INTRODUCING READ&REVIEW PROGRAM!

Tags

Alibris, Amazon, Apple, Author Lada Ray, Barnes&Noble, book signing, book tour, BookDepository, Geopolitical & Geo-Economic Quantum Calibrations, gift, Goodreads, Google Play, Kobo, Lada Ray predictions, Peeks & Previews, promo, reader reviews, Scribd, writing and publishing

HOW THIS WORKS 

Read&Review Gift Program runs between April 8 and June 8, 2019

It’s for my new book

GEOPOLITICAL & GEO-ECONOMIC

QUANTUM CALIBRATIONS

This is my new exclusive program for those who have enjoyed my new book and want to contribute a review. I want to reward my first reviewers! Your reader reviews are very important in helping potential readers and future seekers of the truth to make the decision to buy my book!

I ask you to write a review for my new book and post it in at least three places (or more, if possible). In exchange, to thank you for your effort and enthusiasm, I will personally sign and mail to you a THANK YOU note on my exclusive author stationary (collectible). And I’ll mail you 3 of my exclusive bookmarks (while supplies last). This is NOT virtual! You will receive a physical envelope with my stationary and bookmarks, and it’s open worldwide! I’ll mail my thank you gifts to you, wherever you are around the globe!

All you have to do is buy my ebook or paperback, read it and write an honest review. The review must be posted at 3 or more retailers listed below. Choose among these preferred places in order of importance (these are direct links to my book):

Amazon.com

Kobo

Apple Store

​Goodreads

Barnes&Noble

IN ADDITION! You get 1st Priority seating at my upcoming LIVE Q&A & VIRTUAL BOOK SIGNING! (Announcement coming Thursd, Apr 11)

My book is for sale in other places, as well, such as Google Play, Scribd, Alibris, etc.

Click on these icons to see where else you can find 

GEOPOLITICAL & GEO-ECONOMIC QUANTUM CALIBRATIONS

         

Book buy links are posted in BOOKSTORE

And explore more on author site, including reviews:

• HOME
• BOOKS

INSTRUCTIONS: HOW & WHERE TO POST

Amazon

Frankly, if you bought the book (ebook or paperback) from Amazon, I prefer that you post on Amazon first, as this is the largest market. But Amazon recently changed the rules and now only those who purchased at least $50 of merchandise of any kind for the previous calendar year, can post their reviews. Therefore, I’ve added several other platforms where reviews do matter.

If you purchase from Amazon sometimes or regularly and/or if you spent $50 or more in one year, please post your review on Amazon first.

TIP: If you don’t qualify now, but in the following 11 months after purchasing my book you’ll spend $50 or more on Amazon, you can always copy and add your review later.

It’s most important to post on Amazon.com (main site, US/international distribution), because it’s visible in all international Amazon markets. If you don’t live in the US or purchased the book from a country-specific Amazon site, and if you are able to, it would be great if you alsoreposted your review in your domestic Amazon sites. All Amazon and other sellers’ links are HERE.

Goodreads

Goodreads is not a book distributor. It is a book reader community. It used to be independent, but Amazon bought it several years ago, and some things have changed. The thing that remains the same, thank goodness, is that any reader can post a review there. Unlike on Amazon, on Goodreads you can post reviews freely so far (just sign up and post), so please use this opportunity to add yours, before they decide to make it difficult. Some online sellers don’t allow review posting, and they use Goodreads reviews. A good example is BookDepository, so anyone buying from that seller actually sees Goodreads reviews. My paperbackis also sold on BookDepository.

All my books are listed on Goodreads, so I really appreciate your review posted there as well! (If you’ve written or intend to write reviews for my fiction, please post them there as well, while this venue is available). It’s very easy to post your review, just sign up – NO PURCHASE REQUIRED!

Kobo/Walmart

Kobo is a popular ebook seller, recently purchased by Walmart. Posting reviews is easy: just sign up, copy your review and post. They’ll take a day or two to review your post and if it’s a normal, legitimate review, it’ll go up soon. To post review – NO PURCHASE REQUIRED!

Apple

This is a monopoly. Only those who have Mac computers can purchase books and post reviews on Apple store site. I don’t use Mac – only iPad, and that seems not enough to get in. I don’t know their rules for review posting, but if you own a Mac, I’d appreciate your trying to post a review to see whether it gets accepted without a purchase. Or, if you buy my ebook from Apple iBooks store, I will greatly appreciate your posting a review on my book page!

**I’ll be re-listing my fiction on Apple, Kobo and more as well (very soon)!

Barnes&Noble

The biggest and most popular in the US brick and mortar bookstore/cafe chain. They now also sell online. Also now in the UK. For now my new book is available as an ebook there (read through NOOK). My novels are available as paperbacks on BN.

It’s easy to post on BN: just copy your review from Amazon, etc., and post. NO PURCHASE REQUIRED!

I also have my book listed with various other online retailers, and you can see some of their link icons here:

         

If you could also add your review to some of these, it would be smashing! All you need to do is copy and paste! Also, make sure you post your review in the comment section of FT and LRPatreon. And of course, email the text of your review to me, along with links where it’s posted to reap these rewards:

GIFTS & PERKS FOR REVIEWERS!

GIFTS: To thank my wonderful reviewers, I will mail each of you:

1. A signed Lada Ray Thank You Note, on my exclusive author letterhead (collectible):

View examples of my unique 8.5x11inch Lada Ray letterheads! You get my personally signed THANK YOU note on one of these!

2. Three (while supplies last) exclusive author bookmarks.

View my exclusive fiction bookmarks! (very pretty, reversible and two-sided)

I’ll mail THE ​GIFTS to you personally, to wherever you live around the globe! (PLUS, you get automatically invited to my Virtual Book Signing & Live Q&A!

Besides, my reviewers get priority seating at the upcoming LIVE Q&A AND VIRTUAL BOOK SIGNING (stay tuned for Apr 11 announcement!)

Last but not least! The best reviews, or their excerpts, will be featured on REVIEWS page, and possibly in other venues!

To qualify for the gift and priority seating:

1. Please post your review in three (or more) of the main venues listed above
2. Please email me the links to all three (or more) review postings, name under which they are posted, and a copy of your review. Use CONTACT or email directly, if you know my email!
3. In your email, please provide your full name and address so I can mail you your gift!

**Make sure you save the review you’ve written for possible future postings!

I greatly appreciate your posting the reviews in at least three, or more, of the top venues linked above! The more places we cover, the better potential readers will be able to make a buying decision.

If you know any other booksellers or sites where your review can be posted, I’d love to get the links with your reviews posted elsewhere, too. Your review can also be added to your blog or site, as another example. Please send me all the links – I’d love to hear from you and I’ll try to feature some of the links on my author site!

___________

NOTE!

This special program will run between April 8 and June 8, 2019.

Your Reader reviews can be posted any time, during, before and after this program. But to take advantage of my special signed thank you note and bookmarks mailed to you, please post your review in 3 or more places before June 8!

To be invited to Virtual Book Signings & Live Q&A, please post reviews early! We plan 2 live events and they will be in early to mid May! All those who purchased new book by Lada Ray will be invited, but reviewers get priority seating. Note that space is limited. Only the live event participants can ask Lada questions. Stay tuned for Special Announcement and details on Thursday, April 11!

 

__________

VISIT AUTHOR SITE – and come back again soon, the site is being expanded:

• HOME
• BOOKS
• BOOKSTORE
• BIO
• MEDIA & PROJECTS

BOOK BUY LINKS​

Info & Description
​Excerpt
​Reviews   ​ Book Info Package

OFFICIAL SITE: LadaRay.com!

