On Becoming Book of the Month

I believe I've mentioned before that I am a part of this absolutely amazing group of readers and writers called Rave Reviews Book Club.  There are so many things that I enjoy about this group.  For starters, they have books galore!!! For an avid reader like me, it's fun to explore their catalog of books by authors that are not as well-known but are just as fabulous.  The books are listed in their Book Club Selections for Review by genre which helps me to find the books in which I'm most interested.

I also love that they have writing contests for people who love to write.  I've yet to participate in these since I'm too busy trying to stay on track for my self-imposed release date for The One Betrayed (book 3 of the Diasodz series).  Still, the contests are there to help expose great writers to the world.

Mostly, I love the support that they give to indie authors! :-) It's tough to be an independent author in this world.  Not only are you doing your best to write your novel, but you also have to publish and promote it on your own.  It's exhausting and rewarding at the same time.  I have no complaints and am truly enjoying the journey, but if it weren't for this group, I think I'd feel alone in my dreams.

They are SO supportive!  They have a program called Pay it Forward, where authors agree to promote other authors on specific days in hopes of bringing new readers their way.  One author promotes only one other author and does not promote him/herself on that day.  It's a wonderful way of helping each other, and I love being a part of it.

They also have #PUSH days where all members tweet and blog about one specific author in hopes of helping that author reach new readers.  And now they have the Rave Waves blog talk radio!!!  If you are a book lover, you definitely want to tune in to this! They also have a monthly newsletter to keep members up-to-date with the latest and greatest.

And last but certainly not least, they have a member of the month and book(s) of the month section! Members read one another's books and write reviews to help push the books into new hands.

This month, I have the honor of having been chosen as one of the Books of the Month! I was so excited when I saw the announcement on Twitter by another member.  And the members have been blowing up Twitter every day to promote my novel.  How amazing is that!  I am humbled by their kindness.  Many of them will read my novel and write reviews, and I cannot wait to read them all!

It's hard for me to keep up with social media, especially during the school year when I'm teaching full-time during the day and being a baseball mom at night.  I try my best to keep my Facebook, Twitter, and blog up-to-date, but they tend to take a back burner when I have little time and need to write pages for my novel.  That being said, I make the time to support #RRBC and their members because they support me and indie authors everywhere.

So, take a moment and check out their site.  If you like what you see, join!  You will be very happy that you did. :-)

Becoming Twitter Friendly

Self-promotion has never been my thing.  I have always been that girl in the background, the one trying not to bring attention to herself.  If I'm in an intimate setting, I will be more open and partake more in the conversations, but I let others take the limelight in larger groups.  It is who I am, and I'm happy with it.

When I finally found the courage to self-publish my novels, I realized that I would need to step out of my comfort zone and let others focus on me through my writing.  I also knew that I would have to promote myself and my novels if I wanted to sell any copies, and this brought me great hesitation and anxiety.

I tried direct sales for a bit and found that I didn't enjoy the feeling of pushing a product upon others.  I truly believed in the product and still do, but I felt uncomfortable trying to convince others of its benefits.  If I felt awkward selling a product that I did not create, imagine my hesitation in trying to sell something that came from my very heart and soul.  I was terrified (and still am in some ways).

I was told that I needed to join Twitter to help push my book.  I joined and then did nothing because I had no idea what it was about or how to use it.  I can honestly and humbly say that I probably still don't know how to reap the best benefits of Twitter, but I can now appreciate the value of it.

I immediately connected with my friends, but I knew that wouldn't really help me reach the mass audiences. Then, one day I somehow came across an amazing collection of authors and readers and joined their group, Rave Reviews Book Club, or #RRBC.  As I always do, I stayed in the background, just observing and getting to better understand how it all worked.  As time passed, I knew I had found a new home.  I became surrounded by others who were passionate about the written word and wanted to share their love of stories.

I then found #IndieAuthorsBeSeen, #IAN1 (Independent Authors Network) and #BooksGS (Books Go Social).  These groups also focus on lifting authors up and helping each other to promote their works so that readers can fall in love with new stories.

