Best Indie Contemporary Romance, Hopeless by Colleen Hoover 

 Best New Adult Indie Romance, Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy Indie First Book, Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec

Best Indie First book, Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec

Best Indie Paranormal Romance,  Vairck: The Reckoning by Red Phoenix

Here is the award button below. Our awards director Deb will be emailing one to each of you providing that you have your email located on your website, if not you'd better grab this one. 

Guest post with attending author A.L. Kessler

A.L. Kessler’s My Indie Journey: Just the Beginning

When I first started chasing my dream of writing, I swore that I would go no other route than traditional publishing. Many years later, here I am an independent author. What changed between now and then? When I got my first short story accepted into an anthology I had people in boxing me asking when my next story would be out, if I had anything else for them to read, and if I’d continue Kheelan and Aubrey’s story? I didn’t want people to have to wait long for my stuff, which they obviously wanted. It occurred to me that I had a choice to make, either make my small fan base wait months, years, or forever for me to get traditionally published, or go the indie way.

After a long talk with my husband, his parting words on the matter were, “make a plan and stick to it.” So I did. I got a group of friends together, my now dear beta readers, and sent them all a copy of the project I chose to start with, Midnight Symphony. They all had their own strengths and weaknesses when helping me out and it all worked out in my favor. I wouldn’t be anywhere without their wonderful and honest feedback. Why they were doing their job, I was working on things from my side. My Chief Minion would tell you how often I took down time from research and planning. I read a great book that helped me out called Quit Your Day Job my H.P. Mallory that gave me some fantastic ideas on marketing and reaching out to readers. I worked with my wonderful cover artist on what I wanted for the cover, she’s amazing by the way. But really, a month before I released my novella is really what changed my life as an indie author.

I attended a convention as a regular attendee, and one of my artist friends pulled me into an event to meet all the local authors. From there I was invited to a celebration with them (one of their comic books had been nominated for the Bram Stoker Award). That night, after talking to all of them, who are either published small press or indie, I knew that I had made the right choice and that this journey would be a lot of fun. One author asked me, “Are you actually an author? I know your Facebook says such, but have you published anything?” I remember being slightly stunned by the question and I it was my first time admitting out loud, “Yes, I am an author.” It was exhilarating!

Fast-forward the crazy month of prepping. I learned that formatting is a pain in the ass first time around, but it’s doable by yourself if you have the knowledge of the program and patience. I breezed through Createspace, Kindle and Smashwords, but little did I know that putting it up was the easy part. Marketing on social networks always get me, because I don’t want to feel like I’m shoving my book down people’s throats. I needed to try to generate reviews, and that meant contacting people who reviewed.

I’ve sent out, and still do, a review request a day to bloggers. Some I’ve heard back on, some I haven’t, but either way I keep moving forward. When I got my first blogger review by Naomi I was blown away. I expected the worse, of course my friends told me that my book was fantastic, but to hear it from a stranger and get 4.5 stars just blew me out of the water.

Sometime during the adventure of releasing Midnight Symphony, I submitted another short story, this time Steampunk to another small press. When I got the e-mail saying I got in, I danced around the house with your daughter. This was the point where I felt like everything was falling into place.

Fast forward again, I got brave and sent a message to the Indie Romance Convention and asked to be an attending author, and the answer I got back was a yes. I was ecstatic and that falling into place feeling grew! The same day I found out that there would be a mass book signing at AnomalyCon for the anthology my second short had been accepted into. After attending that convention, I’m preparing for the Indie Romance Convention. Bouncing ideas back and forth on how many books I should be taking, while I plan on releasing my second book in June. Thinking about what swag items to bring, while I edit a short story.

Really, my journey is just beginning, but that’s how I got started. Hope to see you guys in TN!

Midnight Symphony:

The legend of the Gypsy Lady had been passed down for centuries, and now it is Cora's turn to dance in the square. Giving people hope and taunting the Demon King is what she lives for, until she catches the attention of Darius, prince of the demons. Hidden behind her mask, she keeps her identity from him until she is captured by the king. With her magic on the verge of waking and the village on the brink of war can Cora tame Darius' heart before it's too late?

Darius became obsessed with the Gypsy Lady the first time he had seen her dance and play in the market place. The night he kissed her became his undoing. When his father captures the woman people believed to be a spirit, Darius takes the chance to observe her. His obsession with her grows into something more, he knows that together they can stop the war and set things right, but can he accept it? 

