Guest Post from Isaura author Ruth Silver

Title: Isaura (Aberrant 3)

Author: Ruth Silver

Publisher: Patchwork Press/Lazy Day Publishing

Published On: December 4th, 2013

Cover Art: Erica Crouch (paperback), Lazy Day Publishing (eBook)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Synopsis:

With Joshua’s recent disappearance, Olivia has little choice but to head into the dangerous Gravelands as the new government wrestles with fixing the damage to society. Joining forces with her estranged father and a girl from Haven, they go on a search-and-rescue mission to find Joshua and bring him back alive. If traveling through outlaw territory isn’t frightening enough, Olivia learns she has exposed her secret and is hunted by her allies.

Add to Goodreads

Available for purchase:

Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

eBook: Kindle | Nook

Excerpt:

“I'm fine!” I pushed harder on the gas. “They can't be that far ahead of us.” I just hoped we were headed in the right direction.

We drove another twenty minutes north as I moved off the dirt road and onto grass. I glanced back at Rane. “Do you think Craynor could have found a place in Haven to keep Joshua?”

“I don't know. Not much was left. There could have been a cellar or basement abandoned that didn't get struck. That's how I survived,” Rane admitted.

It at least gave me hope. As we drove north, the rain stopped and the clouds parted. Cresting a hill, I slammed the brakes as we jolted to an abrupt halt.

“What the hell?” Gavin's voice echoed as the seatbelt restrained him and his arm shot up on the dashboard to steady himself. A few feet away, I saw outlaws with weapons pointed in our direction. “Hurry up!” His voice threatened in my ear as I slammed on the gas, but our car wasn't going anywhere: the tires had blown from spikes in the road.

Locking the doors hadn't helped. They busted the car window and flipped the lock, opening the door, dragging all three of us out.

eBook Cover

And Ruth is here with a special guest post. Tips about authors and blog tours.

Authors and Blog Tours

by Ruth Silver

Quite often, I get asked by other authors how I promote and market my books. There are tons of dystopian novels in the young adult genre. How can I differentiate myself? The biggest factor: letting people know about your book. If they don’t know it’s out there, they can’t read it. So, how do you get people to know you have a new book out there: Blog Tours.

You can create a book blog tour yourself, or hire a tour company to do. I will warn you, if you hire a tour company, do not pay them more than 45 days in advance of the start date to your tour. Why? If you’re paying via Paypal (and every tour I’ve seen, so far it’s all Paypal), you can dispute your payment if the tour host vanishes. Sadly, I had this happen during the Moirai tour. I won’t name the tour company, but I will say that I was disappointed by their lack of professionalism. They were supposed to e-mail book bloggers with both copies of my books (Aberrant & Moirai). It never happened. They had two months from the time I paid until the tour. The only e-mail sent to the tour hosts was to sign up. Nothing else was done. Many of the tour hosts had booked other tours for that date. Even a few had emailed about rescheduling or confirming their date, they received no response. My point is, if I had paid within 45 days (I was at 60 days), I could have disputed the transaction and got my money back. Now, that doesn’t mean if you’re not happy with the tour you should dispute the transaction. If you received the service that you paid for, then they’ve held up their end of the commitment. There are times that book bloggers don’t post. If you’re concerned that the tour will just be a bust, then you should ask for referrals from authors that have used their services.

If you decide to save the money and do the tour yourself, here’s a few things to keep in mind:

• Create a sign up form (Google Docs is excellent)  

• Offer an HTML post. Book bloggers often prefer HTML because it’s already set up and ready to go. It makes their life easier. If you don’t know how to do HMTL try it in Wordpress under Post. If you’re an author - you need a website!
• You’ll want to contact book bloggers. The best thing to do is create a spreadsheet. Get their contact information from their website (email address, name, whether they’re taking requests, genres, etc). Don’t contact someone that isn’t your genre. Specifically, if you’re an erotica author, don’t go asking a YA book blog to host you.
• It’s best to try and do a tour that isn’t reviews only. You’ll have more people offering to host a spotlight/excerpt then write a review. There isn’t enough time in the day for book bloggers to read every book that is offered to them.
• Follow the rules of the book blogger. In most cases, book bloggers don’t want you to send them an e-ARC without talking to them and asking for it.
• Also, if you’re asking a book blogger to review your book, you need to provide them with a copy. Don’t expect them to buy it.
• Get organized. Contact the bloggers that have agreed to host your tour, and get interview questions and anything else you need. Then write up the posts and be sure to send them everything. If you forget, no one else will do it for you.

Guest Post from Isaura author Ruth Silver

Title: Isaura (Aberrant 3)

Author: Ruth Silver

Publisher: Patchwork Press/Lazy Day Publishing

Published On: December 4th, 2013

Cover Art: Erica Crouch (paperback), Lazy Day Publishing (eBook)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Synopsis:

With Joshua’s recent disappearance, Olivia has little choice but to head into the dangerous Gravelands as the new government wrestles with fixing the damage to society. Joining forces with her estranged father and a girl from Haven, they go on a search-and-rescue mission to find Joshua and bring him back alive. If traveling through outlaw territory isn’t frightening enough, Olivia learns she has exposed her secret and is hunted by her allies.

