The Masquerade Crew

I'm organizing an audio podcast series for the new year. We'll be interviewing authors, reading excerpts, and presenting other info that will hopefully be interesting to writers and readers. To break up all the spoken segments, I would like to feature one song per podcast, something from an Indie Band. Would you like to be featured?

2012 was a momentous year for the Masquerade Crew. During the beginning months of the year, this blog was still in its infancy. I hadn't experimented with very many things. In fact, book promotion wasn't even on the radar yet.

T HE GREAT THING about self-publishing is that it has democratized the publishing world. Anybody can self-publish with little out of pocket expense. The worst thing about self-publishing is that anybody can self-publish with little out of pocket expense. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you’re ready.

The following is syndicated from The Four Part Land and is posted here with permission. So over the course of the series, I've looked at how Strength and Prevalence affect both a magic system and a setting, and how Style and Powers shape and define that magic system. Now I'm going to examine Magical Interaction and Items and Artifacts .

Do you read a lot? Or a little? Either way this post is for you. The Mad Reviewer Reading Challenge The ever-so-mad Carrie Slager — aka The Mad Reviewer Follow @TheMadReviewer — has a challenge for you , and I have agreed to join in her crusade. She challenges you to read 104 books in 2013 (2 books a week) and review each one on your blog, Amazon, B&N, or Goodreads (or any combination thereof)—any site, really. However, she's an evil empress with a softer side, for she realizes that 104 books in a year is a tall task for many. So, there's different levels you can work toward. 1. Mad Reviewer : 104 books in one year. (2 books a week all year.) 2. Crazy Reviewer : 52 books in one year. (1 book a week all year.) 3. Slightly Sane Reviewer : 26 books in one year. (1 book every fortnight all year.) 4. Sane Reviewer : 12 books in one year. (1 book every month all year.) There are some rules. (These aren't mine. Personally I would allow...

Buffer Hold My Hand Written by Paloma Beck Follow @PalomaBeck

Buffer Bargaining Written by Nadia Hasan Follow @NadiaJWriter

Buffer Detective Docherty and the Vampire's Mirror Written by Sarah WaterRaven Follow @WaterRaven

Buffer Better Angels Written by Fiona Skye Follow @HookNYarn2012

Buffer Shades and Shadows Written by Ashley Laster Follow @ashlaster

Loving Summer Cookbook Recipes for Losing Weight and Getting Summer Healthy

Buffer Hammerhead Resurrection Sequel to Hammerhead Written by Jason Andrew Bond Follow @jasonandrewbond

I T’S THE DOG days of summer and Benny Churchill and Bug Beetle are back and still running! The Apple Grove Gang has caught gold fever, and they find that it’s too hard to bear.

Buffer A S A VORACIOUS reader, an editor, and a book reviewer, something that often jumps out to me is bad dialogue—even some very well-written books and stories contain it. Though a few snippets of badly written dialogue won’t break an otherwise good piece of writing, it will certainly stick out like a sore thumb. And, if your book is riddled with bad dialogue, it will make it very hard to get through.

Writers and Book Lovers, do you want more Twitter followers? Do you follow back? If you answered YES to both of those questions, you are in the right place. Now, if you answered Yes to the first but not the second, you may want to check out another list of Tweeple I put together. Feel free to put your name there as there are no follow back requirements. Some may follow you, and you may find a few to follow as well. Here's the link: HERE

Book of Mercy Written by Sherry Roberts Follow @sherryroberts7 Genre: Literary Fiction Book Synopsis A town banning books. One woman stands against the censors--and she can't read. Can she win? There's more worth fighting for than you can ever imagine.

P OETRY ISN'T an exact science and it doesn't have any hard or fast rules. It flows from the heart, a deeply personal narrative of each person's journey through life.

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W HERE BETTER to hide than in plain sight? Amy Bree’s reckless actions result in death and her dismissal from the FBI.

The following is syndicated from Chazz Writes and is posted here with permission.

T EXAS OUTLAW (Book #1, Wild Texas Nights Series) is the story of a lady train robber who tangles with a sexy US marshal, who has vowed to bring her to justice.

The following is syndicated from Apocalypse Reads and is posted here with permission.

Buffer So Long Colt Macleod Written by Josh Sinason Follow @JRSinason

A LEXIS IS NOT the average person because she’s exceptionally brilliant. When mysterious things start happening to her, she pursues the truth and learns is that she’s been lied to her entire life. She runs into deception at every turn. What she finds on her own terrifies her and she questions whether she really wants to know the truth about herself.

F RANCE, 1916: THE GREAT WAR in Western Europe is at a stalemate with the Allies and Central Powers facing each other from muddy trenches on either side of the deadly No Man’s Land. To end the years of bloody warfare, the Germans plan to unleash the perfect weapon in a villainous attack that will guarantee an unconditional victory over France and Britain.

