Jumping Through Time with Jeff LaFerney

I met Jeff LaFerney a couple of years ago when I was first starting out on my indie author journey. He has been a great support and become a good friend, so when he told me about his latest release, I had to invite Jeff to my blog so he could tell us a little about his latest book, Jumper.

Thanks so much for visiting, Jeff. It's so awesome to have you.

First here's a little info about his latest book, Jumper...

After spending three years in jail and others completely alone, twenty-four-year-old Cole Flint discovers an amazing ability—he can time-travel and teleport. He’s a jumper. So what should the motorcycle-riding, cage-fighting tough guy do? He should protect an innocent eighteen-year-old girl who happens to be in possession of the Staff of Moses. Following the direction of a trio of angels who are determined to shake things up in the Middle East, Cole pairs up with Hannah Carpenter and her pet grizzly while he also tries to change his past and learn the mystery of his birth. Curiously, the King of Jordan knows all about Hannah, and he’s determined to gain possession of the staff. He’ll do anything to possess its power, but is it possible that he’s no more than a pawn, manipulated in time along with Cole and Hannah? Jumper is a mysterious roller coaster of action and a time-traveling adventure that will keep readers guessing right to the very last page.

It sounds like such a great read. I have it waiting on my kindle and I can't wait to get into it. You can buy a copy on Amazon.

And now let's hear from the man himself...

What was the hardest part about writing time travel?

Time. Seriously. Time is fairly difficult in all books, but as soon as you start messing with it, it gets all mixed up. I had this somewhat unrealistic desire to follow the “rules” of time travel according to the scientists. When I’d start moaning that what I was writing was impossible, my wife occasionally would remind me that I was writing fiction and that time travel wasn’t real—I could do what I wanted to do. Let me also say this: I had this great idea that if my time traveler took Hannah  Carpenter back in time to hide her, no one could possibly find her. It was a great idea…until I realized that if no one could find her, there would be no more plot. This led to some serious thinking, and the end result is a twist on time travel that I’ve never seen before.

Who's your favourite character in the book and why?

I honestly think that in all of my books, my favorite characters are minor characters. In the book I have one scene with a lady named Lillian Marsh who had an experience with a teleporter and tried to explain it. She made me laugh the whole time I was writing the scene. My other favorite character was a grizzly bear named Teddy. He actually is an important character to the plot, including becoming the final motivation behind Hannah’s conflict with the King of Jordan, but mostly he’s good comic relief.

Did you have an actor in mind that would play your MC?

Cole Flint is super cool. He is tough and fearless. He’s got a great sarcastic wit. He drives an amazingly awesome motorcycle and he jumps and time travels. He also has a soft heart and looks out for the underdog. If I had to pick a character to play him, it would be Mark Wahlberg—a young version.

What is the most enjoyable part of the writing process for you?

It consumes time, but I like the research part the best. I pulled off a brain surgery in Bulletproof after doing extensive research. A brain surgeon suggested I make one change. For Jumper I researched various geographies, time travel, motorcycles, cage fighting, grizzly bears, the coolest trail climb in the Swiss Mountains ever, etc, etc. I research even the smallest details and take pride in the accuracy of my writing.

Do you have any future projects planned?

If all goes according to plan, I’ll write three more time travel books. The next one has been mostly planned and will be my next project. I have the beginning set for my next Clay and Tanner Thomas mystery, so that may be the next book. I’d love to write a book in the first person point of view about my “midget” attorney, Jasper. He’s so much fun that if I can think of a trial that can include a comedy of errors, I’ll love writing that one.

Top 5

1. Favourite author: Harlan Coben

2. Favourite TV show: The Mentalist

3. Favourite ice cream flavor: Orange sherbet

4. Favourite music: Contemporary and Christian rock

5. Favourite hobby (other than writing): Sports (coaching, playing, watching, dreaming)

 I’ve been a language arts teacher and coach for nearly twenty-seven years. I earned my English and teaching degrees from the University of Michigan-Flint and my master's degree in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University. My wife, Jennifer, and I have been married for twenty-six years. We have two college-aged children, Torey and Teryn. Loving the Rain is my first suspense novel in the Clay and Tanner Thomas series.  The second, Skeleton Key, and the third, Bulletproof, are paranormal mysteries.  Jumper is a time-travel, action/adventure. I love competing at sports, connecting to good books, and creating words that make people laugh.

You can connect with Jeff on the links below. 

