About a decade ago, after I'd written Luke's Tale, I was at the barn with our horses with my daughter Stephanie, who owns Troll River Publications. She asked me what my next book would be. I laughed and said, "Well, I write through the eyes of dogs, but I want to write a vampire novel."

Intrigued, she looked at me and said, "A vampire dog? How cool." 

I scratched my head and said yes. "I'll create a character using our current rescue Snow as the model." (That's Snow just above.}

She said, "I like it. What's the character's name going to be." 

I thought a minute and said, "Snow Blood."

And, there you have it! 

Snow Blood Season 1 was published in 2014. With 137 reviews on Amazon, with an average of 4.3 stars out of 5-stars, that's not shabby!

I didn't stop there! I wrote four more books in that series and then did a spin-off series entitled Moon Blood. Then another, entitled Reign. It's been a journey!

To celebrate that journey, I've placed the ebook of the first book, Snow Blood Season 1, ​on sale for .99 cents on Amazon. Go check it out.

Hopefully, reading where it all started will take you on a cool journey!

Until Next Time,
​Carol

If you’ve been working as a writer for a while, you know how challenging it can be to get discovered. In today’s world, where anyone can self-publish a book and compete for readers’ attention, it takes more than great writing to get noticed. You will need a solid understanding of the business side of writing professionally, as well as a strategic approach to marketing yourself and your work. In this article from, we’ll explore some of the key strategies you can use to get discovered!
 
General Business Advice for Writers
 
One of the most important things you can do for your writing career is to treat it as a business. This means establishing a professional image and brand, organizing your writing time effectively, and tracking finances. By treating your writing like the business it is, you’ll start to see it from the perspective of an entrepreneur rather than a hobbyist. As Writer’s Digest explains, this will help you think about the purpose of your book and who it serves, just as an entrepreneur does when developing a new product or service.
 
Marketing Yourself as a Writer
 
Your marketing strategies as an author will depend on your goal for your writing. If you build a business around your writing brand, your marketing goals may stretch beyond the sale of books. Perhaps you will leverage your books to sell courses, workbooks, or coaching packages. If, on the other hand, you just want to sell enough books to hit your monthly income goal, you will need to focus solely on book sales.
 
While digital marketing strategies such as social media, email, and content production are viable and effective methods for building your brand as an author, don’t overlook traditional offline advertising! Handing out flyers or leaflets is a great way to get the word out about new books. Instead of hiring someone to design your flyer for you, an online flyer maker will support your efforts in ​creating a useful flyer design on your own. Look for an online design tool that provides professionally designed templates that you can customize to meet your specific marketing needs.
 
Build a Strong Author Platform
 
Building an online presence and connecting with your readers is important for finding success as an author in today’s digital age. Building a strong author platform is key! Your Writer Platform explains that you can start building your author platform by identifying your target audience and determining exactly who makes up your fan base. Then, work on developing your brand voice, messaging style, and reader engagement through communications across various platforms.
 
Encourage Reviews from Readers
 
As an author, reviews are a powerful tool for promoting your book and encouraging others to read. How can you get more readers to leave reviews? The simplest method is to ask, sending out an email or social media message to readers after they’ve had a chance to read your book. You may also want to provide incentives, such as a giveaway or discount on future books, to encourage more reviews.
 
Collaborate with Other Writers
 
One of the best ways to market yourself as an author is to ​collaborate with other creatives. Consider working on a project with another author you admire whose work aligns with your own. Just be sure to come up with a project agreement so you’re both on the same page before you begin writing. You’ll have to agree on marketing ideas, deadlines, budget, compensation arrangements, and ownership percentages. Remember to also define goals for the project and try to treat this like a business partnership rather than a creative collaboration alone.
 
Building a successful writing career requires not only great writing skills but also a strategic approach to marketing and business management. Treating your writing like a business, embracing both online and offline marketing strategies, and collaborating with other writers can help you get eyes on your work. While it might feel like a slow process, keep working, and you’ll achieve your writing goals!
 
