Today I'm talking reading slumps. I've been stuck in one for awhile and recent studies have been pointing to a reason why. See the video below. If you have any suggestions on what might help, please share in the comments!

On the campaign front: With only two days left to go, we've managed to reach 33%. It won't be enough to get the publishing all the way there, but it gets the ebook started and that's most of the battle. Not reaching my goal certainly slows things down, but its not the end of the world. I'm a determined person and I WILL find a way to get The Beauty published in every way possible. I'm also considering a "soft release". Which is to say that I might publish the book early without all of the fancy formatting that I had with The Beast. Once I earn enough money with those sales to pay for the fancy stuff, I'll update the file with the finished product. But I've never done this before and I don't know anyone who has. It's just an idea that I've been working on. Let's just hope I get a couple more contributions before the end.

Help publish THE BEAUTY: https://igg.me/at/thebeauty/x/7583467
Author YT Channel: youtube.com/AuthorLindsayMead
My Vlog YT Channel: youtube.com/LindsayMeadDailyVlog

Last week I posted a reminder that my campaign to publish The Beauty was ending in 2 weeks (1 week now!). In that same post I talked about what my options are if I don't reach my needed goal. Somehow that resulted in confusion. So I sat down and tried to better explain it in a video. Posted below.

This video also marks my return to my author channel and sorta BookTube. I'll be posting every Monday about one topic or another. My hope is to keep the videos short and casual. I just want to have fun with it. Please subscribe!

Author YT Channel: youtube.com/AuthorLindsayMead
My Vlog YT Channel: youtube.com/LindsayMeadDailyVlog



If you want to help me publish The Beauty, then click here and check out the campaign. All contributions of any size are helpful. So is sharing! Let your friends know about the series and if you run a blog or YouTube channel, I'd appreciate a post and would be happy to answer questions or anything you think your readers/viewers might enjoy. Let's go out with a bang!

Good news! The Beauty is almost here! I know many of you have been eagerly awaiting its release. That's nearly about to happen! Aggghhhh, I'm so excited!! Who's ready to pre-order?

I've officially launched the indiegogo campaign to help me cover all of the costs needed to publish a book. I want The Beauty to be as nicely put together as The Beast was, so I'm sparing no expense--at least that's the plan. It really depends on if I get the finding or not.

As there always is with crowdfunding campaigns, there are great perks to be had. You can get the book signed in paperback or you can get an early ebook copy before anyone else. Most of the perks are variations of that. However, there's one that I would like to put a spotlight on. I'm calling it...the Fanatic Fan Perk...Or Pack...I change my mind on that all the time.
This perk was originally developed for those people who had bought the entire series in my first campaign. Of course I want them to have a reason to come around, I like these people ;P However, after I came up with the idea, I decided to include an add-on option. That's when I realized what a great deal this was. You get the t-shirt, the book bag, the early chapter from book 3, thirty minutes of one-on-one time with me, AND you can add-on The Beast and/or The Beauty for only $10 each. That's freakin half off! It's a good deal. While there are many other perks to look at, I think this one is worthy of everyone's consideration.

I'd also like to point out that there are lots of chapters available to read on the campaign. There are 2 chapters from The Beast (book 1) and 2 chapters from The Beauty (book 2) available. All you have to do is share the campaign on either facebook or twitter and you'll be granted access. I really hope you guys enjoy them and I absolutely hope they convince you to contribute.

CLICK HERE FOR THE CAMPAIGN! 

This was my second attempt at crowdfunding a book. My first attempt had been for a fantasy novel, EXAULTA, and the goal had been set way too high. On that campaign, I'd managed to raise a healthy $500, but it was still only a drop in what I'd asked for. Being that it was on Kickstarter, I didn't get any of it.

So when it came time to fund THE BEAST, I dropped my goal. I asked for the bare minimum and added an unofficial "stretch goal". I also didn't put all of my hopes on it. I didn't want to be let down like before.

As you can see, by the photo in this post, I was not let down. Not even by a little. But let me not get too far ahead of myself.

THE BEAST's campaign started off with a soft bang. Right up front I received 6 contributions totalling $180.  At least 3 of these funders had contributed to my Exaulta campaign.

Then there was a whole lot of nothing for awhile. Entire weeks went by where the campaign went unnoticed. From what I've read, that's normal. Then about 2 weeks before the end of the campaign, a trickle started. A donation here. A donation there. Just enough to give me hope.

I'd imagined what it would be like hitting goal. I saw myself smiling, jumping up and down, showing my excitement in a vlog, and blasting it all over the internet. That's not what happened though.

In the last few days of my campaign, I got sick. I had planned on sending out loads of emails, reminding people to contribute. Instead I was bedridden. Worst cold I'd had in years.

While I was in bed with a cold pack on my head, surrounded by a field of tissues, a flood had started-- and I'm not referring to the flood coming from my nose. Contributions were hitting my campaign left and right. I'd made goal and didn't even know it.

When I finally did realize that I'd made goal, I was too sick to even react. But the contributions kept coming and soon I'd made my stretch goal. Which I am super thrilled about because I'd basically given up hope on getting the funding for the book trailer.

Thanks to all of my supporters (friends, family, and subscribers) for making this happen. Even when I couldn't pull out all of the stops to motivate people, you all still came through for me.

To show my thanks, every contributor will get their name in the acknowledgements and I'll send them one of my custom postcards when the book releases. If you want to get in on this awesomeness, there's still time. About 8 hours left to get those last minute contributions in!

Former Blog Template

One Of My First Ever Templates

      Ok, now onto the really fun stuff! I read ENCLAVE by Ann Aguirre last year and just loved it! It's easily one of my favorite books. At least number one or two. Which, of course, makes it a Cutie's Pick. All this time I have been dieing to read the sequel, OUTPOST. I can't believe they're making us wait so long to see

     For me one of the best things about writing a book is seeing people get excited about what I've created. Not the kind of excitement that your mother shows because she loves you. I'm talking about the kind of excitement you get from people you've never met, who go out of their way to send you an adoring email or better yet-- create fan art. Fan art is something that I bet every author dreams of someone creating for them someday. I know I have. 
And finally, here is his amazing artwork.

     

     A vlog in which I talk about many things. You get to hear a train try and drown me out and I scared the crap out of myself. I'm told it was quite funny to watch. Enjoy.

     But also very exciting. The idea of you guys curled up on your beds or your favorite chairs, reading my book is the most amazing thing in the whole world. If I don't get this funding it is going to take me even longer to get the book finished and published. So I beg you to at least check out my campaign: CLICK HERE! It would truly mean so much to me and I cannot do this without you guys.
     Below this video I am going to post the HTML codes to my two banners and the campaign widget. Since this isn't a contest, you don't get extra entries or anything like that for posting the codes. However you would help to spread the word and that is just as necessary as pledging.

Kickstarter is a website where artists can go to get funding for their projects. Anyone with an idea can start a campaign. There you will find game creators, writers, filmmakers, sculptors, and all that good stuff.

It's simple. I've set my goal for $5,000 and I have 45 days to reach the goal. If you want to help me get published, than you can choose to make a pledge of any dollar amount that you wish. If I reach or pass my goal by the 45 day marker, than I receive my funding and set to work on completing my project. If I don't reach the goal, than nothing happens. No one loses any money and I don't get my funding.

While hosting Kickstarter campaigns one has to have rewards that can be offered to pledgers. For example: Right now I have a reward set for $25. If you pledged $25, you get a an ebook copy of THE VENGEANCE OF VERONA, A Guardian Novella. Plus you get everything featured in the reward levels before it. Do you need to select a reward? No, you can just donate money to support my project.