Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Looking for a Free Book to Review?

If anyone is interested in receiving a free copy of my memoir Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts, please email me at msangiekress@gmail.com

The first 10 people to e-mail me will receive a free copy on Smashwords.com.  You can then download the copy to your computer or any e-reader that you have. 

In exchange for the book, I would appreciate it if you would write a review and post it on Smashwords.com, Amazon.com, or on your own blog.

I see that several people have purchased my book, but no one is reviewing it.  I would like feedback...  So far there is only one review out there...Thanks!

Monday, January 30, 2012

Kindle and a big thank you!

So I have just purchased a Kindle, and I have to say that I love it!  I absolutely love it!  My husband wanted to buy me a Kindle for Christmas, but I stupidly said that I didn't think I would like it. Part of this has to do with the fact that I just love the feeling of holding real books.  Then there's the reality of not having a house big enough to hold all of my books...not to mention the fact that ebooks are so much more affordable.  I never thought of this from a reader's standpoint until I started writing.  Take my own book for example, I have to sell the paperbook (on Amazon.com) for $4.99 in order to break even with printing costs, but I can offer the book for $2.99 (on Smashwords.com) and actually make a profit.  As a book lover it makes me sad to see bookstores go out of business.  I still love books.  There's just something about them that an ereader can't replace.  As an inspiring author, ebooks are exciting because it gives people like me the chance to write, which is something that was never an option.

I also want to give a big thanks to my readers.  I started this blog as a way for me to sort of chronicle my journey while getting things off my chest.  After all, my husband can only listen to so much. :)  I looked at my stats page today and was shocked to see that my blog has been viewed by over 100 people in Russia alone!  Who knew!  So thank you fellow readers, writers, and everyone else out there!

Book Review for Dream Catcher by Stephanie Smith

I'm not sure where all this novella is available.  I do know that it can be purchased on Smashwords.com for $2.99.  Here is the link if you want to purchase Stephanie's book, Dream Catcher:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/121663

This was a good, short read. I think it took me about a half hour to finish, so if you are looking for something that you can not only read in one sitting but also will keep your attention, then this is a great choice. Based on how the book started, I can honestly say that it was not at all what I expected. I also did not realize that this was part of a series until the very ending. What I found interesting about this was that most series end with a cliff hanger where you feel like you have to read the next book right away. You're sort of left in suspense...This one didn't really do that. I felt like the book could stand alone on its own, so I will be interested to see where the next book goes.  For example, will the second book pick up where this one left off or will it be about another character in the book or what??

I would recommend this book to others. For me this would be a four star book.  I didn't absolutely love it to the point of wanting to reread it.  And, it isn't the first book that pops into my head when I think about amazing books.  However, I think it deserves more than three stars because the book itself wasn't bad.  For me, the subject matter wasn't something that necessarily draws me in, but I know that a lot of people are into this genre.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

frusterated and stuck

So I'm rather frusterated.  I was able to hammer out two chapters last night that I am pretty happy with, but prior to that, I had not written in probably three days.  I just haven't had the time.  This is really frusterating to me because I was on a roll.  I was writing every day and just getting chapter and chapter down into print.  These last couple of days I have been crabby because I want to write and I don't have time.  Meanwhile all of these ideas are going through my brain that I am now losing.  I also have a lot of ideas about other books that I think would be fun.  Part of me wants to start them and get it down into writing, and part of me is afraid that I will end up with three books and I will finish none.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Everybody Likes A Good Deal

For a short time only, I will be offering a 50% off coupon for my memoir Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts.  This deal only applies to the ebook versions found on Smashwords.  This deal expires on January 30th, so hurry and get your copy today.

Coupon Code (enter at checkout): EA65M

What's In a Title You Might Ask??

After lots of formatting and reformatting, I have finally uploaded my final version of Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts to Smashwords. It is available for purchase for the low price of $1.99.  I have also made 30% of it available for a free preview.

I have had several people ask me how I came up with the title.  I picked snapshots because each chapter literally is a snapshot of an event. The book does not flow from beginning to end, but instead moves fluidly back and forth between time.  Everything that appears in my memoir is a factual event.  All of the people where there; everything is told from my point of view.  That's where fictionalized comes in.  The best way to describe it is to say that because everything is told from my point of view, it is true as far as I am concerned.  However, I also believe that truth is somewhat subjective.  What is my version of truth may not be someone else's version of truth...That is how my memoir came to be!

Queso con salsa, chips, and football

There's something about the cold that makes me want to eat comfort food.  For whatever reason, I find nacho cheese and chips to be delicious, comforting, cold weather, football game viewing food.  I am shocked at how many calories some of these cheeses have! 

Maybe it's because I've been writing more and excersising less or maybe it's just extreme paranoia of gaining weight, but I have become obssessed with the calories in this food.  I wish I could say I'm going to splurge and eat this on Sunday during the game and then I won't again for the rest of the season, but that just isn't me.  I love it!