Are you looking for inspiration from a fellow author? Check out the Carol McKibben website for a variety of fiction and nonfiction books!

About the Author:
​ Mary Shannon is a content writer. She may be reached via mary@SeniorsMeet.org.

It's here! So today I'll be busier than a one-armed paper hanger trying to spread the word and respond to messages about this Book 2 in the Silver Blood Knight Series! 

I wanted you to know that it is available in Amazon Kndle for a limited time for 99 cents. You'll find it at https://mybook.to/reign2 for both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If you haven't read Book 1, Reign - The Assault of Lucifer Morningstar, Amazon is offering both Kindle books at $1.98. You'll find that here. But if you just go to the first link and then on to Amazon, you'll see it there as well.

What's it about, you ask? Here's the blurb:

They are Italy’s only hope.James, God’s own appointed knight, a hybrid vampire wolf, a teenaged wizard, and a handful of kindred Lycans are the only barrier that stands between all of Italy and its destruction.

The corrupt politician, Matisse, has spent decades transforming himself into a Lich. Now that he can raise the dead, he leads masses of undead warriors across Italy, intent on killing every living soul in their path.

As heaven’s small band struggles to stop the Lich and his unholy soldiers, other mythological predators arise, determined to destroy James and his friends.
​
With evil closing in on every side, will Heaven win?

What are early readers saying about Reign - The Rise of the Lich? Here are a few:

​5-Stars! "Reign - The Rise of the Lich was not like any vampire story I've ever read. Suspenseful and filled with mythology, it's a page-turner!" - D. MacMillan, Marketing Specialist

5-Stars "I have been reading all of Carol McKibben's vampire stories for years, and THIS mystery is a not-to-be-missed thriller. It's the true page turner you can't put down til you see how it ends. Pure enjoyment!" - Andrea Michaels, Author of Reflections of a Successful Wallflower and Thursdays at 2

5-Stars“Carol McKibben’s books never disappoint and are all must-reads, this one included.” -Dina Bushrod, Social Media Assistant

Who Is Reign?
​
Reign is the narrator of this series, as are his relatives, Snow Blood and Moon Blood in my earlier series. He is a miracle, magical creature that you will adore for his loyalty and unconditional love of his master, James, the Silver Blood Knight and all his hybrid lycan companions. 

The Reign Series, like the Snow Blood and Moon Blood Series, are all part of a saga originating from the very first vampire, Brogio. Join us for what has been called a roller-coaster of a legend! 

I hope you will join me in my latest adventure!

​

Til Next Time,
​Carol

I have been busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger! The second book in my Silver Blood Knight Series, Reign - The Rise of the Lich, will launch on Am l and all other distributors on April 21, 2023! If you think writing a book is difficult, it's the marketing that kills me!

​Anyway, I was interviewed last week by The Authors Porch, and I thought I'd catch you up by sharing it with you! 

Let me know what you think: ​
https://theauthorsporch.com/2023/04/13/author-interview-carol-mckibben/

Til Next Time,
​Carol

When I read long-time friend and fellow book conspirator Liese Gardner's latest blog, I felt compelled to share it. Why? Because keywords are such a mystery to so many in the book world.

So let's get right to it, shall we. Click here for a terrific tutorial from her:
 https://liesegardner.com/finding-the-right-keywords/.

Want to learn more about Liese and what she does? Go here: https://liesegardner.com/.

Til Next Time,
​Carol

Hi! Just a quick note to let you know that Reign - The Rise of the Lich will be on sale in pre-order for 99 cents from now until launch day, April 21st on Amazon!

If you are in to vampires, shifters, mythological creatures and lots of the unexpected, this one is definitely for you! 

Take advantage of the pre-order price today! Here's the link: https://mybook.to/reign2.

Check it out!

