Will You Like My Books?

I think it's high-time I answered this question. My books aren't for everyone, so you shouldn't waste your money if you're not going to like them.

My books are all about a spunky sense of fun. If you like strong, smart heroines (or characters that are so dumb, you laugh at them and wish they'd bite the dust already), you'll probably like my books.

If you like fantasy and magic, but done in a new way, you'll like my books.

You'll like Ivy Thorn (The Fairy Tale Trap, The Fairy Tale Twist) if you're looking for a light, fun read that will keep you rooting for a character in an impossible situation. If you like fairy tales, and modern, relatable characters, Ivy's books are for you. The Ivy Thorn series is quick-paced and funny, with a nice helping of fairy tale magic.

You won't like the Ivy Thorn series if you're looking for great literature with complete grammatical perfection. Also, you should know that the series is written in first-person present, which irks some people (though I have converted a few). If you like stories that take their time and explore various aspects of life, this series isn't for you. Also, you should know that these stories (like fairy tales) don't have many subplots.


Fairy Tales and Zombies (Snow White and Zombies, Cinderella and Zombies) are short novels, with a very different style from Ivy. Since everything takes place in the 16th century, the language is a little more adult. But that's okay, because the themes have more of a grown-up feel to them. These stories have death and zombie slaying with a touch of humor and a dash of fairy dust.
These books are for you if you 1) love zombies 2) Want face-paced action and 3) Want to see a fairy tale in a completely different light.

You won't like my Fairy Tales and Zombies books if you're expecting the constant quick, witty reparte that Ivy brings to the table. There's some humor, and the characters will banter, but that's not the focus of the book. If you hate reading about castles and knights and princesses in ballgowns, you probably won't like these books. (Of course, the princesses will often slay zombies, so that might make things more interesting.)

Cyn Balog likes The Fairy Tale Trap (Cool!) (Blog Tour)

Sorry this one is late coming to the blog, but Cyn Balog has featured The Fairy Tale Trap on her blog! Sorry, I just think this is way cool.

Katie's Book Blog! (Blog Tour)

Okay, folks. The last book review of the tour. I've been waiting for this one for a long time. I love Katie's Book Blog. I met her on Twitter and she graciously agreed to be a part of the tour. (Thanks, Katie!)

Book Review by Marni Mann (Blog Tour)

Marni Mann is offering thoughts on The Fairy Tale Trap today. Go here to see the book review.

Anna's thoughts on The Fairy Tale Trap (Blog Tour)

Another book review today! Let's see what Anna thought of The Fairy Tale Trap at Literary Exploration. (I'll be honest, waiting for these doesn't get any easier.)

Tha Fairy Tale Trap - Book Review (Blog Tour)

Today's stop is a book review. Visit Coranne's blog at One Minute Books to see what she thought.

Will you like The Fairy Tale Trap? (Blog Tour #19)

Amanda Rudd is posting her review of The Fairy Tale Trap today. :)

Flushing Chamberpots - an Interview (Blog Tour #16)

I like to talk to Thea when I want to talk about the tv shows I love--Doctor Who and Once Upon a Time are at the top of that list.

So I was really excited to do an interview with her. This one is a little different. We actually did this interview over video chat and she transcribed it. Hopefully, she edited out all the stupid, embarrassing things I said. But Thea did ask me about the unusual chamberpots in The Fairy Tale Trap, which makes this an interview full of win.

Ivy's Heart (Blog Tour #14)

Danyelle is a rock star. When someone cancelled last minute for this tour, she stepped up and filled a spot that was way earlier than we had originally planned. Her blog features guest posts by characters. Ivy is offering today's guest post on Danyelle's Blog. Here's a sample:

       Like most girls my age, I have a special connection with my dad. Unfortunately, he’s in the military, so he spends a lot of time overseas. I worry about him when he’s away because, you know, anything could happen.

