Thursday, April 26, 2012

The Journey of Mere Enchantment...

     Sometimes life catches you by surprise, and takes you down a different path than you thought you were meant to discover.  This is exactly what happened to me seven years ago as my writing journey began.

     While lying in bed one night, the story for Mere Enchantment came to mind, and I thought it would make a fantastic little book to share with my kids someday.  A story of five people lost in a land of magic, trying to discover who they really were.  The story seemed so simple to me, and by simple I mean something I could write down quickly when I had a few minutes peace and quiet.  The next afternoon, I laid my young son down for his nap, and sat in front of the computer to write down this little story, and eighteen months later, I realized my little story had somehow turned into a ninety-five thousand word novel, and it still wasn't finished.

     I decided as I was putting the finishing touches to the last couple of pages, that it would need to be a series, so it would need to leave off with people wanting to know more about these characters and the world that they had found themselves in. Even though I am unsure how many books will be in the series, I was excited for the chance to keep writing.

     After finishing the novel, the editing began.  This was going to prove to be a difficult task for me, as I had never done anything like this before, and had no formal training, minus one year of college, to go by.  I read my book from cover to cover, fixing errors that I recognized as I went.  After I had gone through it a couple of times, I asked a nine year old girl to read my manuscript and tell me her thoughts.  I repeated the process with a couple more friends, fixing the errors that were pointed out and doing my best to make it perfect, even changing the name of the book along the way. 

     When I had put on the final touches, I printed it off one last time and sent my "baby" off into the world of publishing.  This was surprisingly quite expensive, but I wanted to see what would happen.  There are a lot of publishing companies out there, and a lot of them only accept submission's from Literary Agents, so I had to choose those who would accept unsolicited manuscripts.  The first rejection letter came twelve weeks later, followed by another a year following the first.  Rejection is not something I am good at, so it kind of shut me down for a time.  My husband and I discussed the book occasionally, talking about self-publishing, but for the most part, I was busy being a stay at home mom of now two beautiful sons, and my schedule was full.  Mere Enchantment was put on the back burner, every now and then the heat would be turned up to keep it warm, but it was never fully ready for consumption.

     After four years after it  was completed, my husband gave me the final boost I needed to self-publish.  We hired Christine LePorte, and Danijel Firak to edit the manuscript and create the amazing cover art for us,and began the process of becoming an Indie author.

     Deciding to become an Indie author was a new experience for me.  I had no idea where to start, or what to do once the book became available.  Luckily my husband is good with computers, because I couldn't have done any of this without him.  We formatted, and re-formatted depending on what type of book it would be, Kindle, Nook, Paperback, iBook, etc... Once the book became available, we found errors, and had to re-submit.  We talked with other Indie authors and received valuable information to guide us in the right direction.  It was weeks of planning a preparation, but finally it was ready.

     Getting my book noticed is definitely the most difficult part of being an Indie author.  I am the one responsible for people trying to find my book, and encourage them to read it.  I recommend finding book reviewers in your chosen genre, I'm learning slowly that reviews and word of mouth are the best ways for a book to be discovered.  I started an author blog, and a Facebook page, joined book groups, found friends on Goodreads, and Facebook that were interested in the same genre, these are all things that have helped me on my journey.

     Being an Indie author is difficult, I just have to keep reminding myself that I just need to keep trying, I might fall down every now and again, like a child learning to walk, but if I get back up and keep trying, I'll eventually reach my destination.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

NOW AVAILABLE!

