Thursday, September 29, 2011

Author! Author! Blog Bounce


Before we get to the Author! Author! Blog Bounce a few reminders -

It's the final days to purchase the Summer Anthologies! We have two great versions with a total of thirteen Omnific authors who participated in this project where all profit will be donated to Save the Tatas Foundation. If you want sweet and light, then our Summer Breeze is the one for you. Or if you are into hot and steamy then we have that too in Heat Wave. (But if you had both you could pick what to read on how you felt any day!) So if you haven't got yours yet...DO IT NOW!!

Our other reminder is for our Back to School Sale that is ending this week as well! For just 99 cents you can pick up the ebook of Nicki Elson's Three Daves or Jess Bowen's Breaking Point. For less than the price of a latte, you could read two great stories!

Now it's time to BOUNCE!!

Here's how this works:

If you are an author, click on "Get the Code Here" to get the link. Copy and paste that link in your blog post. Then hop right on and add your blog url to get added to the list.

If you are a reader, you get to bounce from blog to blog and meet some great new authors and maybe find some new books to read.

So everyone hop on and go for a bounce!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

New Release - The Guardian's Wildchild by Feather Stone

We have another new release!!

Today  Feather Stone’s The Guardian’s Wildchild becomes one of Omnific’s newest Paranormal Romance titles, and we are so excited to bring you an interview with the author today.

Caught in a reckless attempt to stop Dark forces, Sidney Davenport, a young, rule breaking, spirited member of the secret paranormal community of Guardians, finds herself imprisoned on a naval ship and slated for execution.  Her struggle with the unfamiliar emotions of fear and anger becomes even more complicated when she can no longer fight her attraction to the very man who has orders to perform her execution.

Captain Sam Waterhouse, a meticulous naval captain who’s suspected of treason, teeters on a precipice between Darkness and Light.  When he receives an unusual prisoner, a paranormal journey begins to unravel his disciplined life.  All the while, humanity is unknowingly at great risk when two Dark forces team up to acquire control of an elusive power.   Sidney and Sam attempt to quiet their powerful feelings for each other, only to discover they can save each other, and in doing so, they might even save the world.

Through stunning imagery, an intricate and adventurous plot, and a strong cast of characters, Feather Stone gives readers a fascinating glimpse into the future—a future that is chilling, yet full of hope.

We talked a bit with Feather and got her thoughts about writing and romance.

Omnific : The Guardian’s Wildchild has a great romance wrapped up in a paranormal story. What was your inspiration?

Feather Stone: I wrote the story after a brief experience of time/space travel. I was physically transported to a ship with the captain standing beside me.  There was no verbal communication, but for a brief time we were connected to the depths of our souls.  It was a feeling of love that I had never before experienced.  The story materialized out of that experience.


Omnific : Your main character has several “talents” as a guardian. What would be the one talent that you would want to have?

Feather Stone: Sidney is so human and enjoys her “talents” without ego.  I have experienced and enjoyed many paranormal events throughout my life and used those experiences in the The Guardian’s Wildchild.  The talent that Sidney has but I’ve never experienced is telekinesis.  It would be a fun way to get my husband to do the vacuuming.


Omnific : What is your writing process like? Do you write when it hits you or do you make time to write?

Feather Stone: My writing process is 24/7.  If I’m not at the keyboard, my mind is constantly working on the characters, the action, or the dialogue.  When I was working as a paramedic, I had to focus on my patients and that was easy – I loved my work.  But, for the ten years in writing or rewriting the story, when my shift was over I couldn’t wait to get home at boot up my computer.  Often, I felt that I was an instrument of a spirit aching to tell her story.


Omnific:  Now, we are all about romance here at Omnific, so what is your favorite romantic scene from a book?

Feather Stone: The novel/movie “Anna and the King of Siam” - now that was romance.  The entire book/movie was romance that had me spell bound.


Omnific : If they made that book into a movie, who would play the hero? Or if they have did you like the casting of the hero who would you have liked to see in that role?

