This week we’re joined by author Robin Waldrop, who is busy making the blog circuit to promote the latest novel in her Blood Moon series, Shadow of the Blood Moon. Robin tells us about her favorite legends and how they inspire her writing and also talks a bit about the best way to market your books. And keep reading after the interview for details on how to enter and win e-book copies of not ONE, but BOTH books in this series!
Hi Robin! Thanks for joining us this week. Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a wife, mother, grandmother, business owner, and author of YA/Urban Fantasy paranormal novels. TIES TO THE BLOOD MOON is book 1 in my series and is available on all digital sites, and also print and audio as well. SHADOW OF THE BLOOD MOON is my current release and the second book in the BLOOD MOON series.
Your Ties to the Blood Moon series explores a world of fairy tales, myths and legends. Tell us about your top five favorite fairy tales or legends.
I have such a twisted mind, my top five are as follows from least to most favorite: The Legend of Spooky Hollow, The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs, Bloody Mary, The Hook, The Killer in the Back Seat. These are all legends I grew up with, and I am sure most of us did. I can remember growing up in Ohio, a bunch of us kids would load up in four or five cars and cruise out to Spooky Hollow road where we would go ghost hunting…lol.
How much did you draw on these tales for your novels? How did you spin them to make them fit into your own world?
I didn’t per se use them in my novels, but it just goes to show you how twisted my mind can be. Needless to say, I am extremely afraid of the dark.
Do you have any advice for authors stepping into the self-publishing arena regarding marketing? What’s worked best for you, and what has proven to be a waste of time?
All I can say is SOCIAL NETWORKS! I never paid much attention to Twitter until releasing this series. I could see a major hike in sales after tweeting just a few times. Facebook is also a valuable tool. I have about 3500 friends, which comes in handy when you’re trying to spread the word. It is a lot of work, though. Don’t just use these and other social sites for your benefit. You’ve got to help out fellow authors by spreading the word for them, too. Also, if you book is free or bellow three dollars, make use of sites such as Pixel of Ink, Kindle Daily Nation, and others. Most are free and have submission forms. Just remember, it’s best to seek out these sites as soon as you have a solid release date for your novel.
How much time and energy would you suggest new authors spend on marketing versus simply writing and getting the next book out there?
I don’t know if I have the right answer or not. I do know volume sells, but you also have to let readers know you are there. I would say 75/25, writing/marketing. It’s also extremely important to start the next novel soon after you finish whatever you are currently writing. Always keep writing.
To learn more about Robin Waldrop and check out more of her work, visit her at these links:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4823084.Robin_P_Waldrop
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/robinsauthorpage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Robinpwaldrop
Blog: http://www.robinpwaldrop.blogspot.com/
Genevieve Labreck is back with a score to settle. Her mom has been kidnapped by Zane, hybrid and all-around monster. Rumors fly that Gen’s mom is holed away in Prague, a city recognized by humans for its serene beauty and intense culture, but Gen and Will know something humans don’t. Prague is haunted by dark, evil forces.
Can Gen and Will save her mom, or will they be too late?
Some will live, others will fall. At what price do you walk away from those you love?
Buy Shadow of the Blood Moon on Amazon or get it on Smashwords.
OR! Get it AND its predecessor, Ties to the Blood Moon, right here for FREE! To enter to win both books, just leave a comment here telling us about YOUR favorite fairytale or legend. You can also earn additional entries by 1) linking to this post from your blog or website (just leave a link here in the comments to the page you linked from); 2) sharing this post on Facebook (again, leave a link here to your Facebook timeline to show us that you shared it); and/or 3) tweeting a link to this post on Twitter (include #BloodMoonGiveaway in your tweet to be sure it gets tracked). You can earn up to four entries!
You have until midnight on September 28th to enter. One winner will be randomly chosen from the entries and announced here on Saturday, September 29th, at which time Robin will also be notified that we have a winner. The timing and method of prize delivery is up to her.
Awesome! I, too, love fairy tales. My daughter, Aurora, loves that she is named after Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Although, my all-time favorite has always been The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. When I was 6, I loved it so much that my parents took me to Denmark to see the Little Mermaid statue there (we were on our way to Sweden, we were military and lived in Europe at the time–it’s not as posh as it sounds!). Andersen’s Little Mermaid is a lot different than the Disney version, but it’s still my favorite story! Everytime I visit the sea, I pick up a handful of sea foam and tell my children the “real story”. They marvel and seeing the wonder and concern in their eyes is really something amazing to behold. As they get older, the skepticism creeps in, but I still have a few more of the Wonder Years left with them!