YA Revolution on Goodreads

Tags

Author Lada Ray, EARTH SHIFTER, Goodreads, literature with message and meaning, The Earth Shifter, YA Revolution, Young Adult Lierature

One of the latest #YARevolution recruits, Barbara Cool Lee, the author of the Deeds of the Ariane novellas, has posted on her Goodreads blog about  #YAR. Here’s an excerpt: “The Deeds of the Ariane is joining a great new project: YA Revolution! for literature with message & meaning. Lada Ray, author of The Earth Shifter, has started YA Revolution, which “aims to unite all those who are tired of the same old, same old and who want to read new, original, inspiring books with message and heart.” A great project with a terrific goal.” Here’s a link to Barbara’s post.

Lada says: Loved the post, Barb! Your novellas certainly sound like an exciting read, and the ones right up the #YAR alley. 🙂 Welcome to the #YARevolution! We are for literature with message and meaning.

Everyone, spread the word and join! Literature should be nourishment for our minds and souls. #YAR is open to anyone who cares about what mind/soul food our teens – and we as adults – consume! Go to YAR page to join.

Cheers,
Lada Ray
Author, #YARevolution founder

P.S. I am looking into starting a YA Revolution Goodreads group, as well as other  groups at similar venues. Join us and help promote our cause. If you would like to volunteer to help organize a group, please contact me!

Related articles

• Join the YA Revolution! (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• The Young Adult Revolution Is Here! Self-Publishing Just Found Its Conscience. (rohan7things.wordpress.com)
• Authors! Join Lada Ray’s YA Revolution (ladaray.wordpress.com)

The Earth Shifter Review & Feature Fest

Tags

Amazon Kindle, author interview, Author Lada Ray, Barnes&Noble, book reviews, books by Lada Ray, Catharsis Legend of the Lemurians, Gold Train, Goodreads, Green Desert, indie authors, Smashwords, Stepford USA, The Earth Shifter, YouTube

Hello everyone! In October 2012 I did a Book Review Fest where I shared my new reviews of several awesome books by fellow indie authors. The Review Fest 1 became so popular that I decided to continue the tradition. As many of you know, my new release, fantasy/thriller THE EARTH SHIFTER, has received some very nice reviews in the past couple of months. Also, it is coming out as paperback on or after March 18th, which will be a pre-launch release: the official book launch is in April. The paperback will feature excerpts from the best and most interesting reviews The Earth Shifter has received so far.

I’m very grateful to all those who took the time and effort to not only read my book, but also post a thoughtful and honest review. Many of these reviews put a smile on my face and warmed my heart because their authors have captured the very essence of the story. All the reviews were fabulous and rich in material, and I had a hard time choosing which reviews, and which excerpts, to include. But due to space limitations, I had to make some hard choices.

Today, I want to honor all of my first reviewers by posting excerpts from their reviews, the links to their original websites and blogs, as well as other sources, where the full reviews can be found. The excerpts below have been selected for the inclusion in THE EARTH SHIFTER paperback Praise Section, as well as on the back cover. You will notice that one of the review excerpts below is longer than the others. That is because its author, Sofia Siberia, is the very first reviewer of The Earth Shifter, and also, because her review hits on so many great points that resonate deeply with the book’s message and intent.

For those who have missed my recent author interviews and features, I am also including the links below. What I especially love about these pieces is that they are all so different, reflecting varying personalities and interests of my interviewers, while working in concert to lift the veil of secrets, big and small, and complimenting each other quite wonderfully. Check out these one-of-a-kind and cool interviews (and this not an exaggeration!), which will shed additional light on the characters, settings, and the wild, wild ride that was the creation of this “cosmic adventure thriller,” as author J.J. Collins has called it!

Before we begin, a want to share some breaking news:

As you may have noticed from the image above, the front cover of THE EARTH SHIFTER has received a face lift based on my publisher’s guidance. I really like the new cover and I think it will showcase the book even better! This will be the cover we’ll use for both the paperback and ebook editions.

Also, just to mention, my birthday is coming up and to celebrate it, I’m starting a Read and Review Program. Anyone interested in reading and reviewing any of my books, including The Earth Shifter, Gold Train, Stepford USA, Catharsis & Green Desert, will receive respective ebooks for free. See the full list of my books here. The details of the Read and Review will be announced in a couple of days both here and on Goodreads, and it will be accompanied by a new, awesome giveaway, as well as other goodies! Please stay tuned!

Without further ado, The Earth Shifter Review & Feature Fest!

Check out these wonderful recent INTERVIEWS & FEATURES:

Feng Shui, Fidel Castro & Fascinating Predictions! An Interview with Lada Ray! – Title says is all. One-of-a-kind interview conducted by author & blogger Rohan Healy, Rohan7things blog!

Interview with Author Lada Ray – A very different, witty and spunky chat conducted by spiritual blogger Madeline Walsh, 1EarthUnite blog!

Interview with the Author: Lada Ray – a detailed and fun talk conducted by Michala of Bitemybook.com

Author Spotlight: Lada Ray – A cool piece, where M.C. O’Neill, the Author of The Ancients and the Angels, is discussing The Earth Shifter & Catharsis (Legend of the Lemurians). Includes reviews!

The Earth Shifter and yours truly have also been discussed in this cool radio/video interview: Ancients & Spirits: Author M.C. O’Neill on the Vinny Eastwood Show

Last, but certainly not least, I’m delighted to announce that I will also be a guest on the Vinny Eastwood Show at 6pm EST on March 18th, all thanks to Mark O’Neill’s glowing introduction, for which I’m eternally grateful! Tune in to listen on the American Freedom Radio or watch it at  vinnyeastwoodshow.com and guerillamedia.co.nz.  I will also post the show on LadaRay Youtube channel and here, on my blog, a few days after. Please tune in to listen, ask questions and comment! Hope you enjoy it, and please stop by to let me know what you think!

And now, the reviews!

5 Stars – “Lada Ray’s The Earth Shifter is the easiest five star review I’ve done in a long time, I loved and was captivated by the story right from he beginning. The parallels with so much of what is happening in the world today, and so many other detailed aspects give believability to this well crafted, wonderful story. My only complaint is that it is a trilogy and I have to wait till the end of 2013 to find out what happens next.”—Paulette Mahurin, Author – The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap (California) 

5 Stars – “The best book I’ve read in two years! Warning: Lada Ray knows more about human nature than Gandhi himself! Read The Earth Shifter and you’ll see a new definition to YA fantasy.” —M.C. O’Neill, Author – The Ancients and the Angels (Chicago, USA)

5 Stars – “Fantastic new young adult fiction! I finished The Earth Shifter 3 nights ago and it has been on my mind since. The characters and plot have stuck with me and I eagerly await the next installment. As I was reading a book set primarily in Russia about comets striking the Earth, what should happen but a comet should strike Russia! That was crazy and gave the book a whole new level of intrigue!” —Rohan Healy, Author, Blogger (Ireland)

5 Stars – “If you could read just one book this year, seriously consider The Earth Shifter! This metaphysical fantasy/thriller is simply one of the most compelling stories you’ll find. Author Lada Ray expertly weaves a tale about the consequences that mankind’s insanity has upon the world. The adventure is all-encompassing and epic in scope, and the author mindfully balances multiple story lines where the characters play a very crucial role in the outcome. It’s a real eye-opening, earth-shifting experience for sure!”—Madeline Walsh, Blogger (New York)

5 Stars – “A cosmic adventure thriller that will take the reader through history and across continents. The plot moves along quickly, introducing each key character and sub-plot with precision timing. An awesome, fast-paced, original storyline with exceptional twists that will leave you breathless and wanting more. The book is outstandingly researched and a marvel of creativity. It contains the perfect mix of history, fact, fiction and creative imagination at its best.”—J.J. Collins, Author – James Madison, The Father of the Constitution (London, UK)

5 Stars – “A hypnotizing novel which moves with deeply ingrained subplots. It serves up juicy portions of a storyline you will be begging to finish reading. A book that is hard to put down…because it is more complex than you can imagine…the next page must be turned… MUST BE… And just when you think you know all the essentials, Lada interrupts your story with an added element, perfectly knitted into the world of Sasha and the Key. I wouldn’t hold this novel to being just a YA because it is perfectly suited for the adults as well. Most all of characters were easy to grab onto and hold close. Final Verdict: 10/10.”—Bite My Book Reviews

5 Stars – “Tolkien, move over, another Russian has hit the deck running. Must read!”—Nanakulikane Reviews (Hawaii) – see this review on Amazon

5 Stars – “The Earth Shifter is a rich cocktail of amazing ingredients with the two core, and most delicious components being, the mystical realm of Lake Baikal in Siberia, as well as the Prophecy of the Key. The author covers a wide range of interests from history and legends, to mysticism, prophecy and origins of humanity. There are elements of a spy thriller set against the glamorous backdrop of modern Moscow and New York.

