Many Exciting Things

So much is going on at the moment. Lots of exciting stuff, so I thought I would post an update.

Youtube

I am preparing to lauch my new Youtube channel Tales with Tasha. For this one I want to have everything ready well in advance, rather than winging it even remotely and it has taken far longer than I was expecting. There are spreadsheets, lovely people, lots of spreadsheet, which make me happy because there is just something about organising things in spreadsheets that it so satisfying.

I know, peak nerd, but it feeds the part of my soul that isn't wildly chaotic author 😂.

Hannah Witton - from giphy

I'm starting it off as a fiction channel, so my first job was organising all the fiction. There will be new stories as well, but also lots of my already written stories are being given the Youtube treatment. Youtube does not like mature content, so there were some that were simply unsuitable.

I have lists that categorise everything I have ever written by:

• genre - so I can make sure there is a variety
• length - so I can decide about episodes etc
• rating - it's my own broad rating scheme: All, PGish, 12ish and Teen
• seasonality - like Christmas, Valentines or Halloween
• editing needed - Youtube is touchy about some things, so some stories needs gentle editing and others need whole scenes redoing.

and more that I will not bore you with. It's been a useful exercise in more ways than one because it includes everything, paperbacks, ebooks, online published, giveaway fiction etc, even though most of the fiction I intend to use on the channel are stories that are not the ones I have published on Amazon.

More details will be forthcoming very soon. I am almost ready to start recording!

My New Office

One of the things I need for the Youtube channel is a recording space and now I have it. 

via giphy

We had a back room we have used for storage for all the time we have lived in our house. It used to be a bedroom back in the day before we owned the house, but it was cold, dingy and full of polly boxes. The room was part of the original extension put on the house some time before 1964, but there are no records to say when. It still had its original wall paper and carpet.

My amazing, DIY-ly gifted husband has transformed it into a new office for me. It's been insulated, had a new floor on top of the old one which was drafty and not flat, had a new loft hatch put in so he can insulate the roof space too, been carpeted and decorated and had new lights.

It looks awesome, and I will post piccies, but not quite yet. Rob also heavily suggested it was time for me to have a new phone when he tried to install the ap to control my new lights and it went 'nope', because my current one is getting so old is can't run lots of things. That is arriving this week, and it has a far better camera, so I am waiting to take some piccies then 😉.

The office is now the warmest room in the house and I love it - so do the cats.

Ruby enjoying the view from the window.

Most important item of furniture in the room.

New Book

While I am working on new fiction, I also have a Word Search book in the pipeline. I was trying to think of a new way to get my other books under the noses of new readers and it struck me, that people like puzzles. So each word search is based around a book. People can have fun with the word searches and, fingers crossed, I might be able to entice a few over to my fiction books too.

I'm about halfway through creating the word searches at the moment. More spreadsheets! 😂

New Blog Content

I know I have been neglecting this blog for a while and I have plans to liven it up again. Wednesday will now be Word Search Wednesday, where I hope to entertain people with puzzles and maybe some interesting topics to go with them as well as monthly competitions. And I hope to get some more useful and fun content up as well on other days, but I am still planning that.

What kind of thing do you enjoy seeing on blogs that bring you back? Do let me know in the comments.

Love to all - hope you are doing well.💖

And don't forget to check out my on-going competition to win eBooks:

100% Off - Short Story Anthology - Half of Everything - #LookForTheJoy

Half of Everything Anthology - 100% Off

Short Stories - #Vampires #Fantasy #Dragons #YA #Adult #Horror

So it is bleak out there at the moment, people are self-isolating and worse, and I saw a tweet go past the other day saying 'look for the joy'.

It is all too easy to feel depressed in times like this, but there is still joy in the world. I'm having trouble writing because mostly I'm worried about my Papa, who is in his late 70s and had cancer a few years ago so had to rebuild his immune system from the ground up. He's tough and not ill, but I still worry.

And I thought to myself, I should 💖 #LookForTheJoy 💖, because there is still plenty of it out there. And what can I do to help spread this joy.

I'm a writer and people are being forced to stay home, so my brain went: 💖have a free eBook💖. I am fully aware it is only a small thing, but sometimes small things can lift someone's day.

