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Announcing my forthcoming novel

/ Kris Wampler / 2 Comments

I’m pleased to announce my forthcoming novel, A Penny Black, which is tentatively scheduled to be published in Fall 2021. A Penny Black is most appropriately categorized as a clean romance, although the guy doesn’t get the girl until the end. “Clean” means no sex or profanity; in fact, most of the book is spent with the guy actually finding the girl, and in the most unexpected way. I will post more details about the plot as I get closer to the projected publication date of October 29, 2021. While every author says this, I believe the plot is truly unique and will most certainly entertain the readers.

The manuscript for A Penny Black was started around November 2016. The death of a close personal friend and love interest, Amy Morgan, in 2017 added a new dimension to the writing. The book is dedicated to Amy. In this way, A Penny Black is a truly personal and intimate project and was written almost as a form of therapy.

At present, I am applying developmental edits to the manuscript. I am thankful for the editing assistance of Alisha Grace at Graceful Content and recommend her services (contact me if you’d like details). I will keep you all updated as the editing progresses and I appreciate your interest in my work!

Diana Miller

/ Kris Wampler

descentDiana Miller has had experience in both the indie and traditional publishing worlds. She explains why review swaps are a great way to build your reader base.

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

My debut novel Descent is being published by FyreSyde Publishing on April 14th, 2021.  It follows the story of Serafina Thomas. Sera is orphaned at sixteen, and sent to live with her only remaining relative in a small, rural town. Recruited by a dark, alluring young man to attend the prestigious St. Michael’s Academy, she is thrust into the secret underworld of demon hierarchy where one must fight to survive. She quickly meets Justin, who rules the demon hierarchy along with his grandfather the Arch Demon, who has taken a special interest in Sera. Martin is the Watcher; an Archangel with one goal in mind: to eradicate the demons from the Earth, protecting the human race for all time.

All three are thrown together in this sage of time and tragedy, with Sera torn in the middle. Will they bind themselves together in order to save their own species, or burn in the chaos? A millennia old struggle comes to a head in the first book of The Demon Chronicles trilogy. The sequel Feud will be published just a few weeks later!

2. How have your sales been?

I actually had this story self-published for a little bit, and it did ok. I’m excited to reach a larger audience with my publisher. My free short story “5 Days to Die” has been downloaded many times, and I’ve had great feedback. It’s on Amazon for $0.99 or for free if you sign up for my newsletter on my website (dianagmiller.com).

3. You’ve used both self-publishing and traditional publishing. Which do you prefer, and what are the pros and cons of each?

It was an exhausting process to manage on my own, and with a full time job I just couldn’t devote the time needed. I’m excited to be partnering with FyreSyde to help with this aspect of it!

My publisher has a greater audience reach than I could possibly have alone, and access to more resources (cover artists, editors, etc.). I owe it to my story to make it the best version possible, and I concluded that I just couldn’t do it on my own while keeping up with my family and full-time job as a music teacher.

I’ve met some amazing indie authors, and read some amazing stories! Some of the very first reviews of Descent were from these lovely people, and it’s been wonderful to be active in the writing community. The con is the sheer amount of work, and how hard it is to be seen in a sea of indie authors lately. I’m hoping to have the best of both worlds by working with my small publisher. Continue reading →

Karin Thompson (Part 2)

/ Kris Wampler

Karin Thompson was previously interviewed on kriswampler.com, and now she is here to discuss her latest book. Learn more about it, along with her recommended marketing and networking efforts.

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

My latest work is Encouragement for The Weary Soul. I saw that many Christians were discouraged and weary by dealing with problems. I wrote this book to encourage them, to give some advice, a prayer and some Scripture references that they can look up.

This book is like a “pep talk.” To motivate you to keep going and to help you overcome the obstacles that you are dealing with. I offer healing, hope, and inspiration in this collection of encouraging words for weary souls. Prayers and Scripture that offer help and support as you overcome the situations you face. Throughout these pages, discover encouragement and strength to carry on. It is the perfect book for Christians looking for straightforward
answers. An uplifting read you can turn to again and again during tough times.

2. How have your sales been?

They are going steady.

3. You’ve chosen self-publishing.  How have you liked it so far?  Talk about some of the positives and negatives you’ve encountered.

I have found that marketing is a full-time occupation that keeps you very busy. Especially as an unknown author, you must sell yourself as well as your book. But Facebook and Instagram have some amazing support groups that are full of advice. I have met so many helpful people that are always willing to give me a reviews or blog reviews (Just like yourself).

