bloodroomthenovel.com

Bloodroom, my vampire novel of romantic suspense, has its own website: bloodroomthenovel.com. You can also access it on my website, naimahaviland.com. Learn more about Bloodroom's characters (the good, the bad, and the hot). Download the first four chapters, free. Naturally, you can buy the Kindle-exclusive e-book there, but come back soon for a chance to win an autographed copy of Bloodroom in paperback!

Bloodroomthenovel.com was designed by Clever Ogre, a Pensacola-based creativity shop with talent and style.

Getting a Professional Book Cover Design

In his book How Come That Idiot's Rich and I'm Not?, Robert Shemin emphasizes the importance of a Dream Team to help you achieve your business goals. I enlisted professional cover designers into my Dream Team when I first made the decision to self publish my Dark Fantasy anthologies and vampire novels. I hired Derek Murphy of Creativeindie Covers to design the cover for Bloodroom. I learned about Derek when Joanna Penn interviewed him in her blog, The Creative Penn. He designed the cover for her thriller, Prophecy. I saw from his online gallery that he was capable of creating for a diverse range of genres, and I liked his designs for paranormal novels.

We began with my sending Derek images of book covers on the market in my genre. I told him why I liked these covers and I gave him a thorough description of my book. I also selected composite photos from 123rf and iStockphoto. Derek created about 8 rough, preliminary designs within 2 weeks. For "rough", they looked pretty polished to me. Here you see two of my favorites. However, the third shown here was my ultimate favorite.

I liked the strong image of the book's central character, Julian (the story is told from his point of view). But I asked Derek to tone down the shine on his face; he looked too scary for the leading man in a vampire romance. I wanted him to look like a bad boy who might ravish you, but not rape you. The blood-drippy title was my idea, but it was unreadable at thumbnail size. Derek produced several different text treatments and ornamental flourishes. He was very patient with me. I think I had a crush on this cover. I wanted to marry it. It had to look just right. And so it does! Here's the finished cover for Bloodroom.

I have found most book cover designs run from about $400 to $800. For those of you writing and self-publishing, consider Shelley Hitz, the self-publishing coach, whose blog, newsletter, and Facebook page offer great tips for free or inexpensive resources -- including book cover design! She has been tremendously helpful to me. Also, use OPM (Other People's Money, to borrow Robert Shemin's phrase) and try Kickstarter, a crowdfunding source that focuses on creative projects. In his blog, David Gaughan described his successful experience using Kickstarter to fund production of his novel A Storm Hits Valparaiso. I intend to try it myself next time.

Bloodroom - an Amazon Kindle Exclusive

Bloodroom, a vampire novel of romantic suspense, quietly debuted this week as an Amazon Kindle exclusive and has since broken the Top 100 Bestsellers list in the category of Horror/Dark Fantasy. I am thrilled! I could write reams about my experience writing, working with a professional editor and book cover designer, or the influences that affected character development and setting for the novel. But for now, I'll let Bloodroom speak for itself, with its "back jacket blurb":


Turn to me, Natalie.

His mental call to her was dangerous, of course. Dangerous for him. Dangerous for her too, but she was in danger, anyway.

Look at me now.

Her gaze traveled slowly upward. With every moment, physical awareness stretched tauter between them. Her eyes wandered over Julian's face, over his slashing dark brows, down the ridge of his aquiline nose to his chiseled mouth.

“You're our angel!” The ballerina smiled.

The vampire smiled back.

She explained, “An angel is someone who makes an extremely generous donation to demonstrate his or her love for the ballet.”

“I do love the ballet,” Julian told Natalie fervently, his shadowed eyes fixed on her breasts. Their firm swells strained against the sweat-soaked fabric; buttons were undone to the moist hollow between them. God.

He didn’t have to kill her right away, did he?

Oregon's Indie Bookstores

During my holiday vacation in Portland and Eugene, I browsed indie bookstores. This is "going native". Oregonians love to read and don't seem to care whether the books are bestsellers or unknowns. New books are crammed in with the old, the famous with the obscure, and the shallow with the deep. Tall shelves criss-cross rooms and line every wall.

Powell's has a big presence in Portland. This one is their flagship. It's a lot bigger than it looks. Three levels and several rooms that are color-coded according to the genres they store. You can download a Powell's app to help you navigate. Powell's also has a huge coffee shop, which was crowded in late afternoon. I drank my java at the window counter, alternately watching street traffic and reading my purchase, a nonfiction by Milton Rokeach called The Three Christs of Ypsilanti. Powell's inventory includes books from the library of Anne Rice, each of these labeled as such with a sticker. Neat novelty gift, huh? Shelved near The Three Christs was one of her old paperbacks, a book on psychology that looked to be college required reading.

Though you could probably go into Smith's Family Books in Eugene with a list and systematically fill it, I get the feeling most purchases are unplanned. It is not uncommon to turn a corner and see someone sitting on a stack with an open book across their knees. I browsed for hours, finally limiting myself to two of the seven or so gems I discovered.

