Well, here we are again! Smashwords are again running there discounted promotion weeks & I have jumped on board to give you lots of discounts & freebies!
Many of you might have read my book, HYBRID for free and enjoyed it.
If so, I would love it if you reviewed my book. Apparently, the more reviews I have, the more Amazon promotes it. You might have to review it directly on Amazon, which is a pain - sorry! Sometimes, it does not work directly from your Kindle.
If you have also read & enjoyed the rest of the trilogy, then please share your thoughts.
I have had HYBRID free for nearly two years, and am amazed I don't have more reviews to show for this considering the thousands of downloads!
Thank you so much & I hope you understand the reason for the request!
After having tried a FreeBooksy Promotion, I decided to try a Bargain Booksy promotion for my trilogy. It cost $40 and has definitely been a success.
I rocketed up the charts yesterday and have already got my money back! I am even ahead of Anne Rice - amazing!
I know it's hard to know what advertisers work, but I can vouch for this one. Saying this, my bargain was (in my opinion) truly a bargain!
Four books for $3! Saying this, the price for the Boxset via Amazon is still only $5.95. It's still a great price. Or, you can still get the books on a deal via the half-price sale via smashwords!
Thank you to any of you who continue to give a my writing a chance. I promise I have more in the works, but life has caught up with me recently... my children have to come before my writing for now.
I have completed the first book in my new historical fiction series. But, it still needs some work.
I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day. Thanks for visiting my blog.
"The Evolution trilogy was so much fun to read! All the components of a good series are there and I found myself thinking about the characters constantly. For me that is the sign of a good book - I can't get the characters out of my head, they come to work and the gym with me and I try to figure out what will happen next.
I fell in love with Caitlin and Steven, the main characters in Hybrid, joined in on their adventures in Complications, and was rewarded with a finale that tied up all of the details and loose ends in Return book 3... A very satisfying ending! I highly recommend this trilogy."
Susan
"A great set of books. A must read for all. Imaginative story somehow believable. I would like to visit the community myself."
Lovely Lane
"Really enjoyed all 3 books, find them so readable and hard to put down. As soon as you start reading you feel involved in the story."
Julie
"I loved the entire trilogy and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a paranormal story with a twist and some romance. I am impressed that the scenes that could have quickly turned these books into erotic were kept "clean" and "classy" while still bringing all of the emotion of the action between characters."
My Book Fairy
"... while I'll be sad to see it go, how thrilled I am to have any sort of melancholy feeling about saying goodbye to characters I've worried over and rooted for so long? The truth is that I've been rather disappointed in the final book in trilogy series of late, so it means something to me that Ms. Wester has taken great care not to make a cookie cutter everyone-gets-everything-they-want-in-the-end final book; nor does she envision the alternate gloomy world which has also plagued trilogies of late (Allegiant or Mockingjay, anyone?)
As a matter of fact, Ms. Wester derives a way to both answer our must-know questions while also leaving a decent bit to our imaginations, an approach I appreciated...and one that will no doubt lead me towards reviewing more of this talented author's work in the future."
Lydia Aswolf via Goodreads
After some thought, I have decided also make EMILY free. I have not had many reviews on EMILY and I hope this might inspire some of you to read and review...
Emily has not changed in fifty years. An accident made her immortal, a vampire freak.
Finally allowed to return to her beloved England, all is not as expected. So much has changed. The past she was holding on to does not exist. Since the Second World War, people have embraced a new age. In this era, people have an obsession with gadgets, strange clothes and weird music.
Added to this her blood-lust has become insatiable and her promise to control herself is torn to shreds. That is until she meets Paul. She never expected to find love after all this time. Fate has never been kind to Emily, and it gives her everything she wants at a cost. She must pay a price for being a murderer.
Within Emily's twisted heart lies a dark soul.