Feather Stone: The movie of that book had great casting.  Sadly I’m out of touch with the younger generation of actors.  For my book, if I could select an actor from generations ago it would be the young Katherine Hepburn as Sidney.  To me, the real hero is Sam.  He went through hell and risked everything to change is life, and succeeded.  As he was a tall handsome American/Japanese man, I don’t know of any Japanese actors who might fill that role with the exception of actors from North America’s aboriginal nations like Graham Greene.  I always envisioned a young Mel Gibson playing Danik.  Golly, am I an antique, or what!


Omnific:  Are you working on anything new that you want to share with us?

Feather Stone: I am working on a sequel to The Guardian’s Wildchild and another novel.  Both involve the paranormal and spirituality – and, of course, romance.  In The Guardian’s Wildchild I kept the romance and sex scenes rather tame – wanting to focus more on plot and character development. In the next book the heat in the romance will reach fever level.  Put on your oven mitts.


Ohhh! Looking forward to the romance and sex scenes of the next book!

We asked Feather to pick one of her favorite excerpts to share with you all as well. It’s probably the hardest thing to ask an author to do, so we thank Feather providing one for us.

Sidney stood up, bracing herself against the side of the bed. The sudden appearance of Captain Waterhouse shook her. Though she’d seen him before, her mind had been in a fog. Now, she saw not only the man, but sensed his power. When his staff acknowledged him with a brisk salute, she couldn’t help but notice it was performed with respect. She sensed they would willingly put their lives on the line without a moment’s hesitation if he so commanded. It took her breath away.

Sam raised his eyebrows. “Problems, Lorna?”

“Well, no harm done. Sidney took the initiative and removed her catheter.”

Sam crossed his arms over his chest. “I see. Isn’t that painful?”

“Not if you know what you’re doing,” Lorna explained.

“Interesting.” He paused, studying Sidney’s expression. “If you’re finished with your discussion, Lorna, I’d like to have a word with the prisoner.”

Lorna left.

“It would appear you know more about medical procedures than the average person. Is that correct?” Sam asked.

“I worked as a volunteer in a palliative care ward for a while, Captain. I saw things most people don’t. Wasn’t trained, just watched a lot of procedures.”

“Right. So you know the importance of procedures being properly carried out by the right people. Rules are there for a reason.”

Her back straightened, and she lifted her chin higher. “Not necessarily, sir. Rules are made mostly for machines or those who can’t be trusted to make decisions using sound judgment for the good of all. I live by only guidelines.”

“Well, the rules here on my ship are not simply guidelines. And, they’re not just for machines. I expect everyone, including prisoners, to follow procedure.” Sam’s voice was almost harsh.

He never broke eye contact with her for a second, yet he never made any threatening gestures either. He didn’t need to. His authority remained steadfast. And she never shied away from his domineering stance in front of her, though his broad shoulders reached the level of her chin.

“Well, Captain Waterhouse, you’re right about some rules. I do have one.”

“Yes?” he retorted.

She stood with her hands on her hips. “I control what goes on or in my own body. I control the what, where, when, why, and the how! If I don’t want a catheter, I won’t have a catheter. I bet, Captain Waterhouse, that’s in your rulebook too!”

She was so tense she was barely able to take in a breath and began to feel light headed. But as long as Sam maintained eye contact, she didn’t dare show weakness. For what felt like an eternal minute, he said nothing and stood firm. Eventually, a hint of a smile appeared on his face.

“Touché. I’ll give you that one.” His smile broadened.

At last she was able to step away and take in a breath.

“Thank you, Captain.”

She wanted to hide the fact that she was trembling, but her knees gave way. Reaching for the bed, she felt the floor sway, and her vision blurred. Sam called out for Lorna just before the darkness surrounded her. As she lost consciousness, she felt Sam wrap his arms around her.

When she opened her eyes moments later, she was back on her bed. He was bent over her, trying to unhook a lock of her hair from a button on his shirt. His face was close to hers.


Congratulations to Feather Stone on her new release and thank you so much for sharing with us!



Monday, September 26, 2011

Cover Me!

