Author: C.E. Flores

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

| C.E. Flores

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is a bit of a study in behavior with a bit of a mystery. It’s set in Sweden and there’s a sort of running joke about people from Stockholm throughout the book. I guess maybe it would have been funnier if I were Swedish. 

The story begins with some general commentary on life. Eventually the author gets to the point that everything that follows was the result of one single really bad idea. A desperate parent tries to hold up a cashless bank, ends up taking hostages accidently, and well, everything just goes downhill from there. 

The hostages and police officers trying to negotiate their release each have their own backstory, some of which end up overlapping before all is said and done. The mystery is how this messy situation resolves itself (or doesn’t) and what it all has to do with the man on the bridge ten years previously. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is a quirky, light read that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. 

Writing Ebooks As a Stream of Income

| C.E. Flores

In 2019, I participated in the Work Freedom Summit about e-book publishing. In it, I discuss the process and how authors should consider e-books as a viable stream of income. There are a number of other useful interviews included in the Summit. If you are looking for a way to supplement your income, there are sections on:

You can see my segment here:

Download How to Turn Your Blog into an Ebook Checklist.

Since then, I’ve written four books intended to help beginning writers learn how to format, publish, and market their book. 

If you prefer this information in self-paced online courses, Book It: Everything You Need to Know to Publish Your Book on Amazon and Book Weaving: How to Create a Story Tapestry From Your Blog Threads are there to help you as well.

Blog to Book Project — Amazon Sponsored Brands

| C.E. Flores

In 2020, Amazon opened up the world of sponsored brands to authors. Using this feature, authors can feature up to five similar books in a cost-per-click (CPC) ad. If a viewer clicks on the ad, they will be taken to a custom landing page. Currently, this is only open to U.S. authors, but eventually, I’m sure it will be available to authors in other countries that Amazon services.

From your KDP bookshelf, choose Promote and Advertise. Then choose the Amazon.com marketplace under Run an Ad Campaign. To begin, choose Sponsored Brands from the campaign types.

You’ll need to add a credit card to launch the campaign, otherwise you can save it as a draft. Create a campaign name, something memorable such as Survival Guide Ad or Writers Books Ad. Next choose a start and end date. Set your budget. A lifetime budget is only available for ads with an end date. If you have used more than one pen name, you’ll be able to choose here which one you would like to highlight in the ad as well. 

Next you’ll choose the books you’d like to highlight with this ad campaign. You can choose books in the same series or books that are written in the same genre.

You’ll have a chance to review how the custom landing page will look. Your books will be listed across the top, and one listing will be expanded below them. 

If you aren’t happy with the book order, you can change that in the next section Creative. Add an author photo or your brand logo if you have one. The image should be at least 300 x 300 pixels and smaller than 1 MB. Use PNG, JPEG or GIF. The toggle Product Optimization lets Amazon automatically replace the books you’ve selected with different ones if they are more relevant to a user’s search. Create a headline that summarizes what you are presenting like Guides to make your move to Mexico easier or Aids designed to help you format your book today. Amazon suggests using sentence case rather than all capital letters and avoiding extra punctuation like !!!!.

You can choose from Keyword or Product targeting, whichever you believe will best get your books in front of your target audience. You can also add negative keywords or products to exclude irrelevant terms. 

Finally, if you’ve already entered the billing information, then you can submit everything for review. 

Assignment: Create a Sponsored Brand ad campaign. 

***

The Stranger Creatures Tour and Giveaway

| C.E. Flores

I thought I’d try something new and signed up to host The Stranger Creatures Tour and Giveaway. Today I’m sharing some information on Christina Lynn Lambert’s paranormal shifter series. Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! Enjoy!