Add to Goodreads

Available for purchase:

Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

eBook: Kindle | Nook

Excerpt:

“I'm fine!” I pushed harder on the gas. “They can't be that far ahead of us.” I just hoped we were headed in the right direction.

We drove another twenty minutes north as I moved off the dirt road and onto grass. I glanced back at Rane. “Do you think Craynor could have found a place in Haven to keep Joshua?”

“I don't know. Not much was left. There could have been a cellar or basement abandoned that didn't get struck. That's how I survived,” Rane admitted.

It at least gave me hope. As we drove north, the rain stopped and the clouds parted. Cresting a hill, I slammed the brakes as we jolted to an abrupt halt.

“What the hell?” Gavin's voice echoed as the seatbelt restrained him and his arm shot up on the dashboard to steady himself. A few feet away, I saw outlaws with weapons pointed in our direction. “Hurry up!” His voice threatened in my ear as I slammed on the gas, but our car wasn't going anywhere: the tires had blown from spikes in the road.

Locking the doors hadn't helped. They busted the car window and flipped the lock, opening the door, dragging all three of us out.

eBook Cover

And Ruth is here with a special guest post. Tips about authors and blog tours.

Authors and Blog Tours

by Ruth Silver

Quite often, I get asked by other authors how I promote and market my books. There are tons of dystopian novels in the young adult genre. How can I differentiate myself? The biggest factor: letting people know about your book. If they don’t know it’s out there, they can’t read it. So, how do you get people to know you have a new book out there: Blog Tours.

You can create a book blog tour yourself, or hire a tour company to do. I will warn you, if you hire a tour company, do not pay them more than 45 days in advance of the start date to your tour. Why? If you’re paying via Paypal (and every tour I’ve seen, so far it’s all Paypal), you can dispute your payment if the tour host vanishes. Sadly, I had this happen during the Moirai tour. I won’t name the tour company, but I will say that I was disappointed by their lack of professionalism. They were supposed to e-mail book bloggers with both copies of my books (Aberrant & Moirai). It never happened. They had two months from the time I paid until the tour. The only e-mail sent to the tour hosts was to sign up. Nothing else was done. Many of the tour hosts had booked other tours for that date. Even a few had emailed about rescheduling or confirming their date, they received no response. My point is, if I had paid within 45 days (I was at 60 days), I could have disputed the transaction and got my money back. Now, that doesn’t mean if you’re not happy with the tour you should dispute the transaction. If you received the service that you paid for, then they’ve held up their end of the commitment. There are times that book bloggers don’t post. If you’re concerned that the tour will just be a bust, then you should ask for referrals from authors that have used their services.

If you decide to save the money and do the tour yourself, here’s a few things to keep in mind:

• Create a sign up form (Google Docs is excellent)  

• Offer an HTML post. Book bloggers often prefer HTML because it’s already set up and ready to go. It makes their life easier. If you don’t know how to do HMTL try it in Wordpress under Post. If you’re an author - you need a website!
• You’ll want to contact book bloggers. The best thing to do is create a spreadsheet. Get their contact information from their website (email address, name, whether they’re taking requests, genres, etc). Don’t contact someone that isn’t your genre. Specifically, if you’re an erotica author, don’t go asking a YA book blog to host you.
• It’s best to try and do a tour that isn’t reviews only. You’ll have more people offering to host a spotlight/excerpt then write a review. There isn’t enough time in the day for book bloggers to read every book that is offered to them.
• Follow the rules of the book blogger. In most cases, book bloggers don’t want you to send them an e-ARC without talking to them and asking for it.
• Also, if you’re asking a book blogger to review your book, you need to provide them with a copy. Don’t expect them to buy it.
• Get organized. Contact the bloggers that have agreed to host your tour, and get interview questions and anything else you need. Then write up the posts and be sure to send them everything. If you forget, no one else will do it for you.

Aberrant by Ruth Silver

Title: Aberrant 
Author: Ruth Silver
Publication date: April 28th 2013 (paperback)
Genre: YA Dystopian

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen." The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system.

With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.

One of my favorite genres is dystopian so I was thrilled when Ruth sent me a copy of Aberrant to read and review. Aberrant is the first in a trilogy. 

The government matches up couples in the graduating class. Olivia is thrilled to be matched with her friend Joshua. She is looking forward to her new life when she is arrested. She is arrested because she was born the old fashioned way instead of in a lab. Joshua helps her escape jail. 

Cabal is a pretty scary place. I cannot imagine being required to marry a person that the government chooses for me and having to follow a bunch of rules. Of course, if you follow the rules, life is ok. But if you don't, the punishment is fast.

Without giving away anymore of the plot, I thought that Aberrant was a well developed novel but not terribly original. The pacing was good and there was quite a bit of action. A few twists that weren't expected.

Olivia was a bit annoying at points but generally was well developed, as was Joshua. I'm looking forward to reading more about them in book #2. 

