Friday, October 11, 2013

FALL - The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two by A.K. Morgen . . . Tour Stop, Guest Post, and GIVEAWAY!

FALL - The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two

How do you save someone who doesn't want to be saved?

Those called to stand guard against the end are broken, and Sköll and Hati run free. Now Arionna Jacobs and Dace Matthews face a threat unlike any before. Ragnarök is coming and they aren't strong enough to stop it.

Arionna thought she understood sacrifice, but she never counted on her destiny tearing Dace apart. Ever since she nearly died, he has been consumed with guilt. Now it threatens to turn him into the monster he always feared.

It's up to Arionna to stop him before it's too late, but the path to hell is paved with good intentions, and Dace is hurtling toward self destruction. This time, Arionna isn't sure she can save him from himself. Can she convince him to let the past go, or is her true destiny to sacrifice her heart in exchange for the lives of the people she loves?

You can read the official prologue to FALL here.


FALL – The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is now available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

FADE – The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book One is available now at Amazon USBarnes and Noble, and Kobo.
  

And now, an awesome guest post from Ayden!


Ten Lessons Being an Author has Taught Me

I fell into publishing a little bit by accident. For years, family and friends bugged me to publish something, and I put them off. A couple of years ago, my mother rallied the troops, and the incessant pestering began. Out of sheer desperation, I caved. I promised I'd try to publish if she'd call a truce. Everyone agreed, and I got to work trying to make FADE presentable.

I was reluctant to follow the Yellow Brick Road, but I figured what the heck. At the worst, I'd receive nothing but rejections, at which point my friends and family would take pity on me and leave to do things my way the next time. But by some stroke of luck, it didn't happen that way. Three months after sending out my first query, I had a contract offer. I received another a few months later.

Less than two years later, my second novel, FALL, has been released, and I have to admit I knew a lot less about being an author than I thought I did when I started on this journey. Here's the ten lessons I've learned intimately along the way:

1. People are oftentimes more curious to know if you're rich than to know what you write. Seriously. For every one person who asks what I write, two ask how much money I make. Let me just go on the record now by saying: If you're writing for the money, you're probably going to be disappointed. Most of us aren't striking it rich or anywhere remotely close to rich, for that matter.

2. The thought of having fans kind of freaks me out, so I view everyone as friends instead. It's less nerve-wracking, and I get to meet some really cool people. Don't be afraid to get to know your readers. Writing is less scary when you know the people you're writing for.

3. When a giant red pen starts trying to kill you in your sleep, it's time to stop stalling and start editing. Or to stop eating cookies immediately before bedtime. I'm not sure yet.

4. Self-promoting is a necessary evil. So is having a marketing plan and sticking to it. It's better to prepare for these things before someone asks for them. Trust me. The longer you wait to start working on these, the more frighteningly overwhelming they become.

5. You're not just an author. People don't want to hear about your book 24/7. Give them substance, especially on social media, or you will be banished from the island. Also, learn what to keep to yourself. Your readers don't want to know every thought that crosses your mind. They don't want to know why you hate your husband, how much you can't stand another author, or why your life sucks more today than it did yesterday, when it also sucked. Be nice, don't throw yourself a public pity party, or just don't say anything at all.  

6. There are no such things as boundaries for some people. They will ask incredibly personal questions. Learn when such prying becomes a social media blocking offense, and when to laugh it off. You will thank yourself for this later.

7. Everything sounds better than writing when you really need to be writing. Just say no! Unless it involves maintaining peace in your house, at which point you should probably put down the pen for a minute. Find a balance, and you will thank yourself for it later. Your family will appreciate this too.

8. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. You can't do it all alone, and you'll only overwhelm yourself if you try. You have a vast network of people in the same boat, get to know them, help them when they need it, and they will be there to do the same for you.

9. Writing "I don't know what to write." two hundred times in a row does not count as writing. Even if you have writer's block. I know this is disappointing news, but you will survive it. However, if you keep writing the same thing over and over, eventually you will start to believe it, and nothing is worse than trying to un-convince yourself that you don't know what or how to write.

10. You will be miserable the first time you receive a negative review, and the second, third, fourth, fifth, and twentieth... Don't respond. Don't let your friends or family respond. Don't give up. Don't take it personally even if a reviewer does bash you. In fact, just don't read any review unless you need a little ego bruising. Learn to live in that place where reviews don't exist and everything is rainbows and puppies until you can read them without huddling in the corner with a bottle of wine.




About Ayden:

A.K. Morgen lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband, three dogs, and demonic cat. She has a graduate degree in Criminal Justice and Law, and plans to save the world some day. When she’s not writing, she spends her time teaching her niece and nephews how to cause mischief. You can also find her dancing in the grocery store, building a spork army, and fundraising for nonprofits close to her heart.

You can learn more about Ayden at http://akmorgen.com or by following her on Twitter, Goodreads, or Facebook.








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