Category: Through Shade and Shadow

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Time for free ebooks!

Today, tomorrow and Friday (June 7, 8 & 9) Through Shade and Shadow is available for Kindle for zero dollars!  If you don’t already have yours, now is your chance!

I’m nearing the end of my first draft of the sequel, and having paged through this first book again this weekend, I’m reminded of how much the characters grow in the second book.  Alaric and Mason are favorite characters of mine and sometimes while writing the minutiae of the scenes and sifting through the plot I lose sight of where they started, so it’s fun to revisit a little bit while talking about the book with new people.

In the next book we will meet some new characters, and some of those who were briefly introduced in Through Shade and Shadow become more visible.  I’m really enjoying fleshing out characters that we only glimpse through Mason or Alaric’s eyes to start out.

Got a question about anything Shades and Shadows?  Drop a comment and I’ll do what I can to answer.

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

it was a day

So, this weekend was the Bay Area Book Fair, and I had one of the individual author’s tables.  My agoraphobia was racing, my nerves were dancing.  I gave serious thought to not going.  But in the end, my determination beat my agoraphobia again and I set off with a big bag of books, got on BART and headed to Berkeley.

I got there fairly early, and found my spot, got set up, and then  watched as the various vendors and authors came in and did the same.  Couldn’t have asked for nicer weather, except maybe a little less wind.

I wish the same could be said of sales. I sold a few books, but didn’t even break even to cover the cost of the table and umbrella rental.  I did, however, meet some very interesting people, from fellow authors to publicists, parents of students wanting to write, book lovers, etc.

Part of the issue felt a little like isolation.  The bulk of the festival is held in the park, while we were off on a side street with a good amount of distance between us and the first booth in the park.  None of the authors in my immediate vicinity sold much, though the author to my right with his epic fantasy novel sold at least twice as many books as I did.

I’ll admit, I’m thinking about contacting the publicist I met and see what their services run price wise.  It’s that part of this business that I suck so badly at.

But, now that is over and it’s back to the day job.  I hope all of you have a great week!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

and just like that, it’s June

I’m not really sure where January, February, March, April and May have all gotten themselves off to, but I hope they’re having fun.  It seems like just a day or two ago I was struggling to remember to write 2017 on things instead of 2016 (or the inexplicable occasions where I wrote 1996….what?), and here we are on the first of June.

We sent May out with a bang though.  My niece graduated high school on Tuesday.  She is the youngest of my brother’s kids, and I couldn’t be more proud of the woman she is becoming.  The school she graduated from is one of the top 1% of schools in the country and her classmates are all amazing students, most of whom will be attending four year universities and colleges in the fall.

I got back from all of that frivolity last night, and when I woke up this morning it was June.  Already, my calendar is jam packed for the month.

babf_logoStarting this weekend when I will be at the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley, California signing (and selling) books.  I will have copies of my two novels, Forever and Through Shade and Shadow as well as my small collection of poetry.  Sale pricing is $12 each for the novels and $2.50 for the poetry collection.

I can take cash, credit cards and paypal.  It should be a fun day for the whole family.  With all of the vendors and authors, there should be something for everyone!

San Francisco Pride is at the end of the month, for a completely different festival to bookend the month.  Pride likewise has something for just about everyone.  If you come out to one or both days of Pride remember to wear sunscreen, dress in layers, wear comfortable shoes, and please consider dropping a dollar (or more) into one of those pink buckets.  Every penny goes to support the organization that creates the festival and/or the organizations that take care of our community.

Somewhere between those bookends, I will be taking a couple of days to head out to Yosemite with my mother, to enjoy some nature and some truly breathtaking views, like this one, which I took on my last trip to Yosemite in 2010.

4795598576_4edc53f518_o

But for now, I should go pour my second cup of coffee and get to working the day job.  Hope you all have a pleasant day!

Posted on by — 1 Comment

a festival of books

I have a confession to make.  I have never been to a book festival or convention or other celebration of books.  Not as a reader, certainly not as a writer.  Some of the reasons for this are fundamental issues of who I am, namely the agoraphobic part of who I am.  Large crowds, even mediocre crowds in small spaces make me sweat, palpitate, hyperventilate and ultimately need to leave quickly unless I do an awful lot of prep work first.

So, when I show up on Sunday, June 4th at Civic Center Park in Berkeley, California, I will be attending my first event.

babf_logo The Bay Area Book Festival is in it’s third year, and while I’d love to be able to attend some of the talks and such on Saturday, I have other obligations.  But come Sunday morning, I will load up my cart with books and a table cloth (reminder to self, get a tablecloth), my tablet and credit cart doohicky plus a bunch of water and snacks for the day, and I will BART myself into Berkeley and find my assigned place in the park for the day.

Of course, I hope to sell enough books to break even on the day, but beyond that, my hope is that I can keep my agoraphobic anxiety down and that I get to meet new folks, talk about my books and other books.  I’d love to meet readers who are passionate about what they read and love.  I’d also love to meet fellow authors who are passionate about what they write and love.

If it isn’t too much to hope for, I’m going to hope that some of my friends and family come out to see me too.  It isn’t every day an author gets to do their first event like this…and if I’m being truthful, maybe having someone watch my table for a bit while I look around would be awesome too.

So, if you’re somewhere in the San Francisco Bay area and fancy some book loving come Sunday, June 4th, you should hope on BART and take yourself to the Berkeley Civic Center station.  The park is just a short walk away.