3/5 solid book with lots of potential in upcoming books

Aberrant by Ruth Silver

Title: Aberrant 
Author: Ruth Silver
Publication date: April 28th 2013 (paperback)
Genre: YA Dystopian

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen." The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system.

With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.

One of my favorite genres is dystopian so I was thrilled when Ruth sent me a copy of Aberrant to read and review. Aberrant is the first in a trilogy. 

The government matches up couples in the graduating class. Olivia is thrilled to be matched with her friend Joshua. She is looking forward to her new life when she is arrested. She is arrested because she was born the old fashioned way instead of in a lab. Joshua helps her escape jail. 

Cabal is a pretty scary place. I cannot imagine being required to marry a person that the government chooses for me and having to follow a bunch of rules. Of course, if you follow the rules, life is ok. But if you don't, the punishment is fast.

Without giving away anymore of the plot, I thought that Aberrant was a well developed novel but not terribly original. The pacing was good and there was quite a bit of action. A few twists that weren't expected.

Olivia was a bit annoying at points but generally was well developed, as was Joshua. I'm looking forward to reading more about them in book #2. 

3/5 solid book with lots of potential in upcoming books

Interview + Giveaway - Aberrant by Ruth Silver

Aberrant by Ruth Silver
Publication date: April 28th 2013 (paperback)
Genre: YA Dystopian

Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:

In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen." The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system.

With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.

AUTHOR BIO

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of Aberrant. The Young Adult/New Adult Romantic Dystopian Adventure, Aberrant is the first in a trilogy,  released April 17th, 2013. Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA/NA  novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She also enjoys photography, traveling and of most of all writing.

LINKS:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

What was the hardest part of writing Aberrant?

The hardest part was writing the characters suffering. I know that they will get through the pain - physical or emotional - and it will make them stronger, but it's still hard to torture your favorite character.

Who was your favorite character to write in Aberrant?

I had the most fun with writing Olivia. She's full of so many mixed emotions and traits that we're always learning something about who she is. She's not complacent. She has a mind of her own and likes to explore the world around her. She's curious by nature and it has the tendency to get her into trouble. She's complex, which makes her three-dimensional, but also incredibly caring and supportive of those she loves.  

Why did you decide on making Aberrant into a series?

I felt like I had a huge story to tell. Something that would span across hundreds of thousands of words. That may not seem like a lot but when sending your novel to agents and publishers, there's a certain word count they're looking for in new authors and in young adult/new adult titles. The only way to properly tell the story, was to turn it into a trilogy. 

Do you have the second and third book planned already?

Without getting into any specifics, yes! The next book, Moirai, will be available sometime in 2014. The first draft was finished last December but with the edits and some significant changes in Aberrant, I need to make the story flow a little smoother.

Can you tell us about one of these changes in Aberrant? What was added to the story?

Down to the final edits, I was adding details and shaping each character just a little bit more. I wanted the world that they're in and the cities to feel real. I wanted you to experience it, just as Olivia has for the first time. The very end of the Aberrant, I added a glimpse at what we can expect in the second novel. That was one of the final edits that was added, among many others.

Great giveaway...enter below! And check back tomorrow for my review of Aberrant.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview + Giveaway - Aberrant by Ruth Silver

Aberrant by Ruth Silver
Publication date: April 28th 2013 (paperback)
Genre: YA Dystopian

Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:

In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen." The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system.

With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.

AUTHOR BIO

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of Aberrant. The Young Adult/New Adult Romantic Dystopian Adventure, Aberrant is the first in a trilogy,  released April 17th, 2013. Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA/NA  novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She also enjoys photography, traveling and of most of all writing.

LINKS:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

What was the hardest part of writing Aberrant?

The hardest part was writing the characters suffering. I know that they will get through the pain - physical or emotional - and it will make them stronger, but it's still hard to torture your favorite character.

Who was your favorite character to write in Aberrant?

I had the most fun with writing Olivia. She's full of so many mixed emotions and traits that we're always learning something about who she is. She's not complacent. She has a mind of her own and likes to explore the world around her. She's curious by nature and it has the tendency to get her into trouble. She's complex, which makes her three-dimensional, but also incredibly caring and supportive of those she loves.  

Why did you decide on making Aberrant into a series?

I felt like I had a huge story to tell. Something that would span across hundreds of thousands of words. That may not seem like a lot but when sending your novel to agents and publishers, there's a certain word count they're looking for in new authors and in young adult/new adult titles. The only way to properly tell the story, was to turn it into a trilogy. 

Do you have the second and third book planned already?

Without getting into any specifics, yes! The next book, Moirai, will be available sometime in 2014. The first draft was finished last December but with the edits and some significant changes in Aberrant, I need to make the story flow a little smoother.

Can you tell us about one of these changes in Aberrant? What was added to the story?

Down to the final edits, I was adding details and shaping each character just a little bit more. I wanted the world that they're in and the cities to feel real. I wanted you to experience it, just as Olivia has for the first time. The very end of the Aberrant, I added a glimpse at what we can expect in the second novel. That was one of the final edits that was added, among many others.

Great giveaway...enter below! And check back tomorrow for my review of Aberrant.

a Rafflecopter giveaway