End of the Virtual Book Tour

I’m happy to report that this has been a most successful tour, and I’d like to thank all the bloggers who took part and were such great hosts, as well as all those who left cool comments on the blog posts. I hope everyone enjoyed reading the articles, extracts and interviews, and all who took advantage of the special offers and freebies enjoy the books.

 

Please remember to email Vanessa@wildorchidbooks.com your proof of payments for the ‘most books purchased during the tour’ giveaway, to receive your free copies of The Crystal Ship and The Shrike. The cut-off date for proof of payment emails is one week from today, so please send your emails before the 23^rd of August.

Virtual Book Tour – Day 14: Extract & Guest Post

 

The final day of my virtual book tour has finally arrived. I’m honoured by the number of people who have participated, and thank you all for following the tour.

Today’s tour hosts are The Indie Author Network for the second time during the tour, and fantasy romance author Marsha A. Moore. The Indie Author Network will be sharing an extract from my fantasy series, The Broken World, and Marsha will be sharing a guest post from me about the magic systems in my books.

Please visit their blogs and don’t forget to comment if you enjoy the posts!

Today is the final day you can take advantage of the 15% discount on Demon Lord II, Dark God, so grab your copy if you think you’ll enjoy it.

Promotional price: $2.54
Coupon Code: JX99Z

If you’ve been purchasing my books throughout the tour, remember that the person who purchases the most of my books for the duration of the tour receives the gift of Books 2 and 3 in The Slave Empire series. To see if you qualify, you should, from tomorrow, email all your PoPs to vanessa@wildorchidbooks.com. Vanessa will be counting purchases until 21 August, and the winner will be announced on my blog on 22 August. Anyone who sends PoPs after the 21 August won’t qualify, so be sure to send yours in on time.

To make sure you haven’t missed a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary.

Virtual Book Tour – Day 13: Guest Post on Tips for New Writers

 

Today’s tour host is book blogger The Independent Bookworm, which will be sharing a guest post from me with tips for new writers.

First and foremost, follow your inspiration, and secondly, don’t give up. Find your genre, which should be the one you most enjoy reading, and be inspired to write original stories that utterly captivate you. If you find them engrossing, so will your readers, and your passion for your story will translate into your writing. Write for your personal pleasure, and never for what other people might find interesting.

To read the rest of this post, please visit The Independent Bookworm’s blog.

To celebrate the last two days of my blog tour, I’m offering readers a 15% discount on Demon Lord II, Dark God for today and tomorrow, 13 and 14 August.

Promotional price: $2.54
Coupon Code: JX99Z

If you’ve been purchasing my books throughout the tour, remember that the person who purchases the most of my books for the duration of the tour receives the gift of Books 2 and 3 in The Slave Empire series (to see if you qualify, you should, on the first day after the tour, email all your PoPs to vanessa@wildorchidbooks.com).

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary.

Virtual Book Tour – Day 12: Guest Post on Literary Characters I Would Date, Dump or Marry

Today’s tour host is indie supporter, author and reader Nicole Hill, who has kindly hosted two tour dates for my virtual book tour. Thank you, Nicole, much appreciated! Nicole will be sharing a guest post from me today on literary characters I would date, dump or marry.

It’s not a very long list! The hero of my favourite fantasy series by another author, Stephen R. Donaldson’s The Thomas Covenant, Unbeliever series, is definitely someone I would dump, if I ever even considered dating him. Aside from his leprosy, he’s not my type of guy at all, even though his world and the story he was in fascinated me.

To read more of this post, please visit Nicole’s blog, and do share some literary characters you would date, dump or marry!

Today is also the last day you can take advantage of the 40% discount on The Queen’s Blade II, Sacrifice.

Promotional price: $2.39
Coupon Code: DX53X

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary.

Virtual Book Tour – Day 11: Guest Post & Author Interview

 

Today’s tour host is the Indie Author Network, which will be sharing a guest post from me on how to deal with book pirates, along with an author interview, which I hope you’ll all enjoy.

There’s no foolproof way to deal with book pirates, but take heart – they can often be dealt with in a few easy steps.

The first step is obvious: find out if your books are being pirated and where. Setting up Google Alerts for your book titles can be helpful, but you should know that this won’t pick up all instances of your work being pirated, so it’s important to Google your titles manually too.

To read the rest of this post, please visit the Indie Author Network blog and, if you have any other advice on how to deal with book pirates, please share it via the blog’s comments.

Today is also the last day you can take advantage of the 15% discount on The Cyber Chronicles II, Death Zone.

Promotional price: $3.39
Coupon Code: UL86M

The 40% discount on The Queen’s Blade II, Sacrifice is still available until tomorrow, 12 August.

Promotional price: $2.39
Coupon Code: DX53X

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary.

Virtual Book Tour – Day 10: Guest Post, Inside the Mind of Author TC Southwell

 

Today’s tour host is fellow fantasy author Tracy Falbe. Tracy will be sharing a guest post from me titled Inside the Mind of an Author.

If it’s a fantasy author’s mind, it’s a weird place! Magical realms abound, chockfull of fearsome creatures and wonderfully strange heroes and heroines. I can’t speak for all authors, but my fantasy worlds are always alive and well in the back of my mind, just waiting for me to spend time in them. My characters’ lives continue there, but in the everyday way that everyone’s does, although theirs are obviously a little bit different. I’ll occasionally encounter Blade out for a stroll with Chiana, or sneaking her into an alehouse to watch a troubadour and entertain her with his insights into the patrons.

To read the rest of this place, please visit Tracy’s blog, and share the inner workings of your mind in the comments section while you’re at it.

If you’ve just joined us, take advantage of the 15% discount on The Cyber Chronicles II, Death Zone until tomorrow, 11 August.

Promotional price: $3.39
Coupon Code: UL86M

Don’t forget that the person who purchases the most of my books for the duration of the tour receives the gift of Books 2 and 3 in The Slave Empire series (to see if you qualify, you should, on the first day after the tour, email all your PoPs to vanessa@wildorchidbooks.com).

I’m also offering a 40% discount on The Queen’s Blade II, Sacrifice for 3 days, starting today, 10 – 12 August.

Promotional price: $2.39
Coupon Code: DX53X

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary.

Virtual Book Tour – Day 9: Guest Post on Why Reading is Important

 

Today’s tour host is reader, writer and Spanish teacher Cinta Garcia de la Rosa. Cinta will be sharing a guest post from me about why reading is important, even if it’s fiction.

Reading is a great way to expand one’s horizons and discover a great many fascinating things, even if they’re not found in our world. Fantasy is the best form of escapism, since it takes us to strange new worlds and introduces us to a host of interesting characters, fantastic beasts and magical escapades. While reading a fantasy book, you should be transported into another world and share in all of its wonders. Although adventure books, who-done-its, thrillers and romance novels also free us from our humdrum mundane existence, fantasy and science-fiction books offer the most uniqueness.

To read the rest of the post, please visit Cinta’s blog, and don’t forget to leave a comment if you have any thoughts on the topic.

From today, readers can grab a 15% discount on The Cyber Chronicles II, Death Zone for 3 days, 9 – 11 August.

Promotional price: $3.39
Coupon Code: UL86M

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary.

Virtual Book Tour – Day 8: Guest Post on Writing Good Fight Scenes

 

Today’s tour host is publishing services company Fireblade Publishers, which will be hosting a guest post from me on how to write good fight scenes.

A fight scene should be gripping, believable and fast-paced. I always write a fight scene at the speed at which it happens, so it’s ‘real time’, and the reader can, therefore, imagine it at the correct speed. You can’t add much in the way of thoughts or feelings during a fight scene, as this will slow the pace of the action and the characters will ‘pause’ in the reader’s mind while the protagonist has his/her thoughts or feelings. Aside from that, someone in the middle of a fight won’t have time to think about stuff.

To read the rest of this post, visit the Fireblade blog, and don’t forget to leave a comment if you have anything to add.

For those who have just joined us, The Queen’s Blade II, Sacrifice is now free on a 3-day promotion, 6 – 8 August. Today’s the last day, so grab your copy before it’s too late (Book 1 is free) – Coupon Code: EN88H.

Don’t forget that the person who purchases the most of my books for the duration of the tour receives the gift of Books 2 and 3 in The Slave Empire series (to see if you qualify, you should, on the first day after the tour, email all your PoPs to vanessa@wildorchidbooks.com).

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary.

Virtual Book Tour – Day 7: Guest Post on Creating Original Fantasy Creatures

 

Today’s tour host is fellow fantasy author Michelle Louring, who will be hosting a guest post by me on creating original fantasy creatures.

Originality is something every author should strive for. Using the hackneyed, stereotypical creatures that have been around for centuries – unicorns, vampires, fairies, elves, dragons and ogres, etc. – detracts from a good fantasy tale, in my opinion. Sure, it’s easier to write about something everyone knows, so you don’t have to describe it in detail, but for readers, discovering new and exciting fantasy creatures enhances a story. While the tried and trusted has a fan following all of its own, it’s so much better to make the effort to be original, not only in your storyline, but also the creatures that populate your world.

Visit Michelle’s blog to read the rest of this post, and don’t forget to leave a comment if you have anything to add on the topic.

Don’t forget The Queen’s Blade II, Sacrifice is now free on a 3-day promotion, ending tomorrow.

Coupon Code: EN88H

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary.

Virtual Book Tour – Day 6: Guest Post & Author Features

 

The responses for the tour have been so phenomenal that many dates are double booked, as you’ve already seen, and I’m pleased to say today is triple booked. Today’s tour hosts are fantasy author James L. Wilber, crime writer Mathew Reuther and fantasy romance author Louise Blankenship.

James will be hosting a guest post by me on familiars’ relationship to humans in my fantasy series, The Queen’s Blade, Mathew will be showcasing The Queen’s Blade, with emphasis on Book 1 (which is available for free download), and Louise will be hosting an author showcase.

