Red, White and Blood…

Independence Day in Marcona has just turned deadly. A crazed bomber has decided to terrorize all in his path, and he won’t stop until his revenge is complete.

Chief of Police Mark Blankenship and his daughter are unexpected targets of the attack, and they find themselves in a struggle for survival. He soon discovers if he doesn’t find the location of the devices or the man himself, all will be lost.

Will Blankenship be able to save the people of the city and disable the weapons of mass destruction…or will the trail of bloodshed include him and everything he loves?

Finding the Right Publisher Part 1…yes, there will be a Part 2.

Hmm, let’s ponder that question. Some would say that anyone willing to publish your work is the right one. Not so much, aspiring writers. I know you slaved away on the manuscript and spent countless hours editing it to within an inch of its’ life, and then…yousent out dozens upon dozens of query letters, where the only correspondence was in the form of a cookie cutter rejection letter. It can be disappointing to say the least.

So, your next course of action, is to scour the internet and writing forums for publishers who accept query letters. You take a deep breath…(make sure you exhale, or you will pass out) and fire off a few queries to a publisher who you think will make your writing dreams become a reality. A few weeks/months later, the golden ticket arrives in email/mailbox, and the excitement grows to a level so intense, sleep is barely on the agenda. Hmm, it would appear the hard work has paid off, and you are well on your way to seeing your novel on display as an end cap at the brick-and-mortar stores.

Unfortunately, the publisher you have been so lucky to have been chosen by has no clue how to successfully market you or the novel you possess. When the book finally comes out, it’s so riddled with errors, you wonder if the editorial team (if they even have one) was high on some illegal substances. Now, to top if off…your 300-page trade paperback has been priced at the reasonable price of $19.95. (Hehe!) But have no fear…because you the author of the work will get a reduced price for future purchases (after your one free author copy) at the fair rate of $13.95…what a freaking deal, my author friend!

Wow, you may think the example above is far-fetched…but let me tell you, I’m fortunate to travel across the region doing author events, some with authors in the situation above. Their novel is priced at such an inflated amount, the only people who buy it either are family or friends. It pains me to see this, and I urge all the aspiring writers out there, if you decide to forego the literary agent route and tread into the waters of publishers, be mindful of who you are dealing with. In the above example, the research for finding a publisher was half-ass. A quick check on valuable writers websites tells you many things, but it’s your job as the author to be very thorough. Example, if the publisher has a list of authors, find out if those books are carried at the local book stores and libraries. The individual authors of publishers will have websites, active usage of social networking will also be important. Scour their sales numbers, and reviews through a multiple of networks. Your goal is to determine if this publisher can do the following: honest feedback when you ask pertinent questions, distribute your work to the masses, assist in author appearances, market your novel in all media formats, and the most important, (to me at least) love your novel as much as you do.

Next week, I will continue this conversation and talk a little more about the following:

1. Distribution of your work

2. Reviewing your contract

3. Royalties

4. Synergy with Publisher

Until then, remember…death is only a click away.

Happy B-day Cold Moon Press!

Hello, fans and friends! Check out the B-day post from my publisher! I can’t belive it’s been a whole year myself, but indeed it has.

The First Birthday
of Cold Moon Press

If I had to, I couldn’t pick an exact date that Cold Moon
Press began. Was it the day we held the first book in our hands? Or the day that
Jeff submitted his manuscript to me, and I thought, Hey! We’ve got something
here! Or was it before that, when I was writing our business plan and
dreaming about who we were capable of becoming? None of those dates are right,
yet none of them are wrong. The truth is, I’d been dreaming about doing this for
so long that it had become part of me, the lines of time blurring enough that we
just…well…were.

We didn’t celebrate our opening. Too much was happening
too quickly. But I do want to pick a moment to take a breath and say yes, it’s
been a year. A wonderful, beautifully hectic year. So I’m picking our first
anniversary to be celebrated on October 31. Not only is it a fun day—my favorite
of the year—but it is also the day our first contract was drafted on our first
piece of Cold Moon Press stationary, complete with the logo Vonnie designed. I
mean, we were official. It was written right there in black and
white.

I wanted this post to be a humorous list of the things I
have learned over the last year, but instead, it feels right to just say thank
you. To my sounding boards (you know who you are) who listen to my ramblings and
day dreams and help me develop game plans. To the authors, who have placed a
great deal of trust in this venture and who have been working their…err…back
covers off to market and promote our team, who’ve graciously adopted our motto,
“What’s good for one of us is good for all of us.” To all of our
families and friends who have been supportive. To the professional and
convention venues, brick-and-mortar stores, and websites who have hosted Cold
Moon Press and the authors. And to each and every person who have come to see us
read or speak, who’ve read our blogs, and who may have (thankfully) purchased
our books.

So, to express our appreciation, I’d like to give one of
you part of us. Leave a comment on this blog
post or on our Facebook page from now until the end of October, and you go into
a drawing to get print copies of the books we currently have in print (or a copy
of the e-book, if you prefer something for your e-reader). Good luck. And thanks.

