tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49186144521322129782024-03-13T10:24:36.828-07:00C. M. Skiera's BlogEpic Fantasy Author of The Oxbow Kingdom TrilogyC. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-31780088774285766432024-02-16T09:49:00.000-08:002024-02-16T09:53:51.170-08:00The New Book (and the old ones)<p>I'm in the beta reader phase of my next (fourth) fantasy novel. Set in a different world than The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy, this new book features some science fiction elements interwoven with the fantasy setting. So far, I've received valuable (and encouraging) feedback from two beta readers, who happen to be authors themselves. I'm hoping to get all the beta reader comments back by spring, and targeting this summer for sending the manuscript to an editor. After that, a fall publication is my goal.</p><p>Here's a little teaser:</p><p><i>Volcanoes threaten to transform Fiegardia into a frozen wasteland. When foreign treachery upends the bedeviled realm, the fragile monarchy succumbs. A prince, a mystic, and a soldier escape the usurper's clutches under threat of death. The exiled trio undertakes a desperate pilgrimage to the fickle God of Death. Will their arduous journey end in salvation, or damnation? </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sPtBq1HW8WJMvGxo7_VTcb_uDOCXdViJORTXzOHcA4NYOxjDyS-ihHkWbysU_bDJbGepSIH6LWv4eZ4FgWSunOWxMA5Zd3mpHQ8Wt3phrd6ZS5dtzwuAVLNl_HxFDDmXpSvPIraaS5_PlpFa56CXyhNYd_tn5V2kds-1tuRuJR3ieTIEHDDssnuw8jEg/s7400/FROZEN%20GOD%20MAP%20EMBOSS%20AIRBRUSH.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7400" data-original-width="5010" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sPtBq1HW8WJMvGxo7_VTcb_uDOCXdViJORTXzOHcA4NYOxjDyS-ihHkWbysU_bDJbGepSIH6LWv4eZ4FgWSunOWxMA5Zd3mpHQ8Wt3phrd6ZS5dtzwuAVLNl_HxFDDmXpSvPIraaS5_PlpFa56CXyhNYd_tn5V2kds-1tuRuJR3ieTIEHDDssnuw8jEg/w271-h400/FROZEN%20GOD%20MAP%20EMBOSS%20AIRBRUSH.JPG" width="271" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;">And for the <i>old</i>, the 4.6-star epic fantasy adventure <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P1912G" target="_blank">The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</a></i></b> is <b>on sale</b> now; <b>all three e-books for a total of $1.99</b> (and also free to read on Kindle Unlimited #KU).</span></div><p></p><div><div>Evil lurks in the Underbelly, and that's the least of Jetsam's worries. What will he do now that he's an orphaned outlaw with a bounty on his head?</div><div><br /></div><div><i>“You truly can find a hero in the highest of places and, the lowest of places as well. You can't get much lower than the Underbelly. Did you hear this one? A magician, a ghost and an orphan walk into a dragon's lair.” - </i>Amazon Reviewer</div><div><br /></div><div>An Underbelly orphan and a fugitive wizard are both falsely accused and on the run. Will they survive the men and monsters that want them dead?</div></div><div><br /></div>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-60784930074953883472023-12-07T07:39:00.000-08:002023-12-07T07:40:46.271-08:002023 99-cent Holiday Sale<p>Hello, and Happy Holidays!</p><p>Starting today (December 7, 2023) and for the next seven days, the complete eBook set of <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P1912G" target="_blank">The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</a></i></b> is on sale at Amazon for 99 cents. That's <i>99 cents for all three books</i>, in one convenient download.</p><p>Wishing you all a peaceful and joyous holiday season and offering best wishes for a better 2024.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P1912G" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="3527" data-original-width="6588" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikV-YRo7PMPDfsTAhBpAsdIrPeHun-j_ltcR7GG4-2-r64mkXBWUeEgxTevdl7T-U1cHVk1uIEq65QSiF3w4grI_UUNBf8dv5oLg3g4cnfCj4X0ZC0I8qp3nKXCr_hqlqWlLshyphenhyphen77av8DjRNM7xllzk230pAfNyhAdHniyG13zuMnG4ytWqyPc8Li8XVsX/w640-h342/All%203%20Covers.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><i>"An epic tale of survival, coming of age, allegiance and sacrifice that hits with the force of a tsunami, page after page! C.M. Skiera has built a world to believe in, heroes to cheer for and tension that never lets up as once again, good versus evil meet on the battlefield where unlikely allies stand together, finally united in understanding and acceptance. I cannot recommend C.M. Skiera’s Oxbow Trilogy enough to anyone who wants to feel part of another world whose heart beats on the pages of every scene."</i> -- Tome Tender Book Blog</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P1912G" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="970" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBqDlmVLFB4Opb1ZVHkLlFFx5AyiY3a19YwR141C6ZNlRo-1GHhqxLrWZaEhDlKsBFp0RF2J0EgT1j4nGVUmfuqFgq9yK_nTYM6gdrJxIRCVvkv3HQ99IrhijE1L0IM4jFyPkv9RUt_hzbyomR3mIfL4SlTzy5L_TFAkAmtPtRAIyJKa_uc_aKnpcrdkx/w640-h396/WnW%203%20Characters%20300%20DPI%20Amazon%20A+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><i>"An amazing trilogy! After waiting with much anticipation for the final book of the Oxbow Kingdom trilogy, I was not disappointed. This one had all the excitement, adventure and fantasy as the first two, and then some! The descriptive writing captivated me, and as each chapter came to a close, I found myself wrapped up in the story and not wanting to put it down."</i> –Amazon Customer Review</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P1912G" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="3282" data-original-width="3732" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPurVvQQykp9EAnbOtV8UbwwT4dAR9N0gV5wH0yCKFZ-_wP7Fg8t8DoxtM2QkR8wuv00VyLLbsldajWBKnUCT2enRitdi9MnHsDAYrLhZUhJyYttgPyOmOhGjtkQnJX04XIVt6X_4GnXeJILGgSJ6vv7ZTALnzCNgPrIMP5QEFQa-nGBxcn1orB3cXG_I/w400-h351/Flotsam%20&%20Jetsam%20v1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P1912G" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO START READING!</a></b></p>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-20522778600333945502023-11-14T08:06:00.000-08:002023-11-14T08:06:40.137-08:00Fantastic Fantasy Fall Book Sale<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/C.M.-Skiera/author/B008XKXD2Q?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true" target="_blank"><b>All three</b> novels from <i><b>The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</b></i></a> are now on sale for 99 cents each through November 21, 2023. They're also available to read on <b>Kindle Unlimited.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Epic fantasy adventure</b> is great reading, so grab them now and spread the word. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4_ftd1_d3PtPgjMVTKy6FKLsrVl1chNPGdWGxQXy0plQpOyXDgFSKtZWPiRbdCdsufLsXS0g5FXJsteRyJpUBQ7zjqHK-njRCVwNxeqLxnbAGiQ4tOWY7Vmu5h_PZBpXK7oorGDlW1dIJV15wSQRRzMEsIxbMSXK4bfM4AjZUVH_RknW6Olp6ZDx3oQh/s8111/Characters%20300%20DPI%20Amazon%20A+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="8111" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4_ftd1_d3PtPgjMVTKy6FKLsrVl1chNPGdWGxQXy0plQpOyXDgFSKtZWPiRbdCdsufLsXS0g5FXJsteRyJpUBQ7zjqHK-njRCVwNxeqLxnbAGiQ4tOWY7Vmu5h_PZBpXK7oorGDlW1dIJV15wSQRRzMEsIxbMSXK4bfM4AjZUVH_RknW6Olp6ZDx3oQh/w640-h190/Characters%20300%20DPI%20Amazon%20A+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><i>Crimson & Cream</i></span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UPC2OO8" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><i>Mirrors & Mist</i></span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VZVVZS" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><i>Warlock & Wyrm</i></span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>"You know, one thing confuses me when I read CM Skiera's work...<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Leaves me all out of sorts...<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Makes me wonder...</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Why isn't this guy on the NYT Best Seller List?<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Seriously - I don't like giving away details of the book, so let's just say:</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>If Brent Weeks had a love child with Rowling....<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>You'd expect the kid to be able to write books like this after he'd overdosed on The Hobbit.</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>CM's work is really good. ..lose track of time and stay up hours late on a work night good.<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>So do yourself a favor...<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Buy this book.<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Read it.<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Be tired at work the next day.<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Then repeat.</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>You'll be glad you did." -- <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1S9PHBA5OGKTO/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00UPC2OO8" target="_blank">Verified Amazon Reviewer</a></i></span></div>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-74665768774575641002023-07-28T08:10:00.004-07:002023-07-28T08:13:57.176-07:00Summer eBook Sale<p>Don't worry--I'm not going to make any lame heat jokes. Just a quick reminder that<a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/C.M.-Skiera/author/B008XKXD2Q?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true" target="_blank"> all three novels from The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</a> are now on sale for 99 cents (for a limited time). They're also available on Kindle Unlimited.</p><p>Epic fantasy adventure is great summer reading, so grab some now and spread the word. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9LVGCY2BFyuXcOOPATRXUSMeIVECaTWctHsftULrLWPo67YXF0ILv8k3Bo7Gc47HQi9CwupXruLwiRlBMVwq9VKxIZptHsCzvNgiYxOhsANKJJUcKSO779Z-AErAeL-zND4rr5__8z0dkLaSbebRWiJngdD6RDFohHgVKMLHFz5T33Re64gkXXSVQD9-/s701/OKT%20Characters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="701" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9LVGCY2BFyuXcOOPATRXUSMeIVECaTWctHsftULrLWPo67YXF0ILv8k3Bo7Gc47HQi9CwupXruLwiRlBMVwq9VKxIZptHsCzvNgiYxOhsANKJJUcKSO779Z-AErAeL-zND4rr5__8z0dkLaSbebRWiJngdD6RDFohHgVKMLHFz5T33Re64gkXXSVQD9-/w640-h400/OKT%20Characters.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Crimson & Cream</i></span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UPC2OO8" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Mirrors & Mist</i></span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VZVVZS" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Warlock & Wyrm</i></span></b></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-7646541766858927462023-05-24T09:31:00.004-07:002023-05-24T09:40:14.967-07:00Amazon Print Fee Increase<p>I received an e-mail from Amazon recently (spoiler alert - these never contain good news). In summary, Amazon states <i>"On June 20, 2023, we're changing our fees to better align with today's cost to print books."</i> Which means Amazon is reducing Author royalties to increase Amazon profits. They recommended checking my print book prices to confirm the new (lower) royalty rates and suggested adjusting prices accordingly. So, I did.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexMyEpQRrtlPT_eDOyUMEWvb7y-KJaPzBc_DhON3QjDUZ_YzQARAYvtNm7aL2jP-tjrEhTiryktrqvLLrlpHMPWZdkHGp8UqiIjGhdcyRfGt942wva7L_LsciXZ6yDzvYAa5rQL03VzQMv4TckgM7mc2zOhw6_jp8_oBSvjp6QuCIt8MUDtgjios0Uw/s599/Bezos.