Burnout Rides Again!

The Gamut

I made so many mistakes with this cover that I had to go above and beyond the "three's a charm" and hit "Final Four!" I'm so happy with how this latest version turned out that I'm ready to celebrate! Free ebook anyone? Hell, yeah!

But before we head over to Amazon for a freebie (Free on March 22 - 23, 2019),  I want to review the pain so I can relish the gain. First, I started with the wrong font, all chunky letters and tough looking, which had readers assuming the story was some kind of biker erotica. People do judge books by covers, myself included, but what I'd created couldn't be further from the truth! In reality, this is a chaste love story with road trips and motorcycles...an adventure for the young adult (YA) crowd and the young at heart. 

By the second cover, I'd decided to use a more fun and youthful looking font but stuck with the leather jacket/zipper motif I had going on, mostly because I had a vision of using fabrics on all my covers. Dealing with Blue had denim, and in the case of Riding with the Hides of Hell, I envisioned black leather. But I was getting raised eyebrows whenever I mentioned the title.

While considering a title-change, a friend was busy giving me flack about the dark cover and how it needed to be brightened up. So I went gung-ho and gave everything an overhaul. I drew a motorcycle, added a pop of color, threw in some angles, but I couldn't let that leather jacket go. Ugh...I really disliked this cover! As it turned out, the third time was not a charm.

However, I did need that third step to get me to the fourth and final cover, which I love! This represents the fun, the love, and the adventure that I put into this book. Aesthetically, it works for me. I ditched the leather jacket that had initially gotten this project off the ground and brought in some asphalt, instead. I couldn't have gotten to version four without failing three times before. *I'm a poet, and didn't even know it.*

The take-away?

* Check the title...make a list of five or ten and whittle it down from there. The first one you think of is rarely the best answer.

* Brainstorm multiple cover layouts while mocking up thumbnails. Hit the bookstores and review covers in related genres. Compare and contrast. I peruse the ads at myfonts.com to see how they have fonts set up on the page.

* Where can a pop of color be added to draw attention? Where's the focal point? Where does the eye travel to next? Does it stay on the page?

* How does the final cover look when it's a thumbnail size on shopping sites? When I reduced my cover, the motorcycle got lost in the darkness, which had me going back to the drawing board. For the final, I framed the bike within the yellow beam to make it visible on the cover, big or small.

Boom! Done.

Now, ready to head over to Amazon for that free ebook? Give it a go, or buy a paper copy to really get the full effect. And don't forget to leave a review...this book's a lot of fun with tough luck and tough love, not to mention it's had a pretty tough start. Mercy.

Most of all, I hope you enjoy it!

Montana: Sharing Books with Little Free Libraries

Road Trip!

Montana Bound

I took my kids on an adventure to the Flathead Valley last week, which was my first trip driving The Narwhal and pulling our little Jayco trailer. I packed several copies of Dealing with Blue and Riding with the Hides of Hell--now titled Burnout--to tuck onto free shelves as I found them, in a sort of quiet marketing kind of way. The first shelf I came across was in the office at the campground where we stayed. I asked if I could donate my books to their reading nook and they were all for it, so I was off to a good start.

LaSalle RV Park

Columbia Falls, MT

Free Library 

West Kalispell

When I came across this little house full of books, free standing on the street corner (above), I remembered reading about Little Free Libraries and decided to look up the Kalispell zip code 59901 to see where others might be located.

Little Free Library #1

East Kalispell

Little Free Library #2

East Kalispell

Little Free Library #3

East Kalispell

I had so much fun searching for these little houses, tucking a book inside, and taking pictures that I wish I had a lot more books and a lot more time! It was like leaving Easter eggs filled with good vibes around town. 

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"Take a book. Share a book."~ Free Little Library

Rolling Out a New Book Cover

Ta da! I finally got some nods of approval on my new Burnout cover. No more black...although I couldn't fully get behind losing the leather jacket, which I left in the background. But I did brighten the whole thing with pops of color and hopefully made it look like the young adult love/adventure story that it is. A huge learning curve...but things are slowly coming together.

It's back on Kindle Unlimited, and in a week it will be available in paperback, too. Check it out, and help this baby see some light by leaving a short Amazon or Goodreads review. I thank you very much!

Burnout

A road trip of tough luck and tough love.

_________________________________

“I have a plan.”

Miki Holtz isn’t some rebellious sixteen-year-old just because she dyed her hair blue and rides a motorcycle. She’s an independent girl who knows what, when, and how to get things done…almost. She can’t seem to gain her dad’s attention or make a connection with her soul crush, Will Sullivan. But when her dad invites her along to the Burnout Biker Rally—and Will is going, too—she jumps at the chance to turn her luck around.

