Where My Heart Is

I AM WOLF Book 1 Children of Nox was available for free download yesterday. It was a complete success in the start of spreading the word about my novel. I can't believe the out pour of support that came at me from unexpected places. It was without a doubt the most unique experience, one that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

I can't believe I'm actually here. I the feeling is humble and even a little overwhelming. I've always believed that dreams come true. . .for others. I didn't believe they could actually happen for me. I didn't do this alone though. I had a lot of help along the way from John Buchanan, my fiance. He pushed me when I wanted to give up and just stop. If it wasn't for him and Chantell, my sister, I wouldn't have continued. I would have wrote, but I don't think I would have tried to get published.

Five years ago, I made a little silver box and placed objects inside. This was my own special wish box. I wanted to remind myself that dreams are good to have. Inside the box, I placed a little toy house, a car, a picture of my family smiling and laughing and last but not least a piece of paper that said please dear God let me get published and be successful. A couple years later, the house we were renting caught fire and we lost everything we owned. Yes even the box went up in flames. Still what was inside didn't because that was in my heart.

I look back now and we have a house that belongs to us. I have a vehicle that runs. My family is happy and healthy and last but not least I have been published. It took a lot of hard work to get here. But the thing is, I get to look back and see that where I once was the gypsy in the family I'm not stable. Where I didn't have a car I could drive and life itself seemed so unsure when it came to my family because of divorce--I now have all I asked for. It is a dream come true--all of it.

Dreams have a way of sneaking up on you and biting you when you least expect it. They grab our hearts and shape the way we do things. I feel like all the things in my wish box came true. Though they may not have happened the way I envisioned them. They still happened. I have been inspired by so many other people and learned from some of the coolest people out there. It has been a pleasure.

John and Chantell thank you for the encouragement when I didn't see it. I also want to thank all the beautiful and talented people who have been there along the way. I also want to send out huge hugs to Jazzy, she was there with every word I wrote and was a fan long before I had a story.

Karen Fuller, World Castle Publishing for taking me on and seeing what John and Chantell saw. To Charlotte Blackwell, Mary Ting and Marsha Casper Cook for all their encouragement and words of wisdom. Thank you for dealing with my neurotic state of mind when the mood strikes. I couldn't have stayed the course without you guys.

Daniel Bautz, a talented film maker, show host and friend. He created the trailer you see above for me because I was clueless. I think he got a giggle out of me being clueless. He is one of my best friends.

Jim Malliard, who is a show host and a paranormal investigative team leader. His twittering is not surpassed by anyone else I know. He is always there to lend a hand where needed, no matter who asks. Thank you Jim, quack quack...lol.

I met Audrey Hamilton a while back and was invited to join her in her company, For You PR. She has been an amazing supporter and the coolest person to talk to when I needed to work things out in my head. Working with her, I think we have both learned so many cool new things. I can't wait to see what we come up with next.

I know this is a sappy post, but I really just wanted to share what's in my heart. Yesterday was amazing and it was because of those who have been there from the very beginning and those I met along the way who had more faith than I and who continue to be supporters. I love you all!!

I AM WOLF is available on Amazon. 

BLURB

Angel, hero, monster, devil--we all become what we really are. I Am Wolf--The journey of a boy about to become a man who inherits his ancestor's gift and must learn the right way to use it. He falls in love with Alaynee and begins to feel like he is normal again. When their world is shattered by the kidnapping of Alaynee's little brother, Jonah breaks the cardinal rule of his gift and bites the kidnapper, creating a creature called the Unnatural. This sends him and all his friends on an adventure across the states to a place in Tennessee. There they find not only must they stop the Unnatural creature, but they must save Cara--the girl the creature is after. Jonah must ask himself the most important question of all, would you sacrifice yourself to save another? 

Copyright by Joann H. Buchanan

It's a BOOK!!

With the way of the world heading all digital, I have to ask, how long do you think it will take before there are no longer printed books available? I still love the way a printed book feels in my hands. There is nothing like turning the pages and getting lost in the worlds writers provide for us.


So with that being said, I can't ignore the other side of the coin. I can download books to the app on my phone and take them where ever I go. The time of day doesn't matter because the screen lights up, allowing me to be transported to another reality. Also the real truth is I'm also a gadget geek. I LOVE gadgets. They are fun to play with. 

Does this mean that one day our grandchildren will be asking what we are holding when we pick up an old favorite from our shelves? Will print ever really be gone or will it become more of a collector's item like so many other things that time has forgotten?  


An article published by Smarthouse states, " eBooks Could Cost More Than Print If Publishers Get Their Way" If this is true, then there might be a possibility that print media won't go silent into the night. It won't disappear completely. 


To me, this isn't a bad thing. I do want to know what this means for writers. Is big business making it impossible for writers to be paid and why aren't writers paid more? After all, we are the reason those companies are in business as it is. 

Digital books cost less to produce transport and store, and these savings may not have been passed on to readers. Mass-market paperbacks are usually sold at the same price in paper or e-ink. And yet a $7.99 ebook will generate a profit of around $3.80 for a publisher, under the agency model. The margin shrinks to $2.25 for the physical version.


If this is true then why are writers who land on the best seller lists still making an average of 20 to 50 thousand dollars a year? Why are the profits not going to writers when we are the creators and when we no longer have a budget for PR given to us to market our work to make more sales?


Whether or not print leaves this planet and becomes nothing more than an old piece of nostalgia sold at auctions or not, is really not the heart of the whole issue.  It's a book and between the pages rests invisible blood from each stories creator. We don't write to get rich, we write and create because we love to. Big business is in trouble though and people are starting to feel the crunch. Small publishing companies, like World Castle Publishing,  are taking risks on projects that are less likely to be considered by bigger companies because they think outside the box. The risks are starting to pay off in dividends and many unknown writers are starting to build their own following.


Self published writers are taking the time to hire good freelance editors and cover artists to help put out good quality work. Others are starting their own publishing companies with the help of places like Smashwords, Createspace and other sources. These are also biting into big business and allowing the newer writers to have a chance. Yes, the work is twice as hard. However, if you have a product like my friends Mike Saxton, Elizabeth Kolodziej or Beth Muscat, then you are really getting a good story and being entertained.

Really, what makes a good book? It's the ability to tell a story that draws the reader in. It isn't big or small business. Its the hard work that has been put into each and every word. It's a book...more than a book....it's a world you can carry around no matter what delivery system you choose to use.


Copyright by Joann H. Buchanan

I Am Wolf

 
World Castle Publishing has picked up I AM WOLF!! It is the first novel in a three book series. The other books are being worked on as we speak.


Karen Fuller, has been the most supportive publisher I could ever wish for. Thank you for everything. :D The cover is coming soon! I know that there are some people out there who have been waiting to hear something about the book. Well it will be available soon! :D