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="599" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexMyEpQRrtlPT_eDOyUMEWvb7y-KJaPzBc_DhON3QjDUZ_YzQARAYvtNm7aL2jP-tjrEhTiryktrqvLLrlpHMPWZdkHGp8UqiIjGhdcyRfGt942wva7L_LsciXZ6yDzvYAa5rQL03VzQMv4TckgM7mc2zOhw6_jp8_oBSvjp6QuCIt8MUDtgjios0Uw/w320-h251/Bezos.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p>Although my paperbacks were all priced relatively low to begin with, I decided to lower the prices even further, instead of raising them, as Amazon subtly suggested. Historically, I've made most of my royalty profit from eBooks, not paperbacks, so lowering the prices is no great sacrifice on my part.</p><p>What I did find interesting is what Amazon paperbacks cost when the author chooses the absolute minimum allowable profit. For clarification, the lowest cost Amazon will let you price your book at is the price at which you will receive a one-US-cent royalty (aka, a penny) via their "Expanded Distribution" option. To be fair, the royalties on the official Amazon websites are more, as they vary by marketplace/seller, etc. You are only allowed to set one price, which is then automatically adjusted for country, marketplace, etc. For example, I do not have the option to set unique book prices in each different country or marketplace.</p><p>So, for transparency, below are the new costs of my paperbacks, at the lowest possible price to still be included in Amazon's "Expanded Distribution" option. These are the lowest prices I can sell Amazon-published paperbacks at, and my royalties vary from $0.01 USD to $3.07 USD (depending on the book and marketplace). Note, print costs vary based on the number of pages in the paperback, the actual book size, etc.</p><p>As you can see, authors don't make much profit selling paperbacks on Amazon. So if you're considering complaining about the high price of print books, you know who to blame.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJKetHUF40eXnbNxS1J1MnM3Y5SqFEcoEmVUU2nsRuCykpcMXfiLbpcUEkuAwyHG9LbeOGGI6Ec30WjIkt9BXQP89nRgpmWsCArYtK84hXOTLyPJeFYfyuxZdcqRBnfP1f-U6QOnirQdlvj4Rgo70qMPIV4-NSAswF-AJo8g_3RD2KlYRZYGXyjc8Dw/s902/CnC%20Price.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="902" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJKetHUF40eXnbNxS1J1MnM3Y5SqFEcoEmVUU2nsRuCykpcMXfiLbpcUEkuAwyHG9LbeOGGI6Ec30WjIkt9BXQP89nRgpmWsCArYtK84hXOTLyPJeFYfyuxZdcqRBnfP1f-U6QOnirQdlvj4Rgo70qMPIV4-NSAswF-AJo8g_3RD2KlYRZYGXyjc8Dw/w640-h158/CnC%20Price.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFtC-ZkUJynqj22JWQjT0iinEQ9yG1bF2Gllp4M-ZzVAWhroL9sISIlqmRmEgM2aMW4lcwVeOZK0hNiG-JuctskJSBMe4bOPHWNQwOU4ZWfJCRgG4Ss0qc-7uMDo_k0vQZE0maZiBl4Rw_bMnkCUf79b7Y8Z6gY1j3kOJVbeAoHFFdL1LW_RblwNxgQ/s901/MnM%20Price.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="901" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFtC-ZkUJynqj22JWQjT0iinEQ9yG1bF2Gllp4M-ZzVAWhroL9sISIlqmRmEgM2aMW4lcwVeOZK0hNiG-JuctskJSBMe4bOPHWNQwOU4ZWfJCRgG4Ss0qc-7uMDo_k0vQZE0maZiBl4Rw_bMnkCUf79b7Y8Z6gY1j3kOJVbeAoHFFdL1LW_RblwNxgQ/w640-h162/MnM%20Price.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-04sgHtvEVFpo11DiNGa9ztdiDMJyAE0ScFQJUxgRCjX8su4yOVm1uI47Kp7IgDjSsAClNlFJQWgocA8X4pM_cqgZn7lKPlmEnayRTJ-tQIJsNqC2goizLihGoAplzSrI_2QKG1xI_tBcMyN_LyZ2VqWTg9NrnC3chr2pfmyhOK-18UXKD2jgingTQ/s896/WnW%20Price.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="896" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-04sgHtvEVFpo11DiNGa9ztdiDMJyAE0ScFQJUxgRCjX8su4yOVm1uI47Kp7IgDjSsAClNlFJQWgocA8X4pM_cqgZn7lKPlmEnayRTJ-tQIJsNqC2goizLihGoAplzSrI_2QKG1xI_tBcMyN_LyZ2VqWTg9NrnC3chr2pfmyhOK-18UXKD2jgingTQ/w640-h166/WnW%20Price.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-73730635391555581822023-02-24T11:21:00.002-08:002023-02-24T14:09:51.606-08:00Amazon A+ Content<p>I've been experimenting with <a href="https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GHL7P99B7AA543CN" target="_blank">Amazon A+ content</a> for my <a href=" http://www.amazon.com/C.M.-Skiera/e/B008XKXD2Q" target="_blank">eBooks</a>. Amazon's A+ Content allows you to insert graphics to your Amazon product page. You can add headlines and text to the images, as well as choose from several templates with different image/text arrangements. You can find examples, templates, and instructions on the Amazon link above.</p><p>I've used the images from my new book covers and the AI art character portraits I made in Midjourney to create A+ content for each of my epic fantasy books from The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy. Below are examples of my current A+ content, which appear on the individual product's landing page under the "From the publisher" section. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="714" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzf3BCqRRIJZNiE5VJOfuWrnGSBXNZSdA4UfOXm9Rt4gVwGNzzdCANm9xYJTYggaN0LUTRnYKazXrTwNq1cjaNNKbnzx_l-VrQnWh8YQsRnc7pzH01Od9ePwnguHw-n5GCc2yFwUWKBgn-sIAKtiSs53-uuiykmvRIl8mElWwo2viVHh-8jI6zZPmjw/w400-h355/Blog%20A+%203%20pic.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UPC2OO8?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_1&storeType=ebooks" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="689" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjch73hAXMIIF94NbTtIGbEZAglqGXgRbI72gngZUcQoaKHUBLQFSmVzPt6X1JsVrbuT5BqN4RZ2ErFi1EYHvNbYWqrnIUIOHW-8EgzfMf3A-RjLrRcyHged7UaSsgAzIhPbIUTP75KEfISGnRa92v9lHK8D6yXa8v77D9zfbsIrqPbA32e89VWgX3-fg/w400-h374/Blog%20A+%202%20pic.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VZVVZS" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="701" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFZZjvKtww5wq0s-NmDP2grKTVfcxZ1c9yeswu3A8-EDQ-ITJDlVPIzyVv7vE4VossLY2fijMnrENAHyo0PC-ngnXSxnsIBIVUk_QZO77f4wY1mfRYizXKjY126sQqhdfKkD74RfVU2SA6RGvdo-cYQt4F2k_24tTuhumMbYoehUeJkjdlk8nmL9_Cw/w400-h366/Blog%20A+%204%20pic.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Kingdom-Trilogy-Complete-Books-ebook/dp/B076P1912G?ref_=ast_author_dp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="1351" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFP_F8CWy_d00j2ByfJfYr2UYNhyRgueWdbnCXNrE4MtlwOQnmCmvNa35bkb2eNWO8K4rG1qMHtrR8E4x1ASIS0IgXW09IdkeUTLD74hYmrNsMGcBlQMlStAeHxzndol83AKqXXU8iMWDniKPzFwF8TEQ3jx_ixDRh3q0DKFfJqedTbOp74yuOroXpQ/w640-h286/Blog%20A+%201%20pic.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-51151693930983952862023-02-11T07:59:00.002-08:002023-02-11T08:05:21.317-08:00Warlock & Wyrm New Cover<p>In honor of the tenth anniversary of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank"><b><i>Crimson & Cream</i></b>'s</a> publishing, I commissioned new book covers for the <b><i>Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</i></b>. Below is the new <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VZVVZS" target="_blank">Warlock & Wyrm</a></i></b> cover by Jill K. Sauerburger, now featured on both ebook and paperback versions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWeXezwrDZQZVAxzrAI-98Wx8ryjUuef2nwmpSRlQjWuT6hhIcndEr8FEbv5FU6Wm4nvVKYkLnIou2fLgzI8hreZrWKOLncVZlyWxgGcc-FO17mrc7YpVQv5no6sdi31yn-SsAeW04GwSkMKsDgNsRbuvZqf5K50UW50VS3y-U_vfk5t5LNEKh0nF7A/s998/WarlockWyrm%20paperback%20capture.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="998" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWeXezwrDZQZVAxzrAI-98Wx8ryjUuef2nwmpSRlQjWuT6hhIcndEr8FEbv5FU6Wm4nvVKYkLnIou2fLgzI8hreZrWKOLncVZlyWxgGcc-FO17mrc7YpVQv5no6sdi31yn-SsAeW04GwSkMKsDgNsRbuvZqf5K50UW50VS3y-U_vfk5t5LNEKh0nF7A/w640-h446/WarlockWyrm%20paperback%20capture.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank">Crimson & Cream</a></i></b> ebook version is on sale for $0.99 starting <b>today</b>, February 11, through February 18, 2023.<div><br /></div><div><b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P1912G" target="_blank">The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy: Complete Series Books One - Three</a></i></b> ebook version is <b>on sale now</b> for $0.99 through February 17, 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm currently revising/editing the first draft of my next stand-alone epic fantasy novel and setting a goal of a 2024 release.<br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p></div>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-17586348398972350612023-02-10T12:44:00.000-08:002023-02-10T12:44:48.296-08:00Mirrors & Mist<p>In honor of the tenth anniversary of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank"><b><i>Crimson & Cream</i></b>'s</a> publishing, I commissioned new book covers for the entire <b><i>Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</i></b>. Below is the new <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UPC2OO8" target="_blank">Mirrors & Mist</a></i></b> cover by Jill K. Sauerburger, now featured on both ebook and paperback versions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjxPnlg1SVJLILW482em8ztanBYttphCt7F3NGkiKxJlGkRWVJEVu-lRBv2HDbW_79MI3HMOICRnUTa19DvZsAwrWyWeY0KoWhkFGM8rM8F9cZycCsJvAqeVTgfrJ3EXK7QywI3XkF92jSisfe6MA1WQ65AzrXqkati5Jt4wU8jvjG1IhrK_Bj3bMoQ/s1139/MirrorsMist%20paperback%20capture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="1139" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjxPnlg1SVJLILW482em8ztanBYttphCt7F3NGkiKxJlGkRWVJEVu-lRBv2HDbW_79MI3HMOICRnUTa19DvZsAwrWyWeY0KoWhkFGM8rM8F9cZycCsJvAqeVTgfrJ3EXK7QywI3XkF92jSisfe6MA1WQ65AzrXqkati5Jt4wU8jvjG1IhrK_Bj3bMoQ/w640-h464/MirrorsMist%20paperback%20capture.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank">Crimson & Cream</a></i></b> ebook version will be on sale for $0.99 starting February 11 through February 18, 2023.<div><br /></div><div><b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P1912G" target="_blank">The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy: Complete Series Books One - Three</a></i></b> ebook version will be on sale for $1.99 starting February 10 through February 17, 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm currently revising/editing the first draft of my next stand-alone epic fantasy novel and setting a goal of a 2024 release.<br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p></div>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-71953501428561454112023-02-06T08:03:00.001-08:002023-02-06T08:08:48.445-08:00Crimson & Cream Tenth Anniversary Cover<p>In honor of the tenth anniversary of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank"><b><i>Crimson & Cream</i></b>'s</a> publishing, I decided to commission new book covers for the entire <b><i>Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</i></b>. Below is the new cover by Jill K. Sauerburger, now featured on both ebook and paperback versions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1150" height="461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-20bO3fxVdMn5ehtT6-dKOjWzJjHiHXGtUunEIBQkr9l2e6eK_VLLmKuVUc-zHcGdYjTdRqj_YqaiS0ypp1aa_s49Xx7U_bmjRa_xLAyU3J7sMeLuy_PdyUiMMVCNe_TENVuhi5lxkGjemiFUCex2HRjdbhwigUv59E2bUEuFoodNzaVgepHu92JHA/w640-h461/C&C%202023%20paperback%20Cover%20Capture.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>I'll roll out the other two covers in future blog posts.