I watched the type of tweets that these amazing authors sent into the world, and I mimicked them.  I clicked on their links and even downloaded a few of their novels, read them, and wrote reviews.  Then, I tweeted about the reviews I had written.  And then something miraculous started happening...#RRBC chose me as part of their #PUSHTUESDAY promotion.  All of a sudden, the masses were tweeting about my novel.  I felt so honored that these complete strangers would help me share my work.  And then #IndieAuthorsBeSeen promoted my first novel on a radio broadcast.  #BooksGS followed with tweets and sharing my novel on Pinterest.

I realized that I could promote myself through others, taking away my unease of speaking about myself while still getting my books into the hands of readers.  Because I am not a selfish person, this wasn't enough for me.  I believe in shining light upon those who share their spotlight with me.  Unfortunately, I barely have time to write, much less scroll through thousands of tweets per day, so I had to find a way to productively promote my supporters.

Luckily, I found my happy medium through chance.  I was lucky enough to be asked for an interview by @PukahWorks.  Not only did she post my interview on her blog, www.pukahworks.wordpress.com, but she also read both of my novels and posted honest reviews.  Then, she promoted all of it for several days, and she did all of this out of the goodness of her heart!  Suddenly, people were retweeting her tweets and helping to push my works, and I knew I had to thank them in some way.

A simple thank you just wasn't good enough for me, so I visited each of their pages and scrolled (and scrolled and scrolled) until I found a post in which they were promoting their own works, and I retweeted that.  And it felt great!  I realized that the best way to honor those who help me promote my own work was to turn around and help them promote theirs.  Although I do not have the time to read through the myriad of tweets that come to my feed, I can make the time to help those who honor me with their time.

I find myself visiting Twitter more now to interact with other authors and with readers of my novels.  Those interactions always put a smile on my face.  I am grateful to have found the groups above who have made me feel a part of a loving family of authors who help one another succeed.

I will continue to help promote those who tweet and retweet about my novels because they help me not have to bring attention to myself.  I just wish Twitter would separate a person's tweets from the tweets that they repost because many of these authors love bringing light on other authors, and I sometimes scroll for a VERY long time to find a self-promoting tweet. lol!  Guess I'm not the only one who struggles with self-promotion. ;-)  Luckily, none of us struggle alone; we have one another to shine light on new authors and new novels so that the lovers of the written word can stay happy. :-)

P.S. If any of you know the Twitter Gods, it would be GREAT if they could take their tabs on the profile page from Tweets|Media|Favorites and revise them to Tweets|Retweets|Media|Favorites. :-D

Great Things are Happening! :-)

As great as it felt to be interviewed by a blogger, it was even more amazing when one of my characters earned the privilege of having his own interview.  Of course, Ar'ch would be the first to have this honor.  ;-)  Here is the link to his interview with Pukah Works: https://pukahworks.wordpress.com/2015/01/27/meet-arch/  He is quite happy with himself and is looking forward to meeting other bloggers who are interested in the Diasodz.

I was also honored recently by BooksGoSocial (#BooksGS) when they placed my novel on their Pinterest page, BooksGoSocial Books to Try in 2015! http://www.pinterest.com/laurenceobryan/booksgosocial-books-to-try-in-2015-1/  So, if you are a Pinterest fan, please go to this page and pin my novel.  And while there, take a look at the other novels listed! You may just find some great reads to add to your list for this year.

My Author Interview

I recently met Kat Caffee through Books Go Social (#BooksGS), and she was kind enough to interview me for her blog, Pukah Works.  If you would like to learn more about me, you can see the interview here:

http://wp.me/p4Uq5a-gz

Show her some love while you are there by checking out some of her other posts.  When we support one another, we all flourish! :-)

Connect with Me!

