Guest Post - Ilana Waters and Pubslush

Today, I'm skipping my normal Wednesday post because one of my writer buddies is determined (tugging at the shirttail, poking the arm, jabbing me constantly in the back until it hurts determined) to share something with all of you. (Truth: She's really not a pest at all, and I actually offered to help her out. . .)

 

 

But before I tell you anymore, I'll just introduce her (again!) and let her take over:

 

 

 

Here she is. . .

Ilana Waters!!!

 

 

Ilana Waters is a freelance writer who lives in New Jersey. When not creating content for clients, she can be found working on fiction—as well as nibbling string cheese. She once pet-sat an electric eel, and enjoys walking in circles around the park for no particular reason.
Her young adult and middle grade stories are available at Amazon, Amazon.com/uk, Barnesandnoble, Apple, Kobo, and Smashwords.

 

 

 

Hi Tonja! Thank you so much for having me on your blog! Again. I’m pretty sure you hosted me just a short time ago. ;-P

 

Anyway, I’ve been an indie writer for kids and teens for a while. But I wanted to tell everyone about the Pubslush campaign I’m running for my very first book for adults (yes, real-live grown-ups). It’s an urban fantasy called The Age of Mages. Here’s a bit about it:

 

I know a mage should be able to handle anything, but really, the circumstances are getting quite ridiculous.

What do you get when you cross a vampire with a witch? The vulgar might call it a half-breed or misfit. But the result is actually a magical creature with untold powers and numerous enemies.

In other words, a mage.

Joshua’s witch mother has been missing and presumed dead since he was a teen. Years later, when he learns she might still be alive, the only thing he can think of is finding her. His antagonistic vampire father agrees to help, but Joshua fears he may have ulterior motives.

The situation becomes even more complicated when they discover the reason for her disappearance: she possesses a mysterious crystal whose powers remain a secret.

Unfortunately, Joshua and his father aren’t the only ones interested in the crystal. As their search leads them from New York to Las Vegas to Rome, they’re pursued by the Paranormal Investigation Agency, the High Council of Witches, and yet more vampires. In the process, they uncover a plot to wake the deadliest vampire who ever lived.

If Joshua can find the crystal, he might find his mother — and stop a massacring blood-seeker from rising. But that involves not fighting with his father long enough to hold off adversaries both human and supernatural.

It might just be more than one mage can handle.

There’s also a nifty book trailer.

 

 

The Pubslush campaign is to get it into e-book format. Pubslush is similar to Kickstarter but geared more towards authors. Basically, this is your chance to support The Age of Mages and earn cool rewards!

Yes, about the rewards . . . in addition to getting a copy of The Age of Mages if the campaign is a success, my reward levels contain goodies like a mention in the dedication, social media promotion for your book or business, and newsletter sign up. But best of all are the heavily-discounted manuscript critiques.

 

Many writers (and aspiring writers) already know what professional critiques are, but if not, no worries. They're just something similar to what an editor might do to tighten up your manuscript (but are not the same as copyediting or proofreading). Critiques address plot, structure, characterization, and the like—what I call “big picture issues.”

 

Since I’ve been a full-time freelance writer for almost five years, I can offer something beyond what you get via reviews by friends, family, and beta readers. Not that those folks aren’t awesome, of course. But if you’re looking to take your manuscript to the next level, you need to go pro. ;-)

I’m even running a special deal—the next three people who donate at the $25 level will get the $50 reward, and the next three who donate at the $50 level will get the $100 reward.

Anyway, if you have any questions or comments, shoot me an e-mail me at ilanabethwaters[at]yahoo[dot]com. Here’s where I am around the web if you feel like trailing after me:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Wattpad

And here’s The Age of Mages Pubslush link one more time. :-)

 

Thank you again, Tonja, for having me on your blog!