Raquel Lyon's Blog

I'm in the process of redesigning my website at the moment, but for the love of chocolate, why is html so frustrating?

There are five buttons from various sites that I want to add. The process is simple, right? Generate the code, paste it onto your site, and voila! Except, no, not so much. Two buttons, no problem. The other three, NIGHTMARE! They're there during the page loading, and then as soon as it's finished...POP...they're GONE!
Seven hours I spent, yesterday, twiddling with code and trawling the net, trying to find fixes for it. Everyone had different ideas and every one of them SUCKED GUMBALLS. :(

My hubby was no use either. He's usually good at computer stuff, but he just sat there saying, "I feel for you, darling, I really do," before going back to ignoring me.

So, if anyone wants to see how popular I am on Wattpad, follow me on twitter, or join my mailing list, I'm afraid they won't be doing it from my website. I'm done with wasting any more time on it. I have a neglected WIP!

Just felt the need for a vent. Don't mind me, carry on...

So. The Foxblood prequel, Dead Town Angel, is on FREE PROMO for three days, 16,17,18 May. You can pick up your copy here.

I love to write, and I love to hear that people enjoy my work, but marketing and promoting is a nightmare...blah. I hate it.

My other books have never been in select, so this is a first for me, and I wasn't sure what to expect. Although the story stands on its own, it's a prequel, and at 11,000 words, it's only a taster of two of the main characters and my style of writing, and some of the references may not necessarily make sense to readers who decide not to continue with the series. This may put some of them off. So, it will be really interesting to see how everything goes.

It's been free for a full day now. I've seen a steady download rate, and even if only a small percentage of them are read, I'll be pleased that I've managed to reach a few more eyes.

On another note, Elle Casey's giveaway was a massive success! She had over 2,500 entrants, and I'd like to say a big thank you to all who entered and/or spread the word. Winners will be notified shortly.

Now back into my little bubble!

One of the biggest book giveaways is happening right now, and I'm excited to be taking part in it. Elle is awesome!

190 titles, with up to 10 copies of each available in a format of your choosing. A great chance to get your next read FREE!

The covers should be clickable so feel free to check out the blurbs. You're sure to find something you like

Yay! I woke up this morning to find that Foxblood: Fall from Grace is finally live on Kindle!

It was torture waiting for it to publish, but I'm happy that the process is quite quick and painless on Amazon. It will probably be a couple of weeks before it's available in other stores. So all you Kindle lovers get a head start.

I'm a little sad to leave the Foxblood world behind, but I'm excited that I'm now able to work with some new characters, who've been hammering the inside of my head, dying to get out, and I can't wait for you to meet them. Connor isn't happy about my leaving. He wants me to tell you his story. And maybe one day, I will.

But if you're dying to know how it all works out, you can get your copy now, by clicking here. Just change the .com in the link to .co.uk or whatever store you need for your country.

Synopsis:
Girl or goddess? Sophie has a decision to make.
With the supernatural world in a state of unrest, and her feelings for Connor intensifying, Sophie’s life is out of control. She needs to get it back. But no matter how hard she tries, her desire to do what is right is faltering.
Life is complicated.
Is the chance of happiness really worth destroying her future?
One thing is certain. To realise her destiny, she must leave behind everything she loves.

Please note: Contains violence and sexual content not suitable for readers under 15.

Enjoy!

I can finally announce that the cover I commissioned for book three in the Foxblood series is almost in my hands. It's taken quite a lot of toing and froing, umming and arring, and a certain amount of give and take, but the final draft should be here any day.

Soooo...

In light of that, and in preparation for the new release, the first two books have also undergone a makeover.
So here's an exclusive reveal of their new look.

A Brush with the Moon



Rise of the Hellion



I'm really excited about the new concept. Along with the book three, there will also be a prequel, and the four covers look great together.

And now to getting them changed on all the sales channels, website, facebook, twitter, blah, blah, blah. I'm exhausted just thinking about it!

Deep breath...

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Did you know that read an ebook week started today? Of course you did.

For one week only, hundreds of great books are now on special offer at Smashwords, where you can also get my book, Foxblood: A Brush with the Moon for free!

Visit the official website and you could win a Kindle Paperwhite or a Nook Simple Touch. ebookweek

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Fancy winning a free book?


As a special celebration of her one year anniversary as a writer, Elle Casey is hosting a great competition, that I am pleased to be part of.

There are eighty-nine, check that EIGHTY-NINE, YA titles to choose from, in a selection of sub-genres! They are available in various formats, and most of the authors are offering multiple copies, so there is a great chance of winning one!

All you have to do is head on over to Elle's website, check out the links, find a book that interests you, and submit your email address. It’s that simple!

You may even discover a few new reads along the way, and don’t forget, if a book catches your eye, bookmark it or add it to your wish list. (If you’re unlucky enough not to win it, you might still want to buy it anyway, and you’ll kick yourself if you forget the title!)

Competition closes January 15th.

Spread the word and…

GOOD LUCK!

For a while now, I’ve been pondering the possibility of newsletters. But here’s the thing, do readers like to receive them? Do they read them, or immediately hit the delete button? They seem to be a common thing, but could I even get anyone interested in signing up for them?

Asking around my family was of no use at all. A typical response was, ‘Nah, I’m not really bothered about that.’ Then again, author forums swear by them, and I’ve heard great things.
I am definitely of the opinion that authors, indeed anyone for that matter, should not bombard people’s inboxes with rubbish, but as a reader and a fan, I like to be in the know when it comes to upcoming releases.

So, I’ve taken the plunge and set up a mailing list. Will anyone sign up? Well, I guess we’ll see how it goes.
If you’d like to be one of the privileged few to receive my future ramblings, here’s a little link for you to press.

Fingers crossed it works!


Sign up for my free newsletter!

After much thought, I made the decision that new covers were required for the Foxblood series.

I hired a wonderfully talented artist, and together, we began searching all the stock photo sites, along with Deviantart, for an appropriate model to represent my main character.
After a few mind-numbing days, we found one. Great! She was perfect, and even better, my cover artist knew her. There were dozens of different poses, so we picked our favourites and contacted her. She was quick to respond. Great again! But unfortunately, she informed us that the particular poses we were interested in were already licensed. No matter, we thought, we’ll just pick different ones. So, we did. And we contacted her again. Could we get her to reply? No. Messages were left for her on Deviantart, facebook, twitter, and by direct email. It was really frustrating to see that she was on various sites, posting random things, and yet totally ignoring us. After an extremely stressful month, we had to face the fact that it was back to the drawing board. And so began two more weeks of eye blurring photo staring. I was beginning to think that we’d never get there.
Then, a couple of days ago, my artist contacted me to say that she’d been speaking to a photographer friend and he may have something for us. The relief I felt, when she sent through a huge portfolio of a perfect model in various poses, was indescribable.
We may finally be able to get started on the covers!

So, my message to all the photographers and models out there is this: If you state that your work is available for licence, PLEASE have the courtesy to answer your emails!

Finding something witty and/or interesting to say may prove to be a bit of a challenge, but I’m feeling kind of left out by not having one.

Thinking cap at the ready…

I'll be back.