Writers Corner – Suzanne Whitfield Vince

You Can’t Fight City Hall (or The ‘Zon). Or Can You?

Suzanne Vince — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 08:00:57 +0000

An author friend once told me that when you get to 50 reviews on your book, Amazon will start promoting your book to it’s millions of subscribers. Other authors said they didn’t notice a difference once they reached or surpassed 50 reviews. At the time, I was a newly (self) published author, so I filed this information away for a later day.

For my first published book, The Many Lives of June Crandall, that day has arrived.

For several weeks now, June has been sitting at 49 reviews. Oh, it got to 50, but then suddenly that 50^th review was removed! So I ran a promotion for the book, which usually generates a few reviews.

And it did. I got up to 51 reviews. Woot! Now we’ll see how the power of The Zon really works. Right?

Wrong. With a few days, both of the new reviews were taken down. Again! I was outraged! I’ll bet they would never do this to James Patterson or Nora Roberts!

These were honest reviews from total strangers who received no encouragement or compensation from me for leaving their reviews! They did so out of the kindness of their hearts.

To put it mildly, I was not happy with Amazon. For a millisecond, I considered removing all of my books from Amazon and taking my business elsewhere. But, considering that 99.9% of my book sales come from The Zon, I quickly reconsidered.

So instead, I wrote them a letter asking them nicely why they keep removing the reviews for this book. Here is how the communication went:

ME:

Dear, Amazon. I noticed that every time I get to 50 reviews on my book, The Many Lives of June Crandall, the 50^th review disintegrates into Fairy Dust and once more leaves me with only 49 reviews the review gets removed.

Is there some secret society you get to join when you have 50 reviews that only traditionally published authors get to join? If so, how much do you want to let me into the club? Would you kindly stop doing this? I fully understand your review policies and can assure you that none of the reviews you removed violated them. And by the way, can I have the FOUR reviews you stole from me back?

Sincerely,

Author Suzanne Whitfield Vince

AMAZON’s RESPONSE:

Hello Suzanne,

Customer Reviews are removed for the following reasons:

• The review violates our Customer Review Creation Guidelines (http://www.amazon.com/review-guidelines).
• A customer can decide to remove their own review.
• The review is on a page that incorrectly links multiple items. We remove these reviews when we separate the items.

To learn more about this policy, please see our Customer Review Creation Guidelines (http://www.amazon.com/review-guidelines).

Best regards,
Yorwin P

So, obviously there IS something to the 50^th review. Maybe once a book gets 50 reviews they have to spend money to help promote my book. And maybe they don’t really care about helping little peons independently published authors whose sales are, well, not enough to retire from the day job on. Yet.

Either way. We all know reviews sell books. And the more the better. They help people like me get ads on sites like Book Bub, who want a minimum of 50 reviews before they will even consider your book for their site (some say the minimum is 100, but I know some authors who got in at 50+).

And so, I am launching full scale war against Amazon a massive campaign to blow right past the 50 review mark. Whaddya say, are you in?

Let’s BLOW past that 50 review mark!!

Here’s how you can help:

Step 1: Download the book, which for a limited time has been reduced to ZERO AMERICAN DOLLARS. To download your FREE copy, just click on the image below.

Note: Free offer also available on Nook, Kobo and iTunes.

Step 2: If you can find it in your heart, please leave an honest review. You can do so by clicking this link. Note: you may need to sign into Amazon.

From the bottom of this author’s pea-picking heart, I salute thank you.

Sincerely,

Author Suzanne Whitfield Vince

My Mother’s Journals

Suzanne Vince — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 12:00:26 +0000

A few years ago I read an article in O Magazine about a woman (Terry Tempest Williams) who, while cleaning out her mother’s home after she’d passed away, found several stacks of journals. My heart quickened at the thought, at the very idea that her mother had left behind a secret stash of books containing her most private thoughts, memories, and experiences. What I wouldn’t give to find just such a treasure-trove from my own mother.

I scanned the article, fast-forwarding to the part where Terry sat down to open the journals. I waited with baited breath to read about her mother’s innermost thoughts, her deepest and darkest secrets, or maybe even a secret life that her daughter knew nothing about. After all, this was a multi-page article in O (as in Oprah) Magazine! There just had to be something juicy in those journals. Didn’t there?

