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BRB Going to Terra

It is officially the last day of the semester and there are just 24 precious days to go before the next one begins. I hope to spend as many of those days as possible continuing the follow-up to "Zoe Thanatos" and blogging here as well. I had a whole list of things I wanted to talk about and now that I have the time I'm hoping to take a crack at it!

Holiday Sale!

It's almost Thanksgiving! In light of the holiday sales the price of the ebook (Kindle) version of "Zoe Thanatos" has been reduced to just $2.99! Get it now on Amazon.com!

Greetings from 1:30 in the morning!

I wish I could say I was up this late due to writing, but I'm afraid school is the culprit. That, and I just spent half an hour composing and scheduling tweets about Zoe. More than 24 hours of Zoe tweets. And now that I'm thinking about it, wouldn't it be cool to tweet each chapter of the book as a 140 character tweet? Don't think that could be done, honestly. I might try it though!

Zoe-Inspired Music! (Part One)

When I see a movie I love a great accompanying soundtrack or score. Music sets the mood in ways that dialogue and setting cannot. And this is especially true when writing because the scenes play out like a movie in my mind. In the early days of writing the book I started a playlist on Spotify with songs that inspired certain chapters or parts. I wanted to share a few of them with you.

1. Florence + the Machine, "No Lights, No Lights"

That long note Florence holds about 3:45 in was the sound I heard when Zoe jumped off the cliff at Potato Harbor. To me that musical moment represents the sense of freedom Zoe achieved when she let go and flew through the air.

2. Metric, "Help I'm Alive"

I've loved this song for a while, and the title exemplifies everything Zoe feels in chapter three after she realizes she's not dead. I love the sense of the song, the kind of dark and pulsating beat that is kind of like a mechanical heartbeat. I love it.

3. Lana Del Ray, "Born to Die"

This is another song where the title embodies the spirit of Zoe more so than the lyrics or mood of the song. I happen to really like the song on it's own, and it's a bit melancholy, so I felt it was perfect.

4. Alicia Keys, "Never Felt This Way"

One of my favorite songs ever, and another song that has a bit of melancholy to it. And yet some hope as well.

5. Muse, "Madness"

Muse is one of my top-five favorite bands of all time. "Madness" is a bit of a departure from the sound I typically love from Muse, but something about this song really sticks with me and Matt Bellamy has a voice unlike anyone else. This song is one of the latest additions to the playlist, and it's one I'm listening to as I go into writing the sequel to "Zoe".

There are many more songs included in the playlist, but these are the ones that have been the most inspirational to me throughout the writing process. 

Thank You!

Yesterday I had access to my first monthly report for sales on Amazon for "Zoe Thanatos" for the month of September. Published in the last few days of the month, the book far exceeded my expectations. When I knew I was going to self-publish the book I told myself to keep expectations fair and low so that whatever success the book did have would be great. My goal was to sell just 1 copy. I met that goal and (a few) more, in addition to giving away over 300 copies on Amazon, Amazon UK, and Amazon DE (Germany) on the first free promo day.

Thank you to everyone who picked up "Zoe Thanatos", whether you paid for it or downloaded it for free. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Question and Answer Event?

Just something to think about that I put out to the Facebook group. Would anyone be interested in participating in a question and answer session where you could ask questions about plots or certain things in the book and receive an answer from me? Kind of like a book club but not necessarily synchronous. If this is something you have an opinion about please leave me a comment. Thanks so much!

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Free Book Promotion Today!

"Zoe Thanatos" is free on Amazon for the Kindle again today, October 14th until midnight (PST). Get yourself a free copy of a great book while you can! Buy at Amazon.

ZT Discussion on Goodreads

Are you a Goodreader? Come check out a new discussion topic on the "Zoe Thanatos" page on Goodreads and chat with others about what your favorite part or moment in the book was. Also, if you haven't added the book to your bookshelves you can easily do so and stay connected with both me and the book. Check out the discussion here. I look forward to reading your answers!

A Fresh Look

I thought the blog needed a bit of a touchup from the dark and cosmic look of the previous layout. What do you think? I've also put a little praise for the book in the side bar over there -----> featuring Zoe's first 5-star review! By the way, if you're on GoodReads and you've picked up Zoe to read (or you've read it already you awesome person you) be sure to add Zoe to your bookshelf here. You can also friend me if you'd like here. 