"It’s always trouble with you."

While grieving the death of his mom, Will Sullivan has turned into an undeniable couch potato until he’s forced on a road trip with his dad’s motorcycle buddies as some kind of biker therapy. What’s worse? He’s paired up with the prez’s daughter, Miki, a girl who once humiliated him in front of his friends—a girl he can’t forgive…or forget.

“I don’t like the way you like me.”

The easy ride starts off slow yet soon has Miki and Will running for their lives.

Burnout is an adventure story set in the Pacific Northwest where a strong girl and a moody boy discover love while trying to survive on a road trip from hell.

**FINALIST for Young Adult in the 2016 PNWA Literary Contest under the title Riding with the Hides of Hell.**

New Title Alert!

Burnout - New Title!

Old Covers:

NanoWrimo, Kindle Scout, and Published

After much research, a new title for my second book, to replace Riding with the Hides of Hell, was imminent! Help me welcome the new name, Burnout, which has many definitions: 1.) a totally destructive fire, 2.) the result of prolonged stress, and 3.) the act of spinning tires, causing heat and smoke due to friction.

All of these meanings can be found in Will and Miki's story. It's about riding motorcycles, being outside and feeling the dirt on your skin, the wind in your hair. It's about adventure, wearing leather, and being a rebel...and if you couldn't tell by the heart, it's about sweet love, too.

Time and readers will tell, but in this moment, I believe the new title works! Burnout is short, attention grabbing, and easy to remember. It gives a hint to what the story is about, and bonus, I can tell people the name without getting weird looks in return. Win!

It's a slow process getting things changed, so bear with me while the two titles float around. The pages within are basically the same, though, so have confidence reading whichever title you like.

Get Hooked from the First Sentence

Unfortunately, I had zero chance of earning a 2017 Goodreads "Best Book of the Year" title since 1.) I didn't publish one, 2.) I'm an indie author and not traditionally published, and 3.) I've only got a handful of reviews. But let's pretend otherwise, and let's also pretend that Goodreads had room for two more on its list. Here's my tribute:



BEST YOUNG ADULT
ADVENTURE-ROMANCE
by Stacia Leigh
Riding with the Hides of Hell*

"Whenever Will heard his mom's brusque voice in his head, it was time to crack open a cold one."

BEST YOUNG ADULT
SMALL TOWN LOVE STORY
by Stacia Leigh
Dealing with Blue

"Everything was going along fine, which had Suzy relaxing against the vinyl booth cushion with a real smile tugging at her lips."











Did the first lines make you want to read more? I hope so, and if they did, you'll find the books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Etsy, and for check out at the King County Library System.

* Riding with the Hides of Hell has a new title: Burnout!

Currently, More Love in the Library

Right beside Dealing with Blue on a King County Library shelf, is its sister book, Riding with the Hides of Hell*. It's a young adult, adventure-love story packed with biker goodness--or badness--and is a great choice for a pool-side read. It's quirky, fun, and has a strong heroine who kicks butt, literally.

Riding with the Hides of Hell*

Next to Dealing with Blue

in the King County Library System

Riding with the Hides of Hell*

A choice read!

RIDING WITH THE HIDES OF HELL 

Desperately seeking acceptance from her father--a motorcycle club president--the adventurous Miki Holtz eagerly agrees to his request: drive his friend's injured son to Burnout Rally. Best call to duty she's ever had, since the son, the surly Will Sullivan, is her soul crush. But every time she's tried to make a love connection with him, there's been trouble. And as tough luck would have it, this bike ride is no different; dangerous rivals are lurking in the shadows ready to wreak havoc. Can Miki survive long enough to make Will see that she's his one and only while on a road trip from hell?

Here's my latest blackout poem from a recycled "proof" page of Dealing with Blue:

LOVE IS EVERYWHERE

The balloon couple 

Were starting to look romantic.

* Riding with the Hides of Hell has a new title: Burnout!

Having Fun with the Backhanded Compliment

Meow.

I entered Riding with the Hides of Hell* into the writing contest put on by The BookLife Prize (at $99 a pop) and with every entry comes a critic's report. Entrants are able to use quotes from their reports for publicity if they're properly attributed to The BookLife Prize, which I've faithfully done below.

My overall score was a moderate one, something to be proud of but certainly not enough to brag about. I wish I could rave about my highest points, but unfortunately, they sound like backhanded compliments, leaving it difficult to pull out a good marketing quote.

Hello? Is this thing on?

I guess if I wanted good-feels about my book, I should have called my mom!

