Books to Film: When Pieces of the Magic Gets Left on the Cutting Room Floor

We all have heard it before: “The movie was cool but the books were sooooo much better!” It’s an awful truth for bibliophiles that has been around as long as book adaptations have existed. If movies were to put every single detail from a book into the screenplay, the movies would be hours upon hours long.

One of the best examples of this would be Harry Potter. Potterheads all over the world often commiserated about not seeing their favorite scenes played out on the silver screen (“Do you need a cough drop, Dolores?!” springs immediately to mind for me.) The audiobook for Order of the Phoenix runs approx 27 hours ( fun fact: Jim Dale set a world record by using  134 DIFFERENT voices  for this installment), whereas the film runs a total of 138 minutes. Looking at these numbers–and taking into account that while the films cut out quite a few scenes and details, acting those scenes out would be MUCH quicker than narrating the details of the scenes–you can feasibly deduct that putting every true-to-book detail into the movie could have put it at a running time of anywhere between 3-5 hours. Who would want to sit through that long of a movie?? (Hint: Every Potterhead in the world… that’s who.)

But I digress. As much as I would love to see every single obscure detail brought to life–film budget be damned–I also know that it’s not a possibility. Not only could it prove disastrous production-wise, but who the hell has time for that?? Not me!

No, what actually breaks my little book-loving-heart isn’t that they left out the MC eating his morning bowl of Wheaties, or the love interest’s visit to the bathroom… it’s when film completely change or lose what I would consider vital details. We are hearing the uproar as of late with regard to Jude Law’s upcoming portrayal of Albus Dumbledore in The Crimes of Grindewald and the missing detail of his orientation. But to step aside from the Harry Potter complaints… as there are many… I would like to focus on another novel I recently have come to enjoy: Ready Player One.

I can’t tell you how much I enjoy this story. It was a nostalgiafest for my little 80s-loving heart. My husband and kids saw the movie before me and they raved about it, so knowing I wouldn’t make a movie anytime soon, I decided to listen to the audiobook until it came to Netflix. There was so much going on in that novel, and I won’t get into every detail here, but there were many aspects that resonated with me in one way or another. The character-development was my absolute FAVORITE part. Each character was as real as people I’ve met in my life, rather than caricatures of stereotypes.

And then I watched the movie.

Now, I’m not gonna throw a fit and say the movie sucked, because in its own right the movie was fun to watch and I would watch it again. That being said, for anyone who hasn’t watched it yet… there’s very few things that are depicted like they were in the book. So much so… that I can’t break them all down. It would take all year. And I don’t really want to get grumpy all over again to be honest. But I do want to point out two specific instances where they changed things and I am SO. FUCKING. IRRITATED.

Warning you now….

 

Change number 1: Art3mis

I am a big girl and probably as noticeable as the living room lamp. I know what it’s like to just hate my entire packaging. Self-esteem issues blow. (I’m working on them. Baby steps.) Now, having dabbled in SecondLife myself, I am not unfamiliar with the ease in which one can just completely change up their packaging. I am not  a buxom, Amy Lee look-alike with badass tattoos all over her body and a kick-ass wardrobe. In fact… I could probably safely say–with the exception of a few tattoos here and there–I am the polar opposite of that image. But I felt confident with that appearance and all it took was a few keystrokes, so why not?

You know what I loved about Art3mis? She made her avatar look exactly like her real life self, with the exception of the port-wine stain on her face. And she wasn’t some blue-eyed, bronzed, Hollywood goddess in real life. She had an unusual body type, meaning unlike the porn star bodies “normally found in the Oasis.” At 168 lbs and 5’7”, according to her file, I understand this to mean she wasn’t rail-thin. She was soft. She was bigger than what most girls consider “attractive.” She didn’t hide these features behind a Barbie doll avatar, she embraced them. Only her birthmark made her self-conscious, something that is understandable as it’s not like your hair or your weight or anything you can actually permanently/easily change.

I loved the empowerment behind Art3mis loving her body so much, even though it wasn’t the “socially-accepted” idea of beauty that she modeled her fantasy avatar after it. These type of books so often rely on the female character hating her weight and making her avatar thin to hide that part of herself, that it was a breath of fresh air to see that particular feature not be in the spotlight.

And, by the way, future authors…. FAT IS NOT EQUAL TO UGLY! Please, stop making this your go-to trope for “hideousness!”