My family is originally from Siberia, and I was mesmerized by the beautiful descriptions of indigenous Siberia, including shamanism, ancient history, Tunguska Meteorite explosion, local village life. The author Lada Ray is a unique mysterious encyclopedia in herself! Her writing style is inimitable and her esoteric knowledge is impressive. While reading the book, I just couldn’t help but wonder how one person can possibly know all that!

The unexpected twists and turns, amazing flashbacks, stand-out characters and unforgettable settings all fold into an astonishing kaleidoscope of events and a mystically-integrated message. Every new chapter is an escalating suspense, and every new piece of information is an introduction to another, even more gripping revelation. The Earth Shifter will keep you thrilled, intrigued and glued to the next page. You’ll wish you could finish your chores ASAP so you could absorb yourself in reading again. The book brings modern present and ancient past into a fantastic unity, being prophetic, revealing, casting lights on the shadowy preliminaries and the shifting destinies of humankind.

The Earth Shifter will literally “shift” your consciousness, for, after reading it, the world as you see it will never be the same again! I’m endlessly happy I discovered Lada Ray’s books and got to know her as a writer!” —Sofia Siberia, Blogger (Russia/ Ukraine/ Lebanon)

5 Stars – “World-enriching spiritual journey filled with drama and excitement! Another impressive thriller. Ms. Ray artfully puts the pieces in place, building the suspense steadily until the reader is fully encompassed. The Earth Shifter has incredible scope. It combines geopolitics, spirituality, cultural depth and, perhaps most of all, the idea that it is the relationships we form, how we treat each other, that is so important to the healing of the planet.” —Jason Sullivan, Author – Rahala, An Ascension Odyssey (USA)

4.5 Stars – “A complex tale with a great cast of characters. A great YA thriller that is sure to please. I think adult readers will enjoy it as much.” Kate Farrell – The Kindle Book Review & katesreads.com (USA)

Also, many thanks to authors George Wensley (UK), Darlene Foster (Canada) and Guy Portman (UK) for their lovely 5 and 4 star reviews!

You can also read these reviews & more on:

Amazon     B&N     Goodreads     Smashwords   

See book extras on Shelfari

THE EARTH SHIFTER characters/settings/themes/news/excerpts

Stay tuned to the Read and Review Program! Coming next week!

Related articles

• THE EARTH SHIFTER Plot Playing out in Real Time: Massive Meteor Rocks Russia! (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• Ancients & Spirits: Author Mark O’Neil on the Vinny Eastwood Show (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• The Earth Shifter & Gold Train Paperback Preview (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• My Favorite EARTH SHIFTER Themes & Characters: Fantasy, History, Geopolitics, Metaphysics (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• Feng Shui, Fidel Castro & Fascinating Predictions! An Interview with Lada Ray! (rohan7things.wordpress.com)
• Interview with Lada Ray (1earthunite.wordpress.com)
• Book Review – The Earth Shifter by Lada Ray (rohan7things.wordpress.com)
• Happy Birthday to Me and Award Party 2013! (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• The Earth Shifter Review & Feature Fest (ladaray.wordpress.com)

THE EARTH SHIFTER: Fave Themes and Characters

Tags

Accidental Spy Series, ARCHOS Tablet giveaway, Author Lada Ray, Cold War, ebook, Goodreads, metaphysical fantasy thriller, remote viewing, Russia, Russian Empire, Shapeshifters, Soviet Union, The Earth Keepers Chronicles, The Earth Shifter, YA fantasy

First, The Earth Shifting news. The ebook is now available at the following retailers:

Barnes & Noble Nook     Smashwords

Amazon US   UK   CA   DE   ES   IT   FR   JP   BR  

Goodreads page    Shelfari page   LadaRay site

Coming very soon to Kobo, Diesel, Apple, Sony and others. Paperback is coming in the Spring 2013. Please stay tuned!

Following the golden rule of writing, I write about the things I know. Today, I want to talk about THE EARTH SHIFTER’s favorite themes and characters:

Fantasy

In The Earth Shifter, I set out to create a whimsical, yet highly structured, and totally new and original fantasy world, which simultaneously draws on real history and geography, metaphysics and spirituality, geopolitics and secret government spy wars, as well as on psychology and character development.

One of my favorites is “the Shifters” theme. In the words of the mythical EARTH KEEPERS CHRONICLES: “There are four types of Shifters. Mind Shifters can access any thoughts, even the hidden ones; Matter Shifters can turn into anything, as well as transform objects into something else; Time Shifters can bend and jump time; and Space Shifters can compress space, appearing at different places at once. The power of the true Shifters is such that they can manipulate events on Earth. To prevent that from happening, the true Shifters are carefully watched from birth and they are never told about the real extent of their powers until they are deemed ready.”

Sasha Elfimova, my favorite magical teenager, possesses a generous dollop of shifting powers, which allow her to travel in time and project into other people’s minds. Sasha is a Mind and Time Shifter, and there are no secrets her mind can’t unlock in this world. But even she can’t access those thoughts that have been shielded from her by the powerful old shaman Tengis.

Sasha’s time shifting power is something else altogether. She discovers it at the age of 13, when in her sleep she inadvertently travels to 17th century Russia to meet young Peter the Great and manages to help him in his predicament. I will let you in on my big secret: Sasha’s time shifting capacity may come quite handy when the ultimate struggle for the Earth’s future and Humanity’s survival begins in earnest in books 2 and 3!

History

Dear readers, you know that I am a big history buff. Continuing with the GOLD TRAIN (Accidental Spy Russia Adventure) theme, there is a lot of Russian, and world, history in THE EARTH SHIFTER, which blends organically with the present, also providing foundation for the karmic future of mankind. You could say that a lifetime of research and study went into creating the historic, geopolitical and metaphysical themes of the book.

The Tunguska Meteorite Explosion and its aftermath

Some of my favorite historical themes are: The Tunguska Meteorite explosion in the 1908 Siberian taiga, which provides the fantasy/sci-fi basis of the book. Also, the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as the end of the Russian Empire in 1916, complete with the colorful and enigmatic character of Grigory Rasputin.

Geopolitics

Again, continuing with the GOLD TRAIN theme, geopolitics is an integral part of the story. We are introduced to the clandestine efforts of the CIA and Russian Intelligence, and to the secret war conducted by remote viewers, “the psychic warriors,” as they were known. We meet the likable retiree and doting grandfather, Semyon Isayev, who is also Sasha’s godfather. But soon we learn that he is so much more! Dubbed the “best remote viewer in the world,” throughout his high-powered career the “modest” Major General Semyon Isayev had managed to thwart some truly earth-shattering attacks by his country’s former enemy.

Remote Viewing

Semyon’s sole desire is to be a good husband, father and grandfather, and he only wants to spend the rest of his days in peace. But his Cold War past and his formidable remote-viewing talent will not leave him alone, as once again he is thrust into the very thick of the secret psychic war, the prize of which is the ultimate dominion over the Earth.

