5 Top Rated Books on Faith and Spirituality
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 29, 2021
The Faith/Spirituality category covers a wide range of topics. We all have unique beliefs and inspirations, so we’ve rounded up a variety of books on faith and spirituality that were highly rated by Hidden Gems ARC reviewers. Take a look and see if your next eye-opening read is on this list. 7 Attitudes of the Helping Heart by John Christopher Frame 7 Attitudes of the Helping Heart: How to Live Out Your Faith and Care for the Poor is an eye-opening journey that will help you move into the joy of loving others more. If you like on-the-ground wisdom, empowering approaches to serving God, and practical advice, then you’ll love John Christopher Frame’s inspirational book. A.J. Wind writes in their 5-star review, “Dr Frame offers sincerity, humility and a range of universal spiritual tools and skills to help guide the exercise and practice for our spiritual selves. This is… Read More >
My Radish Experiment – Part 1
By: Craig | Posted on June 25, 2021
A little over a month ago I decided to experiment with the Radish Fiction reading app, using a 3-book romance series that I wrote years ago as the guinea pig. The reading app model is a fairly new one, but with even Amazon getting into the game with Vella, it seems like the model may be sticking around for a while. Radish looks to be one of the biggest players, so I thought it was worth walking through to see what the process was like from an author perspective. I’ve been providing regular updates to the authors on my weekly newsletter, but now that I’ve started to get some results, a bigger more detailed analysis is warranted. I’m calling this Part 1, though, as not all of the data is in yet so I’m sure there will be at least one more future update. What is Radish and how does… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Mia London and Susan Sheehey
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 22, 2021
Today’s author interview spotlight is an extra special feature with both Mia London and Susan Sheehey. While they’ve both written many popular romance novels individually, they’ve also co-written several steamy romances and we were honored to chat with them about their books and everything that goes into a writing partnership. Hidden Gems: How did this co-writing partnership come to be? Mia London: We were on a car trip—to a book signing. Susan Sheehey: I was riding in the front seat as Mia was driving, and I had my laptop open going through some files. I closed my laptop lid and said how much I love the sound of a laptop lid closing. That sparked the idea for essentially the entire series…a workaholic woman and her friends…which is essentially the opening scene of the first book. Samantha closing the lid on her laptop. ML: We did some brainstorming/story building for the… Read More >
How the writing career blueprint has changed
By: Ginger | Posted on June 18, 2021
There’s no doubt that the self-publishing landscape has changed a lot in the last few years, and it will undoubtedly continue to evolve. When I first started publishing back in 2013 or so, the rapid release/high volume strategy was definitely the most reliable path to success, and that was without any sort of advertising at all. But as more books started to fill out the digital shelves, it became harder to get noticed. At that point many of us pivoted to using ads, which at first were wildly successful for very little spend, but as competition grew, so did ad prices even as their results became less impressive. Still, many self-published authors continue to earn a living with their writing, but simply having the ability to tell great stories isn’t enough anymore. As Ginger points out, you also need to be willing and able to not only formulate a plan… Read More >
5 Fantasy Summer Reads
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 15, 2021
Today we’re looking at some of the recent fantasy titles that our ARC readers have raved out. If you’re looking to visit another world or an alternate reality this summer, this is a great place to start. Bisecter 4-Book Box Set: The Complete Series by Stephani Fazio This action-filled collection is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, and Cassandra Clare. If you love fantasy, don’t miss these stories about wonder and adventure, love and sacrifice, heroes and monsters, and the blurred spaces in between. The Bisecter box set ranks in at an impressive 4.8 average star rating on Amazon! Jessica H. writes in her 5-star review, “I really enjoyed reading Bisector, the complete series four-book box set. Wade was one of my favorite characters in the series. The series was easy to read and there was plenty of conflict for Mer and the gang. The series… Read More >
How to Meet Other Writers
By: Gwyn GB | Posted on June 11, 2021
Last week we wrote about finding your audience tribe, and speaking directly to them when you write your book. Equally important, but for different reasons, is the idea of finding your author tribe. That is, finding some small group of like-minded writers that you can rely on for support. Even at the best of times, writing is a lonely business, and the pandemic that looks to finally be coming to an end (knock on wood) has only served to amplify that problem. But now that things are finally starting to get back to normal, there is no better time to start looking for a group of people that share your passion for writing, understand what you’re going through, and provide the support and encouragement we all sometimes need. So if you’re ready to start looking for your own tribe but unsure where to even begin, have no fear! Bestselling crime… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Tetsuo Ted Takashima
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 8, 2021
Tetsuo Takashima is an award winning Japanese author that has sold hundreds of thousands of copies of his more than 30 books, but has only recently started to translate those books into English, making him a new author to many North American readers. With the help of a translator, we were able to interview him about his books, many of which skillfully weave science and technology together to create thrilling novels that leave readers with a new way of looking at important issues and themes. HG: How would you describe yourself to somebody who isn’t familiar with your writing yet? TT: I’m a failed scientist turned author. I studied for a year under a UCLA graduate program, which is where I ran against the limits of my talents with regard to the field of physics. So I’d like to continue writing novels that make use of my current scientific knowledge. HG:… Read More >
Market to your genre, but write for your audience
By: Ginger | Posted on June 4, 2021
One of the benefits that self-publishing has brought to the book world is a breadth of genres and sub-genres that were previously underserved (if not completely nonexistent). While those sub-genres may not have been profitable for a big publishing house to chase, due to their smaller overall size, they can still be profitable for an author making the much higher commissions that self-publishing brings. That’s why it can pay to write to your audience if you’re passionate about a type of story that isn’t typically the biggest sellers. The trick is finding that audience that shares your interests and wants to read those stories, which means that even though your story may be unique or different than what’s expected within your genre, your marketing efforts should still continue to conform to norms. Otherwise you may not be able to find and attract that core audience in the first place. … Read More >
5 Kid’s Books to Enjoy This Summer
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 1, 2021
With summer break here for many, we thought it’d be a great time to round up five children’s books that Hidden Gems ARC readers have recently read and adored. Most of these are geared toward younger children, but with brilliant illustrations and heartwarming messages they can be enjoyed by all. Consider adding these titles to your shopping list the next time you’re buying a kid’s book for your little one! The Snot Book: A Book for Children to Enjoy and Learn about Nose Goop, Mucus, and other Curious Facts by Marc Bacera Book 6 in the Bewildering Body series for young kids, The Snot Book is “so gross your kids won’t notice they’re learning!” Both fun and educational, this is one kid’s book you’ll enjoy reading and discussing with your children. “This gross and gooey volume of boogerific facts was a blast to read,” raves Tricia S. in her… Read More >
