Laws of Passion (Official Trailer)

Hey ya'll,
My first young adult novel, Laws of Passion will be making its debut this February. So to countdown the days leading up to the release I have decided to show you all the official trailer. Email me for all your preorders and check back tomorrow for my first book review on Destruction by Sharon Bayliss. It's going to get crazy! LOL :)

Link to my trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6gTEq4UJ2g

Authors & Bloggers it's time to #GLBB

Hey ya'll, here is my special announcement!!!!! I will be apart of this years Great Lakes Book Bash :) I will be signing books and taking pictures with all those who attend and I cannot wait to see you all soon. Also, there will be an after party as well for mega fans that want to spend a little more time with their favorite author. To purchase tickets to the event and to the after party click on the link below. Thank you for your support!

Click on the link to purchase your tickets:

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/great-lakes-book-bash-2015-tickets-12552425643

Help Me!

So it turns out I have been put in the nomination pool for the Weblog Awards under the book category! However, in order to solidify my spot on the ballot I have to have the highest number of nominations I would really appreciate it if you took the time to nominate my blog: http://kmjbookreveals.blogspot.com/ on the WEBLOG AWARDS SITE: http://2015.bloggi.es/ Thank you in advance for the support!

Authors are cheating themselves!?

Hey ya'll,
So you may or may not know this, but on Facebook and Twitter there are people who will allow you to buy your "fans" for money. And to my dismay there are many authors out there who actually use their services and assume that because of how popular they are online it means an increase in sells. Well, you're wrong!

People don't get your book fully on the basis that you are popular. They mostly buy your book based on the recommendation of a friend. And if you buy all your twitter followers just to add to your page people will not be spreading the news about your book around.

The only promise made by those scam artists is more twitter followers. Not more reviews. Not more shares for your page content, but just a new fan who doesn't show you any support.

In my opinion, these people are not worth having on your page unless they are benefiting you and since you are the only one giving up money I guess they're the ones benefiting.

This is why I am glad Twitter is doing something about this. At least they are suspending these fraudulent accounts so that they can't continue to charge unknowing individuals for something that is free. However, I can't say the same for Facebook. They actually encourage you to buy people and to spread your page around.

Though I love Facebook as a social networking site I hate that they advertise you to death with things you don't need and make you want them.

My advice for all you authors and bloggers out there is do not buy your fans or followers because these people will get caught and social media sites are cracking down on all of this. In addition, I'd hate for your account to get suspended after you've worked so hard to establish yourself.

BE ORGANIC ABOUT IT! If you don't have fans let that motivate you to work harder to push your career forward. That's what I've been doing :)

Comment below if you have any questions! Did you buy your followers? Let me know how it's worked out for you. Are you considering buying your followers? Let me know why you're leaning towards this decision. Or if you just want to share your views please feel free to comment <3 Until next time ;*

Sad day for #TheLibrarians

Hey ya'll,

So as we all know the freshman television show by TNT called, The Librarians has officially wrapped up it's first season. This show was everything and more! I absolutely love how Noah Wyle took the vague concept of the Librarians franchise and brought us this intricate story-line right at home. For those of you who don't know, Noah Wyle played the Librarian Flynn Carsen in the original movie and is now a recurring character in the TV series as well as an executive producer.

The Librarians in my opinion went out with a bang for their first season in its last two episodes named, "The City of Light" and "The Loom of Fate," which both aired back to back last Sunday night.

I don't want to spoil too much, but I can honestly say that there is no denying the love and chemistry between the entire cast. From start to finish my eyes were glued to the TV screen by revelations and the cast being faced by new and old enemies. I know it sounds like a lot for two episodes, but everything was one in good timing.

Right now I do not have a favorite Librarian from the show, but Ezekiel Jones (Played by John Kim) and Cassandra Cillian (Played by Lindy Booth) are cutting it pretty close. They are both dynamic characters who are very different in nature. Both of these stars bring a certain sparkle to the show that you can't get from anyone else.

I am eager to see what the future has for this show and I hope that TNT renews the series, but when you have over 5 million people tuning in to watch it's hard to deny them of what they want.

Comment below and tell me what you thought about the show! Was it a hit or miss? Also, is there a show based on a book that I should read or watch? Let me know what you think! Until next time :*

Special Announcement #2!!!!

Hey ya'll,
I will be a guest on the Bill Martinez Live show to discuss my latest young adult novel, Laws of Passion and what it was like for me to be home schooled! Check it out :) This interview is going to be good <3

Authors vs Illustrators! Who calls the shots?

Hey ya'll,
So I get a lot of people asking me questions about who controls the dynamics of a book before and after the publishing process. Most authors believe that if they wrote the story then the book is theirs. However, most illustrators believe that if they drew the pictures it's their creation. So let's just sum this all up so we can put these nerves (legalities) to rest.