That’s when I bring out my favorite photo. It’s a picture of him when he finished his first-ever marathon. He’s kind of a small guy, and he’s really skinny. We used to joke that just the sight of him would give the Kenyans second thoughts. His clothes are dusty, but he’s got this big goofy grin on his face. Whenever I look at that picture, I imagine that, wherever he is, my dad is happy, with the same goofy grin.

[...]

My story starts with me looking for the picture. It’s gone missing. I don’t know it at the time, but the picture was stolen. Someone took it because they knew how much it meant to me. If I had known the picture held so much power, I would have guarded it more closely.

Read more

Book Review for The Fairy Tale Trap (Blog Tour #13)

Alex has been a follower of this blog for a long time. He's been so great and so supportive. He helped me create Ivy's character, even. So I'm thrilled to have him on this tour. He offered a book review on his blog Eclectically Inspired.

Fairy Tale Trap book review (Blog Tour #8)

I'm not sure I'll ever get used to book reviews. Knowing that a tough critic, an unbiased reviewer, is going to tell hundreds of people what she really thought of my book is nerve-wracking.

But here I go again.

Melanie McCullough is hosting today's stop on the book tour at her book review site A New Kind of Ordinary.

Angela Scott's interview (Blog Tour #7)

Angela Scott had some really great questions! Her interview includes:

What chapter or part of the book was your favorite to write and why?

What advice would you give to a first time author?
Who is your ideal reader?
What do you think your protagonist thinks of you, the creator?

The entire interview is at her site: Whimsy and Writing.
(There's a giveaway on her site, too!)

Fast Facts and Book Review by the Nerdette (Blog Tour #6)

The Nerdette (the lovely Jacqueline) is doing a blog review today! She has a Fast Facts section with some author trivia. (I always feel weird about answering what my favorite book is because it changes so often! But I did my best.)

Anyway, pop in and say hello! I'll be answering in the comments, as always.
Notes from the Nerdette

Book Review: The Fairy Tale Trap (Blog Tour #5)

Danica Page is hosting the blog tour for today and I have to say I'm nervous! This is the first official review of the tour, so I hope she liked Thi Fairy Tale Trap.

You can read the full (yikes!) book review at Danica's blog Taking it One Page at a Time.

I Wish I Were as Cool as my Characters (Blog Tour #4)

Okay, when I found out I was going to be on Julie A. Lindsey's blog, I was ecstatic. Julie is hilarious and always has something to say on twitter to make me smile. Her blog is refreshing, and her book Death by Chocolate is about to come out (if I'm not mistaken).

Julie let me do a guest post that I lovingly call: I’m Not a Cool Person, but I Write About them in Books (or: I Wish I Were as Cool as my Characters).

A lot of people think that authors write characters based on what the author wishes they could be. Well let me clear things up a bit: That’s completely true.

At least, it’s true for me. Sure, Ivy has her faults. She’s stubborn and impulsive. She gets herself into all kinds of trouble and tends to be a loner. But Ivy is cool. So my guest post today will be all about why Ivy is cooler than I am.

First, I’m the nerdy type. Not the shy, awkward kind of nerdy. The goofy, foot-in-the-mouth type of nerdy. I say things without thinking, then an hour later I realize that what I said wasn’t as funny as I thought. In fact, it could have been flat-out offensive.

Ivy, on the other hand, says offensive things on purpose and wishes she had written them down to use again later.

Read the rest of this post at Julie Lindsey's blog, and enter for a chance to win a free copy of The Fairy Tale Trap.

How to Make a Book Trailer (for free) - Blog Tour Stop #3

The lovely Kat Anthony is hosting the Tour de Fairy Tale today. This one is more for writers, basically anyone interested in making a book trailer. Here's a bit from my guest post on Kat Anthony's blog on how I made my book trailer (for free):

Being an independent self-publisher is hard work. It’s even harder to do it for cheap. A lot of authors try to cut costs where they can, and a lot don’t even consider making a book trailer. I think this is a mistake. A book trailer lets you show readers how great your book is in 90 seconds. Plus, it’s fun to make.

