🌊 Read chapter fifteen of Betrayed on Wattpad! 🌄
In which Galina interrogates David…
https://www.wattpad.com/1400888339-betrayed-chapter-fifteen
~
Overview:
Happy reading! 📖
Filed under Writing
Didn’t get the blog updates posted during the holidays, but Betrayed chapters were still being updated on Wattpad!
🌊 Read chapters twelve through fourteen of Betrayed on Wattpad! 🌄
In which Galina makes a plan…
https://www.wattpad.com/1392766805-betrayed-chapter-twelve
In which Galina convinces Florencia to join the plan…
https://www.wattpad.com/1393044675-betrayed-chapter-thirteen
In which Galina and friends arrive at David’s house for lunch…
https://www.wattpad.com/1400887875-betrayed-chapter-fourteen
~
Overview:
Happy reading! 📖
Filed under Writing
🌊 Chapter eleven of Betrayed is now on Wattpad! 🌄
In which Erin’s nightmares come to life…
https://www.wattpad.com/1392766396-betrayed-chapter-eleven
~
Overview:
Happy reading! 📖
Filed under Writing
Time for a status report! Now that the move to Michigan is mostly complete (and I’ve finally gotten my car back after a run-in with the local wildlife), we’re slowly getting back into the groove of things. Still got a few things to take care of before we’re all settled in, but things are finally getting back to normal. 🙂
Glitch: I’ve completed the major edits, handed the manuscript to Isaac to check over, and have been working on his changes. Due to the structure of the story, we’re actually considering breaking it into three individual stories, each around 35,000 to 45,000 words long. They’ll rely heavily on being read in order, but should each have their own beginning, middle, and end. I’ve sent the first part to a beta-reader to see what she thinks. If we do split the story into three parts, we’ll most likely release each part around two-three weeks apart, so readers won’t have to wait long to read each book. With luck, we’ll be moving forward with this project sooner rather than later.
Fractured Skies: I’ve made the second round of major edits based on Isaac’s feedback from a year or two ago, and now I’ve handed it back to him to look through. It needs a bit of work in order to match it to the style and tone of Distant Horizon. But this one is certainly in progress.
The Multiverse Chronicles: On hold.
Book 3 of The Wishing Blade Series: Working on plotting. Once Fractured Skies is out to beta-readers, I plan to start editing what I already have written of this manuscript, then write the other half of the book.
SBibb’s Photographic Illustration: Finished one formatting project, now working on book covers. Not much new here.
Game Development: Trying to work out the kinks in a fantasy-based civilization building game. We have a few ideas, but we’ll need to test-play them.
*
Don’t forget, if you want to stay up-to-date with our latest book releases and promotions, sign up for our Infinitas Publishing Newsletter!
*
I hope you enjoyed this post! 🙂
Filed under Business Ventures, Writing
Today I’m participating in a blog tour for Jordan Elizabeth’s latest book, Kissed by Literature! 🙂
Read on…
* * *
KISSED BY LITERATURE
A Collection of Short Stories
(Cover art by Rue Volley.)
Enter worlds of steampunk and terror, where you’ll meet ghosts that will raise the hairs along your arms. Among the tales, you’ll encounter a serial killer stalking a country road and a vacation destination riddled with evil. This collection of short stories explores the different writing styles and genres of Amazon bestselling author Jordan Elizabeth.
KISSED BY LITERATURE is on Amazon from CHBB. Get it for 99 cents for a limited time.
Check out early reviews on GoodReads!
* * *
Check out the start of the short story “Evil that Walks Tweed Road”:
I slid the manila folder into the cardboard box, careful to keep them alphabetized. My brother might tease me to death over my organization habits, but not once had I fumbled during my presentations. Each photograph, newspaper article, and information sheet had a home.
“Excuse me. Annie? I’m Patrick.”
I glanced up, the final folder in hand. A man with gray eyes stood in front of the table. I’d studied those gray eyes during my lecture while he sat in the back row of the library’s meeting room.
“Yes?” I double-checked the words on the folder before placing it into the box.
“I’ve always been fascinated with Tweed Road. I grew up near there, and as kids we always wanted to see the ghosts. Swear we saw a couple of them.”
I nodded, my ponytail sliding over my shoulder. “I’ve heard plenty of those ghost stories, but I don’t really believe in ghosts. If a serial killer gets you, do you really want to hang around for all eternity?”
