Transitioning from Blogger to Wordpress... Choose a hosting company.

I am moving forward with transitioning this blog to Wordpress.  I've had several bloggers ask me to share what I am doing and how it is done.

First of all I would suggest to look before you leap.  I jumped into this clueless and it has taken a lot more time than I imagined.  I love that I am learning something new but if I had it to do over again I'd probably just pay someone to transition it for me cause I've spent a lot of time I didn't really have and I've really not accomplished much yet.

I'm moving to a self-hosted Wordpress blog.  Wordpress.com also has a free option for bloggers but I know that one isn't for me.  Linky's don't work on Wordpress.com and I use them all that time so that right there turns me away from using it.  But many bloggers do use and like it.  I even know of one blogger who uses both Blogger & Wordpress to ensure her blog never disappears.

So in all honesty I'm still feeling so completely clueless and don't know what I am doing.  I'm sure there are many other bloggers who can clearly walk you through the process much better than I can.  I'm learning by trial and error.  There are dozens of detailed instructions on how to make the switch available.  For a step by step guide just type in Blogger to Wordpress and you will find lots of how to guides that will be much more detailed and clearer than I am going to be.

I've read a few of the how to make the change posts on different sites and the first thing to do is choose a hosting company.  There is a cost involved in self-hosting a wordpress blog.  Hosting prices can vary from a couple dollars a month on up. This really stinks because with blogger everything is free.  I like free.  Free is good or at least it was until my other blog disappeared.  I read a few reviews and looked at a few sites and opted to go with BlueHost.  I read they had great customer support and that setting up a Wordpress blog is easy to do with them.   I didn't want to go with the cheapest company out there because I want reliability and service if I need it.  BlueHost is located in Provo, UT which was a huge plus for me.  I figured if I needed customer support with the thousands of college students in that town I'd likely find someone intelligent on the other end of the line.

So far I am impressed with Blue Host. Here's why.  I have been testing the transition to wordpress with feedyourreader.com.  I also purchased hosting for one of my personal blogs.  Silly me I was clueless that purchasing hosting would allow me to host all my blogs on the same account.  I paid for 3 separate accounts not knowing I didn't need to.  I would still be clueless except for the customer service person I was speaking to today.  When I mentioned I had other URLs hosted with them he told me I could host all of them under the same account.  He looked into it and was able to join the accounts together and give me a refund for the other two hosting accounts.  I so appreciated his helpfulness and honesty.

The banner even says Unlimited Domains but I didn't even have a clue what that meant since I went ahead and bought an account for each domain.  See told you I was clueless.




I'm no where near ready to make the leap and actually switch my domain to Wordpress so I am using a temporary domain they gave me to create my new wordpress blog.  So far I have activated wordpress and imported my blogger posts.  Comments are currently being imported.  At least if my blogger blog does disappear I now have it imported somewhere else.

http://69.195.124.118/~iamaread


Before making the switch to wordpress...
I would really suggest you think about it and make sure it is something you really want/need to do.  There were a lot of bloggers who switched to wordpress a year or so ago. At that time it wasn't right for me.  Now the time is right.  I now make enough money off of BlogAds, Google Adsense and Amazon Affiliates to cover the cost of the hosting so it isn't coming out of my pocket.

Consider these questions...
Can you just back up your blog regularly so if it disappears you will still have it?
Do you have the time to commit to learning something new?
Do you have the money to pay for it?
If your blog disappeared today would you be ok with it?

Blogger is definitely more friendly for those who do not have a lot of computer knowledge.  I think ultimately when I get things all figured out I'll end up liking Wordpress more than Blogger.  But until then I am sure a few gray hairs might start sprouting.

Fairy Tale Giveaway Hop! Enter to win!

This hop is in conjunction with the 3rd annual Fairy Tale Fortnight.  

