Author Archives: Tiffany Turner

About Tiffany Turner

I am a teacher by day, writer during the evening and weekends. I've written a children's fantasy series called the Crystal Keeper Chronicles. I've learned a lot as an Independent author. I want to share that now through blog posts, interviewing fellow authors, and reviewing other children's books. If you don't see it out there, build the blog yourself. I'm hoping to create a resource for people to find quality children's books that don't always fall along the lines of mainstream.

Jul2

What Happens When A Villain Turns Good

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Tiffany Turner

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Featured Indie Book and Author

Welcome! I am featuring an Indie Author that writes amazing Middle Grade/YA fiction. Author Laura Lond has written a book series with a balance of humor and a twist to the normal hero. Her protagonist is a villian.

I’ve reviewed her first book, My Sparkling Adventure, and have recently reviewed her second book, My Royal Pain Quest. Your blog tour begins with the book review of My Royal Pain Quest. Follow the links below to enjoy an interview with Laura Lond from last summer. Plus, the review for her first book is also linked. I hope you enjoy this fabulous Indie writer.

Characters usually have the problem of not drifting to the dark side. In the second book of the Lakeland Knight series, My Royal Pain Quest by Laura Lond, Lord Arkus has the opposite problem. He’s already a villian, and keeps drifting towards the light, goodness, and all those pesky hero traits. He’s tried his hardest not to be good. But after he is stuck with a sparkling, an inherently good creature, his deviant path of badness keeps leading him to be a hero.

My Royal Pain Quest by Laura Lond

In the first book, My Sparkling Misfortune. Jarvis, the now incognito sparkling, infleunces Arkus with goodly ways. At the end, his sword is used in evil misdeeds, and he is put into a coma state as punishment. The second book opens with Lord Arkus guarding his friend Jarvi, and trying to figure out how to restore him to normal. It’s a very big step to becoming a hero, a very unvillain-like thing to do.

The book takes you on a quest of hero feats, all to help restore Jarvi to normal. Along the way, Lord Arkus picks up a sidekick, a highway woman named Cassandra, that only helps for the right price. Lord Arkus treads down the path to heroism and becomes less of a villain as he completes each task.

The hero elements are there, like having mermen allies after Lord Arkus inadvertently saves a mermaid. He has to work with a previous enemy, Prince Kellemar, as a quest. And lastly, helps with a new group of critters to find a lost boy. The hodgepodge of completing them lends to the humor. Hero acts keep piling on Lord Arkus, and the inner rebellion against being a hero starts to wain.

Cassandra, the highway woman, is an fantastic character. She’s a woman that can kick serious butt with a sword. Prince Kellemar, from the previous book, plays a part in the quests, going through a transformation of his own. All the twists in opposites does keep the plot interesting.

I enjoyed the way the book continued the villain struggle for Arkus. It’s a unique twist in character inner struggles. However, there is a sense of seriousness that seems to lose the humor from the previous book. It does fall in line with the plot of trying to save the sparkling. I also thought the ending was a bit too fairy tale like. It lent to some humor, but I think there could have been more to Cassandra and Lord Arkus building their relationship.

In the end, the plot and characters are so strong, they pull you through the book. My Royal Pain Quest works as a sequel, and I am definitely ready for book 3. This can be a great start to your child’s summer reading list, or for any adult that enjoys a fun read.

***** Five Star Rating
My Royal Pain Quest is available at Amazon.com, Smashwords.com, and Barnes and Noble.

*Link to a Review of the first book, My Sparkling Misfortune.

*Link to an interview with author, Laura Lond.
To continue with your INDIEpendence Day Blog tour event, link back to the Indibles Writers Blog.

Jun28

INDIEpendence Day July 2-4

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Tiffany Turner

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Wanting more than just your average book? Next week, declare your independence from the Mass Book market. Come to the wild side and see what independently published books are out there.

A blog hop is being hosted by the Indelibles, a blog site with 25 Indie Authors. Over 60 blogs are participating that will feature an outstanding Indie Author’s book. It’ll get you set with your summer reading. A range of different books will be available. The Indie Children’s Authors Connection is proud to be participating.