Penny Dread Volume III:

In this tome, the third installment of the Penny Dread Tales series, we explore not only the darker side of steampunk but also the black, sullied underbelly of the human condition. The nightmare of Jack the Ripper stalks these pages… drenching them in blood… twice. Slavery, the murder of the weak and helpless, dire choices of life and death: these tragedies and more become fodder for the mind, where the possessed and dispossessed steal men’s lives, and in some cases, their souls. 

This volume is rich with shadowy settings shrouded in fog, and the ensuing brutality is glimpsed piecemeal through windows of moonlight where dark shadows hide nefarious villains plotting murder and mayhem upon unsuspecting victims. 

PDT3 carries the reader to the four corners of the Earth and beyond. It traverses the centuries, from the Victorian era all the way into a future 40,000 years distant. It is an exploration of mankind’s darkest dreams and nightmares, and in its reading you too may experience nightmares where might In Darkness Clockwork Shine.

Evernight Volume II:

As children, we feared the boogeyman… Our parents comforted us when the monster under the bed or in the dark depths of our slightly opened closet threatened our safety. We cried when those evil creatures invaded our nightmares and stole us from peaceful sleep, but what if those monsters truly existed? What if they lived in a world not unlike our own, where all they wanted was the same basic needs that every human being spends their lives searching for? What if the things that go bump in the night only wanted to be loved? In the next twelve stories, you will read about vampires and werewolves, angels and demons, and monsters of all kinds overcoming some of the most difficult hurdles simply to find their one true love, to find their happiness. You’ll read of heated, salacious trysts beneath the moonlight and of lovers doomed before they even have a chance to find the one person who completes their soul. Join us as we wander through a dark world where nothing is what it seems, where rainbows after a storm are a rare miracle, where the boogeyman captures your heart and fulfills your sweetest dreams.

(Buying links are on my website)

Find me:

Website: https://amylkessler.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alkesslerauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6548820.A_L_Kessler

Guest post with attending author Heather Allen

My Start as an Indie…and Proud to be One - Heather Allen

What a wild ride already! I am still such a newbie but amazed at the support and friends I’ve made in this new world of Indie! I have met some amazing authors and who would have thought they all self-published. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I started this thing, well really not a thing, writing, about 2 years ago. I concocted a story about a girl with magic powers yada, yada, yada. I had my husband read the first ten pages (there were only 60) and he couldn’t understand or get the picture I was trying to portray. I gave up. Girls and boys, don’t do that, never give up! Shame on me!

A year later I started Just Breathe, a new story swimming around up there. It seemed to shape up pretty nicely and after a year I had a full novel. This time I decided to avoid the husband and try for someone more appropriate for my audience. I grabbed my neighbor’s daughter, a young adult, and a reader at that! I must have chewed my finger nails to the cuticles, waiting for her to stroll over day after day. Finally she came knocking with a smile on her face. She loved it! I was so happy with just that one little step in the right direction. And each part has been another step in the right direction ever since.

Today I released my second book, Barely Breathing. Through this book I’ve learned things that I didn’t do for the first book, such as marketing. So, this one is more like a double marketing job. But hey, you learn from your mistakes and fix them.

I think the most “butterflies in the stomach” thing is the reviews. Reading other people’s thoughts on your writing and story is so exhilarating! And so my journey continues… What’s to come, who knows but I do know one thing, I will keep writing because I love it!

Oh yeah enough about me… Ha – Here is a teaser from Barely Breathing now available… Just Breathe the first book in the trilogy is 99 cents right now!

Excerpt from Barely Breathing from Ever’s POV

My ear buds are in and I've been reading missed chapters since I got here. I feel an elbow in my arm so I glance up to find the source. Sasha is motioning for me to take my ear buds out. I pull them out to hear her, " ...and he's looking right at you." I glance to the front of the classroom to find Mr. Griggs staring at me. I wince and look away completely embarrassed. I squirm and sink further into my seat trying to avoid any more unwanted attention.

As he starts to lecture, I notice that someone is sitting in the seat to my left. My heart stops, literally. That seat is just condemned. Nothing good has come from anyone sitting there in this class. I'm scared to death to look. I have to know though. I turn my head slightly and my eyes meet the unmistakable green that I know so well, Alex. He glares at me angrily and looks away. Okay, so maybe I'm not at the top of his favorite people list. Ugh, this is probably not so good that he's chasing me down.

Class drones on forever. With every minute that passes, I am more and more uncomfortable. I know he's going to corner me after class. I just don't know what I'm going to say. I steel another glance his way, this time his eyes have a softness in them, and that familiar flutter roams through my belly. I look straight ahead. Why in the world can't I get my life together?

