Vabella Publishing

I’ve always heard the phrase that you need to strike the iron while it’s hot, and if I’ve seen anything searing these days, it’s the rapid growth of Vabella Publishing, and I can’t express how excited that makes me. 

I met publisher John Bell in January 2010 when he was the scheduled guest speaker of the Carrollton Creative Writer’s Club (CCWC).  At the time I was a published author with a company out of Florida, and an entrepreneur working 16-hour days.  Needless to say, I enjoyed his presentation, but didn’t put much more thought into Bell or his company. 

What a difference a few months can make.   At a combined book signing with other CCWC members at Wiley’s Book Exchange, I again met John Bell, and was able to talk with him in more detail.  He expressed with great desire his goals and how he’d like to see Vabella grow.  Due to his level of passion, combined with my business experience, I found myself talking about distributors, contracts, websites, marketing and everything else I had learned about the publishing industry over the two years since I signed my first contract, and thus was born our publishing/author relationship.

After a few more months, being dissatisfied with the amount of time I had to market my debut novel, or write on my other subsequent novels, I sold my business and began the process of cancelling my contract with my previous publisher, and called John Bell.  He seemed very happy, and invited me with open arms into the Vabella family.  A few months after that, and a couple of rounds of edited galleys, my second book was published.  At the time, Vabella boasted of nearly ten titles and authors.  What a difference a year can make.  Now Vabella has over twenty published titles and more than a dozen authors, many coming from the CCWC.  I have recently published my fourth novel, and am working diligently on my fifth, and sixth and seventh. 

As you can see …Vabella Publishing is simmering hot! I wish John and his family much, much success.  I couldn’t be more excited to be part of such a wonderful company.  I am also excited for my fellow authors who’ve also joined the Vabella Family.  Congratulations and good luck to Dr. Robert Covel, Thomas Young, Rev. Harley Fiddler, Shelly Murphy, Rev. Daniel Patrick, Dr. Eleanor Wolfe Hoomes, Gary Spillers, Mary Wilburn, Jeanette Pickering, Georgia Adams, Jim Perry and Steve Davis.

Birthday Give-A-Way

I love my publisher, Vabella Publishing.  If I haven’t said it lately, I’m saying it today.  What’s even more special is that I know my publisher loves me back.  Not just me, but you too, the readers.  How do I know they share such admiration?

Beginning on Monday, July 23^rd – Friday, July 27^th, Vabella Publishing will be offering The Blood of Cain – Second Edition for FREE on the Kindle download from Amazon.com in honor of my birthday.   

So, for those of you who had the privilege of reading the First Edition, and haven’t had a chance to get your hands on the new extended (nearly 10,000 more words) Second Edition, here’s your chance.  It’s FREE.  Just go to the Amazon.com, enter The Blood of Cain into your search field, select the NEW Second Edition (it is important you select the new edition labeled (The Arcainians) series, and then click Download for $0.00.  But, you have to wait till Monday.

One of the best presents I could receive, is that you receive The Blood of Cain – Second Edition for Free. For those who take advantage of Vabella’s gift, I encourage you to let them know how much you appreciate it by posting a review on Amazon, a comment on Vabella’s Facebook Page, and/or a tweet on Twitter.

Review - Raven's Shadow - Anthony Ryan

Book: Raven’s Shadow (Blood Song Series – Book 1)

Author: Anthony Ryan (http://www.anthonystuff.wordpress.com )

Publisher: Indie

Genre: Fantasy

Book Description:

Publication Date: January 21, 2012

An epic fantasy exploring themes of conflict, loyalty and religious faith. Vaelin Al Sorna, Brother of the Sixth Order, has been trained from childhood to fight and kill in service to the Faith. He has earned many names and almost as many scars, acquiring an ugly dog and a bad-tempered horse in the process. Ensnared in an unjust war by a king possessed of either madness or genius, Vaelin seeks to answer the question that will decide the fate of the Realm: …who is the one who waits?

