Hi guys! I'm not sure if you remember me telling you about a venture I was involved in that I couldn't tell you about in my last blog, but the time has come to explain what it is I've been involved in. A few other authors, myself included, have been writing short stories for a book. "That's not news", I hear you say. Well, the part that is news is the fact that it's being done for The MacMillan Nurses Charity. I know most of you will know the jobs these nurses do, and it's heart wrenching work. They deal will death, depression, and fear in their patients, as well as dealing with their families. They are the backbone of any cancer patient, and they help them stay strong as well as keep their dignity. Now I can tell you there are quite a few of us involved, and it's coming along nicely. We are also in contact with a representative from the group itself, and we're hoping it's not going to take much longer before we can publish. All proceeds, and I mean every last penny, will be going to the charity, and we hope it will continue to give for many years to come, with the possibility of doing another in the future. We have just now started to think of ways in which to get the word about the book out there as far and wide as we possibly can, and we are asking for any help we can get. Being a charity they do not have the funds for any advertising or marketing, so the authors are doing what we can to help get it noticed. So any help you can provide, or any ideas you have for getting the book noticed, whould be greatly appreciated. Pleased contact me here, or on Twitter at @_SallyannP, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sallyannphillipsauthor?ref=aymt_homepage_panel . I have to say it's been an honour, and a priviledge, to work with the others involved, as well as to do something for a cause as worthy as this one. Most of us, if not all of us, have had dealings with these nurses at one time or another, so the cause has been very near and dear to our hearts. It's been an amazing experience, and I hope to be involved with the next one when the time comes. Well, thank you for reading guys, and as I said, if you can help in any way, or give us any direction, then please get in touch. Best wishes to you all, and stay safe. Sallyann.
0 Comments
Hi guys! Well I hope your weekend has started better than mine! I feel like I should be banging my head against the nearest hard surface, and I've no doubt you guys have been in the same frame of mind at one point or another. My weekend was supposed to be babysitting my 2 year old granddaughter all day Friday, and for a few hours Saturday for my son to work. Not too bad, I hear you say. Well I agree with you. But, what I wasn't expecting was for him to crash his car on Friday, which meant taking him to, and bringing him home from, work on Saturday. Not only that, but it's the worry of him keeping his job. There is no other way for him to get there. And, just to put the icing on the cake, he's your typical 24 year old. What does that mean? I hear you ask. Well, it means his attitude is pretty much "Oh well!". So we (the parents) are left worrying, and he still laughs and jokes around. I wonder who gets the better part of that deal. The next generation seem to be very laid back, and I honestly can't decide if I think that's a good thing or a bad one. Well, I'm going to leave that one there for now, who knows? I might even have an answer to it one day. I think that might just scare me a little :). I guess that means the weekend can only get better, at least that's what I'm banking on. There will be work in the garden, so let's hope the sun puts in an appearance, and dinner to cook, and I'm pretty sure the list will grow by the time I strike the first item off it :). Have a great weekend, and I'll check in soon. Bye for now, Sallyann. Hi guys :), I hope you're all ready for the summer, I know I am. It's been a long winter, and it's about time summer showed his face for a while if you ask me. Now I'm pretty sure I've mentioned a shortage of time before, many moons ago, and I find I still struggle with that. Between my normal daily routines, and FB, Twitter, and my blog, it's hard sometimes to find the time to do what I enjoy the most, writing. I have an awful tendency to be up until 3 am, and that's just trying to keep up with the normal things. Lately, though, there have been more things I've been doing. I've got a joint effort in the works, which I can't say anything about just yet. There's book 3, which I've just got a few paragraphs of so far. But then there's a story that I started for said project I can't mention, which is not now for that project, which has taken on a life of it's own and has grown into something in its own right. I'm guessing that will turn into another book, though it will be in no way linked to the Angel's Blood series. I do have to wonder where I will get the time, as 3 am seems late enough for me, or early enough if you want to look at it that way. So I tried to sit and work out some sort of schedule, and guess what! You got it. It was a no go. I think the only thing I'll be able to do is take one day at a time, or I'll be like the preverbial dog chasing its tail. Getting close, but never quite getting there. Or if I do it's a false catch, so to speak, and the caught tail just slips right on loose. So a day at a time it is for me, let's hope that it'll all work out in the end :). Well take care, and hang tight. Summer is just around the corner, and everything looks better in the sun, right? Sallyann. Hi guys, I just had to drop you a line to let you know there's another 5* review for Hybrid Justice on Amazon. I have to say I was over the moon when I read it, and I thank Ian for taking the time out of his busy day to write it, and place it up for all to see. And now I'd like to show it to you all :), so here it is... 1 of 1 people found the following review helpfulSometimes, I wish I was a werewolf!! By IAN D. MOORE on 31 Mar. 2015Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase It's times like this that I wish I was a werewolf! I was privileged and fortunate enough to have been given a draft copy of this book