March 26th to April 2nd

Fairy Tale Giveaway Hop

Hosted by

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

The Book Rat &

A Backwards Story

My Giveaway

Your choice of any one of Marcia Lynn McClure's Fairy Tale Retellings.
Paperback open to US only, Ebook open Internationally

Saphyre Snow (Snow White)

Descended of a legendary line of strength and beauty, Saphyre Snow had once known happiness as princess of the Kingdom of Graces . Once a valiant king had ruled in wisdom—once a loving mother had spoken soft words of truth to her daughter. Yet, a strange madness had poisoned great minds—a strange fever inviting Lord Death to linger. Soon it was even Lord Death sought to claim Saphyre Snow for his own—and all Saphyre loved seemed lost.
Thus, Saphyre fled—forced to leave all familiars for necessity of preserving her life. Alone, and without provision, Saphyre knew Lord Death might yet claim her—for how could a princess hope to best the Reaper himself?
Still, fate often provides rescue by extraordinary venues, and Saphyre was not delivered into the hands of Death—but into the hands of those hiding dark secrets in the depths of bruised and bloodied souls. Saphyre knew a measure of hope and asylum in the company of these battered vagabonds. Even she knew love—a secreted love—a forbidden love. Yet it was love itself—even held secret—that would again summon Lord Death to hunt the princess, Saphyre Snow.

The Whispered Kiss (Beauty & the Beast)

With the sea at its side, the beautiful township of Bostchelan was home to many—including the lovely Coquette de Bellamont, her three sisters, and beloved father. In Bostchelan, Coquette knew happiness, and as much contentment as a young woman whose heart had been broken years before could know. Thus, Coquette dwelt in gladness until the day her father returned from his travels with an astonishing tale to tell.

Antoine de Bellamont returned from his travels by way of Roanan bearing a tale of such great adventure to hardly be believed. Further, at the center of Antoine’s story loomed a man—the dark Lord of Roanan. Known for his cruel nature, heartlessness, and tendency to violence, the Lord of Roanan had accused Antoine de Bellamont of wrong doing and demanded recompense. Antoine had promised recompense would be paid—with the hand of his youngest daughter in marriage.

Thus, Coquette found herself lost—thrust onto a dark journey of her own. This journey would find her carried away to Roanan Manor—delivered into the hands of the dark and mysterious Lord of Roanan who dominated it.

Divine Deception (Beauty & the Beast)

Life experience had harshly turned its cruel countenance on the young Fallon Ashby. Her father deceased and her mother suffering with a fatal disease, Fallon was given over to her uncle, Charles Ashby, until she would reach the age of independence.

Abused, neglected, and disheartened, Fallon found herself suddenly blessed with unexpected liberation at the hand of the mysterious Trader Donavon. A wealthy landowner and respected denizen of the town, Trader Donavon concealed his feature of face within the shadows of a black cowl.

When Fallon’s secretive deliverer offered two choices of true escape from her uncle, her captive heart chose its own path. Thus, Fallon married the enormous structure of mortal man—without having seen the horrid secret he hid beneath an ominous hood.

But the malicious Charles Ashby, intent on avenging his own losses at Trader Donavon’s hand, set out to destroy the husband that Fallon herself held secrets concerning. Would her wicked uncle succeed and perhaps annihilate the man that his niece secretly loved above all else?

Author Marcia Lynn McClure

Marcia Lynn McClure’s intoxicating succession of novels, novellas, and e-books, has established her as one of the most favored and engaging authors of true romance. Her unprecedented forte in weaving captivating stories of western, medieval, regency, and contemporary amour void of brusque intimacy has earned her the title “The Queen of Kissing.” Marcia, who was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has spent her life intrigued with people, history, love, and romance. A wife, mother, grandmother, family historian, poet, and author, Marcia Lynn McClure spins her tales of splendor for the sake of offering respite through the beauty, mirth, and delight of a worthwhile and wonderful story.

Giveaway Details 
1 winner will win any one of the above titles.
Paperback to US only, Ebook open Internationally


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Each of these blogs is hosting a giveaway as part of this hop. The linky will be accurate by noon on Tuesday.