Blood Song is the first volume of Raven's Shadow - a new epic fantasy of war, intrigue and tested faith.

Review:  I had once again began to lose hope in the indie publishing field, having been disappointed with the last few indie books I’ve read.  A few of them started with great promise, but left me quite disappointed in the end.  But all hope was not lost, at least not since stumbling across Raven’s Shadow by Anthony Ryan. I haven’t been this excited about an indie book since Progeny by Ryan Kaelin (http://www.rtkaelin.com ).  What is it with Ryans writing exceptional stories?  Anyway …on with the review.

The story starts with our protagonist, Vaelin Al Sorna – known as a Brother of the 6^th Order, the Sword of the Realm, Young Hawk, Darkblade, Beral Shak Ur, and Hope Killer, being led as a prisoner by Lord Verniers Alshe Someren, Imperial Chronicler, First of the Learned and honored servant to the Empire, to face a judgment by a country and people whom his Battle Lord father had almost decimated when he was but a small child.  Already prejudiced against him for being the son of their most hated rival, Vaelin is also the killer of their beloved Hope, the successor to the Emperor’s throne in their latest skirmish with King Janus and the Realm. As they travel across the sea to face a trial by conquest, Vaelin tells this chronicler the story of his life and how the most hated of villains he became.

This prologue pulled me right into the story and piqued my interest to the point I just had to read on.  That’s one of the formula’s I love best – have a despicable state of being and then go back and show me how one achieved such a state.  It is the basic fundamental aspect of humanity - to understand how someone reaches a certain state in their life, either deplorable or exceptional, so we can better understand and see the path to that destruction or success and apply the principles to our own lives. 

The real story begins with Vaelin as a mere child dealing the death of his mother, along with losing that innocent childhood, as his Battle Lord father abandons him to the Brothers of the Sixth Order, a sect of the Faith that focuses primarily on the art of war.  It is his time with the Sixth Order that we fall in love with Vaelin, and his other brothers, as they are transformed from weak, innocent boys, into a close-nit team of merciless assassins.  We are carried right along with Vaelin as he develops his skills, face his trials, and nurtures the hate for the father that abandoned him.   You can’t help but root for him and his Order brothers as they transform from the fearful into the greatly feared.  Anthony Ryan does an excellent job of sewing the reader so perfectly secure into all the emotion and action that has you completely solidified and connected with the protagonist.

What is a great adventure without a little love to soften the hardness, - bring a little light into the darkness, than to have a splash of romance?  I love the way the author didn’t douse the reader in sappy syrup, but sprinkled just enough to allow the sweetness to be savored on top of the spice.  My mind went into three different directions on this aspect of the story, but I’m very pleased with how it turned it out.  I loved the twists and turns the story took, but can’t express how much I loved how the author kept the priorities in line.  This is usually where a writer plunges off an unseen cliff, especially with epic fantasies – they allow the romance to overcome and dominate the story, instead of balancing it.  It’s hard to do, because it’s so easy to get carried away with emotion, but Anthony Ryan handled it very well.  At least, I’m well pleased.  I hate seeing a great super strong character lose all his strength and integrity for a woman.  As a woman, I want a strong-willed man; not a limp-wristed, love sick puppy.  A valiant warrior, who has strength to lead and fight, must also have strength of mind, yet time and time again you find these oxymorons posed as heroes, men who can stand against all the world, but can’t say no to a woman???  Okay, time to move away from this particular rant and on with the review.

There is another twist I absolutely LOVED in this story, but I don’t want to say too much about it because it will give it away.  Let’s just say – I didn’t see it coming, and it broke my heart – literally.  THAT is hard to do.  I’ve read and written so many stories that I’m rarely surprised, but in this – I was absolutely blown away.  Not only was the foundation and story thread brilliantly laid, but exceptionally executed.  Well done, Anthony!  If I had any criticism of this entire story, it would be this: Put it through one more round of edits (especially where commas are concerned) and get this traditionally published so it can receive greater exposure. 