This is my multi-genre anthology with 14 different stories in it. So hopefully there should be something for everyone. It's usually $2.99, but below is a coupon code which will make it free.

Half of Everything by Natasha Duncan-Drake

Coupon: MK73C

How to get the book:

1. Go to Smashwords here.
2. Click buy
3. Put in the coupon code MK73C in the little box that says "Coupon Code" Book is now enrolled in Smashwords site wide promo, so shouldn't need the code anymore. Still 100 % OFF
4. Click update cart, which will take 100% off.
5. Then checkout.

You'll be able to download the eBook in any of the formats Smashwords offer (which is most of them) or read it online, if you want.

The book has dragons, vampires, ghosts, demons, aliens, romance, and more. I hope it brightens at least one person's day. 💖 Let's look for the joy.

The coupon is good for 100 downloads and is valid until April 13th, whichever is hit first. Site wide promo runs until April 20th

If you have any problems with the coupon, please LMK and I will do my best to fix it.

Another new cover - Myriad Imaginings - Paperback

Another new cover - Myriad Imaginings - Paperback

So we've been meaning to get the Giveaway Games anthologies into paperback for a while now, but there had never been time to sit down and give it them the attention they deserve. However, that time has finally come.

Myriad Imaginings is going through a new re-edit, to make sure it is perfect and, of course, every book needs a cover.

As you may recall I redesigned all the covers for the Giveaway Games anthologies last year, so I have a great start to work from in creating the paperbacks.

Now the current book blurb is fine for eBook descriptions, but it wasn't right for the blurb on the back of an actual book, if you see what I mean, hence I had to rewrite that too.

However, it is done and I have what I think is an almost definite cover. Just waiting for some feedback from Soph, but this is likely to be it. What do you think?

The big space on the back at the bottom is where the barcode gets put BTW. Just in case you were wondering 😄.

Cover Reveal - New Cover for Shivers: 13 Tales of Terror

Cover Reveal - New Cover for Shivers: 13 Tales of Terror

So originally Soph designed the cover for Shivers: 13 Tales of Terror - our first collection from our All Hallows Read miniature anthologies. And it was great for the eBook version, but we discovered pretty quickly that the design she chose doesn't pint well.

It's unfortunate, after all the hard work she put in, but the cover comes out virtually all black when printed, with very few of the details of the artwork visible. Hence, we decided we needed a new one. Soph doesn't have time to take on the task at the moment, so it came to me.

I've been working on it for a couple of days and it's all ready - so it's COVER REVEAL time!

Drum Roll!

Shivers: 13 Tales of Terror

Spooks, werewolves and demons haunt these 13 tales that will leave you shuddering with fright!

Enjoy the spine tingles as you read a cautionary tale about not playing with any old deck of cards, however innocent they may seem. Wallow in the horror of a she-demon stalking her victims, or a werewolf discovering there are things weirder than himself. Or maybe you'd like to chuckle at the chill on the back of your neck as you spend time with a hair-raising highwayman.

13 tales of terror. 13 scares. Read them - we dare you.

NEW eBook Cover

New Paperback Cover

Purchase Shivers: Paperback | Kindle | Smashwords | Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | Nook | Scribd

It takes 24 hours or so for the new cover to show up everywhere, but they are now all uploaded, so, hopefully it will be in all the right places very soon.

What do you think? We had a lot of debate over the font. We knew we wanted it to be gothic, in keeping with the theme of the book, but I went through several before going with good old Plain Black, since it was the clearest and easiest to read.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Simon Matzinger on Unsplash for the background photo and Dark Indigo from Pexels for the foreground image used on the cover of this book.

Free Christmas Anthology for One and All!

Free Christmas Anthology for One and All!

It's Christmas! So this month Soph and I have a free holiday anthology for everyone.

We want to spread a little Christmas cheer and, hopefully, bring a smile to all faces.

If you're feeling down around this time, for whatever reason, hugs to you and we hope it gets better for you soon.

Light of Christmas

Our little anthology has two heartwarming tales, one from me and one from Sophie.