*****
REVIEWS
"After being enthralled by the trilogy I was delighted to hear Vanessa Wester had written a prequel. This novella provides a fascinating insight into Emily, one of the key characters from the trilogy. It enhances the reader's understanding of the character's motivations and behaviour. The honest and heartfelt writing style is entirely consistent with the main books, and this tale serves as a great addendum to the series. I was hooked from page one!" Adam
"I was really pleased when I saw that Vanessa had written a prequel featuring Emily.....who turned out to be a bit of a lass! A 5* rating which is completely deserved." Mike
"... I understand the character of Emily and her choices even better. I couldn't put it down" Charlotte
"Emily is one of the main supporting characters in The Evolution Trilogy which is one of the few trilogies that I can truly say I couldn't wait to finish and hated finishing all at once. I knew I wanted the entire trilogy by the time I wasn't even half way through book one, Hybrid... The entire series, including this novella, the realistic and relate-able characters, the rich environments and the variety of real life scenarios interwoven with the outrageous and the paranormal made these books a series on my LOVE to read list that I will always support and recommend to others. Without adding spoilers, this prequel novella can work as a stand-alone read, or in addition to the trilogy and you understand Emily so much better and why her actions and attitude seem to change with a "whim". What would you do if a change beyond your control took everything away from you and then you were taken away from everything you knew and loved? No one knows until they are in that situation. After years Emily is finally allowed to return to the place she loved, but so much time has passed and so many things have changed that it's all new... The story is heart wrenching and beautiful all at once. Another solid story from the amazing mind of Vanessa Wester!" My Book Fairy
*~EMILY has some scenes of an adult nature. It may be considered unsuitable for younger readers~*
*****
Find out what happens twenty years later. Read THE EVOLUTION TRILOGY, which is comprised of three novels: HYBRID; COMPLICATIONS; and RETURN.
"The Evolution trilogy was so much fun to read! All the components of a good series are there and I found myself thinking about the characters constantly. For me that is the sign of a good book - I can't get the characters out of my head, they come to work and the gym with me and I try to figure out what will happen next. I fell in love with Caitlin and Steven, the main characters in Hybrid, joined in on their adventures in Complications, and was rewarded with a finale that tied up all of the details and loose ends in Return book 3... A very satisfying ending! I highly recommend this trilogy." Susan
"A great set of books. A must read for all. Imaginative story somehow believable. I would like to visit the community myself." Lovely Lane
In my last post I explained that I had read the Divergent trilogy and loved it, so I bought the DVD and it definitely met my expectations.
I don't know what it is about this imaginary world that I love. It's my ultimate escapism.
Recently, I read another trilogy that I read in three days! The Selection Trilogy by Kiera Cass. It was a case of Cinderella meets Ella Enchanted meets The Hunger Games!
THE SELECTION
Thirty-five beautiful girls. Thirty-five beautiful rivals… It’s the chance of a lifetime and 17-year-old America Singer should feel lucky. She has been chosen for The Selection, a reality TV lottery in which the special few compete for gorgeous Prince Maxon’s love. Swept up in a world of elaborate gowns, glittering jewels and decadent feasts, America is living a new and glamorous life. And the prince takes a special interest in her, much to the outrage of the others. Rivalry within The Selection is fierce and not all of the girls are prepared to play by the rules. But what they don’t know is that America has a secret – one which could throw the whole competition… and change her life forever.
THE ELITE The Selection gets fierce as rivals stake their claim on the Prince. Six girls, one life-changing prize… America Singer will leave her pre-destined life for a world of glamour and luxury, if she wins… But surviving The Selection is tough. Rivals are battling to become Prince Maxon’s bride as the threat of rebel violence just beyond the palace walls escalates into war. Only six girls are left and sworn friendships are tested to breaking point. America’s feelings for Maxon grow stronger, but she suspects darker mysteries in his royal past. With ex-lover Aspen waiting for her in the shadows, where do her loyalties truly lie?
THE ONE
THE SELECTION changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. Now, only one will claim Prince Maxon’s heart… It’s swoon meets the Hunger Games in the third instalment of THE SELECTION series! For the four girls who remain at the palace, the friendships they’ve formed, rivalries they’ve struggled with and dangers they’ve faced have bound them to each other for the rest of their lives. Now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen. America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown – or to Prince Maxon’s heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realises just how much she stands to lose – and how hard she’ll have to fight for the future she wants.
I bought the entire collection via paperback at The Works for £9.99! I loved the silky soft paper they used... you can't get that via kindle! I have since realised it will no longer be a trilogy... the next book is out in May and I had to pre-order it - my daughter will be pleased!
Funny, because I have recently considered extending my own trilogy. Originally, I wanted my story to be a series of five books, but was advised to stick to three. However, some of my readers have asked me to continue what I started... and I just might do that sometime soon.