Facebook      Website    Blog  

Indie Life - It's All About Exposure

I'm very excited to be part of The Indelibles Indie Life series. These posts run on the second Wednesday of every month and include ideas and articles from a wide variety of indie authors. Check out the links below to learn more about INDIE LIFE.

I am doing a bit of a series with these posts. I've talked about balance, quality and attitude.

Today I want to talk about the importance of exposure.

There is no point writing all these amazing books if no one can find out about them. For me, marketing is the hardest part of this job, but I am learning as I go and here are a few things I've discovered that work really well for me.

These are all cases of: "You have to give a little to get a little."

- Giving out copies for review. I know this kind of goes without saying, but it's really important to get a bunch of solid reviews behind your book before you start really pushing the advertising. This is just my opinion, others may disagree here, but I think reviews give your book credit. Plus book bloggers rock - like mega rock - and if they like your stuff, will help you spread the word far and wide. Be nice to bloggers and they'll be nice to you ;-)

- Doing a freebie. I put my first novel, Golden Blood, online for free. It was the best decision I ever made. I have subsequently sold hundreds of copies of the other two books in my series, something I never would have done if it hadn't been for me being willing to lose the money on the sale of my first book.

- Paid advertising. I have paid for advertising twice so far and both times it has been worth every penny. I have made my money back really quickly and it's led to higher rankings, more exposure and continuing sales for the few weeks after. I have used Bookbub.com for my advertising so far, but I know there are plenty of sites out there.

- Group sales. If you can be a part of a group sale, this is a really great way to get your book some exposure. You want to open yourself up to as many readers as possible, so if you are part of a group sale, all the cross promotion can only do you a favour.

- It's the same with giveaways. What better way to score your fan page some likes, gain some more followers and generally get your name out there. It costs you nothing more than a few e-books. Better yet, if you go in with a group of authors, you can put together better prize packs for really low cost. I have an example going on at my YAlicious blog if you'd like to check it out.
Indie Inked Mother's Day Giveaway.

I know there are plenty of other ways to gain exposure for your work. I am learning new things all the time, but the ones above have been my most successful.

What have you done to gain yourself readers?

COVER REVEAL - Losing Francesca by J. A. Huss

I have to say, I just adore this cover. There is something very haunting about it. It's my total pleasure to be able to share it with you all today.

Francesca Sabatini came to America to take in the sights, celebrate her high school graduation, and have fun wasting time before college starts in the fall.

That’s not what happens.

Fresh off the plane and barely on American soil more than a handful of minutes, Francesca’s face is recognized by TSA scanners to be a match for a child who was kidnapped twelve years ago.

Brody Mason remembers the day Fiona Sullivan went missing during a family vacation in Italy and it’s haunted him his whole life. So when Francesca shows up at the Sullivan farm down the road, he’s compelled to figure out if this girl really is his long lost friend.

But Francesca knows she’s not Fiona Sullivan. She knows exactly who she is. At least she thinks she knows – until Brody Mason relentlessly pursues her and she begins to have feelings for him. Maybe being Fiona isn’t so bad?

Reality becomes blurred, secrets are revealed, and life will never be the same when the final questions are answered: Is she Francesca or Fiona? And where does she really belong?

If you'd like to add this book to your reading list, here is the Goodreads link: Losing Francesca

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label). 

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Author links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter 

And because this lovely author is so amazing, she's also running a giveaway to help celebrate the cover reveal. Entry details are below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Head Down, Bum Up

For those of you who don't know what the title of my post means, here's a definition.

head down, bum up(Noun)

A figurative bodily position adopted when working hard at some task, either physical or mental. (Head down may well be literal, but bum up is figurative.)

It suddenly occurred to me this afternoon that I forgot to do my regular Tuesday blog post. In fact, it didn't even enter my mind until now.

The reason for my serious slackness is that I'm behind schedule. And I really hate not meeting a deadline.

I have a trilogy coming out in June, July, August. I was completely on track until my darling son decided that he is nearly two years old and no longer needs a nap during the day. What the?!?!
He still has room time, but it's just not the same. I am now scrambling to get things done!

So please forgive me if my blog posts are a little irregular for the month of May. I'm not dropping off the radar completely. I will still do my Indie Life post and I will try to keep up with my YA Indie Carnival posts as well, but just for this month, I will be blogging a little less.

I hope everyone is having a great start to their month. I look forward to getting back into my regular routine as June rolls around.