So, I have been sampling different cheese dips.  None are more than 45 calories per serving.  What can I say...I like it enough to eat it, but not enough where I'm going to have to do any major working out in order to break even.  So, those 100 calorie per serving cheeses don't even make it into the cart.  (Spikes Santa Fe and Chi Chi's also don't...think they're around 50)  Here's what I've found:

Newman's (40 cal I think) I thought would be tasty and natural.  Wrong!  To me it tasted like it could be possibly spoiled.  I don't know it just had a very acidic flavor. Ended up throwing it out.

Frontero Spicy Queso con Salsa (35 cal) Amazingly low calories and amazingly disgusting.  This wins the award for grossest queso con salsas out there. Took one bit and tossed it.

Targets brand of Queso con Salsa (35 cal) is really pretty good.  I liked this and loved that I could eat it without feeling too guilty.

Tostitos is also not bad.  It (to me) is comparable to Target's brand.

My number one pick, however, has to be the Walmart brand of White Salsa con Queso.  Most of the cheeses have to be microwaved to make them runny enough to actually dip a chip.  This one does not.  It is great warm or cold.  Also, I think because it actually has a salsa as a base instead of a cheese, the calorie count is pretty low too.  I can't remember now if it is 35 or 40, but it is really good.  That is one that I wish was a brand name so that I could buy it anywhere like the others instead of having to make my dreaded trip into Walmart.

So, there you have it!  I have sampled and way and those are my picks...now if only football was so easy. :)

Friday, January 20, 2012

Making the Switch

Okay, so originally I offered my memoir on Kindle, but after more research, I decided to switch and publish with Smashwords. See Kindle seemed like a good idea in the beginning when I was just trying to get my book out there. After looking into it more, I decided Kindle really isn't a good option. The lowest they would allow me to sell my book at is $2.99 and I wanted to offer it at $1.99 because for the size I felt that was a fair price. Furthermore, Smashwords allows you as the author to offer a pretty large selection as a preview, which I also think is nice. Lastly, I like that Smashwords publishes more formats including audiobooks. Sooo, I have yanked my book from Kindle and have uploaded it to Smashwords. We will see what happens!

Making headway

I think I am finally making progress on Samantha.  At first I was loving it, then not so much. 
Sooo I reread what I had and thought about how I could go from liking something to not liking something so quickly.  I realized that I went from delving into Samantha's life and giving a really clear picture of who she is to jumping to large chunks in time.  The story felt rushed and my characters felt flat.  Not good.  I spent a large chunk of this week going back and rewriting.  It always feels like it's a shame to toss something that you've worked hard on.  But, rubbish is rubbish.  After a week of reworking, my 28 pages has turned into 68...not too shabby.  Hopefully, my writing streak continues and my readers enjoy Sam as much as I am...

Monday, January 16, 2012

Prices reduced for MLK

I have reduced the prices of the paperback and kindle edition of Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts for today only.  So, if you are like me and you have already read Martin Luther King's biography and are looking for something new to read, check it out!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

A new book I'm playing around with

Okay, so after writing my memoir, I decided to try something new. I am thinking a fun, girlie book. I have played around with a lot of different voices, and I think I finally have it. If everything goes as planned, I am hoping to have this out and on the shelves by February, but we will see. That might be cutting it a tad bit close. This is an excerpt of my new work Samantha. Hope you like:

I am packed and ready to enter the world of college and not just any college but a Big Ten university. I can hardly wait! I have dreamed of this day my entire life. Ever since I was a kid, I knew that I would go to college. After having years of studying the social scene via Blockbuster hits, I am finally ready. I don’t want to brag, but I am what some would call an expert. I have watched, analyzed, and memorized every movie that takes place on a college campus. Well, not every movie. I mean who has time for those boring movies that show students going to class and studying. I mean come on we all know that isn’t a realistic picture of college. Those movies were probably produced by people who never even went to college or even worse by people who went to college online. I mean how is anyone ever supposed to meet any cute boys sitting in front of a computer?

Last night I spent a lot of time on my “How To Be Successful in College” list. I checked it, double checked it, and triple checked it. I didn’t want to leave anything off. How horrible would that be? Instant disaster! So here’s the plan: first, I am going to move into my dorm room that I will share with an amazing girl. We will decorate our place to be absolutely fabulous. We will have the coolest set up. Everyone will want to hang out in our room. It will be so much fun. My new roomy and I will of course become instant best friends. We will share our clothes, shoes, and make up. And on weekends when we aren’t going out with all of our magnificent friends, we will stay in together. We’ll sit around in our pajamas, eat popcorn, and watch girlie movies. Everything is going to be perfect. I just know it!

You’re probably asking yourself who is this rock star? I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. Sometimes I get carried away. I am Samantha. Some people try to shorten my name to Sam as if it’s cute to be called a boy’s name. I don’t think so. If my parents wanted a boy, they would have had a boy, and if they wanted to call me a boy’s name, they would have named me Rob or Michael. Personally, I would name my daughter something exotic and new, something that screams to the world I am going to do remarkable things! Take notice! I’ve tried to convince my parents to change my name to something fantastic because I think Samantha is sort of plain. Actually, it yells girl next door, and nobody wants to date the girl next door. My parents always say, “Stop being ridiculous, Samantha!” They think I’m a bit of a drama queen, but I don’t think my parents understand how difficult it is to be a girl living in a world with a boy’s name. It’s practically a crisis!

Preview for Published Work:
https:/www.createspace.com/Preview/1094069
Preview for Upcoming Work:
Https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1094288
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Kindle eBook Edition of Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts
Paperback Edition of Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts

Friday, January 13, 2012

Excerpt from Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts

So I've been looking for a way to do a short plug for my new book that came out this week. I some some pretty cool ideas on YouTube where people make videos or do readings from their books. I might still do this, but for now. Here is a short section of my book, Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts. Hope you enjoy!

Secrets. As I type these memories, my daughter asks me to read her some of my story. She, like most children, loves to hear about my childhood and frequently asks my husband or me to tell her a story about a time when we were growing up. We, like most parents, look for funny stories that will give her a sense of who we were without exposing her to anything that might taint the world she lives in or the esteem that she holds us in. I wonder if all parents censor in this way.

Ironically, telling real stories is much weightier than recounting The Three Little Pigs. You are left with a responsibility not only to your child, but also to everyone else that she loves and adores. To tell a story that portrays a loved one negatively will forever alter the perception she has of that person.

I tell her, “No, this isn’t a book for children.” She of course plagues me with the question that all children like to torment their parents with, “Why?” Somehow it doesn’t seem appropriate to tell her that I am writing a book about my dad who is not Grandpa Kenny.

Even as I type this, I wonder what her stories will one day be. Will her childhood be an open book that she can skim through at leisure, pulling any memory any time, or will they be sifted through and selected with care? Will she one day decide to record her own memories and have a daughter of her own asking her to read a section only to find that she can’t? That it isn’t appropriate. What will her secrets be?

**********
It was fall, and my family had just moved. We went from having a three bedroom, one bathroom house in the city with a tiny yard to a three bedroom, two bathroom ranch on a half-acre of property.

I was only nine, and this was an exciting time for me; I was getting my own room, I had always shared with my sister before, and a whole new school. Kelly was less ecstatic; probably because in the past year this would make for our second move and our third new school. She was eleven at the time and a lot quieter than me; she was tired of moving and making all new friends.

I, on the other hand, was the type of kid that never shut up. The one that you worry will take off with a stranger. I didn't care that I was leaving behind friends. After all they'd only been my friends for the last year. I only thought about the new friends, the new teachers, the new possibilities.

My only regret was that the new school didn't have an orchestra, but on the upside, this meant I could join band. I had wanted to do both in the city, but my mom made me pick one, so in a way now I was getting to do both.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Amazon, Kindle, Etsy and marketing...

I am excited to announce that after checking in with a few places this morning, my book Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts is now available at Amazon, Kindle, and Etsy!

I wish I knew the best way to jump start my new career.  I read an article last night about the marketing end of things.  I did everything they suggested.  I created a FB account (Angie Kress), Twitter (Angie_Kress), and joined some more sites like Tmblr.com.  I feel like this couldn't possibly pan out though because there is just so much for sale out there.  Take Etsy for example.  I created my account last night and loaded my book onto their site.  However, if I do a search for books on Etsy, thousands and thousands of books come up...

Also, after joining Twitter, I immediately had 4 people following me, which is cool and all, but I'm just not sure if that is going to translate into purchases. 

Another thing is the time it takes to do all of this....maybe there is a site out there that I'm unaware of where I can post one thing and it filters it out to all of these other channels???  I don't know.  I can't see myself going on here, FB, Twitter, and Etsy all the time and updating stuff.  On the other hand, according to this article, continually updating is how web crawlers find you so that you actually come up in search engines...

Anyone else seeing this as a catch 22??

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts

Exciting news!  My first book, Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts, is now available for purchase!  Right now it is available through my e-store at: https://www.createspace.com/3761508
It will also be available through Amazon within the next couple of days.

Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts is a  memoir detailing random events that occured during my childhood.  As I state in my book, all of these events are factual events.  Some are just too crazy for me to have made up.  However, with time and due to the my age during some of these events, my memories may have a degree of fiction.  But, everything is recounted accuretly to the best of my knowledge.  So, if you are looking for a new author or just a new genre of book, check it out and let me know what you think!

Thanks!
Angie