Of course, in the movie, they decided that not only her birthmark had to be gone from her avatar, but she had to turn her avatar into some svelt, edgelord elf. Oh, and to make it even better? REAL LIFE ART3MIS WAS GORGEOUS! -_-  Like, seriously?! Here in the book you have softer, thicker, raven-haired unconventional beauty Samantha totally loving what she’s packing (with one tiny exception) and flaunting it, and the movie you have fit, slender, red-haired, blue-eyed beauty Samantha HATING EVERYTHING ABOUT HERSELF. What the actual fuck, guys?

 

Change number 2: Aech

Okay… so my issues with the first big change hit a very personal note for me and I realize in the grand scheme of things that appearance is not the topmost issue for the majority of people (but to some it is a HUGE part of their life so I’m only a teeny bit sorry for being irritated about it.) But what they did to Aech/Helen??? This one actually made me angry.

In the book, Aech turns out to be a big black lesbian rather than the bro best friend Wade has grown to know. I get this so much. One of my favorite people on the internet became my best friend while I was under the impression they were a male. We wrote stories together and talked for hours together, forming what I believed to be an unshakeable bond of friendship. I later learned that “Artemis” (Yeah, not even joking there btw LOL) was a lesbian woman (hello redundancy). I wasn’t mad that she was a lesbian. I wasn’t mad that she was a woman. I was mad that she hid those parts of her from me all that time. It felt like a massive betrayal. Luckily, we were able to work through it because, as Wade points out in RPO, everything that he connected to was still there in his best friend, just in different packaging.

Aech/Helen explains to Wade that the white male persona was a survival tactic encouraged by her mother–a black female entrepreneur who made her own avatar in the Oasis to be a white male to give her an advantage otherwise denied her. More doors opened to her because the people she spoke with believed she was white and male, blowing through all those barriers that not only women often run into in the business world, but especially women of color tend to have trouble breaking through. She could thrive in that world free of sexism and prejudice.

If you don’t believe these barriers exist, look up experiments where a person with an ethnic name put a white-sounding name on their resume, or where a man accidentally sent an email to a client using his female coworker’s email and saw how much trouble she went through to be taken seriously.

This small scene in the book was so real, so 3rd dimension in Aech’s character development, it was probably my favorite among the entire cast of characters. But what does the movie go and do?

They explain her avatar name “Aech” as being a version of “H”…. because her dad called her that “and it stuck.”

They lost so much depth in that instant. Just one seemingly-tiny detail and not only did they make her character less interesting, but they lost the opportunity to put on display a very real and very common problem in the world. They did a disservice to all the men and women who have to navigate this ridiculous hurdles that have been put there by people who never had to jump them in their own pursuits. They lost a perfect opportunity to educate people who might not realize that these are things that people actually have to do to get these opportunities. And why? They could’ve trimmed down something else in the movie, like the ridiculous red-herring night club scene. Give me substance over flash any day.

As someone who would be overjoyed if any studio were interested in the movie rights to my book (one can dream right?) I hope I don’t have to ever sacrifice such great details. It really does make me respect those authors who pull the plug on projects when they start straying too far from the original material. You got my respect.

What book adaptions have driven you to the edge? What scenes should have been shown on the silver screen? Feel free to leave it in the comments below. We can commiserate together!

 

Pack or Prey: Readers Favorite Review

 

Oh July… you cruel mistress you. Always getting in the way of of my plans. Hopefully, as summer winds down, I will be able to devote more time to writing and blogging. We shall see!

Before we dive into it, I want to again congratulate Lacie McGary for her win of a free print copy of Pack or Prey! To those who entered and did not win, have no fear. You can still get an ebook or print copy on Amazon here–and I’m sure there will be more opportunities to win a free copy in the future. 😉

Today I wanted to share some more awesome I received this morning: A five-star Reader’s Favorite review! Hecks yeah! To anyone not familiar with RF, they are a review site. You upload your work and they put it in a database for reviewers to look through. When they find a book that catches their eye, they read and review it. I also believe once you are reviewed your review is announced in a newsletter that goes out to 500,000 libraries, bookstores, and schools nationwide.

They have many useful tools for the budding author or the established author. And their reviewer are honest and don’t waste time once they pick out your book. Below is my first review from Reader’s Favorite reviewer, Rabia Tanveer:

“Pack or Prey: Wolfblooded Book 1 by Melissa Graham is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy novel about the life of a young girl who learns the price of spontaneity the hard way. This is a fast-paced, action-packed and very well-written story that had me sitting on the edge of my seat to find out what happened next. I have to admit, I was not a big fan of Harley at first and she frustrated me a lot, but her growth was great and she developed to become a stronger person who was ready to take charge of her life.

