Promoting, Blog Tour, SWAG, and the other 99% of writing

I, like many, many other writers I know, sort of suck at Marketing. (There are some exceptions; Rue Volley, for instance, is like the Marketing Queen and Diva-extreme of Self-promo... and if you don't know who she is, you should find out, because she's pretty dang awesome.)

Aaaand, I'm trying to get better, especially with my first novel coming out soon. (I don't know yet, sorry. Early 2014...)

So, with Blood Cries Up coming out in less than a month - 16 days and counting! - I thought I'd try to do some more marketing and self-promo and see if I can't... well, figure it out.

On that note, I am getting some SWAG for Blood Cries Up. My friend at Raven Hollow Candles is making me some fall-scented tarts (You will need a tart warmer to use these) with the cover printed on the container. Pumpkin Whip and Kettle Corn will be my two fall scents, and they should go quite well with the cover, don't you think?

These will be given away during my promo blog hop. I've already talked to a number of writers that I adore and who have offered to host me (if you keep a blog and want to host me, please note in the comments or shoot me an email at lynntownsend dot writer at gmail dot com)

So far the dates look like this: (**subject to change as I talk more with the blog authors and get things nailed down...)

October  1 - On Torquere's Romance for the Rest of Us

October  2 - Release Date, here at Paid by the Weird

October  3 - Kinzie Rose

October  4 - Chris T. Kat's The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

October  5 - Elizabeth L. Brook's Every World Needs Love

October  6 - available

October  7 - Victoria Chisholm's Books

October  8 - Sommer Marsden's Unapologetic Fiction

October  9 - available

October 10 - V. L. Locey's Thoughts from a Yodeling Goat Herder

October 11 - available

October 12 - available

October 13 - A.R. Moler's Bodies Making Chemistry 

People who comment on the blog tour will be entered in a drawing to win a $10 gift card at Torquere Press (or Amazon, or Amazon.UK), free copies of the story, swag bundles (including a scented tart!)

I may have a Facebook release party - I'm still working on the details of what that entails...

Anyway, lots of fun things, so keep an eye out. Also, I have some exciting news coming up. And I still can't talk about it because the official announcement has not been made... but I'll be doing a (redacted) with some amazingly talented guys who were nominated for a (redacted) award earlier this year and... yeah. exciting. jeeeez, I wish they'd make the announcement already before I 'splodo!