</p>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-73135364362410818432023-01-17T10:02:00.002-08:002023-01-17T10:02:41.568-08:00Dabbling in AI-generated Art<p>I've been playing around with an artificial intelligence (AI) art generating program called <a href="https://www.midjourney.com/app/" target="_blank">Midjourney</a>. I'm not going to get into the debate on whether AI-generated art is a good or bad thing, in general. As an artist, I'm aware of the potentially slippery slope computer-made art could be, especially to human artists who make their living via their art. <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/16/23557098/generative-ai-art-copyright-legal-lawsuit-stable-diffusion-midjourney-deviantart" target="_blank">Lawsuits</a> are already pending with claims that AI art tools violate copyright law by incorporating artists’ online work without consent, so this is a contentious topic, with much debate ahead. </p><p>That being said, I've experimented with the free (and legal) version of Midjourney, and included some examples below. The part of AI-generated art that intrigues me is the ability to take descriptive words and generate an image from them. As a writer, I've used words to describe characters, scenes, locations, and more, with the intent of painting a picture in the reader's mind. By feeding these same descriptions into Midjourney, it provides me a tangible image of how AI interprets my descriptions.</p><p>It's fascinating and fun, and I was inspired by an AI artist on <a href="https://counter.social/web/getting-started" target="_blank">Counter Social</a> making her versions of GRRM characters, so I decided to try creating portraits of individuals from my epic fantasy series <a href="https://cmskiera.yourresearchhelp.com/" target="_blank"><i><b>The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</b></i></a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jwjJUXJVK3KTl8AvU3IJ07kIkytj6sp-ZHLYtpEx3eyXrJU7jXO2P6DS_xKXTxF7xdHG_2JzTieHVOpodfCKJEVxM8SLEtbMNrboT6VB2A4s6-pAOukZP1IfF2sL1NnY02smDuOQSGW7tZ5pLlpo3ByLBGAotp0oL2SZmOGkQ41bcvlTrdJBOv5Y2Q/s888/Jetsam%20006%20AI.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="884" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jwjJUXJVK3KTl8AvU3IJ07kIkytj6sp-ZHLYtpEx3eyXrJU7jXO2P6DS_xKXTxF7xdHG_2JzTieHVOpodfCKJEVxM8SLEtbMNrboT6VB2A4s6-pAOukZP1IfF2sL1NnY02smDuOQSGW7tZ5pLlpo3ByLBGAotp0oL2SZmOGkQ41bcvlTrdJBOv5Y2Q/s320/Jetsam%20006%20AI.JPG" width="319" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The orphan Jetsam (Eidryn Lothyrn)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGbh0PHD1QXlbYvG9DCjMNjN08m-IyHoBRGorsbPQrkZ4mtEZE_Rcm0ET1cnHckQt2wLK9wub40J7KnasVBHhyqSRQsB4yIKRV0cIV-8SRcFoVlN55BkWevfPk4zAY0CMgtficl5CKF56ExzjoA9bQpHObHcCfEOissoS8UD35wMDOF8Es5U7ReXJxQ/s885/Yduk%20001%20AI.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="885" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGbh0PHD1QXlbYvG9DCjMNjN08m-IyHoBRGorsbPQrkZ4mtEZE_Rcm0ET1cnHckQt2wLK9wub40J7KnasVBHhyqSRQsB4yIKRV0cIV-8SRcFoVlN55BkWevfPk4zAY0CMgtficl5CKF56ExzjoA9bQpHObHcCfEOissoS8UD35wMDOF8Es5U7ReXJxQ/s320/Yduk%20001%20AI.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The bounty hunter Yduk Thiern<br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HYyp8iM6UAc7duwfptp1OHNxycyWO1WFJH66rLap7UicRVAmlWg4obthPIsnzDTE6ys1CWuX6EYKgmFZC8emUdSGwi3WNcOgOPXXV1xKc9rKBG9-DS_WpIDdKWRsH_hBvIaEXMul5YIw8WvXBdQPeN1VN9J2S2pSq403Rxtg2MsTWEKXmtOOmI9d6Q/s888/Seryn%20002%20AI.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="877" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HYyp8iM6UAc7duwfptp1OHNxycyWO1WFJH66rLap7UicRVAmlWg4obthPIsnzDTE6ys1CWuX6EYKgmFZC8emUdSGwi3WNcOgOPXXV1xKc9rKBG9-DS_WpIDdKWRsH_hBvIaEXMul5YIw8WvXBdQPeN1VN9J2S2pSq403Rxtg2MsTWEKXmtOOmI9d6Q/s320/Seryn%20002%20AI.JPG" width="316" /></a></div>The enigmatic fugitive Seryn Vardan</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHlCowweNH1B04UV2OSrWZ8kTWQg3z4JAAeb--jyezCAeExMtYEE-sl_qjHPZ1ddI1lDtdBtDqnqfg2wTJjpQzsiSjdFMs0ofL8KE2ZAlhyk3faBYKFeMyPPNH54kRSr1TTLXcVm5MVQclBIjkXuO01pelgDDZeEyVllu33-c8BL6Wyej3Z5jAflyVA/s849/Giselle%20001%20AI.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="842" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHlCowweNH1B04UV2OSrWZ8kTWQg3z4JAAeb--jyezCAeExMtYEE-sl_qjHPZ1ddI1lDtdBtDqnqfg2wTJjpQzsiSjdFMs0ofL8KE2ZAlhyk3faBYKFeMyPPNH54kRSr1TTLXcVm5MVQclBIjkXuO01pelgDDZeEyVllu33-c8BL6Wyej3Z5jAflyVA/s320/Giselle%20001%20AI.JPG" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Princess Giselle</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreWSfJv59zah35S2-h56_faWvmV4X4s3o71tz1yvgQ53lDTiCwDSGzUvm0UIkdbgd34YgvfN-_u-ufypvAuV3i9SYt0tHwTpnhWcbqYiW8Gnrq5RBue63fLkYdBWBxN17cz6uYeyzEd5KZrbFVS0Zl2W8pzsfBuxS_vMCQekBbhCJHeoAAJA5ZNkekg/s861/Tramp%20003%20AI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="706" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreWSfJv59zah35S2-h56_faWvmV4X4s3o71tz1yvgQ53lDTiCwDSGzUvm0UIkdbgd34YgvfN-_u-ufypvAuV3i9SYt0tHwTpnhWcbqYiW8Gnrq5RBue63fLkYdBWBxN17cz6uYeyzEd5KZrbFVS0Zl2W8pzsfBuxS_vMCQekBbhCJHeoAAJA5ZNkekg/s320/Tramp%20003%20AI.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tramp</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52k5npltZqTRQr2CGwBjI8Wb9X8HCx2N-Zgn3sxX174qftD-sReZjaMMUc6KRtwEklJIGbrVarehXPpHGJzW87vpEppzVmdminMUIwE8D1PIsC0drOfU7LHpTpWhnVFXLFNN8GUx5dyGXPx83y21v3UfiygnwwBi5BIRXwL2K_Ks9tupQ7FXAPjGivQ/s698/Ratboy%20001%20AI.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="694" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52k5npltZqTRQr2CGwBjI8Wb9X8HCx2N-Zgn3sxX174qftD-sReZjaMMUc6KRtwEklJIGbrVarehXPpHGJzW87vpEppzVmdminMUIwE8D1PIsC0drOfU7LHpTpWhnVFXLFNN8GUx5dyGXPx83y21v3UfiygnwwBi5BIRXwL2K_Ks9tupQ7FXAPjGivQ/s320/Ratboy%20001%20AI.JPG" width="318" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The orphan leader Ratboy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8psmGQ3EojRHmC4axcxsLgh8drd5sYbJK6jQDM_WH5PJXXTelYnCr3QwVtnL-BWwoYJUBTYHSqXvuPGvLlq0YgZPw_eEPWABuLGn6sZHjkNdWL8jQAXFyIY8Ial5hnJ_2x_OZx4JDC1xUE9lUt41wn3otbNjYPCquKuZVXvx8ZO0fHMHxb9NvE1tx9Q/s880/Grimlord%20002%20AI.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8psmGQ3EojRHmC4axcxsLgh8drd5sYbJK6jQDM_WH5PJXXTelYnCr3QwVtnL-BWwoYJUBTYHSqXvuPGvLlq0YgZPw_eEPWABuLGn6sZHjkNdWL8jQAXFyIY8Ial5hnJ_2x_OZx4JDC1xUE9lUt41wn3otbNjYPCquKuZVXvx8ZO0fHMHxb9NvE1tx9Q/s320/Grimlord%20002%20AI.JPG" width="314" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Grimlord<br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-39711140710087569002022-12-01T10:14:00.000-08:002022-12-01T10:14:13.884-08:00New Writing Resources<p>Hello! It's been a while. I hope you've all been well. Below is a very brief update of what I've been up to since last summer. I'm working on boosting my book marketing efforts and discovered some valuable resources available from BookBub.</p><p>The links below focus on self-publishing and marketing help: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://insights.bookbub.com/ultimate-guide-to-self-publishing-book-distribution-tools/?utm_source=pemail_blog_book-distribution-services-2022&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">Ultimate Guide to Self-Publishing & Book Distribution Services in 2022</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://insights.bookbub.com/ultimate-guide-book-marketing/" target="_blank">The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing</a> (Updated 11/29/2022)</li></ul><div>In addition, if you sign up for the BookBub Partners Blog, you can download <i><b>The Ultimate Collection of Book Marketing Examples</b></i> for free. The e-book presents successful authors' webpages, bios, and social media pages. It's a handy resource to spark your imagination and help you present yourself professionally, while comparing your online marketing materials to those of the very best in the business.</div><p></p><p>As far as <i>my</i> writing progress, I've finished the first draft of my next fantasy novel, and look forward to starting the editing, revising, and polishing process. The latest book is a stand-alone novel set in a frigid archipelago. The story features three protagonists--a grizzled warrior, an enigmatic priestess, and a flawed royal--battling deadly foes and vile treachery as their realm crumbles around them. </p><p>As for my already-published work, to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank"><i><b>Crimson & Cream</b></i></a>'s release, I've commissioned new covers for all three of The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy novels. The new book cover artwork will debut in 2023. </p><p>And, finally, <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VZVVZS" target="_blank">Warlock & Wyrm</a>, Book III of The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</i></b> is on sale in e-book format for $0.99 until December 7, 2022 at Amazon US.</p><p>I hope you all have a safe and happy holidays!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCx7yvcofer2Nj4_SyTCBwrkwZ34gnnvKWygZiOUfUMCtdCzMUEa2T-4fypsC9DeruGLlKaLRtrLdeCKQuszO8X3StSQsuwTYnoSmXRndEY_qEFnJb0wwMopM6BcUqpgkKvOZJBA9Jx-6CVho0QKuzSIlyW6JyBeXvg9IXhU9wSR3sgU26Jp5i-xDkA/s668/W&W%20Xmas%20Frame.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="668" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCx7yvcofer2Nj4_SyTCBwrkwZ34gnnvKWygZiOUfUMCtdCzMUEa2T-4fypsC9DeruGLlKaLRtrLdeCKQuszO8X3StSQsuwTYnoSmXRndEY_qEFnJb0wwMopM6BcUqpgkKvOZJBA9Jx-6CVho0QKuzSIlyW6JyBeXvg9IXhU9wSR3sgU26Jp5i-xDkA/w640-h435/W&W%20Xmas%20Frame.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-59134763505170153122022-07-09T07:00:00.001-07:002022-07-09T07:00:00.174-07:00Prime Day/Christmas in July<p>All my e-books are on sale for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/primeday" target="_blank"><b>Amazon Prime Day</b></a> this year. Prime Day deals begin on Tuesday, July 12 and run through July 13, 2022.</p><p>If, like me, you have mixed feelings (at best) about Amazon, you can consider this my <b>Christmas in July Sale</b>.</p><p>Links to my deeply-discounted <b>Epic Fantasy e-books</b> are below: </p><p><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank">Crimson & Cream</a> - $0.99</b></p><p><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UPC2OO8" target="_blank">Mirrors & Mist</a> - $0.99</b></p><p><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VZVVZS">Warlock & Wyrm</a> - $0.99</b></p><p><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P1912G" target="_blank">The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy: Complete Series Box Set</a> - $2.99</b></p><p><i>Spoiler Alert: my sales actually <b>start on July 9</b> and run through July 16, so if you miss Jeff Bezos' holiday, you can still get the Christmas in July sale price.</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JyCDBdOjGUYmeNHTw0yZXi5e9IyePq23CvNavgvcAKu5vvPErcYy6SytvbAbp81KDPU0R4w5t1VJYSf6y23ItJesLeGtlVFmTIaLw3UecZ2mep1oFVqFIcJzeEuwyWCD7q7nTNUdKZC0sr2RSNwMumlFPi8eCozgQ3HacV98rEKeaU2puJ48rk04aw/s1816/Box%20Set%20all%20Covers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="1645" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JyCDBdOjGUYmeNHTw0yZXi5e9IyePq23CvNavgvcAKu5vvPErcYy6SytvbAbp81KDPU0R4w5t1VJYSf6y23ItJesLeGtlVFmTIaLw3UecZ2mep1oFVqFIcJzeEuwyWCD7q7nTNUdKZC0sr2RSNwMumlFPi8eCozgQ3HacV98rEKeaU2puJ48rk04aw/w581-h640/Box%20Set%20all%20Covers.JPG" width="581" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div><br /></div><p><br /></p>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-55014526891038748592021-12-02T07:46:00.001-08:002021-12-02T07:50:48.166-08:00Annual Holiday Giveaway<p>I hope you're doing well during this pandemic and sincerely wish you a peaceful and healthy upcoming holiday season. I've neglected my blog this year, and apologize for that. Hopefully, 2022 will be better in many ways, for all of us.</p><p>I'm giving away e-books again this holiday season. I know finances are tight for many, and if you want to treat yourself or give a gift that won't cost you anything, please take advantage of this offer. Curling up with a good e-book may help a tiny bit with the burdens of the pandemic, dark days, and stresses of the holiday season.