Fangtastic Books: Guest Blog and Giveaway: Seraphina The Awakening by Sheena Hutchinson

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Sheena Hutchinson. I recently self published my first book, Seraphina: The Awakening that is currently available on Amazon. It’s been eight long months, but it was worth every hour of sleep lost and every hair I pulled out when the words wouldn’t come. There are however two questions I get asked by fans all the time: How do you come up with the story or the inspiration to write a book? and Why did you self publish instead of the traditional way?

Not to get all Twilight on you guys, but Seraphina’s story came to me in a dream. I had been going through a break up and dove into reading again. I was deep into the Hush Hush Series by Becca Fitzpatrick and I was sort of obsessed with the idea of him being her Guardian Angel in the second book. I went to bed that night and saw it all before my very eyes, a Guardian Angel falling head over heels for his subject, the accident, and him making the hardest decision of his life. The next scene I pictured was Sera’s accident and her somehow shielding herself with a power she never knew she possessed. By the time my eyes flew open the next day, everyone close to me was sick of hearing about my dream. Desperate for an escape from my own feelings I resolved to put all my effort into writing it all down on paper. One scene led to another then another until I began passing it around from friend to friend for advice and one year later I finally had a complete book.

Now, why did I choose to self publish? Honestly, the thought of rejection scared the living daylights out of me! I knew I wasn’t up to par with the writing styles of people who have been writing all their life. I knew my manuscript would just sit on someone’s desk for months before I got that inevitable rejection letter in the mail. Instead, the idea of self-publishing really appealed to me. I’d put it out there on my own terms, I can change it anytime I wanted, and if it didn’t go anywhere it was no big loss. The one thing I wasn’t expecting is the amount of promotion and marketing I’d have to do completely solo. If I had to go back and do it all over again, I think I’d do my research way before I hit ‘publish.’ I’d find out about blog tours, street teams, conventions, marketing, and networking with other authors and bloggers. One thing that did save me was the fact that I signed up for Amazon’s KDP Select. It’s Amazon’s program that makes your book available in the Amazon Lending Library so their Prime Members can borrow it for free. I’ve heard this doesn’t always work for everyone, but I’ve personally had a lot of success with it.

In the end, I wouldn’t change my experience for the world. I have found out more about myself as well as the world of publishing than I ever would have thought possible. I plan on writing more books and everything I’ve learned will be a tool for my future success.

Seraphina: The Awakening

Seraphina Series

Book One
Sheena Hutchinson

Genre: Paranormal Romance

ASIN: B00HL5PQYM

Number of pages: 150 in e-book format

Word Count: 60,000

Cover Artist: Andrea Garcia

Cover Model: Sheena Hutchinson

Book Description:

For as long as she can remember, Seraphina Cross has experienced these visions that made her feel like there was more to life. It wasn’t until one moment, one accident that her life changed forever. She awakens the next day a new person in more ways than one. With no recollection of past night’s events, she’s forced to adapt to certain sensations she is experiencing all while trying to piece together what exactly happened to her that fateful night.

Her strange, hectic life doesn’t seem to make sense until she meets a handsome stranger. Only then does the puzzle finally piece itself together. What she doesn’t expect is the new powers she has developed attracting all kinds of unwanted attention.

Thrown into a world she never truly believed existed she is forced to come to grips with who she is becoming while staying out of trouble long enough to figure out what needs to be done to fulfill her destiny.

Free at Amazon August 4-8

Available at Amazon and Amazon UK

Excerpt 2:

Driving home I try to focus on the road, but my mind won’t seem to cooperate. Tears begin to well up in my eyes as I’m driving down the lonely, deserted street. Staring out the windshield through my tears I can’t help but think the scenery is just how I feel inside, alone and dead. It’s just a normal December night outside, but I can feel it coming for me. The darkness and depression creeping up on me like a monster in the night.

I pull up to my house, put my car in park, and pause for a second. I sit with my hands still on my steering wheel staring down the empty dead-end street, not hearing the radio blasting, breathing in the darkness, and finally accepting the depression that’s coming. Tears are streaming down my face now, smearing the mascara I was wearing. Resting my head on the steering wheel, I allow the tears to stream down my pale cheeks. I can’t get control of all the emotions swirling up inside of me, it seems like all I can do is release them.

My mind wanders from the freakiness of my date, to my dreams, to the psychic encounter, to the weird feelings I’ve been having and back again. I can’t help but feel like this world will never be enough. I will never be truly whole because part of me lives in another realm.

I will never be truly content with this life, I have this overwhelming feeling that I’m waiting for something, something else, something… more.

About the Author:

Sheena is a born and raised New Yorker, even her writing can’t hide her hard sarcasm. Like some she went to college blindly and spend her early years trying to decide which path to take, dabbling in various jobs and career ventures, such as modeling, clinical psychology, retail, and medical billing. All before destiny lead her to writing again. She constantly strives to be a positive role model and write stories that empower and inspire.

Sheena always roots for the underdog, believes in love at first sight, and that everyone should have their happily ever after. While God is currently writing her love story she continues to put all her time into her writing as she is constantly getting new inspiration.

For more on Sheena and her books visit her website www.SheenaHutchinson.com

Twitter: @Sheena_Hutch

www.Facebook.com/TheSeraphinaSeries

www.Goodreads.com/SheenaHutch

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