I won’t be too hard to find.  I’ll be the author with green hair, probably wearing a fedora or other hat, and possibly a Star Wars shirt, depending on my mood.  Come Say HI!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

and that, as they say, is that…

My Goodreads giveaways ended last night.  A total of 2512 people joined in the fun, and 4 of those lucky people won a copy of my books!  Congratulations to them!  I will get those in the mail over the weekend.  I will probably do more giveaways in the future, but if you wish to purchase signed copies of either book, head over to my shop on Facebook where you can do that.

I really do love giving books away.  And I love connecting with people who have read my books and talking about the stories and how they came to be, whisper hints about what is to come.

I’m really glad I will have a few opportunities to do that this year, live and in person.  The next such event is at the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley, California on the weekend of June 3 & 4.  I will have an author table on the Sunday of the event where I will have books for sale and signing.  I hope that readers in the area might make it out to say hello.  I will be able to take cash and credit cards at the table.

Now, with the sun finally out of my eyes, after nearly blinding me as it rose from behind the exit ramp of the Bay Bridge, I will wish you all a pleasant Thursday, exhort you to acts of kindness toward others and yourself, and turn my eyes, and fingers, to words of a more technical nature.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

happy Wednesday

Wednesdays are hard, aren’t they?  It’s all hands on deck to push this week up over that hump and we’re already tired from Monday and Tuesday, so it feels like twice as much work.

Today, in San Francisco, the air is wet.  It isn’t exactly raining, but the fog lies low and it feels like walking through a raincloud.  That doesn’t help with the whole feeling like getting the work done.  It feels like the kind of day I’d like a fire in a nice fireplace, a cuddly kitty, a cup of tea and a good book to read.

But, that won’t pay the bills.  So, here I am in the office, getting a head start on the day.  I’m the first one here most of the time, which means I spend most of the first hour alone.  It’s great for catching up on emails, and finishing up the loose ends from the day before.

As luck would have it, this particular Wednesday is your last chance to jump in on the two giveaways I’m hosting over on Goodreads.  I’m offering up two signed copies of both of my books.  To enter, just pop on over here or over here (or do both).

I’m going to go refill my coffee cup and see about a re-write on some technical documentation before the office gets busy.  Hope your Wednesday is a day filled with kindness and the good coffee.

Posted on by — 1 Comment

time to win some books!

Are you ready for two new giveaways?

I certainly am!  Opening for entry today are my two latest Goodreads Giveaways.  I have two copies of both of my books available to win.

To sign up to win a signed copy of Forever: Click Here

To sign up to win a signed copy of Through Shade and Shadow: Click Here

Are you excited?  I know I am!  I love the feeling that comes when I drop a book in the mail for someone.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

who wants a giveaway?

I have two giveaways getting ready to start next week over on Goodreads.  Two copies of Forever and Through Shade and Shadow will be available.

Click here for Forever

Click here for Through Shade and Shadow

Both giveaways open on the 18th of April and will be open through Aptil 26th.  Both are open to the US, Canada and the UK.

If you win, you will get a signed copy of the book with a note from me.

Posted on by — 1 Comment

hit the streets

I’ve been thinking a lot lately on book promotion and how to get new readers.  Some of my fellow authors have small “street teams” or early review teams who help get the word out, get reviews up early, and talk about their books on various social media platforms.

Are you interested in joining my team?  I’m still getting the details together, but there would be benefits.  First of course, you would get an electronic copy of a new book before it’s release so that you can review it as soon as it’s available online.

I’m still considering perks.  Maybe something like, leave a review on 5 different sites (amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, goodreads, barnesandnoble.com and your blog maybe), and I’ll send you a signed hard copy?

And, yes, I am still trying to build up reviews on both Forever and Through Shade and Shadow. If you have read either, please consider taking a few minutes to leave a review on any amazon site and/or any other site you see reviews on.

If you want to be a part of my team and be among the first to receive an electronic copy of In Shades of Sage when it’s ready, comment below or email me at natalie@nataliejcase.com.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

the joys of public transportation

As a writer, I am a people watcher.  I love finding spots where I can sit an unobtrusively observe the world around me.  I find the lives of others endlessly fascinating, even in the most mundane activities.

Each person has their own story.  Some of them more than one.  They all come from somewhere.  They all are thinking about things I can’t know about.  I live in an area where people watching can be a very rich sport.

Some of the most stand out people though are those I observe on my daily commute.  I live east of San Francisco, and I take the BART train into the city 3 to 5 days a week.  Most of the time the ride in is quiet.  Everyone is busy catching up on Facebook and email or trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep before the day really begins.

The ride home though…that is a treasure trove of people watching.  Young mothers with small children, teenagers with their backpacks and music banging out of their earphones, construction workers looking tired and worn, business people in their suits….it’s like a microcosm of the Bay Area.

When it’s really crowded, like the scene above, and my agoraphobia ratchets up,  I pick out a single face and I start to tell myself a story about that person’s life.  That guy in the suit looking like he just spent an hour at the gym…it was his third interview that week, but so far nothing had panned out and he was tired, exhausted really, but he knew he needed something better.  He’s crammed into that corner trying to study the text book in his hands so he’ll be prepared for class that evening, after he goes home and feeds his baby and kisses his wife and promises her that things will get better.

Some of those little stories create characters so vivid for me that they end up in a book I’m writing. There are a few of them in Through Shade and Shadow.  Can you spot them?