Beta Readers Wanted

Posted on by P. A. Harper

Apply to Beta Read: Book One of Memory Loss Series, September 2022

The beta reader application period is closed. Thank you to all who applied.

Book Details

Title: To Be Announced
Genre: Adult Fantasy Crime Novel
Word Length: 50k (Approximately)
Featuring: A forgetful witch, a queen or two, the rat king, and a pyromaniac cat.
Tentative Publishing Date: To Be Announced

Logline

She’s a modern-day witch living in Brooklyn, NY, and the sole witness to her and her grandmother’s murder; only she can’t remember anything before her resurrection, and the murderer could be anyone, even her.

Synopsis

An incredible prophecy and forbidden love seals a young witch’s fate. At the cost of her true love’s life she gains immortality, but is cursed by his mother, the Fae queen. The immortal witch is doomed to suffer death, resurrection, memory loss, and relive her most painful life moments in her dreams.

More than anything she wants to regain her memory and solve her grandmother’s murder, but as she tries to piece her life back together she finds more than she bargained for. She must survive murder, backfiring curses, the theft of the forbidden spell book, a hex intervention, petty grudges, jealousy, her mysterious vampire ex-husband, a rat infestation, a thieving aunt, her surly fire-breathing-cat, the pit, a witch trial, plus witch and vampire politics.

Schedule
The beta reading schedule for Memory Loss (temporary working title) is currently scheduled to take place in September 2022. It is broken up into four parts and parsed out over a four-week period. Each reader’s comments will be due at the end of the week for the assigned segment. Each segment will be four chapters, approximately 12,500 words.

What Is a Beta Reader?

A beta reader is not expected to give professional feedback in the way an editor, proofreader, or publisher would. Beta readers read early drafts of a novel and give feedback from the perspective of the average reader to help solve any remaining issues. They represent the target demographic. The author will take your feedback to revise their novel. Most beta readers are not paid, but it is customary to send a copy of the book’s final version when completed.

Application Questions

By submitting your application, you agree to complete confidentiality, to keep all material sent to you as private. Do not share extracts, plot details, or potential spoilers to the public.

  1. Are you 18 years of age or older?
  2. This is an adult novel and contains swearing, and sensitive themes such as murder, violence, mental health conditions, and sexual explicit content. Are you comfortable reading such content?
  3. Are you a reader of paranormal thrillers, horrors, ghost stories, fantasy, murder mysteries, or contemporary science fiction?
  4. Are you willing to read the weekly extracts and complete each accompanying Google Form in the week given?

The Crazy Cat Lady: A Vampire’s Tail

Posted on by P. A. Harper

Day 1

I’m talking to this guy at the bar with longish dark brown hair and dimples. He leans forward to take a drink, his wavy locks fall into his face, and he brushes them aside. His button-down shirt is partly open. I get an eyeful of a tan well defined, but not overly muscled, male body. He has dark chocolate brown eyes that hint at mischief, sparkling when he laughs. He rubs a hand over his close-cut goatee. A beautiful rhythm of Spanish words flow from his gorgeous pink lips, not that I understand what he’s saying. All I can think about is kissing them. 

I lean back on the bar stool and almost lose my balance. I’m drunk, but I don’t remember drinking that much. I shake my head, as I try to loosen my stuck cogs. He motions me to lean forward, as if he has a secret to tell, and I oblige with a smile. He smells of mahogany, black pepper, and honey. 

“Mmmmm.” I close my eyes and breathe in deeper. Mmm, a tall drink of chai. I take another sip of my drink, and the room spins. Then I’m falling though the clouds. The clouds break and I can see the ground fast approaching. 

Day 2

My body tenses, and I open my eyes to possibly the worst hangover I have ever had, and my stomach hurts. How much did I drink last night? Maybe I really was at the bar. Did Mr. Gorgeous slip me something? I drain the glass of water by the bedside, and my head spins. Woah. Maybe I’ll stay in bed, and call room service later for a snack.

Day 3

Another night of falling through the clouds until the clouds break. Once again, I open my eyes to a terrible hangover and my stomach still hurts, but at least the room isn’t spinning. Maybe I ate something bad? If that’s the case, I’m not contagious, and I don’t want to spend another day convalescing in the hotel with only two days of my vacation left. I get cleaned up, and head down to the hotel lobby restaurant. I’m in luck, he’s at the bar with two friends.