Visit James’ blog to read the post on The Queen’s Blade’s familiars, which I hope you’ll enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing, and pop onto Mathew and Louise’s blogs too for some interesting information about me and my books that you might not already know.

The Queen’s Blade II, Sacrifice is now free on a 3-day promotion, 6 – 8 August. Grab your copy while you can!

Coupon Code: EN88H

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary.

Virtual Book Tour – Day 5: Guest Post & Virtual Bookcase

 

Today’s tour hosts are sci-fi fantasy author Pippa Jay and Glynis Smy. Pippa will be sharing a guest post from me on world building, and Glynis will be showcasing The Queen’s Blade on her Virtual Bookcase.

One of the most important aspects of writing is to set a good scene in which to tell your story. Readers need to be able to envisage the environment, especially in fantasy and science fiction, since the world is alien. Building a vibrant world will make your story more profound and increase your readers’ enjoyment.

To read the rest of this post, please visit Pippa’s blog, and don’t forget to leave a comment if you have something to add.

For those who have just joined us, Demon Lord II, Dark God, is currently only 99c. Today’s the last discount day, so grab your copy now if you want it!

Coupon Code: XX57H

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary.

Virtual Book Tour – Day 4: The Queen’s Blade Fantasy Series

 

Today’s tour host is Chris Graham, otherwise known as The Story Reading Ape. Chris will be sharing a guest post from me about The Queen’s Blade fantasy series and whether or not readers can expect more books in the series:

The Queen’s Blade is about a master assassin who changes the fate of three kingdoms with his lethal skills. When his young queen swears to end a centuries-old war, he offers his services for the rewards of lands, title and riches she’s offered to her soldiers, and succeeds where they failed. Blade tries his best to be obnoxious, to prevent attachments that might turn tragic should he ever be hired to kill those people. In spite of this… Read more on Chris’ blog.

For those who have just joined us, Demon Lord II, Dark God, is currently only 99c for 5 days, 1 – 5 August.

Promotional price: $0.99
Coupon Code: XX57H

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary.

Virtual Book Tour – Day 3: Author & Character interview

 

Today’s tour host is indie supporter, author and reader Nicole Hill. Nicole will be sharing an author interview with me today, plus a character interview with Mirra, the supporting MC in my Demon Lord series. I hope you all enjoy the interviews as much as I did.

Book 1 in the series is free – click the link above to grab your copy!

For those who have just joined us, Demon Lord II, Dark God, is currently only 99c for 5 days, 1 – 5 August .

Coupon Code: XX57H

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary

Virtual Book Tour – Day 2: Guest post for Rebekah Grow

 

Today’s tour host is multi-genre author Rebekah Grow, who will be sharing a guest post from me on how to create good characters:

The key to creating good characters, whom your readers will find engaging and empathise with, is, first and foremost, to love them yourself. When you’re invested in your characters, especially the main ones, but also the supporting players, it comes across in your writing. As soon as possible after you introduce a character, describe what he or she looks and sounds like, and anything else that’s relevant.
To read the rest of this post, please visit Rebekah’s blog, and don’t forget to leave a comment with any other tips you might have.

For those who have just joined us, Demon Lord II, Dark God, is currently only 99c for 5 days, 1 – 5 August.

Promotional price: $0.99
Coupon Code: XX57H

Grab the discounts and freebies while you can!

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary.

Virtual Book Tour

 

I’m excited to announce the kick-off of my virtual book tour today! While all of you who are members of this blog have probably read all my books, I hope you’ll still enjoy the articles and interviews. For anyone who hasn’t read all the books, there are numerous discounts and freebies to introduce you further to the series and whet your appetite for more.

Those hosting my tour today are author Glynis Smy and publishing services company Fireblade Publishers.

Tour followers can enjoy an author interview on Glynis’ blog, and an author showcase on the Fireblade blog in which you can learn a few things about me that you didn’t know.

You can also expect the following freebies and discounts, starting today:

1 August

Demon Lord II, Dark God, for only 99c for 5 days, 1 – 5 August
Promotional price: $0.99
Coupon Code: XX57H

6 August

The Queen’s Blade II, Sacrifice, free on a 3-day promotion, 6 – 8 August

9 August

A 15% discount on The Cyber Chronicles II, Death Zone for 3 days, 9 – 11 August

10 August

A 40% discount on The Queen’s Blade II, Sacrifice for 3 days, 10 – 12 August

13 August

A 15% discount on Demon Lord II, Dark God for 2 days, 13 – 14 August

As a bonus, the person who purchases the most of my books for the duration of the tour receives the gift of Books 2 and 3 in The Slave Empire series (to see if you qualify, you should, on the first day after the tour, email all your proof of purchases to vanessa@wildorchidbooks.com).

So come along and join us on the tour, read the articles and interviews and grab the discounts and freebies while you can! It will be fun for everyone!

To make sure you don’t miss a tour post, download the TC Southwell Virtual Book Tour Itinerary