Light of the World - Natasha Duncan-Drake

Kit and Sam have been together now for six years and three years ago they renovated and moved into Sam's parent's old house in a small village. Sam wants to revive the family tradition of a huge Christmas party, so what's his reclusive vampire husband to do, but say yes and try and melt into the shadows.

Winter's Curse - Sophie Duncan

Pippin is worried about her father who is deathly ill. She knows him as Papa C, the rest of the world calls him Father Christmas. Something is very wrong and dark magic is involved. Their only hope is a strange, dangerous woman who frightens Pippin, but she will do anything to save her father.

Download Light of Christmas at Smashwords

Available FREE until Jan 6th 2020

And don't forget, if you would like a free short story every month, not just at Christmas, join our Wittegen Press Newsletter. No catches, no spam.

Christmas Wishes

💖Whether you celebrate Christmas as a Christian or enjoy it as a secular holiday where people are usually a little nicer and happier, I offer you this blessing💖:

May the love of the Holy Family,

The joy of the shepherds and angels,

And the peace of the Christ child,

be with you and those you love, this Christmas time.

Have a great holiday season - best wishes to one and all.

(https://media.giphy.com/media/3o6fJdYXEvMa5ZmlI4/giphy.gif)

Banner background Photo by Paul Schafer on Unsplash

The Joys of Cover Design Now We Have Sites Like Unsplash

The Joys of Cover Design Now We Have Sites Like Unsplash

Making eBook covers used to be a lot harder than it is these days. Why I hear you ask?

Because there were a lot less resources available.

There have always been places like Getty images and some royalty free images sites, but the images on them cost not insignificant amounts of money, especially when combining several images to create new ones.

These days we have fantastic sites like:

• Unsplash.com, 
• Pexels.com 
• and Pixabay.com 

where the most wonderful artists upload their work to be used totally for free. Technically we don't even have to give credit, but I think that's incredibly rude! For example, the image I am using in the background of my banner today is by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash.

Many of the photographers have donation options - a great way to pay back their hard work.

Now these images aren't always the highest quality and could be problematic for high def print work, but for web images like eBook covers, they are amazing.

Over the weekend I have been working on the covers for The Manor, the new series by Virginia Waytes, coming early next year to Wittegen Eros and the Sexy Stories podcast.

(ttps://media.giphy.com/media/elhmwUMsAUbScKLLzl/giphy.gif)

Firstly, can I just say how sexist the photo industry tags seem to be! I typed in the word "sexy" and "erotic" on all 3 of the sites I mentioned above and all I got back were pictures of women. Now while I appreciate this because I needed some of those as well, I was looking for some sexy men too! To get suitable pictures of men the most productive search terms were "young man" "abs" and "muscles" and most of the images returned weren't close to what I was looking for.

Anyway, I did manage to eventually find all the images I was after.

You can check out the cover reveal for Episode 1 - Lamb in Wolf's Clothing over at Virginia's wordpress blog: Virginia Waytes - The Parlour - Sexy Stories. And yes, it's very different from the one that was on the Free Fiction Friday version of the book.  

BTW - for those wondering, yes, Virginia is my alter ego - a new pen name to focus specifically on the podcast and paranormal erotic romance eBooks and get away with being a little bit naughty 😘. Virginia has a shiny new newsletter for everything to do with the podcast and accompanying books, and we will be running a giveaway when we launch for all members.

Join now to be in with a chance of winning a $20 (or equiv) Amazon voucher and all 12 novelettes of The Manor as they come out.

Come join me as Virginia on: Twitter | Wordpress | Blogger | Podbean | Facebook

Free Book - Trick or Treat Blog Hop #trickortreatreads

Free Book - Trick or Treat Blog Hop

Greetings and welcome to my blog on the spookiest of spooky days. It is a tradition of Sophie and I that we always produce a free eBook  at Halloween. Usually it is for AllHallowsRead, but they don't seem to have updated their website this year, so just think of this as a trick or treat that is better for your teeth.🎃

This year I have signed up with some other lovely authors to bring you free books!

The Trick or Treat Book Blog Hop is alive!