These are my other top dystopian reads! (Source: Wikipedia)
The novels revolve around Harry Potter, an orphan who discovers at the age of eleven that he is a wizard, living within the ordinary world of non-magical people, known as Muggles.[9] The wizarding world is secret from the Muggle world, presumably to avoidpersecution of witches and wizards. His ability is inborn, and such children are invited to attend an exclusive magic school that teaches the necessary skills to succeed in the wizarding world. Harry becomes a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and it is here where most of the events in the series take place. As Harry develops through his adolescence, he learns to overcome the problems that face him: magical, social and emotional, including ordinary teenage challenges such as friendships, infatuation and exams, and the greater test of preparing himself for the confrontation in the real world that lies ahead.
Each book chronicles one year in Harry's life with the main narrative being set in the years 1991–98. The books also contain many flashbacks, which are frequently experienced by Harry viewing the memories of other characters in a device called a Pensieve.
The environment Rowling created is completely separate from reality yet also intimately connected to it. While the fantasy land of Narnia is an alternative universe and the Lord of the Rings' Middle-earth a mythic past, the wizarding world of Harry Potter exists in parallel within the real world and contains magical versions of the ordinary elements of everyday life. Many of its institutions and locations are recognisable, such as London. It comprises a fragmented collection of overlooked hidden streets, ancient pubs, lonely country manors and secluded castles that remain invisible to the Muggle population.
The Hunger Games trilogy takes place in an unspecified future time in a dystopian post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, in the ruins of North America. The country consists of the wealthy Capitol located in the Rocky Mountains and twelve (formerly thirteen) poorer districts ruled by the Capitol. The Capitol is lavishly rich and technologically advanced but the twelve districts are in varying states of poverty – the trilogy's narrator and protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, lives in District 12, the poorest region of Panem, formerly known as Appalachia, where people regularly die of starvation. As punishment for a past rebellion (called "The Dark Days") against the Capitol wherein twelve of the districts were defeated and the thirteenth supposedly destroyed, one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts, between the ages of twelve and eighteen, are selected by lottery to participate in the "Hunger Games" on an annual basis. The Games are a televised event with the participants, called "tributes", being forced to fight to the death in a dangerous public arena. The winning tribute and his/her home district is then rewarded with food, supplies, and riches. The purpose of the Hunger Games is to provide entertainment for the Capitol and to serve as a reminder to the Districts of the Capitol's power and lack of remorse.
Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant all take place in the same area, a futuristic and dystopian vision of Chicago. Society defines its citizens by their social and personality-related affiliation with five different factions, which removes the threat of anyone exercising independent will and re-threatening the population's safety. Beatrice Prior, who later changed her name to Tris, an Abnegation-born and Dauntless transfer, must figure out her life as a Divergent. If the Dauntless leaders find her out she will be killed. She must learn to conceal her ability and not let it show.
During Christmas time, many will be loading up their kindle with some fabulous books!
Christmas is a special time with loved ones, when we eat and drink too much, open gifts, and perhaps remember what Christmas is all about. At the end of it all, the best thing to do is either settle in front of the TV to a great movie (Love Actually is always one of our favourites) or read a book!
I was raised as a Roman Catholic in Gibraltar and I have to admit that I loved going to Midnight mass on the 24th December. The atmosphere within the church, the revered silence, the smell, Christmas carols. It was truly magical. Since I have moved to the UK I have lost this tradition, mainly since I do not attend Church anymore. It's not that I don't hold on to my Christian values, I do. We have a nativity at home, teach our children why we celebrate Christmas and try to have a nice (relaxing - maybe?) day.
Ultimately, if we all show some consideration for others, share, respect each other, and try to be kind & considerate, I believe we can all lead happier lives.
This year I have volunteered at my local library, primary school, Foodbank, and have Face-painted at fundraising events for the PTA. I have also donated money to several charities via the Children and Adult anthologies I published. The amounts are not huge, but in this current economy every bit helps.
So now, it's time to give YOU a Christmas gift.
As some of you know, I wrote a prequel to The Evolution Trilogy, EMILY. I have had great feedback so far and have decided to let you read it for free, via Amazon, for a limited time only.
=> The entire trilogy will be over 70% off at the beginning so get in there quick!
However, you can download Hybrid for FREE and get Complications & Return at a 50% reduction via SMASHWORDS during this period, using these coupon codes.
COMPLICATIONS use => VN85E
RETURN use => CR58R
So, enjoy and spread the word... and if you want to make me smile leave a review. Thank you.
This weekend I attended the Isle of Wight Literary Festival. I was lucky to be given a slot alongside some fantastic authors, which I mention on my main blog - click HERE for more.
I also managed to get my books sold by the Waterstone's stall on site - I was organised enough to ask them a month before they event and they put me on their system!