Secret for a Song by Adriana Ryan Cover Reveal

Author Adriana Ryan

A huge fan of spooky stuff and shoes, Adriana Ryan enjoys alternately hitting up the outlet malls and historic graveyards in Charleston, SC where she lives and imbibes coffee. Her husband and two small children seem not to mind when she hastily scribbles novel lines on stray limbs in the absence of notepads.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Secret for a Song 

Saylor Grayson makes herself sick. Literally.

She ate her first needle when she was seven. Now, at nineteen, she’s been kicked out of college for poisoning herself with laxatives. The shrinks call it Munchausen Syndrome. All Saylor knows is that when she’s ill, her normally distant mother pays attention and the doctors and nurses make her feel special.

Then she meets Drew Dean, the leader of a local support group for those with terminal diseases. When he mistakes her for a new member, Saylor knows she should correct him. But she can’t bring herself to, not after she’s welcomed into a new circle of friends. Friends who, like Drew, all have illnesses ready to claim their independence or their lives

For the first time, Saylor finds out what it feels like to be in love, to have friends who genuinely care about her. But secrets have a way of revealing themselves. What will happen when Saylor’s is out?


Cover Reveal

What do you think? Would you buy the book based on the cover along?

Making the Transition from Blogger to Wordpress

I've been a Blogspot Blogger since I starting blogging back in 2007.  For six years Blogger is all I have really known.

I have a half dozen different blogs that I semi-regularly use and they've worked well for me until last Friday when I woke up to this dreaded email message about one of my blogs:

Your blog has been reviewed and confirmed as in violation of our Terms of Service. In accordance to these terms, we've removed the blog and the URL is no longer accessible. 

What?

I've always been one of those who doesn't worry about things and thinks the worst probably won't happen to me, but it did.  Thankfully it wasn't this blog or my Book Blast Blog so there was nothing really lost but it did get me thinking.  I've seen this happen to multiple bloggers recently.  I go to look for a Blog Tour post on their site and all I find is this:

Not a great thing to find.  Yes many eventually get their blog back after days or weeks of downtime if they are persistent and keep pestering google to get it back.  I don't want to pester and I don't want to worry about it happening to one the blogs I really care about.

So I'm transitioning to a self hosted wordpress blogs.

I started Friday with my Feed Your Reader Blog, yesterday I moved one of my personal blogs, next month I'll move my Book Blast & Blog Tours blog and then I hope by May to have officially move I Am A Reader, Not A Writer over to wordpress.

It's a lot of work and there is a big learning curve but I don't want to risk waking up to another message from Blogger saying one of my blogs has been removed.

Wish me luck, I'll need it.

Throat of the Night by Karyn Henley - Interview & Giveaway

Welcome to Author Karyn Henley

Award-winning author Karyn Henley has written more than 100 titles, including a mix of children’s books and articles; parent-teacher books, articles, and curricula; and preschool musicals and CD’s/DVD’s of original music for children. Karyn revitalized the category of children's Bibles when she wrote the original The Beginner's Bible, which sold over five million copies and was translated into seventeen languages.

Venturing into the young adult market, Karyn’s first book of The Angelaeon Circle, Breath of Angel, hit bookshelves in June 2011 from WaterBook Press (Random House), followed by Eye of the Sword March 2012. She releases the final planned installment of the fantasy trilogy, Throat of the Night, just one year later.

An accomplished songwriter, Karyn has been a Dove Award nominee and received a regional Emmy Award as Music Composer for a Christmas television special. She has traveled worldwide speaking to parents and teachers about child development and communication with children and teens, as well as entertaining children and their families in storytelling/active movement sessions and concerts.

A graduate of Abilene Christian University (BSEd), Karyn received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2004.

Karyn lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

 Website * Twitter * Facebook

INTERVIEW
If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?

I would definitely go into the past, into different times and places for just a few days each. I'm intrigued by how people in the past, with the same emotional and psychological makeup we have, dealt with the vastly different physical realities that existed in historical times and cultures.