Thanks for reading!

Free Book Promotion!

For today only "Zoe Thanatos" is available for FREE on Amazon for the Kindle. No strings attached. Just a free copy of the book. Get it while you can!

Unboxing Zoe

My copies of the book came in today and I was really excited about opening them!

 

 

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The Zoe Thanatos Book Trailer

Call me a nerd, but I made a book trailer and I think it's kind of amazing. It features footage of Potato Harbor on Santa Cruz Island, which, if you've read the book, you know is an integral part of the story. Less than a minute in length, the trailer provides a visual glimpse into the world of Zoe Thanatos before it turns upside down.

Let me know what you think! 

Read "Zoe Thanatos" for Free!

If you're an Amazon Prime member you can now read "Zoe Thanatos" for free from the Kindle Owner's Lending Library! This opportunity is available now through December 22, 2012.

Happy reading!

Setting the Scene: Potato Harbor

One of my favorite things about writing "Zoe Thanatos" was incorporating some of my favorite places! This is Potato Harbor on Santa Cruz Island and if you've read the book you know why it is significant. I took this photo in June 2009 from the top of Potato Harbor. Could you imagine taking a running leap off of this cliff?

Now Available on Amazon!

"Zoe Thanatos" is now on Amazon!

Purchase on: Amazon & Smashwords or get the paperback from CreateSpace.

What Do You Think?

Full disclosure: I'm a long-winded and loquacious person... So when I realized I was going to have to write a summary that would (hopefully) entice readers to buy/read my book, I panicked. I ended up writing this at 3 in the morning so it could be totally lame or spot on. I'd love to hear your take!

"On her 25th birthday Zoe Thanatos is ready to end her short and unhappy life by jumping off a cliff into the Pacific. But her plans irrevocably change when a stranger intervenes, preventing her death while seemingly cheating his own. She demands answers but unearths a whole new world of questions when her savior confesses his true identity, and leads her down a path of discovery that reveals truths about the life she was meant to live."

Print Cover Sneak Peek!

I've had to do a bit of re-imagining for the print cover of the book. The original idea of the two planets is there, but it's a bit more subtle.

Book Cover Update

I'm currently working on the book cover for the print edition of "Zoe Thanatos". It's 420 pages! That's a big book!

The Book is Done!

I'm so happy to announce that the book itself is done! What comes next is formatting and finishing the book cover design (for the print edition). I can't believe it's actually going to be on Amazon.com in just a few days! Craziness!! I can't wait to have a copy of it in my hands!

Win a Free Copy of "Zoe Thanatos"!

Happy September! I'm so excited that "Zoe" will be out this month! It seems like it's been a long time coming. In celebration, and to spread the news around a bit, I'm offering a contest to win a free copy of the book! It's very easy to enter and you can enter multiple times (maximum of 5) or just once - it's completely up to you.

There are specific tasks you can do which will earn you 1 entry (each). They are:

• Like the Zoe Thanatos page on Facebook
• Tweet about the book with #ZoeThanatos (@WhatsUpCrystal) on Twitter
• Post about the book with #ZoeThanatos on Google+
• Refer a friend to the Facebook page (1 entry each for you and referral; your referral must comment with your name in order for you to receive credit)
• Comment here on the blog (please make it meaningful and not just something like "Hello, this is my entry")

If you've already Liked it on Facebook simply post a comment on the post in FB. Everything else (comments, tweets, G+ posts) must be done during September to qualify. 

Your entry will be assigned a unique number and a random number generator will be used to select one winner. The winner will receive a free print edition of "Zoe Thanatos" that I will happily ship at no cost to the winner (limited to the United States of America). 

The deadline to enter is Saturday, September 15, 2012 at midnight (Pacific). If the chosen winner cannot be reached or does not reply to notification, a second winner will be picked. 

If you have any questions please leave them in the comments section here (please note: asking a question about the contest will not enter you into the contest).

Sneak Peek #3

Happy Friday! It's time for another sneak peek at "Zoe Thanatos". This week's sampling comes from Chapter Six: A Foreign Visitor.