If you are a blogger or an avid reader and would like to get involved, here are the steps:

1) PICK A BOOK: Pick an indie (self-published or small press) book that you either HAVE READ AND LOVED or WANT TO READ.
2) WRITE A POST: On INDIEpendence day (July 2nd), write a post about that book. It can be a review, an interview with the author, or simply a post highlighting the book.
3) CLICK BELOW: to join the link that will tie the blog hop together on July 2nd. See the Indelibles for more details.

Jun22

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Tiffany Turner

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Updating to send out on RSS feed.

The Indie Children's Authors Connection

Sometimes you can find some really good ideas on Writing Boards. Some turn out to be fabulous ideas. Back in Dec. 2011, I noticed some posts on kindleboards.com in the Writer’s Cafe about a back door way of getting your books to go free on Amazon. I’ve heard from another author this is even difficult for traditional publishers to do. Amazon tends to not let books go free. Unless you know the back door.

The key ingredients to start the experiment turned out to be Smashwords and having your book on the Premium Catalog. Other authors tried this with having their book published on the Apple Store as well. I don’t have a directly published edition through Apple, but it is something to be noted. This way was possible as well.

I listed my first book, The Lost Secret of Fairies, as $0.00 on Smashwords. It takes a few…

View original post 630 more words

Jun21

The Amazon Price Matching Experiment

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Tiffany Turner

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Book 1 sold over 9,000 free copies in over a month.

I listed my first book, The Lost Secret of Fairies, as $0.00 on Smashwords. It takes a few weeks for it to set to that price on the other websites like Barnes and Nobles. But I noticed that it went free on the Nook within 2 weeks. Once it hits a big site like Barnes and Nobles, Amazon will often price match it with the Kindle edition. Then the fun really begins.

By the end of January, I’d sold 400 free books of The Lost Secrets of Fairies. Amazon matched it on Jan. 24, 2012. I watched the numbers climb to 1,739 to 2,037 by the next day. I noticed it averaged about 200 free downloads in one hour. As I tracked the numbers, it slowed down to 100 free downloads an hour over the next few days. By the end of January, I had 5,386 free downloads for my first book. The second book in my series, The Lost Secret of the Green Man, had 21 books sold.

February was a fun month. The sales continued with free downloads changing to 100 a day for The Lost Secret of Fairies. Sales of the second book followed. My first book returned to its normal price of $0.99 by March 15. The total free downloads for Feb. included 3,642. There were only 9 refunds in that time. Making the total free downloads for end of January, February, and beg. of March at: 9,894.

To see if all this would benefit my second book sales, I crunched some numbers. There were 21 sales of the Secrets of the Lost Green Man in January. February had 35 paid sales, and March had 24. The grand total of sales was 80. So, for about every 125 free downloads, I had a paid sale for my second book.

The Lost Secret of Fairies became the top in the Free Store for several listings. On Feb. 6, it listed as #1 children’s books/social situations. On Feb. 7 it was #1 children’s books/self esteem and respect. I witnessed it topping out at #110 in the Kindle Free Store around the same time.

After my first book returned back to $0.99, the free bump kept it selling at 2/3 higher than normal. My average sales is about 10 books a month. In March, it was at 64 sales, and for April dropped in sales down to 29.

About the end of March 2012, other authors noticed drops in sales ratings even with free book sales. After a while, people reported back trends on the Writer’s Cafe board that Amazon must have changed their algorithms in regards to free book sales. Free book sales were no longer being counted the same as paid book sales. The ratios seemed to work out to 10 free book sales equaling 1 paid book sale.

For the month of May, things returned to normal. The Lost Secret of Fairies had 12 Kindle Ebook sales while my second book, The Lost Secret of the Green Man, had 9.

What did I learn from this experiment? I’ll benefit from the over 10,000 sales of my first book, free and paid. I have an awesome reader base now. This will help when the third book is ready for release this fall(2012). Plus, for every 60 copies downloaded for my first book, a second book was bought. The Free Download bump raised my sales for two months. I even received 3 new reviews on Amazon, and 4 new reviews for the Nook. They were all positive. In addition, there were fewer refunds than I thought.