It is an impressive sight to see my books alongside those published traditionally and to think "they look good!" Createspace did a great job with these - I love the smooth silky feel of the cover and pages, and the whole effect is fantastic!
Either way, I am an unknown author and my books were stacked alongside the YA books (even though I am not YA) so I did not sell many...
... so I'll tell you a bit about how it went.
There was a fundamental problem (as much as I am grateful to be included). It was not possible to buy adult tickets for my event unless you had a weekend pass! The reason for this is unknown to me, but I suspect that when I was given the extra session in the afternoon, since it was a talk geared at adults, they failed to take it off the children's program.
This would have been a great turnout
for my talk!
At one point, I figured I'd go with my friend Donna for tea & cake and forget it all if no-one showed up! I also came up with a plan B and changed the room layout so that I could do a writing workshop instead if the turnout was poor.
Luckily, adults managed to get tickets, although it was strange to see them enter with a child ticket!
Anyway, I was glad to see about 20 people arrive and all the chairs were filled. Trust me, I breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to the last talk I gave in Gibraltar this was a small cosy affair.
My plan was to talk for about 30 minutes and then do a writing workshop for the second half. Well... I talked for 50 minutes instead. What exactly I said is a blur, but I think everyone enjoyed it. Ultimately, I could have said so much more, but I focused on the lead up to my writing career and read excerpts from my trilogy that focus on topics such as relationships, war, my upbringing in Gibraltar, and personal conflict.
If I had been more organised I would have shown the trilogy video I made, but I did not think of that!
I was not focused on selling and it showed.
Honestly, I barely slept the week before and felt sick on the day of the talk... I was so nervous! I guess I am out of practice and lack confidence.
If I ever make it (and I doubt I have to worry about that too much) I'll laugh about this one day...
For the last ten minutes, I carried out a writing workshop. I gave them 2 minutes to write something about a character chosen by chance. Three of the adults read aloud what they had written and I was stunned by the quality. There are so many writers hiding in the woodwork, waiting for a chance to peek out and shine! Self-publishing has helped many do this already...
Ultimately, if my talk helped anyone discover hidden talents then it was all worth it! I can't help but think that I love to teach not to sell. Therefore, I am going to try to focus on what I started this for. To write and have fun. I am lucky to have achieved what I have since 2012. I have not done as well as others, but I simply am not ruthless enough. I can not change who I am and refuse to. If this means I sell no more books, then so be it.
I don't think Vincent Van Gogh would have ever believed how much his paintings are worth today... talent is not always spotted until someone gives it credibility.
I must thank my wonderful friend, Donna, for helping me on the day and for being incredibly supportive.
I also have to say a huge thank you to a lovely friend I have made via the web, My Book Fairy. She is also trying to drum up support for my NEW release, Emily via a BLOG TOUR. If you have a blog and are willing to get involved please contact her. Again, I am over the moon to have someone else who is willing to wave my flag!
In 2010, I had the foolish idea that I should write for fun... nearly five years later I have self-published three novels, seven anthologies, and am about to release a novella. My weakness is the fact I have wanted to do it all myself (I should get someone to design my covers one day), but I am proud of what I have achieved and hope some of you see something good in what I do.
A few weeks ago I started volunteering at my local library. It's fun to be among books and to help out with such a worthy cause.
I grew up going to the library. My dad would roam the styles and I would gather a bunch of books to take home with me. I was always in awe of the amount of books on offer, and slightly intimidated by the silence - it gave it an almost holy feel.
Anyway, I finally got round to donating my trilogy to my local library and so had to take a picture!
So there you have it... best thing was I noticed this week that Hybrid is missing - which means someone has taken it out! Fingers crossed they enjoy it.
If anyone had told me years ago that I would have written a novel, let alone three, I would have laughed my head off... seriously!
In fact, I am shocked at what I have done in four years. I feel at a loss now, and hope I can continue and write another. Insecurity is my biggest enemy, especially when I know there are millions of books out there - why would anyone care about mine?
I have to remember to write for me, to escape.
Perhaps the issue is that recently I have needed to escape less and embraced motherhood. Life is a lot easier when you don't have a toddler to look after. You start to get your life back. I want to make the best use of my time - is writing it? Who knows? I certainly don't.
My next project, along with other novels in the pipeline, is more personal and therefore more daunting. Historical fiction is something I love to read. I am scared that I will not do 'it' justice.
But, as the saying goes 'if you don't try, you won't know'.
Luckily, my eyesight is finally on the mend - phew... so back to the drawing board I go.
