From the very beginning of my journey to being a published author, I have been involved in some kind of Author Social Media Community. I started out on Twitter (now X) posting #FollowFriday tweets of fellow authors I followed. Through those simple tweets, I gained many followers and connected with many authors, some of whom I've since met in person. Through those simple connections, I learned about the weekly Six Sentence Sunday blog hop and started posting snippets from my own works-in-progress on my blog. Through that blog hop, I connected with many other authors, and learned about calls for submissions at various publishers. That's how I got my first story published, and many more since. Through that publisher, I connected with some local authors, whom I still meet with. I've also been involved in shared world book releases, anthologies, large group sales, group blogs, and so much more because of these connections. While I know there are many groups to join on Facebook that can give these same connections, I'm going to discuss some of the other social media events I've participated in. Follow HashtagsI've seen follow hashtags on many social media platforms, but they seem to be biggest on X and TikTok. They can be specific to a group of people, a genre, or just a general #follow for those looking for any followers. As I mentioned above, I started out participating in #FollowFriday on Twitter, and then used more specific hashtags for follows after that. I don't really use them anymore, but it was great when I was starting as a published author. Prompt HashtagsThese are a lot more fun, and require more work and more thought put into what you post. They can be found on multiple social media platforms, but I mostly see them on X and Instagram. Sometimes they are weekly and other times can be daily posts for a whole month. I've seen them for indie authors, romance authors, and other genre specific prompts. I've seen #FridayKiss, #FantasyIndiesApril, #LesFicFriday, #SaturdaySnippet, #vss365, #SciFiFri. Some of them are no longer giving prompts, but many still are if you look into the hashtags. I still do #FridayKiss, hosted by author Gwynne Jackson. It's very active on Instagram and Facebook. Prompts for Friday are posted on Wednesday in the, and on Thursday evening on Gwynne's Instagram account. Though right now, I'm participating in #AuthorApril24, hosted by Author Mariah Ankenman. You can find the post with all the prompts for the month of April here. The important thing to remember about these prompts is that you only connect with other authors if you follow the hashtag to like (and maybe comment on) other author's posts. Blog HopsThere are two types of blog hops I've participated in. The first is the weekly blog hop. I started out with Six Sentence Sunday, but when the creator of that one stopped hosting it, I started participating in Weekend Writing Warriors. MFRW has many that they host as well, including Book Hooks. These blog hops are for posting snippets of your work and reading the snippets of other authors. There are rules to what you can post and a central site to sign up on so readers and other participants can find your post. This is another event where it is important to visit the other participants. The other type of blog hop I've participated in are for single events and usually include freebies and/or a giveaway. The host rounds up authors and readers with blogs to participate. They can be for an author's new release, a publisher's anniversary, group releases, special holidays, and more. Once again, there is a central page with all the participants listed. Group bloggingI have been a blogger on multiple group blogs over the years. These are blogs that don't belong to any one particular person, but have a consistent group of authors who post on set days with some guests posting, too. I've been part of Romance Eh? Canadian Style, Backward Momentum, SFR Brigade, and Paranormal Romantics. These are great for all the participating authors, as they can bring their readers to the blog for other authors, and gain new readers from other authors. And readers can find a whole bunch more books to read that are usually similar to what they are already reading. The downfall...The only problem I've found with participating in these author posts is that none of them last forever. Over time, many authors leave the industry or no longer have time to participate. When participation becomes low, it's best to leave and move on to a new type of post. Many times, you can see what other authors you've connected with are participating in and join that. Except for the group blogs, I've never seen any restrictions to participating, so they're easy to join. Let me know in the comments what type of group social media posting for authors that you participate in!
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Below are the books that I read in March and my review for each. I'm trying to do the Fold Reading Challenge to diversify my reading. In March, I read a young adult mystery by a racialized author, and in April, I'll be reading a book by a Sikh author.