Apparently not. My mouth fell open when Terry opened journal after journal and found…wait for it…blank page after blank page. I was, to put it mildly, disappointed. More than that, I was heart broken. And so I tore the first page of the article out of the magazine and put it in a box, determined to write the words in those journals myself one day.

The real Mac.

Fast forward another year or so. I was looking through some of my mother’s photos and came across the picture you see above. I remembered my mother speaking of Mac a time or two, but I didn’t know whether he had been just a friend or a former flame.

I set the photo apart from the others I’d been looking at, and over the next few days I began to imagine a wartime love affair between Mac and Virginia (the fact that my own mother’s name had been Virginia was merely a coincidence). It would be a powerful love, but a forbidden one because Virginia is a nun. Eventually she will leave the convent, but before they can marry, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and Mac will heed the call to duty.

Around this time, the torn page from the O Magazine resurfaced and I knew I had found the words to fill the blank journals. My Mother’s Journals begins with the story of Olivia Hunter, whose life is in a downward spiral. As she struggles to come to terms with her husband’s infidelity, her tough exterior begins to crack and the events of the past few years (including the loss of both parents, a near-term child and her career) bring her to a breaking point.

When a stranger appears and delivers a box containing a set of her mother’s journals, Olivia begins to fit the pieces of her life back together and learns that life does not always work out the way you plan, that everyone makes mistakes, and that sometimes the person you need to forgive the most is yourself.

And so, I would publicly like to thank Terry Tempest-Williams’ mother for leaving behind a set of blank journals. For without them, this book may never have come to be.

My Mother’s Journals
Get Your Copy Today

Print cover, designed by Melchelle Designs.

Excerpt from My Mother’s Journals:

Chapter Seven

Virginia

Journal Entry, August 15, 1940 (Battle Creek, Michigan):

Today is the day that began the slow unraveling of everything I’ve always thought I wanted for my life. It’s been a year since I’ve seen my family, and until I set foot inside my parents’ house, I had no reason to believe that this visit home would be any different from the ones before. But then, I hadn’t counted on my brother bringing home a friend he’d met at Boot Camp.

Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I can hear my brother saying, “Mac, this is my…um, this is Sister Marie Francis,” but I am already somewhere else. Somewhere I have no business being. And when Roger “Mac” MacKenzie takes the hand I’ve placed in his, something inside me stirs. My soul, I think. Yes, it must be my soul.

His eyes are the color of the sky that’s been scrubbed free of clouds, and when they look into mine, it feels as though they are reaching inside me and touching a part of me that has never been touched before. By anyone. I feel bare, exposed, as though with just a glance he knows everything there is to know about me.

Suddenly, I am aware of my surroundings. Of other people watching us. My brother, my parents, my chaperone from the convent. My cheeks burn with embarrassment as I struggle to regain my composure and my breath, which has somehow managed to drain entirely from my lungs.

“Pleased to meet you,” I say to my brother’s friend, and hurry away on wobbly legs into the kitchen to help my mother with the final preparations for supper.

As we sit down to eat, I can feel Sister Ruth Paul’s eyes bore down on me, watching my every move, so I try hard not to look at Mac and focus my attention on my brother instead.

Up to this point, enlistment in the military has been voluntary, but rumor has it that the draft is coming soon. We are all proud of Francis for volunteering, but the deepening crease of my father’s forehead tells of his concern. Over supper, the men speak of the activity in Europe and Asia, and the inevitability of America joining the war effort.

My mother eats quietly, but I can see her discomfort mounting as the conversation grows more serious. It’s a troubled time. Not just for our country, but for my family, and others like ours.

After we finish eating, the men take their conversation into the living room while the women do the dishes. Afterward, Francis and Mac go out for a while and I make my way upstairs to bed. My brother gave Sister Ruth Paul his room, and after bidding her goodnight, I collapse into the comfort of my childhood bed.

As I pull the covers up to my chin and stare into the inky darkness, I try not to think about how I’d embarrassed myself earlier at the sight of the handsome young soldier in uniform my brother brought home for dinner, but find it impossible. I’d acted like a blushing schoolgirl, and my body prickles now with the heat of my shame.

Unable to sleep, I sigh heavily and climb out of bed, bend to my knees and pray for forgiveness. As a nun, I’ve taken a vow of chastity, which means I promised to be pure in mind and body. A vow, it seems, that I am violating despite my best efforts to the contrary.