Harley Rayne wasn’t living a happy life and she wasn’t really satisfied with how things were at home. She wanted attention and the love of someone in her life since her family wasn’t giving it to her. She always felt like the odd one in the family and there wasn’t much she could do about it. So when the handsome and enigmatic Frank rolled into her life on his bike with his bad boy charm, she fell hard. When the opportunity presented itself, she hopped on the back of his bike and ran away. It takes some time, but then she realizes that things are not as they seem with Frank. She is terrified and she is not sure what she should do. She can’t run away, but she can’t live with him as well.

This was a pretty intense novel and I really wasn’t expecting that. I enjoyed the flow of the story and how the author grabbed the attention of the reader by keeping things fresh and snappy. I liked how complex Harley was; she was naïve in a sense, which is very fitting for her character. She developed beautifully and when she finally understood what was happening in her life, she took charge, which was refreshing. This is a pretty good read and the cover is very beautiful too. Entertaining and enjoyable!”

 

Psst… remember how I said there would be more opportunities to win a free copy in the future? Here’s your next chance: Enter to get your free Kindle version of Pack or Prey here. Brought you by Reader’s Favorite.

Also, this blog won’t be complete without a little tease at what I got cooking up next.

Image by Selfpub Designs

 

#Paperback Release and #Giveaway!

 

 

Hello lovelies!

So, things rarely seem to work out the way we hope, and this is no exception. I had hoped to do a big pre-order thing leading up to the release of the paper edition of Pack or Prey, but as it turns out, life likes to hog the spotlight. So instead, I am going to post a simple announcement that:

Pack or Prey is officially available for purchase on paperback! Get it here now!

“But Melissa…Duckie…sweetie…You mentioned something about a giveaway?”

Why, yes, voice inside my head that may or may not require mild doses of anti-psychotics. Indeed, I did mention something about that.

I have never done a real giveaway before, so you guys get to be my guinea pigs! Huzzah!

I am going to do this in three places: Comments on this blog post, comments on the FB post for this blog post, and comments on the tweet–you might have guessed it–about this blog post (don’t worry, I will pin this particular tweet to my twitter profile for easy searching.)

All you have to do is share this blog via your own blog, Facebook, or Twitter then comment “Shared” to enter for a free paperback. Important: Don’t forget to comment after sharing so I can enter your name!! I won’t always be able to see who shared just by you sharing!!

Pro tip: If you comment telling me what having a “home” means to you, you will get a second entry! If you comment telling me about when/how you finally gained your own sense of independence, you will get THREE entries! What?!

I will shove all the names into a randomizer and pick one winner on July 4th as soon as I see the first big boom in the sky, so you get 2 days to share and enter! I may even do a FB live event. Who knows. Depends on whether I can figure it all out… or if I look like a sunburned, drowned rat from my celebrating. Or if I’m drunk…

Ok, so maybe no FB live. That sounds like more trouble than I am willing to get into on a Wednesday evening. But share, share, share, and get entered! The contest starts…

Now!

 

#CoverReveal for Pack or Prey

We finally have arrived at cover reveal day and it’s bittersweet for me. I try to keep my blogs as real and authentic to my personality as possible, and while sometimes this means being totally awkward and making a complete dummy of myself, today it means forcing myself to celebrate one moment in my life when I want to do anything but be happy and celebratory.

This morning I learned that my big brother passed away and while we knew it was an inevitability, no amount of preparation can ever prepare you for losing someone who was so entwined in your life and your heart. He was a pain in the ass, but he was my bubby, and my heart is broken.

Still, I know my brother supported my writing and wanted nothing more from me than to see me succeed and as much as I want to just curl up and cry, I also know he would want to kick my ass for doing so. So I push forward.

I have worked with Silvana before on my previous book cover, but had unintentionally stifled her true talent by stubbornly wanting a very specific model used. Wisely, when I was ready for a new title–and as such needed a whole new cover–I let her have free reign on this project. I gave her some simple instructions and ideas of what I liked but left everything up to her. And I can tell you that what she did was magical.

Without much more ado or incoherent ramblings–let’s reveal this thing shall we?

 

Isn’t it a beaut? I could stare at it all day. You can get your shiny new copy on the Kindle Store for $1.99 in the next day or two (sorry, Amazon is sometimes slow to update covers.) She even made this spiffy gif ad for me.

 

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to manage sorting out the other thing I had in store for you all. I will work on that soon, so keep a look out. In the meantime, hug the people you love. I am going to go do the same right now.