Please remember that these snippets are not necessarily the final version that will appear in print and are subject to change. If you find any errors please email me. Thanks.

     “Tell them you couldn’t find me.” He really didn’t care how it would make her look. It wasn’t her job to fetch him.
     “They’ll just send someone else to look for you, Evan.” Her tone was resolute. It was an inconvenient truth he had no interest in hearing and he would stubbornly ignore it for as long as he could, the monarch be damned.
     “Well, they don’t know where I am, right? So I have some time.”
     She scowled at him, stood up from the bed and put her hands on her hips. “You’re acting like a fool!” she admonished. A cursory glance at her and it was as if he was looking at their mother, right down to the way her hands wrapped around her hips. He tried to ignore the stabbing sensation in his chest, knowing that tears would follow if he allowed himself to dwell on the past.
     “I just need some time.”
     “How much time do you think will pass before the Stratons grow impatient and send someone after you? What do you think will happen when they find you then? The whole of Terra may be under the impression that we live with the Stratons as their guests, but you and I both know that is not the case. We’re their prisoners, Evander. Don’t you forget that.”
     “Give me a day. Go back to Terra and tell Kyra and Ignatius that I’m on my way back and make sure they don’t send anyone after me. The last thing I need is to see Hector or Alcander showing up at my door.”
     “Why do you need a day? To say goodbye to this girl?”
     Evan rolled his eyes at his sister. “Yes. She’ll want to know why I’m leaving.” At least, he hoped she would. He thought back to her many questions and knew there would more to follow. He didn’t want to have to explain this to her, nor did he want to say goodbye.
     “Does it matter what you say? It’s not like you can tell her the truth.”
     He kept his eyes down and his mouth silent, but could feel her glaring back at him incredulously.
     “What have you told her?”
     “Enough for her to not accept a simple goodbye.” He looked at her defiantly, daring her to challenge him.

Let me know what you think in the comments section!

Final Book Cover Design

I cleaned up the text in the middle and went with something simple and straightforward (while also -hopefully- creating some intrigue). What do you think?

Sneak Peek: Bonus

As promised, here is a bonus sneak peek at "Zoe Thanatos." This snippet is from Chapter 7: The New Day.

     “Reproduction units?” she reiterated.
     “For procreation and regeneration,” he clarified.
     “You’re able to regenerate?” She had seen plenty of science fiction movies and television shows where people were able to grow or regenerate internal body parts, but it always remained in the realm of science fiction.
     “It’s how we live for so long,” he answered nonchalantly. Of course he would have been used to such technological advances.
     “Okay, and procreation? Is everyone a test tube baby?”
     He looked at her strangely, the colloquialism not quite registering. “Test tube baby?”
     She felt dumb for even having suggested it. It sounded much worse out loud than in her head. “Um, it’s a term, a pejorative really, for when an egg is fertilized outside of the body ... like in a laboratory.”
     “Oh, I see. We don’t have such a crude name for it but yes. It’s how we control the population.”
     Zoe was gobsmacked. “So what about... You don’t...” she trailed off. Her cheeks warmed as they filled with a rush of blood. “Do you have sex?”
     She immediately regretted the question. The rush of blood to her head intensified. She could practically see her skin turning red in her peripheral vision. It wasn’t as if she was this forthcoming with every person she spoke to.
     Evan cleared his throat and took a sip of water. Zoe could just barely make out what appeared to be a smile that partially concealed and distorted behind the glass.
     “Sorry,” she rushed. “Of course you shouldn’t answer. I’m so sorry, I don’t know why I asked that.” ‘Oh god, I wish I was dead.’ Her face was flushed hot and a bead of sweat was forming at her hairline. Oh how she wished she had said anything else or could at least disappear into thin air.
     She didn’t dare make eye contact with him. Instead, she pretended to be suddenly fascinated with her purse as though she were looking for something absolutely imperative to her survival. A new face might have done the trick. Her hands moved absentmindedly over her belongings hoping one of them would provide a distraction from the moment.
     His hand was on hers before her mind could even register what was happening. It was tan and very soft, but strong. A few veins made soft hills under the skin and a smattering of lightly colored hair grew down the side of his hand and over his knuckles. His fingernails were short and clean, a pleasing fact that made an impression somewhere in the back of her mind. She had not even noticed him get up from his seat across the table and sit next to her on the couch.