The bell rings. I get up and gather my things, noticing the whole time that Alex is standing there waiting on me. Maybe if I drag it out and make him late, he'll leave without me. Fat chance. I pull my backpack over my shoulder but he stops me and effortlessly grabs the strap, placing it on his arm next to his bag. Ugh, now I definitely can't run. I look over and he gestures for me to walk in front of him.

Once we're in the hall I feel his hand under my elbow guiding me out the doors toward the parking lot. My heart speeds up at his touch. We pass many of my friends but they don't give us a second thought. I wonder if this is it. Will he demand I go right back to the sea? That thought hurts a little, I don't think I'm ready to go back.

His hand stays under my arm steering us to a black pickup truck, a few rows from the door. Once we're next to the truck he drops our bags, turns me so my back is against the truck, and rests his hands above my shoulders against the black metal.

He lets out a deep breath as if he's been holding it in, "Ever, don't do that to me again." His voice is pained at the last word. I glance into his eyes, so much hurt. Without thinking, my hand goes up and rests on his cheek. He leans in so that his lips are an inch from mine. I close my eyes, knowing this is wrong but needing to feel something. His breath hitches but he doesn't move any closer. I open my eyes and he's still right there. I close the gap. My lips graze his gently. A feeling rises up like none I've felt. Not the intense need or tingle I feel with Jack. A soothing feeling, a calmness, that I welcome. His lips explore mine. It lasts only a few seconds and he pulls away searching my eyes. My head screams at me, Ever this is wrong, what are you thinking?

Heather Allen

Author of Just Breathe

Create Space - http://https//www.createspace.com/4125012

Amazon - http://http//www.amazon.com/Just-Breathe-ebook/dp/B00AVLTKFE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363829923&sr=8-1&keywords=just+breathe+heather+allen

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Guest post with attending author Victoria Dannan

Thoughtless Trilogy, Book One, Thoughtless. WHEN ROMANCE IS FANTASY…

Before I launch into the critique, let me offer a foreword.

LOVED IT. LOVED IT. Even loved the parts that made me cringe. Maybe I especially loved the parts that made me cringe. The fact that I am spending so much of my (ahem, valuable) time on this series is a tribute. WARNING: The following contains MAJOR SPOILAGE… READ THE BOOKS FIRST.

1. FANTASY...

Just so we're all on the same page, so to speak, I'm qualified as an observer of humanity and as a person who holds an M.A. in Psychology to say conclusively that the relationship depicted in this series CANNOT (let me repeat), CANNOT occur in real life. Why? Because people can be predisposed by genetics to be loving personalities, but anyone - A-N-Y-O-N-E - who suffered constant abuse as a child is going to be an abuser as an adult. Period.

Further compounding that, the protagonist in this book got the double whammy. He was not only abused, but love was withheld as well. He can't love. He doesn't know how. Don't shoot me. I'm the messenger and the only one in the room who is telling the truth.

KELLAN, THE BEAUTIFUL UNICORN. So long as we agree that he is as much a fictional character of fantasy as a werewolf, vampire, or elf, then we can proceed to enjoy the books through the filter of fairytale and have a good time.

2. KELLAN...

Before they met, Denny told Kiera that Kellan was a figjam. (Fuck I'm good just ask me.) Well, fuck, he's good just ask any one of us who's in love with him.

How could we not be in love with him? Kellan is, well, everything. He's a mythical beast who's been carefully crafted as the ultimate lover with ultimate appeal and, damn, if he doesn't hit every single note. We've been manipulated, victims of our own evolutionary psychology, to fall head over heels in love with this unicorn. Intellectually I know that. Intellectually I sort of resent that. Makes no difference. The heart wants what it wants - and that's Kellan Kyle.

He...

...is a flawless beauty

...with sexual experience to play you like a xylophone and ring every single bell.

...turns male exhibitionism into an art form - literally.

...has enough bad boy going on to pull that trigger as well. Got a raging case of Dark Triad Syndrome. Seriously. That's what "bad boy" is called by social psychologists.

...is the consummate "little boy lost" which is like a giant magnet pulling at the single most powerful instinct in women; that's right, maternal instinct - our impulse to soothe, heal, and protect. NOTE: Kiera's on the hook, but she doesn't fall head over heels for Kellan until he cries.

...cooks for himself and does his own housework.

...uses words like "adore" and "adorable" which, of course, heterosexual men avoid like the plague unless they're berating each other.

