Guest Post for Author Lindsey Winsemius!

The Glamorous Life of a Self-Published Author

When I published my first book, friends and family would ask excitedly what it is like to be an author.

Let me rip aside the veil and give you a clear view of my glamorous life as an author.

It’s exactly like my previous life as a part time marketer and stay at home mom. Just with less sleep.

Everyone asks how my book is selling.

It’s not.

Which is mostly my own fault, because I spend about zero time promoting it. I don’t submit it to reviewers, polish my press kit, or pimp it out online.

I have met several fabulous women who work tirelessly on behalf of authors like me, and it makes me attempt to focus more time and energy on my own materials and promoting, to deserve the efforts they make on my behalf. (Yes, I’m talking about you Natasha, Julie, Melissa, Stacey, Kelly, and Gaynor).

But my days are mostly spent doing laundry, dishes, chauffeuring, cooking, and working at my real life job of marketing for a software company.

I’m that mom with bags under her eyes, up at midnight with only the light of my computer eerily illuminating my living room as I attempt to accomplish something, anything, on my writing and book promoting.

I don’t even want to look at the clock, because I know 6 AM will arrive much too soon, and with it the demands of a daily life that includes only in the periphery my status as an “author”.

After my first book published, with absolutely no fanfare or preparation beyond editing and formatting the manuscript, then hitting publish on Amazon, I felt like Alice down the rabbit hole, stumbling around trying to figure out how to promote my book.

The world of book promotion, like any industry, has many nuances that involve quite a learning curve. I’m pretty sure I’m still at the bottom of the curve, but I’m working my way up. I am nowhere NEAR to being an expert.

The industry itself is one that is evolving so quickly, once an author has mastered a marketing technique, it has become passe. In a market that is over-saturated, and an audience that is used to tuning out the noise from beginner authors like myself, I must find readers. And not just readers, but fans.

I know my story has resounded hundreds if not thousands of times over for other emerging authors like myself. Like any small business owner or entrepreneur, it’s not glamorous. It is a lot of work. A lot of tears, self-doubts, tripping over hurdles and getting back up to try again.

But in the end, the journey is worth it. I love writing, I love connecting with other authors passionate about their work, and the readers, bloggers, and promoters who give tirelessly of their time to help indie authors succeed.

I might not be glamorous, but I am surely blessed. How many of you other authors can relate? And how many readers can say thanks to those authors who keep putting out books year after year with little reward other than your positive reviews and (if they’re lucky) 30% of their royalties after VAT (I’m still not even certain what that means).

What’s your glamorous story? I’d love to hear it!

BIO

Lindsey Winsemius is an author, marketer, and supermom surviving on coffee and wine on the West Michigan Lakeshore. She’s currently published two romance novels, and is working on her third which will be released in summer 2016, assuming her wine and coffee don’t run out. Learn more about her and books on her website: lindseywinsemius.com and find her Facebook Page: /lindseywinsemiusauthor

Serpent on a Cross (Book 1) by Wendy C. Garfinkle

 Dennah grew up with the power to control the weather.  She was a weather magus, like her mother.  However, her power was much stronger than her mother's and because of that, they were both hidden away in a small village of Drovania for a very long time.  All the while, Tarkan Maksimov was gaining power and a black reputation while looking for his daughter and granddaughter (Althea and Dennah).  Althea hid Dennah's power from everyone, including herself.  It wasn't until the day Tarkan came and raided her village and kidnapped her mother that Dennah found out about her powers.  They were overwhelming and at the moment, hard to control.  It was important that she find Miraum (Baba Yaga) to help finish her training.  On her journey there she and Jeth run into trouble with Skallon, a Nemxes and captain of Tarkan's army.  He was unpredictable and ruthless, but enamored with Dennah and determined to have her as his own.  The journey they take is dangerous and Dennah must eventually go head-to-head with Tarkan to save her mother.  She is the only one able to stop him.  But among the anger she has for Tarkan, other emotions swirl for another.  While she loves Jeth and always pictured a quiet life with him, she is drawn to Skallon like a moth to a flame.  She doesn't understand it and doesn't have time for love while trying to exact her revenge.



   This medieval fantasy was different and cool in a way.  I liked how different it was.  At the same time, some of the differences also slightly hampered the story.  The fact that the author put in so many words in a different language kind of disrupted the flow of the story at times.  They were just kind of thrown out there it seemed.  However, the translation was usually right there after the word or phrase.  Otherwise, it was a lively and entertaining story with that witchy and Jewish element to it.  More importantly, it showed Dennah's struggle over self-control of her power and her temper.  Self-control is something that most of us struggle with.  It was important that she get a hold on herself unless she wants to destroy herself, or worse, become what she hates the most.
   There were some loose ends in this book that I am hoping to see explained in the next one.  Such as:
-What happened to Ivan?
-Who was the person behind Tarkan?  It is suggested that there was someone else funneling power to Tarkan.  If that is the case, then this fight is far from over.
-What about Skallon?  As much as he is a bad guy, you still have to wonder if there isn't some little bit of good in him.  You can see subtle shifts and change in him during the book.  Maybe there is more to this guy than we think.  He will probably turn out to be some weird exiled prince or something.
-Does Dennah choose to be with Jeth?  If Dennah thinks that she can have a normal life now, that's just not possible.  Her power is like none they have ever seen and Jeth seems to be quite afraid of it.  He would rather take her and hide her away, safe and secure.  Dennah is anything but like that.  She is untamed to say the least.  As much as she wanted a regular domestic life before, she can't have one.  Her future is that of Baba Yaga and it has its responsibilities.  Jeth doesn't and probably won't understand this.  I just don't see them having a future together unless something drastic happens and he suddenly has some kind of power.
   One other thing; while it doesn't seem immediately obvious why the book's title is Serpent on a Cross, you will find out about that later.  Those crosses are some dangerous stuff too!
I have had a hard time deciding exactly what stars to give this book because it's not quite a 4 but it seems better than a 3.5 so I will be sticking with the most in-between I can get and say that this book is a solid 3.75 out of 5!