If you are a writer who is in need of drawings to fit your book and you ask someone to create the images without giving input on those images being created then you are stating without saying a word that you are sharing ownership.

Now what I mean about not giving input on images is that if the illustrator gives a character certain features you didn't say do and you use that character's image in your book then you are sharing ownership. However, if you say for example I want my character to be a girl with blonde hair, a pointy nose, braces, and freckled skin then you are claiming the character as your own because you provided the details and all the illustrator did was contribute their mad drawing skills to your wonderful story.

My #TrueWords for the author is make sure you have your input in everything. Do not take suggestions on a character because then if you use those suggestions you set yourself up for a law suit later on if your book becomes very popular and the illustrator strongly believes they own a piece of your work.

As for the illustrators if you created these great characters and you have a story to go with it, but you're not the best writer then I suggest you hire someone who is a writer. However, if you do hire a writer just as I stated for the authors above make sure that you give your input on how you want it to go and do not take any suggestions other than word choice, but nothing that could be character defining for it could lead to claims over who truly owns the book.

I personally believe that if you are pursuing to be published make sure the people you are involved with know their roles. Also, know that it never hurts to get your stuff copyrighted. It will save a lot of time and legal bills if you run into trouble with someone you hired for your book publishing who believes that they are the owner of your work.

#TrueWords of the day: Stay smart! Stay sharp! And know who you're working with :)

Also, here is a link for t-shirts that I believe will definitely boost your sales up! I bought one and it's helped me out a lot. It's fun, affordable, and grabs the attention of almost everyone I run across :) People ask me non-stop about what the #AmWriting on the back means and it allows me to talk about how  I'm an author/ blogger. My sales have gone up because of it and I feel this would be really great for all authors to have as well as people who love to read. It's something that you can wear anywhere at anytime for all ages and the shirts come in all sizes!

Link for purchase: http://teespring.com/1207

Comment below if you have any questions! Have you had a legal issue where someone took credit for your work? Tell me your story using the contact form below or leave it in the comment section. Have you had trouble working with an illustrator/writer for your book or in general? Let me know I want to hear what you have to say :) Until next time <3 :*

Eye Candy... More like Arm Candy ;)

Hey ya'll,

So I don't know about you guys, but I was glued to my television last night as the MTV show Eye Candy premiered. It was incredible! Some how a plot all about a crazy stalker and a hacker who knows no grounds is a treasure trove of infinite directions for an author who never rests. As a writer I just couldn't help myself and kept thinking of all these different ways the story-line could possibly go. However, considering Eye Candy was based on the books of the same name by R.L. Stine I knew this show wouldn't disappoint.

R.L. Stine is known for many critically acclaimed books including Mostly Ghostly and Goosebumps. As we all know Stine is known a lot for his borderline schizophrenic characters that can make you question reality. Stine is a horror master for teens who seek a scary tale that will leave you petrified with fear even after you're done with his book and sure enough we saw the same with Eye Candy last night.

Eye Candy is all about a hacker by the name of Lindy Sampson (played by Victoria Justice) who begins online dating for the first time and finds herself being hunted by a mysterious and deadly stalker. Last night, I was on edge as Lindy (Spoiler) comes to the consensus that she is not as secure as she thinks she is.

What I love about this show is that you can definitely tell R.L.Stine had something to do with it! Before I even knew this show was based on his books I was captivated by the story. It was through the characters and the stalker mainly that I was able to see this eerie creepiness that resembled what R.L.Stine puts in his books.

MTV in my opinion hit all the marks with this show! I can't wait to watch more :) This is something for friends, book clubs, and couples to watch together. The show is a dose of fun, mystery, and fear. You won't find anything else quite like it. Also, with a male cast as hot as theirs my eyes barely blinked <3 They truly picked male stars who could heat up the TV screen in a big way.

Comment below if you have any questions or if you want to tell me what you thought about the show! Are you an R.L. Stine fan Then comment below what's your favorite book of his. Be sure to check below to see which books I am reviewing currently <3 Until next time :* #AuthorKMJ @AuthorKMJ 

Taking the high road!

Hey ya'll,
I knew that when I started following my dreams that there were going to be people out there who just want to see me defeated. I knew that there was going to be somebody who could possibly be so angered at me that they would try to tear me down, but as you can see I am still standing.

My advice for you all no matter what profession or dream you aspire to go for just know that if a hater talks it is just an opinion. You don't have to listen to it! Though it may hurt just know that you got it and nobody can take you down.

I have been over many hurdles and I know that they are only going to get worst before they become smaller and that's okay with me because I know who I am. I know who my God has created me to be.