...is the unicorn. Once she gives him carte blanche to love her, he repays her with what most women want more than anything, a lover who only has eyes for her.

...is a snappy dresser. I saved this one for last because it is the least believable thing of all. Of all these traits this is THE one that makes you start hearing a Sesame Street tune going, "One of these things just doesn't belong here. One of these things just isn't the same." Straight guy? Dresses himself in stylish, sexy clothes that fit him, look great on him, and match? Huh uh. Not happening in any reality. Any woman who has been in a relationship with a REALLY STRAIGHT guy knows that it would be easier to find a werewolf who doesn't shift on the full moon.

3. KIERA...

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. She's such a mess I don't know where to begin.

How about this? She's afraid to go to school by herself? Really? It's not kindergarten. She's a junior in college! This is not a charming or "adorable" trait. It's a portrait of a young woman who is emotionally handicapped and everyone close to her (with the single exception of Jenny) is indulging that at the least and enabling it at the worst. Kellan is going to walk her to class? Good grief.

Regarding this character's lack of character. It's not just that Kiera can't find the courage to do the right thing. It's that she doesn't even try.

She engages in what adolescent psychologists call "magical thinking". She plans to practice avoidance behavior indefinitely with the hope that the problem will magically resolve itself. In the meantime, she is torturing one boy she professes to love and betraying another. I can't relate to Kiera at this point. I don't like her. In fact I think I hate her. Yet, I still don't want her to have to watch Kellan parade sexual exploits through the living room, bedroom, and even (reaching past her) the refrigerator. At that point I hate him too. (Get the damned whipped cream if you have to, but wipe that smile off your face or prepare to get "smacked".)

The final straw is that she doesn't even pull herself out of the tangle she made. Her sister does it.

Anna is the ultimate rescuer. She picks up and moves to the opposite coast to become her Kiera's solicitor, nursemaid, roommate, companion, and general caretaker. She even instigates the reunion between Kellan and Kiera. We have no reason to believe that they would have ever gotten back together had Anna not forced it.

Anna, God love her, even tries to make excuses for the train wreck Kiera has left behind her. She passes off abominable behavior saying Kiera is "young and inexperienced". Now that's unconditional love, folks. Anna, will you be my big sister? Please?

4. Denny the Dense...

I don't know if good guys really finish last, but I do know that, in some ways, Denny was just as much a coward as Kiera. Of course he knew something was going on. He didn't have the nerve to confront her so he set up a sting operation to catch the lovers red-handed. I understand why he did it, but I think it was a chicken-shit approach.

Did he deserve to lose her to Kellan? Well, yes. She moved to the opposite side of the country for no reason other than to accommodate his internship and be with him. When he left her in Seattle, he was asking for exactly what he got.

5. Asshole...

This is the title of one of my favorite chapters. Why? Partly because I know that hurt gets acted out with anger and I appreciate an author who understands that. And partly because this chapter caused me to respond viscerally. My solar plexus ached. (Like I haven't had enough trouble in my own life? I have to go and borrow heartache from fiction that's supposed to be entertaining? Ugh. Does this mean I'm a masochist?)

If I'm that engaged with the story, so much so that I feel it psychically, emotionally, AND physically - then I think that means that the author isn't good. She's great. By that point in the story I couldn't have stayed away from that book if someone threatened one of my kids.

6. Why me?

Why did Kellan fall for Kiera and not one of the other 1500 girls he has "been" with? Would Kellan have fallen in love with her if she hadn't come along with Denny and moved in?

The answer is no.

He recognizes that himself. Near the end of the book she asked Kellan, "Why me?" He replied, "It was you and Denny... your relationship." In the world the author built for us, this was Kellan's first look at what a loving relationship looks like. I'm not so sure he fell in love with Kiera per se. All I know is that he fell in love with love.

7. The proxy line...

When Kellan tells Kiera that "every girl is you", it somehow doesn't ring true for me. If every sexual encounter was a substitute for Kiera, then why did each one have to be traffic-stopping beautiful and, for that matter, why did they need to be one-time-stands? It would be just as easy to use a mildly attractive person and use them more than once. No doubt they'd be willing.

Love you, Kellan, but I'm calling pants on fire on this one. Lucky for you that Kiera decided not to examine that sentiment too closely.