We are introduced to the secret US government science facility in Hoboken, NJ. Brewing here are the breakthrough science experiments and new technology, as well as the ultimate Market Crash Team, which manipulates the movements of the stock market.

We also meet the CIA Assistant Director, Aloysius Drakley. Along the way, the mystery is revealed: who is really pulling the strings in the USA and globally?

Oh, yes! How could I forget one of the most important characters, the Russian oligarch, Boris Konukovsky! I’ll let you in on another secret here. While my book carries a disclaimer that all characters are fictitious or used in a fictional way and any resemblance is purely coincidental, I think anyone familiar with recent Russian history will recognize this one. Guilty as charged! Boris Konukovsky is the composite of two infamous Russian oligarchs: Vladimir Khodorkovsky (presently in jail) and Boris Berezovsky (presently a fugitive in London). The oligarch’s story in the book is inspired by real events, which will be recognizable to those who’ve been following the Russian developments of the past 2 decades. But only THE EARTH SHIFTER reveals what the oligarch and his cronies are truly after…

Spiritual/Metaphysical Theme

Last but not least, one of my absolute favorites, the spiritual and metaphysical theme of the book is very strong and includes striking events and settings, including the mystical shores of the Sacred Lake Baikal in Siberia and the legends of the Earth Keepers. We witness the Comet of Karma’s journey through Outer Space and travel to the fascinating and mysterious Underworld, one of the entrances into which is conveniently located in Manhattan, NY.

One of my favorites is the Realm of the Keepers, which holds many secrets and which is located between Heaven and Earth. This ethereal realm is where the Keepers of the Earth gather to monitor mankind’s progress and where the ultimate fate of the world is to be decided.

Again, many metaphysical themes are steeped in history via the stories of the Buddha, Jesus, the Shifters, and the Key of Destiny. These themes will continue and intensify in THE EARTH SHIFTER books 2 and 3, as well as in the companion series entitled the EARTH KEEPERS CHRONICLES. Book 1 of the chronicles, Catharsis, Legend of the Lemurians is now available on Amazon. I am currently working on books 2 and 3 – Lemurian Crystal and Atlantis, which are coming in the Spring 2013.

Favorite Characters

As Fyodor Dostoyevsky once said, I love all my characters, villains and heroes alike. I am with Dostoyevsky on that, but there are some characters that are especially dear to my heart. Who are they?

Sasha

Of course, the protagonist, Sasha Elfimova, as well as the twins, Win and Kei Lee. All three are so different, yet they are united by one invisible string we usually refer to as DESTINY.

Win Lee

Kei Lee

Also, the Siberian Shaman Tengis, who is the example of a true spiritual and world leader our planet so desperately needs.

Shaman on Sacred Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia

I adore the offbeat, sultry and mysterious Red and her even more mysterious mother. As many characters in the book, these two are not at all what they seem. What are they really?

Anne Hathaway would be perfect as Red!

I also love the very human character of the remote viewer, Semyon Isayev. My favorite historic character is Grigory Rasputin.

One of history’s enigmas: the mysterious monk, Grigory Rasputin

Finally, I have to confess that I am simply in love with one character, and perhaps, many women would agree with me. 😉 It is Sasha’s father, Professor Maxim Elfimov. I made him a comparative linguist, giving him my original profession, which allows him to see the whole world in its spacial and historical scale. Maxim is a handsome, absent-minded academic, a loving husband and devoted, if overprotective, father. However when the overwhelming personal tragedy strikes, he doesn’t hide or sulk, but rises to the occasion, becoming a true Protector and hero.

Professor Maxim Elfimov

I have to say that on some level I envy Sasha with that honest-to-goodness white envy. As a child, she had the best father a girl could wish for. And this is my dream: if every child on Earth had a father like Maxim, our world would be a much better place to live in!

I hope you consider reading THE EARTH SHIFTER. It may shift your world! 🙂

Explore the world of THE EARTH SHIFTER:

The Book Setting: A Walk Through Manhattan (pics and new excerpt)

The Epic Journey Begins: characters/setting/excerpts galore

THE EARTH SHIFTER Mystical Setting: Lake Baikal, Siberia

Excerpt 2     Excerpt 1

Are you a blogger, an active social media participant, or simply a reader/fan? Consider entering THE EARTH SHIFTER Super-Giveaway!

ARCHOS Tablet Giveaway (value $349) ENTER HERE

 

THE EARTH SHIFTER Launch & ARCHOS TABLET Super-Giveaway!

Tags

ARCHOS Tablet, Author Lada Ray, Book mega giveaway, Earth Keepers Chronicles, ebook, ebook formatting for Kindle, Goodreads, historical fantasy, new release, sci-fi, Siberian shaman, The Earth Shifter, Tunguska Meteorite explosion, visionary & metaphysical, YA crossover fantasy

Join the epic EARTH SHIFTER quest, and enter a new world!

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD!

Yes, it’s finally here!

Priced at an affordable $2.99, THE EARTH SHIFTER ebook is now live at:

Smashwords    

Amazon US   UK   CA   DE   ES   IT   FR   JP   BR  

THE EARTH SHIFTER Goodreads page

Barnes & Noble Nook

It is also coming shortly to Apple, Sony, Kobo, Diesel, and other ebook retailers. All buy links, as usual, will be posted at my official website LadaRay.com. For those who have asked me, paperback is planned for 2013, date TBD.

Synopsis:

Mankind would never know how close it came to annihilation on June 30, 1908. Somewhere in the murky depths of the Cosmos, the Comet of Karma is born. When all hope fades, it is sent to planet Earth, its sole mission to wipe out a failing civilization. It has happened before, and it can happen again. Except this time, the Earth Keepers would not interfere.

The Comet of Karma tasked with destroying a failing civilization… The Earth Keepers endowed with supreme powers over the planet and agonizing over the ultimate decision… The Protectors risking their lives to keep the world intact… A beautiful brunette with hidden agenda, who is infinitely more than anyone knows… Two ambitious and unscrupulous men, who’ll stop at nothing… Global secret society bent on usurping power on Earth… A woman, ready to betray in order to save her son… Old spy organization with a secret human weapon… The Shifters, with power over mind, matter, time and space… 

And three teenagers, two of whom are destined to become mankind’s salvation—the all-powerful KEY of DESTINY. They will open a new era for Humanity, if they succeed in keeping their souls uncorrupted… and if they manage to come together before it’s too late.

Book category: fantasy historical, fantasy contemporary, YA crossover, geopolitical/spy thriller, visionary/metaphysical, epic/quest

THE EARTH SHIFTER is a true YA crossover suitable for most readers, teen through adult.

Word Count: 104,100. Estimated page count: 330

Explore the world of THE EARTH SHIFTER:

The Epic Journey Begins: characters/setting/excerpts galore

THE EARTH SHIFTER Mystical Setting: Lake Baikal, Siberia

THE EARTH SHIFTER Release Countdown: Excerpt 2

THE EARTH SHIFTER: Excerpt 1

..

ANNOUNCING!

6/1/2013 RESULTS: 

THE EARTH SHIFTER/ ARCHOS TABLET MEGA-GIVEAWAY

CONGRATS, WINNERS!

2/20/13 Announcement!

ARCHOS Tablet giveaway is still active. I thank those few people who participated in Phase I – you’ve all been entered! There’s nothing I wouldn’t like more than for one of my supporters to win this prize, valued at $349. It is presently sitting in my home, waiting for its lucky winner. 

At this time, we need more participation, therefore, I’ve decided to announce Phase 2 with a different set of rules, and additional prizes. It pains me to say that due to the extremely high shipping costs, ARCHOS Tablet is only available in the USA. I have many wonderful fans and supporters outside the USA, and I apologize for the inconvenience. However, this shouldn’t dissuade you from participating as I intend to have other fabulous prizes to thank you all for your awesome support. Phase 2 announcement will be made shortly, and it will be much fun – please stay tuned!

