So, I just have to share how excited I am because last night was one of those wonderful nights in a writer's life when the idea juice is flowing like the Nile. When ideas pop into your head so fast, you can hardly write them down and keep up.
My main resolution this year is to finish the entire series of Dark Days. Last night, the story line came to me... I'm thinking spies... South American explorers and Chileansoh and who is the stranger that Ben will meet in the woods?
Time to get 'er done!
Ginger
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Have you considered turning your books into audio books? I recently converted six of my books into audio books using the Amazon acX platform and have to say I am very pleased.
SO HOW DOES IT WORK?
First, you enter your ASIN or ISBN number into their search bar to find your book.
Then, it will bring up their Agreement which basically states that you are the rights holder and want to convert your book into an audio book - in many more words, of course. After you have agreed to their terms, it will load your description from the book's listing on Amazon. Check it carefully, because it doesn't bring in some of the punctuation correctly (ellipses, contractions, etc).
On the same screen, you will enter the Copyright information and the genre of the book. This is also where you will enter information about your preferred narration producer including gender, language, accent, age and style.
Once you have entered this information, you will be able to provide a short description which is also your sales pitch to the producers to hopefully entice them to audition for your book. Make it good! if you have been a best seller, make sure to mention that.
Next, you will enter any script notes to the potential producer. This is where you give them a sense of how your characters should sound, so they have something to work with. If you have an actor in mind that can be helpful, otherwise, they are shooting in the dark a bit. You will then upload your manuscript here in pdf or txt format.
On the next screen, you will enter the word count and territories you have the rights to, as well as how you would like to pay for the production. You have the option to pay the producer up front or let them share in the royalties. The chart below outlines the various options and the royalty rate you will receive.
Additionally, they have a Bounty program where you can earn $50. ACX pays Rights Holder and Producer $50 every time the audiobook is the first audiobook purchased by an AudibleListener™ member on Audible. The $50 payment is split 50-50 between Rights Holder and Producer, amounting to $25 each.
Once you have entered this information, it will bring up your listing to review one final time before posting.
Now, all that is left, is waiting for producers to audition. They will submit a short audition reading and you will be notified via email when someone has submitted an audition. When you receive the one that you like, you select them and the process begins!
They will submit a 15 minute sample and this is when you want to be careful to make any notes back to them on things you would like to change. Once the 15 minute sample is approved, they will start producing each chapter and uploading those for your review.
It probably will take a bit of tweaking because quite frankly, they aren't inside your head. It takes some teamwork to get the narration right.
Once you have approved all of the chapters and a short excerpt for potential buyers to listen to, acx will review the files to make sure everything is correct. Once they approve the production files, they will make the book live which usually takes 10-15 days. They will also send you 25 codes for free downloads that you can provide to readers.
Here are my two books if you would like to listen to the samples.
Hope this is helpful to you! Let me know if you would like to receive a code for a free download. I still have some left and would be happy to provide them in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks!
-Ginger
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Here's a fun video I did for my Goodread's Interview with Jaideep. One of my interview questions was "If you could live one day in the life of someone who would that be?" Click here to view the whole interview at Pebble in Still Waters!
All for now!
-GInger
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Authors' Cave will host its quarterly blog train on October 30-31! The theme will relate to Halloween. Halloween Blog Train format - Each train car (blogger) should include this spooky train image and answer these questions. You don't have to answer them all if you really don't like one, but try. Participation in the Story Train at the end is required. 1. Include a picture or video of yourself in a Halloween costume (it can be from the past)
2. What is your favorite scary movie? You can include a video clip if you like of your favorite part from that movie...like this.
3. What scene from a book or movie scared you more than any other?
4. If all of Stephen King's bad guys were after each other, who would win and why?
5. Give a Treat! Provide a link to a Halloween treat or beverage recipe. A photo is nice too, if you want. 6. Provide the cover, link and 2 or 3 sentence elevator pitch for the book or series (of your own) you would like to feature in your blog car.
And....
We will give each member who participates in the blog train a specific order for their car in the train. Car #1 will start with one of the three story beginnings below. Car #2 will start the story where car #1 left off. Each car will follow in the same manner. Each car should only feature two or three paragraphs of the story. The idea is to try to get people to follow the entire train to read all of the story. Each car will have a link just above the story that should say, 'If you are just beginning the story, please click this link to go to the beginning at Car #1.' Each story will be followed with a link that says, 'To continue the story, click here' and that will take the reader to the next car. We will cut off the sign up for the Halloween Train on Oct. 25 and will let the person know at that time that will be the last car and create the ending. You guys will get to vote for which of the following story beginnings we will start the train with. The voting has now closed and the winner is "Buried Alive?"...
WINNER
I open my eyes and nothing changes. It's pitch black. I go to sit up and hit my head on something above me.
What? Where the...I put my hands up and they are stopped only inches from my face. Something is closing me in. I swallow hard. Think. Think. What is the last thing I can remember?
for more details and to sign up to host a car or purchase a ticket to ride!
-Ginger
p.s. If you enjoyed this post, please click the g+1 button below here or reshare so that others may enjoy it too. Authors' Cave celebrates Halloween for the commercial spirit and there is no relation with beliefs or non-beliefs about any pagan or other traditions.
So, we are working on Author Interview videos over at Authors' Cave for our new Authors' Cave Book Club. Click here to join.
Why?
We think it is important for authors to share a little bit of themselves...and their personalities with their readers, so I have gone with that over perfection. With so many books to choose from in the vast world of digital publishing, you have to give potential readers more than just a cover and a blurb. You have to get to know them and let them know you. Here is my first stab at an interview for The Dark Days series. I would love to hear what you think-good, bad or ugly!