 

 

#CoverReveal Countdown: #CoverBoner No. 1

 

Last day of the countdown to cover reveal! I’m excited guys!

Leading up to this moment, I’ve shared some awesome covers with you. Covers that made me go Oooooooooh. So far we’ve had Runes of Truth, the first of G. Bailey’s A Demon’s Fall series, followed by Lost Child by D.S. Butler, then the carb-a-licious Sourdough: A Novel by Robin Sloan, and yesterday showed off Capture Death by Michael Anderle. Today’s #CoverBoner was picked in a slightly different way from the last four. I actually found this one while discussing what I wanted for my new design.

 

#CoverBoner Number 1

Beautiful Stranger by Kat Vancil

This one caught my attention because of it’s vibrant color and it’s fairly unique design within the genre. No supernatural tie-in or otherworldly surroundings here. In fact, at first glance I thought this to be a romance novel, and even if it had been, it would still be unique in its absence of rippling abs and erogenous zone closeups.

I like when a design catches me off guard and this cityscape inside a silhouette idea is one I’ve yet to see take over the virtual shelves. Yet. I’m sure there is a technical term for this sort of design but, alas, I am not a designer. I am a wordsmith. And not a very good one, because I cannot think of a witty term for this design. Go me.

So that concludes the countdown of my current top five #CoverBoners. Tomorrow I unveil the new look of Pack or Prey and hopefully have some more awesome stuff to share with you.

 

 

 

#CoverReveal Countdown: #CoverBoner No. 2

 

Day four of the countdown to my pretty new cover for Pack or Prey brings us to cover-boner number two. If you haven’t been following along, Monday we had a beautiful example from Runes of Truth, the first of G. Bailey’s A Demon’s Fall series, followed by Tuesday’s kick-in-the-gut Lost Child by D.S. Butler, and Wednesday gave us a rather surreal experience with Sourdough: A Novel by Robin Sloan. Just a brief reminder about my countdown and how I picked these five particular covers…

I have scrolled through pages of books on the Kindle App store until I found 5 covers I wanted to share with the world because—well, gosh darn it—they’re just beautiful. Just because a cover isn’t listed, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a beautiful design, I just can’t showcase them ALL. In order to be showcased, they had to meet one of the following criteria:

1. They instantly catch my attention, enough to make me STOP scrolling.
2. They invoke a curiosity about the book itself.
3. Extra points if it was a style I don’t see a thousand times already. (jk, I’m not actually keeping score lol but it did push them to the top of the list)

A few quick disclaimers: I stayed in the dark/urban fantasy genre as that is closest to my own work and my own reading preferences. I did not seek out certain authors or books I have already read, so I am not rating the books themselves, only my first impressions of the cover art.

 

#CoverBoner Number 2

Capture Death (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 20) by Michael Anderle

Wow. This cover just hit it all for me. First off, it’s coloring is pleasing and gives great stage dressing for the overall feel of what I am going to read inside its pages. Secondly, it’s a style I don’t see very often and it’s well done. The face in the background gives me a menacing taste of, who I assume to be, the main character and joined with the perfect symmetry of the full bodied-model in the foreground, it has good balance. My eyes aren’t focusing on one single space, but rather the whole picture. Of course, it made me curious enough to peek at the book’s description and immediately I see the name: Baba Yaga.

Well, if that didn’t instantly hook me. Suddenly, the cover image seems even more perfect. Unlike the other books on my list, this one appears to be nearing the end of a series. So if you are interested in diving into this series, I would start with Death Becomes Her (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 1) which is on Kindle for $2.99. This looks like a series one could become quite invested in.

 

 

#CoverReveal Countdown: #CoverBoner No. 3

 

Continuing my countdown to my cover reveal with cover design #3 today (and appreciating some well-made puns). Monday we had a beautiful example from Runes of Truth, the first of G. Bailey’s A Demon’s Fall series, followed by Tuesday’s kick-in-the-gut Lost Child by D.S. Butler. Just a brief reminder about my countdown and how I picked these five particular covers…

I have scrolled through pages of books on the Kindle App store until I found 5 covers I wanted to share with the world because—well, gosh darn it—they’re just beautiful. Just because a cover isn’t listed, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a beautiful design, I just can’t showcase them ALL. In order to be showcased, they had to meet one of the following criteria:

1. They instantly catch my attention, enough to make me STOP scrolling.
2. They invoke a curiosity about the book itself.
3. Extra points if it was a style I don’t see a thousand times already. (jk, I’m not actually keeping score lol but it did push them to the top of the list)

A few quick disclaimers: I stayed in the dark/urban fantasy genre as that is closest to my own work and my own reading preferences. I did not seek out certain authors or books I have already read, so I am not rating the books themselves, only my first impressions of the cover art.