I don’t know Mr. Ryan, but I’ve come to admire his work, just as I know you will too if you dare to delve into the adventure of Raven’s Song. 

Till next time,

~T.L. Gray

Becoming Our Own Biggest Fan

Artists spend a great portion of their time creating their masterpieces, and then an even greater amount of time promoting and marketing them.  Like any relationship, the beginning of this process is filled with excitement and much zeal, but after a prolonged period of exposure, that enthusiasm begins to fade.

As artists, we need to make sure that the ‘love’ of our art doesn’t wane with the decrease of excitement, but solidifies to an even deeper degree.  The millionth time we meet a new fan, we must have the same degree of excitement for our work as we had with the first hundred. The only way this can happen successfully, is that we must become our own biggest fan.

One of the first things I learned in my college marketing class was: If we don’t believe in what we’re selling or promoting, neither will anyone else. If we’re not excited about our work, who else will be?  Not only does this excitement affect the way we market our products, but it greatly affects our stamina, determination and devotion. We must continually inspire ourselves in order to be an inspiration.

One of the basic laws of the human condition is: We want what everyone else wants.  A good marketing strategy is to create desire and demand.  The greatest tool to do just that is by becoming your own biggest fan.

Till next time,

~T.L. Gray

New Release!

The Blood of Cain - 2nd Edition is rolling off the press!

Keep an eye out for more release announcements early next week.

Booktastic Reviews: Milledgeville Misfit

Here is another 5-star review of Milledgeville Misfit.

Please stop by and Visit Rachael at Booktastic Reviews!

Monday, 14 May 2012

Milledgeville Misfit by T.L. Gray

Author: T.L. Gray
Edition: Vabella Paperback
Published: January 31st 2012
Pages: 168
Rating: See below review.

Fourteen-year old Juniper "Junebug" Summerville loses her parents and her ability to talk in a car accident. Against her silent protests, she is sent to live in a remote swampland infamous for its ghosts, federal prison and insane asylum.

As Junebug struggles with her emotional scars, she begins to heal with help from six other orphans at Dearborn, a once famous Milledgeville Plantation. Just as she begins to enjoy the peace she’s long desired, she finds herself in a fight for her sanity when she stumbles upon a tear in the fabric that separates the possible from the impossible, and she must choose which to believe.

Damnit! How am I ever going to give this book the justice it deserves?! Milledgeville Misfit, put quite simply, is amazing. Beautifully written, emotional, thought-provoking... to be perfectly honest, I think I need to install a whole new rating system just for this book!

Please excuse me if I sound a bit gushy, but it's just that I absolutely loved this book! It was so unbelievably sweet how all of the orphans had such a connection with each other. I felt like I was experiencing something even more powerful than the love of a real family - something deeper that only a group of children can form in the absence of parents. I'm really not kidding when I say that this book will tug at your heartstrings.

Since, unintentionally, I've already got straight into the characters, I suppose I will tell you a little bit more about Junebug and her "family" as she puts it. First, Junebug. Ever since the car crash that left her parents dead and her without a voice, Junebug has felt like a part of her died along with them. That is, until she finds friendship in a group of orphans at Dearborn. I really don't want to go into too much because I'll probably end up revealing spoilers but I'll definitely tell you that this book is one of a kind and not to be missed. Anyway, back to Junebug. To me, I could never have thought of a more perfect main character. I felt almost privileged to watch her recovery and the development she goes through. I seriously don't think I can pick a main character, I just loved all of the six orphans and Junebug the same! I'd love to do nothing more than to talk about each of them but for now I will agree to talking about just the one. Abby. Little Abby is the youngest of them all and she practically had me hugging her through the pages. She was just so sweet and I could picture her so clearly. Well, come to think of it, I could picture them all so clearly.

Let me just leave it at the characters were all wonderful. Now on to other things. Gray has an absolutely beautiful writing style and she portrayed everything perfectly through Junebug's eyes - I really felt that involved in the story! I also loved how she managed to wrap up everything. The ending was spot-on, not to mention emotional! She also has a great way of threading mystery and keeping the reader hanging by a thread.