If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose?

My friend Sue, because she has the greatest life stories to tell. Charles, because he's a fantastic conversationalist and is so gracious. Ben, because he's an awesome listener and has wise observations to salt into the conversation now and then. My sister Danna and her husband, because they have been to hell and back but have allowed their experiences to make them into better people. These five people respect others, respect life, and generously share themselves in the give and take of conversation. And me? I would just listen the whole time!


If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?

A water purifier, a knife, and a year's supply of matches.

If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose?

I would want to meet Madeleine L'Engle, because somehow she combined a deep faith with an unflinchingly realistic and honest view of the world. I always wanted to meet her, but she died before I had the chance.

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

Mueslix – which for me is a mix of granola, fresh blueberries, Greek yogurt, and enough soy milk to make a smooth, yummy texture.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.

You will truly enjoy it and be inspired as well.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

I'm revising a contemporary YA novel right now for my agent. Also I'm about half finished with a middle grade fantasy novel. And I've outlined a new YA fantasy series.

What inspired you to want to become a writer?

Reading was my biggest inspiration. I taught for a while, and my favorite time of day was story time. As I read books to my class, I would think maybe I could write stories. That's when I started taking steps toward learning to write.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

My first book was published in 1979, so this question encompasses a lot of time. I would have to say that travel has been one of the most rewarding of all my experiences. Being published has given me the opportunity and privilege to speak and perform all over the world, so I've seen some amazing places and experienced many different, fascinating cultures.

What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen?

The picture book Nibble, Nibble by Margaret Wise Brown was one of my favorites. I love the lilt of her language and the way she can convey so much, so beautifully, in so few words.

If a movie was made about your life, who would you want to play the lead role and why?

I think Meryl Streep has my quiet energy. She could communicate all the nuances of my life.


How did you know you should become an author?

I don't know that I ever thought I should become an author. Writing was one of the many choices I had early on. When I saw that people wanted to read what I had written – and then realized they wanted to read more of what I had written – I decided that I should learn how to write to the best of my ability, because if I'm going to write, I owe my readers the best I can give them.

Throat of the Night


Lies, Deceit, Kidnapping, Treason.

When friends can’t be trusted and courage becomes costly, can Melaia and Trevin trust their love to hold?

Melaia sends Trevin into enemy territory to retrieve the third harp she needs to restore the stairway to heaven and free the angels trapped in a human world. But an assailant wants Trevin dead, an unknown traitor is passing information to the invading enemy army, and the Firstborn immortal has vowed to destroy all three harps, along with anyone who stands in his way.

Separated, Trevin and Melaia try to keep their faith, hope, and love for each other alive. From the land of Windwing horses to the mountaintop lookouts of Stargazers, from the blight-ridden fields of the Camrithian homeland to the night-dark caverns of the Under-Realm, they face the ultimate test: What are they willing to sacrifice to restore the stairway and save their world? Will they lay aside their love for each other? Will they give up their future together?

Giveaway Details
1 Ebook of Throat of the Night
Ends 4/14/13



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Grimm Chronicles Volume 2 Blog Tour - Interview & Giveaway

Tour Schedule

The Grimm Chronicles Volume 2

200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm changed everything.

With the help of a little magic, fairy tales were made real, manifesting all over the world. Charming princes. Gold-hunting dwarfs. Terrible step-mothers. Heroic animals.

Then, slowly, they began to change. Everyone—from Prince Charming to the old miller—grew more evil. Corrupted. A hero was chosen to stop them, hunting them down one by one and destroying them with the help of a magic pen and a special rabbit assistant.

For 200 years, the hero’s magic pen has been passed on from generation to generation. The newest hero is Alice Goodenough, an 18-year-old junior from Washington High School. While her friends spent their summer working and having fun, Alice found herself doing battle with creatures most human beings don’t even realize exist. A giant snake. A blood-sucking prince. A terrifying half-man, half-hedgehog. Dastardly dwarfs intent on mind-controlling everyone who uses a cell phone.