Mere Enchantment may now be purchased in paperback from Barnes and Noble online. Click the link below to get your copy today!!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1110060328

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Author Interview

Thank you to the wonderful people at http://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com/ for the author interview. You may find it below, or by clicking here.
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Interview with Alicia Rivoli, Author of Mere Enchantment
April 18, 2012 at 11:16 pm | Posted in Author InterviewFantasyYoung AdultYoung Adult fiction | Leave a comment
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Alicia Rivoli is a stay at home mom, currently living in beautifulNorthwest Arkansaswhere the weather is ever-changing!  She loves to write, read, spend time with her family, and travel. She also loves chocolate, and gooey caramel, together they make the perfect candy.  Visit her author blog athttp://www.aliciarivoli.blogspot.com.
Thank you for joining us today, Alicia. Can you please start off by telling us a bit about yourself?
I am busy stay at home mom.  I am constantly running around from baseball practices and games, soccer games and practices, cub scouts, and school activities.  I love chocolate, and think the best candy ever is a Caramello. There is just something fantastic about the chocolate, caramel combo. I find myself constantly daydreaming, which is the main reason I decided to write.
When did you first get bit by the writing bug?
I was lying in bed one night, unable to shut off my thoughts, when the story of Mere came to my mind.  The next afternoon, after I laid my son down for a nap I began writing.  That was seven years ago now.
Why did you decide to write stories for the YA market?
A lot of books I read are from the YA genre, so I felt it was the best option for the book that I was writing.  Although Mere Enchantment is targeted towards the YA market, it’s also a good fit for the Juvenile market as well.
What is your favorite part of writing for this group? What is the greatest challenge?
My favorite part is I can be more open.  Young adults usually have more of an open mind, and can think a little outside the box.  The challenge I have found is actually also that they can think outside the box.  It makes it challenging to find a story that will appeal to this age group and hold their interest.
Can you tell us what your latest book is all about?
My new book is actually a magical tale of five friends who have to fight for their freedom in a kingdom that they never really knew existed. They find that they are being tracked down by a man that betrayed the crown and knows that their presence in Mere threatens his plans to overthrow the entire kingdom.  They have many challenges that they must overcome, but the biggest one is discovering who they really are, and who and what they think their friends are.
What inspired you to write it?
I have always loved stories where I could be swept away from wherever I am and taken to a land that only exists in my imagination.  Being part of a royal family, and having the ability to make something magically appear, is something that I always find myself dreaming about.  To write down my imagination and share it with those willing to read it seemed like the best way to have someone else escape into their own imaginations.
Where can readers purchase a copy?
Mere Enchantment can be purchased in Paperback,  Kindle and Nook editions.  I also expect it to be available for iPhone, iPad, and other reading devices soon.
Paperback – CreateSpace:  https://www.createspace.com/3841134
What is up next for you?
I am currently writing the 2nd installment of The Enchantment Series to hopefully be released this fall, if all goes well.
Do you have anything else to add?
I would love to receive feedback on Mere Enchantment, what you liked and didn’t like about the book, what you hope to have happen as the series progresses, etc… You can contact me on my author blog at http://www.aliciarivoli.blogspot.com and tell me all about it!
Thank you for spending time with us today, Alicia, We wish you much success.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

PAPERBACK & NOOK NOW AVAILABLE!!!

You can now purchase the paperback of Mere Enchantment on Createspace HERE and Amazon HERE

Nook version available HERE

Happy Reading!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

GIVEAWAY!!!





Goodreads Book Giveaway





Mere Enchantment by Alicia Rivoli



Mere Enchantment


by Alicia Rivoli



Giveaway ends June 15, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.




Enter to win


Friday, April 6, 2012

Great News!

If you don't have a Kindle, Nook, smart phone, or another type of eReader, but would still like to read Mere Enchantment, it will be coming soon to online distributors in Paperback!  Check back late next week for more details!!

Smashwords Edition Now Available

Click Here to purchase Mere Enchantment (Book 1) from Smashwords!  Other eBook formats coming soon.

Now Available!

Mere Enchantment book #1 in The Enchantment Series is now available to all Kindle users!
http://www.amazon.com/Mere-Enchantment-The-Series-ebook/dp/B007RTO0EO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333713138&sr=8-1

Sunday, April 1, 2012

BOOK ONE!

Mere Enchantment, book 1 in the Enchantment Series is coming soon!  I am hoping it will be available as an eBook on all devices with-in the next month.