Category: Self-Publishing (Page 4 of 6)

Happy Book Birthday to ELIXIR SAVED by Katie L. Carroll

July 14, 2020 / Katie L. Carroll

Today’s the day…ELIXIR SAVED is out in the world! It’s been quite the journey with this book. It took me a very long time to write (here’s a post I wrote back in 2017 “Why Is It Taking Me So Long To Write The Second Elixir Book?”) and was more work than I anticipated, even though I knew it was going to be a hard book to write.

I’m really proud of it, though. I think it reflects how much I’ve grown as a person and a writer since those long ago days when I wrote ELIXIR BOUND. Most importantly, I think it gives the character based on my sister Kylene the journey I wanted for her, the story I couldn’t give her in the first Elixir book because I wasn’t ready yet. And it has a gorgeous cover thanks to the very talented Susan Tait Porcaro, who has turned from a colleague to a friend.

I decided to roll with the idea of book birthdays and give ELIXIR SAVED its very own birth story. This video was fun (and embarrassing) to make, but I hope it shows how much I love writing and my books, even when they’re difficult…much like having kids. Plus I got to wear the dress I got (pre-pandemic) for book events.

I’m trying to be positive in this release post because I want to send my book baby out into the world with good energy. But I can’t say it’s been easy to release a book during a pandemic. I rely on hand-selling at events to help get the word out and reach new readers. I’m also missing out on an unknown number of opportunities for both Elixir books that may have arisen as a result of ELIXIR BOUND winning an award last year. I’m also aware of the privilege I have of getting to this at all.

There are the usual release day nerves and jitters there, too. This book is long–maybe too long–despite my efforts to trim it as much as possible. Things have been so hectic this year, I ended up doing most of the final edits on my own, so I’m nervous about what I may have missed. After working so long on a book, it’s hard to have any perspective. Way to sell you all on buying the book, right? *insert awkward laughter*

So if I haven’t totally scared you away by now, here are the details on what the book is about and where you can buy it. Thanks so much to each and every one of you for being a part of my author journey!

ELIXIR SAVED by Katie L. Carroll

Three lives saved by the Elixir; three lives bound by it.

The Elixir entwines the lives of those it touches. Once upon a time, Kylene, Zelenka, and Devon tasted it and escaped death. None were left without scars. Now, a shocking message from the Ice Queen—one of Mother Nature’s higher beings—sends each survivor on a quest. Kylene travels to the frozen depths of Blanchardwood, Zelenka heads back to the wilds of Faway Forest, and Devon journeys to a reclusive mountain temple. The three paths converge in a war against an ancient and tricky foe. And even the Elixir cannot save everyone. The fate of the world balances on the edge of a sword, and the outcome depends on whether the survivors will sacrifice their second chances.

Escape back into the world of the Great Peninsula in this much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND. Perfect for fans of the Thrones of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.

Buy the book on Bookshop, Amazon, Kobo, IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Apple Books, and Book Depository (for international folks).

What Does A Writer Do When Not Reading or Writing?

February 4, 2020 / Katie L. Carroll

I haven’t been reading much lately. I’ve only finished one book this year, though I’m in the middle of at least five books right now. I haven’t been writing either. The last drafting I did was in the fall, though I’ve been working through edits of ELIXIR SAVED, which, of course, are taking longer than expected as has everything with this story.

(If you’re curious about how an indie author differentiates between writing, revising, and editing, I’ll be blogging about my process later this year.)

So what have I been doing? I’ve been taking part in a few challenges. In January I did Storystorm, which was created by author Tara Lazar and is a brainstorming event where you come up with 30 story ideas in the 31 days of January. Are all my ideas winners? Definitely not, but I think there may be a few gems in there when I sort through them when I’m looking to start a new project.

This month, I’m doing Nonfiction Fest, presented by the Nonfiction Chicks and is a “month-long crash course in writing nonfiction for children.” I’ve been reading through the daily blogs, but I’m little behind in the daily challenges. I should have some time to catch up by the end of the month.

I like these types of challenges because it forces me to think about writing-related things every day, but they’re quick and you can do as much or as little as you want towards the challenge. For me, it’s not always about “winning” (i.e. completing every aspect of the challenge) but about learning and trying new things.

