June Updates

Here are some of the latest behind-the-scenes tidbits about my books.

• An In the Shadow of Blackbirds book trailer is in the works, and it will feature the music of Jill Tracy! I won't reveal the specific song at this point, but Jill's dark, Victorian-inspired work is absolutely perfect for my WWI-era ghost tale. The trailer will more than likely make an appearance a couple months before the novel's release date. More details to follow.


• I may be seeing In The Shadow of Blackbirds cover art by the end of the summer. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to that particular stage! For more 2013 covers, visit my 2013 Book Cover Love Pinterest board. Several new covers debuted this week.


• I'm gathering some swag for a few upcoming contests this summer. We're making plans for a major July giveaway at The Lucky 13s, so please check over there for details at the beginning of the month.


• As I wait for my second stage of revisions for In the Shadow of Blackbirds, I'm busily working away on my new book. I can't give any specific details about the novel, but I've left a few clues on my newest Pinterest board, Inspiration for Secret Writing Projects. A major plot point isn't portrayed on the board, but you can get an early taste of the book's setting and Gothic influence.


• In September, I'll be launching a brand-new website with other authors. Giveaways and celebrations will ensue, so definitely check back for news on that project.


• I'm heading to Ohio to visit family the first week in July. No, that has nothing to do with my books, but it will explain why I'm not responding to emails or blog comments until after July 9.   

Happy summer, northern hemisphere visitors! And to the southern hemisphere crowd, happy winter!

Seduced by the Siren Call of Pinterest

Through fellow members of The Lucky 13s, I learned about Pinterest.com, a new social networking site where you create virtual "pin boards" filled with images from around the web. Because Pinterest is so visual compared to other networking sites, it's probably easier to show you a sample board instead of describing one. Here's a collection of inspirational photos and artwork for In the Shadow of Blackbirds:

http://pinterest.com/catwinters/in-the-shadow-of-blackbirds

Basically, the board is what the novel looks like to me. I've also created an In the Shadow of Blackbirds fashion page to show examples of 1918 clothing, as well as boards for recommended ghost tales and historical reads.

Pinterest is highly entertaining, and if you're an author, it's another great way to let people know about upcoming releases. You attract Twitter-like followers, and people seem to find boards rather quickly.

But... the site is ADDICTIVE. If you're having enough trouble focusing on a project without the siren call of Twitter and Facebook luring you away from your work, don't get started over at Pinterest just yet. Once you've created one board, you'll more than likely feel compelled to create another and another and another...

Now that I've dipped my toes into Pinterest's seductive waters, I'm struggling to resist the temptation to keep returning. My boards are there, people are following them, and I've had my fun, but I know I need to refrain from checking in with the site on a constant basis if I want to get anything else done.

The bottom line: Use the site if you absolutely have the time. Otherwise, skip it.

Are you already on Pinterest? Leave your URL in the comments section so my readers and I can find you. Have questions about the site? Ask away.

My Pinterest profile page: Pinterest.com/catwinters.

ADDENDUM: One more pro and con to mention...

Pro: The boards can be extremely useful for gathering research material in one place. This morning, I was digging up info about 1880s clothing for a book project, and I realized I could pin all the useful images to a board specifically for fashion research. The links to the source material always appear below the images.

Con: The issue of copyright. Because I've been hunting down licensing info for images used in In the Shadow of Blackbirds, I've become especially sensitive to the problem of pirated images. There's some controversy over Pinterest and copyright violation. Here are a few articles that discuss the debate: blog.hubpages.com, greekgeek.hubpages.com, and seanlockephotography.com. Truthfully, the copyright issue has me tempted to pull my boards down.

Any thoughts from artists worried about their images appearing on the site?