Nancy's Notes From Florida

Journey of Water

October 4, 2023

This past weekend, we attended a passholder preview of a new attraction inspired by Moana at Disney World’s Epcot theme park. Journey of Water is located in World Nature, which is to the right past Spaceship Earth. It’s an educational and interactive exhibit that relates the cycle of water on our planet.

  

In a garden-like setting, you walk through various sections. You’ll see dancing waters, can move your arms under a falling stream to make music, or raise your arms and make water jump. It’s fun for kids as well as adults and is a very pleasant path surrounded by trees and plants.

  

  

Flowers provide splashes of color along the easy-walking trail. Toward the end is a topiary representation of Moana in a peaceful setting.

 

  

I felt the entire exhibit was well done and was sad when it came to an end. I like nature trails anyway, and this one is a delight to explore and to learn about our water cycles at the same time.

Epcot Food & Wine Festival

All this scenic wonder roused our appetites, so we headed to World Showcase to sample the dishes at Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival. Our first stop was Australia for the lamb chops. The meat was very tender and tasty, but I found the seasoning too salty for my palate.

We enjoyed the food at Kenya. Richard and I shared the coffee barbecued beef with mashed potatoes while Sue & Mark Bernstein, our companions, said the shrimp skewers were very good. Those are definitely on my list for next time.

     

I tried the mimosa flight at Shimmering Sips. I liked the berry one in the middle, but the other two choices didn’t have much taste.

The crab cake at Coastal Eats was delicious. Crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, it had mostly crab meat with no shells and I didn’t taste any filler. Very good and so was the slaw that accompanied it.

All in all, we had a great day except for the heat. It’s time for Fall already!

 



• Posted in Blog • Tags: , , , , , , |  2 Comments


Kobo Paranormal Romance Sale

October 1, 2023

Buy One Get One Free at Kobo’s Paranormal Romance Sale Oct. 1-31. My book, CIRCLE OF LIGHT, is included. This title was my first published book and winner of the HOLT Medallion Award. It’s book #1 in the Light-Years Series. Get started on the sale by ordering CIRCLE OF LIGHT now!

If you don’t own a Kobo e-reader, you can download the free app HERE.

Giveaway

Enter to win two free books at Booklovers Bench in our monthly giveaway:

Save the Date

Monday, Oct. 9, 7:00pm – 8:00 pm Facebook Author Takeover at Joanna’s Readers Facebook Page – Fun & Prizes!

Writing Workshops

Saturday, Oct. 7, 12:00pm to 5:00pm EDT, SinC Into Great Writing: Masterclass Day. I’m doing a workshop on “Book Promotion on a Budget” at 1:15 – 2:15 pm EDT.

Saturday, Oct. 14 at 11:00 am – 12 noon “Book Marketing on a Budget” via Zoom sponsored by South Florida Fiction Writers. Pre-Register Here.

Friday to Sunday, Oct. 20-22, Florida WritersCon 2023 at the Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs. I’ll be presenting these workshops: “Self-Publishing Made Simple” on Friday, Oct. 20 at 3:30-4:30 pm and “Book Marketing on a Budget” on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 3:30- 4:30 pm. Register Here

Saturday, Nov. 4, 10:30 am – 4:00 pm EDT, Indie Author Day, Ponte Vedra Beach Library, 101 Library Blvd, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082. I’ll be a presenter. Free registration here: https://sjcpls.org/event/indie-author-showcase/

Kobo Paranormal Romance Sale #BOGO #KoboBooks Share on X

Coming Next: Warrior Lord New Print Book Release and Bad Hair Day Box Set Six Pre-Order

 



• Posted in Blog • Tags: , , , , , |  Comments Off on Kobo Paranormal Romance Sale


A Flight on the Millennium Falcon

September 23, 2023

Earlier this week, we visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios along with our friends, Es & Rick Cohen and Sue & Mark Bernstein. We rushed there early to try and get on Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Unfortunately, the ride was closed. We moved on to the only other ride attraction in this area. With trepidation, we asked a passing guest how it was. He said it was great and not as rocky as Star Tours. I knew this one was a flight simulator and I’d tended to avoid those types of rides. But his reassurance persuaded us, and we got in line.

         

      

Indoors was comfortably air-conditioned as we snaked through the line and climbed up several ramps to the boarding station. Along the way were several interesting scenes.