So as I stated in my FB post:
 I just want to let you guys know that though there are a million voices it seems that are out there trying to bring you down just keep a smile on your face and your head held high because no one should be able to influence you with just an opinion #TrueWords #AuthorKMJ

E-books are not as authentic as printed books?

Hey ya'll,
So something that has been bothering me over these last 5 years is seeing the increase of technology use to read a book. Nowadays their are many famous websites that allow apps on your phone, tablets, and kindles so you can read books on the go where ever you may be in the world. Though the idea of this is neat, it still makes me question whether this new format for books is a direction we want to head in for future generations.

I feel like E-books are a great concept, but there is still this part of me that loves having my favorite authors book in my hand. Also, what makes me love it even more is the fact that having this hard-copy of their book allows me to have an opportunity to get my book signed by them as well. My favorite part of receiving a book is seeing those straight edges of perfection and getting the chance to run my fingers across the fresh pages. However, if I had purchased their book as an E-book I wouldn't be able to do that.

I like to think of myself like a library. Everyone has it in e-book, but the original book that I can touch is much greater than a digitized copy.

E-books are great for authors because they can reach a wider audience with their books and can increase their royalties received up to 20 percent. However, I feel like authors may deprive admirers who enjoy their books due to the fact that they may not have a technology based device that would allow them to read it. Also, libraries that do not have the latest technology will be at a disadvantage as well due to new authors who may be brilliant that decide to publish their books electronically instead of in print.

Though print may seem old fashion, it's not! Having a book in your hands is way more sweeter than having some electronic copy that could cease to exist if something occurs to the system you are reading it on.

Print has been around for centuries and has continued to capture the hearts of billions of readers. As they say 'don't fix it if it ain't broke' and I feel this is a statement we need to grasp as we further push our younger generations into a more technological world.

If you have anything you'd like to say to sway my undecided opinion please comment or contact me using the form to the right of the page? Also, if you want to recommend any books for me to cover whether their yours or from an author you love then send me a message as well! Or if you have a story you want me to cover just leave a comment and I'll cover it :) I can't wait to hear from you all :* Until next time!!!! #AuthorKMJ @AuthorKMJ

Books are making TV shows look fraudulent?

Hey ya'll,
So I ran across this article that told secrets about the CW hit TV show, The Vampire Diaries. I have been a long time fan of the television series since it debuted back in 2009. Also, due to how much I enjoy this show I have grown fond of watching its spin-off series, The Originals.

As I have watched this show it has had some incredibly good and bad moments. I feel as if their are times when the show writers are able to create a great episode, but then they get lost and it seems like they make up stuff just to compensate for not having any ideas on what to do next.

Immediately, I was hooked on the show ten minutes into the first episode! As I got four seasons in that is when everything started changing. I always feel like it's a good thing for a writer to push the boundaries on their character, but I felt like they may have rushed that just a bit. However, this should have been expected when (Spoiler) Vicki Donovan was killed just a few episodes in. That was when I should have known how flexible they were with exercising their "right" to kill off a character and push them a little bit.

If you are an up to date watcher of The Vampire Diaries (TVD) you will see that the plots seem very thrown together and over extended. However, now there is some stability. I wonder if the rushed plots may be a result from the show creators deciding not to follow the books as closely as they should have.

I feel that from what the books say and what the show says about all the characters is very confusing. It's almost as if they're acting as parallel worlds to what the actual story is.

One of the secrets told by Vampires.com is that my absolute favorite character Bonnie Bennett (Played by Kat Graham) did not exist in the books. I know what you're thinking 'why haven't you read the books yet?'. Well, when you have a thousand things going on it makes it really hard to find time to do the things you love. Also, I didn't even know this series was based on a book until the second season was over and everyone around me had TVD fever, but all jokes aside that was the most shocking.

The second thing that had me speechless was how Elena Gilbert (Played by Nina Dobrev) in the tv show is actually mean in the books and is almost exactly like Katherine Pierce. That kind of wowed me because Elena in the tv show seems so timid and for a different perspective to be placed on her it's mindblowing.

However, unlike most fans I did not mind the fact that her hair in the show was brunette instead of blonde. I feel if the writers wanted they could change her hair at any time without an issue.

Overall, TVD is a decent show that has many ups and downs, but when it does have a good episode its worth it to watch!

Comment below if you have any questions! let me know how you feel or if you have watched similar situations occur with your favorite TV shows :) Until next time :*

Here is the link to view more differences between TVD in print and on-screen : http://www.vampires.com/10-differences-between-the-vampire-diaries-books-show/

It's okay to disrespect selfpublishers?