Wolf’s Challenge
Stranger Creatures Book 1
by Christina Lynn Lambert
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense
When Sydney left Seattle two years ago, she was scared, traumatized, and done with men for good. Now she has a good job, a hobby that’s fast becoming a second career, and best of all, she’s adopted a little girl named Angel. Life is good and Sydney’s not about to let charming lawyer Derrick mess that up, no matter how sexy he is, or how sweet he seems.
Things aren’t always as they appear in the town of Great Oaks, Virginia. Derrick isn’t the ladies’ man Sydney thinks he is, but he does have a few secrets, the least shocking one that he can transform into a powerful wolf at will.
Can Derrick convince Sydney to give him a chance, something more than her elusive maybe? More importantly, should he? He’s still trying to forgive himself for being at the wheel during the accident that killed his son. Losing Sydney when she learns the truth might break him, but he’s pretty sure not having her in his life would be just as bad.
Please note – this book contains mature language, situations and descriptive sex scenes and is intended for mature audiences only!
Bear’s Edge
Stranger Creatures Book 2
A boss can’t date her employee—simple as that. No matter how much Shayla wants to unravel a few of Grant’s mysteries and take her friendship with the shy, sarcastic man to the next level, she’s determined to keep her fantasies of him to herself.
After bear shifter Grant lost his girlfriend and three best friends in a fire, he did his best to shut himself off from everyone around him. Falling for Shayla wasn’t part of his plan, but after a kiss that leaves them both speechless and hungry for more, Grant can’t keep his desire for his boss under wraps any longer.
When things between the two of them get hotter than he could have imagined, Grant wonders if some of his darker desires will be too much for Shayla or will she embrace the needs he’s kept hidden for so long?
An obnoxious reporter and Shayla’s bitter ex have teamed up to chase down conspiracy theories that could destroy Shayla’s business and worse, put her life in danger. To find their happily ever after, Shayla and Grant will have to trust in each other and find a way to crush all the obstacles standing in their way.
Please note – this book contains mature language, situations and descriptive sex scenes and is intended for mature audiences only!
Tiger’s Last Chance
Stranger Creatures Book 3
While working a case, Sean Whitman is tortured for information, drugged, and bitten against his will by a shape shifter. The fallout leaves him jobless, friendless, and dumped by his girlfriend. Needing a fresh start, he leaves town and opens a private investigation business. Learning to live life sober isn’t easy, but he makes it to the two year mark.
When Detective Nikki Jackson with the Great Oaks, Virginia Police Department calls him, accusing him of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s house, Sean can’t help but like the sound of her voice, despite her ridiculous accusations. He’s shocked when she calls him back with an apology then asks for his help as a consultant on a case. On the phone, her sweet, slightly Southern voice captivates him. In person, she’s unlike any other woman he’s encountered, and nearly impossible to resist. But could the sexy detective ever want a man like him?
After Nikki’s last dating disaster, the mountain lion shifter has sworn off men. Then she meets Sean, and with every second she spends around the tall, dark-eyed man, her resolve crumbles. And the fact the guy’s kiss leaves her breathless? Yeah, that no-men idea sounds more and more like a bad idea. But for some reason, despite the undeniable attraction between them, Sean seems determined to push her away.
An investigation into missing refugees leaves Nikki with more questions than answers. Her refusal to let the matter drop leads her to the discovery of a radical political group’s horrifying plot for dominance. Traitors are embedded within the very organizations meant to keep shifters safe. As the list of people she can trust dwindles, Nikki calls on Sean to help her unravel a web of deceit.
Sean realizes pushing Nikki away was a stupid move. So when the sexy, amazing detective contacts him, he jumps at the second chance, dropping everything to fly across the country to help her. And he hates flying. But with her life in danger, he’ll do whatever it takes.
Can Sean and Nikki stop a hate group from carrying out their deadly plans? And if so, will he get one last chance to prove his love for her?
Please note – this book contains mature language, situations and descriptive sex scenes and is intended for mature audiences only!
A few years ago, I read my first romance novel and I was hooked, so much so that I decided to give the idea of writing a story a chance. Love, courage, hope, and second chances are a few of my favorite themes. My stories include a fair amount of sarcasm, suspense, steam, and violence. When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time outside and finding ways to avoid cooking. I live in beautiful Virginia with my husband, two daughters, and a sweet, hairy monster of a dog.
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$5 Amazon