T HANKS TO THE Masquerade Crew for inviting me to share some thoughts on indie marketing. This is a great time to be a writer, especially an indie writer. Self-publishing gives us the chance to live the writer’s dream but if you don’t know how to market your books the dream may turn into a nightmare.

Buffer The Abassi Expedition Written by Melanie D Sokol Follow @MelanieSokol Blog: HERE

Buffer The Masters Written by Penny Higgins Follow @paleololigo The working title is "The Masters," but I suspect that will change. It makes it seem like it's about golf, which it ain't. It's science fiction. Blog: HERE

Buffer ??? Written by Ashten Healy Follow @exploringbooks YouTube: HERE

F OUR VERY DIFFERENT mothers. One adorable dad. And the intertwining trials and tribulations that a year at the primary school gates brings.

N ICOLA MAY won the BEST PUBLISHED AUTHOR award last month at the 2012 Festival of Romance held in the historic county town of Bedford, UK.

I T’S OFFICIAL. Myth is doomed. And it’s all Chloe Clever’s fault.

The Prophecy Chronicles Prophecy Foretold by Ron Hartman

The Prophecy Chronicles Prophecy Foretold by Ron Hartman

Buffer Return of World Circus (working title) sequel to Circus Tarot Written by Charles W. Jones Follow @ChuckWesJ Site: http://bizzarofiction.blogspot.com/

A T 3:10 PM every weekday, parents gather at Featherstone Primary in Denbury to collect their children.

Buffer Holiday Gem book 3, Seven Sin Sisters Written by Paloma Beck Follow @PalomaBeck Site: http://romancebeckons.blogspot.com/

Out of the Shadow by J.S. Winn Follow @authorjswinn O UT OF THE SHADOW tells the story of two women drawn together in the present to uncover a crime from the past. Having survived a rape and her husband’s murder, all Becca Rosen wants to do is move on with her life, but how can she when she’s being stalked by a psychopath with an attitude—and an agenda. The police are no help because they’re convinced, with her history of mental illness, Becca has faked the rape to get away with her husband’s murder. On top of that, Becca has begun to have flashbacks and nightmares of childhood abuse, possibly at the hands of the rapist. Not knowing where to turn, and feeling like she might go crazy again, Becca hires Psychologist, Sarah Abrams, to help her unearth who’s behind the crimes of the past…and the present.

I wish this idea was mine. I'd feel so special, but alas, I saw someone else do this. However, the way it was done on another blog was through the use of comments. There's a better way, though.

Since Tomorrow by Morgan Nyberg Follow @MorganNyberg A N OLD MAN rides a workhorse through the night, across mudslides, past stores abandoned for decades, past the rotted corpses of automobiles invisible under mounds of blackberry. Rain courses from his rabbit skin poncho. He carries a sword and a spear. He knows where to find the murderer. He will face him alone. "Since Tomorrow" is a novel of a world in the remaking. The old man, Frost, remembers the "good times". Those who live on his "farm" among collapsed warehouses and the foundations of vanished houses struggle to maintain human values. But when others in this makeshift world are driven only by greed and the need for power, all values must ultimately be replaced by the simple instinct for survival.

French Bleu By Caroline Clemens Follow @gardenlilie

Buffer A Saint Comes Stumbling In Written by Bonnie McCune Genre: Contemporary Romance Book Synopsis Can a rejected wife conquer self-doubt, trap a criminal, and win love? A patron saint might help... Thirty-something Joan Nelson has more to contend with than a biological clock or an identity crisis. Despite her ardent belief in a conventional marriage, she finds herself deserted for a younger, slimmer woman. Lacking any skills or education, she's thrust unprepared into the nightmare challenge of making a living for the first time in her sheltered existence. A job as a receptionist in a law firm is the first rung on the ladder to her independence. Yet the taste of success sours when Joan considers the emptiness of her personal life. How can she reconstruct her damaged life and heal her bruised ego? Ill-equipped for the singles scene, she embarks on a confusing, sometimes frightening, new lifestyle. When Joan stumbles on a crime perpetuated by a charming cad...

Buffer Where Shadows Dance Ghosts & Shadows Book 2 By Vered Ehsani Genre: Young Adult Book Synopsis Ash was looking forward to a summer of camping with friends and time travelling. Then his Great Aunt fades away (literally), his near-death nightmare gets even weirder and he keeps falling into someone else's dreams. On top of that, his house is attacked and he gets trapped in the past while trying to help a new friend who isn't too friendly.