I’ve also been taking some time to celebrate ELIXIR BOUND for winning the Connecticut Author Project for Best YA Fiction. It’s not every day your book wins an award, so I’m trying to pause and enjoy it. I’ll be heading to Nashville later this month for the Public Library Association Conference where there will be a reception for all the Indie Author Project winners. My awesome cover artist Susan Tait Porcaro took the time to put the award badge onto the cover, so that version is now available (with a couple of small updates to the text as well, though the story is still the same…I might blog about this later, too).

I’ll be revealing the cover for ELIXIR SAVED soon, which I love so much, and was also created by the talented Susan Tait Porcaro. If you like Frozen 2, feminist matriarchal worlds, magical queens holed up in an ice palace in snowy woods, and epic quests, then you might just like ELIXIR SAVED. My goal is to get it up for pre-order in the next month or so…stay tuned for all that!

Finally, I’ve been working on planning some events. In addition to going to the PLA Conference, I’m scheduling local library events, I’ll probably be going to the New England SCBWI conference, and I’ve already booked a group Unworkshop retreat to the Highlights Foundation in the fall with my writing bestie Katlyn Duncan and a few other writers.

And of course, all the usual parenting stuff with the kiddos! I’m a room parent for both my kindergartner’s and 3rd-grader’s classrooms, so I get to help organize the parties. I’m coaching my 3rd-grader’s basketball team. And the usual story time at the library and such with my two-year-old. Busy times!

What have you all been up to lately?

ELIXIR BOUND Wins the 2019 Connecticut Author Project for YA Fiction

November 25, 2019 / Katie L. Carroll

Updated to add that here is the official announcement for the winners of the 2019 Indie Author Project awards.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email that at first had me skeptical and then had me speechless. As someone who lists their email address directly on their website, usually when an email hits my inbox with a subject line referencing one of my books or being an author, they’re trying to sell me something. I tolerate those in order to keep communication channels open for readers, educators, and reviewers.

So when I saw on my phone this particular email from an address I didn’t know, I had the usual thoughts of it being a sales pitch. Then I actually read the email and I felt a strange buzzing sensation overcome me and render me speechless. ELIXIR BOUND, my YA fantasy that I self-published last year (after getting my rights back from the original publisher) had been selected by the Connecticut Indie Author Project as the winner in the YA fiction category!

The email went on to ask for a headshot and the book cover and explain that I would be getting badges to put on the cover. And it asked where to send the prize money! That’s when I started to get kind of light-headed and I called my husband to tell him the good news, all the while still kind of a in state of shock.

When I made the move to self-publishing, it was with a lot of excitement but also with a lot of trepidation. Would people think I was self-publishing because my books weren’t good enough to be traditionally published? Was I reducing my chances of ever getting traditionally published? Would I ever find an audience doing this myself? Some days it’s hard not to think I’m toiling away in obscurity, putting hours and hours and hours of energy and heart into these books with very little external validation.

That’s not to say I don’t recognize the wonderful support I’ve gotten from readers who have found my books, from local libraries and organizations, and from my family and friends. I appreciate every single person who has played some part in my journey as an author. But, yeah, those darker thoughts creep up and make me wonder if I’m wasting my time.

So to have an organization like the Indie Author Project, whose goal is to connect indie authors to libraries and readers, in conjunction with BiblioBoard and Library Journal recognize my work…well, that just helps to quiet all those doubts and let the good thoughts shine through. That what I do matters, that being in this for the long haul will hopefully pay off, that I am putting out quality work.

It looks like the winners haven’t been announced on the website yet, but my local librarian congratulated me when I stopped by the library last week, so I figure that makes it official enough to announce it here.

My YA Fantasy ELIXIR BOUND Is Now Available

July 11, 2018 / Katie L. Carroll

The pretty, new version of my YA fantasy ELIXIR BOUND (with the gorgeous cover by Susan Tait Porcaro) is finally hitting all the online vendors. It’s been a bit of a thing to make the switch from the old version to the new one with reverting the rights back to me and getting the new cover, blurb, and actual book up on the sites, but you don’t need to know all the nitty gritty details of that.

(Or maybe your do want to know about that stuff. If you’re interested in learning more about indie publishing…I could blog about it…let me know in the comments if that sounds like something you’d like to read about. Mostly I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing 😉 but I’m doing it, so that’s something.)