Today we have one of Omnific author, Nicki Elson guest blogging for us. She’s talking about one step in the publishing process that Omnific tries to get the author involved in – COVERS! And so very apropos since she just got a brand new beautiful cover for her book, Three Daves. (Nothing screams 80s fun in my mind more than a pair of lacey socks with neon heels!) And don't forget you can pick up the ebook of Three Daves still for just 99 cents!

For me, the single most exciting moment in the publication process is the cover reveal. It’s just so cool to see the story encapsulated in a single image. But nothing’s as easy as it looks, and cover development, just like writing and editing, is a process. I’m sure every publisher has its own way of going about it, but I’ll give you a little insight into how it works at Omnific—from an author’s perspective.

The graphic design team is responsible for coming up with the specific design for a cover, but authors are asked for input along the way. Things like the overall tone we want conveyed—Light & Fun? Ominous? Sexy? Sweet?—and specific images important to the story, such as a raging sea, a pure white angel feather, military dog tags, or cupcakes. We also get a chance to mention any images or elements we’d prefer to avoid.

Then the graphic designer uses her artistic vision to incorporate all of that into an appealing design. While each of the book covers in the Omnific collection clearly express the story’s individuality, there’s consistency in that all cover graphics are kept simple, focusing on only one or two key elements. I personally describe Omnific Publishing’s “house look” in one word: classy.

An award winning cover
But author input isn’t over. We’re presented with at least three different cover options. At that point we can either fall completely in love or request changes, ranging from tweaks to mixing and matching elements from different cover options. The graphic designer then takes this input and once again works her magic to come up with the final cover.

For an author, there’s nothing quite like the feeling we get when we see our name printed on a bonafide book cover. The sensation’s even better when it’s on a gorgeous book cover that fits the story perfectly. But we’ve got to look quick, because there are precious few seconds before our vision becomes blurred by the tears that are inevitable when hit with the sudden and concrete realization that a dream has just come true.

Thanks so much Nicki!
Omnific is proud of our beautiful covers and are so lucky to have had some great graphic artists work on them. They are true artists.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Author! Author! Blog Bounce


Before we get to the Author! Author! Blog Bounce a few reminders -

Our Summer Anthologies are still available through the end of September. We have two great versions with a total of thirteen Omnific authors who participated in this project where all profit will be donated to Save the Tatas Foundation. If you want sweet and light, then our Summer Breeze is the one for you. Or if you are into hot and steamy then we have that too in Heat Wave. (But if you had both you could pick what to read on how you felt any day!)

Our other reminder is for our Back to School Sale that is going on right now! For just 99 cents you can pick up the ebook of Nicki Elson's Three Daves or Jess Bowen's Breaking Point. For less than the price of a latte, you could read two great stories!

Now it's time to BOUNCE!!

Here's how this works:

If you are an author, click on "Get the Code Here" to get the link. Copy and paste that link in your blog post. Then hop right on and add your blog url to get added to the list.

If you are a reader, you get to bounce from blog to blog and meet some great new authors and maybe find some new books to read.

So everyone hop on and go for a bounce!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

I Have a Manuscript! Now What?

Now that you’ve finished that manuscript that you’ve been working on for months…years…what do you do next?

We thought that it would be helpful to all the authors out there to explain our submission process and answer any questions you might have.

What kind of manuscripts are you looking for?

Omnific is Romance Without Rules! We take all romance based genres: contemporary, historical, paranormal, suspense, young adult, erotic and alternative. If there’s romance, we want to read it!

(Okay, there actually are a few rules. We will not consider any book that glorifies depraved or illegal acts. Please do not submit manuscripts containing pedophilia, bestiality, racial intolerance, rape as titillation, necrophilia, etc.)

How long does my manuscript have to be?

We take manuscripts that are about 60,000 to 180,000 words. On occasion we will be looking for short stories for anthologies as well, so be sure to be on the lookout for those announcements!

What do I need to do to submit my manuscript?

Your submission should include a brief query letter telling us about your manuscript (genre, word count and a bit about the plot) and attached synopsis of you story.
Omnific accepts submissions by email only at submissions@omnificpublishing.com.

What do I need in my synopsis?