Lada Ray

Read original post: 

As mentioned above, THE EARTH SHIFTER is priced at only $2.99 (or Euro/UK equivalent) as an ebook so that as many people as possible could easily afford to read and enjoy it. My immediate goal is to sell 15,000 ebooks in a relatively short period of time.

This giveaway is a thank you to my readers and fans for their readership and support. No purchase is required; I am equally grateful to all those who would buy and enjoy my book, and to those who would help me promote it by spreading the word. This is because I strongly believe in THE EARTH SHIFTER message, and in its value to the readers! Therefore, all of you will be able to benefit from this giveaway.

I am giving away several very valuable prizes. All giveaways can be entered simultaneously. Enter one giveaway or all! There is no limit to the number of entries. The more entries, the more chances to win! Sky is the limit!

GRAND PRIZE

ARCHOS 8o G9 Turbo with WiFi, 8″ Touchscreen Tablet, value $349

It includes: Android 4.0 ‘Ice Cream Sandwich,’ HD, and amazing multimedia!

 I love my ARCHOS Tablet! If you are an avid reader, this is your solution! With ARCHOS, you can download ebooks in any format, including Kindle, Nook/epub, PDF, and others. Unlike with e-readers, you are not limited to a specific retailer and can enjoy your books from various sources! I also love the fact that it doubles as a lightweight, super-compact wifi PC, and that I can watch my fave YouTube vids on the go! There are so many other awesome functions this tablet includes that I haven’t even scratched the surface!

Check out all the specs here!

In fact, I loved my Archos Tablet so much that I purchased the second one, in order to award it to one of my readers/fans after THE EARTH SHIFTER release! It is currently sitting in its original box, unopened, ready for you to claim your prize!

Here it is:

 

How to enter ARCHOS TABLET Giveaway

*ARCHOS Tablet Giveaway has an open date, and the winner will be chosen after 15,000 copies of THE EARTH SHIFTER ebook have been sold. Preliminary drawing date is April 17, 2013 (finalized date will be announced). There are several easy ways to enter:

1. This is especially for the readers of THE EARTH SHIFTER! Please answer my 2 questions: 1) In the end of the book, where does Red meet with her mother? 2) Who does Sasha attempt to rescue during her LAST time travel? Correct answers will get 10 entries. Please email your answers to Lada at LadaRay dot com. DO NOT post your answers in the comment section!

2. Copy and post THE EARTH SHIFTER book banner below (together with its link) to your website homepage or blog sidebar, and get 20 entries. Please provide a link to your website/blog in the comment section of this post, or by emailing Lada at LadaRay dot com.

An example of the book banner on a website: LadaRay.com/EarthShifterGiveaway

3. Copy and post THE EARTH SHIFTER book cover below, together with its link,  to your website homepage or blog sidebar, and get 15 entries. Please provide a link to your website/blog in the comment section of this post, or by emailing Lada at LadaRay dot com.

An example of the book cover post on a website: http://www.bzhercules.com.

4.Wordpress bloggers! Reblog this post, and get 5 entries. Please provide a link to your reblog in the comment section of this post. 

5. All bloggers! You can go one step further and guest-post this post on your blog in its entirety and get 10 entries! NOTE: This post can be shortened to suit your format. Please make sure you link back to my original post on top and bottom of your post! This is the link: THE EARTH SHIFTER Launch & ARCHOS TABLET Super-Giveaway! Please provide a link to your blog guest post in the comment section of this post, or email it to Lada at LadaRay dot com.

6. Mention/tag this post on your Facebook page, and get 2 entries. Please provide the url of your Facebook page in the comment section of this post, or by emailing Lada at LadaRay dot com.

7. Mention this post on Google+, Pinterest, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, Reddit, and/or Digg and get 1 entry per mention. Please provide the appropriate link(s) in the comment section of this post, or by emailing Lada at LadaRay dot com.

8. Add THE EARTH SHIFTER to your bookshelf on Goodreads, and get 1 entry: THE EARTH SHIFTER Goodreads page. Become Lada Ray fan on Goodreads – get 1 entry. Both – 2 entries! Please provide the url of your GR bookshelf  in the comment section of this post, or email it to Lada at LadaRay dot com.

Very flexible and convenient! Enter one or all! The more you enter, the more chances to win!

NOTE: 1 (one) ARCHOS Tablet will be given away. ARCHOS Tablet Giveaway is open in the USA only (sorry for the inconvenience). All other giveaways are open worldwide.

Prize 2

Premium Ebook Formatting for Kindle or Smashwords (choose one) provided by my fabulous book formatters, Mike and Maddy of DWD. One lucky winner will receive Kindle or Smashwords formatting of any ebook of up to 100,000 words! It is very easy to enter. The winner will be randomly chosen by Rafflecopter. Drawing: 1/26/13. **Click here to enter.

Prize 3

Professional editing of 25 pages of your manuscript by my editor, Beth Lynne, Ed.D., of BZ Hercules – 1 winner will be selected.  (Note: the winner, please submit your 25 pages double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 point font only.) The winner will be randomly chosen by Rafflecopter. Drawing: 1/26/13. **Click here to enter.

Prize 4

A complete set of Accidental Spy Adventure Series ebooks: Gold Train (Russia Adventure), Stepford USA (US Adventure), Green Desert (Prequel novelette). Up to 3 lucky winners will be selected depending on the number of entries; the more entries the more copies will be given away. It is very easy to enter. The winner will be randomly chosen by Rafflecopter. Drawing: 1/26/13. **Click here to enter.

**Note, due to the fact that WordPress platform does not support Rafflecopter, I am hosting the Ebook Formatting, Editing, and Accidental Spy Series Giveaways at my official author website, LadaRay.com. The giveaway is just one click away!

ENTER HERE!

But that’s not all!

As a heartfelt “thank you” to my biggest fans and supporters, those who have been most active in helping me promote THE EARTH SHIFTER, will become some of the first readers of the following upcoming ebooks: LEMURIAN CRYSTAL & ATLANTIS. Projected release: February – March 2013. These are books 2 and 3 of the enchanting new series of novelettes/novellas, EARTH KEEPERS CHRONICLES, which I am creating as companion and prequel to THE EARTH SHIFTER. You may have read the first in the series, the top-rated CATHARSIS (Legend of the Lemurians). Check it out:

Amazon   B&N Nook   Smashwords

All about CATHARSIS, Legend of the Lemurians

These people, who’ve been most active in helping me promote THE EARTH SHIFTER, will receive FREE early edition copies of the LEMURIAN CRYSTAL & ATLANTIS ebooks in the format of their choice, incl. kindle, epub, PDF for PC, etc. This part of the giveaway is open worldwide!

Thank you for your interest and participation

and I hope you enjoy

PP.

P.S. I provide free ebooks to my reviewers. If you would like to become one of THE EARTH SHIFTER’s first reviewers, please email @ Lada at LadaRay.com, or leave a comment with your email!

..

From my family to yours: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Princess Lily, contemplating the meaning of the holidays in her favorite red holiday shawl that I knit especially for her. In case you were wondering, these bottles are here for the holiday spirit and as New Year’s decorations. We decided that we couldn’t let good wine go to waste, having inherited an extensive cellar from the previous house owner. We, on the other hand, are a totally non-drinking and holistically-inclined family, and even Lily Cat has reformed lately. 😉

Accidental Spy Party: Huge Price Drop & Giveaway!

Tags

Accidental Spy Series, Amazon Kindle, Author Lada Ray, book sale, books for writers, Catharsis Legend of the Lemurians, ebook formatting, ebooks, giveaway, Gold Train, Goodreads, great reads, Green Desert, paperback, Stepford USA

The Holiday Season 2012 is quickly approaching, and the Party Season on Lada Ray Blog never stops!