shortly after Sallyann completed it. So taken by the first book Angel's Blood was I, that I pressed and pressed for the second instalment and well, what can I say? Having ploughed into the draft I found it equally enthralling. We see the relationship evolve between our lead characters Tavi and Cade, not to mention a healthy measure of romance between other members of the Camden Falls Pack. What makes this series different from any other werewolf genre book? It's the addition not only of the "angel" element of things, the effect it has upon Tavi's already formidable abilities, but we also have a strong sense of family ties, we have vampires not only as friends but also arch enemies. The storyline will take you through plots, twists and turns and Sallyann's style of writing is one that you simply cannot help but warm to from very early on. There are scenes described that actually take you to the places in your mind. There are times when you could cut the tension with a suitably sharpened silver bladed knife and times when a werewolf could have been sitting next to me while I was reading and I'd have been none the wiser. I know already that whatever Sallyann does next is going to be worth reading, indeed I'm already waiting for the next book in this series to be written, along with a long list of other people who have discovered her ability for story-telling. The plots, characters and ease with which the story comes to life are all elements that a reader wants from a good book. In this one, just like the first, you'll not be disappointed I can assure you. Having read a similar genre book by a much more well-established author some time ago, I can honestly say that these two knock spots off that particular one, to the point where on several occasions throughout Hybrid's Justice, I actually kept reading instead of doing what I should have been doing. For me to do that, it has to be a book with bite ... this has plenty of that! Well done Sallyann, no pressure but ummmm, when's book three coming? :) It sure is a buzz to know that someone is waiting to find out what happens next besides me. I'm never quite sure what the characters will do next, or where they'll go. All I do know is they want to kick some serious butt, so I'm going to have to get started, before the complaining in my head turns to yelling :). Well thats all today folks, take care and I'll see you soon. Sallyann. Hi guys, Well it's finally been published :). Hybrid Justice, book 2 of the Angel's Blood series, is on the amazon website, http://tinyurl.com/HybridJustice . It's been up since this morning, and there are two 5* reviews. I am so pleased, and am excited to see where it will lead. HERE'S ONE... 5.0 out of 5 stars Angel's Blood, Hybrid Justice - spoiler free, 30 Mar. 2015 By K.J. Simmill "KJ" (uk) - See all my reviews This review is from: Hybrid Justice (Angel's Blood Book 2) (Kindle Edition) I was so honoured when I was asked if I would be willing to read and review the advanced copy of this work, plus as a big fan of the first I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it. This book, for me, was everything I have already come to expect from this author, well written, involved, gripping and enjoyable. I don't get as much time to read as I would like, but again I couldn't put it down, in fact one night I was still up at 5am reading because I just had to know what happened next. Throughout the book there is the return of previously introduced characters and of course the introduction of new ones. As before I find them well conceived and very real. You can't help but be drawn into their plight and experience their highs and lows. I love how you can see the characters growing and developing, not only from their initial introduction in the first book, but throughout this book as well. Story wise, it continues from a point not too far from the ending of the first book and introduces a multitude of new ideas opened by the author's initial reinvention of the Vampire/ Werewolf creation myth. Of course right at the centre of it is Tavi, trying to fight her way to the truth and protect all she holds dear, whilst uncovering a complex web that spans far beyond anything she may have comprehended following the events of book one. For me book two opened a magnitude of new possibilities. I can't wait to see where the author takes us with the third book given the complex events that have started to unravel to show that things go far deeper than was imagined when we first encountered RB. This series is a must read, it contains so many new concepts that it stands apart from others in the genre and the brilliant characters ensure you, as the reader, are also invested in the story. A brilliant book, an excellent sequel to Angel's blood, that just leaves me begging the question, when is book three coming out? AND THE OTHER... 5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating world of werewolves and vampires 30 Mar. 2015 By Books And Spoons Blog - Published on Amazon.com Format:Kindle Edition Intriguing fantasy, where werewolves and vampires fight for justice, where love, family, and friendships nourish, and trust, hope, loyalty and faith are the key values. The fantasy world the author has created, with amazing details and fine point manners, habits, and culture to the pack just blew me away. It is dark, gloomy, and violent, mixed with the light, love, and frail world of the pack. The tight unity, hierarchy of the pack, the team effort for survival, and love and care for each other was solid. Tavi's adapting to the pack life is not without hiccups, but Cade's patient towards her is commendable, and while he is teaching Tavi about the customs of the pack, the reader gets a great inside of it as well. The love interests within the pack are adorable, and as Tavi and Cade's feelings towards each other grow, yet another new world opens up to Tavi, the world of love, commitment, and passion, not unlike the one she saw in her parents' life. As the rescue of Zack progress, the fights between good and evil increase. They are bloody, violent, and rough. The only survival with Tavi's extraordinary talents. The story flow out so