The most important thing I walked away with; I have thousands of new readers introduced to my series. That, in itself, is priceless.

Crystal Cluster **The Crystal Keeper Chronicles are available on Amazon.com as paperback or Kindle editions.
Also available on Smashwords.com. and the Nook by Barnes and Nobles.

Apr26

A World Beyond Video Games

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Tiffany Turner

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The Dragon Box by Katie W. Stewart

If you love video games, The Dragon Box by Katie W. Stewart might be the next fantasy read for you. James is friends with the eccentric, but friendly old man next door, Mack. On one of the strange visits to see Mack, James is given a new video game. It has no screen or normal controls. But when he sits on his bed to give it a try, it takes him into a world beyond his dreams. Literally.

James is transported into a new world in which a dragon needs his help to save the kingdom from an evil witch. James is the unlikely hero, and has to figure a way to save the day. But he has to make some choices that help him realize, there is more to being a hero than being able to wield a sword. And the reset button might not work.

I was surprised on how much I enjoyed this story in the end. Stewart has a way of charmingly describing the action in a gentle, funny way. The relationship between Mack and James is a classic wizard and boy hero joy that has you smiling until the end. Between the video game twist and the world of fantasy brought to life, I was cheering for James to figure out the solution for each challenge he endured. This is a great read for any child that loves adventure, fantasy, and video games.

***** Five Star Rating
The Dragon Box is available as a Kindle edition at Amazon.com.

Apr13

Only The Shadow Knows-Teens Are People Too

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Tiffany Turner

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Rita Morse and the Sinister Shadow by Holly Hook

I recently read Rita Morse and the Sinister Shadow by Holly Hook. It was quite an interesting read with the main character being a female. This book gives young girls a chance to be whisked into a town controlled by shadow people. These shadow people feel that teens should be seen and not heard. So it is up to Rita and her two best friends to put an end to this madness.

This war on teens by A. Gist, the leader of the shadow people, was trying to get all teens put in their place. Yet, Rita Morse, a strong willed heroin, would not let that happen. She battled with her friends to defeat the evil A. Gist.

Rita Morse and the Sinister Shadow has a great ending with optimistic opportunity for a sequel. I would give this book 3 stars. It starts out with a bang and then has a few slow spots in the middle, but picks up at the end. My teenage daughter enjoyed reading this book along with me.

*** Star Rating
Available on Amazon.com and Smashwords.com.

Written by guest blogger,
Debbie Cogliandro

Apr11

Dolls Make the Best Travel Companions

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Tiffany Turner

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A recent epicture book has caught my attention. Emilio by Silvina de Vita is a charming story about an ignored doll. Thoughts of the “Velvetine Rabbit” came to mind as this little rag doll is ignored by his owner. You want him to be loved. He tries everything, with adorable pictures to illustrate his plight. Finally, he is packed in a dark suitcase and travels to places that even the Travel Gnome would be jealous of.

This ebook seems like a great fit for young children 2-6 years old. It is also available in Spanish. It’s a great way to get children excited about travel, esp. if a toy is their favorite travel companion. Plus, it can be used to teach that travel can be fun, and that a special travel toy companion can bring security to a worried child.

**** 4 star rating. Available in English and Spanish editions at Amazon.com.

Blog Link: http://piopiobooks.wordpress.com/

Apr1

Independent Book Blogger Award Nominee 2011

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Tiffany Turner

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The Indie Children’s Authors Connection has been nominated for the Independent Book Blogger Award 2011 in the Children’s-general category.

Please show your support and vote with the link below. It is sponsored by Goodreads. Voting begins on April 10, 2012. Will keep all readers updated with the results. Thank you for your support!

Link here to Goodreads to vote for the Indie Children’s Authors Connection.

Feb12

Interview with Sybil Nelson

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Tiffany Turner

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Sybil Nelson

I am pleased to present to you the interview with Sybil Nelson. Sybil is the author of the “Priscilla the Great” series and several other YA books. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband and two children. She is currently working on her PHD in Biostatistics. She graciously took time out of her busy schedule to answer the following questions.