Overall I absolutely adored Milledgeville Misfit. I feel like the book really spoke to me and I think I will remember it for years to come. It has very rightfully found a spot on my favourite-books-of-all-time bookshelf! With a beautiful writing style, great characters, an unusual mystery and a story that will have you smiling sweetly and then almost in tears, this book is definitely one I recommend to all!

Milledgeville Misfit is a young adult novel that deals with grief and healing, and has an ending that leaves the reader with the choice of what to believe.


I'd like to express my thanks to Vabella Publishing and T.L. Gray for giving me a complimentary copy of this book and to Jessica at Booked Up! for hosting the giveaway! :D

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo

Why Won’t My Skeletons Disappear?

Ever made a wrong decision, a bad investment, or simply made a mistake?  Join the club of humanity.  We are ripe with failures.  There’s no one on this earth who has not messed up at one time or another.  That puts us all on the same playing field.  What makes us different, and what proves the caliber of player we are (not who we think and say we are), is how we handle those mistakes. 

I’ve watched time and time again a player boast of their abilities, their talents and their skills right up until the moment the game starts.  That’s when the truth of their abilities (or lack thereof) became apparent and the truth was revealed.  Granted, sometimes a player had a good day and sometimes a bad.  However, if you watched enough games and the player long enough, you’d see their true potential, their true talents and their true skills.  The truth lay in the evidence of the results. 

I’ve also seen players who have been endowed with great natural talent, but lacked wisdom and knowledge on how, when and where to execute the right use.  In fact, their ego and lack of understanding of the rules were often their downfall; the time-bomb that killed their best efforts with a foul or a play at the wrong time.

 

What I’m trying to get at is this:  We are fallible, and sometimes do stupid stuff – thereby stuffing skeletons in our closets.  We ALL have them.  But, I’m observing a trend in our society that really frightens me.  Time and time again I see people avoid their skeletons, instead of facing them.  They wait to be bailed-out, to be rescued, to be forgiven for their mistakes, but take no responsibility to remove the skeletons from their own closets.  They just keep shoving them in, cramming them together, and expecting someone else to clean them out, some even going as far to proclaim they are entitled to a clean closet.

 

The bankruptcy rate in this country (the world in fact) is at the highest level ever recorded.  In the writing world – many writers are too eager to get in print – which they forgo the time, and effort to really study their craft, in their impatience self-publish and put out a bad manuscript. Then, they expect their readers to forgive, to support and to bail them out of their bad decisions by continuing to buy their books.  Yet, they don’t take the time to go back and clean up their mess and remove the skeletons they’ve created.  Or, they publish a decent book, but make the mistake of not properly marketing and networking to get the word out, yet expect someone else to come along and do it for them.  That’s like people who run up bad credit card debts in their ignorance, which they can’t pay, and yet expect the debts to just disappear, or for someone else to absorb the debt because forgiveness has been asked - then are shocked back into reality when they start to get their lives back on track to find out the ‘mess’ they created is still there for them to clean up.  What’s most surprising is the bad debtor gets angry that the skeleton is still in their closet.  They’re confused and don’t understand why it’s there.

Where did this mindset come from?  Where did personal responsibility go?  What happened to the concept of making amends or reparations?  Does the world even know what those words mean anymore?  I’m sorry doesn’t mean – “I feel bad because I messed up or I got caught”.  We are all sorry.  It means – “I acknowledge my mistake and I will do whatever I can to make amends, and change my habits so I don’t make it again.”  It’s insanity to keep doing the same thing, yet expect a different result. It’s just as insane to keep trying to help people with that mindset.  It’s naive of us to sit on our butts and wonder, “Why won’t my skeletons disappear?”

 

It’s time to get off our butts and start cleaning out our closets.  We ALL have skeletons, we ALL make mistakes, and we ALL are responsible for our own skeletons.  Learn to apologize, but most of all, learn to quit making the same mistakes. The only real entitlement we have is to our guilt and repentance