Monday, December 18, 2017

WNL Presents Virtual Book Tour...Burnt Orange December 18 - 29, 2017


Hello! This is one of my tour stops during my two week book tour for Burnt Orange by Meiah Shaun. This virtual book tour is organized by Write Now Literary Book Tours. This tour runs December 18-29, 2017.  Follow the tour here.  Book your own tour here WNL.
ASIN: B076DF8KR2
ISBN-10: 1683143728
ISBN-13: 1683143727

Genre: African American Christian Fiction

About The Author

Meiah Shaun pens fiction, non-fiction and plays with faith-based messages linking her personal life experiences with spiritual life lessons. She launched A Crown of Beauty Ministries. She's a native of Orange, Texas and currently resides in the Dallas, Texas area. She is a graduate of LeTourneau University. Her anticipated new release "Burnt Orange" is an inspirational coming-of-age story. In addition to writing, she's an avid reader, a foodie, loves flowers and shoe shopping.

About The Book

A coming-of-age story of Erin and Erika, Texas twins in an abusive home in a town segregated by white and black color lines, who are wounded by the revealing of a shocking family secret and long to escape their circumstances and erase what they have been labeled. Follow their journey in this compelling novel filled with inspiration and triumph.

Excerpt

I enjoy viewing maps and the globes at school as it makes me dream. I live in the largest state of Texas, along the muggy and swampy Gulf coast. The summers are really hot and humid here. Folks call this area of southeast Texas the Golden Triangle, where there’s a large Cajun Texan population. In our Lapland, we have gumbo cook-offs, Cajun festivals, crawfish boils, and zydeco radio. The part of the Golden Triangle that my family lives in is Orange, Texas.
The year is 1991, and majority of our small town is segregated. We have pecan and moss trees canopying the paved streets. But somehow, the town was named Orange, like the fruit. You’ll hear some black folks call our town the Fruit.
Occasionally, I see prints of burnt orange and yellow tints in the late-evening hazy skyline far above me. Black birds fly high above, embracing the sunset, while crickets chirped throughout the night. Traffic parades through our neighborhood street every evening, with homeboys blasting the latest rap music rumbling in their dashboards and trunks. Some of our neighbors are to blame for most of the congested traffic. Our neighbors keep a lot of company over at their house, but their folks never block our driveway. I think that’s ’cause most people around here think my momma is the police ’cause she works at the county jailhouse.
Around here, blacks and white folks work and go to school together, but they hardly play together outside of that. There’s racial tension, and the railroad tracks divide our town along class status and color lines. We live on the east side of the tracks.
I’ve heard black folks complaining about how mean the white people are here in Orange especially in nearby Vidor, which has a history of the Klan. My folks believe some whites are mean too. They talk about how whites work hard to keep black folks down. Daddy complains about not finding a good job ’cause of the white man.
To me, if it’s that bad, then we all need to move away from here! There are a million places on this earth where we can live. It’s just that simple to me. I see myself living a new life away from here. I dream of living in a big city with crowded streets packed with all walks of life, tall skyscrapers, and the everyday hustle and bustle. But it’s just a dream I see every day in my head.
“Erin and Erika, get up and do yo’ chores! Da dishes are dirty, and fold up my clothes!” Daddy yells at the top of his lungs.
“In a minute, I wanna finish watching my show.”
Daddy stumbles over me and then steps over Erika, who is sitting Indian style on the living room floor. He turns the television off during the last five minutes of our program. It’s our Saturday off, and we love to watch Teen Summit on
BET. He never wants us to enjoy ourselves at anything.
Erika jumps up and runs to the TV. As I’m standing up to my feet, Daddy pushes Erika, and she falls into my chest.

For Information...

Purchase Links
Barnes & Noble:              
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/burnt-orange-meiah-shaun/1127186718?ean=9781683143727
Amazon ebook: http://a.co/9y57n76
Amazon Paperback: http://a.co/3OcxrDz
Connect Socially



Meiah Shaun
12/15/2017
meiahshaun@gmail.com

Get Started Publishing Your eBook

The alternative to publishing a paperback copy of your book is to offer your readers an eBook copy. eBook prices are more affordable than a paperback and hardcover. I initially wanted to publish my book only as an eBook because of the popularity of eBooks. I published my book through Kindle Direct Publishing. My eBook was available for purchase within twenty-four hours. Royalties for eBooks can be paid much higher between 35% and 70%. Pricing for eBooks are cheaper than the paperbacks and hardcover books. You may update and change your eBook pricing at any time. Be sure to research other popular books that are in your genre. Price your eBook at a price that you feel your eBook is worth. Do not sell yourself short on the pricing because you are building your net worth.

I have learned from experience that an eye-catching book cover is crucial for eBooks. I only needed a front book cover and I didn’t need a barcode. Your eBook cover is the first thing that customers will review upon purchasing. You can hire a graphic designer to create your book cover. Kindle Direct Publishing gives authors the option to create their own book cover using the free graphics. The book title should be large and in bold font along with the author’s name. It is important that your book cover represents your story’s theme. Make sure that your book cover appears professional with a bold and creative design. You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars to create an awesome book cover.
An ISBN is required for eBooks as it is for paperbacks and hardcover books to track your sales. ISBN can be purchased through Bowker. There are other retailers who will use your ISBN to track sales of your eBook. An ISBN is not required to publish an eBook through Kindle Direct Publishing. Authors without an ISBN will be assigned a unique identification number called an ASIN.

Market your eBook on your website and use additional social media outlets. Set up accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Build a following of potential customers. Share with your audience your upcoming events and provide links to purchase your eBook. Open up discussions on your blogs to engage your readers. This will allow feedback and opinions from potential customers.
There are many well known successful authors who have self published their eBook. Be willing to put in hard work and time making your eBook a success.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you Arlena for featuring me today with WNL Book Tours!

    ReplyDelete