"Waiting On" Wednesday: The Awakening

"Waiting On" Wednesday, a weekly event, is hosted by Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this event is to get bloggers to spotlight and share the books they are anticipating on being released.

This week's eagerly anticpated novel is:

The Awakening
by Jeffrey Pierce
Release date: Friday, May 13th

From the author's website:

What if everything you thought you knew was wrong?

We're taught in Sunday School that angels are benevolent beings who watch over us, who love and protect us at every turn. Yet the Revelation of John from the Christian Bible states that it is the angels who will pour out God's wrath on humanity, murdering billions of people. If you were an angel and truly loved those you watched over, could you destroy them, even if God commanded you to? 

And if you couldn't, who would God send to do the job in your place? 

Suspenseful, thrilling, and controversial, in The Awakening we find a world where nothing is quite what it seems, where the truth of spiritual reality has been distorted by millennia of folktales and mythology. While angels exist, they aren't what we believe them to be. They are the Old Ones, living among us from the time they were sent here, over 2,000 years ago, with a dark mission they chose to reject. Having fallen in love with mankind, some of the Old Ones work behind the scenes, teaching our great spiritual leaders while other immortals have entered into relationships with humankind, their angelic blood mingling with our own, manifesting in gifts widely considered to be psychic abilities and prophetic dreams. 

Seamlessly weaving Hopi, Mayan and Christian prophesies with current events and the theories of quantum physics, The Awakening is a novel of the ending of a reality, of the reclaiming of a dimension that we call home. Told from a perspective beyond the filter of mythology, the beginning of the end is shown from a non-religious perspective while embracing the spiritual origins of our own existence.

 ... The first three chapters of The Awakening are available free on Jeffrey Pierce's website, and signed copies are available, as well. I can't wait!!

My first guest blog - Self-Publishing 101

(Thank you so much, Elizabeth, for inviting me to post on your blog!!)

For those who don't know her yet, Elizabeth Petrillo Marcellin is another fantastic author. I will be reviewing her book, Element Keepers, here when I get the time - and it is highly recommended!

We began discussing self-publishing about a month ago, and she mentioned I should write an article helping newbies to the game... So I did! You can view my post on Elizabeth's website.

E is for eBook

I don't think Jeffrey and I initially had any comprehension of how MUCH is actually involved in self-publishing and marketing your own book. It's waaaaaay more than just writing a good book and uploading the file somewhere - you have to find an editor, format it correctly (and differently for print vs. ebook), design the cover, build a website, blog, network, market, solicit reviews, design trailer videos, learn new software, panic when your computer crashes, check stats every 5 minutes, lather rinse and repeat ad nauseum... It's pretty crazy stuff!!

I'll save the gory details of most of it for another post, but here are the basics of what I've learned regarding the easy way of actually creating (and self-publishing) an ebook:

1) All eBook publishers are not equal. Most of them require completely different formatting; if you are techy or willing to take the time to learn, this is a little bit of a hassle but not the end of the world. If your tech knowledge is limited to Microsoft Office and the internet, you are best sticking to Smashwords for publishing your eBook! They will take your (properly formatted) MS Word document and run it through their "Meatgrinder", converting it to the various alternative formats - and then sending your book to multiple distribution channels! Voila. You are now selling your book at Amazon, Sony, Apple, and more - with a minimum of frustration.

2) Start your book with NO FORMATTING. None. All those lovely paragraphs you created using the tab key in Word? BAD. Consult the wonderful and free "Smashwords Style Guide" for more details.

3) Find an editor. It's easy to think you can skip this one, but trust me - no matter how wonderful your writing is, you need an editor. Check your friends & family list first to see who might qualify as a free or low-cost option; offer to bribe them with autographed copies, chocolate, booze, babysitting - whatever it takes!

4) Get your marketing started well before you actually publish your book! Create accounts on social media networks, especially Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Shelfari. Spend time there. Get to know people. Engage in useful conversation - don't just promote your book, that comes across as spammy and is a definite turnoff.

5) Publish your book to Smashwords. The process takes awhile - typically a couple of weeks to be accepted into their "Premium" category, longer if you need to fix formatting errors. Tagging your book and creating an appropriately enticing description and author bio are important, as is placing your book into the relevant categories! Give these items some thought. Also consider pricing - while some authors charge the same price as paperback novels, a majority are pricing their books at $2.99 or even $.99. There are divided schools of thought on eBook pricing; go with your gut - and check out J.A. Konrath's blog on the subject.

6) Send advance copies to reviewers! If you search the web for "indie book review", you will find a number of reviewers happy to accept your book for review. Keep in mind that not all reviews will be positive; be prepared to accept whatever they dish out with grace and good humor.

7) Announce the release of your book!! Tell friends, family, co-workers, neighbors; create and send out a quick press release to your local paper and related publications (such as Parenting Magazine for a book on "Dealing With Your Demon Child", for example); make sure a link to purchase your book (or to the book's website) is in every electronic correspondence you send out... Be the book.

8) Be grateful for the sales and reviews you get, and don't expect to quit your day job any time soon! A new self-published author typically only gets a handful of sales in the first couple months; sales increase with oodles of marketing, additional books, and sheer dumb luck.


Self-publishing is definitely a labor of love! Whether you want to make a living off writing or are just excited about the thought of seeing your book in print (albeit electronically), the world has definitely changed for writers - and the possibilities are limitless, if you are willing to put in the time and effort. But most importantly? Have fun!! Life's a game, not a race to the finish.

Book Review - Escaping Destiny by Jeffrey Pierce

Escaping Destiny by Jeffrey Pierce

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I recently finished a marvelous fantasy novel - Escaping Destiny, by Jeffrey Pierce. Having been an avid reader for many, many years (especially in the fantasy/sci-fi genres), I am pretty selective about what I will recommend to others. This story was truly exceptional. I was hooked within moments, and am now itching with anticipation for the next book in the series!

Escaping Destiny is the first in the Tapestry series, and is set in a richly detailed universe with multiple worlds. The main characters of the book are all part of an ancient prophecy, and struggle to find their own identities while trying to figure out how to thwart fate. The characters are colorful, believable, and consistent, and their journey through the book is riveting! I would consider this to be a good choice for both general reading and for deeper discussion, as it mirrors often the personal challenges, religious differences and societal prejudices that we often face in our own world.

The author speaks in a clear, descriptive voice, using a minimum of words to convey complex and subtle details. While I virtually skim most books, I actually had to slow down and read this one word-for-word! At various points throughout the book, I found myself in tears or laughing out loud. Many of the passages are incredibly beautiful, such as this one:

"... The mer tilted his head back and began to softly sing. Sovay closed her eyes, holding back her tears as the beauty of the wordless song washed over her. It was as if the sound of the gentle wind and lullaby of the waves had been set to music. There were no words, only the purity of tone and intent that rose and fell from Beltross’s thin lips. The sound held the deep emotion of the sea, the power of an unchained storm, transmuted into the gentle lapping of the waves that danced around a child’s bare toes."

This book easily earns 5 stars from me, and makes my "Favorite Books of All Time" list!

Jeffrey Pierce is a writer, photographer, and traditionally trained shaman who offers a unique perspective to his readers. I imagine him as being very much like the main character in this story, Kai Oakman! He maintains his own website at www.virtual-coffee.com, where the first three chapters of Escaping Destiny are available for free. I eagerly anticipate his next book, which is due out in May.

View all my reviews