A Reason to Be: A Novel by Norman McCombs

| C.E. Flores

A Reason to Be: A Novel by Norman McCombs begins in the Scottish highlands with the great battle of independence of the MacTomas clan from Chief Mackintosh.  After that rousing introduction, it’s quite a letdown to meet the main character Douglas McCombs who is struggling with depression. It wasn’t clear whether his wife Hope, who had Alzheimer’s, was removed to a long-term care facility or died. Later in the book, there’s an incident where Hope’s friend attacks Douglas for abandoning his wife, which seemed to imply she was still alive. 

Regardless of what has happened to his wife, Douglas finds a new lease on life by investigating his genealogy. The segments that provide a glimpse of his ancestors were fascinating. However, the switch back to the present day, even with the blossoming love between Douglas and the librarian seemed stilted. There’s mention that Douglas is holding something back in the relationship, and it seems implied that it’s that his wife is still alive at some points of the story. (NOTE: The author says that the proof edition I read has been changed and the wife is no longer living in the final version.) Douglas believes the new love interest has something holding her back from the relationship. Never fear, though. The reader is magically transported into the librarian’s mind, so everything is clear to us, if not to poor Douglas. 

I would have liked to have been given a family tree someplace in the book so that I could keep track of the jumps through history. The historical sections were prefaced with some information about the family member, but there’s nothing like a visual to help organize the timeline of events. It also would have helped to keep track of the variations in the spelling of the last name through the years from MacThomas to Macomb.

The novel is advertised as semi-autobiographical. Just as Douglas, the main character, the author Norman McCombs is a White House National Medal of Technology and Innovation winner. However, Douglas never seems to be as three-dimensional as the characters in the past, which is a shame, because the author would be an interesting fellow to meet. 

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.

Plan SEA: A Guide to a Work-Travel Life, Amazing Adventures Around the World, and Preparing for Your Own Sea Change by S.E. Ansley

| C.E. Flores

I’ve been working towards becoming a digital nomad for the last five years or so and have finally created a location-free income network. Of course, things being what they are, the reality of implementing it is quite another matter just now. So when I saw Plan SEA: A Guide to a Work-Travel Life, Amazing Adventures Around the World, and Preparing for Your Own Sea Change by S.E. Ansley, I thought to myself, “Well, if I can’t do it right now, why not read about someone who is a successful digital nomad in the meantime?”

I had mixed feelings about the book. The first 60 percent or so of the book consists of the author’s quest for the next gig, next location, next sexual encounter, next joint, next rave. While all well and good, it didn’t appear to be the “guide” I was looking for. Finally, SEA faced some hard truths about his lifestyle. Being strapped for cash constantly, sleeping in baseball dugouts, sneaking into overpriced tourist attractions, and fleeting relationships were not what he had been aiming for after all. He changed his focus to include more of his passions, found a committed relationship, and even a home base from which to base his travels. Then worldwide travel restrictions in early 2020 put an end to all that. 

It was fascinating to read how SEA and his companion struggled being stranded far from “home” and interesting to see how entitled some ex-pats were, believing locals would continue to provide them with every creature comfort even in a lockdown situation. The book concluded with quite a bit of navel-gazing by the author, though, rather than details on how he transitioned to van living, a goal he had for several years. 

Living in a “developing nation” myself, I can attest to spotty internet frustrations, power outages, police brutality, banking impossibilities, visa restrictions, and even animal cruelty that SEA experienced in his adventures as a digital nomad. It’s not often that ex-pats are willing to take off their rose-colored lenses and admit that paradise isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. For that reason, I think Plan SEA: A Guide to a Work-Travel Life, Amazing Adventures Around the World, and Preparing for Your Own Sea Change by S.E. Ansley is a must-read for all those that romantically dream of living on less in constantly changing locations. However, as an actual guide on making a successful location-free lifestyle, perhaps you’ll need to keep searching for something else.