Pilot By Ray Anthony Follow @RayAnthony07 Cover links to Amazon.com Synopsis The Explorer Corps' spaceship Arabia has the distinction of being the ship that has travelled the farthest distance from Earth. Eight days ago Earth lost communication with the Arabia. The spacefighter, Baddest, is one of a pair of spaceships that, at more than fifty miles long are the largest machines ever built. Baddest is normally crewed by the Air Force's Ace Crew II but for this mission the crew is supplemented by the Navy's Special Combat Team Alpha. The Navy and Air Force are bitter space-borne rivals. Mission: To find the vessel Arabia or to establish, beyond reasonable doubt, her fate and that of her crew.

In order to improve the effectiveness of our promotional efforts, I would like to hear from you. How are we doing? The following survey is just 4 questions long, but your answers will help me determine if I'm fulfilling my promise to clients and donors.

Buffer Broken Magic Written by Eric Sipple Follow @saalon Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Book Synopsis It’s senior year of high school, and everyone but Neil seems to know what’s next. All Neil wants is to be free: to survive his last year, and keep hoping something better is waiting for him in college. Then a musician named Celeste comes into his life. Celeste doesn't fit into Neil's reality. She’s a runaway, chasing an impossible world. She can't be like everyone else - and when he's around her, Neil's not himself, either. Helping Celeste in her quest for magic – and the father who abandoned her to search for it – might cost Neil everything. But when you don’t know your place in this world, and someone offers you another...is everything too high a price to pay?

Buffer Sunflowers Written by Carol Anne Shaw Follow @Rural_Writer Site: http://www.carolanneshaw.com/

Buffer How to Make a Website or Blog with WordPress WITHOUT Coding, on your own domain, all in under 2 hours! Written by Mike Omar Follow @MikeOmar9999 Free on Amazon December 6th & 7th

Buffer FREE on Sunday, December 2nd Tommy's Defense Written by Ralph Shamas

Buffer Both of the following books are FREE on Amazon December 1st & 2nd.

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Buffer This idea combines the concepts of a book bomb, book club, and a rewards program. How so? Read on! Before I discuss the idea itself, here are a few definitions. Book Bomb — A "book bomb" is when an author or publisher asks readers to purchase a particular book from Amazon on a specific day. If enough readers cooperate, it pushes the book up in Amazon's rankings, giving it much more exposure than it would get if the same number of copies of the book were purchased over a longer period of time. (via LDS Publisher )

Buffer "THIS BOOK SAVED MY LIFE!"

Buffer Power always carries a price...

Buffer It's confession time!

Buffer FREE November 28 - 30

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Buffer The Dagger of Adendigaeth Written by Melissa McPhail Follow @melissagmcphail

Buffer Guided by a Gypsy Written by Leslie Ramey Follow @LeslieBRamey

Buffer King Biscuit By Michael Loyd Gray Follow @moonpie125 Michael will be awarding a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Let me offer a writing tip before talking about publishing: write your story or novel the way you feel it. I wish I could claim that’s totally original on my part, but it’s actually the advice Robert Duvall’s character in “Tender Mercies” gives to a struggling country band. “Play it the way you feel it,” he told them, and that applies to writing, too—write it the way you feel it. Write it your way. Writing isn’t a team sport. There’s no huddle and no quarterback telling you where to line up and where to go after that. You sit down to write and you’re alone. The story comes from you—so tell it the way you see it. Trust your conception of the story, of the characters, and see it through. Trust your instincts to write it. Tell it the way you see it.

Buffer King Biscuit By Michael Loyd Gray Follow @moonpie125 Michael will be awarding a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Buffer Indiscriminate Slaughter Written by Barbara Huffert Follow @stillstorygirl Blog: http://barbarahuffert.com/ Amazon Author Page: HERE

Buffer Drasmyr By Matthew D. Ryan Follow @MatthewDRyan1 Matthew will be awarding a set of metal miniatures: 3 Nosferatu Vampires (US only) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Buffer Runaway Written by Jessica Harvey Follow @xomiragexo24 Blog: http://xomiragexo.blogspot.com/

Buffer Crack the Indie Author Code Writing & Publishing Series Written by Robert Chazz Chute Follow @RChazzChute

Buffer Authors, I want to " buy " your books. Well, not so much buy as I wouldn't be paying you cash. In exchange for you sending a quantity of your books to me, I'll give you advertising dollars to be used on this site.

Buffer Raised Written by Sharon Stevenson Follow @chettsgenie

Buffer Tell everyone a little bit about yourself. I'm a former English teacher, which automatically makes me an avid reader! I gave up teaching a couple of years ago to focus on my writing, so when I'm not writing, I'm reading and they're two of the best things in life. Who are some of your favorite authors? Books? Too many to list. I love the classics, of course, having been brought up on them and studied them intensively at university. Jane Austen and the Brontes are cosy favourites but when it comes to modern writers, I really enjoy Ian McEwan and Audrey Niffenegger but I'm discovering new favourites every single day and lots of these are indie writers. What are your favorite genres of books to read? I have to say women's fiction - I know that's a really broad category, but then I do have very broad tastes. I generally like my stories to be rooted in reality but I don't mind the occasional supernatural twist - as lon...