Now, senior year has begun. With it comes a new challenge at school, where bullies have grown bolder and classes more challenging. As if that’s not enough, Alice must face off against a collection of Corrupted who all share a terrible secret, one that might awaken a creature capable of doing untold damage. To uncover the secret, Alice will have to face off against a man-eating lizard, a bloodthirsty sea captain, and a mysterious wizard who can see into the future …

This book contains:

Episode four: The Orphanage of Doom
Episode five: Blood and Thunder
Episode six: The Order of the Golden Dragon

Bonus material:
The Lost Journal of Eugene Washington
Assorted fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm
A Legacy of Red

The Grimm Chronicles Volume 1

This book contains the first 3 episodes of the critically acclaimed series:
Episode 1: Prince Charming Must Die!
Episode 2: Happily Never After
Episode 3: Revenge of the Castle Cats

The Grimm Chronicles is intended for Young Adults aged 13 and up. The goal is to provide Young Adult readers with a strong, charismatic young woman in the role of the hero and provide readers with a positive protagonist who uses her brain to overcome obstacles life throws in her way.






Praise

“5 stars!” ~ Bookies Book Blog

"Highly recommended for all who love fairy tales and the YA genre." ~ My Cozie Corner

"All in all the books were excellent." ~ LilyElement

"If you love fairy tales and them being turned into modern day stories you will love these short stories." ~ Mom With a Kindle

5 stars (out of 5) ~ I Am, Indeed

“Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky’s incredible talent for storytelling takes the reader on an amazing action-packed ride fueled by endless creativity and limitless imagination. TGC is like a high-stakes version of Harold and the Purple Crayon meets a contemporary, above ground Alice in Wonderland. “ ~ Bookfetish

“I absolutely loved this book! No, let me rephrase that, I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK! Nope, that doesn't even do it justice. Vol. 1 has the first three stories from the 12 that will ultimately make up the chronicles.” ~ Jesse Kimmel-Freeman

Purchase:

The Grimm Chronicles: Volume 1

Book 1: Prince Charming Must Die!

Book 2: Happily Never After

Book 3: Revenge of the Castle Cats

The Grimm Chronicles: Volume 2

Book 4: The Orphanage of Doom

Book 5: Blood and Thunder
Book 6: The Order of the Golden Dragon

About the Authors
Ken Brosky received his MFA in fiction writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He also teaches English at Madison College. This is his first Young Adult series.

Isabella Fontaine owns a farm in Wisconsin and enjoys reading weird books like House of Leaves. This is her first Young Adult series.

Website * Facebook

Interview with author Ken Brosky

What is one book everyone should read?

Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell. It's so insane and unlike anything I've ever read. Definitely one of my favorite books, hands down. A close second would be something by George Saunders, like "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline." Great short story, and very easy to read. I'm a big fan of stories that are a little quarky and take you to a place you're not expecting. Jim Shepard is an author who can do that really well.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.

It's getting great reviews by book bloggers, and there's definitely some buzz about it; readers are enjoying the action, but they're also really enjoying the fact that our hero uses her brain as well as her butt-kicking skills; sorry for using semicolons to extend this sentence; it's a perk of being an English teacher.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

We want to finish this series, which will have a total of 12 books. Then I'm going to move on to some other projects that aren't YA-related. But we might do another YA series ... we've been toying with the idea of a science-fiction/paranormal tale set on another planet. It sounds great when we talk about it, but it might be tough to write.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

I think the coolest thing in the world was when I read a review about a month ago--it was a positive review, which was cool enough as it is, but then I scrolled down to the COMMENTS section and I saw a couple of people had posted things like: "I love this series" and "I totally agree. I've been hooked on this series since the first book." Coolest feeling in the world.

Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters?

"Only if for a Night" by Florence and the Machine. Definitely. Or "Rabbit Heart (raise it up)" by Florence and the Machine.