ANNOUNCING: 50%+ price drop for both Accidental Spy novels: Stepford USA (US Adventure, #1) and Gold Train (Russia Adventure, #2), plus, a BIG giveaway! My ebooks are on sale everywhere, including B&N Nook and Smashwords.

For 8 days, from 10/14 to 10/21, GOLD TRAIN & STEPFORD USA will be $1.49 (or UK/Euro equivalent) everywhere! (regular $2.99-4.99).

Make sure you stop by and load up your fave reader with some great Holiday reads!

Please see the buy links below!

GIVEAWAY: I’ve got some great stuff to give away, and I hope everyone will find something they’ll like. For the first time, I am using Rafflecopter for this giveaway, as I hear it’s a great tool. Please check below to see what’s cooking in our several Rafflecopters – entering is as easy as 1,2,3!

B&N Nook    Smashwords

Amazon:  US  UK   DE   FR   ES   IT

B&N Nook    Smashwords

Amazon:  US  UK  DE   FR   ES   IT

Incidentally,

GOLD TRAIN Paperback can now be ordered at Barnes & Noble $12.46 (best price!)

GREEN DESERT is now only $.99 on B&N Nook and Smashwords

CATHARSIS is only $.99 on B&N Nook and FREE on Smashwords

More buy links: LADA RAY BOOK STORE

Even more fun stuff!

Announcing Accidental Spy Big Giveaway!

Do I have stuff to give away? Oh yes, I do.

The Accidental Spy Giveaway takes place at my official author website: LadaRay.com

It is already up and running, so please stop by and check it out any time. New stuff will be added as we go along. Stay tuned for more!

There are 4+1 (!!) Rafflecopter forms @LadaRay.com. 

Prizes include:

KINDLE + SMASHWORDS (both!) PROFESSIONAL FORMATTING for your next book (Many thanks to Dynamic Web Design (DWD) for donating this great service!)

Signed copy of GOLD TRAIN paperback with personalized message

Complete set of Accidental Spy ebooks (Gold Train, Stepford USA, Green Desert)

Writers’ Pack: 2 highly acclaimed non-fiction books that belong on every writer’s shelf!

Plus, I’ll be adding CATHARSIS giveaway in a day or two! Stay tuned!

Something for everyone.
ENTER one or all.

But check it out for yourself!

Please note, the Giveaway Party is taking place at LadaRay.com (my official author website), due to the fact that WordPress (alas) does not support Rafflecopter. 

The Party is now LIVE!

Click here to ENTER THE ACCIDENTAL SPY PARTY!

Let the fun begin!

 

A MUST Read if You Are an Author! Does Amazon KDP Select FREE Promo Work?

Tags

Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, book promotion, book sales, e-books, E-Publishing, Gold Train, Goodreads, Green Desert, Indie Publishing, KDP Select, Kindle, market share, Shelfari, Stepford USA

After hearing some success stories with Amazon KDP Select program, in May I finally decided to enroll GOLD TRAIN, STEPFORD USA and GREEN DESERT. I got some borrows, but borrowing wasn’t my goal.

It appeared that the program was effective for the previous authors when they made their books free for up to 5 days. Usually, lots of copies would get downloaded during the free period, which made the book jump in the Kindle rankings. After the book came off the free period, it would retain the imprint of its free ranking, which would make the paid ranking jump as well.  At least, this was the theory.

But the reality proved different…

Before I go into the story, I want to say that regardless of my feelings about the program, I am very happy and grateful that thousands of readers were able to download and enjoy my books for free. The most important thing for any writer is to be read. I wish all my readers a wonderful journey through the tantalizing world of Jade Snow! Enjoy!

And here is my story.

I made Green Desert, a Jade Snow Prequel set in Iraq, free for 5 days during the Memorial Day period. I didn’t expect too much, because it is just a short novella, and those don’t sell as well as novels. Although, as 5 star reviews from readers demonstrate, it is a darn good one! Green Desert promo was to be my test. I decided, if I liked what I saw, I’d run similar promos for my other books.

In five days, close to 1000 copies were downloaded in the US, UK, Germany, Spain and Italy. There were no downloads from France.

An awesome surprise was that I quickly received 3 unsolicited and unexpected, but very lovely, FIVE STAR reviews on Amazon. 2 of them also posted on Goodreads and Shelfari. On top of that, one of the satisfied readers added Shelfari book extras for Green Desert. Thank you, thank you, thank you! As a side benefit, for the first time I discovered Shelfari for myself (how out of the loop am I?).

The bestseller rankings jumped quickly and kept climbing. The highest I saw (I didn’t watch them all the time and only recorded some) were these:

US: #1780 Free on Kindle; #26 in Mystery/thrillers/ women sleuths

UK: #760 Free on Kindle; #16 in Mystery/thrillers/ women sleuths

DE: #1283 on Kindle; #25 Krimis (Mystery); #31 Thriller

ES: #700 on Kindle; #9 Policiaca, negra y suspense (Mystery/thriller/suspense)

IT: #811 on Kindle; #11 Gialli e Thriller (Mystery & Thriller)

Find out more about the GREEN DESERT free promo here! 

I decided that 5 days was way too long, and as Green Desert was winding down, I made STEPFORD USA, Jade Snow Book 1, free for 2 days.

My first unpleasant surprise was that the promo didn’t start on time. It was about 5-6 hours late in the US and more than 12 hours late in the UK, which cut into the promo time. As a result, there was less exposure, and rankings suffered as well. The other countries were even slower. I finally emailed Amazon regarding the problem and they assured me they corrected it. A fellow author, who was running his free promo at the same time from the UK, only had his book listed free in the US. His book was never made free in the UK, which was his primary market. Needless to say, he was quite disappointed.

Despite all the delays, Stepford USA quickly shot up in rankings and kept climbing. Over 2200 books were downloaded in the US, UK and Germany. There were no downloads at all in Italy, France and Spain (I’m guessing, because of the “USA” in the title).

I didn’t get any new reviews so far, probably because it is a much longer book, although several nice readers wrote to me that they were enjoying the book and would definitely write a review. Thank you and looking forward to that! 🙂

These are the highest bestseller rankings I noticed for Stepford USA (again, I didn’t follow them all the time):

US: #193 Kindle FREE; #29 Mystery & thrillers; #9 Mystery; #8 Women Sleuths

UK: #358 Kindle FREE; #14 Mystery & Thrillers/ Women Sleuths

DE: #259 Kostenfrei Kindle; #5 Krimis & Thriller/ Krimis (mystery); #50 Populare Belletristik (popular fiction)

So far, so good!

Find out all about STEPFORD USA Free Promo here!

Meanwhile, Green Desert came off the free promo, and that’s when I had my biggest, and VERY unpleasant, surprise.

Not only the new paid ranking didn’t reflect the free ranking, but it actually was worse then the book’s pre-promo rankings! Due to how the Amazon rankings algorithm works, because Green Desert was off the paid shelf for over five days (it took extra 5-6 hours to get it re-listed) and no PAID purchases were made during that time, it lost its prior position. I realized that something changed and Amazon no longer took into account the free rankings in order to compute its paid rankings.

But as after-promo sales started, Green Desert ($0.99 or UK/Euro equivalent) initially went up to #35,000 paid in the US, then tapered off as sales slowed down.

So the theory that free rankings help improve paid rankings had to be thrown out the window. In the end of this article I’ll discuss what is behind this, what’s really happening with KDP Select, and how it affects you.

When Stepford USA came off its promo, I was already prepared for the aftermath. Sure enough, after the book re-gained its paid status ($2.99 or UK/Euro equivalent) its ranking suffered, too. It was all of a sudden in the #400,000 category in the US. Then sales picked up and in 2 days it was #20,000 in the US for a brief time.