Buffer The following is syndicated from The Mad Reviewer and is posted here with permission. Giveaway: Finding Time by Steve Poling

Buffer A Part to Play By Jennifer L. Fry

Buffer This is a scene from the first draft of my novel, A Part to Play. This actually takes place before the novel even begins, when Lucy's older sister Kate is still alive. It shows Lucy was accepted into her dream high school, her interaction with her sister, and her major insecurities that existed even before her sister's death. It was deleted because in my initial draft I provided too much back story. Instead of this scene, all the major components are integrated throughout the rest of the book.

Buffer Wicked Satyr Nights The Cursed Satyroi, Book 1 By Rebekah Lewis

Buffer One Wild Vegas Night By S.J. Thomas

Buffer His Prey By D. F. Krieger

Buffer Caught Between By Alexis Noor

Buffer Winds of Change Look to the Future By Mary Metcalfe Follow @MetcalfeMary

Buffer BUYING ON MARGIN Written by Maria Granovsky Follow @MGranovsky

Buffer Higher Than Jesus by Robert Chazz Chute Follow @RChazzChute FREE  on Amazon until November 23rd

Buffer The Tourist Killer Written by FC Etier Follow @FCEtier Cover links to Amazon

Buffer Higher than Jesus The Hit Man Series Written by Robert Chazz Chute Follow @RChazzChute

Buffer Dee and Dum Written by Jade Kerrion Follow @JadeKerrion Site: http://www.jadekerrion.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jadekerrion

Buffer ??? Written by Sandra de Helen Follow @dehelen Blog: http://redcrested.com/

Buffer Chloe comes to my house. Takes a seat on my red, suede couch, folding her legs under her. I sit across from her in an armchair with my back to the door. DJ : Thanks for doing this interview with me. I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time. Chloe : Guess you should’ve written it sooner then. DJ : (I stare at her) You’ve been hanging around the Prince way too much. Chloe : (She sighs, eyes twinkling) Yes. I most definitely have. DJ : (Rolling my eyes) Okay, so tell me first. How much shock are you still in from learning that the Greek gods are real? Chloe : The shock factor has kind of worn off, actually. Now I’m just tense, waiting for the next unexpected thing to happen. As I told you when I agreed to do this interview, nothing is ever as it seems in  Myth. DJ : Speaking of  Myth,  is it really as beautiful as you describe it in  Prophecy of the Most Beautiful? Chloe : What? It’s  amazing.  Scary and ...

Buffer OVERHEARD Written by Susan Elizabeth Follow @suebethsays Blog: http://hearsaytheblog.wordpress.com

Buffer Domingo's Angel Written by Jenny Twist Genre: Historical Fiction Book Synopsis When Angela turns up in a remote Spanish mountain village, she is so tall and so thin and so pale that everyone thinks she is a ghost or a fairy or the dreadful mantequero that comes in the night and sucks the fat from your bones. But Domingo knows better. "Soy Angela," she said to him when they met – "I am an angel." Only later did he realize that she was telling him her name and by then it was too late and everyone knew her as Domingo's Angel. This is the story of their love affair. But it is also the story of the people of the tiny mountain village – the indomitable Rosalba - shopkeeper, doctor, midwife and wise woman, who makes it her business to know everything that goes on in the village; Guillermo, the mayor, whose delusions of grandeur are rooted in his impoverished childhood; and Salva the Baker, who risked his life and liberty to give bread...

Buffer Dreams of Circumstance Book #2 The Dreamer Series Written by Allie Jean Follow @AllieJeanDS Site: http://alliejean.net/

Because of a posting failure on Triberr, I am reposting this NaNo excerpt. To read the post, click HERE . I apologize for any inconvenience.

Buffer The following is syndicated from The Book Lover's Report and is posted here with permission from Diantha Jones. Hey Guys!! So, this blog tour stop is loaded up with tons of things: two book reviews, a guest post, and two giveaways! And, here they are:

Buffer The following is syndicated from YA Novelties and is posted here with permission from Diantha Jones. Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise (Oracle of Delphi #2) By Diantha Jones ( Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads ) Published: November 12, 2012 eBook, 357 pages It’s official. Myth is doomed. And it’s all Chloe Clever’s fault. Still as whacked out as ever, Chloe is now faced with an even uglier truth: Not only is she the Pythia of the Great Unknown, but she is more powerful than she ever imagined and only the manifestations of her prophetic mind can save them all now.

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Buffer This is a very controversial topic. Why? Because no one can agree on a set definition of this dreaded word: spam . Consider this one: Send the same message indiscriminately to (large numbers of recipients) on the Internet. (Google Search Definition)