8. The Culture of Smack.

No. Not cocaine. I'm talking "smack" as a verb. If I wasn't so invested in the story, my irritation over all the "smacking" going on would have won out at some point. She uses the term "smack" to describe everything from a playful love pat to hitting someone hard enough to be very serious about getting their attention. If your attempt to correct someone's bad manners involves a "smack" to the back of the head, what does that say about your manners?

My e-reader allowed me to count how many times people were "smacked" in this first book alone. FIFTY ONE!

I can only assume that this author comes from a world that is alien to my own. I don't "smack". I'm not "smacked". And I don't know people who go about their lives "smacking". It was weird (to me) and entirely overused. If you weren't annoyed, more power to you.

9. FORESHADOWING.

This trilogy moved me to a rare reread. If you haven't read the entire series yet, you will have to take my word for it. The author does an excellent job foreshadowing things to come.

COMING UP... Book 2, Effortless

Victoria Danann

WEBSITE: http://www.VictoriaDanann.com

BLOG: http://VictoriaDanann.me

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/vdanann  

TWITTER: @vdanann

Award-winning, Best-selling Sensuous Romance with Sci-Fi, Paranormal, and Fantasy Flair.

Guest post with attending author Heather Gunter

Writing is something I've always done. Whether it be as simple as writing in a journal or to help write an article in a school newspaper, I have always found an outlet in writing. Just like reading is an escape, so is writing. Friends have always joked with me about writing a book, and it has always been a dream of mine for the last 20 years.

My dream if you will, had been placed on a bucket list. I'm not going to wait for this said "bucket" list, I have decided to seize the day and FINALLY do something about it. With the encouragement of fantastic friends, new and old, my support system is a mile long.  I couldn't do this without the encouragement of these people. For this, I will always be eternally grateful.

 I have days I want to give up but dangit these characters are now a part of me and won't shut up. I have a story to tell and I hope by writing it I can share a little of myself as well have a reader take something away from it. I want to impact a reader, this is my goal.

I have a fantastic friend/editor by my side who is ever so patient with me. In my opinion, I have the BEST on my side!

The first book is called Love Notes and Robin Harper/Wicked Cool Design who is also a very dear friend (I could not do this without her) is my cover designer

Here is the Synopsis for Love Notes-

How do you cope when the people you care for hurt you the most? When the way you feel on the outside, smothers you on the inside. And when you are left to face your demons alone, will you learn that only you have the power to overcome them?

Charlie has never had it easy. Between constantly moving and the incessant fat comments from her father, herself worth is nonexistent. Her reflection in the mirror shows her nothing but a plain Jane. Music is the only thing that keeps her sanity in check.

Charlie catches the eye of the town star quarterback, Maverick. He sees something in Charlie he’s never noticed in any other girl. She’s different, curvy, brunette and has a voice of an angel. He sees something extraordinary in her. Unfortunately, Charlie doesn’t see it herself.

Proving it to her may deem harder than he thinks, especially when tragedy strikes and tears them apart.

Now standing on her own two feet she may finally learn exactly who she is, what’s she’s capable of and how very un plain Jane she really is.

Second book in the series is called Heart Strings

Interview with Abigail character of Neverlove by Angela Brown

Neverlove – An Interview with Abigail

Abigail: *Ahem* My mother and father called me Abigail. You can call me Abby.

Interviewer for Indie RomCon: Thank you, Abby. Will do. So, let’s dive right on in. Neverlove, your story, is out in the world. Angela Brown, the author, calls it an upper YA novel with paranormal, action and romance infused throughout. How would you describe the book?

Abby: *Blush, Smile* I, uh, well, I mean, it’s about me and Basil. *Blush deepens mentioning Basil* It’s about being not-so-smart sometimes. Like that thing I did with the window? Geesh? What was I thinking?!

IRC: The window?

Abby: Yeah. But…I mean, Neverlove isn’t just a story. It’s shattered pieces of my life. No way I could tell it on my own. And it needed telling. There are guys and girls that need to know they can make different, better choices and that they aren’t alone. Angela collected them for me and Basil, told it in a way that came out, well, I don’t know. I like it. It’s my story, so I’m kinda biased lol!!

IRC: I understand. Was it hard working with Angela?

Abby: Not hard at all. We have so many things in common. We both love dark chocolate, Hayao Miyazaki films and anime. She listened and kept things true to life, which is why the first chapter of Neverlove can be very emotional for some readers.  *Shakes head* I like the way she handled it though.

IRC: I’ve read the reviews of the dark and twisting nature of Neverlove. I shudder to think of what you actually went through. Let’s lighten this interview up a bit. Who would you pick to star you if Neverlove were optioned and brought to film?