Remember…death is only a click away!

Call for Submissions from Cold Moon Press

Cold Moon Press is excited to announce guidelines for the first volume of their annual anthology, Walking Down the Sky. This antho will focus on the full moon as viewed by other cultures, such as the Cold Moon in December (or January, depending which culture you explore).

What would happen in your story during Hungry Ghost Moon? Who would your main character meet during the Moon of Winds? (If you need help getting started, use your search engine to find “full moon names,” and you’ll find plenty of ideas!). Poetry and art submissions should also incorporate this theme.

We want stories for each month of the year, and one bonus story, for a total of 13 titles. We prefer urban fantasy, fantasy, science fiction, and horror. While the tone of this anthology is dark (and we are ok with not-so-happy endings), we are trying to keep this rated PG-13.

Click here for more details and submission contact information.

Goings on at Cold Moon Press

It has been a busy few weeks here at Cold Moon Press. As a new independent publisher, there is always so much to do (in a good way). One thing I can say without hesitancy: I am truly never bored!

One thing I love is being challenged. The last few weeks have offered many wonderful opportunities to learn new things, expand my skill set, and promote the press and its wonderful authors.

For example, at the end of this month, Vonnie Winslow Crist and I will be presenting at Balticon, an amazing conference in the Baltimore area. As a bonus, attendees will be receiving a gorgeous keepsake program, and we’ve secured an ad for our press and current authors. Since many of you aren’t in the area, I thought I might share what our half-page ad will look like. And if you are lucky enough to attend, you’ll find a wonderful surprise when you see the ad for Vonnie’s book, The Greener Forest. It will definately be an engaging treat for readers! So during the last few weeks, I’ve been working on creating advertising, designing promotional materials, and preparing to present.

Next month, Cold Moon Press opens for its first multi-author anthology, Walking Down the Sky. This anthology opens for submissions at the beginning of June and will contain our favorite 13 stories that feature the moon. We hope that if you write urban fantasy, fantasy, scifi, or horror you will consider submitting to us…click on the link above to read the guidelines. The project will be released late fall to coincide with Cold Moon Press’s first anniversary. I’ve been planning and working with some great authors to get their feedback on the project.

We have also been spending time preparing formal marketing plans for distribution. Seasoned writers know that there is a lot of work to be done after the last word is written on the page. Furthermore, authors like our very own Jeffrey Martin know the value in forming a partnership with their publisher to make sure their book is successful. Many, many thanks to him for all his hard work and patience. I’ve been learning so much about the business side of books and their promotion! (And make sure you pick up a copy of Jeff’s book here!).

If you’d like to learn more about Cold Moon Press, please visit our site. Sign our guest book, read our blog, and keep current on all the happenings at our press!

Time for a Giveaway!

A quick blog this week, before many celebrate the Easter weekend. We are going to give away a signed wall print of my latest novel, 3:16. All you have to do is send me an email and You will be added to my pool of lucky contestants! I will announce a winner next weekend. So, without further ado, send me a line with your name and addy, and remember…death is only a click away!

Once Upon a Time…

…there was a little girl who read too much…who was a young woman who worked in a book store…who became an official student of writing…who became writer…who became an editor with a few (haha) gray hairs…who became a book promoter…who became a publisher. Why? Because she loved books. Everything about them. Hardback, paperback, ebooks. Couldn’t get enough of them. So she took her years of experiences working in the field and finally put them all together. She opened a small press with great authors, and everyone lived happily ever after.

She likes happy endings in real life. But the books she loves? No happy ending required.

I opened Cold Moon Press for those of us who love the dark, the magical, the side of life–be it good or bad–that is forced into the shadows during the longest, coldest nights of the year. I wanted to publish stories that are lovely to read under the cover of darkness. I wanted to be able to feel the chill of a winter night, even if I opened a book in the middle of July.

The press itself is still very much in the development stage. The website isn’t quite together, business cards are not in yet from the printer, and support staff is still being rounded up. But the books! That’s where I’m spending my time right now, courting authors who have proven themselves to be great writers and, equally important, to be hard workers who understand that the job of an author only just begins when the words “The End” are typed on the paper.

I will be looking for submission later this fall, once our first book is printed (you’re gonna LOVE it!) and all the press logistics are handled. What am I looking for? Novels and eventually short stories (once the details are hammered out). And think about the press name. I want things that are dark or chilling or magical. Make your words mean something, make elements pivotal to the plot instead of gratuitous, make me want to wrap my sweater tighter around myself. Submit grammatically/technically sound pieces, and do your research. Show me that you’re willing to promote your work for the duration it is in print (I’ll help you, don’t worry!).

If you have questions before then, please contact me (editor@coldmoonpress.com). Until then, keep an eye out for the first release, and start writing down those stories you know you were meant to write.