1) How did you get your idea to write about a preteen super hero?

Do you want the real answer or what I tell everyone? I’ll give you both and let you choose.
Truth: Due to a change in birth control, I ended up having my period for a month straight. I was so annoyed and wished that my period could bring me something besides cramps and chocolate cravings. I thought it would be cool if my period could also bring me superpowers. So I got the idea for a girl who got super powers on her first period. I wrote the entire book in less than 30 days. When HarperCollins showed interest in the book, The Adventures of PMS Girl, they convinced me to get rid of the period concept and to change the book to Priscilla the Great. After eight months of editing with them, they ultimately rejected the book.

What I tell everyone: I really wanted there to be a book that triumphed the power of being a girl. There are lots of great action books for boys, but not so many for girls. I used to love reading comic books as a kid and I am addicted to the X-Men. I thought there needed to be a superhero book for girls that are like me when I was young.

2) What is your favorite characteristic about Priscilla?
I love her sense of humor. She really tells it as she sees it. She might not always see it correctly, but her way of viewing things is definitely amusing.

3) What kind of books did you enjoy reading while growing up?
I read anything and everything when I was growing up. I even went through a Harlequin romance phase. Hey, maybe that is why Priscilla’s mother’s name is Quinn.

4) What advice would you give to young writers?
Write every day. That is the way to hone your craft. I find that if I skip a few days of writing, it’s harder to get back in the flow of things. But when you write every day, you are sharpening your skills. And you can’t edit an empty page. You have to have something written. So just write. Write anything all the time.

5) What is your writing routine?
I try to write at least 1000 words a day. I keep a journal with me where I jot down ideas all day long and then at night before I go to bed, I type out those ideas.

6) In one sentence, how would you describe what it is to write?
Writing is freedom.

7) Any new projects in the works? Future events?
Ha! I have so many ideas I don’t have time to write them all. Here is what I’m currently working on.

Dark Marco – Spin off of Priscilla the Great
La Cienega’s Smile – Short story prequel to Nothing Else Matters
Somehow Someday – YA romance

I have more projects, but I have to limit it to three at a time.

Sybil Nelson’s books are available on Amazon.com, Smashwords and Barnes and Nobles.com.

*Read the book review of Priscilla the Great.

Jan28

Kids With Super Powers Rule

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Tiffany Turner

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Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson

What if you’re 12 years old with Super Powers? Which super power would you have? Pricilla Sumner doesn’t have a choice. She discovers the hard way that fire can shoot from her fingers. And the fun continues from there.

Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson is a book that combines a comic book heroine with a Spy Kids plot. Priscilla likes to hang out with her best friend, Tai, and talk about boys. But when she discovers a secret so intense it can fry her friends, literally, that’s when things get interesting.

Unlike some comic books, it seems more realistic. Ok, really. There’s a nice emotional connection that comes from the first person narrative of Priscilla. You feel you have the super powers with her. Suddenly, fire shooting from your fingers is a problem along with a possible first kiss with a boy.

Priscilla and her mother don’t get along well. Her mother is so busy with work, she seems to hardly know Priscilla exists. But as her powers grow, she realizes her mother is the key.

Noting clues, such as her father upset she appears on a local TV show and her mother gone for long periods of time, Priscilla starts to put together a bigger picture. Everything is revealed when she finds herself in mega trouble. And it will take trusting her mother, figuring how to use her powers, and relying on herself to save her family.

Though I’m not a big super hero fan, I enjoyed the realistic, narrative writing style. I started to get sucked in relating to the fact most teens try to wish they were something else. Along with the combination of teen and super hero problems, Nelson combines an adventurous plot.

Though I might have chosen different super powers, I found relating to Priscilla easy and fun. There are some older teen issues. Priscilla and her mother have a simliar talk about boys that most preteens should have. If you have a child that hasn’t had Family Life ed in school, you might want to look through to see if you want them to wait until they are a bit older. In the end, I was won over by the witty and super Priscilla. This an enjoyable first book to a super series.

Rated 4 Stars ****
Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.

*Read the interview with Sybil Nelson.