</p><p>This December, all my e-books will be free during the schedule below:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank"><b>Crimson & Cream</b></a>; Free </span>December 3 through 7</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UPC2OO8" target="_blank"><b>Mirrors & Mist</b></a>; Free </span>December 8 through 12</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VZVVZS" target="_blank"><b>Warlock & Wyrm</b></a>; Free </span>December 13 through 17</p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076P1912G/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</a>;<b> </b>Free December 18 through 22</blockquote><p>Many people have enjoyed these books, and you may, too. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1S9PHBA5OGKTO/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00UPC2OO8" target="_blank">Here's what one Amazon reviewer had to say:</a></p><div><br /></div><div><i>"You know, one thing confuses me when I read CM Skiera's work...</i><div><i>Leaves me all out of sorts...</i></div><div><i>Makes me wonder...</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Why isn't this guy on the NYT Best Seller List?</i></div><div><i>Seriously - I don't like giving away details of the book, so let's just say:</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>If Brent Weeks had a love child with Rowling....</i></div><div><i>You'd expect the kid to be able to write books like this after he'd overdosed on The Hobbit.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>CM's work is really good. ..lose track of time and stay up hours late on a work night good.</i></div><div><i>So do yourself a favor...</i></div><div><i>Buy this book.</i></div><div><i>Read it.</i></div><div><i>Be tired at work the next day.</i></div><div><i>Then repeat.</i></div></div><p><i>You'll be glad you did."</i> </p><p>Please feel free to share. Thank you and take care. And happy holidays from Trudy, Gracie, and Bugsy!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgqtJK85uaQv2GR-vjTJ0n7U-po8-2H-UNyHDa3mAzf3woBZDzNUIlStVlWPGzcRFikFrbgThXS4qLMmFPzq2ydNDd8bfWS8FYCfSUnI4TfIGA22iJcgm5oeayM7cPVRSNY4F42AoGMvL/s2048/KIMG0459.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="2048" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgqtJK85uaQv2GR-vjTJ0n7U-po8-2H-UNyHDa3mAzf3woBZDzNUIlStVlWPGzcRFikFrbgThXS4qLMmFPzq2ydNDd8bfWS8FYCfSUnI4TfIGA22iJcgm5oeayM7cPVRSNY4F42AoGMvL/w400-h293/KIMG0459.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-65355420720077074532021-05-04T07:33:00.000-07:002021-05-04T07:33:02.167-07:00Free Writing Events in May<p>ProWritingAid is hosting more free writing events this month. See details below if you're interested.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Fiction writers, keep readers on the edge of their seats as book doctor Sally O-J teaches you how to write tension and conflict.</li><li>All kinds of writers can learn how to write clearly and engage their readers with an actionable session with editing pro, Hayley Milliman.</li><li>Business Writers, join us to find out how ProWritingAid can help you polish everything from reports to emails to Tweets. </li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmV3XtpJQYi1p3jFwibk1dETz1eh5rYNPsB9yX_OIFr-WEjFOQy9Tw27fpkZSb3GHCodLgjPdtgmkOPFo5NFP_1qzlXJpymbyg3NKWywYau_AB79CBi3tQ-uwhRTX9oY7o50R4u5yCettJ/s640/unnamed.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="640" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmV3XtpJQYi1p3jFwibk1dETz1eh5rYNPsB9yX_OIFr-WEjFOQy9Tw27fpkZSb3GHCodLgjPdtgmkOPFo5NFP_1qzlXJpymbyg3NKWywYau_AB79CBi3tQ-uwhRTX9oY7o50R4u5yCettJ/w640-h277/unnamed.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; padding: 18px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-top: 2px solid rgb(234, 234, 234); min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #077f83; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><span style="font-size: 23px;">Free Events for Writers</span></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; padding: 0px 9px; text-align: center;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id%3D84214035%26url%3Dhttps%253a%252f%252fprowritingaid.com%252fen%252fWebinar%252fRegister%252f1000113%253futm_campaign%253dWebinars%252fEvents%2526utm_medium%253dlivewebinar%2526utm_source%253dEmail-newsletter%2526utm_content%253dpwa-101-apr27&source=gmail&ust=1619631622140000&usg=AFQjCNFp6OrWXyX-yILoU7lPDSf1g20h4w" href="https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id=84214035&url=https%3a%2f%2fprowritingaid.com%2fen%2fWebinar%2fRegister%2f1000113%3futm_campaign%3dWebinars%2fEvents%26utm_medium%3dlivewebinar%26utm_source%3dEmail-newsletter%26utm_content%3dpwa-101-apr27" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title=""><img align="center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjimVsk4rcKDocic6nOzkprjaMf1JCMbxyegBXJq6FHhOaKqvlnNflfh7UlnsGEHzU52hHIoPjN41_CtNheW11AcqsfeKkyv8SpsduFozMK1iXIRClCjiBUVUByDuuQzFHi-Pd0_sn3f4brgt0A6GvOtSsvi7tGa9gbNhYIph-RFaRtPbxQx1kRmjfm3EwwSR39TAPBc7wBCtPKg0KdeEssSMnb=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; 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See how key features like the Summary Report, Real-Time Checking, and Word Explorer can help you improve your craft. The session will finish with a live Q&A.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 18px 18px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #faa74a; border-radius: 4px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; padding: 18px;" valign="middle"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id%3D84214035%26url%3Dhttps%253a%252f%252fprowritingaid.com%252fen%252fWebinar%252fRegister%252f1000113%253futm_campaign%253dWebinars%252fEvents%2526utm_medium%253dlivewebinar%2526utm_source%253dEmail-newsletter%2526utm_content%253dpwa-101-apr27&source=gmail&ust=1619631622140000&usg=AFQjCNFp6OrWXyX-yILoU7lPDSf1g20h4w" href="https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id=84214035&url=https%3a%2f%2fprowritingaid.com%2fen%2fWebinar%2fRegister%2f1000113%3futm_campaign%3dWebinars%2fEvents%26utm_medium%3dlivewebinar%26utm_source%3dEmail-newsletter%26utm_content%3dpwa-101-apr27" style="color: white; 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width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 23px;">The Five Principles of Creating Clarity</span><br /><span style="font-size: 18px;">May 4 (2 PM ET / 7 PM UK)</span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">As writers, we often spend too much time focusing on what our ideas are instead of how to communicate those ideas most effectively. If we don't sharpen our sentences with our readers in mind, then our ideas will get lost and our writing will be less engaging.<br /><br />In this actionable presentation, Hayley will walk you through five key ways to improve the craft of your writing. By the end of the session, you'll know exactly how to tackle your work to make it more powerful for your readers.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 18px 18px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #faa74a; border-radius: 4px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; padding: 18px;" valign="middle"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id%3D84214035%26url%3Dhttps%253a%252f%252fprowritingaid.com%252fen%252fWebinar%252fRegister%252f1000123%253futm_campaign%253dWebinars%252fEvents%2526utm_medium%253dlivewebinar%2526utm_source%253dEmail-newsletter%2526utm_content%253dprinciples-of-clarity-apr27&source=gmail&ust=1619631622140000&usg=AFQjCNFcir4cHVqkxDwhZJCPiYXiOMBTRA" href="https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id=84214035&url=https%3a%2f%2fprowritingaid.com%2fen%2fWebinar%2fRegister%2f1000123%3futm_campaign%3dWebinars%2fEvents%26utm_medium%3dlivewebinar%26utm_source%3dEmail-newsletter%26utm_content%3dprinciples-of-clarity-apr27" style="color: white; 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font-size: 13px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; padding: 0px 9px; text-align: center;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id%3D84214035%26url%3Dhttps%253a%252f%252fprowritingaid.com%252fen%252fWebinar%252fRegister%252f1000116%253futm_campaign%253dWebinars%252fEvents%2526utm_medium%253dlivewebinar%2526utm_source%253dEmail-newsletter%2526utm_content%253dbook-doc-apr27&source=gmail&ust=1619631622140000&usg=AFQjCNFzCWIlM-ZPUn7nXEk2FWzyyH2AdA" href="https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id=84214035&url=https%3a%2f%2fprowritingaid.com%2fen%2fWebinar%2fRegister%2f1000116%3futm_campaign%3dWebinars%2fEvents%26utm_medium%3dlivewebinar%26utm_source%3dEmail-newsletter%26utm_content%3dbook-doc-apr27" style="color: #1155cc; 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width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><span style="font-size: 23px;">Ask a Book Doctor</span><br /><span style="font-size: 20px;">Tension and Conflict </span><br /><span style="font-size: 18px;">May 11 (2 PM ET / 7 PM UK)</span><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">On the second Tuesday of every month, the ProWritingAid community is invited to bring all their questions to our favorite Book Doctor, Sally O-J.<br /><br />Without a central conflict, your story won't go anywhere. Your conflict is what draws readers to your book, and what keeps them reading. Find out how to create tension and conflict in this month's Book Doctor session.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 18px 18px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #faa74a; border-radius: 4px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; padding: 18px;" valign="middle"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id%3D84214035%26url%3Dhttps%253a%252f%252fprowritingaid.com%252fen%252fWebinar%252fRegister%252f1000116%253futm_campaign%253dWebinars%252fEvents%2526utm_medium%253dlivewebinar%2526utm_source%253dEmail-newsletter%2526utm_content%253dbook-doc-apr27&source=gmail&ust=1619631622140000&usg=AFQjCNFzCWIlM-ZPUn7nXEk2FWzyyH2AdA" href="https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id=84214035&url=https%3a%2f%2fprowritingaid.com%2fen%2fWebinar%2fRegister%2f1000116%3futm_campaign%3dWebinars%2fEvents%26utm_medium%3dlivewebinar%26utm_source%3dEmail-newsletter%26utm_content%3dbook-doc-apr27" style="color: white; 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min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; padding: 0px 9px; text-align: center;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id%3D84214035%26url%3Dhttps%253a%252f%252fprowritingaid.com%252fen%252fWebinar%252fRegister%252f1000081%253futm_campaign%253dWebinars%252fEvents%2526utm_medium%253dlivewebinar%2526utm_source%253dEmail-newsletter%2526utm_content%253dself-editing-sch-apr27&source=gmail&ust=1619631622140000&usg=AFQjCNHVJM56i4p3wt9rhC-spjFKWN5V9Q" href="https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id=84214035&url=https%3a%2f%2fprowritingaid.com%2fen%2fWebinar%2fRegister%2f1000081%3futm_campaign%3dWebinars%2fEvents%26utm_medium%3dlivewebinar%26utm_source%3dEmail-newsletter%26utm_content%3dself-editing-sch-apr27" style="color: #1155cc; 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width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><span style="font-size: 23px;">Self-Editing School</span><br /><span style="font-size: 20px;">5 Principles of a Thorough Self-Editing Process</span><br /><span style="font-size: 18px;">May 20 (2 PM ET / 7 PM UK)</span><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">We've teamed up with Story Coach and founder of First Editing JoEllen Nordström for Self-Editing School.