When I finish my prayers, I climb back into bed and close my eyes, but images of Mac force them open once again. I toss and turn, and after about an hour, I finally give up. I climb out of bed, slip into my housecoat and go downstairs for a glass of warm milk.

I turn on a small lamp and retrieve the milk from the icebox. After I pour some into a copper-bottomed pan, I place it on the gas range. I add a dash of vanilla extract for flavor, swirl the milk around with a wooden spoon and lose myself in my thoughts.

“Hello,” a voice from behind me says.

It’s a quiet voice, but it may as well be a shout for the effect it has on me. I stifle my scream and turn with a start. There, across the kitchen table, is Mac, the hint of a smile on his face.

It’s Release Day: Life, Take Three

Suzanne Vince — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 12:00:15 +0000

It’s Release Day for my second book Life, Take Three!!

*drops confetti, toots horn*

To celebrate the occasion, I am giving away a FREE copy (Kindle only) to the first three people to leave a comment below.

In addition, Life, Take Three is part of my BOGO offer, valid until December 24, 2014. CLICK HERE for details.

Happy reading!!

Groundhog Day meets Heaven Can Wait

Attorney Isabel Stevens’s life is in a downward spiral. On the worst day of her life, she is killed in a fatal car crash. After discovering a loophole in the No Returns policy in heaven, Isabel is given a one-time opportunity to relive the last day of her life. The only rule? Everything must happen exactly as it did the first time around.

With the help of a guardian angel, Isabel begins to see where her life went off course. When the day is up and she returns once more to heaven, she pleads for the opportunity to go back and make things right. Her wish is granted, but when she learns the price she must pay, she begins to wonder whether she’s up to the task. Determined to find a way out of her dilemma, she accepts the terms. Will she succeed and live to see another day? Or will she defy the agreed-upon terms and suffer the consequences?

BUY your copy today!

Cyber Monday BOGO Book Deal

Suzanne Vince — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 09:00:32 +0000

It’s CYBER MONDAY, and to celebrate the occasion, I am offering a Buy One Get One FREE deal, beginning today.

Here’s how it works:

Buy either one of my books (Kindle format only) and I will gift a copy of either book to you or someone of your choosing
Email receipt of purchase to me at: Suzanne@suzannevince.com
In the body of the email, include the name of the FREE title you would like, the name of the person it should be gifted to, and the email address associated with said person’s Amazon account

That’s all you need to do!

CLICK TO BUY

Offer valid through December 24, 2014.

It Takes a Tribe (to Publish a Book)

Suzanne Vince — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 11:00:11 +0000

To write a book is a solitary endeavor. It must be so. Sure, writers have sources that help fine-tune their work, but it is the writer—and her alone—who must write the words.

But writing a book, if it is to be published (and really, what purpose does a book serve if not shared with the world?), is just the first step in a daunting and seemingly never-ending process that must happen before your book is delivered into the hands of readers.

The first step in the process is deciding whether to try the traditional publishing route (in which approximately 2-3 out of every 10,000 manuscripts will be accepted and will deliver royalties in the neighborhood of 7.5% per paperback book sold and 20% for every ebook), or self-publish (which provides for royalties of up to 70%).

For a number of reasons, I chose the self-publishing route, and suddenly a long list of tasks and decisions lay before me. I sat down to list them all out and realized I had no idea where to begin. My head began to spin, and after hours of wracking my brain, I ended up with a To Do list that looked something like this:

Because I’d joined my local chapter of Romance Writers of America, I had a fabulous critique partner, but I knew I would need beta readers, an editor, and a cover artist. I would need reviewers, a manuscript converter, and a whole host of things I probably hadn’t thought of. Oh yeah, and a social platform.

Image Courtesy of Google Images

I’m an introvert by nature, and you want me to go out into cyberspace to promote myself and pimp my work? Eeww, no way! That just feels…wrong. And scary. And so not like me.

To say that I felt alone and overwhelmed is an understatement. So much so that I actually shelved the idea of publishing my first book and wrote another one. And then another.

And then over dinner one night with my critique partner, Patricia Rickrode (writing as Jansen Schmidt), we began to talk about publishing. I lamented, “I know I want to self-publish, but it takes a bloody village to produce a book. And I have no idea where to start.”

