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Now Available on Google Play

8 January 2018 by Evelyn Chartres Leave a Comment

The Google Books Partner program recently began accepting new accounts. So I jumped on the chance to signup made a Google Play Books version of my books available for your reading pleasure!

Like all other editions of my books, these are available for free. Please feel free to grab a copy of The Portrait or The Grand and have a read!

You will find The Grand nestled atop a cliff overlooking a cursed valley and surrounded by foreboding mountains. At this ritzy French palatial-style hotel things can to go terribly wrong for some because this hotel does not cater exclusively to the rich and famous. Instead, the staff and rooms are here to accommodate a more selective clientele.

Even things that go bump in the night need a place to unwind.

The Grand is a collection of Gothic horror stories that focus a town prosecutor who accidentally discovers a series of grizzly case files. Individual stories incorporate supernatural themes based in the Roaring Twenties to create a rich historical, linguistic and cultural backdrop.

Centred on the Grand’s victims, each story brings a different perspective to the hotel, their staff and their esteemed guests. At the Grand it is always best to remember that even things that go bump in the night need a place to unwind.

The Portrait

The Portrait is a supernatural story about Victoria Frost, an author who develops an unhealthy obsession with her character. As events unfold, her obsessions begin to turn on her and forces Victoria to question her sanity. Is she simply slipping deeper into madness or are there other factors at play?

A vision from the past becomes a writer’s deadly obsession.

The Portrait features a mixture of contemporary and historical scenes with the latter revolving around her muse. In this novel, Victoria will revisit certain scenes using both prose and art to yield new pieces of the puzzle with every pass.

Google Docs Does EPUBS

8 March 2016 by Evelyn Chartres Leave a Comment

Since 7 Mar 2016, Google Docs permits users to export directly to the EPUB format. This feature is purportedly reliable in exporting hyperlinked chapter index.

featured_google_docs — Google Docs now exports to EPUB on thestack.com

Some articles state that Google Docs will import from Microsoft Word and generate a viable working product. So given Google Docs‘ collaborative capabilities and this export feature, this may prove to be an invaluable tool for drafts and early beta releases.

I am curious as to how this compares with Calibre generated documents. Normally, I export to HTML from Google Docs to create mine and that has worked well in the past.

Still this is another tool for the shed!

Google is Redefining Temporary

21 February 2016 by Evelyn Chartres Leave a Comment

feartured_google_play — **Google Shutters Its Play Books Publisher Portal in Order to “Improve Its Content Management Capabilities” on the-digital-reader.com**

In May of 2015, Google Play Books shut down new registrations to its Partner program. Today, the site still issues out the same notice with no explanation as to the length or reason for the closure.

“We are not accepting new sign-ups at this time. We are sorry for the inconvenience. We’ll be back soon.”

One is bound to question the concept of soon or temporary when we learn how long it has been. However, bothers me is there there seems to be no official explanation from Google on the matter.

In fact, Google’s FAQ for Google Books still says it’s possible and makes no reference to a temporary outage. Here is an excerpt:

“Absolutely. If you’re self-published or the rights to your book have reverted back to you, you can join the program yourself. Just sign up here. Note that your books must have ISBNs in order to be included.”

The linked article to supposes the temporary ban on new accounts was related to rampant piracy. While I am all for making sure that royalties make it the right people, I would love to get an idea on the timeline and the way ahead!

Creator of Worlds

20 February 2016 by Evelyn Chartres Leave a Comment

featured_map — **Role-Playing Game Toolset on Inkarnate**

Authors often create worlds, while some are more drastic than others; the fact remains that it’s difficult keeping a clear image in our minds. When reading through the Lord of the Rings, I found that the map provided came in handy. This reference kept locations fresh in my mind while maintaining perspective.

I came across this link on my Google+ feed. It features a role-playing tool set from Inkarnate, which permits you to create beautiful and detailed maps. While perhaps not publishing quality, this certainly permits an author to sketch out their world. This alone would go a long way towards preventing the introduction of inconsistencies into their prose!

This tool would have been invaluable in the early stages of The Grand Project. The review process led me to discover how the hotel had not always written to be in the same place!

The Email Holy Grail

19 February 2016 by Evelyn Chartres Leave a Comment

featured_email_reading — **7 Tips for Getting More Responses to Your Emails (With Data!) on blog.boomerangapp.com.**

Came across this article from +Laurie Varga’s feed and it’s an interesting read. There is excellent advise within and statistics to back up their claims.

Not all of it translates well for posting on Google+ and their ilk (i.e. Long comments probably will get you a TL;DR.) though some certainly applies!

While the title of the article says 7 Tips for Getting More Responses to Your Emails, only six are outlined in the summary! I included the summary below for convenience:

Use shorter sentences with simpler words. A 3rd grade reading level works best.
Include 1-3 questions in your email.
Make sure you include a subject line! Aim for 3-4 words.
Use a slightly positive or slightly negative tone. Both outperform a completely neutral tone
Take a stand! Opinionated messages see higher response rates than objective ones.
Write enough, but not too much. Try to keep messages between 50-125 words.