<br /><br />This month, find out how to self-edit your book with these five principles which professional editing services use daily. Learn how combining these with effective editorial techniques, online editing tools, and organizational processes helps you publish your book confidently. </p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 18px 18px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #faa74a; border-radius: 4px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; padding: 18px;" valign="middle"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id%3D84214035%26url%3Dhttps%253a%252f%252fprowritingaid.com%252fen%252fWebinar%252fRegister%252f1000081%253futm_campaign%253dWebinars%252fEvents%2526utm_medium%253dlivewebinar%2526utm_source%253dEmail-newsletter%2526utm_content%253dself-editing-sch-apr27&source=gmail&ust=1619631622140000&usg=AFQjCNHVJM56i4p3wt9rhC-spjFKWN5V9Q" href="https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id=84214035&url=https%3a%2f%2fprowritingaid.com%2fen%2fWebinar%2fRegister%2f1000081%3futm_campaign%3dWebinars%2fEvents%26utm_medium%3dlivewebinar%26utm_source%3dEmail-newsletter%26utm_content%3dself-editing-sch-apr27" style="color: white; 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In May, we'll be learning how to create and manage subplots in your story that your readers will love to get lost in. <br /><br />Join us as we work through short prompts and share together for feedback.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 18px 18px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #faa74a; border-radius: 4px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; padding: 18px;" valign="middle"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id%3D84214035%26url%3Dhttps%253a%252f%252fprowritingaid.com%252fen%252fWebinar%252fRegister%252f1000106%253futm_campaign%253dWebinars%252fEvents%2526utm_medium%253dlivewebinar%2526utm_source%253dEmail-newsletter%2526utm_content%253dwrite-in-apr27&source=gmail&ust=1619631622141000&usg=AFQjCNE8rKUDVAmGodJlJBFAeQHoIuaFtA" href="https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/EmailClick?id=84214035&url=https%3a%2f%2fprowritingaid.com%2fen%2fWebinar%2fRegister%2f1000106%3futm_campaign%3dWebinars%2fEvents%26utm_medium%3dlivewebinar%26utm_source%3dEmail-newsletter%26utm_content%3dwrite-in-apr27" style="color: white; display: block; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="Register for this session now">Register for this session now</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-83968515482516374162021-03-29T05:00:00.001-07:002021-03-29T05:00:02.501-07:00Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy Promotion<p> </p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P1912G" target="_blank">The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</a> complete e-book collection will be discounted for a limited time (see dates and prices below) starting March 29, 2021. Take a chance on this 923-page epic fantasy adventure; you won't be disappointed. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6u4-cxkj3wbezy0pwv4HvkbYr8SF1vkl4-FN8RmL-kGMz6YbXN8tqdmO4TZoqh7C59s4wXhz9RpSe773GcfTQTJmtl1Z-TqocPfnMM9y61UCScitOCoJGZjrkxfFCGP29sE5L4V0xTdQF/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="1199" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6u4-cxkj3wbezy0pwv4HvkbYr8SF1vkl4-FN8RmL-kGMz6YbXN8tqdmO4TZoqh7C59s4wXhz9RpSe773GcfTQTJmtl1Z-TqocPfnMM9y61UCScitOCoJGZjrkxfFCGP29sE5L4V0xTdQF/w493-h229/image.png" width="493" /></a></div><p>“If you are a fan of epic fantasies, then this is your trilogy. Master storytelling is hard to achieve, but you will find it here.” </p><p></p><p>"I absolutely loved every minute I spent in this world. Your heart breaks for Jetsam, his band of orphans will make your heart ache . . ." </p><p>"High adventure, dimensional scenes, sounds, smells and inner turmoil, it's all here, all riveting, all addictive and an epic fantasy that will engage anyone with an eye for great storytelling."</p><p>"If Brent Weeks had a love child with Rowling....you'd expect the kid to be able to write books like this after he'd overdosed on The Hobbit."</p><p>"Fantasy at its best, you will love this series. Wonderful characters, and a great story . You will be sorry when it ends."</p><p>"The writing has lots of cinematic flair and the story will have you rooting for the main characters to find their way home, and find their own happy ending despite the odds stacked against them."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgN9xAiAuZSPWPSrbyy6FVCysq5vk8d_8gv4wuknDUTOXNBL5xC-wXCvSZEWXWVtOplWlehreF0UXJuY2XzX7s9KcjzluXtuZ1oI9q95A4k9woi5WwfHWYp8Gtpe6L0EP5eMwDG-58Ie3u/s661/Box+Set+Ad+Mt+Figure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="661" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgN9xAiAuZSPWPSrbyy6FVCysq5vk8d_8gv4wuknDUTOXNBL5xC-wXCvSZEWXWVtOplWlehreF0UXJuY2XzX7s9KcjzluXtuZ1oI9q95A4k9woi5WwfHWYp8Gtpe6L0EP5eMwDG-58Ie3u/w400-h243/Box+Set+Ad+Mt+Figure.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /><br /></p>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-10613227688742037292021-02-06T09:52:00.000-08:002021-02-06T09:52:19.997-08:002021 Fantasy Writer's Week - February 22 through 26<p>Are you a writer of fantasy fiction, or would you like to be? <b>ProWritingAid’s </b>first ever <b>Fantasy Writer's Week</b> will be jam-packed with free events for fantasy authors. I've already registered.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz5IktAwACKMt0Cp0I_QzxoPHOtm5tEBVCPGuFeqjsgOUQrGxTw8wri9yR9SycIbtFs9QmigsPm2YGIQfZowtcnGI9i9MLYXsNrsvJHj1rtkZOsJd-G-Dg21Us7vPWMrVx3oC7z1unh0U/s646/Fantasy-Writers-Week-ad-646x427_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="646" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz5IktAwACKMt0Cp0I_QzxoPHOtm5tEBVCPGuFeqjsgOUQrGxTw8wri9yR9SycIbtFs9QmigsPm2YGIQfZowtcnGI9i9MLYXsNrsvJHj1rtkZOsJd-G-Dg21Us7vPWMrVx3oC7z1unh0U/w640-h424/Fantasy-Writers-Week-ad-646x427_6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><i>Full transparency; my blog is a ProWritingAid affiliate (i.e., I receive a commission on purchases via this site). <a href="https://cmskiera.blogspot.com/2016/03/pro-writing-aid-update.html" target="_blank">I've used ProWritingAid for years, and endorse it</a>, but this isn't a sales pitch, rather a chance to take advantage of a great, free, learning opportunity for fantasy writers.</i></p><p>With live sessions from bestselling fantasy writers TJ Klune, Angela J. Ford, David Farland and Stephanie BwaBwa, a world-building workshop, and a complete World Anvil software walkthrough, you don't want to miss this event!</p><p>Fantasy Writer's Week kicks off on February 22 and runs until February 26. If you can't make it live, all the sessions will be available via replay, so you can sign up and watch the sessions when it's convenient.</p><p>Register for this free event here: <a href="https://prowritingaid.com/art/1571/fantasy-writer-s-week-at-prowritingaid.aspx?afid=2406">https://prowritingaid.com/art/1571/fantasy-writer-s-week-at-prowritingaid.aspx?afid=2406</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Details about the individual events:</i></span></b></u></p><p><b>Writing Wonder—How to Create a Fantasy World and Magical Systems</b></p><p>Feb 22 (2 PM ET / 7 PM UK)</p><p>Presenter: Bestselling fantasy author, Dave Farland</p><p>Dave will be talking about what "wonder" literature is and how you can create a sense of wonder in your own fantasy novel. He'll show you how bestselling authors combine wonder with other emotions, like romance and adventure, to create the most successful fantasy novels out there. </p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p><b>World-Building 101: Training and Q&A</b></p><p>Feb 23 (12 PM ET / 5 PM UK)</p><p>Presenters: World Anvil founders, Janet Forbes and Dimitris Havlidis</p><p>In this workshop, Janet Forbes and Dimitris Havlidis from World Anvil talk about approaches and methods to world-building. They'll discuss tools and strategies you can use, such as world-building meta, to keep your project on track, both in terms of theme and motivations, and make sure your world is serving your novel and story. </p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p><b>The ProWritingAid World-Building Write-In</b></p><p>Feb 23 (2 PM ET / 7 PM UK)</p><p>Presenter: ProWritingAid's Head of Learning, Hayley Milliman</p><p>Each month, we gather for the ProWritingAid Write-In. In this special Fantasy Writer's Week edition, join us as we work through short world-building prompts and share together for feedback. </p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p><b>How to Edit Your Fantasy Manuscript With ProWritingAid</b></p><p>Feb 24 (12 PM ET / 5 PM UK)</p><p>Presenter: ProWritingAid's Head of Learning, Hayley Milliman</p><p>It doesn't matter how many hours you spent meticulously crafting your fantasy novel's plot. If your writing isn't clear and effective, your readers won't engage with it. That's where editing technology can help. In this workshop, we'll dive into how to use ProWritingAid to make key edits to your fantasy manuscript.</p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p><b>How to Write Page-Turning YA Fantasy That Keeps Readers Up At Night</b></p><p>Feb 24 (2 PM ET / 7 PM UK)</p><p>Presenter: Fantasy author, Stephanie BwaBwa</p><p>In this workshop, fantasy author Stephanie BwaBwa will dive deep into creating a page turning novel that will keep your readers up at night. She'll break down the main elements all YA Fantasy novels need, discuss what to avoid when writing your novel and highlight how to make your characters relatable, and your story themes memorable.</p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p><b>World Anvil Walk-Through and Q&A</b></p><p>Feb 25 (12 PM ET / 5 PM UK)</p><p>Presenters: World Anvil founders, Janet Forbes and Dimitris Havlidis</p><p>Join Janet and Dimitris, the founders of World Anvil—the biggest world-building platform in the world—as they take you through how to use their award winning toolset to build your world setting, write your novel and even market your work to your fans and make money! Then grab your hammer, and go world-build!</p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p><b>How to Organize your Story Ideas and Write a Fantasy Novel</b></p><p>Feb 25 (2 PM ET / 7 PM UK)</p><p>Presenter: Bestselling fantasy author, Angela J. Ford</p><p>During this workshop, bestselling fantasy author Angela J. Ford will help you dig deep into taking your ideas and turning them into a story readers adore. You'll learn how to take your ideas and organize them (regardless if you're a plotter or pantser) before you begin writing. </p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p><b>How to Write Fantasy: The Tricks of the Genre</b></p><p>Feb 26 (10 PM ET / 3 PM UK)</p><p>Presenters: Developmental editors, Anne Hawley and Rachelle Ramirez</p><p>Do you want to write a story set in a fantastical world but don’t yet know how to structure it? Got some great world-building and some random scenes that don’t really work together or entertain? You’re in the right place. </p><p>In this webinar, you’ll learn the basics of the Fantasy Genre so you can create emotion in your readers and have them recommending your story to others.