Inside Smith's Family Books

When I'd finished the two books, I went to Smith's university store (University of Oregon). My brother sold my books back to Smith's for me. I got about half what I'd paid and then bought a used copy of Sarah Waters' novel, Fingersmith, for $6. Paul bought a used copy of Tube Guitar Amplifier Essentials and quickly got lost in it.

Tsunami Books

Eugene's Tsunami Books sells new, used, and rare books. I bought Octavia E. Butler's time-travel novel, Kindred. Tsunami's mellow atmosphere serves as a community gathering spot. Our father, the poet Michael Wurster, has given readings there. When I visited, they had two copies of his second book, The Snake Charmer's Daughter.

Inside Tsunami

Downtown Eugene's J. Michaels is so densely shelved with old books that it has the feel of an antiquarian library. However, it also stocks bestsellers and new books. Last year, I bought Jennifer Homans' history of ballet, Apollo's Angels, which had just come out.

This region's overcast, daily drizzle is a perfect climate for book browsing and book reading. It can be very cozy sitting inside with a book and a warm drink or a micro-brewed beer, while rain patters softly on the windows.

Writing Advice from Comedians

I listen to You Tube clips of comedians in the late afternoons to lift myself out of that post-lunch carbo slump. Two comedians, Patton Oswalt and Louis C.K,, made a very good point on the importance of staying prolific and always generating new content. I will include the clips here and thank You Tube posters OVRFND and Bromista5. In OVRFND's uploaded video, Patton Oswalt roasts Edgar Allen Poe to make his point about the importance of writing constantly. In Bromista5's video, Louis C.K. talks about how George Carlin inspired him to write new material constantly, digging deep into the darkest regions of his heart and psyche to make fun of his every vulnerability and fear. Neither comedian is G-rated, but if you listen, you'll get that nugget o' wisdom. Thanks Patton Oswalt and Louis C.K., and thanks OVRFND and Bromista5 (respectively) for posting.

Patton Oswalt:  http://bit.ly/s69Srz

Louis C.K.:  http://bit.ly/vjthwa Bromista5's upload is a clip from a tribute to George Carlin at the New York Public Library hosted by Whoopi Goldberg in March 2010. More of this tribute can be seen here: http://bit.ly/cca0tp

I'm Passionate About ...

In Juicy Writing, we considered why we write. Why are we motivated; what drives us toward that accomplishment. That way, if we're tired of writing, we can look at our list and remember why we cared enough to go the distance. So here's what I'm passionate about:

I'm passionate about making something that wasn't there before.

I'm passionate about giving people something to think about.

I'm passionate about giving people an escape from anything that worries them.

I'm passionate about the people in my books. They're real to me, and I want to give them expression.

I'm passionate about having something to do.

I'm passionate about doing something no one else has done before. Like snowflakes or fingerprints, no one else is going to write my stories, even if they were given the plot points and character profiles and assigned to do it.

I'm passionate about leaving something behind when I'm gone.

I'm passionate about taking chances.

I'm passionate about disappearing into a fantasy.

I'm passionate about finding out what happens next.

I'm passionate about the human race, and the fragility, beauty, nobility, and triumph of their existence.

A Most Amiable Read

I am about halfway through the very entertaining Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons. The book was written and illustrated by Vera Nazarian as a paranormal parody of Jane Austen's book Northanger Abbey (which was Jane Austen's parody of the dark fantasy novels so popular in her day). Nazarian gives equal credit for writing Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons to Jane Austen, which was a smart and fair thing to do. I haven't read Northanger Abbey, but what prose I have seen suggests that the angels and dragons are Nazarian's literary contribution to the parody; Austen's prose is still there. I watched Masterpiece Theatre's adaptation of Northanger Abbey, and Nazarian's parody does not alter this likable heroine or the charming flow of the story.

I am enjoying Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons. It's light, witty, and fun to read. The premise is that Austen's heroine, Catherine Morland can see angels, as well as demons and dragons. Nazarian's descriptions of the angels is particularly pleasing. Her style is very visual, and I can really 'see' the little angels and their firefly glow illuminating cravats, bonnets, puffy sleeves, and Georgian interiors. The demons masquerade as members of society, but the fact that Catherine can see and hear them as they really are makes for very amusing characterizations. The dragon is cool -- I gather it plays a larger role in the 2nd half of the novel and look forward to its reappearance. There's another creature that's appears unexpectedly to vex people in the extreme -- I won't tell you what it is, but it will make you smile.

I haven't read other paranormal parodies of Jane Austen novels, so I can't say how Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons stacks up against them. I can only tell you that I find this novel very easy to read. The structure of the paranormal world is neatly drawn and makes sense. The dialogue and description just sort of roll you through the paragraphs (props to Ms. Austen for this, but Nazarian's additions blend without any glitch in style). Nazarian's contributions make me chuckle. You will probably like this if you like Jane Austen and classic chick lit of the 19th century, if you like fantasy novels, and if you like lighthearted horror elements. I like the dark, horrific stuff too, but that's another type of book. For my lighter side, Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons does quite nicely.