I received an ARC from Reedsy Discovery. You can read my review here.

Reading Challenge 2021

| C.E. Flores

I enjoyed the 2020 Reading Challenge so much, that I plan on doing another reading challenge this year too. The focus for this challenge will mostly be on different genres. Since 2021 promises to be another socially distanced year, why not travel through the pages of books?

I hope you are inspired to complete the challenge with me!

Reading Roundup 2020

| C.E. Flores

If you recall, at the beginning of the year, I set myself a reading challenge. In case you missed it, I thought I’d recap the books I chose for this challenge that I wrote reviews for. 2020 was kind of a wild year, so I didn’t get nearly as many books from this list read as I would have liked. But, that’s ok. I have a whole new year in which to read, while socially distancing during 2021. So without further ado…

January

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester chronicles the lives of the two men instrumental in compiling the Oxford English Dictionary.

February

In honor of Women in Horror Month, I read Frankenstein: or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, which is nothing like the movies based on it.

March

In March, I read Queen of America by Luis Alberto Urrea, the sequel to The Hummingbird’s Daughter. Both books were based on the life of Teresita Urrea, the Saint of Cabora, the girl who inspired a revolution.

April

I chose a book that was written by an author with my middle name rather than one with my initials or last name. A Love to Mend Her Broken Heart: A Historical Western Romance Novel by Etta Foster was not my usual genre, but that’s the point of a challenge, right? To experience something new?

I also read a collection of short stories with an author who shared my last name. Ordinance 53 by Sarah Flores was quite imaginative.

May

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore wasn’t published in the decade I was born but has leapt through the decades I have been alive.

June

I read many books suggested by others, but the link I’ll leave here is for Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir by Michael Anthony.

July

I’ve been following the author Lisa Sell on social media for some time. She has funny posts about writing and cats. I finally got around to reading her mystery novel Hidden.

August

September

Rose: Future Heart by Jazalyn was a quick read with poems focusing on universal themes.

October

How to Avoid 101 Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers & Boo-Boos: how to successful publish a book by Judith Briles was an informative book about publishing. I don’t actually think there were 101 blunders in the book, though.

November

I always wanted to visit Spain and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon was an excellent romantic mystery set in Barcelona in the 1940s.

December

For December, I read Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller, a memoir about her childhood in Africa.

I enjoyed my reading challenge so much that I’m going to do it again next year! Be on the lookout for the 2021 reading challenge in the next few days.

Harness the Power of the Invincible Mind: Spatial Strategy to Success and Happiness by Alex Neumann

| C.E. Flores

I enjoyed reading Harness the Power of the Invincible Mind: Spatial Strategy to Success and Happiness by Alex Neumann for a variety of reasons. First, there were the CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) references throughout. Then, the parables were apt. Finally, the references to real life individuals who beat the odds were inspiring. 

If you are interested in becoming your best self, then this is a book that should be in your library. The author attacks several “givens” found in society that hinder us from reaching our full potential, such as commercialism, not saying no, self-limitation, and having a negative mindset. Each chapter has several parables illustrating a better course of action and at least one example of someone who succeeded where others failed. 

NOTE: The author had his editor fix these issues in the book that is now available on Amazon. 😉

That being said, I would have liked to have seen a little bit more attention to detail by the author. There were a handful of typos and some inaccurate information. For example, Helen Keller was not born blind and deaf. You don’t have to be naked to procreate. There aren’t nine planets anymore in our solar system. Sarah Breedlove was not born on a plantation in Pennsylvania. And the phrase “fake it til you get it” should be “fake it til you make it” and actually is more in line with what the author suggests (having an optimistic mindset which helps realize goals) than not.

Despite those oversights in the proofreading, I found Harness the Power of the Invincible Mind: Spatial Strategy to Success and Happiness by Alex Neumann to be both positive and practical.

I received an advanced reader copy from the author.