Hey ya'll,

So as I have revealed to you all in an earlier post I am currently in the midst of publishing my first young adult novel, Laws of Passion which will debut by March. Also, I have a bunch of really cool projects that I am looking forward to sharing with you all as well. However, despite me publishing my books its funny to see how unaccepted people like me are in the writing community. I ran across the National Book Awards Foundation and saw that they had this really great competition for writers. I really wanted to be apart of the process and submit my book, but they have a rule against indie authors submitting their books. I feel that is crazy. So are you saying that books from indie authors are not as good as a customized book from corporate suits?

In my opinion, I feel that indie authors are just as good if not better than traditional authors because again indie authors can write about whatever they choose and have that "freewill" when writing their books. If anything I believe indie authors should be allowed to be apart of it because it would bring out phenomenal books that would otherwise get overlooked. 

     Almost all the books I have read until the age of 17 have been traditional books that almost every body on the planet knows about, but now as I am reading indie books I find they are a lot more creative with their plots and characters. 

My thing is that all writers in general have a deep passion for writing and want to show people this intricate story-line that they have created and for someone to be denied the right to be apart of the "National" Book Awards Foundation is crazy to me. What makes traditional writers different from indie writers if both sides only want to create wonderful books?

I feel that maybe it's time we have an indie book awards show. That would be something I would love to be apart of because everything in the writing industry is just aimed towards lifting up bigger publishing houses. I believe it is time indie authors get the recognition they deserve.

Don't get me wrong I do feel that some traditionally published books are really amazing, but I don't understand how an indie author can boast about a traditionally published book yet they wont boast about the book of another indie author when a traditionally published author could possibly care less if an indie author succeeds or not.

Comment below if you have anything to say! Are you #TeamIndie or #TeamTraditional ? Let me know by tagging me of twitter @AuthorKMJ Until next time! :*

Rant 2: Why you should read indie books!

Hey ya'll,
so as we know if you publish traditionally their are lots of rules and guidelines that come with being an author. However, if you self-publish you get to choose the direction your books go, but it also means more responsibility. In my opinion, I feel that people who are readers should read indie books more than traditionally published books due to indie books not being manufactured by some corporate suits to fit their desires and wants. With that being said, I feel that if you submit your book traditionally, they accept it, and then ask you to do all these crazy revisions then they should have written their own book.

My advice to writers who do publish traditionally is that you should make sure the integrity of your work is intact and should not be undermined due to the perspective of those who accepted your book. As you can tell I'm one of those take me as I am type of people. Not some 'take me and make me what you want me to be'.....like NO!

If you want my book and my name under your publishing house then you and I need to develop a line of respect and ground rules for a successful partnership.

Now don't get me wrong. There are some pretty amazing publishing houses and I commend them on their excellent work and efficiency when working with the authors on their books. However, I have seen many traditional publishing houses that steal your work, charge you money to create books, and even have lawsuits that they put off because of how much money they get through tricking other aspiring authors. I will not disclose the names of these publishers. However, this is still why I believe indie is better.

So many fantastically written novels get overlooked on a daily basis by big publishing heads that manufactured a book or scrapped together a book with another book just because they could. With indie books you see the who the author truly is because their work is original and has not been tampered with. Also, so far all the books I have chosen to review are mostly indie and as the year goes on I hope you see my viewpoint a lot clearer as I continue my blog.

Comment below if you have something you'd like to say! Do you disagree with what I have to say? Let me know, I love hearing the opinions of others #NoShade :) Until next time ;)

Rant 1: Why you should be an avid reader?

Hey ya'll,

I know there are some people out their who choose not to read books because they find reading boring. And it got me to thinking, what makes an activity boring to me? As a result I found something is only boring to me if I can't find anything I like in what I am doing that would motivate me to continue the activity. And I wondered if those types of people who dislike reading felt the same way.

Could they be bored by a book due to it not being the right book? I believe that's an issue with many people and that's what draws them away from reading. I feel that if schools emphasized the different genres out there instead of categorizing books as fiction and nonfiction at a young age then we would have more readers.

There are many genres like mysteries, fiction, realistic fiction, science fiction, historical fiction, satire, self-help, horror, and even fantasy among many others. I find it hard to believe with all these wonderful genres that have thousands upon thousands of books listed under it's category that some people can't find a great or decent book to read.

I know some people just be confident that they just aren't readers, but I challenge those who are to try and read at least 10 books this new year and lets see if their really is no "book" for you.

Who knows? Maybe you'll be surprised and find something you like that will ignite your reading spark.

Comment below if you have any questions! Also, message me and let me know what you think about my blog as well as what you would like to see. In addition, don't forget to like my Facebook page and add me on Google to keep my blog in your listings. By the way check out the books I will begin reading for the new year :) Until next time!!!!