beautifully, and even though I don't usually read paranormal stories, I was pulled into the tale. The intriguing details, characters, and culture were a constant amazement, the action and fights between the two worlds savage and intense. The love, passion and commitment growing between Tavi and Cade was precious and pleasing. The author shows just enough of passion between them, without going into too many detailed acts. Fascinating world of werewolves and vampires, where Tavi's unique qualities and bloodline, gives her, and her pack, an advantage to fight for what's good, right, and just, while adjusting and learning to live with her pack. ~ Five Spoons Thank you so much guys, I truly do appreciate it. Who knew everything would move so fast? Not quite what I expected, but amazing to see. I think it's about time I got started on book 3 now, and Tavi and the Pack are in agreement. They have things to do, and justice to find. Oh! And Bloodbroods and Dark Wolves to take down, as I've been promptly reminded, and they're fed up of me waisting time :). I'm also thinking of a little celebratory something ;), which I'll let you all know about as soon as I do, so stay tuned. Well back to work, and catching up :). Best wishes to you all, Sallyann. Hi guys! Hope you're all doing well, and your weekend is all set to be a good one. I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for the summer to be here now. I've had about enough winter as I can stand, and I'm totally fed up of dressing like a Michelin man to stay warm :). I've just this minute bome off Twitter, and to be honest I was a little piqued at a tweet I had sent to me. Now if you use Twitter regularly, I've no doubt that you've had some unwelcome tweets along the way. I know I have. They range from rude, to nasty, to down right pornographic. Well you can bet I blocked those suckers (no pun intended). Now the ones I've had today I've had a few times before, but now they're coming from other people. How they found me I have no idea, unless they just troll through for Indie Authors of certain genres.
This is the first one. AJ @Elijahsback@_AngelsBlood Vampirism and bloodguilt. You will lose your life unless you change! bit.ly/1b3VrLi sent out of love! I really have to say that a threat to your life doesn't sound very loving to me, and just because I write in that particular genre, I don't think someone has the right to send me such tweets to force their beliefs on me. I do believe that everyone should be allowed their beliefs, and shouldn't be mocked for whatever they are, but they shouldn't feel it necessary to have to push it on others. I have my own beliefs, yet I don't feel the need to tell you all about them, or try and convert you away from your own. So why, oh why? Would someone believe it allright to do it to me. Which leads me neatly in to the second one. AJ @Elijahsback@_AngelsBlood Do you want to live forever in paradise? Change now. See link! It will come true soon! bit.ly/1672Aeq Now as I said, I have my own beliefs, so why ever would I see the need to click on a link to someone else's site, which would no doubt try and convet me. I believe in a live and let live culture, and have to say that I wish other people believed in it too. Who is to say who is right and who is wrong, I know for sure that I would never be as presumtious to tell someone what they should, or should't do, let alone whay they should, or shouldn,t believe. I must admit I'm unsure as whether or not to block these individuals as they come up, but then I wonder if that would be against my live and let live policy. So I guess my only option for now is to wait. If they leave it go from here on out, then I'll let them be. But if they continue to send me such pushy, in your face tweets, then I guess my only option will be to block them. Please feel free to let me know if you have experience with the same thing, or with anything else you consider to be pushing boundaries you think shouldn't be crossed. I'd love to hear about them, and how you dealt with them. Oh well! Rant over. Now I guess it's time to get my nose back to the grindstone :). Don't forget Hybrid Justice will be out on the 30th March, so why don't you check it out. And Angel's Blood is already available at Amazon, in both kindle and paperback editions, which Hybrid Justice will be soon too :). Well bye for now, I'll see you all soon. Best wishes, Sallyann. Hi guys! It's finally time: Book 2 has had it's cover revealed today. Here it is, I hope you all like it, and as you can see the title to book 2 is Hybrid Justice. I have to say that the title took it's time coming to me, and trying to design a cover to match what I saw in my mind... Well, let's just say it wasn't easy. I have to say I'm really pleased with how it turned out, and the response I've had so far seems to second that. Which I have to say, pleases me no end, and has settled my nerves down a whole lot. Yes, nerves. Though there was some excitement in there too. Since the countdown to the reveal has gotten closer, my nerves had risen in tandem. By the time I got to today, my hands were shaking, and I was all but a nervous wreck. But true to form, I had the same few people support me through this, that have supported me in the past. Thank you @BooksandSpoons, @SimmillKJ, @Blackbirdancing, @THHeyworth, and of course @Ianstories, and @BBallmama. And, of course, thank you, to each and every one of you that re-tweeted, or shared, the post of the cover reveal. Your support has been wonderful, and I appreciated them all. Well, I'm glad I've got that nervous ordeal over with, but I guess I'd better get used to them, after all they'll be back for the few days before the 30th March. Which, as you all must know by now, will be the Hybrid Justice publishing date. Right, it's back to work for me. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, and I'll speak to you soon. Bye for now. Sallyann. Well hey guys, would you look at that! I had a review on Amazon.com I hadn't realised was there, well, at least not before a friend pointed it out :). What a lovely surprise to find I've had two in rapid succession, and in two different places at that.
