Just hit the button

I just hit the button and put the next two books up for pre-order on Amazon.  They're currently in the queue, and should go live by tomorrow. I'll put links out in my newsletter on Friday, and on my blog and site on Monday.  Newsletter subscribers can also win a chance to earn free paperback copies of each.

Nidhöggr

Múspellsheimr is a realm unlike any other, with suns that never set and lakes and seas of poisoned water.  When Fenrir and Jörmungandr take drastic measures to survive the realm’s intense heat, they in turn endanger the lives of a family of vengeful giants.

In a deal to retrieve the ancient magic to undo what was done, Jörmungandr puts his life on the line while Fenrir is sent out with the landowner’s eldest daughter.  But when the magic isn’t where Fenrir expects it to be, he is forced to race against time and face witches, undead spirits, and self-made gods to save himself and his brother.

Releases April 1st.

Valkyrja

When war breaks out between the elves and the men on Álfheimr, all the warriors in the kingdom are called to fight for their king.  As a jarl’s daughter, Hilde is amongst the front lines, prepared to fight for her king and her land against the invaders.  But it isn’t long before sides begin to shift and lines blur.  Soon, Hilde finds her tribe allied with the men, and fighting against the king.  Unsure where her loyalties lie, Hilde does the unimaginable and flees from battle to seek out any who might help guide her to the right path.  Even if that help comes at an unpayable price.

Releases May 1st.

 

LibraryThing Giveaway

If you entered into my LibraryThing giveaway for Dwarf's Ransom, you should be receiving several notices in your email.  All files have been sent out to the email addresses provided.  If you do not receive an email from me shortly, please be sure to check your spam folder.

I'm kind of excited to see how this works out.  This is the first time I've used a third party to host the giveaway, and it's already been easier than using Tumblr.  Depending on how this goes, I may continue to do this for all future releases.  Or I may not.  We'll see.

Amazon and Kindle Book Categories

This is something that's been on my mind for a while, and have two different opinions on it. When authors upload and publish their books to Amazon, there are two ways to get the book into the author's desired categories. The first is selecting them manually, from a long list of options. The second is through using specific tags. Both options are under the author's complete control, and it's something I both love and despise.

Bad Business: BlueHost

My current web hosting is crap, and I've been looking into transferring my domain elsewhere.  I had every intention on doing that tonight, but one wrong decision has ruined my night and made me sick. 

When I clicked on BlueHost, it was because it was on a list of hosts recommended by WordPress.  I went through, and the pricing and products looked good, so I ordered the smallest package, since I don't need much.  It was going to be $3 a month, paid in advance for a year.  And since I already have the domain name, that was an added savings right there.

So when I purchased it and went to initiate the transfer, I got blocked because my account wasn't verified.  Well, I thought.  I'd gone through all the hoops, hadn't I?  I checked my email to make sure there wasn't a link I missed clicking on somewhere.  But no.  I have to phone them to verify my account.  And they're nine-to-five, so I couldn't even do that.  I was kind of annoyed, and went digging through the options to see what else I could even do without verifying my account (answer: nothing).  And that's when I saw that instead of being billed $36, I was billed over $230.  Because not only did they charge me for extra time I did not order, but they added on extra packages I did not order.  Packages I specifically opted out of. 

And I can't even cancel, because they're not open.  I feel so sick right out.  I can't remember the last time I've been taken advantage of so thoroughly.  First thing in the morning, I'm calling and speaking with someone's supervisor, and I am not hanging up until I get a full refund.  I was willing to deal with being jerked around with the verification, but I will not do business with this company ever again.

New Mailing List

I have a new mailing list set up.  Anybody subscribed to the old one has already been moved over to the new service.  Subscribing is now simpler and does not require a Google email address.  You can subscribe either by using the form on this blog's sidebar, or by going to this page. 

Mailing list subscribers automatically get entered into drawings for free books and other promotions.  Five signed copies of Sky Treader will be given to subscribers on April 1st.  Other titles will be offered as they become available.

BOOKS!

Well, a book.  My book!  The first proof copy of Sky Treader came in today.  I need to make a minor change to one of the pages that didn't centre properly, but it's good.  I was particularly worried about my font choice, and thought it might be too big, but it works.  And now that I know it does, I'm going to go ahead with the others as well. 

After reading a lot of discussions on CreateSpace's printing, I was a little worried that I wouldn't like the end product, but it actually feels really sturdy.  The cover is good and thick, and the pages don't feel like they're going to tear if you look at them too hard.  When I get it through and have it properly available, I'll probably order about a dozen copies and do a GoodReads giveaway to celebrate.