 

Finally, we got to the boarding area. Two of us were assigned as pilots, two as gunners, and two as engineers. The attendant described our roles and what we had to do. We piled inside the craft in that order. I was a gunnery officer. I was to look for a flashing button by my station and push it when I wanted to fire weapons. Did our actions have any effect on the scene? Who knows? It was fun to think so. The craft held six seats in rows of two, so it worked out perfectly for our crew. We fastened our seatbelts and prepared for liftoff.

      

What followed was an awesome thrill ride as we zoomed through space, down into canyons, and across planetary landscapes and jumped into hyperspace. Enemy fighters shot at us and we fired back. I was too dazed to follow the story, if there was one, but the ride must be called Smuggler’s Run for a reason. I would agree with the assessment that this experience isn’t as jarring as Star Tours. It was great fun if you don’t mind a little jostling around. I’d love to watch the video by itself to see the scenes that went by so fast.

  

Once done here, we headed over to the “Frozen” singalong show. We relaxed inside in a comfy chair and listened to a retelling of the Frozen story along with music. It was a very pleasant interlude with a rousing grand finale that included a surprise snowfall. This one is a great feel-good experience.

After eating burgers at the Backlot Express, our crew headed next door for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. Loud booms and explosions accompanied this exciting demonstration of movie magic.

We tried to get on Micky & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, but that ride had technical issues and shut down. Meanwhile, Rise of the Resistance was up and running again but had too long of a wait. By now we were hot and ready to leave before the afternoon thunderstorms arrived. I’ll still have to come back for the Star Wars ride I keep missing but our next Disney trip will be to Epcot.



• Posted in Blog • Tags: , , , , , |  2 Comments


Warrior Rogue – New Print Release

September 12, 2023

I am excited to announce a new trade paperback edition of Warrior Rogue, #2 in the Drift Lords Series. A fashion designer and a space warrior race to fulfill an ancient prophecy and save the world in this magical blend of science fiction and fantasy romance.

Published by Orange Grove Press
Printed in the United States of America
Digital ISBN: 978-1-952886-14-0
Print ISBN: 978-1-952886-33-1
Cover Design by The Killion Group, Inc.
Interior Design by Formatting4u.com

Fashion designer Jennifer Dyhr lands a job as costumer for a video-game commercial being filmed in Japan. When their lead actor fails to show, Jen accepts responsibility since she’d recommended him for the role. A hunky replacement arrives, but her relief is short lived. Paz Hadar claims he’s a space warrior sent to save Earth from an alien invasion.

Space ops warrior Paz Hadar has fallen through a spatial rift onto Jen’s film set. He recognizes her as one of the legendary Earth women whose powers can defeat the enemy. The invaders, known as Trolleks, have opened a portal to access other worlds, and Paz’s job is to shut it down. He needs Jen’s dormant powers to succeed.

Jen doesn’t believe Paz’s stories about myths and magic until alien soldiers attack them on the flight home, and they’re stranded on a remote island. As they struggle to stay one step ahead of the enemy, she discovers that fighting her attraction to the dashing Drift Lord is as much of a challenge as staying alive.

Finalist in the Carolyn Reader’s Choice Awards and the Reader’s Crown Awards

BUY LINKS

Amazon Kindle – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KCC9F1N
Amazon Print: https://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Rogue-Drift-Lords-Nancy/dp/1952886333/
Apple Books: http://books.apple.com/us/book/warrior-rogue/id6448665977
BN Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warrior-rogue-nancy-j-cohen/1115236378?ean=2940160921648
BN Print: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warrior-rogue-nancy-j-cohen/1115236378?ean=9781952886331
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warrior-rogue-1
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=QGK8EAAAQBAJ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1386859
Indiebound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/warrior-rogue-nancy-j-cohen/20067448?ean=9781952886331
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/WarriorRogue

Excerpt

Jen tilted her head, taking the plunge. “I’m just wondering where we’re going with us.”

“Are you embarrassed because of my job, is that it?”

“I brought you home to meet my parents, didn’t I?”

“That’s not a proper answer.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “All right, I really like you. I want to be with you. But what happens when your mission is over?”

His gaze hardened. “I go back to my job.”

“Exactly. You leave me. You leave Earth.”

“Why, would you come with me?” For a moment, something flickered behind his expression.

“Not if you’re a space jockey hopping from one port to another. I want to settle down and have a family.”

“Well, then I guess you’ll have to look for someone more stable and suitable to your goals.”

Hurt and disappointment slashed through her. “I guess so. Someone like you can never understand drive and ambition. You just know how to kiss women or kill people.”

He grinned, but his eyes were two cold ice chips. “I’m very good at killing, Jen. It’s my best trait. Too bad you don’t count that among your requirements for a mate.”

