I’m thrilled to introduce guest blogger, Susan A. Royal, who has some encouragement for authors tentative about engaging in promotion. Read on for her story:
Since I published my first book in 2012, I’ve had the pleasure of doing presentations about writing to students in several grade levels. I’ve also spoken to writing groups made up of adults. I can ramble all day, especially when it comes to talking about something I love—telling a story. But I’m more of a one-on-one kind of person. Speaking in front of any group that numbers more than a handful of people was a first for me, and I was a more than little nervous about making the experience beneficial to those in the audience as well as to me.
I needn’t have worried about the students. The class had written some excellent questions to ask. Several of them were reading Hunger Games and Divergent. It didn’t hurt a bit for them to know I’d read the books and enjoyed them. We had a lively discussion about the characters, which of them were their favorites and what drew them to each of them. We discussed action and plot and what makes a story good. The writing group was interested in the process of publishing with a small press and hearing all the phases of the process.
Doing promo work for my books has been a lot more fun than I expected. As I said, I get to talk to people about something I love to do. I’ve done blog swaps and made new friends. The camaraderie I’ve experienced with other authors has been great. They are more than willing to share experiences. I am able to relive the excitement of signing my first contract, seeing my cover for the first time and all the ups and downs in between. It gets me excited about my current projects all over again and starts my brain churning with new ideas.
It’s so encouraging to see there are readers who love to get lost in another world just like I do – especially the young ones.
Here’s a look at Susan Royal’s latest book, “In My Own Shadow”:
Talk about the worst day ever! Lara lets her friend Carrie talk her into a blind date, only it turns out the handsome stranger waiting for Lara after work isn’t Carrie’s cousin after all. And, when they’re chased through a portal to another world, Lara realizes Rhys really is out of this world.
Lyra, her alternate in another dimension, has left clues to the whereabouts of the Book of Secrets explaining the mystery of time travel in Lara’s subconscious. Or so Rhys thinks. Power-hungry telepaths who pursue them will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means breaking Lara’s will. To complicate matters, Lara gets tangled up in her feelings for Rhys while exploring her connection with Lyra.
With Rhys as her guardian, a bear of a man named Azle to guide her, and the spirit of Lyra haunting her dreams, Lara must find the Book of Secrets before it falls into the hands of those who want its power. Only then can she return to her world safely.
About the author:
Born in west Texas and raised in south Texas, Susan shares a 100-year-old farmhouse in a small east Texas town with a ghost who harmonizes with her son when he plays guitar. She is a mother of three and grandmother of five unique and special children. Her family is rich with characters, both past and present. Susan’s grandmother shared stories of living on a farm in Oklahoma Territory and working as a telephone operator in the early 20th century. She learned all about growing up in the depression from her father and experienced being a teenager during WWII through her mother’s eyes.
Susan loves taking her readers through all kinds of adventures. So far, she’s written two books in her It’s About Time series, Not Long Ago and From Now On, and is working on book three. They are time travel adventures about two people who fall in love despite the fact they come from very different worlds. In My Own Shadow is a Fantasy adventure/romance. Xander’s Tangled Web is a YA fantasy with romance. Look for her books at MuseItUp/Amazon/B&N.
Want to know more? Visit susanaroyal.wordpress.com for a peek inside this writer’s mind and see what she’s up to. You never know what new world she’s going to visit next.
Xander’s Tangled Web (fantasy, mystery) https://tinyurl.com/yconklde
In My Own Shadow (fantasy, adventure, romance) http://tinyurl.com/bqbxm41
Book trailer https://youtu.be/Wbg8Z-12ojY
Not Long Ago (time travel, adventure, romance) http://tinyurl.com/85vgye3
Book trailer http://youtu.be/vOIQVdWUigU/
http://susanaroyal.wordpress.com
http://susanaroyal.com
All books available at MuseItUp, Amazon, B&N, Goodreads
