Thursday, January 12, 2012

Teaser Train: Author T.M. Souders & "Waiting on Hope"

I am so pleased to welcome author T.M. Souders to the L.O.V.E. blog today to share her novel "Waiting on Hope". T.M. is a best selling author who serves other authors as the coordinator of the Read and Review program through the WoMen's Literary Cafe. Her debut novel, "Waiting on Hope" has received several great reviews and is currently in the top 50 Amazon best sellers for Theater and Drama. For more information on this author, please visit her website at http://tmsouders.com/about/. Follow T.M. on Twitter @tmsouders and on Facebook.






BOOK DESCRIPTION
Ten years ago, Lexie Dodson fled her home in rural Ohio, leaving behind a heartbroken brother and abandoning a devastated fiancĂ©. While chasing her desire of a fast-paced life in the city, and the obscurity of urban life, she is shaken to her very core by an act of violence that leaves her betrayed, broken, and pregnant—and with nowhere to go but home.

Seeking refuge and facing gut-wrenching decisions, she is confronted not only with the past she left behind, but also with a love that never died—a love waiting for something to stoke the flames.
Told from the perspective of four characters, Waiting on Hope will stay with you well after the last page has been turned.

QUOTES FROM REVIEWS
"Waiting on Hope is a book which made me lose a lot of sleep - but it was well worth the journey! " -Norma Budden

"I read Waiting on Hope by T.M. Souders in one day; I could not put it down. This is one of those gems that grab you from page one and will not let you go after you finish reading the last word...I have seldom come across such well developed characters - they give you access to their innermost feelings, you find yourself thinking alongside with them as they work out their fears and hopes and problems - you literally feel what they are feeling in any particular scene." -Maria Snell

"Waiting on Hope is a book about resilience and healing, about the power of love and the healing power of hope; it is a book about forgiveness and second chances, about lifting yourself from the ashes with the support of the ones that love you unconditionally - all wrapped in a phenomenal plot that is an absolute triumph. It is impossible for me to do it justice in my review - you just have to drop whatever you are doing, buy it and read it, because this is one book you will not want to miss. Seriously." -Maria Snell

"I was truly drawn in by the depth of emotion Author T.M. Souders displayed in her story Waiting On Hope. It was a read I found difficult to put down and when I did it was on the forefront of my thoughts." -Amy Manemann, author

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Dear Writers, Are You Connecting with Readers on Facebook?

If you are not familiar by now with the magnitude of the social media power of Facebook, please stop reading right here. Anyone? I didn't think so. You need look no further than your own personal use of the site to begin to understand how many hours the average pair of eyes spends gazing over the inspired (or maybe not) words of friends, family, etc.. Facebook has over 800 million users and over 50% of those users engage with the site at least once a day. (statistics here) As an author, i.e. a business with goods to sale, those numbers should get you excited.

So, how in the world do you get your name and your book in front of at least a portion of those eyes? Well, you certainly cannot friend all 800 million people (nor would you want to) and constantly promoting your book to your same few hundred friends is going to A. get you blocked for spam or B. leave you with a lot less friends over time. Neither of those is good. Might I offer a simple solution? GET HELP. I don't mean your friends and family who join you in posting your book to their feeds, although this is a good technique to use sparingly.

Get connected with writer/reader communities who have a presence on Facebook! There are several to consider and they vary in size, interest and reach, but they all have one thing in common: they devote hours a day to promoting authors and their books. If you're serious about gaining readers and getting your work out there, why not get involved with these groups? Like I said, there are MANY to choose from, but I have put together a short list of the ones that I have worked with and can provide a personal testimony for. Currently, my debut novella is #12 in AA Fiction and #64 in Women's Fiction thanks to the help of these wonderful FB promoters.

**Please read the Info section of these pages before getting involved; fan page reach accurate as of 01/07/12, 2:00pm est**

Ereader News Today
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/EreaderNewsToday
Fan Page Reach: 143,874
Promotions: Free e-books, Bargain e-books, Book of the Day

Ebook Lovers
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ebook-Lovers/215918805155738
Fan Page Reach: 19,152
Promotions: Free e-books, Bargain e-books

Kindle Nation Daily
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/KindleNation
Fan Page Reach: 43,656
Promotions: Kindle Deals, Sponsored Features

Please note that I am not associated with the administration of any of these pages and my mentioning them in this list is entirely voluntary. However, I am a volunteer with the WoMen's Literary Cafe and I encourage you to visit the website and get involved in order to access NUMEROUS avenues for marketing and promotion. http://www.womenslitcafe.com

Know of any other Facebook groups that you have had a great experience with? Feel free to share the information in the comments section!