Abby: Play me? What? OMG! I don’t know. Angela showed me a picture of Sahara Garey. She is soooooo gorgeous, though *Blush* I don’t. Angela keeps telling me we’re like twins except for the eyes lol!!

IRC: *Laughs* Okay, let’s go for the speed round:

Fave beverage: Root beer

Name two fave colors: Red and black

First word that pops in your mind: Basil *blush*

IRC: And on that note, I want to thank you for taking the time to join us here at Beauty and Books. Wishing your story much success.

Abby: And thank you so much for having me so I can share my story with your readers. They are the reason my story is out there.

Here’s a little something about Angela.

Author bio:

Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela now calls Central Texas home.

Reading and writing have been lifelong passions. It was around the time she gave birth to her forever-love, nicknamed Chipmunk, that she really took writing seriously. After all, how could she teach her child to follow her dreams if she hadn't tried herself?

As a YA fantasy/sci-fi reader and author, she favors the magical, mysterious, the darker side of life...even harbors a secret fright for things that go bump in the night.

NEVERLOVE is a special project spawned from a blog-challenge-turned-blog-opera, the Abby and Basil affair. It is the first in the Shadow Jumpers series.

FRAILTIES OF THE BOND is the first in a series of novellas and short stories introducing heroes and heroines of the secret organization, NEO – Network of Extraordinaires and Otherwordlies..

You can buy Neverlove here:  Amazon.com, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon paperback

You can follow Angela here: Blog | Amazon author page | Twitter | Partners in ParanormYA FB

Nominee list

Voting is now in progress, so please click here to cast your vote.

 There is no way we can email everyone in time. We're running into to many authors not having contact on their sites and a lot of the authors don't even offer websites to contact them. So, with time running out please help us in away you can, by contacting anyone you know on this list below. Thanks!!! 

Remember voting will began right here on April 1, 2013.

To all authors nominated, if your book is in the hands of a publisher (or will be between now and October 2013.) Please let me know as soon as you can so I can add you to a different category. To all of the nominees your more then welcome to take the button and add it to your site. If you want me to email you the button to you please send me an email at indieromcon@gmail.com

If you notice anything that needs to be corrected please let me know and it will be changed. 

 

2013 nominees

Indie First Book

The Dream Jumper's Promise by Kim Hornsby

Pearls of Pleasure by Chantilly White

Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne

Embracing My Submission by Jenna Jacobs

The Summer I Learned to Dive by Shannon McCrimmon

Incidental Happenstance by Kim DeSalvo

Moon’s Kiss by Kimberly K. Comeau

Forever Fae by Leslie Paige Dover & Tabitha Short

Masters at Arms by Kallypso Masters

Damon – The Protector’s series Bk 1 by Teresa Gabelman

As You Wish by Elyssa Patrick

A Demon And His Psycho by Eve Langlais

The Eternal Gift by Candy Crum

Angel of Death by Leigh Savage

Going Home by Rhonda R. Dennis

Taking Shots by Toni Aleo

An Eye For Danger by Christine Fairchild

Bound Together by Marie Coulson

Seduction and Snacks  by Tara Sivec

Guardian's Grace by Jacqueline Rhoades

Prophecy: Child of Light by Felicity Heaton

An Alpha’s Path by Carrie Ann Ryan

Prelude to an Empire by Terry J. Benton

Eastwood by Dorothy Dunbar

Lessons Learned by Sydney Logan

Best New Adult Indie Romance

Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy

 When In Paris by Beverley Kendall

Best Indie Contemporary Romance

Unwrapped by Chantilly White

Reckless Nights in Rome by CC MacKenzie

No Knight Needed by Stephanie Rowe

Empty Net by Toni Aleo

Checkmate by RL Mathewson

Blame It On The Mistletoe by Lily Graison

Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Taking shots by Toni Aleo

Incidental Happenstance by Kim DeSalvo

Broken Promises by Marie-Nicole Ryan

The Christmas Cottage by Samantha Chase

The Mighty Storm by Samantha Towle

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Unlovable by Sherry Gammon

The Perfect Game by J. Sterling

Dating A Cougar by Donna McDonald

Countermeasure by Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey

Best Indie Romantic Suspense

Déjà vu by Rhonda Dennis

 Fight For Me by Hayden Braeburn

Best Indie Historical Romance

Lily Mine By Annabel Joseph

My Highland Love by Tarah Scott

Caressed by Moonlight by Amanda Greene

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

A Wild Night’s Bride by Victoria Vane
My Wild Highlander by Vonda Sinclair 

Abigail Jones by Grace Callaway

An Heir of Deception by Beverley Kendall

Whistle Down the Wind by Sibelle Stone

The Contessa’s Vendetta by Mirella Sichirollo Patzer
The Misbehaving Marquess by Leigh LaValle 