He chuckled. His teeth had to have been professionally straightened and whitened to gleam like that. “What got you into giving talks on Tweed Road?”
He couldn’t be flirting with me… but maybe he was. “Well, I got my Masters in history and then I got a job as a professor here. I started looking up local history, and this area is famous for the Tweed Road killings. It was mostly all legends and kids daring each other to walk along the road at night, so I wanted to tell everyone about the truth.” I smiled. I sucked at flirting, but I could sure smile, even if my teeth didn’t look half as nice as his.
“Do you think telling everyone about this will help them finally catch the killer?”
“Life is never that simple.”
Patrick leaned toward me and lowered his voice. “I know who the serial killer was.”
I lifted my eyebrows. At every library or historical society where I gave my presentation, someone always had a theory. My favorite suggestion had been Jack the Ripper. “Who are you thinking of?”
“My grandfather.”
That was similar to “my ex-husband,” which I heard a lot from elderly women. “Why do you say that?”
“He confessed to me before he died and he showed me the spot where he did the killings.”
The bodies had all been found dumped in the swamp, but no one had ever discovered where their hearts and livers had been gouged out. I frowned. “Who have you told?”
“I, um…just you.” The young man wiped his hand across his face. “I don’t know if I should go to the cops. They might just laugh. Do they even care about the case anymore? It’s all more of a legend now.”
“A lot of families would have peace of mind.”
Patrick closed his eyes and sighed. “Can I show you the spot? I think I’d feel better going to the cops if you went with me. You know all the facts about the killings and I just know what my grandfather told me.”
I shifted my stance. “Don’t let me put words in your mouth.” I had studied the Tweed Road serial killer for three years and it had all been paper, nothing I could walk on.
“Will you go with me? I’ll drive. It’s about fifteen minutes out of town.”
It might become my stupidest decision, but… “Let me just put my box in the car so we don’t hold up the library from closing at nine.” If the spot was fifteen minutes away, they wouldn’t make it back by then.
* * *
Jordan Elizabeth is known for her odd sense of humor and her outrageous outfits. Surrounded by bookshelves, she can often be found pounding away at her keyboard – she’s known for breaking keyboards, too. Check out her website for bonus scenes and contests.
Filed under Writing
I mentioned yesterday that I was going to start offering formatting services soon. I now have that information gathered in one place… my Interior Book Design page! I’ve also updated the prices on my Book Cover Design page.
So, if you’re interested in having your book formatted for Smashwords, Kindle, and/or Createspace, here’s a list of the services I provide. 🙂
* * *
Ebook (Basic Formatting)
What I do: I clean the file of stray formatting and make the file compliant for both Kindle and Smashwords. Allows for one-to-five images, as provided by the author. I can insert a basic copyright page if needed. I also insert a table of contents and hyperlinks, where appropriate.
Cost:
$50.00 for up to 50,000 words
$75.00 for up to 100,000 words
What you get: .doc file for Smashwords and a ZIP file for Kindle (or .doc, if there are no images inside the file).
I allow for 1 round of cost-free corrections to be made after the file has been approved (this is to allow for proofing), as long as the corrections are requested within two months of the original approval of the project. Note, for 50,000 word projects, I cap the amount of time put into corrections at 1.5 hours. For 100,000 words projects, the cap is 3 hours. After that, additional corrections during the first round will be $10.00 an hour. After the first round, corrections will be made at a rate of $15.00 an hour. For this reason, please provide the file that is closest to what your final product will be.
(Corrections made that are due to my errors will be made free of charge, so long as the corrections are requested within two months of the project’s approval date).
*
EBook (Decorative Formatting)
What I do: Same as Basic Formatting, but stylized chapter headings are available and I can insert glyphs for section breaks. Exact details will depend on the book and its genre.
This includes the creation of 1 glyph (a stock image may need to be purchased, or I may design the glyph myself. You’ll have a chance to approve the design). Alternatively, you may provide the glyph. It also includes chapter headings and title text that have been stylized in a font appropriate for your book. (Again, you’ll have a chance to approve the design). Please note that I do not embed the font–I use images to ensure that the headings will be visible on multiple e-readers.
This option also allows for the insertion of 1 – 10 images, as provided by the author.
Cost:
$125.00 for up to 50,000 words
$175.00 for up to 100,000 words
What you get: .doc file for Smashwords and ZIP file for Kindle.