Well here it is, I'll let you read it for yourselves. And thank you Charlotte, for taking the time to post a wonderful review on Angel's Blood. Really Good Read!, March 13, 2015 By Charlotte H. (Houston Texas) - Angels Blood is a novel approach to the werewolf tale with a vampire thrown in. This story is creative and imaginative yet the approach is interesting and fresh. I enjoyed the book. The characters were interesting and the werewolf world created is warm and caring within the pack. The alpha, Cade, is a strong man/wolf that finds his mate in the newcomer Tavi, a roam. Tavi is alone when her father is killed and been coached of the danger of pack life. When a vampire that had saved her mother many years ago returned to protect Tavi he talks her into joining Cade’s pack for safety sake. Though hesitant, she agrees and despite her insistence she didn’t know how to make friends she wins the hearts of the pack. Tavi joins a family and becomes auntie to a precious three year old. When the child is placed in danger, Tavi comes to the rescue and is captured by an Alpha that was her biological father, a wicked beast of a werewolf and man. Without going deeper into the story, I found a budding romance between Cade and Tavi a halting affair that added interest to the tale. Great writing with a good job of editing. If you enjoy werewolves and vampires this is a good read with a future of more to come. Well there you go guys, I'm stoked again :), but that's to be expected right? lol. Take care guys, and I'll see you all soon. Sallyann. Hi guys,
I thought I'd let you know I've had another great review left in Goodreads, and thought I'd post it up for you all to see. You see, every time I get a review, it gives me the same kind of buzz as the very first one did. I'll keep it short but sweet tonight guys, since it's so very late here again, 2 a.m, which is quite normal for me I can tell you :). And I'll say a quick thank you to Salena, who took the time out of her day to leave a review. Salena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Shelves: amazon-unlimited, favorites, nis-not-on-gr, pnr, action-suspense Please let there be a next in series! I really enjoyed this book...intriguing from start to finish. It's not as erotic as I like, but the premise and pace of it was excellent. Great story line and solid writing. Some times Indy authors flop, but this one totally hit my paranormal bone. Ok! That's it for tonight guys. Take care, and I'll speak to you soon. Sally. Hi Guys,
I'm in the middle of marketing again, and it's been throwing me into a bit of a tailspin. Who knew that writing a book was the easy part? And that the real work begins afterwards. Well I for one, didn't. I have to admit that I didn't do a lot of marketing for Angel's Blood, and that was a mistake, but in doing the marketing for book two I found it a lot of hard difficult work. What didn't help was all the contradictive information out there. You're told to get an agent, or get a publisher, that they'll do the deals for you, and make you money. The funny thing of it is, that even the more popular authors are now going Indie. It seems you keep more right's, and control, by doing it all yourself. They don't tell you that if you sign with an agent, or a publisher, that you can't control what happens. They also don't tell you that you have to fight them for your royalties, which is something I was told by and author who has just gone Indie herself. There is enough information out there to make your head spin, so be sure to take a time out and think about what you're doing, before you do something you can't easily get out of. As I was reminded recently, by Ian. D. Moore, 50 Shades of Grey started out as an Indie book. But a little advice I will give you, is join a group on Facebook. Indie Author Review Exchange, and The Creative Promoter, are just two of the ones out there, and I belong to both. The amout of support and advice between the two, has been outstanding, and you couldn't ask for a better, or friendlier, bunch of people. So I guess you could say the whole point of this blog is to tell you if you don't know something, ask. There's any number of people out there that will give you sound advice, and it's yours for the asking if you just ask the question. Well, that's it for now, so take care and I'll see you soon. Sallyann. |
Author
I am a wife, mother, and grandmother, and I live in Wales in the U.K. Sallyann Phillips is an IASD member.
Check out their website for a wonderful choice of Indie authors for you to chose from.
Archives
April 2017
|