LAURA WOLFE GUEST POST AND TRAIL OF SECRETS GIVEAWAY

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I'm excited to have debut author Laura Wolfe here to share about her YA mystery TRAIL OF SECRETS. It sounds like a fantastic mystery with high stakes.

Here's the Back Cover Blurb:

Spending three weeks of her summer at the elite Foxwoode Riding Academy in northern Michigan should have been one of the happiest times of sixteen year-old Brynlei’s life. But from the moment Brynlei arrives at Foxwoode, she can’t shake the feeling she’s being watched. Then she hears the story of a girl who vanished on a trail ride four years earlier. While the other girls laugh over the story of the dead girl who haunts Foxwoode, Brynlei senses that the girl—or her ghost—may be lurking in the shadows.

Brynlei’s quest to reveal the truth interferes with her plan to keep her head down and win Foxwoode’s coveted “Top Rider” award. To make things worse, someone discovers Brynlei’s search for answers and will go to any length to stop her. As Brynlei begins to unravel the facts surrounding the missing girl’s disappearance, she is faced with an impossible choice. Will she protect a valuable secret? Or save a life?

Now here's Laura!

Small Press Publishing: What to Expect

Small presses can open doors for authors who may not otherwise find a home for their books. For anyone considering publication by a small press, here are a few things I've learned from working with Fire and Ice YA, the small press that recently published my young adult mystery, Trail of Secrets:

* Expect to receive personal attention from a small press

Editors at small presses will likely consult with their authors every step of the way. Prior to the publication of Trail of Secrets, I worked with a cover designer to create a cover that matched my vision and I retained the power to veto edits with which I disagreed. Even months later, all of my questions and concerns are answered directly by the owners of the company. With a small press I feel like an important member of the team, rather than just another number.

* Expect to become a part of the small press "family"

One of the best things about working with a small press is getting to know other authors published by the same press. The authors I've met through Fire and Ice are now some of my biggest supporters. Small presses can make it easy for authors to connect through Facebook groups, twitter lists, and blog opportunities. Additionally, small presses are loyal to their authors. They want to see authors succeed and grow. Once an author is published by a small press, that press is much more likely to publish other manuscripts the author submits to them in the future.

* Don't expect books published by a small press to be on the shelves at Barnes & Noble

…Or any other bookstore for that matter. The same goes for libraries. Many small presses publish

print books only "on-demand", meaning the books cannot be ordered in bulk and held in a distribution warehouse. While small press authors should contact independent bookstores and libraries to try to get their books on the shelves, they should also be realistic about the limited shelf space for print-on-demand books and the amount of time it takes to sell books to individual stores.

* Don't expect a small press to do any marketing

Any marketing a small press does for their authors should be considered a gift. Other than Fire and Ice posting the cover of Trail of Secrets on their website and sending out a few tweets, I've done all of the marketing for my book. On the positive side, I've learned a TON in the last two months about how to promote my book. I now know how to create a book trailer. I'm confident approaching bookstores and libraries. I'm becoming a #twitter expert. This is knowledge I'll be able to utilize for future book releases.

I urge aspiring authors to consider the benefits and drawbacks before publishing with a small press. For me, working with a small pres has been a positive experience!

Thanks for the great advice, Laura. You can find Laura at:

Trail of Secrets Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Secrets-Laura-Wolfe-ebook/dp/B0140IYJTU
Trail of Secrets Barnes & Noble.com link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trail-of-secrets-laura-wolfe/1122541114
Trail of Secrets Smashwords link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/569829
Author website: http://www.AuthorLauraWolfe.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraCWolfe
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraWolfe
Blog: http://WritingwithLaura.wordpress.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1908042.Laura_Wolfe

Author Bio: Laura Wolfe is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she can be found playing games with her highly-energetic kids, riding horses, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She lives in her home state of Michigan with her husband, son, and daughter. She holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan and a JD from DePaul University. In addition to Trail of Secrets, Laura's writing has been published in multiple magazines, including Practical Horseman. Her picture book, Henrietta's Hoof Polish, is forthcoming from another small press—Guardian Angel Publishing.

Laura generously donated a copy of TRAIL OF SECRETS for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through November 28th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter either contest.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. This is for US.

Here's what's coming up:

On Monday  I have a guest post by Kim Briggs and a giveaway of her NA thriller AND THEN HE.

The following Monday I have a guest post by Dorine White and a giveaway of a book in her MG fantasy Cleopatra's Legacy series.

Hope to see you on Monday!