Your synopsis should have a cover page that is formatted as follows:
  •  
  • Real Name/Pen Name
  • Address
  • Contact Phone
  • Email address
  • Working Title (include series name if applicable)
  • Word Count
  • Genre/s
  • Blurb (less than 200 words)
The second page should be an explanation of the entire plot, including the ending of the story.

What happens once I submit my query letter and synopsis?

If our acquisition editors accept your synopsis, they will contact you to request the first three chapters of your manuscript. If that is accepted, a full manuscript will be requested, at which point the acquisitions editor will decide on Omnific’s interest in publishing your work.

Finally, a few guidelines for submitting to Omnific.

When sending your synopsis please title the document: Title_Author initials_synopsis. For instance, if your name is Joan Roberts and you’re writing a book called The Glorious Night, you’d name your manuscript TheGloriousNight_JR_synopsis. If chapters are requested, title the document: Title_Author initials_chapters. If a full manuscript is requested, title the document: Title_Author initials_manuscript.
  •  
  • RTF (Rich Text File) or .doc/.docx (Word Document) file
  • Author name and book title should appear on the first page of your manuscript and synopsis
  • 1 inch margins
  • 1.5 line spacing
  • Times New Roman, 12pt.
  • Page break before each new chapter

Omnific Publishing, LLC is an author-friendly publishing house whose fundamental belief is that behind every avid reader is a writer waiting to flourish.

Our acquisition editors are waiting to hear from you!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Author! Author! Blog Bounce


Happy Thursday!!

Before we get to the Author! Author! Blog Bounce a few reminders -

Our Summer Anthologies are still available through the end of September. We have two great versions with a total of thirteen Omnific authors who participated in this project where all profit will be donated to Save the Tatas Foundation. If you want sweet and light, then our Summer Breeze is the one for you. Or if you are into hot and steamy then we have that too in Heat Wave. (But if you had both you could pick what to read on how you felt any day!)

Our other reminder is for our Back to School Sale that is going on right now! For just 99 cents you can pick up the ebook of Nicki Elson's Three Daves or Jess Bowen's Breaking Point. For less than the price of a latte, you could read two great stories!

Now it's time to BOUNCE!!

Here's how this works:

If you are an author, click on "Get the Code Here" to get the link. Copy and paste that link in your blog post. Then hop right on and add your blog url to get added to the list.

If you are a reader, you get to bounce from blog to blog and meet some great new authors and maybe find some new books to read.

So everyone hop on and go for a bounce!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Omnific Author Guest Blogs Cheat Sheet

Who doesn’t LOVE a cheat sheet??  No one, that’s who!

That’s why we thought that it would be a great idea to give our followers a little cheat sheet of some of our authors’ most recent guest blogging appearances around the web. I know that you already check out all of our authors’ blogs (right?), but you may have missed some of their guest appearances, so here you go!

First, check out A Tale of Many Reviews for several Omnific Author’s guest post including Nicki Elson, Sylvain Reynard, and Patricia Leever.
Speaking of Nicki Elson…she is on her Blog Blitz to promote the second edition and new cover for Three Daves. One of her other stops is at Jennifer Lane Books where she gives a peek at her idea for all three Daves.
Jennifer Lane talks about Omnific’s Summer Lovin’ Anthologies and gives a little peek at her short story, Swim Recuit, on At Random.  Or head over to Reading Away The Days to read Jen’s take on Adult Fiction –vs- Young Adult Fiction.
 
Carol Oates gives a great view into the thought behind the cover of her new release, Ember at A Tale of Many Reviews. And at YA Bound, she discusses Ember and even includes a depiction of one of the main characters, Draven.


Care for a little chat with the Devil? Check out Debra Anastasia’s interview with Jack from Crushed Seraphim on Lov, Liv, Life Reviews. Or get a little writing push from her at Supernatural Snark.

Robin DeJarnett’s blog tour for Whirlwind took her to Happily Ever After Reads, A Trail of Books Left Behind, and Supernatural Snark, just to name a few, where she talks about her characters and the world of contemporary romance.

As one of our great Aussie authors, Hannah Downing talks about Downunder food at Life is But a Dream. (Which by the way, I have it on the good authority of a second grader…vegemite is “gross”. Thanks for sending it Hannah!)
 