 

#CoverBoner Number 3

Sourdough: A Novel by Robin Sloan

Okay…… So…. yeah, this one is a little strange and I kinda love it. First off, it made me instantly stop scrolling because I couldn’t believe that it’s what I actually saw. When I got a good look at it…. yup. It was definitely a loaf of sourdough bread floating in the air, glowing with rays of light like the second coming of Jesus. Its simplicity is actually quite genius in my opinion. It piques curiosity and gives nothing away. Literally.

Is it about a crusty-bread-wielding assassin? Does the sourdough find its true love in a piping-hot french onion dip? Does a Sourdough-Savior bring peace and prosperity to a world suffering at the hand of a Keto diet-obsessed dictator? I have no idea WHAT this book is about, or what genre it is in, which means I am stopping to read the description, the categories, everything. If it gives anything away, its the subtle humor of the arrow pointing at the load of bread like a neon sign saying, yes… indeed… this is bread. Maybe it’s because I have been totally depriving myself of all things carbs lately (Help me, Obi-Wan Ka-dough-be. You’re my only hope!) but I really liked this cover for it’s simplicity and it’s poke at humor while making me dig for what the book is really about. Generally, you WANT your readers to see what they are getting into with a glance at the cover but…. I don’t know, this just works somehow. I love when something can manage to break the rules well.

If you are as curious as I was about this glorious loaf of carbs, you can get Sourdough: A Novel on Kindle for $14.99—by far pricier than the rest of my list but if the reviews were any indication, it might be well worth it.

 

 

#CoverReveal Countdown: #CoverBoner No. 4

Today we continue my countdown to my cover reveal with cover design #4. Yesterday we had a beautiful example from Runes of Truth, the first of G. Bailey’s A Demon’s Fall series. Just a brief reminder about my countdown and how I picked these five particular covers…

I have scrolled through pages of books on the Kindle App store until I found 5 covers I wanted to share with the world because—well, gosh darn it—they’re just beautiful. Just because a cover isn’t listed, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a beautiful design, I just can’t showcase them ALL. In order to be showcased, they had to meet one of the following criteria:

1. They instantly catch my attention, enough to make me STOP scrolling.
2. They invoke a curiosity about the book itself.
3. Extra points if it was a style I don’t see a thousand times already. (jk, I’m not actually keeping score lol but it did push them to the top of the list)

A few quick disclaimers: I stayed in the dark/urban fantasy genre as that is closest to my own work and my own reading preferences. I did not seek out certain authors or books I have already read, so I am not rating the books themselves, only my first impressions of the cover art.

 

#CoverBoner Number 4

Lost Child by D.S. Butler

Oh man, this one was a gut punch. But in a horribly good way. One of my top fears is losing one of my children, and Butler’s designer managed to freeze me to the spot as I scrolled to this one. There’s nothing pretty about this, but it hits all the right emotions. Foregoing a model of a child in favor of a single, discarded shoe was exactly the right move and I both love and hate them for it. The question of what happened to that little girl is going to haunt me until I read it. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and Butler’s designer didn’t mince a single one. It’s reminiscent of that six-word story: “For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.”

Uggggh. Total. Gut punch.

If you are interested in finding out what happened to the pint-sized owner of that shoe, you can get Lost Child on Kindle for $2.99!

 

#CoverReveal Countdown: #CoverBoner No. 5

So, the incredibly talented Silvana G. Sanchez (of Ebook Solutions by Selfpub Designs) is wrapping up the art for Pack or Prey (formerly Deny the Moon), which means it’s almost time for my shiny new COVER REVEAL!

Words cannot express just how much it’s killing me knowing how close it is! I saw the sneak peeks and they are GORGEOUS, and to be bluntly honest, I felt like I could wet myself with joy…. but I didn’t.