9/10 for originality:
"At its essence, this book tells a familiar story: two kids finding their places in the world and falling in love. However, Leigh mixes that straightforward YA structure with motorcycle gangs and a fair amount of gender role reversal with the protagonists. And this works to create a book that is anything but standard fare." ~ The BookLife Prize 

9/10 for character development:
"Will and Miki both have strong voices and clear motivations for their actions. As with all good YA protagonists, readers will root for them to stop being such drama queens. And readers will root for them to finally figure out their issues with one another." ~The BookLife Prize

There ya go! My characters are a bunch of drama queens, but at least the reader gets to root for them to stop being so! Lol.

Now I'm not being sensitive over here, or a Neggie-Nellie, because I know writing is a tough business, and as the saying goes, "This isn't my first rodeo." So I'm having my go at a bit of fun.

On another note, Writer Beware wrote an interesting and fair article about The BookLife Prize and the comments are worth a read, too. I certainly don't begrudge the $99 entrance fee (*cough*) because reading and critiquing is hard work! I know, I've done my "fair share." And I understand why The BookLife Prize words their critiques in a slightly negative way. They can't have their good name splashed on every book! It's the yin and the yang of it.

Click Riding with the Hides of Hell* to read The BookLife Prize's full assessment.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

* Riding with the Hides of Hell has a new title: Burnout!

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Fabulous Five: A Tribute to the Road

Every morning and afternoon, I walk around the streets and avenues of my neighborhood. If there's no rain, then I take my ever-sun-loving Cherriers, Tilly and Tango. My phone camera is usually ready as I search out my the next close-up shot to share on Instagram--Come visit me! Poop bag in hand, two 10-pounders pulling on the leash, glasses to contend with...but somehow out of a bunch of blurry pictures, I manage to get a decent one.

We had some road construction/pipe fixing thing going on, and the finishing touch was filling the cut marks in the asphalt with black tar, and as the pictures show, it's turned into my latest fascination. On rainy days, the droplets sit poised on top. On sunny ones, the tar is shiny and reflects the light. Then there are the tread marks and thick, gloppy drips, which create great textures.

Now with spring break looming, a bit of wanderlust calls. I feel a road trip coming on... 

The Road has Legs

Rain Drops on Road Tar

Time to see the details. A time for reflections.

Yin and Yang

It's dark and light, good and bad.

It's balance...or maybe it's just a blob.

Roadkill

It's that crazy tar on the road, reflecting the sun.

I nearly got ran over by the school bus.

Passenger

Get outta my way...I'm Riding with the Hides of Hell*!

Ready for a road trip. Whoot!

___________________________

"Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination." ~ Roy M. Goodman

Riding with the Hides of Hell has a new title: Burnout!

A Book Cover Quick Fix

"A great cover image makes a promise to the reader.

A poor cover image chases potential readers away." ~ Derek Murphy

Readership has been low for this book, so I took a step back for a moment of quiet review. Is something wrong with the cover? Yes, it's blocky, dark, static, and there's nothing eye-catching. 

RHOH, version 1

For some help on where to go from here, I watched a video by Derek Murphy called 7 Must Have Qualities For a Book Cover That Sells. I have a graphic design and illustration background, so things like contrasting colors, negative space, and balance aren't *necessarily* where I have problems, it's the marketing side I find très difficult. After watching the video, I made some notes:

1.) Did I choose the correct font? Does it speak to the genre I'm writing, which is teen romance? [No.]

2.) Is there enough interesting elements here to catch the readers eye? Derek Murphy says orange and teals make a rocking combination. Is the shirt color against the brass zipper enough? [Probably not.]

3.) Is there a humanizing element? [No face, but there is a hint of someone behind the clothes...right?]

4.) If I were to strip away the words, does the image convey what the story is about? [leather jacket means bikers, gangsters, something sinister perhaps. White-ish tee means clean, good... so together it could show a conflicted person, which is half the story...but it certainly doesn't say "teen love."] 

5.) Does it mesh with the other teen romances in the same genre? [No, there isn't a girl on the cover and the font choice is off.]

I'm an indie author in exploratory mode, learning as I go, and since I enjoy creating my own covers for the time being, I'm gonna stick with it. I'm not ready to give up on my image just yet, so I aimed at quicker fixes like color and font.

RHOH, New and Improved

Here's what I did to help seed the cover and story into the Young Adult (YA) genre:

1.) I over-layed the dark part of the cover--the black leather and the asphalt road--with an autumn brown. Instead of feeling cold, it took on a warm tone. The brass zipper stands out a bit more, which helps identify it more as clothing. 

2.) I changed the font to match Dealing with Blue since Will Sullivan is in both books. A sidekick in the first and now the main character in Riding with the Hides of Hell*. Plus the font looks young and fun. 