And of course, Lisa Sanchez hosted the Sizzling Summer Author Extravaganza which gave a whole slew of Omnific authors the chance to guest blog. Check out what all our authors had to say about everything from breast cancer and the Summer Lovin’ Anthologies to their latest releases (of soon to be released books) to writing advice and observations.













And over on that sidebar over there, you can find all of our authors’ own blogs so be sure to click and go check them out.

As always…I have to remind you that our Summer Anthologies are only available for another couple weeks! If you haven't gotten yours, make sure you do. All profits are being donated to Save the Tatas Foundation to help with breast cancer research.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Author! Author! Blog Bounce




It's Thursday again, and that means that it's time for the Author! Author! Blog Bounce!!

Before we get to the Bounce. We wanted to remind everyone of a few things...


First, our Summer Lovin' Anthologies will only be on sale through the end of September! If you haven't gotten one yet, time's running out! Remember all profit from the sale of both of these books goes to Save the Tatas Foundation.


And, don't forget that we are still having a "Back to School" sale on two of our great school stories. Ebooks of Niki Elson's Three Daves and Jess Bowen's Breaking Point are on sale for just 99 cents through the end of September! More great reading for pennies!

ON TO THE BLOG BOUNCE!!!

Here's how this works:

If you are an author, click on "Get the Code Here" to get the link. Copy and paste that link in your blog post. Then hop right on and add your blog url to get added to the list.

If you are a reader, you get to bounce from blog to blog and meet some great new authors and maybe find some new books to read.

So everyone hop on and go for a bounce!


Friday, September 2, 2011

Back to School Sale!






We’re having a sale!!

It’s back to school time and Omnific is putting two of our “school” books on sale.

Ever have one of those days when you want something fun to read but you don’t want to spend a lot of money ??

Well, through the end of September, for just 99₵ you can get an ebook of Nick Elson’s, Three Daves (second edition with FABULOUS new cover!) or Jess Bowen’s Breaking Point. Great reading at a great price!


Three Daves by Nicki Elson

Jennifer Whitney was the last American virgin.  At least that’s what she felt like in 1986 as she began her sophomore year at Central Illinois University.  She was proud of her decision to wait for the right guy, and yet she was getting restless.  It seemed like everyone around her was doing it... and having fun doing it, too.  She didn’t want to become the campus slut or anything, but surely there was a difference between a trashy skank and a nice girl with a little experience. Perhaps it was time to stop relying on fate to guide her and instead take matters into her own hands.  And with that realization, Jen decided to find “the one” and lose her virginity, although not necessarily in that order...
Nicki Elson has created a heroine that everyone will cheer for as she comes of age in the mid-1980s.  Whether you lived through the decade and survived the bad hair and acid-wash jeans, or just heard the wild stories, readers of all ages will identify with Jen Whitney as she searches for “the one,” enjoying her romantic ups and downs, made even more entertaining by Nicki Elson’s amusingly wry sense of humor. 


Breaking Point by Jess Bowen.

Phoebe Johnson and Ethan Smith had everything they needed: loving parents, great friends, and admission letters to Ivy League schools they’d be heading to in the fall. If only they knew that they were never going to reach the end of that summer--at least, not in the world they knew. A secret waits to be revealed on the eve of their nineteenth birthday, a secret that is going to change their lives forever when it leads them to a place they never believed existed, love they could never imagine living without, and power they never suspected they possessed.
Jess Bowen expertly plunges readers into an imaginative, supernatural world that refuses to bow down to the darkness that’s all but taken over. Amidst this adventurous quest for a lost prophecy, Bowen weaves in powerful tales of love that will leave the characters and readers breathless.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Author! Author! Blog Bounce

We are so excited to announce the new blog hop that we are sponsoring!


What's the Author! Author! Blog Bounce?? Well, it's a fun way for readers to find new authors and for authors to connect with their readers!

Authors, all you have to do is grab the icon, grab the link, make a blog post (don't forget to include the link!), and enter your blog on our list. Easy peasy!

Readers...you have the easy job. Just follow the bounce and visit the authors. Leave a comment and let them know that you were there.