I don’t think one should see self-publishing as a quick thing. I have been promoting my books for a year now and I can truly say the wheel is finally turning. Do not give up but to keep working on it. It will pay off in the long term.

I have found some marketing companies that will advertise my book at a small fee, and this has helped my sales. Continue reading →

Tami Kidd

/ Kris Wampler / 1 Comment

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Tami Kidd believes authors should share marketing ideas.  She shares her own ideas here and discusses her approach to completing writing tasks. 

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

My latest work is The Diary of A.M. Zing. It’s about a young college professor who finds a box of old diaries in her aunt’s attic. The diaries, written by a young girl in the 1950s, become her obsession. She vows to return the diaries to their owner or the author’s next of kin. She soon discovers that the diaries are the focus of another’s attention and she is square in the middle of the mystery surrounding them.

After writing my first two novels, I wanted to have a new protagonist, a younger female character. The main character in my first two novels was an older woman.

2. How have your sales been?

The sales on my first two books were fair. I haven’t really had time to market them, so sales could have been better if I had the time to invest in promoting them. Working full time doesn’t leave a lot of time for writing or marketing.

3. You’ve gone the self-publishing route. Have you sought an agent or any work with traditional publishers? If not, why not? If so, what has been your experience?

I have not sought an agent. I don’t have the time to pursue an agent. Perhaps when I retire I’ll have more time to search for one.

Continue reading →

2012 in review

/ Kris Wampler

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 9,600 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 16 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Get Love Train for FREE October 17!

/ Kris Wampler

My book, Love Train, will be available as a free download on October 17:

In a style his own, author Kris Wampler introduces this fast-paced and hilarious send up of the action-adventure genre.

When he boarded the 10:45 train, Vic Steelbrass had just one mission: learn PowerPoint by the time he reached New York. But when Anastasia Romanov walked into his life, fate handed him a different mission. Suddenly, he has to seduce a beautiful Russian, foil a madman’s bomb plot, AND learn PowerPoint. With countless – or at least more than a few – lives on the line, Steelbrass must prove love is worth believing in…and kill a whole lot of bad guys in the process. He woke that morning as just your average, ex-millionaire, alligator-wrestling, skydiving businessman. But his life would be forever changed when he bought a ticket on…the LOVE TRAIN!

Be sure to get your copy, and thanks so much for your support.

Simon Trinculo

/ Kris Wampler

Who doesn’t love a good conspiracy?  Indie author Simon Trinculo offers up a fresh batch of alternate explanations for the events of our day, and explains his approach to marketing and the writing process.

1. Give me the “elevator pitch” for your book in five to ten sentences.

The idea behind The New Conspiracy Handbook was to give fans of conspiracy theory some new ideas to wrap their minds around.  You can only read so much about JFK or 9/11 or Area 51 so I felt like the market might be there for something fresh.  And unlike many conspiracy books, I do not rely on any kind of “new” secret facts that only I am privy to.  Every fact in my book is easily verifiable and most are common knowledge.  What I did was take what we already know and create a new narrative to tie those facts together.  TNCH offers 25 new theories in compact, easily digestible chapters.  I tried to appeal to a broad audience by hitting a diverse array of topics, from politics to sports to the music world and more.

2. Why did you become an indie writer?

Thinking about and discussing conspiracy theories has long been a hobby of mine.  Writing them down in book format seemed like the next natural step.  Being independent helps with this type of writing because you don’t have to answer to another person who might want to suppress your ideas.

3. Have you been traditionally published?  Why or why not?

No. This is my first book. I may consider submitting to a publisher in the future.

Continue reading →

Announcing my new e-book conversion business

/ Kris Wampler / 3 Comments

I’m pleased to announce the launch of my new e-book conversion business, E-Literate, specializing in formatting manuscripts for sale on the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook.  Because this is a small business, the costs are lower and the turnaround time quicker.

Properly formatting your book is essential to making sure it’s readable on the Kindle and Nook.  But the formatting process can be time-consuming and frustrating.  That’s where we come in.  We do all the intricate formatting necessary to turn your manuscript into a readable file on both e-readers.  The file is then tested and re-tested to check for the highest accuracy possible.  Finally, we send you the file so you can upload and sell it as an e-book.

Pricing is based on the length and complexity of the manuscript, but our rates are highly competitive.  For more details or for a price quote, send us an email at indiewriting [at] gmail [dot] com, or visit our Facebook page.  We look forward to doing business with you!