Public Domain Photos and Where to Find Them

So I am in the process of creating covers for my second historical romance that is due to come out next month as well as the paranormal that will be following shortly after. This process is one that I find personally taxing and extremely stressful. The worst thing you can do is have a horrid cover! So in my plight for the perfect cover image for my books I have been scouring the internet and forums in search of sites that have public domain photos for free.

I have discovered that this is a much more difficult task than I have ever anticipated as most sites want to charge you per photo. I have decided to share my wealth of knowledge with my fellow indie writers. Below you will find a grand total of 3, yes that's right 3 links to sites I enjoy (use). So it is not exactly a wealth of knowledge but it is useful and I feel like sharing today.

So here they are:

Public Domain Pictures: this site has a menagerie of images and such but you have to stay above the line or they are pay images. It is clearly marked which section is free and which is paid.

Morgue File: I have not had as much time with this site but so far its lookin good. 

Creative Commons: In this site there are some rules. I have linked to the handy rules page and from there you are free to browse. Some images are free to use while others are not.

So there they are, my contribution for the day. I am always looking for new sites with free pics as I have book trailers to consider as well as covers. If you have any sites you enjoy please feel free to leave a comment and I would happily add to my list.

Little Piece of the Next Midnight Book

So I have been working on the next book in my Midnight Series. It is tentatively named Possessed by Midnight. This is a little piece that I am particularly fond of and thought I would share. Thoughts? Opinions? Comments?

She placed a delicate finger on his lips. “Kiss me Henry.” Her voice was like the warm caress of sun on a cool spring day.

He did as she requested and kissed her. He kissed her with every ounce of love and passion he had kept hidden for so long. He gave her the heart that he had locked away long ago. The heart that he never imagined would see the light of day; would ever know the sweet freedom of being whole.

My First Review

So I have finally received my first customer review. I had been dreading this moment sense the first moment I released my book. And I know that I may get horrid reviews in the future bit I shall overcome because one lovely reader left me this review:

Review by: cherry coleman on Mar. 31, 2011 : (no rating)
all you need to know about this is....5 stars. read and burn with excitement, suspense, and passion.

Cherry Coleman, whoever you may be, I think I may love you. ;)

And that's all I have to say on the matter. :)

For the Love of Mike Edit Your Book!!!

The last several months I have been setting up a book review blog for indie authors. As such my fellow blogger Sue Owen and I have been reading a wide selection of indie books. I have come to wonder if some of these authors even read their books after finishing the first draft. Many of the books are well done, the stories are fantastic and they do a wonderful job of creating worlds and characters that draw you in. All of this fantastic hard work is ruined by horrid sentence structure, gaping plot holes, and totally confusing dialogue.

I am an indie author and I know that there are mistakes in my own books but nothing like what I have been seeing. I would like to see the indie market expand and for more people to explore and find great indie authors. Seeing so many published works that seem like they have never met an editor I cringe at the effect it is going to have on the indie community as a whole.

So speaking to fellow indie authors, your work is fantastic and I will continue to promote it and the community but I urge you, for the love of Mike, EDIT YOUR BOOKS! I know first hand how horrendous this process is but if you are serious about seeing your books succeed hire an editor, its worth every penny.

And to the readers of indie books; I thank you for your support of the community and I hope that you will bear in mind that some of us are going to stumble along the way and hope you will be patient with us. 

Pursuit of Midnight Book Trailer

I finally finished my book trailer. All comments welcome.

Get My Book For Free!!

For the rest of March I will be giving away free copies of my book Pursuit of Midnight. In order to receive your free copy all you have to do is follow me. Follow on one or all of the following: Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs, Facebook, or Twitter. Once you've done that just contact me through the blog, Facebook or Twitter and I will either give you a Smashwords coupon or send you the book in your preferred eReader format. Any reviews or feedback on the book would be GREATLY appreciated. Also anyone who follows me through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs will get a 50% off coupon on the next book in the Midnight Series, due out this year. Thanks for visiting. ;)

The Most Terrifying Thing

As a newly published author I think the most terrifying aspect of this whole ordeal is the review. My book has only been out for a few days and I am into the double digits in sales but I have yet to get my first customer review and I am growing more and more anxious. In order for my book to do well I know that I need to get good reviews by customers and book review blogs. I swear I'll try not to cry if the first review is bad and pray that the second one will be better. I also promise not to cry if it is good (well maybe I will). So my fingers are crossed and whoever the first reviewer is I just ask that you be kind, I want honesty but not brutality.