Author Archives: Kate Policani

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About Kate Policani

Hello, my name is Kate and I am a compulsive fiction writer. I have a passion for story. Real or fiction, across genres, I write, read, watch, and listen to stories. Every story holds deeper meaning and lessons to learn. I write to expand ideas and connect readers to my stories and their deeper messages. Through my stories I explore the common themes of life and push the boundaries of my own perceptions. I would love to take my readers on a journey to explore life’s questions and find still more questions to ask. A Seattle mom of three and therefore a coffee addict, I write my books over a hot mocha in the rainy season (Fall-Winter-Spring) and an iced mocha during the six weeks of summer. Every journal I own begins with a few days of my life and then some hastily-scrawled record of whatever story takes over. I think about my stories in bed as I drift off to sleep. I often wake in the middle of the night with a writing idea. I have scrawled story notes on the backs of my grocery lists wadded up in my purse. My writing ideas even have their own email address. Story grows everywhere from the music we hear to the people we encounter. Will you take a journey into story with me?

New Review: Stalking Shadows by Tahlia Newland

Stalking Shadows

Book 2 of the Diamond Peak Series

by Tahlia Newland

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy

Read my review here! 

Synopsis: Ripped from the safety of our world and thrust into a strange hidden realm on a quest to save her mother, Ariel aims to confront the Master Demon, but first she must defeat Amic, the bodyguard that’s trying to kill her. In order reach the safe haven of Sheldra, she must pass through dangerous terrain and battle demons, spirits, rogue Magicians and her own conflicting emotions.

Ariel wants to retain a clear focus on the task at hand so, despite Nick’s protests, she insists of a friends-only relationship with him. But the very thing she hoped would simplify her quest only complicates it with emotional, energetic and hormonal turmoil.

Despite Walnut’s continued guidance, Ariel finds herself constantly forced to rely on her own resources. Will she find the inner strength and wisdom she needs to defeat Amic and continue her journey?

Buy Stalking Shadows on Amazon

Buy for Kindle UK

Buy on Kobo

Buy on Smashwords

Visit the Goodreads Page

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Stop Apostrophe and Quotation Mark Abuse

BossyBigSisPFETQA

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Help!

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More Books!

I’ve just published a second blog compilation book full of webby goodness and organized so you can read it through or reference just the topics that interest you! Please click the cover to visit Smashwords for my new FREE book!

CWF12cover

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A Little Animation

GoAnimate video

Click the picture to see a little video I put together on GoAnimate.com! It was a fun little exercise in creating a scene from my book’s descriptions.

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A reminder from Friday! Gearing up for another Discovery.

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Examiner article: Writing careers beyond the book

Please read my latest Examiner article to see all the many ways writers can earn money with their writing in addition to their books: http://www.examiner.com/article/writing-careers-beyond-the-book

I would very much appreciate it if you would subscribe to my column! It’s free and it helps promote my articles.

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Book Marketing Companies Update

I’ve been crazy busy lately! Sorry about the infrequent posts but I’m refinancing my house, doing taxes, enrolling kids in school, and other paperwork. Midwinter is also doing a number on my Coffee Equalization Coefficient. But here is an update on book promotion companies. I heard about a stinker recently and found some sites with personal testimonies, so I added those.

**These ratings for book marketing companies are all based strictly on customer experience and opinion. This is a running list and I will be happy to add other customer opinions of book marketing companies to this list. To include your ratings, please comment on this post or email me at katepolicani@gmail (dot) com.

3/7/2013

Company Name Type of service Pass? Costs Comments
99 cent Network Listing Fail $45 No obvious return for money and no visibility of book on site. No answers to emails inquiring about where to find the book
AtoMr Book Blog Tours Tours, Book Buzz Pass $99 Did ” an awesome job” “super happy with the results” “booked blogs that get awesome traffic and have a lot of avid readers”
Archway Publishing Self-publishing, marketing, bookselling/promotion services     See author Solutions
AuthorHouse Self-publishing, marketing, bookselling/promotion services     See Author Solutions
Author Solutions Self-publishing, marketing, bookselling/promotion services Fail   Additonal names: Trafford Publishing, AuthorHouse, iUniverse Inc., Xlibris,

Ripoff Report

“I simply cannot get anyone to respond to my e-mails on a book I am publishing with the company. The company says my book has already gone on sale, though they are obligated to provide me with a sizeable number of free books for my book launch – they have not and are not responding to e-mails….”