“Then join the Tribe,” Patricia said. “That’s how I got started blogging and doing social media.”

I blinked. Twice. “The Tribe?”

“Yeah, the WANA Tribe,” Patricia said.

WANA stands for We Are Not Alone. The WANA Tribe’s motto is:

Creativity cannot thrive on its own. Genius needs help, support, and love. Your family doesn’t get you? They no longer have to. WE TOTALLY GET YOU!

A motto that still brings tears to my eyes! Finally, someone who gets me. ME!

“But what is WANA Tribe, exactly?” you might be asking.

Founded by WANA Mama Kristen Lamb, who has devoted her career to helping writers, WANA is a group of creatives sharing their knowledge and experience to help other creatives like you (and me). A “tribe” is a group, designed to discuss a specific topic. Here are just a few examples of current (active) tribes:

Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Christian Writers
YA Writers
Self-Publishers
Scrivener Users Unite!
Writing While Parenting
Social Marketing
Time Travelers

Additionally, WANA offers a host of classes, many of which I’ve taken. With instructors like Kristen Lamb, Marcy Kennedy and Lisa Hall-Wilson (just to name a few) I’m the proud owner of a blog (obviously, you’re reading it), an author Twitter account (which I actually know how to use now—thank you Marcy!) and a Facebook Author Page.

Through my fellow WANA’s I’ve found an editor, a cover artist, and someone to convert my manuscript to print and ebook formats (I figured out how to upload the files onto Amazon all by myself—YAY me!). And I found a tech guy who understands that I am a true technophobe and takes care of all my website maintenance—Jay Donovan (find him at www.techsurgeons.com).

So thank you, Kristen Lamb, you’re more than just our WANA Mama. You’re a mentor, a friend, and a true blessing to writers everywhere.

And thank you, Patricia Rickrode, for telling me about the Tribe.

To join WANA Tribe (membership is FREE!), CLICK HERE. Use #mywana to share your writing-related tweets.

For more about Kristen Lamb, and to read her informational motivational blog, CLICK HERE.

What about you? If you’re a self-published author, who has helped you in your journey to publication? Do you have any resources for others you’d like to share?

If you don’t write but love to read, was it surprising to learn about all the things indie authors have to manage in order to deliver their book to you?

Dear Reader: How to Help Your Favorite Author

Suzanne Vince — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 11:00:03 +0000

Without words, without writing and without books, there would be no history, there could be no concept of humanity. Hermann Hesse

When I was a girl, I would curl up anywhere I could find a quiet spot (not easy to do with seven siblings) and flip through the pages of the latest Nancy Drew novel. Later, my mother introduced me to Danielle Steel and I tore through each new book with the anticipation of Christmas. And I’d feel the same letdown when I finished as I would on Christmas morning after all the gifts were opened and the anticipation was over.

When I finished, I would call my friends and tell them about the book. If they were a good enough friend, I might even lend it to them.

Things were simpler in those days. In many ways. Not the least of which was being an author.

Back then, if an author was lucky enough to secure a contract with a major publishing house, their careers were made. They would write the book, send it to their publisher, and collect a fat advance check, then sit back and wait for the royalties to pour in while the publishing house handled the author’s publicity tours (which usually included book signings in major booksellers across the country).

Today, whether an author is traditionally or independently published (ie an “indie author”), we are tasked with sole responsibility to market our books and ourselves.

For first time novelists like myself, this can be a daunting task. And for introverts (like me), it can be an even scarier prospect. But if we are to succeed, we must step bravely into cyber space and invite new friends, like you, to read our work. And ask you to share it with your friends.

“But wait,” you say, “nobody uses an actual telephone anymore, so how do I spread the word?”

I’m glad you asked.

It’s true, the medium by which we share information has certainly changed since I was a girl. This is the good news for authors and readers today. It allows us to connect with each other in ways we never could’ve imagined five years ago when I was a kid. Okay, twenty five years ago (or so).

Anyway, here are three ways that you can help:

Reviews Sell Books:
It’s true. They really do. When you read a book you love, write a review (on Amazon, Goodreads, or any other forum for book reviews). It doesn’t have to be a long one. “Dear Author, loved your book!” would suffice.