</p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p><b>Your Fantasy Editing Roadmap</b></p><p>Feb 26 (12 PM ET / 5 PM UK)</p><p>Presenter: ProWritingAid's Head of Learning, Hayley Milliman</p><p>As nice as it would be, writing your fantasy novel isn't over when you type "The End." In fact, the actual work is just beginning. During the editing process, your novel will go from rough first draft to engaging final manuscript.</p><p>In this workshop, Hayley will walk you through the most important edits you should make to your manuscript to ensure it's publish-ready.</p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p><b>An Interview With Bestselling Fantasy Author, TJ Klune </b></p><p>Feb 26 (2 PM ET / 7 PM UK)</p><p>Hosted by ProWritingAid CMO, Lisa Lepki</p><p>TJ Klune is the Lambda Literary Award-winning author of <i>The Extraordinaries</i> and USA Today and New York Times bestseller, <i>The House in the Cerulean Sea</i>. We'll be chatting to him about breaking into the worlds of fantasy and YA fiction, his writing process and why representation is so important in literature. </p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p>You can learn more, see all the session names, and register for this free event here: <a href="https://prowritingaid.com/art/1571/fantasy-writer-s-week-at-prowritingaid.aspx?afid=2406">https://prowritingaid.com/art/1571/fantasy-writer-s-week-at-prowritingaid.aspx?afid=2406</a></p><p>Fantasy Writer's Week registration page link: <a href="https://prowritingaid.com/en/Webinar/Register/1000102?afid=2406">https://prowritingaid.com/en/Webinar/Register/1000102?afid=2406</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ea5NgoECVgzbqwuaKlnx6364p8LZz-Vjy_qaxbAdrza-YL753SOqGNXouQTalvU-jJS-x4WFucJk0Dn0VfGJqKtkHDL2HPSvOADrAEhU1D_rc2hU0aWqzVeu6bEaBlC0kAC-6qQQOhmY/s646/Fantasy-Writers-Week-ad-646x427_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="646" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ea5NgoECVgzbqwuaKlnx6364p8LZz-Vjy_qaxbAdrza-YL753SOqGNXouQTalvU-jJS-x4WFucJk0Dn0VfGJqKtkHDL2HPSvOADrAEhU1D_rc2hU0aWqzVeu6bEaBlC0kAC-6qQQOhmY/w640-h424/Fantasy-Writers-Week-ad-646x427_5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b><u><span style="font-size: medium;">Speaker Bios</span></u></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">David Farland </span></b>is an award-winning, bestselling author who has penned over fifty science fiction and fantasy novels for adults, young adults, and children. Along the way, he has also worked as a writing instructor, videogame designer, and as a Hollywood greenlighting analyst. He is best known for his New York Times bestselling fantasy series The Runelords, and has trained some of the biggest names in fantasy.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Janet Forbes</span></b> is a published fantasy author and RPG writer under the pen name J.D. Blythe, and a Dungeons & Dragons pro-streamer for the likes of Wizards of the Coast and Wyrd Games. She is also the co-founder and director of World Anvil, the world-building and writing platform which rocketed onto the scene 3 years ago and now boasts a community of over a million users. She holds an MA in Music Performance, is an experienced archaeologist, speaks 5 languages, and is secretly a velociraptor in a human suit.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Dimitris Havlidis </span></b>has been world-building since he was six, and has created more epic sandbox worlds than he's had hot dinners. As the co-founder and CTO of the award-winning world-building platform World Anvil, he spends his days coding new features for writers to create and market their work, and his nights dreaming about new worlds and new civilizations. Dimitris holds degrees in Computing, Social Psychology and Graphic Design, and has worked as CTO in some of the top agencies in the UK. As a Web Developer, UX Researcher, Pro-Photographer, Designer, he was a digital nomad before it was cool. He loves cheese, lemon pies and top hats.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Hayley Milliman</span></b> is thrilled to be ProWritingAid's Content Lead, as it gives her an excuse to think deeply about words every single day. Prior to joining ProWritingAid, Hayley spent a number of years as an elementary school teacher, which was a crash course in learning how to entertain an indifferent audience. These days, she puts her storytelling skills to use writing blog articles and working on her first novel.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Stephanie BwaBwa</span></b> is a Jesus-centered, multi passionate, creative who’s enjoying building a legacy through the lens of story. As the CEO and Founder of Bwabs Collective LLC, BwaBwa has focused her zone of genius on the Enneagram Type 5 writer who likes to meticulously plot, research, and organize their way through crafting their stories. Stephanie is the YA Fantasy author behind the world of Elledelle, and an avid reader of fantasy and fiction. Get in contact with Stephanie at <a href="http://StephanieBwaBwa.com">StephanieBwaBwa.com</a>.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Angela J. Ford</span></b> is a bestselling author who writes epic fantasy and steamy fantasy romance with vivid worlds, gray characters and endings you just can’t guess. She has published 14 novels, 6 short stories and sold over 32,000 copies. Angela is also a Co-Founder of Booksniffer, a new app for book lovers, plus an effective way for authors to market their books to new readers. She enjoys traveling, hiking, and playing World of Warcraft with her husband. First and foremost, Angela is a reader and can often be found with her nose in a book.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Anne Hawley</span></b> has produced and co-hosted 115 episodes of the Story Grid Editor Roundtable Podcast, and she trained under Shawn Coyne of Story Grid. Anne has five decades of writing experience and has been a developmental editor since 2015, providing objective, substantive feedback so writers can write better stories and change the world. She is the author of the historical love story Restraint.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Rachelle Ramirez</b></span> trained under Shawn Coyne of Story Grid and has edited award winning and bestselling fiction and nonfiction. She is committed to offering actionable editorial assistance for writers in all phases of their careers. Rachelle attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Masters in Creative Writing Program and has an MA in psychology from Goddard College. She is the author of An Introduction to Genre.</p><div><br /></div>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-59216202845919511162020-12-01T07:31:00.001-08:002020-12-16T14:57:29.540-08:00Big Holiday Giveaway<p>Hello again, I hope you're doing well during this long pandemic and sincerely wish you a peaceful and healthy upcoming holiday season.</p><p>You may recall that September was <b>Self Published Fantasy Month. </b>To celebrate, I offered all my e-books for free, and ended up giving away over 1,000 e-books. Since that giveaway went so well, I wanted to do another one for the holidays. I know finances are tight for many this year, and if you want to treat yourself or give a gift that won't cost you anything, please take advantage of this offer. Curling up with a good e-book may help a tiny bit with the burdens of quarantine, dark days, and stresses of the holiday season.</p><p>This December, all my e-books will be free during the schedule below:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;">The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076P1912G/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</a>;<b> </b>free December 1 through 5</blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank"><b>Crimson & Cream</b></a>; Free </span>December 6 through 10</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UPC2OO8" target="_blank"><b>Mirrors & Mist</b></a>; Free </span>December 11 through 15</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VZVVZS" target="_blank"><b>Warlock & Wyrm</b></a>; Free </span>December <strike>16 through 20 </strike> <b><i>17 through 21</i></b></p></blockquote>And in case you're not convinced this <b><i>free deal</i></b> is worth the effort, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1S9PHBA5OGKTO/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00UPC2OO8" target="_blank">here's what one of many Amazon reviewers had to say:</a><div><br /></div><div><i>"You know, one thing confuses me when I read CM Skiera's work...</i><div><i>Leaves me all out of sorts...</i></div><div><i>Makes me wonder...</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Why isn't this guy on the NYT Best Seller List?</i></div><div><i>Seriously - I don't like giving away details of the book, so let's just say:</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>If Brent Weeks had a love child with Rowling....</i></div><div><i>You'd expect the kid to be able to write books like this after he'd overdosed on The Hobbit.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>CM's work is really good. ..lose track of time and stay up hours late on a work night good.</i></div><div><i>So do yourself a favor...</i></div><div><i>Buy this book.</i></div><div><i>Read it.</i></div><div><i>Be tired at work the next day.</i></div><div><i>Then repeat.</i></div></div><p><i>You'll be glad you did."</i> </p><p>Please feel free to share. Thank you and take care. Oh, and happy holidays from Trudy, Gracie and Bugsy!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgqtJK85uaQv2GR-vjTJ0n7U-po8-2H-UNyHDa3mAzf3woBZDzNUIlStVlWPGzcRFikFrbgThXS4qLMmFPzq2ydNDd8bfWS8FYCfSUnI4TfIGA22iJcgm5oeayM7cPVRSNY4F42AoGMvL/s2048/KIMG0459.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="2048" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgqtJK85uaQv2GR-vjTJ0n7U-po8-2H-UNyHDa3mAzf3woBZDzNUIlStVlWPGzcRFikFrbgThXS4qLMmFPzq2ydNDd8bfWS8FYCfSUnI4TfIGA22iJcgm5oeayM7cPVRSNY4F42AoGMvL/w400-h293/KIMG0459.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div><p><br /></p></div>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-56690750607393221532020-09-05T05:00:00.003-07:002020-09-05T05:00:01.793-07:00Self Published Fantasy Month<p>Hello everyone, I hope you're doing well. I'm weathering the pandemic and sincerely wish you are too. As you can see, I haven't been blogging much, but I wanted to check in and let you know I'm doing fine.</p><p>September 2020 is <b>Self Published Fantasy Month</b> and to celebrate, I'm offering all my e-books for free, for a limited time, starting with the entire <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076P1912G/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3" target="_blank">Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</a></b>, which will be free from September 5 through September 9. Following that, my individual e-books will be available for free during the following days:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank"><b>Crimson & Cream</b></a>; Free September 10 through 14.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UPC2OO8" target="_blank"><b>Mirrors & Mist</b></a>; Free September 15 through 19.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VZVVZS" target="_blank"><b>Warlock & Wyrm</b></a>; Free September 20 through 24.</span></p></blockquote><p>I haven't done a free e-book giveaway in a long time, but I wanted to do a little something for people who may be struggling with quarantine, unemployment, or just needing some inexpensive escapism. Please feel free to share. Thank you and take care.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8Sm6QsT4RninHmhMVpgDhvtglFCxQV8OfQlRs89RqsE-uorOCsbnfYXz7swi-ErXUp6LKu374JtJvjK8RAA6OlJpCXyD2zgoFtsGvL7gSbHFI-yB_VD8PwZ6kwKyVct0riOjBrF4S3Yl/s1240/Google+Background.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8Sm6QsT4RninHmhMVpgDhvtglFCxQV8OfQlRs89RqsE-uorOCsbnfYXz7swi-ErXUp6LKu374JtJvjK8RAA6OlJpCXyD2zgoFtsGvL7gSbHFI-yB_VD8PwZ6kwKyVct0riOjBrF4S3Yl/s640/Google+Background.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-34258100209557833062020-04-06T09:24:00.002-07:002020-04-06T09:25:19.636-07:00E-book Sale and Best WishesWishing you all well against the virus. I hope you're doing all the things to stay safe. I'm trying my best. I scheduled this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P1912G" target="_blank">book sale</a> and paid for my ads a few months ago, so I'm still going to promote it. If you can't afford 99 cents today, or $1.99 in the next few days, but would like to read these three books, drop me a note and I'll see if I can hook you up for free.<br />