Once you have sampled the macabre tales Soph and I have come up with, don't forget to scroll down and check out all the other wonderful authors in the hop.

Beyond Death - Tales of the Macabre

Sophie Duncan & Natasha Duncan-Drake

Two tales that look past death into the terror beyond.

The Cup Runneth Over by Natasha Duncan-Drake

You have been tempted into places unknown and there are things lurking in the shadows.

The Promise by Sophie Duncan

When a person makes a commitment, they should stick to it. Carol is determined to stick to hers no matter how scary it may become.

Get it from Smashwords, totally free.

The book will only be free until Thursday 7th Nov - so get in there quickly.

Trick or Treat Book Blog Hop

Other Free Books You Might Like

Mina's Children - The Legacy of Dracula

Natasha Duncan-Drake

~~5th place winner Final Round & 2nd place winner, Round 2 - Open Novella Contest 2018~~

Mina Harker (née Murry) was changed by Dracula's attentions, and so were her descendants. Reggie comes from this line of vampire hunters, nature's definitive balance to the darkness. Her whole life has been building up to this one mission in Romania, to face the evil that started everything for her family. Unfortunately there are others with their eyes on Dracula too, and Reggie has run right into them. She must make them allies or remove them from the game before she can face the ultimate foe.

Read it on Wattpad

The Beginning - Blood and Curses

Vampires: The New Age Prequel 1

Natasha Duncan-Drake

Nate hunts vampires and he's good at it. However, when he comes across Lexie while stalking his latest quarry, he finds out life can be a whole lot more complicated than even he knew. Lexie is a white witch with a dark secret. When one of the vampires Nate is tracking turns out to be an initiate of the worst kind of blood magic, that secret might just save his life.

Read it on Wattpad

Chip Off the Old Block?

Dawn of the Anti-Christ ... Maybe

Natasha Duncan-Drake

The Anti-Christ is coming!

His name is Owen.

Well technically it's Beherit, but that's so last millennium. Aspiring to world domination is just around the corner and his simple life of school is coming to an end ... which is kind of the problem. His best friend David, the local vicar's son, will no longer be there and that makes Owen feel things he doesn't understand. What else is a boy to do, but ask his dad what it all means, even if that dad has horns and his eye on the corruption of humankind?

Get is for free from 

Smashwords or Amazon


And don't forget - if you would like a free short story every month from Sophie or me, join our Wittegen Press Newsletter for Free Fiction Friday.
SIGN UP HERE
And we'll give you 2 more Free eBooks just for joining us.

Happy Beginning of the Halloween Season - Free Fiction Friday!

Happy Beginning of the Halloween Season - Free Fiction Friday!

🎃It's October and that means ghosts and goblins and long legged beasties!🎃

Okay, so we may be getting a little bit ahead of ourselves, but it's Free Fiction Friday and we wanted to get everyone in the mood for the end of the month. This month's free short story is a ghostly one. Scroll down to check out the details.

For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, Free Fiction Friday happens once a month, every month where Soph and I give our Wittegen Press Newsletter subscribers a free short story on the first Friday. These stories range from ghost to vampires with fantasy and even the odd bit of science fiction thrown in.

Join the Wittegen Press Newsletter

Our Newsletter is usually very low traffic with one or two messages a month. We only ever send something out when we have something important to tell our subscribers, like new releases, competitions, freebies and, of course, Free Fiction Friday. No spam, and we're with Mailchimp, so your details are securely stored and won't be shared with anyone else.

For new members the link to this month's short story are included in the final welcome email when you sign up.

This Month's Free Story

The Storm by Natasha Duncan-Drake

Genre: ghost story
Description:
A lonely figure stands on the battlements of a castle watching an approaching storm, remembering loss. Can love reach beyond death?

Join our Newsletter to download it for free.

If you have any questions about Free Fiction Friday, the Newsletter or the story, do drop me a comment. I love to chat.

All the new covers!

First of all the Eros covers:

And now the other covers I have updated for Wittegen Press:

With some of them I've just rearranged a few things and changed fonts, and with others I have completely redesigned them. It was mostly fun, but a couple of them really gave me the run-around!