So hopefully all this trouble wasn’t for nothing and it actually sells a few copies. So here are some places where you can find it (the new version isn’t up on IndieBound yet, but I’ll update my homepage and the books page once that link is ready):

Amazon paperback & ebook – https://www.amazon.com/Elixir-Bound-Katie-L-Carroll/dp/099892542X

Amazon ebook – https://www.amazon.com/Elixir-Bound-Katie-L-Carroll-ebook/dp/B07DHB5WRM

Barnes & Noble paperback & ebook – https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/elixir-bound-katie-l-carroll/1117532812

Kobo ebook – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/elixir-bound-1

If you do read it, I’d be ever so grateful if you left a review on any (and all) of these vedors and also over on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40489385-elixir-bound) if you’re there. And also just spread the word if you liked it. Buy it as a gift for the pre-teen or teen in your life (or the YA loving grown-up you know). Request it at your local library. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to get a book noticed. I’d love to keep making more books, and the more copies I sell, the more I can focus on creating more books. That goes for giving my MG adventure PIRATE ISLAND (Goodreads link https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34818093-pirate-island) a little love as well!

ELIXIR BOUND blurb:

Katora Kase isn’t the firstborn son nor does she possess the type of magic that can conjure spells or bewitch others.

In the land of the Great Peninsula—an epic fantasy world ruled by the Great Mother Nature and her offspring—those things aren’t a measure of one’s worth. And what Katora does possess is the subtle magic running through her blood that marks her as the next guardian of a secret healing Elixir that is her family’s legacy. It is such a highly guarded secret that Katora doesn’t know of its existence until a rare snowstorm blows through with a message for her father, the current guardian.

Katora sets off on a quest into the wilds of Faway Forest to find the flowers that give the Elixir its potency. Even though she is accompanied by her sister, her brother, an old family friend, and the handsome son of a mapmaker, she feels alone. For it is her decision alone whether or not to bind herself to the Elixir’s magic to serve and protect it until a new guardian is chosen. The forest hosts many dangers, including wicked beings that will stop at nothing to gain power, but the biggest danger Katora may face is whether or not to open up her heart to love.

Happy Book Birthday to PIRATE ISLAND!!!

October 17, 2017 / Katie L. Carroll

It’s been a very long time since I was able to celebrate a book birthday. ELIXIR BOUND first released over five years ago (see how I celebrated that release here). So I’m very, very, very excited to say that I have a new book out today. Welcome to the world PIRATE ISLAND!!!

This is the book I wrote in the hangover period after writing my first book. I needed to write something that felt very different, so I went with a middle grade story from a boy’s point of view. It was an exercise in voice. It was a nod to the legends and stories I had heard about the little island off the coast of my own hometown that may or may not have pirate treasure buried on it (see the Charles Island wiki page for more on the real island…though I’ll be sharing more about it here as well). It was something of an homage to the complicated life of Captain William Kidd (see the blog series on #CaptainKiddHistory for more about him). When I decided to self-publish the book, it became a whole lesson on that process.

I had a lot of fun researching both the island and Kidd’s life while I wrote PIRATE ISLAND. I had a really hard time figuring out the best way to start the book, and a sort of hard time discovering the right voice for it. Even though it’s “finished” (as in it’s out there being read by people and such), I’m not sure I got either of those things right, but I know I at least got them almost right.

So here’s the nitty-gritty on my book baby PIRATE ISLAND. (Much love to anyone who shares the image above to help spread the word about it!)

Buy it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, or where ever you like to buy books (if your local bookstore doesn’t have it in stock, they can order it for you). You can also put in a request to your local library to order it so you can borrow it from them. I’m also running a Goodreads giveaway for a signed copy of it. And in case you haven’t read the blurb yet, here it is:

A thrice cursed island, a legendary pirate treasure, and one not-so-brave boy. What could possibly go wrong?

For centuries, the whereabouts of Captain William Kidd’s lost pirate treasure has remained a mystery. When Billy’s best friend, Andy, proposes they look for it on nearby Pirate Island, Billy thinks it’s just another one of their crazy adventures. It’s usually Billy who ends up in trouble as a result, but he goes along for the ride…like always. The more he delves into the life and death of Kidd, the more he thinks the treasure is real and that it might be buried on the small island in Long Island Sound. Billy—nope, call him William—becomes obsessed with the captain of the same first name. He even believes he’s possessed by Kidd’s restless soul. Now he and the spirit of a long-dead pirate are leading the crazy adventure on Pirate Island. And what they find is far bigger than the treasure they imagined.