I've had several people ask me how they can stay in touch with me, so I figured I'd just list the various ways here:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/YvetteMCalleiro

Twitter: @YvetteMCalleiro

Instagram: ycalleiro

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7800735.Yvette_M_Calleiro

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ycalleiro

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Yvette-M-Calleiro/e/B00I4RJMUU/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

My website:  http://yvettemcalleiro.com

I am also part of the following groups:

#RaveReviewsBookClub

#IndieBooksBeSeen

#BooksGoSocial

Books by Brats


And as always, you can follow me here on my blog. :-)

Thank you for all of the love that you have shared with me on this journey.  The One Enlightened is now available on Amazon.  The e-book has been released, but I am still fine-tuning the paperback. It should be out soon!

I'm already working on The One Betrayed (book 3 in the series).  I'm not ready to start talking about it yet since many people have not finished reading The One Enlightened, and I won't want to ruin the ending of the book for them.  So, if you post any comments anywhere, please try not to ruin the ending for them. ;-)

Why I Love Being Indie...and The Release of The One Enlightened

I am happy to announce that I have just submitted my second novel, The One Enlightened, to Amazon for review.  It should be available for purchase either tomorrow or Tuesday.  I cannot begin to express to you the joy that I have in sharing the second book of the Chronicles of the Diasodz with you all.  I am truly living my dream and am so honored that you are joining me on my journey.

I remember when I was first trying to publish The One Discovered.  I had such a difficult time getting a publishing company even to read my query letter.  Those who did wrote back that it wasn't what they were looking for or that they were only working with published authors.  After learning that several authors whose books I enjoy reading started off as independent (indie) authors, I decided that if it was good enough for them, then it was good enough for me.

I don't regret that decision for a second!  I love being the only one to control the story line and my character's words and actions.  I love having full control of how the cover is going to look.  And I LOVE becoming part of great communities of indie authors who enjoy promoting one another and helping each other out.  Two of those groups are the #RaveReviewsBookClub and the #IndieAuthorsBeSeen group.  I have met some really talented authors as well as gracious, fellow writers who have been willing to either read and review my novel or help promote me.  I, in turn, have done the same for them because there is a beauty in honoring others for their hard work and passion.

Although I am an independent author, I have not done this alone.  My family has supported my dream of becoming an author long before I had even dreamt of the Diaosdz.  My closest friends have listened to my ideas and have read my rough drafts over and over again to help me find errors.  And then there are my beta readers from Goodreads.com!  I love those people!  They are complete strangers to me and have no reason to fluff my ego, so I know that their words of advice are genuine.  I pay them with nothing more than reading my novel for free (and a signed copy after the printed version is released), and they scrutinize the life out of it just to help me make the story the best it can be.  I owe them more gratitude than I can express in words for their critiques and editing suggestions.

So, on the eve of my second novel's release, I ask you all to share with your friends that this AMAZING book is about to be available! Encourage them to read The One Discovered and fall in love with my dreamy Diasodz.  And then ask them to search the groups above and find other authors that they've never read before and take a chance on them.  There are brilliant stories out there waiting to be read, if only a reader will take a chance on an unknown.  :-)


https://clrozelle.wordpress.com/2014/12/08/10-things-that-suck-and-rock-about-being-an-indie-author-part-1/

The November Giveaway winners are...

Thank you to all of you who have liked my Facebook page, followed my Twitter account, and wrote a review.  Thank you for sharing my work and spreading the word.  Your positive energy embraces me, and I send some of it back to you through this giveaway.  So, as promised, here are the fourth set of winners for my giveaway!

A free e-book of The One Discovered goes to Twitter follower, Alexis Marie Chute (@_Alexis_Marie)!

A free signed copy of The One Discovered goes to Facebook follower, Liam Kilby!

A free advanced reader's e-book copy of The One Enlightened will be sent to the following two reviewers before its release date:

1.  Rebecca Long (left a review of The One Discovered on Amazon)

2. Maria Sokolova (left a review of The One Discovered on Smashwords)

If you know any of these people, congratulate them on winning and thank them for supporting me! If you want to win one of the above items, simply like my Facebook and/or Twitter account, read my novel, and write a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. :-)

If you are one of these people, please message me via any of those sites so that I may receive your information and send you the book. :-)

If you did not win this month, I will have another drawing at the end of December.  By that time, The One Enlightened will be released, but I will still give away two copies of it.