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The 4.9-star epic fantasy adventure <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P1912G" target="_blank"><b><i>The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</i></b></a> is 99 cents today. Here are some promotional words to inspire you to purchase my epic fantasy three-book-set at this ridiculously low price.<br />
<h4>
Evil lurks in the Underbelly, and that's the least of Jetsam's worries. A runaway orphan and a fugitive wizard are both falsely accused and on the run. Will they survive the men and monsters that want them dead?</h4>
<i>“If you are a fan of epic fantasies, then this is your trilogy. Master storytelling is hard to achieve, but you will find it here.” </i>– author Jennifer Thompson<br />
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<i>“The writing has lots of cinematic flair and the story will have you rooting for the main characters to find their way home, and find their own happy ending despite the odds stacked against them.”</i> – Amazon Reviewer<br />
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<i>“You truly can find a hero in the highest of places and, the lowest of places as well. You can't get much lower than the Underbelly. Did you hear this one? A magician, a ghost and an orphan walk into a dragons lair.”</i> – Amazon Reviewer<br />
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<i>"Once in a while, an author creates a world that combines humor, action, danger and the grit of a desperate battle for survival, transporting readers out of their reading chair and into the heart of the unfolding tale. C. M. Skiera has done that with his Oxbow Trilogy, building a world of fantasy that is filled with characters that will steal your heart, characters that will raise your ire and evil that seems insurmountable!" </i>– Tome Tender Book Blog<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQc5HlLSwDDLH2uyEJDeBn74AxdHWmg5q7lNHd2E7AD34Vx32q-IvoU8MjnJsh_k-DchdeAr9vskRJGclYIhDYtPbTyj3yL9j7VwwNUjKRtv4JW349faNhPvQ_Ub0D67lLb66pgIpxHDnl/s1600/Facebook+Banner+Trilogy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1600" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQc5HlLSwDDLH2uyEJDeBn74AxdHWmg5q7lNHd2E7AD34Vx32q-IvoU8MjnJsh_k-DchdeAr9vskRJGclYIhDYtPbTyj3yL9j7VwwNUjKRtv4JW349faNhPvQ_Ub0D67lLb66pgIpxHDnl/s640/Facebook+Banner+Trilogy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-25430438544562591392020-03-18T11:39:00.001-07:002020-03-18T11:39:41.841-07:00RIP, Amazon Author RankI received the e-mail below from Amazon today. They're discontinuing another helpful author feature, and replacing it with . . . who knows?<br />
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<i>Amazon’s Author Rank beta is retiring on March 23, 2020. You’ll be able to view your historical author rank until this date. Your rankings are available on the Author Rank page (https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/rank).</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>We’ll continue to offer Sales Rank information for both readers and authors. As an author, this information is available through Author Central, Amazon Charts, and a few others.</i><br />
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<i>We appreciate your feedback around Amazon Author Rank, and remain committed to improving our features. We will continue to experiment with tools that help readers discover new titles and enable authors to sell more books.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>For details on Sales Rank, visit our Help page:</i><br />
<i>https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/help?topicID=200580390#salesRank</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Best regards,</i><br />
<i>Amazon Author Central Team</i><br />
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Since Amazon Author Rank was part of Author Central, I'm not sure what to make of their statement that you can still see Sales Rank information Author Central. I guess I'll wait and see. If you're wondering what exactly Amazon Author Rank was, it was a way to generate graphs of your sales over periods of time (example below).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajAZGE5Mt8_8cox0Mbn70Q1C9onpAFqo_1ANpy_takqxXjy2RL6wMAg12quuu4EuisC8XjjaaOAfaNRKaTdo_ZZe1WYoI-3uPYerRPiU5hs9jVAfi1EIMR-s6_F8SnOu5YToH8Hh79eMl/s1600/Amazon+No+753+Author+Rank.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="1600" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajAZGE5Mt8_8cox0Mbn70Q1C9onpAFqo_1ANpy_takqxXjy2RL6wMAg12quuu4EuisC8XjjaaOAfaNRKaTdo_ZZe1WYoI-3uPYerRPiU5hs9jVAfi1EIMR-s6_F8SnOu5YToH8Hh79eMl/s640/Amazon+No+753+Author+Rank.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Amazon considers it a beta feature, but I've been using it since 2012, so I think using the beta tag as an excuse to disable it is weak. I found Author Rank very useful, which is why I'm disappointed to see it go. But I'm used to Amazon disappointing me, so, no big deal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPuNWUibkEQzkJexQ9B_w-c9fpv2pCc_ZGSKEgNprilU-CBgAFM_h1a8SOXuzsfdm5FHrtMHRaFGOVc4bNnDcZpKJHJYERh0fzj3n3bGurlsE4UIKh3LuUOeFJVvTJ7yeaCxxwAfZ9PF1/s1600/1513207783_getusedtodisappointment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="625" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPuNWUibkEQzkJexQ9B_w-c9fpv2pCc_ZGSKEgNprilU-CBgAFM_h1a8SOXuzsfdm5FHrtMHRaFGOVc4bNnDcZpKJHJYERh0fzj3n3bGurlsE4UIKh3LuUOeFJVvTJ7yeaCxxwAfZ9PF1/s640/1513207783_getusedtodisappointment.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-47267988116447331262020-02-29T11:16:00.002-08:002020-02-29T11:16:28.878-08:00Book Ad Sales DataBook advertising is difficult, and comparable to gambling. In book advertising, like Vegas, the House always wins, and you may, too, occasionally. Some ad runs are winners, and it seems, even more are losers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsKkVgo6TBCAmgYWqDeiW7I2cAYW9oEfd2O48qufxSZH_kzAvo4hkAp0WJmV_2GfP48zE6nsO3TsiSvlcPW9iG_2qD-iNKslIU6jPrqdB8piV7GmPGSGCgAf5edd_LKgjWc_eayJoJfSp/s1600/165b3c172c027b398f5fed0ba277aac1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsKkVgo6TBCAmgYWqDeiW7I2cAYW9oEfd2O48qufxSZH_kzAvo4hkAp0WJmV_2GfP48zE6nsO3TsiSvlcPW9iG_2qD-iNKslIU6jPrqdB8piV7GmPGSGCgAf5edd_LKgjWc_eayJoJfSp/s400/165b3c172c027b398f5fed0ba277aac1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've compiled the data from my book sale advertisements that I've purchased over the last two years. My goal was to focus on where my advertising dollars were best spent for 2020. Below is a table showing each online ad website where I purchased ad space for my e-book sales.<br />
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One thing to note in looking at the data is that <a href="https://cmskiera.yourresearchhelp.com/" target="_blank">my books</a> are young/new adult fantasy fiction, so I've targeted sites like Book Barbarian and Fantasy Book Reads that feature those specific genres. The data shows the advertising cost per sale. My books and sales prices varied from ad to ad, so this chart doesn't show profit or loss, just the advertising cost divided by the number of sales I recorded on the days the ads ran.<br />
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The X-Factor which doesn't show up in book sale revenue is the earnings from Kindle Edition Normalized Pages (KENP) Read. I almost always see an uptick in KENP pages read when running a book sale advertisement, however, trying to assign a cost value is a math problem I'm not willing to tackle. And remember, what works for me may not work for you, and vice-versa.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YzmlMmZyeDmJKIecP7RPFRUE1MXhcgIJcDCfzV3Rtneu62zEfpSnpExMHv-Skj-_GUpp7zB2nn2KUpL-WbDPQvyrBloVOP2jg_BfQBcY2unfnbEKIp-FruEuqT53_F3D4t1qH7U5cmO7/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="598" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YzmlMmZyeDmJKIecP7RPFRUE1MXhcgIJcDCfzV3Rtneu62zEfpSnpExMHv-Skj-_GUpp7zB2nn2KUpL-WbDPQvyrBloVOP2jg_BfQBcY2unfnbEKIp-FruEuqT53_F3D4t1qH7U5cmO7/s400/Capture.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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As you can see, I get the most bang for my buck with <a href="https://www.fiverr.com/bknights/promote-and-market-your-self-published-kindle-book-to-4800-active-kindle-readers-on-my-facebook-page-during-your-promo-or-marketing-period" target="_blank">BKnights</a> and <a href="http://www.ereadernewstoday.com/" target="_blank">ENT (Ereader News Today)</a>. I've probably over-saturated <a href="https://bookbarbarian.com/" target="_blank">Book Barbarian</a> and <a href="http://fantasybookdeals.com/" target="_blank">Fantasy Book Deals</a>, as my cost per sale has been creeping up over time, so I'll probably take a break from these two sites for a while.</div>
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If you have any experience to share, I'm always interested in hearing from others.</div>
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C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-24987089833266553742019-12-21T08:15:00.000-08:002019-12-21T08:21:27.209-08:00Happy Holidays!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<b>Wishing everyone a peaceful and joyous holiday season!</b> I hope 2020 ushers in a wonderful year for us all. I look forward to sharing during the upcoming year, including more humorous tales about interacting with Amazon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1csV1ffaSbIYninFqccDXqDWKgRKuGogacgmZ2M-VGs2Oo4gp-8gmANjmrF91rG0Vo7XwgDGsipVNvxLMPZuWvYaJjfKjerfmJUBwZRpClk6F0jN9J4OvLiGFMBq-f_7yrYhd60x_p4u/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="801" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1csV1ffaSbIYninFqccDXqDWKgRKuGogacgmZ2M-VGs2Oo4gp-8gmANjmrF91rG0Vo7XwgDGsipVNvxLMPZuWvYaJjfKjerfmJUBwZRpClk6F0jN9J4OvLiGFMBq-f_7yrYhd60x_p4u/s640/Capture.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And if you're looking for a last-minute gift, or a <i><b>magical adventure</b></i> to distract you from the cold, <b>all my e-books are on sale for 99 cents </b>from now until Christmas Eve.</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XBGBAG" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1035" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYgTp__E8aGOZsWXSl2OlgNE7trCaJHUnf5dd-xzrQR3vFEN6o4zSmEv2h7nulAwUrIgfgGC-CKtHasScbtzIJ6on7s0llF3SGQUEAViVP_mcHsKvcVfSF1ZqcOYbhzes_IJVvDeIuErt/s400/PhotoFunia-1543700430.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VZVVZS" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="668" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcnl4RvCxm6RL0-advTky7VlTka2dQ7Wl7UHC9OlISxTqYDL7dq35ZtLDLdKLHxBjpDnO2mBYKpEs_uCFv7SOg4CD1-OwKFVN0IdsKiNCrFfxBvJJzGjR4Z7PCMv9_jPGvaUJONbv4z2N/s400/W%2526W+Xmas+Frame.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And remember--there's no better gift for an author than leaving a book review on Amazon or Goodreads--even milk & cookies!</div>