Examples:
Distant Horizon, Magic’s Stealing, The Poe Codec, M.O.B. (Mean Old Bastard)
*
Print and EBook Formatting
What I do: Same as Decorative Ebook formatting, except that I also prepare a print edition for Createspace or Ingram Spark. Because the process I use to format the file for a print book starts with the ebook file, the ebook files come with the print formatting.
Note: If I have created the cover of the book (separate cost–email me for information), I may be able to design a specialty chapter background page and/or title page based specifically on the cover.
Cost:
$250.00 for up to 50,000 words
$300.00 for up to 100,000 words
What you get: .doc file for Smashwords, ZIP file for Kindle, and PDF file for Createspace or Ingram Spark (Please specify which–additional costs apply when formatting a manuscript for both printers).
Examples:
Magic’s Stealing, Distant Horizon, The Poe Codec
*
Cleaned-Up Maps
If you have a sketch of a map that you would like included in your book, but need the file cleaned up, I can provide a cleaner version.
Cost: starts at $25.00 and goes up based on complexity. Contact me for a quote on your anticipated project.
What you get: JPG file suitable for ebook and print editions. You don’t have to use my other services to have this done.
Examples:
(Click the “Look Inside” option, then go back a couple pages to see the maps.)
Show Me the Sinister Snowman – This is an example of maps where I took the basic sketch and made a completely digital version.
Magic’s Stealing – This is an example of a map that I took the pencil version and retouched in Photoshop, then added in the lettering
*
.Doc to PDF Conversion
What I do: I take the file you send me (Note: You assume responsibility for having the rights to file to make this conversion) and I convert it into a PDF file. This is helpful if you want to do print edition formatting yourself, but don’t have the program necessary to make the PDF conversion.
Cost:
$25.00 per file
(Note: If you have multiple files that need converting, email me to get a quote for a lower price per file).
What you get: A PDF file in the specifications you provide.
If there are errors uploading, and the fault is mine, I will reconvert the file at no additional cost to you. Otherwise, I allow for three conversions of the same file within a two month period (to allow for proofing, etc) before the same cost applies.
* * *
Interested in one of these services?
Contact me at: bookcovers (at) sbibbphoto.com
Filed under Book Covers, Business Ventures, Writing
Today, I’ve not only got chapter six of Magic’s Stealing read for you, I’ve also got an announcement: I’ve got books!
My order of fifty books came in today, so I shall soon be approaching local bookstores and I am currently debating doing a Goodreads giveaway. 😀
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the reading. 🙂
Click here for the link if you can’t see the video.
Filed under Business Ventures, Writing
Woot! I actually got this recording done on time! Anyway, here it is: the video blog post and the reading of Magic’s Stealing, chapter five. I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Filed under Business Ventures, Writing
Well, I had planned on getting this post up yesterday, but there was fun holiday decorating to attend to. So the video a day late, but here is the reading of chapter four of Magic’s Stealing. In other news, I’ve finished proof-reading the print edition, which should be available on Amazon in a few days. 😀
I hope you enjoy this post. 🙂
Filed under Business Ventures, Writing
Today I’ve got another video blog post for you. I’m trying to move the video blogs to Mondays or Wednesdays to give me more time to prepare. In this one I’m reading chapter three of Magic’s Stealing. 🙂
Here’s the Youtube link in case you can’t see it.
You can hear the first chapter here.
Or chapter two here.
I’ve begun noticing a few tricks that are helpful when doing online readings.
The main one?
Slow down and enunciate.
This helps to prevent blurred phrases that don’t make sense once recorded, and lends to a natural pause between sentences. Having those pauses while reading allows for easier cutting in the editing phase, especially if you leave a longer pause where you know you’re going to cut something.
Then, once you take the recording into an editor like Premiere Pro, you can easily identify spots where you read a sentence twice and chop it without having to play that same sentence over and over (and over again) just to get a decent cut.
Also, once you get familiar with the program, you can figure out how to save the files correctly the first (or second time), rather than having the program complain that it can’t export properly with every format you try. In my case, I use the Microsoft Avi format (at least for now) to get the audio recording, and I have to remember to name the file I want to save before encoding it. Otherwise, it gives me an error.
The whole reading phase (including practice reads) and editing phase still takes me an hour or two. But it’s fun, and I enjoy getting to read the stories aloud. I blame being a Speech and Debate student in high school for four years for that one. Or maybe I was in Speech and Debate for four years because I enjoyed the readings…
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post. 🙂
Filed under Business Ventures, Writing
Stephanie Flint - Author and Artist 