Til Next Time,
​Carol

At last! Here is is! The Cover Reveal for Reign - The Rise of the Lich (Book 2 in the Silver Blood Knight Series.)

Watch here for the Pre-Order Sales Link coming this week! 

Want to know more about it? Here a description:

They are Italy’s only hope.

James, God’s own appointed knight, a hybrid vampire wolf, a teenaged wizard, and a handful of kindred Lycans are the only barrier that stands between all of Italy and its destruction.

The corrupt politician, Matisse, has spent decades transforming himself into a Lich. Now that he can raise the dead, he leads masses of undead warriors across Italy, intent on killing every living soul in their path.

As heaven’s small band struggles to stop the Lich and his unholy soldiers, other mythological predators arise, determined to destroy James and his friends.

With evil closing in on every side, will Heaven win?

Be sure to take advantage of the 99 cent presale as soon as it is live here!

Til Next Time,
​Carol

It's been a minute since I"ve posted here. I have been busy working on Reign - The Rise of the Lich, which is the second book in my Silver Blood Knight Series.

We held a cover wars contest to find the very best cover for it, and we have! So rather than reveal it all at once, we've put together clues to see if  you can connect the puzzle pieces. 

​Check it out:

Stayed tuned for the cover reveal on March 20th!

Til Then,
​Carol 

Coming out in April: Carol McKibben's Reign and The Rise of the Lich - Book 2 in the Silver Blood Knight series. Here's an excerpt:

Destiny plots a course we must follow. It has been said that two kinds of destiny exist. One we can change, and one that cannot be altered.

All my life I have been told I am a miracle, born for a purpose with a destiny to fulfill.

As I sprawled in front of a roaring fire, one that I am unable to feel, I stared into the violet eyes of another who has a destiny that cannot be changed.

Adam reached out and stroked my long salt and pepper fur as he squatted next to me in our new home outside of Rome. He was born to former vampires, Brogio, the original bloodsucker, and Selene, his former Moon goddess mate that he made kindred. Both are now human. That they were no longer kindred but had been restored to their former state was no small miracle. It had been prophesized that their son would be the greatest wizard of all ages.

The teenager next to me was a fraud of sorts. He was the product of a spell, his conjuring, that replicated the five-year-old boy into his eighteen-year-old duplicate. He appeared as Adam in every way, only older. To placate his parents, this duplicate will remain with us until the real boy turns eighteen and is allowed to leave home and join us.

Teenaged Adam sat in disbelief at my recent vision, an ability inherited from Enzo, my sire. I’d just shared it with him, James, and the ten Moretti brothers, all scattered around our great room.

James and the Morettis are hybrid vampire Lycans, and their destinies have all been changed to match ours. I am a hybrid as well and the single male offspring of Moon, a blended she-wolf vampire, and her spirit wolf, Enzo. Their coupling was supposed to be an impossibility. I am living proof that it is not. Except for Adam, all of us are immortal.

Thoughts of my vision ramble through our collective brains telepathically. We are connected mentally. And, we have all been anointed by God the Father’s angels as his warriors, created to fight against and rid the Earth of evil.

Thoughts of the newly formed Lich in my vision consumed us all.

James, to whom I have sworn my loyalty, knelt next to me. “Run us through your vision one more time, Reign. Take us through it slowly.”

I closed my eyes and replayed it for them.

​More images of characters from the book:

Stay on the lookout for more information about the second book in the Silver Blood Knight Series in April!

Til Next Time,
​Carol

As you might recall, I write novels with my daughter under the pen name of "Penn Scripter." Well, we wanted to share with you the fantasy books that have inspired us through the years.

Of course, we would like to put our The Demon of Reginhart in this grouping, but to be real, we have selected the fantasy books that have had the most influence on us! To see them, simply go to:

https://www.pennscripter.com/blog/penn-scripters-top-10-fantasy-books.

Til Next Time,
​Carol