Bewitch-ing Blog Tours Tours Fail   “half the people who signed up didn’t post and only 3 did reviews even though it was supposed to be 15”
Book-Daily Listing Fail $49 “amount of sales doesn’t seem to be worth cost”
Book-Whirl SCAM Fail    Scam Report Another Scam Report
Goddess Fish Promos Tour Reviews Neut. $30 “didn’t break even” but supplied publicity
Inno-vative Online Book Tours / Reading Addiction Tours,  Amazon Reviews Fail $100 “A big flop, didn’t follow through as they had promised” “Three blogs didn’t post at all. The ones

who did post had very low followings, and NONE of them posted their review on amazon. Lame excuses from staff.” Bloggers posted ebook giveaway when customer didn’t offer them/wrong day. The ones who did post the correct giveaway all posted separate rafflecopter forms, preventing a fair winner or forcing customer to send 20 prize packs

“Hasn’t given me any sales OR amazon reviews. Stay away from them.”

iUniverse Self-publishing, marketing, bookselling/promotion services     See Author Solutions
Kindle Daily Nation Listings Fail $160 “no results” (used to be great but saturated with too many books)
Kindle Promo Indie Book Listing Service Tweets Pass £15 “actively promotes books”
Nurture Your Books Tour, Promo, Nat. Press Release Fail $995 Paid for services and “nothing happened” Multiple calls and emails got no reponse. Emails to everyone in the company finally got a response and offer  of the book tour but couldn’t make the other person contact me. Customer resorted to refund through the credit card company.
Orange-berry Summer Splash Tour Tours TBA $25 Slots at tail end of month-long tour with 99 other authors, At least one event didn’t happen, never saw promised review, Orangeberry currently compensating author with discount second tour.
Partners in Crime Tours TBA    TBA
Pump Up Your Book Tours Fail   Ripoff Report
Promo. Book Tours Tours, Release parties Pass x2   Facebook Page Increased by 700 fans, Twitter increased by 450 Follows, newsletter increased by 150, “booked blogs that get awesome traffic and have a lot of avid readers”
Schiel & Denver book publishing, editing, marketing, printing, distribution Fail   Ripoff Report

“I did not get one on one author support.  I did not get a quality product.  I did not get the immediate response that they promised.  As a matter fact, every time I called the main line and requested to speak to a manager, they were always in a meeting and the call was never returned.”

Shades of Rose YA Tours Fail $7.50, $15 Newer company with small following, had trouble filling tours, do refund when cannot fill tour.
Sizzling PR Tours Pass -1

Fail -1

$15 -$75 “Nice people and very affordable.”

“90% of the blogs were adult blogs/romance/erotica for a YA book”

Smith Publicity Var. Neut.   “Stellar results, high prices.”
Trafford Publishing

*See also: Author Solutions

Self-publishing, marketing, bookselling/promotion services Fail -1   See Author Solutions (Trafford was acquired by Author Solutions on April 2009.)
Xlibris Self-publishing, marketing, bookselling/promotion services     See Author Solutions

 

Here are some useful Links:

http://www.authormedia.com/3-signs-of-a-publishing-scam/

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2007/02/happy-valentines-day-from-writer-beware.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/suwcharmananderson/2012/06/01/valuable-lessons-from-self-publishing-survey/ This was a fascinating one on what seems to work/not work for author promotion.

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Examiner article: Enticing readers

Please visit my Examiner column! http://www.examiner.com/list/enticing-readers?cid=db_articles

Subscription and shares are much appreciated and free!

 

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Examiner Seattle Author Spotlight: Marcus Gorman

Meet another Seattle author on my Examiner column!

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I know you heard me the first time

AffectEffect

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Discovery 1: Survival of the Unfittest

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Discovery 1: The Guardian Spirit

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Discovery 1: Jupiter Rising

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Discovery 1: Mr. Tea and the Traveling Teacup

Mr. Tea and the Traveling Teacup

by Leslie Matthews-Stansfield

Genre: Mystery

Discover the lovable characters in my book Mr. Tea and the Traveling Teacup.  The book is published by Cozy Cat Press.  It is available on the Nook, the Kindle and paperback.

After the death of their mother, sisters Terry and Karen Sutter, turn their childhood home into a teahouse. It’s a dream come true, but the dream begins to resemble a nightmare when teacups start crashing to the floor in the middle of the night. Could the teahouse be haunted? There’s a list of possible ghostly candidates: the prior owner who is rumored to have left behind a buried treasure, two spinster neighbors who disappeared without a trace over forty years ago, or perhaps it is Terry and Karen’s own mother trying to communicate with them. Karen, the older sister, thinks running a haunted teahouse might be fun, until the sisters come home one night to find the attic stairs covered in a trail of what appears to be blood. Is it a ghost or is it a warning? The teahouse’s new mascot, a psychic macaw, may provide some unexpected clues, but the sisters will encounter many more surprises before they solve this mystery.

If you would like to check us out and read the first chapter, you can find us on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Teacup-Madelines-Teahouse-ebook/dp/…

Visit the author’s post on Book Blogs

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