New Release ~ THE HENCHA QUEEN by J. Scott CoatsworthPublishing Company: Other Worlds Ink Cover Artist: Kelley York - Sleepy Fox Studios Primary Plot Arc: Speculative Fiction Main Genre(s): Fantasy, Science Fiction Sub-Genres: romance Story Type: Novel (>50k) Word Count: 93,400 LGBTQ+ Identities (if applicable): Gay, Bisexual, Non-Binary, Lesbian Keywords/Categories: fantasy, science fiction, sci-fantasy, dragons, sci-fi, new release, announcement, gay, lesbian, bisexual, non-binary, young adult, crossover, gay, bisexual, non-binary, lesbian, new release, announcement, giveaway
Enjoy an excerpt from THE HENCHA QUEEN:A sharp crack filled the wine cellar. Kerrick swung the heavy mallet back and then assailed the flopwood boards that blocked the tunnel entrance again. The ancient wood splintered under the blow, sending shards clattering across the stone-paved floor. It felt good to work out his frustrations. Still, the stubborn wood held out against his assault. He rested the mallet on the black-tiled stone floor, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Even after a hundred years, the barrier was strong. He’d tried to pry the boards out of the solid stone, but they’d been fastened in too tightly. Brute force it is. “You’re doing great!” Cor’Lea’s voice was artificially bright, and she was as tall as he was, maybe a little taller, peering over his shoulder at the sealed tunnel entrance. Silya had tasked her with bringing him down here to check out these hidden caverns under the Temple, in preparation for the coming war. Important, sure, but also clearly an excuse to get him out from underfoot while she prepared for her official Raising. He grunted. “Thanks. These boards are hard as iron.” And hard as Silya’s will. One day things would be different between them, once this crisis was over. I just have to be patient. Coral laughed. “I’m sure a big, strong man like you can break through them easily.” She squeezed his bicep appreciatively. He shrugged her off. He wasn’t sure if the gawky initiate was flirting with him or just trying to encourage him to get on with it, but either way, he wasn’t interested. “Stand back.” He hefted the hammer again, and she scurried out of his way. He suppressed a smile, swinging the mallet around for another heavy blow. Craack. This time the board buckled inward visibly. Another few hits should do it. He pulled back the heavy iron hammer again and hit the same spot with blow after blow. Craack. Craack. Craack. The mallet broke through and a board fell away into splinters, clattering across the stone floor. One down, three more to go. “Why did they seal this cavern up?” Cor’Lea gestured at the natural chamber. “There was a winery here before the Temple. Sister Dor said they used to use it for extra wine storage.” She looked around the natural chamber, which was now filled with wooden shelving holding a variety of bottled food stores. “When Jas ordered the Temple to be constructed, they kept this wide cavern and blocked off the rest of the tunnels.” “Just in case the gully rats got in?” That thief Raven had apparently made his home in one of the underground tunnels. Who knew who else—or what else—lived down there? Cor’Lea snorted. “Maybe.” Are tunnels all connected, somehow? That was one of Silya’s most urgent projects, to map out the network of caverns beneath the city. Another reason she sent me down here—to get me out from under her robes. A few more whacks at the next board served to both break it and let out his frustrations at the situation preventing him from doing his sworn job and keeping them apart. And at what she said was coming. Craack. Craack. Craack. The board snapped in half, and he judged that he’d cleared enough space to step through into the blocked-off tunnel. “Hand me that lantern? Cor’Lea complied, taking the opportunity to brush his hand. He rolled his eyes. I should be flattered. But his heart was already taken. It was times like these he wished his brother Enrick were still alive. He’d know what to do. He’d been absurdly confident about everything, even though he’d been younger than Kerrick. Kerrick wasn’t great with women. He took the lantern and stepped over the bottom board, holding it in front of him. The bright light temporarily blinded him as he sought to get his bearings. “What do you see?” Cor’Lea peered through the hole behind him. His sight adjusted, and the tunnel’s walls came into focus. He whistled. Stacked along the side of the tunnel were hundreds of crates, all strapped together in groups and sealed. “It’s… I don’t know what it is. But I’ll bet Silya will be surprised.” They’d have to find a place to put all this stuff—whatever it was, it was likely rotten after all this time. Silya needed somewhere to store people, not ancient goods. Cor’Lea stepped carefully over the splintered boards to join him. “What do you think’s inside them?” The long row of crates disappeared into the darkness. Who knew what the ancients had considered valuable enough to stash down here. Coin? Lost treasure? “One way to find out. Does the Temple have a crowbar?” GIVEAWAY!Scott is giving away an eBook copy of Tales from Tharassas, the prequel, to everyone who enters the sweepstakes: The Tharassas Cycle is a four book sci-fantasy series set on the recently colonized world of Tharassas. When humans first arrived on planet, they thought they were alone until the hencha mind made itself known. But now a new threat has arisen to challenge both humankind and their new allies on this alien world. First Two Books On Sale (& Get a Free Book)
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AuthorJessica E. Subject is a USA Today bestselling author of Sci-Fi and Paranormal Romance. Please note: Some links contain affiliate links.
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