3.) I tilted the title to create a feeling of action and speed. It's an adventure romance; the kids are going places on their motorcycles. They're feeling a bit off-kilter with the danger surrounding them and with their growing love. 

4.) I swapped the gritty, squat-looking heart with one that is clean, but not perfectly shaped. It's sort of stretched like it's about to turn into action lines, riding into the distance. It also matches the new font, young, energetic, and fun.

What do you think? I'm open to hearing how I can improve. Does the font work? Should I look for a different cover image? Does it say, "teen romance and road trip adventure" to you? Let me know in the comments! Thank you.

* Riding with the Hides of Hell has a new title: Burnout!

February 2017: Heart Art Reading Challenge

It's the start of week two of the Heart Art Challenge, and I'm on a roll. Ready for a reading list? I went on a scavenger hunt for books on my shelf that either said "heart" in the title or had hearts on the cover. Here's what I found:

February's TBR Pile

A Short Stack

1. One Pink Line by Dina Silver* (already read and loved it!)

2.) The Trouble with Valentine's Day by Rachel Gibson* (already read: a cute, small town romance!)

3.) The Heartbreak Messenger by Alexander Vance* (Currently reading: Middle Grade)

Tango and Tilly Bean

Anticipating a Good Read

4.) InkHeart by Cornelia Funke (On my TBR: Middle Grade)

5.) The Husband List by Janet Evanovich (Romance) to add to my TBR pile for February.

6.) Bonus! Riding with the Hides of Hell* is an adventurous YA story about grief, survival, and love. It has a heart on the cover, too.

* A recommended read!

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"A book is a magical thing that lets you travel to far-away places without ever leaving your chair." ~ Katrina Mayer

* Riding with the Hides of Hell has a new title: Burnout!

Day #5: Fabulous Five Lego-isms

Two things are fabulous about today. The first one is...

Last Chance to Win Some!

...it's the last day to win your FREE ebook copy of Riding with the Hides of Hell* on Amazon. All you have to do is "click it" to "stick it" on your Kindle. Or you can cough up the big bucks for a paperback. Totally up to you. 

If you don't like stories about strong heroines who kick butt, take names while doing it, AND get the guy...THEN DON'T READ Riding with the Hides of Hell*. It's all those things...and more :) It's a love, adventure story for young adults and for adults who feel young.

Kindle Price = $0.00

Today only! January 3rd

The second fabulous thing about today is this: I've combined three of my favorite things in one place: photography, Lego Mini-figs, and quotes. Just for fun. Not trying to win a prize or anything.

Computer Time

Making Sausage

Do the Thing

You got this.

Go get Riding with the Hides of Hell*...today!

* Riding with the Hides of Hell has a new title: Burnout!

Day #4: Be Good To Yourself

With the start of January come resolutions, like loosing weight, exercising, rejuvenating the creative spirit, doing more of something, or maybe doing less. Mine will be to get on a better writing schedule. Write every day, rain or shine, a couple hours, just do it. I've got four ideas, and I want to work on them all, but then I find myself stuck in marketing hell...

Oh yeah.

Marketing.

Riding with the Hides of Hell* is STILL FREE on Amazon, from now until tomorrow, January 3rd. It's about a kick-@ss heroine named Miki Holtz, who fights for what she wants, survives the bad bikers, and saves the boy. It's a hellish road trip of tough luck and tough love. Get your clicking finger ready and give RHOH a go.

Kindle Price $0.00

Today - January 3rd

Boom! Done. Back to resolutions. What I was trying to say, is to make 2017 a year of being good to yourself...like the turtle below.

Be Good To Yourself

This image has come a long way, baby. I first created it for the 2010 Ripple Project and called it "Clean Up at the Gulf." Then I worked Mr. Crab and the black oil out of it to make postcards as take-aways at the 2012 SCBWI conference where I was showing my art portfolio. I had 500 cards printed, the conference would only allow me to leave a pile of 200 there, so I had turtle postcards coming out of my ears.

Then the November 2016 Western Washington Scrapbook Retreat happened. I signed up for the card swap and wondered how to put a dent in my stash of postcards. What does one do with a turtle taking a bubble bath?

I cut, glued, and tied ribbon onto a card with the words, "Be good to yourself" and made thirty birthday cards.

It was a small dent.

So...yeah. Resolutions. Be good to yourself out there!

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Now, go get your copy of Riding with the Hides of Hell* for free, draw your own bubble bath, sing Happy Birthday if you want, then settle in for a relaxing soak and a good read. Let the adventure begin :) Oh, it's an ebook, so there's that...


* Riding with the Hides of Hell has a new title: Burnout!

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