Can you see yourself in any of your characters?

I've put a lot of my goofy quirks in Seth. Like him, I definitely end up with ketchup on my face after a big meal.

How do you react to a bad review?

Learn from it. We've been pretty lucky so far, but I think there are a couple things we can do differently moving forward. One of our characters needs to be pulled back a bit, because some bloggers are noticing he's a little too involved in the action. This is Alice's story, and Alice--our hero--needs to start being the hero. So we're going to work on that for the last 6 books. She's developing slowly. She's going to need to develop a heckuva lot faster if she wants to survive this mess.

Give us a glimpse into a typical day in your day starting when you wake up till you lie down again.

This is a typical day in which I'm not too busy teaching:

7:00 am - Wake up.

8:00 am - Teach English.

10:00 am - Prep for classes.

11:00 am - Write.

11:15 am - Check Facebook.

11:20 am - Write.

11:30 am - Search Wikipedia for "The Joe Schmo Show."

12:00 pm - Eat lunch.

12:30 pm - Write.

12:45 pm - Check email.

1:00 pm - Write.

1:30 pm - Play with iPhone.

2:00 pm - Reserved for class/advising prep.

3:00 pm - Write.

3:15 pm - Surf the net.

4:00 pm - Grade papers, etc.

5:00 pm - Write.

5:15 pm - Give self pep talk on the importance of writing.

5:30 pm - Give up, go work out.

6:00 pm - Dinner.

7-10 pm - Prep, editing, Facebook, email, writing, read book or watch movie.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with music?

I like music. I like listening to Earth, or "Ghosts" by Nine Inch Nails. Atmospheric music with no vocals can really get me in the writing groove.

What is your favorite scene in the book?

I'm especially proud of Alice's confrontation with the hedgehog monster. It was a challenge to create a scene that was both nerve-wracking and action-packed, but I think we nailed it. Also, a lot of Volume 1 deals with the theme of Fear and how it can affect a person. Alice has to learn to confront her fear and be able to control it and think straight in any circumstance if she wants to be the hero.

How do you come up with the characters names/personalities?

All of the monsters in the story come from Grimms' Fairy Tales. Some were bad in the fairy tales, and some were good. It doesn't matter. What matters is finding characters who can fit into the themes of the series and move the story forward. It's been a lot of fun. Sometimes, we happen across a character in the fairy tales who we've never heard of and we absolutely HAVE to use them. Like the takling sausage.

What is next on your to read list?

Alice Munro's Dear Life. I'm a big fan of her short stories.

Tour Giveaway
5 Kindle ebook copies of The Grimm Chronicles Volume 2
Ends 4/11/13


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Volume 2 Tour Schedule

March 25th
Oh, The Books You'll Read! - Review
Cover2CoverBlog - Review
Inside BJ's Head - Review
Sher A Hart: Writing Art - Guest Post

March 26th
Living a Goddess Life - Spotlight
Peace from Pieces - Guest Post

March 27th
Fade Into Fantasy - Tens List
An Avid Reader's Musings - Review
Bunny's Review - Spotlight
A Backward's Story - Review

March 28th
Free Ebook Daily - Tens List
Bookshelf - Review
The Crafty Book Nerd - Review

March 29th
Curling Up with a Good Book - Guest Post
Fictitious Musings - Review & Tens List
Books and their Worldly Realm - Spotlight
Fae Books - Spotlight
Why Not? Because I Said So!! - Review

March 30th
Vonnie's Reading Corner - Review
Moosubi Reviews - Review
Gobs & Gobs of Books - Spotlight

March 31st
Frankie Blooding's Bookshelf - Spotlight
Mythical Books - Review
Writer Mike - Spotlight

April 1st
Spellbindings - Review & Tens List
My Devotional Thoughts - Review
Magical Manuscripts - Review
Living, Learning, and Loving Life - Spotlight

April 2nd
Read to My Heart's Content - Review
The LUV'NV - Review
Ciska's Book Chest - Review
Indie Author How-to - Spotlight

April 3rd
Auggie-talk - Review
Bookworm Lisa - Review
Christy's Cozy Corner - Review
From the Bootheel Cotton Patch - Spotlight

April 4th
Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews - Review & Guest Post
Proud Book Nerd - Review
A Little Shelf of Heaven - Review & Tens List

April 5th
The Muse Unleashed - Review
Brooke Blogs - Review

FeedYourReader.com is Back Up & Running!