-Ginger
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The splattered blood
feels hot on my face even with the cold and blowing snow. I can hardly make out
Shane’s lifeless body through my tears of fear. Please let me wake from this
nightmare.
Cold and heartless,
Tobias turns his gun on Skipper. My chest grows tight and I wait for another
deafening shot.
CJ forces the barrel of
his weapon into my cheek so hard that I feel the welt form immediately. They
will kill me just as easily as Dorian killed Shane. Are the basic laws of
society dead forever?
The saga continues… one
step closer to the Rebellion!
I am so excited to have finally prepared a book trailer for one of my books! This one is for The Dark Days series, which was inspired by a prequel for The Hunger Games. I had a ton of fun putting it together, going through so many cool images and audio clips, and learning how to use the movie maker software.
Thank you to Daniel Reguera for the audio score and to Shutterstock for amazing footage!
I am also happy to announce my new release Dark Beginnings, the 4th episode in the series, was released today! Click here to purchase.
Let me know what you think! -Ginger p.s. If you enjoyed this post, please click the g+1 button below or reshare so that others may enjoy it too! Thanks!
Then I thought it would be fun to share some other things with you...
Come write with me - sometimes when I am working on one of my latest projects, I will post the link to the Google doc here. If you click it, you can actually come into my "writing patio" and see what I am working on real time. The words could even change on the page before you! Enter Ginger's writing patio!
My favorite song
So, I was listening to Counting Stars by One Republic the other day and it occurred that it was written for me! If you did know me, I'm can imagine that you would agree!
Oh yeah, and I like coffee with my cream! Love my Keurig!
My favorite videos - and Sam Claflin could be a good cast for Marcus in Quest of the Hybrid with his smile! He just need to give him some shaggy dark hair!
My favorite celebrities - How could I forget to mention that I am a Johnny Depp fanatic? I fell in love with the guy when he played the preppie Glen in Nightmare on Elm Street. He is like fine wine...
My art work- This is a charcoal drawing I did years ago on 16x20 paper
I love Dali. This is an oil painting I am working on in his honor "Tribute".
These beauties are from my garden!
So, I find it interesting that there are so many different flavors of cat and dog food at the store. Hmmmmm...last time I checked Fido wasn't doing the grocery shopping. Although, I will say that my black lab Arnold does not like lamb.
I love Lindsey Stirling! I had no idea you could even play a violin the way she does! She's amazing!
I like to spell the color that is made with white and black as grey! You will notice that in all of my books. I figured it was time to share this recipe because it is one of my favorite ways to grill chicken and I'm pretty darn good on the grill...just sayin'
Key West Chicken
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons of soy sauce (less salty is fine)
1-Tablespoon honey
1-Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1-teaspoon lime juice
1-teaspoon chopped garlic (yes I cheat on garlic and buy the organic minced in a jar)
however many skinless, boneless chicken breasts up to 4 breast halves
Directions:
In a shallow bowl, or even a 1 gallon zip lock bag, mix all of the ingredients. Trim the breast halves of fat and cut desired proportions. Marinate the chicken for an hour, making sure to turn halfway through if necessary to coat all sides.
Heat grill for direct heat. Grill chicken for 2-3 minutes then flip and pour remaining marinade over chicken. Cook 2-3 minutes and flip again, but turn horizontally to add crisscrossed grill marks. Flip again in 2-3 minutes and continue this process until chicken is cooked thoroughly to 165 degrees.
Remove chicken from grill, drizzle with your favorite cheese if you desire and wrap in aluminum foil for 2-3 minutes.
Sometimes, I throw the chicken on a bun and have as a sandwich, sometimes I mix with rice. You can also use a meat tenderizer to thin out the breasts for the sandwiches. I leave them thick most of the time!
OKAY - so this revelation is the coolest thing ever for me! It's been there for some time, but I finally expressed it in words. I make a living at helping others follow their dreams! I can't ask for anything better than that! If you haven't already, check out my site at www.authorscave.com where creative people like to hang out. I'm always there!
Look at this beauty from my garden! Beautiful butterfly!
This is the best gift I can give you guys! Here is a shooting star that you can wish upon each day! LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!!
I'm so excited to have finally put a trailer together for one of my books! Here it is for The Dark Days series - Inspired by The Hunger Games prequel. Would love to know what you think!
Here is a fun tribute I did to Steven Spielberg when asked by Jaipdeep at Goodreads who I would like to live 1 day in the life of! So, my mother took me to see this crazy villain when I was a kid and I have been scared of him for 30+ years!
So this year, I faced my fears and entered the Michael Myers' Halloween haunted house at Universal! Here is the entrance, pay close attention to the upstairs windows. They did a fantastic job with the haunted house and at one point there was an open room with 10 or 12 lurking Michael's with raised butcher knives. For the cherry on top, they had one last Michael waiting outside after you exited the house to scare the beejesus out of you! If he had not gotten the people in front of us, I would have peed my pants for sure!
Way to go Tampa Bay Lightning on your 5-1 win over the Detroit Redwings in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Round 1 Playoffs! Had awesome seats right off the glass! Excellent game full of fights and points! Just how I like 'em in hockey!
What a great Sunday! Super productive this morning, but taking a break watching O Brother Where Art Thou? I can't help but sing with these guys every time I watch this scene! Love it!
What is your scariest experience? Is it...
or...
Bless you Johnny Depp! I loved you when you were just Glen!
My most terrifying moment was being trapped in a severe lightning storm with my daughter who was about 2 and my ex. We had hiked up about a mile in Pikesville, Kentucky and it was a beautiful day. All of the sudden, bolts were crashing down around us and the only thing other than us were the trees. Thank you Pat and Ron Saros for coming to our rescue!... many times! Check back often for more deep thoughts and entertaining things! -Ginger
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