I think an explanation is due here: Again, I didn’t watch the rankings all the time and this was the best I noticed. But I was told that it probably went much higher than that, because at one point dozens of books were downloaded in the US alone within a couple of hours. Then, as fewer books were being downloaded, the familiar scenario of sales tapering off together with rankings occured.

As I observed all this, I decided it wasn’t worth running the free promo for GOLD TRAIN. At the same time, Amazon placed Gold Train on sale. Regular price was $3.99, sale price $2.99. One would think that sales should have picked up because of this. But interestingly enough, once I started the free promo for Green Desert and Stepford USA, sales of Gold Train, which was my bestseller at the time, stopped cold turkey on Amazon. It’s like all the energy was zapped out of Gold Train in favor of the other two books. Or was it because the reader now expected Gold Train to be available for free as well?

Ironically, Gold Train sales actually picked up on B&N, Kobo and Sony, where the book is priced at $4.99.

CONCLUSIONS:

1. I believe that Amazon has done a lot for the writing community. On balance, Indie authors and publishers have to be grateful to Amazon for pushing the envelope, for opening up the market and for the ease with which Indie titles can now be listed on digital shelves. The company deserves big credit for evening out the field.

2. However, in its relentless pursuit of the market share, Amazon is becoming ruthless, elbowing out competitors and insisting on exclusivity through its KDP Select program. The danger is now that it may become a monopoly, which in the end will hurt both Indie and Big 6 authors.

As a result, Amazon has been in a war with Barnes & Noble, as well as independent retailers. B&N and others have threatened to ban some Amazon authors from their shelves.

3. An important piece of the puzzle: I have found out that in the spring Amazon changed its KDP algorithm, so when the books come off the free promo, they lose their standings and have to compete anew to regain it.

Here is the reason Amazon changed its algorithm: The Big 6 publishers were unhappy that Indie authors gained standings and visibility by simply making their books free for a few days and then transferring those rankings into paid category. That hurt sales and rankings for the Big 6 books. So, Amazon bowed to pressure and changed its rankings algorithm to favor the Big 6, essentially taking away the only effective promotional tool Indie authors and publishers possess.

4. Amazon’s KDP Select is essentially a race to the bottom. If the readers are trained to receive books for free, they will hold off buying until the title they want goes free. Therefore, authors who value their work, perhaps because it’s worth it, get punished.

The worrying trend is: Amazon pushes everyone into this race to the bottom, thus devaluing all authors’ work.

5. If you tried KDP Select, you know that in order to enroll, you have to de-list your book from other retailers. This may result in a loss of future sales, as well as your ranking with those retailers. Plus, re-listing later is a huge hassle. That alone makes you think twice before enrolling.

And with the recent change in KDP algorithm, is KDP Select worth it?

On a much more pleasant note, many thanks to all my readers for downloading and reading my books! It means a lot for any author to be read and appreciated. If you liked my books, please consider reviewing them on Amazon, Goodreads and elsewhere ( I will also be re-listing on Smashwords, B&N Nook, Sony, Apple and Kobo in October). You can find all the buy links at my Book Store. 

My books are on Goodreads, so if you have an account, consider posting there, and also on Shelfari. 

Always remember that you can make an author’s day by writing a simple review!

Thank you very much and see you on pages of my books!

Warmest regards,

Lada Ray

P.S. Some time after this post, STEPFORD USA, GREEN DESERT, and especially GOLD TRAIN, started hitting some bestseller lists, albeit briefly. Read more about this, and about my KDP Select experience 2013!

Publishing Paradigm Shift. What is Better: KDP Select or Broad Distribution?

   

Related articles

• #FREEBIES and more! My books back on Smashwords! (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• CATHARSIS and GREEN DESERT Free on Kindle! (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• Are Negative Reviews Worth Our Attention? (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• CATHARSIS and GREEN DESERT Free on Kindle! (legendsofwindemere.com)

How to Make a Book Trailer

Tags

Amazon, Author Lada Ray, book promotion, book trailer, classical music, Film, Gold Train, Goodreads, Green Desert, images, indie authors, movie trailer, music, nature videos, photography, Shutterstock, Smashwords, Social Media, Stepford USA, trailer, United States, video, Windows Movie Maker, YouTube

Authors traditionally rely on writing to spread the word about their books. Yet they often overlook videos as a fabulous promotional tool. Trailers historically have been reserved for movies. But with the advent of Social Media, it became possible to make book trailers at low or no cost.

A book trailer adds an extra dimension and visibility to the promotion of your book. And in our competitive world, we, authors, should use every advantage we can get. This, visual dimension can be quite valuable. A book trailer can be posted on your YouTube channel, website, author Amazon and Smashwords pages, Goodreads, as well as a number of other places.

I know, I know. You think it’s too hard. It actually isn’t, but there is a learning curve – a rather steep one. One point I want to make is that the trailer doesn’t need to be overly complicated. For example, you don’t need to make it into a movie, unless you like that kind of thing. It is very effective to use pictures/photos, together with a snappy narrative and suitable background music. This is my preferred way of making a trailer, but of course, use your imagination and let your creativity tell you what works for you and your book. Sky is the limit!

I estimate the learning curve for making a trailer at about 50-60 hours. So, if you can’t afford to dedicate this much time to learning about movie and trailer making, than you are better off delegating this task to someone else.

But if you are up for the challenge, here is what you need to know.

First, you need to start a YouTube channel. It’s easy to sign up and setting it up takes no more than half an hour.

Mine is called Lada Ray Channel and for now, I keep it simple. So far, I’ve made 4 book trailers and a bunch of nature/Halloween videos. But I may expand my channel in the future, time permitting.

Take a look at my channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/LadaRay/videos

Once you’ve set up your Youtube channel and learned the ropes, you can start making your book trailer. Estimated time for each trailer: 5-10 hours.

Here is what you will need:

1. Find and upload on your computer a movie maker software. Google it. There are several that are free, including Windows Movie Maker. Of course, you can also pay for a more sophisticated version.

2. Think about the theme and flow of your trailer. I love this part! It’s like directing your own movie. I usually write down the narrative for each frame and visualize what kind of picture would work with it.

3. Write out the narrative. Don’t overwhelm your trailer with text though. Remember, you are making a movie, not writing a book. It’s supposed to be snappy, entertaing, and a feast for ALL the senses.

4. Gather enough images to be used in your trailer before you begin. My advice, have plenty of extras. You can always discard the ones you decided not to use. It is much better than coming short while in the middle of your trailer-making process.

To find the images, go to a website like Shutterstock, where you can purchase royalty-free photos inexpensively.

I love photography, so whenever I can, I use my own pics for trailers and videos.

5. Find the music that works with your trailer. You can purchase a piece of music online, or use a royalty-free piece that is past its copyright. These are usually classics. A word of warning: classics are great if they go with your topic and presentation. But I sometimes see pieces that are completely mismatched. Try your music for size before applying it.

For example, check out my STEPFORD USA trailer.

The music used is a classic: Second Waltz by Russian composer, Dmitry Shostakovich, written in the 1940s. And it works very well with this particular piece.

6. After you’ve assembled all the elements, the real fun begins! Upload your images into frames, add text and music! Enjoy!

TIPS:

1. To make my videos look and feel more professional, I usually play with extending or narrowing time frames depending on how long I want every image to linger.

Check out my GOLD TRAIN  trailer.

Notice how the music changes and highs emphasize the narrative and work with images?

2. Always fit your music to frame. Otherwise it will be too long or too short. This will make it look sloppy and unprofessional.

Check out my videos:

Enchanted Autumn  and  Amazing Autumn Meditation

to see how the music precisely matches the length of the video. Unfortunately, not every video has this, resulting in a period of silence or a cut off piece.