Tell Your Tweeps:
Shout it out on Social Media. Authors are happy to provide their Twitter handles (mine is @SuzanneWVince). Tell the universe about the great book you’ve just read. And Retweet (or Share on Facebook) when one of your friends shouts out.

Share the Love:
When you read a blog posting (like this one) that you enjoy, click the little share buttons at the bottom and spread the word to all your Facebook Friends or Twitter Peeps.

So go ahead, tell the world (and me) about the last great book you read! I’ll even start. The last amazing book I read was CHASING KATE, by Kelly Byrne.

Okay, your turn!

Photos via Google Images

House Party and an Author Q&A

Suzanne Vince — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 11:45:53 +0000

Hey, ya’ll. I’m over at my friend, author Jansen Schmidt’s place today ~~tearing things up~~ talking about writing AND GIVING AWAY A COPY OF MY NEW BOOK! Hop on over, drop a comment, and enter to win.

photo courtesy of google images

Writer: Unboxed

Suzanne Vince — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 11:00:03 +0000

My dream dinner date. Photo courtesy of Google Images

If you could have dinner with any author, dead or alive, who would it be? Today I’m talking outside the box with my friend, author Yvonne Kohano, about who I would invite over for dinner, what I would serve, and a few more crazy writing-related topics.

To read the full post, CLICK HERE …

Debut-tante for a Day

Suzanne Vince — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 11:00:20 +0000

I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged. Erica Jong

Today is the day I’ve been waiting my whole life for. It’s not just release day for my debut novel, though it is that (toots horn and throws confetti). It’s not Christmas, my birthday, or the 4th of July. It’s more than that. It’s more than all of those combined, even.

Today is the day I tell the world that I’ve finally discovered my purpose. That this, this, is what I was was meant to do with my life. It’s not about money, it’s not about celebrity. It’s about the satisfaction of reading a good book. The kind of book you cant put down. The kind of book that you never want to end, and at the same time you just have to know what happens. The kind of book that makes you think about the characters long after it ends.

The kind of book every writer dreams of writing.

The Many Lives of June Crandall has been three years and four drafts in the making. Since I started writing it, a lot has happened in the world. A lot has happened in my world. And yours, I’m sure. It’s been an exciting time. And an anxiety-ridden time. But mostly, it’s been a time filled with more joy than I ever knew existed.

I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve cursed. I’ve learned what it means to make my characters suffer, and I’ve cried their tears. I’ve also rejoiced in their good fortunes. And I’ve grown. Both as a writer and a person.

I’ve learned what it’s like to hold someone’s destiny in my own two hands. To know that, with my words—my words—I can make them or break them. I brought them into existence, and I can take them out.

It’s humbling. It’s exhilarating. It’s FUN!

Writing The Many Lives of June Crandall has been a long, emotion-packed journey. I’ve labored for three years, and now it is time for me to place my baby in the into the hands of the world.

In preparation for this, my debut release, I’ve grown thick skin. I’ve bought a few extra pairs of big girl panties. I’ve prepared myself as much as possible for the ride to come. A ride that I hope you’ll take the ride with me.

What about you? Have you found your purpose in life? If you write, what motivates you?

THE MANY LIVES OF JUNE CRANDALL IS AVAILABLE NOW. CLICK HERE TO BUY.

The Many Lives of June Crandall, Unveiled

Suzanne Vince — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 11:00:18 +0000

Sometimes hope is enough . . .

Shuffled from one orphanage to another and finally abandoned into foster care, Grace Adams finds comfort only in her dreams, only these dreams are unlike anything Grace could ever dare to imagine. From a Nazi concentration camp in World War 2 to a Geisha house in Feudal Japan, in her dream world Grace is loved and protected by one person: a woman named June Crandall with a face she is unable to forget.

Believing that the woman from her dreams is the mother she’s never met, Grace petitions the court to unseal her birth records, and what she learns about her birth mother will shake her to her core. Years later, at the urging of her husband, Grace publishes a book about the woman from her dreams. At a book signing, a stranger appears and offers a clue to the mystery surrounding Grace’s birth.

Putting her skills as an investigative journalist to work, Grace uncovers a web of secrets and betrayal that threatens to destroy her dream of being reunited with her birth family. Will Grace find the woman from her dreams? Will she solve the mystery of her birth? Will she be able to put the past behind her and find forgiveness for the family that abandoned her?

Coming September 2, 2014

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