Day 4

I’m flying in the sky, then my dream changes. Blood is everywhere, and my cat is there. When I wake, the room is dark and I’m groggy. It takes a bit before I realize I was dreaming, but my head and stomach feel fine. Must be early morning. I slip back into sleep.

Day 6

Next I wake up with a start. There was something I was supposed to do. What was it? I feel around on the side table. My travel alarm clock, where was it? Feels like my bed at home, but I don’t remember going home. Warning bells go off in my head, and pulse in my mind. That’s right I was supposed to meet him for dinner the last night of my trip. I feel pretty hungry and thirsty. I get up in search of some water to cool my parched dry throat. A yawn takes over as I lean to turn on the light. And I pause at an all too familiar smell, the salty iron scent of blood, then begin to remember what happened.

We all left the hotel and drove to my house. I remember telling him no, begging him not to, screaming, and all the blood. My blood, and drinking his blood. 

“Oh, God. I drank blood. And later he forced me to feed on two other people.” Thankfully strangers, small favors. I take a deep breath of the bloody scent, then turn on my bedside lamp. The room is spattered with blood, and there are two dead bodies lying slumped in the corner. But where’s my Louisiana vampire?

I stumble to the bathroom, pour a drink of water, and drink it slowly, then a second. Yes, he told me the living dead need to drink a lot of water. It was about all they needed besides fresh blood. A nervous laugh escapes my lips.

I see my medical books stacked by the bed when I exit the bathroom. I remember not wanting to see people I know, the concern I might want to turn them, or worse, eat them. With my courses complete, and only my residency left to go—-that life is gone forever. I’ll never see my little sister again. Can’t risk it. I need to come to terms with this. My body feels heavy, and the weight of what I am pulls me down to the bed. I sit with my head in my hands. That’s when Fluffy, my cat, slinks out from under the bed and rubs against my legs. I remember! Damned me to hell. 

“What have I done?” She looks up and gives me a big toothy cat grin. I was so hungry, and then I didn’t have the heart to let him kill her in a more permanent manner. It was not like Fluffy’s diet would change. The cat loves hunting little critters. Fluffy would stay, my immortal companion. I laugh again. My ex always said I’d turn into a crazy cat lady. 

“I don’t think this is quite what Eric envisioned, hey Fluffy stuff?” My hand absently strokes Fluffy’s head, and she purrs. I really picked a good name for a vampire cat. Ah yes, the envy of all the other vampires. Fluffy rhymes with Buffy. I laugh at my joke. “Let’s hope we don’t run into any ‘Buffys’” Right Fluff” At least I haven’t lost my sense of humor.

I clean the house, throwing out the litter box with a smile. No more of that. Then I go through my closet, no more gym clothing. Next goes skin rejuvenating creams, vitamin supplements, and bandages. And then I hear the snick of my front door and the scent of mahogany, black pepper, and honey. Lou’s home.

© Copyright P. A. Harper 2022 All Rights Reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

William F. Deeck-Malice Mystery Writers Grant

Posted on by P. A. Harper

Grant for Mystery Writers: DEADLINE NOV 1st

Traditional mystery writers, don’t miss your chance to submit your application to for the William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Mystery Writers Grant Program for Unpublished Writers! The deadline is coming up fast!

The William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant Program for Unpublished Writers is designed to foster quality literature in the Malice Domestic tradition and assist the next generation of traditional mystery writers on the road to publication. The grant includes a $2,500 cash award and a comprehensive registration to Malice Domestic, including two nights’ lodging at the convention hotel.    

https://www.malicedomestic.org/grants.html

Join the Brooklyn Writers Exchange

Posted on by P. A. Harper

Join the Brooklyn Writers Exchange Group on Facebook

The Booklyn Writers Exchange meets once a week to write and get work done. It helps support our writing practice and can even help with writer’s block. I started this group to help other writers get the support they need. Writing is often thought of as a solitary job, but that’s only part of writing. I’m woking to change that view.

What to Expect From Writing With The Brooklyn Writers Exchange

We meet for an hour of uninterrupted writing every Thursday at 6pm in the Brooklyn Heights Library‘s craft room. (Note, the link to join our FaceBook Group is temporary and will expire, if you need a new one message me.) We start right on time. Once the timer starts, no chatting and we write for 1 hour until the hour is up. If you get there late it’s not a problem. Just grab a seat and start writing.

During the first hour you can write anything you want to, doesn’t have to be for a specific project. No one will see what you’ve written or give you unsolicited advice. Some of us are not professional writers, we just meet up toe journal or do writing as a form of meditation.