Best Indie Paranormal Romance

Jared by Teresa Gabelman

Varick:The Reckoning by Red Phoenix

Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton

Blood Avenged by Gabrielle Bisset

Croc And The Fox by Eve Langlais

Significance by Shelly Crane

Seduce by Felicity E. Heaton

Enforcer's Redemption by Carrie Ann Ryan

Hungry Moon: Quick Silver by Claudy Conn

How to Date a Demon by Rose Pressey

My Familiar Stranger by Victoria Danann

The Calling by Lily Graison

Ghostwriter by Lissa Bryan

Eternal Breath of Darkness by Candice Stauffer

Ethereal by Addison Moore

Darkness Awakened by Stephanie Rowe

The Demon Is In The Details by Harris Channing

Shadows of my Past by Leigh Savage

 Reckless Magic by Rachel Higginson

 Bound to the Prince by Deborah Court

Fangs, Fur and Mistletoe by Selena Blake

Best Indie Regency Historical Romance

Never A Mistress No longer a Maid by Maureen Driscoll

Courting Danger: Agents for the Crown by Elizabeth A. Lance

Taffeta and Hotspur by Claudy Conn

Runaway Heart by Claudy Conn

Darklove by Claudy Conn

Best Indie Romance Novella

Prophecy by Raine Thomas

Pearls of Wisdom by Chantilly White

Enslave by Felicity Heaton

Vampire Dreams Revamped by Gabrielle Bisset

Last Single Girl by Caitie Quinn

Blurred Expectations by Carrie Ann Ryan

One Hit Wonder by Elyssa Patrick

Forever in Darkness by Stephanie Rowe

Wicked Night by Caris Roane

Letters to Elise by Amanda Hocking

On Christmas Hill by Nichole Chase

Croc And The Fox  by Eve Langlais

 Between Four and Five by Rhonda R. Dennis

A New Tradition by Tonya Kappes

A Demon and His Witch by Eve Langlais

The Christmas Cottage by Samantha Chase

Crave by Felicity Heaton

Stealing Fate by Berinn Rae

Masters At Arms by Kallypso Masters

Best Indie Erotic Romance

The Erotic Love Story of Amy and Troy by Red Phoenix

Bloodstone by Tracy Cooper-Posey

Under His Command by Kristine Cayne

 Odalisque by Annabel Joseph

Beyond Shame by Kit Rocha

Shadows of my Past by Leigh Savage

Valkyrie Slumbering by L. VanHorn

 Delicate Freakn' Flower by Eve Langlais

Nobody's Perfect by Kallypso Masters

Angel of Death by Leigh Savage

The Proposal by Katie Ashley

Trinity bound By Carrie Ann Ryan

Willows by Shaun Harmon

Semper Fi by Laura Cooper

Best Indie Book Cover

Darkness Awakened by Stephanie Rowe

Blood Avenged by Gabrielle Bisset

Jared by Teresa Gabelman

Unwrapped by Chantilly White

The Fallen King by T.A. Grey

Club Mephisto by Annabel Joseph

Wander Dust by Michelle Warren

Dust of My Wings by Carrie Ann Ryan

How to Date a Demon by Rose Pressey

Bound by Blood by Cynthia Eden

Forever Fae by Leslie Paige Dover

Hard Mated by Jennifer Ashley

Valkyrie Slumbering by L. VanHorn

The Girl with the Cat Tattoo  by Theresa Weir

Ours is Just a Little Sorrow by Gwen Hayes

Bunny and the Bear by Eve Langlais

Every Night Forever  by R.E. Butler

Angel of Death by Leigh Savage

Running on Empty by L.B. Simmons

Away with the Fairies by Twist

The Witch’s Dream by Victoria Danann

Her Demonic Angel by Felicity Heaton

Jingle Freakin’ Bride by Eve Langlais

Hungry Moon: Quick Silver by Claudy Conn

Brie Learns the Art of Submission: Submissive Training Center by Red Phoenix

Indie Author of the Year

Stephanie Rowe

Teresa Gabelman

Lily Graison

Bella Andre

Rose Pressey

RL Mathewson

Red Phoenix

Amanda Brice

Cameo Renae

Courtney Milan

Gabrielle Bisset

Caitie Quinn

Chantilly White

Liliana Hart

Kristine Cayne

Elyssa Patrick

Candy Crum

Leigh Savage

Rhonda K. Dennis

Toni Aleo

Jessica Sorensen

J. Sterling

Jacqueline Rhoades

Carrie Ann Ryan

Felicity Heaton

Heather Killough-Walden

 Kallypso Masters

Eve Langlais

Samantha Chase

Best Indie Short Romance

The Erotic Love Story of Amy and Troy Red Phoenix

Happy Anniversary by Dianna Hardy

Best Indie Fantasy & Futuristic Romance 

Tansy's Titan By S.E. Smith

The Shaman's Mate by Donna McDonald

Shadows of my Past by Leigh Savage

C791 by Eve Langlais

The Lost immortals:When Copper Suns Fall by KaSonndra Leigh

Perception by Lee Strauss

Dual Abduction by Eve Langlais

Protecting Truth by Michelle Warren

Close Liaisons by Anna Zaires

To Kill A Warlock by H.P. Mallory

Dust of my Wings by Carrie Ann Ryan

A Sinister Game by Heather Killough-Walden

Two Moons of Sera – Pavarti K. Tyler

The Calling by Ashley Lynn Willis

Two Moons of Sera by Pavarti K. Tyler

My Familiar Stranger by Victoria Danann

Best Indie YA Romance 

Light of the World by Tara Brown

Redemption by R.K. Ryals

Flutter by Melissa Andrea

Love and Skate by Lila Felix

Hoax by Lila Felix

Sempre by JM Darhower

Between Balloons by Kimberly Russell

Unlovable:Book One of The Port Fae Series by Sherry Gammon

Immortal Mine by Cindy C. Bennett

Sam I Am by Heather Killough-Walden

The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton
Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines 
Laced in Malice by Riley Gray 

Best "Friend to Readers"

Heather Killough Walden

DeeDee Scott

Victoria Dannan

Kimberly Russell

Jasinda Wilder

Tonya Kappes

Lila Felix

T.A. Grey

Toni Aleo

H.P. Mallory

Jessica Sorensen

J. Sterling

Carrie Ann Ryan

Eve Langlais

 Claudy Conn

Rochelle Maya Callen

Felicity Heaton

Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey

Kallypso Masters

Best Indie BDSM – D/s

Undercover Submissive by Michelle Hughes

The Dom with a Safeword by Carrie Silverwood, Leia Shaw and Sorcha Black

Seduced in the Dark by C.J. Roberts

Beyond Shame by Kit Rocha

Nobody's Perfect by Kallypso Masters

Brie Learns the Art of Submission: Submissive Training Center by Red Phoenix

Under His Command by Kristine Cayne

Best Western

The Outlaw by Lily Graison

BEST Post Apocalyptic

Reign of Blood by Alexia Purdy

The Plague: Beginnings: Book I by Elle Chardou

The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel by Rhiannon Frater

The Scourge by A.G. Henley

Whispers in Autumn by Trisha Leigh

Best Indie Romance Series
 Countermeasure Series by Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey

The Kingdom Series by Marie Hall

Legend series by Claudy Conn

The Kingdom Series by Marie Hall

Big Girls Do It Series by Jasinda Wilder

The Premonition Series by Amy Bartol

Wicked: The Complete Series by Lily Graison

Vampire Assassin Leaque Series by Jackie Ivie

Furry United Coalition series by Eve Langlais
The Victorian Erotic Romance Trilogy by Gabrielle Bissett

Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series by Felicity E. Heaton

Big Bad Wolf series by Heather Killough-Walden

Best Tour host

Giselle at Xpresso Tours

Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books

Lit Connect

Cheryl Bradshaw

Book Monster Promotions

Best review blog

Crystal of Reading Between the Wines 

Close Encounters with the Night Kind

Scandalicious Book Reviews

Maryse's Book Blog

Kathy Womack Romantic Reading Escapes

Natasha is a book Junkie

Jane Linsdell

Ana's Sexy Attic

Smut Book Club

Totally Booked Blog

Kristen Lamb

The Reader Girls

Book Obsessed Chicks

Best Cover artist

Hot Damn Designs

For the Muse Design

Razzle dazzle Design

P and N graphics

Felicity Heaton

Scarlett Rugers

CP Design

LLPIX Photography

Adrienne Wilder

Harris Channing

Okay Creations

Bookin' It Designs