C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-35331944924251376082019-12-07T08:44:00.000-08:002019-12-07T08:44:47.962-08:00Amazon Ads Overcharging, Part DeuxAs promised, here's the conclusion to my <a href="https://cmskiera.blogspot.com/2019/11/amazon-ads-overcharging.html" target="_blank">Amazon Ads overcharging dilemma</a>. As usual, the Corporate Behemoth crushed the little indie, as they have sapped me of any motivation to dig deeper, and I'm throwing up my hands in disgust.<br />
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Just for laughs, here are the e-mails where Amazon tries to explain how their dynamic bidding works. If you can make any sense of their math, I would love to hear it. As it is, I'm done with dynamic bidding. If I'm going to gamble, I'll stick to something simpler, like Exacta Box Bets at the horse track.<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Me (11/22/2019):</u> "I am running an Amazon Ad campaign where I have the maximum bid set at $0.57 and the dynamic bid up set at 14%, which should make my maximum bid $0.57 x 1.14 = $0.65. However, on 11/21/2019, I recorded 5 clicks at an average of $0.85 per click. How is this possible?"<br />
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<b><u>Amazon (11/23/2019):</u></b> "Please give us some time, I'll get back to you with an update by the end of <i>November 26</i>, 2019."<br />
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<b><u>Amazon (11/30/2019):</u></b> "Thanks for contacting us back. I check the open case and is still under investigation by the Advertising Team. My peer in charge of your case is going to provide you an update as soon as possible. I appreciate your patience while we continue to work on your case."<br />
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<b style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>Amazon (12/3/2019):</u></b> "As promised, we've coordinated with the our advertising team & just received an update from them. The bid adjustment percentage is 14%. As the bid is set as "Dynamic bids - up and down", we will raise the bid by a maximum of 100% in real time, that would become 1.04. Hence now the CPC charge of $0.81 for 21st dated is valid which is within 1.04."<br />
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<b><u>Me (12/3/2019):</u></b> "Unfortunately, the math still doesn't add up to me. In summary, the issue is my highest individual bid was set at $0.57, which should make my maximum dynamic bid cost $0.65 ($0.57 x 1.14 = $0.65), not $0.81."<br />
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<b style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>Amazon (12/3/2019):</u></b> "Please note that bidding strategies are accumulative. This means based bid can go up based on dynamic bidding set to up and down (which can go up to 100%) and then, to that adjusted bid, the system applies any settings from "adjust bids by placement.<br />
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"For better understanding, right now the you have no bidding strategies enabled but you had dynamic bidding up and down and adjust bids by placement with 14% so the logic would go as follows: base bid $0.5 + 100% of Dynamic bids - Up and down= $1 + 14% of Top of Page = $1.14 + 14% of Product Detail Pages = $1.3 <--- Highest amount bid can go up to. So it's understandable that the CPC shows at $0.85."<br />
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And that's when I gave up. Based on Amazon's cryptic sales data, I'm not sure if dynamic bidding was adding any value to my ads anyway, so the decision to turn it off seems pretty clear to me.<br />
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Anyhow, enough complaining. <b>From now until Christmas, all of my <a href="https://cmskiera.yourresearchhelp.com/" target="_blank">ebooks</a> are on <i>deep</i> discount. </b>Please stuff your eStockings and leave a review for me instead of milk and cookies. Peace and Love.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Kingdom-Trilogy-Complete-Books-ebook/dp/B076P1912G/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="300" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9VVZxzAK4_tf_lcwD3PZuHcS3lyxDXnhYbpX4WXW8pYLR1n_vECnknkjGKtq7hL7VY5lpz3u0hqiALKkvMevHP8zfpzDiAoy18DmKPjf8kCqtVgyjv5UgOIESzyb97CfVnl3-xOzF06c/s640/photofacefun_com_1541781982.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
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<br />C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-92197822774618977882019-11-26T12:53:00.002-08:002019-11-26T12:53:16.431-08:00Amazon Ads Overcharging?Happy (US) Thanksgiving! This post serves as both a question and warning. I've noticed something odd with my Amazon Ads and--so far--Amazon has not offered an explanation. Maybe you can?<br />
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I use <a href="https://advertising.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon Advertising</a> to run paid ads for my ebooks (<a href="https://cmskiera.blogspot.com/2019/01/amazon-ad-changes.html" target="_blank">I ran a post earlier this year if you're interested in how the process works</a>). The problem I'm having is that Amazon appears to be overcharging me for ads.<br />
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Now, I'll admit, being only an engineer, my math skills may be sub-par, but indulge my logic, if you will. For each ad you run, Amazon lets you select a default bid (below I have $0.52 set) and allows you to adjust your bid dynamically (I selected a 14% maximum increase). This means that under certain conditions Amazon deems favorable, my $0.52 bid could go as high as $0.59 ($0.52 x 1.14 = $0.59).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNM_QCuISTkHuOuI_obukIVqsfHGeV6FnS2wvtFoe-tQTieDUrINMGPVsHNSfmVQdURXyptUmctjzrDHYKPuUxN5I_x7gfpgFOcgqDHGOZTs7UkEnrVC4eg6Rin_27zh1az1T1vXvYVS9y/s1600/blog+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="1032" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNM_QCuISTkHuOuI_obukIVqsfHGeV6FnS2wvtFoe-tQTieDUrINMGPVsHNSfmVQdURXyptUmctjzrDHYKPuUxN5I_x7gfpgFOcgqDHGOZTs7UkEnrVC4eg6Rin_27zh1az1T1vXvYVS9y/s640/blog+pic.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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However, Amazon also lets you set prices for each individual key word (i.e., search term). As you can see below, my highest individual bid is set at $0.57, which would make my maximum dynamic bid cost $0.65 ($0.57 x 1.14 = $0.65).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxKrtxLItLXnbOXRybYuXS0J55RJNDH5Fjsq3BkNU80oNoB1a1SgwWKZos6zEDbKfQY2DKsRfInQ7EhqtMEi0EI-nnv6IF9jZCrnRbmWawbLYUGW0GR8u3zrFpK2HQKCd5mRzg4bBc5iH/s1600/blog+pic2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="1152" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxKrtxLItLXnbOXRybYuXS0J55RJNDH5Fjsq3BkNU80oNoB1a1SgwWKZos6zEDbKfQY2DKsRfInQ7EhqtMEi0EI-nnv6IF9jZCrnRbmWawbLYUGW0GR8u3zrFpK2HQKCd5mRzg4bBc5iH/s640/blog+pic2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Now the problem is, Amazon is charging me more than my maximum bids (as shown below). As you can see, my ad that should cost a maximum of 65 cents is costing me as much as $0.99 (CPC means Cost per Click). This results in an overcharge of 34 cents per click, or almost 40%.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjIDVhqPIhADvDLs85Au5ran8kOkPxbSbwkfl4HODIhhScXGRoDUiLkvtUw53WC-EhquBYNqZGzixAo4vrePhrFFM3LVVY3SERL443ctsfOS9o-srKa31eY5Ca3qWSFl2jt-8G5OOVyjK/s1600/blog+pic3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="1040" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjIDVhqPIhADvDLs85Au5ran8kOkPxbSbwkfl4HODIhhScXGRoDUiLkvtUw53WC-EhquBYNqZGzixAo4vrePhrFFM3LVVY3SERL443ctsfOS9o-srKa31eY5Ca3qWSFl2jt-8G5OOVyjK/s400/blog+pic3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Granted, 34 cents a click is not much at face value, but when you scale up this cost by 1,000 clicks, for example, you find yourself shorted $340. Imagine Amazon overcharging a million customers by 34 cents a click and the numbers get astronomically high very quickly.<br />
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Anyhow, I paused all my Amazon ads until this problem gets resolved (if it ever does). If you have any insight with this issue, see a mistake in my math, or have experienced a similar problem, I'm interested in hearing about it. And I'll let you know if Amazon ever gets back to me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZZe57Yrpc3lnDzgFlMf6Z5Ou8oFz4MPbW3kIVTyJWq2IggJHUDs0tANUT1Bif0GW0DbtJ_eGfrrP_cPpo0E2snYVClvzau9iJ1t5cVfTaXePC3R8SzdQLvCOzBWGPSafeaB6cW9b2fjX/s1600/pigs-1520968_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="993" data-original-width="1280" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZZe57Yrpc3lnDzgFlMf6Z5Ou8oFz4MPbW3kIVTyJWq2IggJHUDs0tANUT1Bif0GW0DbtJ_eGfrrP_cPpo0E2snYVClvzau9iJ1t5cVfTaXePC3R8SzdQLvCOzBWGPSafeaB6cW9b2fjX/s400/pigs-1520968_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4918614452132212978.post-54044316219025130392019-09-17T17:47:00.001-07:002019-09-17T17:48:55.155-07:00<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008XKXD2Q" target="_blank">All three books</a> of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008XKXD2Q" target="_blank">The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy</a> are on sale for 99 cents at Amazon. Grab your epic fantasy deal today! </b><br />
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<i><b>Amazon Customer Review:</b></i> "...truly an epic fantasy! I loved the first two books in the series and this one was a welcome return. A smart escape with some paranormal elements to add to its surprises. Sublime and original. This mega trilogy lured me in with so much action and drama. The mystery that was about to unfold would leave me curious with questions and guessing where this would lead us. The author has the ability to tell a fictional tale but done so in a way that the characters and their actions are believable."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx90jSOlf2z2ZaR6aT7EuhoJgz90blaFT4O_0rrgUR-xTlfwIABUHNHEiHfba2CN_aLW-CT0WAuehMFhuhbFFFFiq5ffwvD9YJCWW632Yb2d4Aho4wYU0kilB4Zd_uPkbjSorqcUDeQYYj/s1600/Box+Set+all+Covers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx90jSOlf2z2ZaR6aT7EuhoJgz90blaFT4O_0rrgUR-xTlfwIABUHNHEiHfba2CN_aLW-CT0WAuehMFhuhbFFFFiq5ffwvD9YJCWW632Yb2d4Aho4wYU0kilB4Zd_uPkbjSorqcUDeQYYj/s640/Box+Set+all+Covers.JPG" width="576" /></a></div>
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<i><b>Tome Tender Book Blog:</b></i> "Once in a while an author creates a world that combines humor, action, danger and the grit of a desperate battle for survival, transporting readers out of their reading chair and into the heart of the unfolding tale. C.M. Skiera has done that with his Oxbow Trilogy, building a world of fantasy that is filled with characters that will steal your heart, characters that will raise your ire and evil that seems insurmountable!"<br />
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<b><i>Over 100 Goodreads reviews with a 4.2-star rating</i></b></div>
C. M. Skierahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17221384037963688828noreply@blogger.com0