What we do is a combination of zen meditation and writing, established by the writer and author, Natalie Goldberg. You can find out more about this in her book: Writing Down the Bones.

After Writing Comes the Exchange Part

Writing can seem like very solitary. Connecting with other writers is a a great way to support your writing practice. Afterwards you’re welcome to chat, take off, or keep writing. We have the room until 7:30p. However, you’ll get the most out of the group if you can stay and visit. You never know who you might meet that will help you bring your writing to the next level. We talk about all different kinds of things in our meetings. We generally don’t have a set agenda and the floor is open for anyone to speak.

If you’re getting started or recommitting to your writing practice check out my recent post: How To Build a sustainable Writing Practice. Please see our facebook group, Brooklyn Writer’s Exchange, for updates on events and other useful information. Hope you see you at our next meeting!

Born Dreaming, Micro Fiction

Posted on by P. A. Harper

I was born dreaming, wrapped in the perfect desire of intoxication with unlimited expansion. So, you can imagine why I screamed my head off when I opened my eyes.

How to Strengthening Your Brand

Posted on by P. A. Harper
Strengthen Your Brand

This article will help you strengthen your brand by inspiring trust, loyalty, and action from your potential customers and current customers.

Understand What Your Audience Needs From Your Brand

It’s surprising how many business owners don’t know their customers or bother to try and find out how to serve them better. The most essential information you need to know about your customers is what they need and want. Your product, or service, must fulfill a need or want in a way that no one else is. Ask what your company’s strengths are.

Do research. Find out who your competitors are and what they are doing. What are their weaknesses and strengths? Learn how you can deliver what’s missing. Then, ensure your customers know about the benefits of using your company’s products and what sets you apart from other companies.

The second most important information about your customer is how to reach them. Find out what the defining characteristics and habits are by researching user demographics. And reach those people where they live.

Fine Tuning Your Brand’s Message Will Strengthen your Brand

Learning how to build an authentic personal message through the power of storytelling is how to strengthen your brand.

Share with customers how you stand behind your company values. Live what you preach. Behind the seans stories make information easier to remember and can be entertaining.

Tell your personal story, how it shaped your life and inspired you to create your company, a service, or a product. Talk about the challenges you encounter on the journey, and how you provide a real-life solution for people.

Share a human interest stories about how your company helps people.

Try to tie in historical relevant stories that speak to your brand’s values.

A/B testing is a valuable tool you can use to find out what your customers respond best to.

Once you have their attention, make sure you close by using a call to action to guide the customers to take action.

Focus on Improving Your Brand’s Strong Points

Focus on growing your business by being your best, not just being good. Give your clients more than they expect; it will build loyalty and keep them returning. Here are a few ideas to get started:

Help your employees participate in your company’s efforts to strengthen your brand by giving them incentives to improve their jobs and lives. Reward employee efforts by giving them the tools to provide the best customer service you can. Encourage developmental learning among employees in areas where they may need some help. Reward them directly as a team for their efforts by making monthly goals with cash incentives. Teach them when the company does well, they benefit from it. Having satisfied employees who take pride in their work is a valuable asset that many employers overlook.

To find out what end users think of your products and services:

  1. Ask your employees and customers directly what the company’s weaknesses and strengths are.
  2. Ask what solutions or improvements they feel would work best or be appreciated.
  3. Use test experiments to see what works best.

Keep Your Band Message Consistent

Communicating the same message across all your company’s marketing channels is very important. If you don’t, you will confuse your customers.

Repetition helps customers and potential customers remember your company. Make sure your efforts reinforce one another, so customers choose your company when they are ready to purchase.

Follow up on old information on other sites gets updated or is removed. Outdated information can hurt your reputation, cost you, and customers.

Strengthen Your Brand with Partnerships And Strategic Alliances

Try to find a mentor at at company with a well known brand you admire.

Have your company participate in a charitable program or do volunteer work.

Build partnerships with companies who have a similar target audience or work in a related industry to expand your reach to a secondary market. The key is to find a partner who can provide something that you cannot while you are doing the same for them, and have your efforts bringing new customers to both of you. Suggest a cross-promotion. Work together to see if it is the right fit for both parties.

Don’t forget to build a partnership with your customers. Customer recognition through reviews and social media is powerful and will add credibility to your brand. You can often get customers to help you spread the word by providing excellent customer service and asking them to. I send follow-up emails to let them know their reviews help other potential customers make purchasing decisions and help your business thrive.