3. YouTube offers some very cool video enhancement tools, like color enhancement, moving frames and text, etc. I used some of them in my videos. See if you can spot what enhancements I used in the following trailers and videos:

GOLD TRAIN  trailer

STEPFORD USA trailer

Autumn Waltz of the Ducks

Amazing Autumn Meditation

Enchanted Autumn

Humorous Enchanted Halloween

These video enhancement tools are great fun and I enjoy playing with them. Word of caution: make sure they work with your particular piece! And sometimes less is more.

Good Luck! If you decide to make a book trailer or if you already have one, feel free to post a comment together with the link!

P.S. When you set up a YouTube channel, make sure you subscribe to Lada Ray Channel and let me know about it. I’ll be glad to reciprocate!

Copyright Lada Ray, 2012

Book Review: The Dark Yergall by Jason Sullivan

Tags

1984, author, book review, dystopian, ebook, fantasy, George Orwell, Goodreads, Jason Sullivan, Lada Ray, May Day, Orwellian, sci-fi, The Adventures of Nosir Rag, The Dark Yergall, Twitter

5 Stars: A Look at What Our Society Could Evolve Into!

.

By Lada Ray “Author”

.

This review is from: The Dark Yergall (The Adventures of Nosir Rag) (Kindle Edition)

The Dark Yergall is a great dystopian fantasy set well into the future, but it has a disturbingly real resonance to the world we live in today. Much like the Orwellian society in 1984, this future world is creepy and punctured with mindless, thoughtless official propaganda designed to make the populace believe they reside in a utopia, even if the opposite is true. The author achieves his goal of presenting a grotesque, crazy, mind-numbing system, while also filling his world with aliens, nonsensical bureaucratic sound bites, futuristic terminology and even some humor. The main character, Nosir Rag, is the GenMod (genetically modified person), who is about to find out what this society is really like.

Buy THE DARK YERGALL on Amazon (ebook and print versions)

Visit Jason Sullivan’s Blog DIFFERENT OUTCOMES!

Visit Jason Sullivan’s Amazon Author Page to learn more about his other books: http://www.amazon.com/Jason-Sullivan/e/B00488V1XK/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13421967-the-dark-yergall

Follow Jason on Twitter: @Jas_Chronicles

Read Jason Sullivan’s May Day blog interview with me: http://differentoutcomes.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/may-day-interview-with-lada-ray-author-of-gold-train/

My Updates: New Gold Train Description and Paperback Launch

Tags

Author Lada Ray, blog tour, E-book, Gold Reserve of the Russian Empire, Gold Train, Goodreads, Jade Snow, May Day, paperback, Russia, Russian Civil War, Russian Empire, Soviet Union, USSR

Hello, everyone!

My Internet is still down, but today I am sitting at the Latte Lounge in Oneonta, a 30 min. drive from my home, to catch up on all my Internet activities.

Other than this one piece of aggravation, everything else is moving along swimmingly, and I am happy to report that GOLD TRAIN Paperback Launch is well on track. I have lots of exciting news to share with all of you today!

The official GOLD TRAIN Paperback Launch is April 25.

April 25 is also the start date of the GOLD TRAIN BLOG TOUR.

This is NOT your average blog tour! We packed it with very special features and one-of-a-kind events:

There will be two cool feature articles:

JADE SNOW: Savior or Seductress @SheNow.org Blog

Fact and Fiction in GOLD TRAIN @LadaRayBlog

On May 1, Author Jason Sullivan of Different Outcomes Blog and I are preparing a rare and candid interview, in which we’ll discuss the Russian Civil War and its implications, the history and current state of the Russian royalty and what went into the creation of the unique character of Jade Snow. In addition, we’ll talk about what it was like growing up in the Soviet Union, my childhood experiences riding Russian trains, and how May 1 (May Day) was celebrated in the USSR. I am hoping to include a couple of exclusive photos. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind event!

You can find all up-to-date info about the tour here: https://ladaray.wordpress.com/blog-tours

All about GOLD TRAIN, as well as other books and projects can also be found at my official author website:

 http://www.LadaRay.com

To kick off the GOLD TRAIN launch with a bang:

Both Gold Train paperback and ebook (as well as my other books) will be on huge sale on Amazon starting on April 21! Please go to

https://ladaray.wordpress.com/blog-tours

for all details. Or you can go directly to Amazon.

PLUS, we are planning a giveaway on Goodreads on April 24: GIVING AWAY 2 AUTHOR SIGNED PAPERBACK COPIES OF GOLD TRAIN!

Please stop by my Goodreads page for all the updates: http://www.goodreads.com/author/Lada_Ray Look under upcoming events.

It’s free to sign up and who knows, you may be the winner! If you decide to open a Goodreads account, make sure to stop by my page to say hi, become my fan and add me as a friend!

If you miss this particular event, don’t fret! There will be 2 more chances to win a GOLD TRAIN ebook or paperback. There will be 2 more giveaways:

1. 1 SIGNED PAPERBACK COPY & 1 EBOOK at Kimba the Caffeinated Blog on May 3

2. 1 SIGNED PAPERBACK COPY & 3 EBOOKS at Lada Ray Blog on May 6

Complete info about these and all other Blog Tour events: https://ladaray.wordpress.com/blog-tours/

To learn more about my books and other porjects, visit http://www.LadaRay.com

On another happy note, the GOLD TRAIN paperback will come out with a slightly modified cover, compared to the ebook version. I’ll try to post this new cover on my blog soon.

The GOLD TRAIN paperback will include exclusive sneak peek and excerpt from DRAGON GATE, the next Jade Snow adventure set in Asia!

I also have a new Gold Train description, which will be featured in paperback edition, and soon will also appear for the ebook version.

Especially for my blog readers, here is the preview of the new description:

GOLD TRAIN, A Thriller

Jade Snow Russia Adventure

This story is based on true historic events

1918, Russian Civil War. The entire Gold Reserve of the Russian Empire vanishes without a trace. But what if it’s about to resurface? And what if it’s about to be used to shift the global balance of power?

Today: the world’s largest treasure; dangerous adventure; forbidden passion, defying time and space; conspiracy that threatens to plunge the country into darkness.

International journalist, wife and mom, Jade Snow, travels to Russia to reconnect with the country of her ancestors and investigate tantalizing mystery of the Gold Train. What she doesn’t know is that she is about to land in the midst of a deadly conspiracy threatening to change the fate of one of the world’s most powerful nations, and that she is destined to meet a mysterious stranger who will change her life forever.

As her only Russian friend gets murdered, Jade finds herself embroiled in a net of intrigue, glamour and alien ideals on these strange and unfamiliar shores. On top of that, she becomes more popular than she’d ever bargained for. So popular, in fact, that it could be hazardous to her health. And she deals with this dangerous and unwanted popularity in a way that is guaranteed to surprise even the most seasoned reader.

Refusing to be a pawn in a struggle of forces beyond her control, Jade must choose between her worst friends and best enemies… and the future of the world just might depend on her choice!

So you could compare, here is the current ebook description:

For the fans of The Da Vinci Code & National Treasure comes this gripping new  mystery/thriller based on true historic events!

1918: Civil War in Russia. The entire Gold Reserve of the Russian Empire vanishes without a trace. But what if it’s about to resurface? And what if it’s about to be used to shift the global balance of power? Today: The world’s largest treasure; dangerous adventure; forbidden passion defying time and space; conspiracy that threatens to plunge the country into darkness.

Jade Snow travels to Russia to investigate tantalizing mystery of the Gold Train, instead, she finds herself a pawn in a struggle between forces beyond her control. Running is not an option as commitment to solve a murder makes her play the deadly game. Jade must choose between her worst friends and best enemies, and the fate of the world just might depend on her choice!

What do you think? I’d appreciate your opinions about the previous and the new descriptions. I am inviting you to post your comments, as well as questions and suggestions, in the comments section.

More exciting updates soon! Till then, stay tuned 🙂

Cheers and happy reading,

Lada