FEED YOUR READER UPDATE:  For those who love my Kindle Freebie & Deal posts.

I took the plunge and made the switch to Wordpress for my new Feed Your Reader Blog.  Quite a leap for me since Blogger is what I know and what I am comfortable with.  Over the next few weeks I will be working on graphics and layout for the new site but for now at least it is working.  I also have a great giveaway planned to help launch the site!

Who knew I would become such an advocate for ebooks.  I used to dislike them but I've been totally converted.  The goal of the new site is to feature ebook deals.  Most of the books I will feature will be under $5.

For now I am only focusing on Kindle Ebooks found on Amazon.com.  I may expand it to include other sites in the future but for now that is all that will be featured.

If you are an author with a Kindle book you would like featured you can submit your book via the form found on the site.

Currently you can subscribe to Feed Your Reader via email to receive notifications directly to your inbox each time I put up a new post (typically about 3 or 4 emails each day).  Or you can sign up for the mailing list to receive occasional updates about the site (a few times a month).

There will still be an occasional Feed Your Reader post featured here on I Am A Reader, Not A Writer but most of them will now be found exclusively on the new site.

Take a minute to check it out: FeedYourReader.com

Know Me Better 3/23

 

"Know Me Better"

Each week I will pick 5 questions to answers.

I invite you to share your answers to these questions as well.  You can share them as a comment on this post or share them on your own blog and link up to this post.

This post goes up sometime during the weekend. I "TRY" to get it up by Saturday morning but life happens all to often so there are no guarantees!

This Week's Questions


What is the kindest thing anyone has done for you?
What is most memorable about your high school years?
Have you ever gotten up early for a "black Friday sale"?
Were you named after anyone?
Would you bungee jump, skydive or something similar?



What is the kindest thing anyone has done for you?
I've had so many kind things done to me I could never narrow it down to just one.  My dad is constantly doing things for my family from buying a new fridge to restocking it with a trip to Costco to helping with medical bills.  When I broke my leg and when my mom died I had friends and neighbors do so many incredibly kind things from bringing in meals to cleaning my house to taking care of my children.

What is most memorable about your high school years?
Most of my memories from high school are from time spent with friends or time at work.

Have you ever gotten up early for a "black Friday sale"?
Probably about 4 or 5 times total in my life.  It's NOT for me.  The deals just aren't worth the sacrifice of sleep and dealing with pushy selfish people.

Were you named after anyone?
My mom's college roommate.

Would you bungee jump, skydive or something similar?
Maybe... I'm not a big risk taker.  I always fear something could go wrong and then my children would be left without a mother.  Once they are all grown and married I would be much more likely to try it!



Now it's your turn! Share an answer to one or more of these questions as a comment or post your answers on your blog and link up here! If you are posting on your blog you can grab the linky to include with your post if you would like to do so.

Perception by Lee Strauss - Interview & Giveaway

Author Lee Strauss

Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for mature YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss.

Blog * Facebook * Twitter

Interview

Tell us a bit about your family. 

I’m married with four kids. Three boys and a girl- Joel, Levi, Jordan and Anastasia

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? 

My proudest accomplishment by far is having raised four stellar individuals and citizens of planet earth.

What is your favorite color? 

Growing up it was blue, but then it changed to red and now it’s purple. A natural progression, I think.

What is your favorite food? 

Dark Chocolate. That’s a food group, right?

What’s your favorite place in the entire world? 

Kelowna, BC , followed very closely by Dresden, Germany, the two places on earth I call home.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? 