Why Writers are Off their Rockers (Blog Tour Stop #2)

Liana Brooks is a good friend who's taught me a lot about writing and publishing. She may be tiny, but she's tough (and smart). Here's a link to my guest post on her blog: Why Writers are Off their Rockers.

Here's a teaser:

When I tell people I’m a writer, the response I get is usually pretty positive. People think I’m creative and ambitious. I’ve even been called “cerebral” and “literary” before. This is very flattering, but I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut after that. Like George Costanza, I’ve learned to leave on a high note, because it’s all downhill from there.

Because if I open my mouth again, someone’s going to realize the truth: I’m actually insane.

Read the rest of the post here. You can also enter for a chance to win a free copy of The Fairy Tale Trap.

Basic author questions: Blog Tour Stop #1

Let the tour begin!

A friend of mine is starting us off. Suzanne is probably the sweetest person alive and she was kind enough to be part of this. She'll start the tour off with some basic questions like "What influenced The Fairy Tale Trap?" and "What are you  working on next?" So be sure to stop by her blog Six Saturdays a Week.

Tomorrow is a fun guest post called Why Writers are Off their Rockers. :)

Self-Publishing vs Sushi

Picture a small town in Pennsylvania where the Amish ride horses through the streets and sell quilts at the market. A place where the locals have names for things most people in the country have never heard of. I went to a writer's conference in this town and met aspiring writers, top agents, and best-selling authors.

On the first day of the conference, a New York agent asked the locals of this small Pennsylvania town where to get some good sushi.

The response from everyone was pretty much the same: Sushi?!

We all had a good laugh about it and the agent handled the faux pas with grace, but it got me thinking. This agent is wonderful at her job. I'd have loved to have her represent me (only she didn't work in my genre). I don't think she's out of touch with readers. But I don't think she's in touch with every reader.

Agents represent books that they like and think they can sell to publishers. Publishers buy books they like and think they can sell to booksellers. Booksellers buy books they like and think they can sell to consumers.

But shouldn't that mean that there are books out there that would appeal to readers, but didn't make the cut because they didn't appeal to everyone else in the chain?

Readers like books from every part of this Venn Diagram. Except that little grey circle. Nobody likes those.

You may or may not like sushi. But if you were stranded and hungry in New York City, I’ll bet you could find plenty of delicious food. Still, you probably won’t find a gumbo that compares to the real thing from Louisiana, or real, honest-to-goodness Georgia peaches.

If you're reading this, odds are you love to read. Odds are, you've read hundreds of great books and are searching for your next. Imagine all those books, the great ones that didn't make the cut because a publisher didn't think it had "mass appeal".

That's why I want to self-publish. Because just like Georgia’s peaches, I have a story to tell that you can only get from me.

I'm not doing this because I think agents are bad people, or that publishers don't know what they're doing, or that chain bookstores are soulless. On the contrary. I think as readers, we’re indebted to them. They’ve made so many good books available to us. They don’t just shape the world of literature; they BUILT it.

But the publishing world is changing.

I’m not trying to find readers that hate all the books ever published so far. That’s crazy. It’s like saying you couldn’t find a single decent thing to eat in New York. I’m looking for hungry readers, the readers that might also like a book from a different source.

Think of my book as a new food or recipe. Are you willing to try it?

The Fairy Tale Trap is ready for you to read.

The Fairy Tale Trap is officially available for download!

Thank you SO much to everyone who helped make this book. I got some amazing support from all of you and I appreciate it.

Get the book from Smashwords (you can get it in any e-format here)

Get the book in Kindle format from Amazon or donate to make The Fairy Tale Trap a paperback.

Be sure to look for the bonus material at the end, including how the original fairy tale inspired the book, a copy of the story Beauty and the Beast, and what to expect in Ivy Thorn Book #2: The Fairy Tale Twist.

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