As an extra incentive, I will also send an extra e-book to a person who encourages his/her friends to follow my Facebook page.  Simply have your friends follow me and send me a message that you invited them to join my page. :-) I've had many new followers, but none of them posted the name of the person who recommended them to my page.  Please encourage your friends to give you a shout out so that I may reward you for your kindness! ;-)

The One Enlightened - Cover Reveal!

As promised, here is the final cover reveal for The One Enlightened, book 2 of the Chronicles of the Diasodz! I am absolutely in love with it! :-D Those of you who have read The One Discovered should be able to figure out which character(s) is(are) being represented on the cover. The rest of you will just need to read the books to find out. ;-)

Happy Halloween! ~and~ Congrats to October's Winners!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Today is a day of embracing the paranormal and fantasy worlds of our lives! So, it's fitting that my third giveaway for my YA paranormal/fantasy books take place today! :-D

Thank you to all of you who have liked my Facebook page, followed my Twitter account, and wrote a review.  Thank you for sharing my work and spreading the word.  Your positive energy embraces me, and I send some of it back to you through this giveaway.  So, as promised, here are the third set of winners for my giveaway!

A free e-book of The One Discovered goes to Twitter follower, M.tada (@aveirjapan)!

A free signed copy of The One Discovered goes to Facebook follower, Lily Faye Copes.

A free advanced reader's e-book copy of The One Enlightened will be sent to the following two reviewers before its release date:

1.  Pamela Foley (left a review of The One Discovered on Amazon)

2. Luz de la Paz (left a review of The One Discovered on Goodreads)

If you know any of these people, congratulate them on winning and thank them for supporting me! If you want to win one of the above items, simply like my Facebook and/or Twitter account, read my novel, and write a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. :-)

If you are one of these people, please message me via any of those sites so that I may receive your information and send you the book. :-)

If you did not win this week, I will have another drawing at the end of November.  As an extra incentive, I will also send an extra e-book to a person who encourages his/her friends to follow my Facebook page.  Simply have your friends follow me and send me a message that you invited them to join my page. :-) I've had many new followers, but none of them posted the name of the person who recommended them to my page.  Please encourage your friends to give you a shout out so that I may reward you for your kindness! ;-)

I am diligently working on the revising of The One Enlightened.  My plans are on track to release it in December. I hope you like the cover (I'll be revealing the last part in a just a few moments).

Enjoy Halloween and all of the little munchkins who knock on your door as they explore their imaginations and the worlds beyond their everyday lives.  Celebrate their creativity and their excitement of being different for a day.  And, as always, blessed be! :-)

The September giveaway winners are...

Thank you to all of you who have liked my Facebook page, followed my Twitter account, and wrote a review.  Thank you for sharing my work and spreading the word.  Your positive energy embraces me, and I send some of it back to you through this giveaway.  So, as promised, here are the second set of winners for my giveaway!

A free e-book of The One Discovered goes to Twitter follower, A Sunlit Rose (@ASunlitMuse)!

A free signed copy of The One Discovered goes to Facebook follower, Natalia Carson.

A free advanced reader's e-book copy of The One Enlightened will be sent to the following two reviewers before its release date:

1.  Sneha Tripathi (left a review of The One Discovered on Goodreads)

2. Bill Ward (left a review of The One Discovered on Amazon.com and on Goodreads)

If you know any of these people, congratulate them on winning and thank them for supporting me!

If you are one of these people, please message me via any of those sites so that I may receive your information and send you the book. :-)

If you did not win this week, I will have another drawing at the end of October.  As an extra incentive, I will also send an extra ebook to a person who encourages his/her friends to follow my Facebook page.  Simply have your friends follow me and send me a message that you invited them to join my page. :-)

And stay tuned!  I will be revealing the cover for The One Enlightened in October! I am absolutely in love with it! My beta readers and devotedly scrutinizing every book of book two. So far, I have received nothing but praise! I cannot wait to release it to you all.  :-)