The summer of Covid has been anything but fun. Thank goodness I have my family and characters to keep me motivated on the writing front!
Here’s the latest tidbits…
The fourth book of the Pale series is going to be delayed because my editor simply can’t get to it until the first of September. However, this has given me one more chance to improve the book’s writing and storytelling. I always do my best to give readers more than what they might expect in a romance. This book is no different. As of today, The Souls of Witches will still be released this year before Christmas. I’m shooting for mid-November. Let’s hope I can pull it off.
I just received word that the first book in the Pale series, The Love of Gods is a finalist in the romance category of the 2020 Georgia Independent Authors Award sponsored by The Southern Pen Bookshop located in Monroe, Georgia. It goes without saying that I am thrilled to be considered. I have stiff competition in Georgiana Fields, author of the Crimson series. If you haven’t checked out her books, here’s a link to her Amazon Author page. The winner will be announced at a banquet dinner on September 26th in Monroe, Georgia.
In other news…
I’m hard at work on two more books for the Pale series. They’re both coming along well. And, I almost have my poetry book pieced together and formatted for its late January 2121 release.
Knowing that I’ll have a book coming out at the first of the years has taken some pressure off the need to blast through the first drafts of book 5 and 6. The longer I write and produce books, the more I realize that rushing to publish is the worst mistake an author can make. It’s much better to finish a thoughtful draft and let the manuscript sit for a month or two before revisiting it. Fresh eyes are what’s needed during the rewriting stage.
You may have noticed that I’ve recently pared down my website and changed the landing page to feature the Pale novels. Each series has a single page that gives a brief blurb, shows the cover, mentions any awards, and has a buy it link. I like the clean look and this process has eliminated a slew unnecessary pages.
I had have played with the idea of setting this platform up as an eCommerce site due to COVID and the impact the pandemic has made on sales this year. After a good bit of thought and experimentation, that idea isn’t going to happen. Instead, I’m taking a middle of the road approach.
This is what I’ve done.
- Because my usual book signings can’t happen, I’m happy to sign a book (or books) and ship them to you if you reside in the US and you email me directly at TarrantSmith@gmail.com. I can process credit cards through Square or PayPal, the details of which I’ll cover in a private email.
- If you don’t want a signed paperback… I would much rather you purchase your books through places like The Southern Pen Bookshop, The Madison Artist Guild, or your favorite online book retailer. Shop locally if you can and support your neighbors. If your local bookstore does not carry my books, I am happy to provide them, even if it is only a single copy of you. Just have your bookstore email me.
At the end of last year, I went wide with my marketing. I realized that not everyone likes Amazon, nor is Amazon always an indie author’s best friend. So, all my books are widely available. Barnes and Noble’s Nook, Apple’s iBooks, Kobo, and many more. That is why when you click on a universal buy it link, you will find yourself directed to a site that gives the buyer plenty of choices.
To view all my books on Books2Read go to my Author’s page.
Cool platform, right? I thought so. I still publish my paperbacks with Amazon, but I distribute my ebooks to all the other booksellers through Draft2Digital. Books2Read is their sister site.
Let me leave you with a request…
If you are spending part of your time reading this year, whether it’s my books or another author’s, please leave a brief review on the site that you purchased the book/ebook. It doesn’t have to long or read like a book report. All it needs to be is thoughtful and honest. If you loved it, say so. It doesn’t take much of your time, and it helps spread the word to other readers. A review is the best gift you can give an author. So give often. We all appreciate it. 🧡