COVER REVEAL - Today Only by Derinda Love

It is a total thrill to be revealing Derinda Love's debut novel, Today Only. This amazing lady has been the biggest support for us indie authors and now she is joining the pack. It's SO exciting!!!

So without further ado, here is Derinda's first novel....

Add it to your To-Be-Read list on Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17853119-today-only

Derinda lives in Maine. Her biggest passion is for her family and friends. She adores loving others as if it is the biggest gift life can offer. She is a read-a-holic, loves chocolate, cowboys and everyone on her Young Adult & Teen Readers Facebook page. Her dream is to travel to Australia one day.

Her debut novel ‘Today’ Only will be released some time in May.

Blog  *  Twitter  *  Goodreads

I LOVE New Ideas!!!

Do you know one of the best feelings in the world?

Well, for me it's that magical moment when a new idea pops into my brain. Like a lump of sugar plopping into a cup of hot tea, it's an exquisite moment.

Images crowd my brain, each scene filled with excitement and emotion as these characters come to life. A story unfolds, usually not in any particular order. The random chaos eventually culminates into a full length novel and I'm so excited I want to start writing straight away.

But I can't.
Usually when a new idea hits me I'm in the throes of writing a completely different story.

Sometimes this is frustrating, but it's actually a good thing. The fact I can't work on the book straight away gives it longer to mull in my brain. The characters become more real, acquire bigger problems, gain more intricate backstories. The scenes I originally came up with get replaced by better scenes. New scenes appear to me, giving me subplots and making the entire story stronger.

A few weeks, sometimes even months, to work on a story idea in my head has often been the best thing for me.

How about you?
How do stories develop in your mind?

So, why am I writing this post?
Well, a few months ago, I had a spark of an idea and it has slowly been growing and developing in my head and I AM SUPER EXCITED!!! At this stage it is possibly a four book series, but I promise I won't end the first book with a cliff hanger. The first story is clear in my head, the other three are still growing. As soon as The Elements Trilogy is out there for you to enjoy, I will be working on this series. I'm planning for a 2014 release as I have a couple of small surprises I want to put together for my readers first (three words...Dale and Nicole). Whoop! Whoop! Looking forward is so much fun when you have so many cool things planned.

Do you have any new projects on the go that you're super excited about?
I hope so!
Because it really is the best feeling in the world!

Editing - Is It Money Well Spent?

YA writers and bloggers unite each week to share their thoughts on what it's like going indie in today's publishing world.

When I published my first book in 2011, I didn't have any money. My cover designer let me pay her off over a year as I started earning money for sales and I did everything else myself...including my own editing. 

Now that I have a little cash in the bank and I have learned a few hard lessons, I can safely say, that I think you should always use an editor. I have recently paid for my first book, Golden Blood, to be proof-read by a professional. It has felt so good to republish the book without all those mistakes in it. Black Blood and Pure Blood are also being re-edited and will be re-published very soon.

I think a lack of quality editing can really tarnish a book. 

First and foremost, you need a structural edit. I use my critique readers for this - fellow authors who know what they're talking about. They really help me find all the holes in my story and ask me thought provoking questions that make my work better.

Secondly, you need a line edit. I pay a professional for this service. I have used a couple of different people and I'm not opposed to using a little variety here. Sometimes it's good to get a fresh perspective from a different set of eyes for your different projects. The lady who is working on my Elements Trilogy (Laurie Boris) is brilliant and I love working with her. She has really lifted my writing by pointing out errors and sentence structures that don't work. 

Thirdly, you need a decent proof-reader. Until recently (with my Time Spirit Trilogy), I have never paid for this service, but I think I'm going to start. I am still horrified how many mistakes get missed in spite of the fact I've read my work multiple times, plus had others read it for me. Having someone who is awesome at proofing your work can only be a good thing.

Now, I know editing is a pricey business, but I figure if I'm aiming to produce quality, I should be putting my money into the thing that will help make my work quality. In my opinion, your budget should be spent on editing, cover design and a little paid advertising. So far, those financial outlays have given me the best results.

What is your take on editing?
Have you had good or bad experiences with your work and different editors?


Check out what the other YA Indie Carnival members think on their sites, which are listed below.

You can also check out the YA Author Club for the latest updates and news on what we're all up to.

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series	4.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
5.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	6.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
7.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	8.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
9.	Ella James	10.	Maureen Murrish
11.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings	12.	A Little Bit of R&R
13.	Melissa Pearl	14.	Terah Edun - YA Fantasy
15.	Heather Sutherlin - YA Fantasy