Reviews

“Cohen’s futuristic, paranormal romance series blends aspects of science fiction with magic and mythology then tops it off with steamy sexy scenes that are so hot you will need a fan and a mint julep drink to cool off… “I love the Drift Lords so much I dream of having one of my own.” Manic Readers

“It had a Romancing the Stone feel to it that I really liked.” Musings and Ramblings

“Romance, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, all rolled up into one neat package that keeps you on the edge of your seat. There’s a good dose of humor and passion with a satisfying ending. What really appealed to me was the present-day setting. Highly recommended.” Haley’s Comments

“This is a book you will devour in one fell swoop! Nancy J. Cohen has created a very realistic world with characters you cannot help but love.” Faerie Tale Books

ORDER NOW!



• Posted in Blog • Tags: , , , , , , |  Comments Off on Warrior Rogue – New Print Release


Orlando Reads Books – Workshops Part Two

September 7, 2023

Orlando Reads Books Convention in Altamonte Springs, FL offers advanced writer workshops for two days prior to a public booksigning. These are my notes, and any errors are due to my misinterpretation. This is a summary of what I learned. 

Tackle the Trifecta Touch – Email, SMS, and MMS with Dana Claire

Newsletter Optimization – Create an automation sequence, such as five sequential emails with a welcome message, reader magnet, reviews, author events, birthday gift. Or talk about different aspects of your book.

Connect with your readers where you can find them. Write. Click. Engage.

SMS stands for Short Messaging Service (i.e. text messages). MMS stands for Multimedia Service.

Average 20% open rate for emails and 98% open rate for texts.
Average 2% clicks for emails and 30% clicks for texts.

There are SMS marketing platforms such as Simple Texting, Attentive and others.

Get readers to subscribe via website, forms, popups, QR codes, superfans, social media. Entice subscribers with a reader magnet, discount codes, swag items, or an audiobook freebie. Collect opt-ins and provide an opt-out. You must provide a means for them to unsubscribe.

Give value to get value. With each message, introduce yourself. Use short keywords such as “free” or “book.” Content can include updates, pre-orders, book sales, new releases, review links. Make it about them, not you. Send a birthday gift. Present an inner circle vibe. Include a call to action with links. For texts, there’s a character limit. Make sure you respond to each message. Vary the content for email and SMS.

Elevating Your Author Business with Aria Bliss

Set Goals.
Branding and packaging to market.
Build a backlist.
Core marketing/advertising focus

GOALS should be prioritized.
Production and Publishing – word count, timeline, publication schedule, production
Marketing and Advertising – Set a sustainable monthly income then raise it. Like, start at $500/month then raise it to $1000, $5000, and 10k a month.
Reader Engagement via social media and newsletter.
Superfans/Reviewers/Bloggers

Review sites – BookSirens and Booksprout. She limits copies to 100 arcs. Check how long each site keeps your book up for review.

BRANDING

What is the look and feel of comp authors?
Subgenre packaging
How should your brand look?

WRITING TO MARKET

Evergreen Tropes – Enemies to Lovers, Second Chance, Fake Dating, The Chosen One
Trending Tropes – Reverse Harem, Age Gap, Bully Romance, Stalker Romance, Taboo

See The Trope Thesaurus and TV Tropes

Book One to Book Two 50% sell-through is good. Should be higher for Book 2 to Book 3.

Stay in Your Lane. Stick to one genre and keep your promise to the reader.

Readers love Easter Eggs. Use crossover characters and interactive maps between books.

MARKETING PLAN

Define your goals and set a budget.
What are your desired results: To make money? To revive a backlist? To increase traffic to a series? Promote a new release? Gain new readers? Get Facebook ads to work? Raise your book’s rank on Amazon?

Utilize stacked email promos, Facebook and AMS ads. Skip ads on preorders and start them the day before release.

Writing Action/Fight Scenes Realistically with L.E. Perez

Utilize the five senses.
Set the tone.
Determine how you want the reader to feel.
Avoid gratuitous violence.
Use your own experiences.
Be aware of slang terms, i.e., a whooping versus a beating.
Violence differs upon location, i.e., urban setting versus the suburbs.
Self-Defense is blocking, not attacking.
Break away when you can and run.
Watch the movie “The Forbidden Kingdom” for good fight sequences.

GIVEAWAY

Enter Now to win two free cozy mysteries from Booklovers Bench.



• Posted in Blog • Tags: , , , |  Comments Off on Orlando Reads Books – Workshops Part Two