Well, I’m not one of those people who always knew I wanted to be a writer or has been writing stories since I was two. But, I do glean a LOT from personal child and teen experience.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? 

This sounds cliche, but when the kids were small and I read kids books to them, something creative sparked in me. It went piously like “I can do this.” It’s much harder than it looks!

When and why did you begin writing? 

I started writing because I needed a creative outlet the kids couldn’t get into and wreck. lol. I put away the paints and pulled out the word processor.  (More precisely, the dos program on my PC that used 5″ floppy disks. Yes, I’m that old. ha.)

How long have you been writing? 

I’ve been writing as a creative outlet for 18 years. It became a serious pursuit about five years ago and I’ve been working at it full time for two years.

What genre are you most comfortable writing? 

Young Adult, otherworldliness, if that’s a genre?

Perception:
Seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans.
Her brother Liam is missing.

Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t.  He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.

Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn.  She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.

PERCEPTION is a ( SF/mystery/romance) Young Adult novel that takes place in the not too distant future in a world changed by climate extremes, natural disasters and impending wars, and where scientific breakthroughs cause class divisions—both financially and philosophically.  It explores the clash between faith and science and how differences can separate us as enemies or ally us together. And in some cases, even in the midst of betrayal and personal crisis, there’s room to fall in love.

This is the first book in a planned three book series.





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The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff - Book Trailer & Excerpt

There's evil-a coming from up on the hill

If the Mist doesn't get you, the Agromonds will.

   —From an old Anglavian rhyme

EXCERPT:

Thunder roared, and lightning speared down. In its brief flashes, Jemma could see more shadows gathering. They looked like pale Mordsprites, small, bedraggled, skeletal. She lengthened her stride, but the ground was slick and she slipped, slamming face down in black mud. Hauling herself to her feet yet again, she came face to face with one of the shadows.

It was not a Mordsprite at all, but the gray silhouette of a child, a sunken-cheeked, hollow-eyed boy of no more than five, his ragged arms reaching out to her through the Mist.

Jemma stood petrified, her heart pounding as he swayed closer, oblivious to the chaos raining down around him. Others closed in behind him, a straggling band of waifs, all moving in the same direction.

Toward her.

PRAISE:

"Fast, creepy fun. A bit of The Addams Family, a bit of dark fantasy, and a boatload of monsters and magic make this read a ghoulish delight." - Stefan Bachmann, author of The Peculiar

About The Flame in the Mist:

The sun never shines in the land of Anglavia. Its people live within a sinister mist created by their rulers, the cruel Agromond family. The Agromonds' control is absolute; no one dares defy them. But things are about to change, for the youngest of them is not like the others...

Fiery-headed Jemma has always felt like the family misfit, and is increasingly disturbed by the dark goings-on at Agromond Castle. The night before her thirteenth birthday, Jemma discovers the terrifying reason why: She is not who she thinks she is, and the Agromonds have a dreadful ritual planned for her birthday—a ritual that could kill her.

But saving her skin is just the first of Jemma's ordeals. Ghosts and outcasts, a pair of crystals, a mysterious book, an ancient Prophecy—all these gradually reveal the truth about her past, and a destiny far greater and more dangerous than any she could imagine.

With her trusted friend, Digby, and her two telepathic golden rats, Noodle and Pie, Jemma faces enemies both human and supernatural. But in the end, she and her untapped powers might be the only hope for a kingdom in peril.

About Kit

Kit Grindstaff was born near London, and grew up in the rolling countryside of England. After a brush with pop stardom (under her maiden name, Hain), she moved to New York and embarked on her successful career as a pop song writer. Kit now lives with her husband in the rolling countryside of Pennsylvania, where she still writes songs as well as children's books. The Flame In The Mist is her first novel. 

Find Kit:

Website

Facebook

Twitter:@kitgrindstaff

Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon.com 

Amazon.co.uk

Books-A-Million

Indiebound

Barnes & Noble

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