Honestly, I can’t afford to replace my office chair…

 

 

Uncontrollable bodily functions aside, I decided to do a little twist on a traditional reveal by showcasing other eye-catching covers in the days leading up to my own cover. I have scrolled through pages of books on the Kindle App store until I found 5 covers I wanted to share with the world because—well, gosh darn it—they’re just beautiful. Just because a cover isn’t listed, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a beautiful design, I just can’t showcase them ALL. In order to be showcased, they had to meet one of the following criteria:

1. They instantly catch my attention, enough to make me STOP scrolling.
2. They invoke a curiosity about the book itself.
3. Extra points if it was a style I don’t see a thousand times already. (jk, I’m not actually keeping score lol but it did push them to the top of the list)

A few quick disclaimers: I stayed pretty close to the dark/urban fantasy genre as that is closest to my own work and my own reading preferences. I did not seek out certain authors or books I have already read, so I am not rating the books themselves, only my first impressions of the cover art.

So, with that in mind, here is the first pick.

#CoverBoner Number 5

Runes of Truth by G. Bailey

This was the very first cover to snag my attention. While the color scheme is pretty and sort of soothing to the eye-palette (that’s a thing right?) it was the model’s pose that really caught me. In a genre filled with dark backgrounds and scantily-clad models (sometimes in a sensual embrace or wielding a wicked-looking weapon) the model here is placed on a light background giving her all of our attention. It’s popping her out at us. Paired with the dynamic pose, it makes for a very eye-catching visual. She isn’t just standing around as an idle prop on the foreground, she’s taking action. She’s fighting something, or fighting FOR something, which makes me all the more curious about the book itself and what this woman could possibly be fighting.

If you are interested in finding out, you can get Runes of Truth on Kindle for $0.99!

---

 

Bonus News

Along with the cover reveal, I am nearly ready to put Pack or Prey on the virtual shelves in paperback form! Information on a release date and how you can win a free copy of the paperback edition will be released in the coming days so keep your eyes peeled!

 

Recording, Re-titling, Re-releasing, Oh My!

When things start moving, BOY do they move!

So I’ve been hiding away lately while I worked on a super secret project, which has snowballed into something much bigger and—I believe—better. Sadly, the previous announcement on the Duckicorn website is no longer available to view since the site has been closed, but that’s okay. I still have this blog and I can break it all down to you a little better now that I have more details!

So what is my secret projects you ask?

1. I am finally releasing my book on AUDIBLE!!

Yes, I am super stoked! One of my long-term goals has been to get anything I write onto audiobook format. Well, it’s happening! I am collaborating with a new voice talent, Katrina Link, who is bringing Harley to life beautifully as we speak! I’ve already listened to the first fifteen minutes of audio and I am so happy I could sing. But I won’t. Don’t nobody deserve that. Keep an eye out as release details come up.

2. Re-releasing my PHSYICAL COPY of the book!!

I love ebook and audio so much, they are sooooo convenient for a busybody like me who needs thirty-seven extra hands before she could sit and read a book. (not to mention maybe a few cages to keep kids away) But there really is just no replacement for a hefty book you can flip through and smell that new-book-deliciousness. Therefore, 416 pages are heading to an online retailer near you in the very near future, complete with a shiny new cover designed by the lovely and uber-talented author and cover designer, Silvana G. Sanchez, who will also be re-covering the other formats of the book! I just got a sneak peek and I need a wet floor sign from all the drool. It’s GORGEOUS. Cover reveal coming soon, as well.

3. Rebranding with a shiny new—better fitting—title!!!

Yes, you heard that right! If you picked up on my subtle not-mentioning-of-the-book-by-name in this post, then maybe you already knew something was up. The pitfalls of self-publishing are as bountiful as the perks, and one of said problems is simply that sometimes we publish a book long LONG before it is ready. If you’ve followed along with me throughout the start of my career, you might know just how much I’ve struggled with this.

I’ve released the book twice after heavy edits and a new cover, and I promised that would be it. It was time to leave the book be and move on to new things.

Well, I am still a baby at this and still learning things as I go. So I apologize for the flightiness that is me. But I promise, this is it. I know this is it because, after a year of deliberating I have finally made the decision to re-title Deny the Moon. The process will be gradual, I will be switching the title on Smashwords, Amazon, and Goodreads as soon as I am able to, but I feel it is the best course for all. This is the name the book should have had from the start. From now on, Deny the Moon has hereby been re-titled as:

Pack or Prey: A Wolfblooded Series Novel

Not only is this better for this book, but it fits in more cohesively with the rest of the upcoming books in the series. (Yes, I am still writing book two. But It’s almost there! I don’t want to jump the gun again!)

 

So there you have it. I’ve been working on things as time allows me, but I think things will start moving faster in the coming months. I will say that this is it. Once this has all been accomplished, I will finally feel as though I’ve done right by my story and can move forward with it and finish book two. Everyone takes 5 years to write a sequel, right?

Right?