DESERTED Book Trailer (or Watch it for the Music & Pics)

Tip of the Day: BLACKOUT is on sale for .99 for two more hours...and DESERTED is officially on sale for $2.99.

Today is the official release date for DESERTED, the YA ebook sequel to BLACKOUT!

In honor of its release, I have created a book trailer with the help of my sister Andrea Lipomi (she took the Vegas photos -- follow her on FaceBook/instagram @feetishspa for more of her pics), and to my husband John Viviani (he wrote the music and produced the video -- follow Blue Falcon on FB for more new tunes https://www.facebook.com/bluefalconmusic).

Thanks to all my readers, friends, and family for the continued support!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Super Easy Weekend Giveaway! (or Enter Here for a Chance to BLACKOUT!)

Tip of the Day: Will you be in the Rochester, NY area on Friday, October 4? If so, make sure to check out Blue Falcon's EP CD Release Party! (Yes, they are one of Leo's favorite bands in BLACKOUT.) If you don't live in the area, just go to the link and check out their music. Their rock groove with witty lyrics promises to entertain.

Curious about BLACKOUT but don't have the extra cash, or B&N or Amazon or iTunes account?

Well now is your chance to enter to win a free copy in the format of your choice! (Even PDF if you want to read it on your computer.)

Just comment on this post between NOW AND MONDAY, SEPT. 16 AT 9PM EST saying you would like to enter to win (leave an email address or link of how to contact you). With the power of the Random Number Generator, I'll select a winner who can let me know which file type they would like to read.

That's it! Super easy, super quick.

Feel free to spread the word to anyone else you think may be interested.

And if you need a reminder as to what BLACKOUT is about:

When 17-year-old musician Leo and his 15-year-old scientist sister Jenny wake up in a ditch with pains in their hands, they wonder what happened on their drive home from their father’s house in rural Pennsylvania. Their only memory of the past twelve hours is of bright lights flashing through their windshield. Then the blackout.

Leo is content to chalk up the missing memories and throbbing hands to a concussion and nerve damage, but Jenny won’t let it go. Soon the siblings uncover clues that they stumbled upon a dangerous and illegal alternative energy project in the Appalachians – and that their father is involved. If they don’t discover the truth, Leo’s burning hands will destroy his music career before it begins, and Jenny will never know if her father is the mentor she's always trusted or a mad scientist who will stop at nothing for the success of his work. Not even if it means sacrificing his own children.

Available for $2.99 wherever ebooks are sold.



Thanks again for everyone's support!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Why I Now Like Book Trailers (or Video Killed the YA Book Star*)

*with apologies to The Buggles

Tip of the Day: Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Mini Pretzles are dangerously delish. (9 servings per bag? How about 4?)

As A2A readers undoubetly know, a few years ago book trailers for YA and MG novels started becoming more popular. Many discussion cropped up on if they were worth having.

Personally, I watch trailers that:

a. get a lot of buzz,
b. are by authors I know, or
c. are for books I'm planning on buying/reading anyway.

In other words, I have never been swayed to buy/read a novel because of the trailer even though I have been entertained by them.

One of the first trailers I remember thinking was cool was this one for Carrie Ryan's THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUi3Ap2ga1U
But because it has actors and spoken dialog, it feels more like a movie trailer than one for a novel.

A recent favorite is this amazing animated trailer for THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL by Soman Chainani:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqnU3ZqvL1k
It is also very cinematic, and way too expensive for a novice like me to ever do.

When I decided to self epub BLACKOUT, I didn't originally plan to produce a book trailer. But my husband was writing new tracks for his band Blue Falcon around the time I was formatting my novel and I thought it would be cool if he created original music for a trailer. Once he agreed, I was excited!

While I enjoy some of the cinematic book trailers out there, I wanted mine to be more in line with the experience of reading a book. I also knew I needed it to be about 45-60 seconds long. I watched Lisa Schroeder's trailer for THE DAY BEFORE for inspiration as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBnbubgIMJA

I love the filming that Lisa did for her trailer, but that is more work than I wanted to put into it so I went with the photo that was used for the cover as a backdrop for the whole thing. The rest was my husband using the limited options on iMovie.

But honestly the best part of having a book trailer? I can hock my wares by giving people an experience -- a free taste of music and atmosphere for BLACKOUT -- instead of just a link where they can buy my book. As someone who is not into self-promotion, it makes talking about my novel a lot easier.

I don't expect my trailer to be the one that transforms people like me into those who buy books based on them. But if the music and atmosphere at least entertains those who click on the YouTube link for 60 seconds, I've done my job.



What are your thoughts of book trailers as a viewer or as an author?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing