Thursday, December 31, 2015

2015 - A Writer's Journey - #Authors #ScienceFiction & #Romance



My journey in self-publishing began in the Spring of 2014. Today, after a year and a half as a published author, I am reflecting on my progress in 2015.

My major accomplishment was completing the Grand Master’s Trilogy. This series is the longest and most complex I have written so far.

The best description comes from a 5 star review:
“Exciting and vivid sci fi/fantasy/adventure, grounded in real emotions and fully realized characters, Aurora Springer's GRAND MASTER'S PAWN (Book One of the Grand Master's Trilogy) is a wonderful read, even for those who might not usually read novels in this genre. (I'm one of those, and I truly enjoyed it!) Give yourself a treat and join courageous, psychically bonded lovers Violet and Athanor on their amazing adventures!“


Grand Master’s Pawn: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM   Only 99c
Grand Master’s Game: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0104OFJJ8
Grand Master’s Mate: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018EHAA7S

You can sample my style and the world of the Grand Masters in the FREE short story Gifts of Jangalore: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R0AIG36

Also, for Valentine’s Day, I published a short story set on Mars in the near future.
Lonely Hearts on Mars: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T0TOZYO

Mars


Promotions and Marketing
I run promotions regularly of FREE and 99c eBooks. A couple of promotions of my Free eBooks reached the top ranks in subcategories on Amazon.

Best to date:
A Tale of Two Colonies:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFY8A5Q
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134 Free in Kindle Store

A Tale of Two Colonies


Second Best:
Grand Master’s Pawn: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM   
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)


Social Media and Events

Twitter
After resolving to increase the number of followers on my twitter account @AuroraSpringer, I now have over 3000 followers, starting from about 100 last January. My tweets and RTs are partly automated thanks to valuable advice from Effrosyni Moschoudi at http://effrosyniwrites.com/2015/10/22/twitter-lists-and-roundteam-explained/

Facebook Author Page
Thanks to several cooperative groups, my Facebook Author Page has acquired over 400 likes.

Affiliations
Science Fiction Romance Brigade: This year I continued to participate in the Science Fiction Romance Brigade, where I have made several friends and learned about the genre. We showcase our work every month in a Blog Hop.

eNovelAuthorsatWork
I was accepted as a member of the supportive eNovelAuthorsatWork group for Indie Authors and learned a variety of techniques for promoting my books. Members of this group help by tweeting and sharing each other’s book promotions. Much of their advice is presented in http://enovelauthorsatwork.com/

I participate regularly in two groups where writers exchange snippets of their work each weekend.
Weekend Writing Warriors - www.wewriwa.com
Science Fiction & Fantasy Saturday - http://scififansat.blogspot.com/

My blog lists my novels, connections and some free resources for Indie Authors. You can read samples of my writing at my blog. I host guest posts from other authors and some posts have achieved over 1000 hits in a week.

Media links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Aurora-Springer/e/B00K2C4NL8

Year End Bargains - 99c for First in Series and two Novellas - See details in:


Saturday, December 26, 2015

Year End Bargains: 99c eBooks - Adventures in #Sciencefiction & #Romance


First in Series on Sale for 99c



Grand Master’s Pawn, Book 1 of the Grand Master’s Trilogy:  
One young woman challenges the super psychics ruling the galaxy, and finds an impossible love.
Young empath, Violet Hunter, achieves her dream of exploring planets by becoming the pawn of one of the twelve Grand Masters, despite her forbidden psychic talent. She believes her secret is safe because the Grand Masters never appear in public and communicate through avatars.
When life-threatening cracks in the vast web of interplanetary portals disrupt civilization, Violet agrees to investigate the cause. At the same time, her trusted tutor, Mother Tingu, explains that her father’s death twenty years ago was no accident. Tingu suspects the perpetrator of both crimes comes from within the ranks of the Twelve, perhaps even Violet’s own obnoxious Grand Master. Violet must penetrate their curtain of secrecy to identify the culprit. Her challenges escalate when she meets the enigmatic man behind the griffin avatar. Armed with only her erratic powers and a mishmash of allies, she must challenge the most powerful beings in the galaxy.
Reminiscent of the science fiction stories of Andre Norton, Violet’s perilous adventures are sweetened by romance and a sprinkle of laughter.

Buy Links
Amazon international: http://authl.it/B00TP1N5PM?d

Reviewers say:
Exciting and vivid sci fi/fantasy/adventure, grounded in real emotions and fully realized characters,
Wonderful detailed multiple world building.
I loved the heroine, she is fearless, smart and kind.” 




The Lady is Blue, Book 1 of Atrapako on Eden 
Intrepid scientist solves mystery of scaly aliens.
As the chief biologist in the remote human colony on Eden, Dr. Lucy Stannis leads a quiet life until an alien vessel makes first contact with the colonists. She is thrilled to meet the spaceship captain, the impressive Blue, Sa Kamizan Veedak, although the Atrapako are formidable with their tough, scaled bodies and sharp claws. Conflicts arise, threatening whole colony as well as Lucy’s tenuous friendship with Sa Kamizan. Lucy must employ all her skills to discover their secret and save the colony.

Buy Links
Amazon international: http://authl.it/B00K1N951Q?d
FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Reviewers say:
“Really captivating and fun.”
This book grabbed me with sharp alien claws from the very first and would not let me go.
I loved the twists and turns of the story.

Two Novellas on Sale for 99c.


Captured by the Hawk, a Space Operetta:
Spaceships crash across the galaxy in the comic misadventures of spy Grey Kat and pirate Black Hawk.
Intrepid spy, Grey Kat, is escaping though Hassam Space Port with key codes stolen from the Emperor’s Revenge when she is trapped by the notorious pirate, Black Hawk. He persuades her to assist in his next piracy attempt, and they are thrust into a series of mishaps, dashing across the galaxy to avoid the Emperor’s ships. While dodging pursuit, Kat struggles to uncover the secret hidden behind Black Hawk’s mask before she suffers the tragic fate of his unfortunate wife.  
If you enjoy science fiction with fast-paced action, mystery and romance, grab a copy of Captured by the Hawk.
 

Buy Links
Amazon international: http://authI.it/B00MYHSC52?d
FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Reviewers say:
“The perfect space quickie.”
“Non-stop action from page one onward.”


Rosemary’s Quest, Young Adult Fantasy: 
What would you do if an evil force threatened your home? A coming-of-age fantasy novella set in medieval times.
Seventeen year old Rosemary Summers has no friends. The village children call her a witch, but she doesn’t know how to work magic. When the shadows of the Demon King Kafkad threaten her family’s farm, she sets out on a desperate quest for the White Wizard. Rosemary does not know if the mysterious wizard still lives or if he will help her. She must learn to harness her own magic to save her homeland from the Demon’s attack.


Buy Links
  
These 99c Discounts will Run from December 26 to January 5th


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