Be sure to post your thoughts in the comments section! And don't forget to come back every Friday for a new sneak peek!

Sneak Peek #2

This week's snippet comes from Chapter Three: The Impossibility of the Life of Anne. Please remember that these snippets are not necessarily the final version that will appear in print and are subject to change.

     The nagging incomprehension in her was temporarily quelled. Perhaps this wasn’t her life she returned to and she was in some sort of afterlife. There was no sense to his words or actions, no logic to explain what happened between the leap and those moments on the beach. However, she was certain that it was his arms she felt around her in the air, as absurd as the notion felt.
     “I don’t understand,” was all she could manage. She could hear in her voice if not in her words that she was agreeing to his plea. Sure enough, from the corner of her eye she saw a group emerge and faintly recognized her travel companions. Out on the water the large boat from the harbor was a growing speck in the distance.
     He was on his feet with his waist bent down, his hands extended towards her as an offering. “Can I help you up?” he asked. Before she could answer his hands were under her arms, lifting her gently from the sand. Her feet were steady beneath her but he held her in place a moment longer. She recalled his words, ‘I couldn’t let you do it.’ What did he mean?
     “How can I know if I’m dead or alive?” Zoe asked weakly. Evan’s eyes widened beneath the thick carpet of his eyelashes, his eyebrows burrowing deeper into his face.
     “I can tell you for a fact that you are not dead,” he answered.

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts. In the meantime, don't forget there will be a BONUS snippet today thanks to the lovely fans on Facebook!

Thanks, Facebook fans!

Zoe Thanatos on Facebook has reached 30 Likes! In honor of that achievement, I will be releasing an extra snippet from the book. And since it's Friday, that means you'll get TWO snippets today. Be sure to come back for those!

You can also read the sneak peek from chapter one I posted last week in the post below. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Sneak Peek #1

Every week until the book is released I will be posting a chapter snippet to give you a sneak peek into the world of "Zoe Thanatos". Today's snippet comes from Chapter 1: Strangers on a Boat.

     She pulled her hair out from the binding of her ponytail and set her pack on the ground at her feet. Unencumbered, she stood at the edge of her world and closed her eyes. She breathed in the scent of the salty water blowing from the water, the breeze flowing through the goosebumps on her skin and around tendrils of hair. The sun moved slowly, warming the crown of her head, the top of her neck, and finally the tops of her shoulders before she opened her eyes. After the boat ride, the nearly three hour hike, and several hundred feet above the water that spread out at length before her, everything was the same minus the one thing she was searching for. Whatever last moment of happiness she experienced in that very spot was lost in time. 

     Her right foot took a step a few inches back, her left foot following suit. One foot at a time she inched backwards from the cliff. Her determination set as her eyes opened. This was her final plan come to fruition. 

Let me know what you think in the comments section! Next Friday I'll be posting another sneak peek from the book, but there will be plenty more to talk about between now and then. 

Thanks for reading!

Alternate Book Cover

If you look to your right you'll see a thumbnail version of the original cover I designed for the book. While I love that cover and think it will look great in print, I had an idea for an alternate cover and came up with something I may love even more!

It still needs a bit of polishing to make it perfect, but I'm really digging the updated fonts, placement of the text, and the overall look of the cover. One annoying aspect is that while I use a MacBook Pro for all of my regular computing, Photoshop is on my slightly older Dell laptop which displays colors differently. The green in "Zoe" appears lighter on my Dell than it does on my MBP, and even at a reduced size you can see it's a bit dark.

I'm thinking maybe this will be the cover for the ebook version, and a variation of the first cover will be for print. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Hi and Welcome!

Hi! I'm glad you found your way here. "Zoe Thanatos" isn't out until September, but this is the place where you can catch up on all the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes on to get the book from manuscript to published. The whole process has been an absolute labor of love for me and I am really excited to share the book with you! 

While you're waiting for the next update on Zoe you can check out the official Facebook page (a Like is appreciated!) or follow my updates on Twitter (I'm @whatsupcrystal). 

Until next time!