Author Spotlight Interview: Beth Carter
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on March 30, 2021
Today’s interview feature is with Hidden Gems reader favorite, Beth Carter. Beth is a multi-award-winning author of women’s fiction, contemporary romance, romantic comedy and children’s picture books. It was an honor to chat with her about her path to writing, the advice she has for aspiring authors and to learn more about her life outside of writing. HG: How would you describe yourself to somebody who isn’t familiar with your writing yet? BC: For many years, I worked in corporate America (in education, banking, and healthcare) and was a single mom. At age fifty, I shed my suits and heels and decided to pen my first novel. I had taken many creative writing classes in college, but was at a loss as to how to begin the publishing journey. I joined three local writers’ groups, took a six-week course, “How to Write Your First Novel,” at a community college, attended… Read More >
Don’t let fear hold you back!
By: Ginger | Posted on March 26, 2021
Even the bravest among us are probably feeling a little bit more fearful these days. After all, when you’re being told that hunkering down in your house surrounded only by those you love and trust the most is your best strategy for pandemic survival, who wouldn’t be a little more afraid than usual? And from an evolutionary perspective, a healthy dose of fear is what kept many of our ancestors alive long enough to pass along their genes from generation to generation until we were born. But sometimes fear can do more harm than good, especially when it’s keeping us from achieving our potential. Sometimes, the biggest obstacle an author faces is themselves. Back in 2013, a line from Nell Scovell and Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In really stuck with me: Done is better than perfect. We’ve written before about how perfectionism is the enemy of the writer –… Read More >
5 Young Adult Books To Read in 2021
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on March 23, 2021
In case you hadn’t heard, young adult books aren’t just for young adults anymore. Readers of all ages enjoy this genre which can encompass contemporary, fantasy, romance, mystery or whatever elements you enjoy reading. Today we’ve rounded up 5 popular YA books that our Hidden Gems readers gave glowing reviews to, making them stories you must read this year! The Healing Room by Michaela James An unlikely choice for a Nanny, 17-year-old Bronwyn’s world is changed forever when her mysterious employer accepts an invite to The Healing Room. Bronwyn questions the motives behind the heaven like room. Is it truly a portal to another dimension, or something deeply sinister? Perfect for fans of YA that can appreciate a high concept mystery. “I really, really enjoyed this story,” writes K. Meador in their 5-star review. “Bronwyn, a 17 yr, caught and held my attention throughout this story. She was at… Read More >
BookBub Ads – Part Three: Building an Audience
By: Ginger | Posted on March 19, 2021
So now that you’ve decided that Bookbub advertising is for you, and you have your creative figured out, the final step in the puzzle is targeting the right audience. Bookbub works a bit differently than some of the other ad platforms, which means you may need to alter your current strategy. In this final installment of our Bookbub ad series, Ginger outlines his steps for successfully figuring out who should see your ads. In our last blog post, we wrote about coming up with creative that could be effective on BookBub. Of similar importance is the audience you show this creative to – and that’s where BookBub appears ‘deceptively’ simple in its targeting. One of the incredible things about BookBub is that it allows authors to target their advertising to an incredibly granular level – by selecting specific authors who are included on their platform and targeting the readers… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Kait Nolan
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on March 16, 2021
Today’s author interview is with RITA Award-winning romance author Kait Nolan. Kait’s small-town contemporary romance novels are bingeworthy and always devoured by her adoring readers. We were honored to have the opportunity to interview Kait and to learn more about her writing process and what her path to becoming an author looked like. HG: How would you describe yourself to somebody who isn’t familiar with your writing yet? KN: I write sassy, small-town, oh-so-Southern stories with strong women, lots of heart, occasional tears, and plenty of feel good along the way. HG: Lovely! Tell us about your path to becoming an author. Was it always your dream job? KN: I mean, after I decided against astronaut and found out I have zero skill as an artist (my art teacher once kindly said that my style was reminiscent of Picasso rather than telling eight-year-old me that my sense of perspective… Read More >
BookBub Ads – Part Two: The Creative
By: Ginger | Posted on March 12, 2021
If you’ve been thinking about trying to advertise your book on Bookbub’s relatively new advertising platform but aren’t sure where to start, this is the series for you. In part 1, Ginger discussed what the service offers and how to determine if it’s right for you, and this week he’s diving into what sort of images to use in your bookbub ads. What can, and should, you include? It’s all explained below, with a real example ad Ginger created and used for one of his own books to help illustrate his points. Last week, we pitched the idea of using BookBub to market your books. It’s an incredibly powerful serve-yourself advertising platform that has arguable advantages over both Facebook and Advertising on Amazon – but the interface is deceptively simple and a lot of authors get their fingers burned by jumping in without a strategy in place. Today, we’re… Read More >
5 Popular Page Turning Thrillers
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on March 9, 2021
Twist and turns, bone chilling imagery, nail biting suspense… all the things that make a fantastic thriller. Hidden Gems readers have been fortunate to have plenty of suspenseful books to choose from over the past few months, and this is a round-up of some of the most popular and well liked page turners. Her Last Summer by Melinda Woodhall A celebrity author’s body is found floating in the bathtub of a luxury hotel suite. Can investigative reporter Veronica Lee uncover the terrifying truth behind the mysterious death before a cunning killer takes his next victim? With over 150 reviews, this fast paced mystery thriller is full of turns you won’t see coming. Roxx T., Vine Voice writes in their 5-star review, “Woodall has an intriguing premise here, and crafts her story well. Suspense runs rampant. What’s next? Who’s next? Her characters are interesting and engaging – even those who… Read More >
BookBub Ads – Part One: Getting Started
By: Ginger | Posted on March 5, 2021
When it comes to advertising, Amazon isn’t the only game in town. Facebook is still a familiar favorite for those trying to drive traffic to their books, and some authors have even ventured into using YouTube and TikTok to promote their work. But have you given Bookbub a try? Once just a hard-to-get newsletter promotion, Bookbub now allows authors to place ads in front of their large readership. In this first installment of a three-part series, Ginger gives you the lowdown on the Bookbub advertising platform and what you need to know to decide if it’s right for you. One often overlooked but surprisingly effective advertising platform is BookBub – with many authors unaware they even run ads. For most self-published authors, getting a BookBub ‘deal’ is the only feature they’re interested in – often considered the Holy Grail of book promotions. But for a fraction of the cost,… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Stephen B. King
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on March 2, 2021
Today’s spotlight interview is with thriller author Stephen B. King. We were honored to have the opportunity to discuss his writing with him. Stephen often writes about the dark world of serial killers and it was absolutely fascinating to hear more about his writing process and inspiration. HG: How would you describe yourself to somebody who isn’t familiar with your writing yet? SK: As an author I write character driven stories. For me, that’s the whole point, and the aspect I work hardest on. If I can get you, the reader, to invest in my character, feel for them, even worry for them; then hold on to my hand tightly – we’re going on a roller-coaster ride. You may not like some of my characters, some you may even detest – especially the serial killers I sometimes write about, or Dave, the protagonist in Domin8, but I will always show… Read More >
