Struggle

Welcome back!

I realize it's been over a month now since my last post, so I'm sorry about that! This isn't going to be a normal post, but then again, what is normal?

Recently, I've discovered that my motivation to do much is gone. It's literally vanished since I started writing my latest novel, and I believe my inner critic had a big part to play in it.

Writing may turn out to be the easiest part of the job in the end, but it's still pretty tough. Especially when you're writing something that you're really not that into in the first place. Though it's good to challenge yourself, I feel that you should find something you are passionate about, and blossom in it. If you don't love your project, you're only feeding the fire which is your inner critic.

I know my work is far from perfect. I've had to learn when to stop tweaking things, and let my work go out into the world, where people can either love it or hate it. I can handle the mixed reviews for my Witch In The Woods trilogy, because no matter what anyone else thinks, I love it! That's the thing that matters.

Desolation has been a struggle for me. A dream I had awhile ago inspired me to write it, but I never expected it would be this hard on me. I've struggled to figure out why, but I knew the answer longer than I thought I did.

This book isn't my style. It's the chaos of modern day which I've always longed to escape from. The magic and freedom is dead, and in it's place are the aliens wielding the weapons that destroyed the peace. (Sounds pretty cool in a literary sense, but this isn't what I strive for.)

As I try to continue with my work, my inner critic rears it ugly head.
"You've never written a book like this before. It's not going to be any good. You're going to disappoint everyone. They think you should be finished by now, and be publishing five or more books a year. Once it's published, you're going to wish the world swallows you whole."

My inner critic has been harsh, and made me go through a full week (And some day here and there) where I lost myself. Not just in my writing, but in my life. It had me questioning everything. I found that stressing over something else gave me a break from stressing over my book.

I know it's okay to put the story down, and work on something else for a while, but I couldn't get myself to do it. I'm still working on it. I can't stop.

Honestly, I think the reason is that I've told people that Desolation would come out this year. Sure, it's only April, I have plenty of time to get it done, but people keep asking, "When will you publish it?" I don't want to let anyone down, but I don't know when. My inner critic only takes that as more fuel.
Would they think less of me if it's not ready when they want it?

Getting to talk about this with a close friend made me realize that I'm just one girl. One imperfect human, and that's okay. So I asked myself, when did I let other people be in charge of me? (My inner critic included)

What they think shouldn't matter to me. What my inner critic says is nothing important. I will not write this book to please anyone, but I will not stop, either. I'll keep fighting this battle, and I will come out on the other side. It may not be beautiful, or amazing, but I will finish this. Why, you ask? Because I need to keep writing this book for myself.

If any of you struggle with similar things, just know that you are a strong person, and can make it through this. You just need to find what truly matters to you.

*My Chemical Romance moment:

I don't want to make it. I just wanna.

Thanks for reading!
*All pictures found on Google images*

In the mood for a fantastic read full of witches, magic, and surprises?

Then please, feel free to check out my books on these great sites!

Witch In The Woods trilogy on Amazon

Witch In The Woods trilogy on B&N

Witch In The Woods on CreateSpace

Witch In The Woods on Smashwords

Don't forget to like my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter and Goodreads to stay updated!

My author page on Facebook

@ann_bunker on Twitter

Taylor Ann Bunker on GoodReads

Deceived

Hello my wonderful readers!

I've been lacking in posts and book reviews, so I apologize! Today I have a review for a book I read in December last year.

Deceived by L. A. Starkey.
Y.A. Fiction, paranormal romance.

Sam and her best friend Julie were orphans, adopted by two different families, but always managed to stay in contact, even while attending separate schools. However, things get strange for Sam as she starts seeing things, having strange dreams, and starts a relationship with the popular (and womanizing) guy at her school.

Then two gorgeous men, Marcus and Nick, suddenly enter her life right after the worst tragedy Sam has ever known comes to pass. With a full plate of grief, confusion, and daily blackouts, Sam finds out that she is the Soul Keeper, caught in a love triangle and a fight between ancient Greek gods.

Wow, what a plot! How will our heroine stay sane through it all?
This book made me feel like I was 16 again! It has been a while since I read a YA paranormal novel set in modern times, and this book reminded me why I used to enjoy this type of read.

L.A. Starkey takes you on an emotional ride of tragedy and confusion, and tosses in moments of relief and beautiful men to get your weary mind off your troubles. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a modern time, paranormal read! Out of five stars, I give this book four!

Thanks for reading!

Check out my books on these great sites!

Witch In The Woods trilogy on Amazon

Witch In The Woods trilogy on B&N

Witch In The Woods on CreateSpace

Witch In The Woods on Smashwords

Don't forget to like my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter and Goodreads to stay updated!

My author page on Facebook

@ann_bunker on Twitter

Taylor Ann Bunker on GoodReads

The Holidays and Characters

Hello readers,

It was the most wonderful time of the year, and I had absolutely no motivation to start writing my next book, nor get this blog post out on time. I blame Christmas... And now procrastination, because I wanted to get this post out last year.

I was just too excited for the holidays! So I had decided to take a little vacation and enjoy the festivities. However, I also wanted to stay productive as well.

As you know, my book Witch in the Woods was included in a couple giveaways, (I'm counting that as staying active) and I decided to seize my bout of procrastination/no motivation, and turn it into a time of "Relaxed Productivity".

Here's my story: right after Halloween, I started working on my latest project 'Desolation', which will be a Young Adult/New Adult, fantasy/sci fi novel.

Well, I had hit a road bump... It felt more like a flat tire. This is COMPLETELY different than my beloved Witch In The Woods series, and I did not like my characters for this new writing project. The characters I did like were better suited for another story, that I might write in the future. I had a problem on my hands.

That is my conclusion, at least it worked pretty well for me. I took my time creating these new characters, and guess what? I actually like them! The key: I didn't just hit my head against the wall for hours trying to come up with characters. I managed to stay sane by taking it easy and letting them come to me. I can work with these people. I took my time, and got to know them gradually. Because of them, writing this book is a fun thought once again. These characters are much better suited for this story.

I fully plan on keeping you all updated on this writing project and the characters. That's all I have to say for now, but before I end this post, I'll leave you with this update: I already have nearly 20,000 words in the rough draft! It's a scary and exciting experience, and is completely different from Witch In The Woods! So when the time comes, expect a different writing style and everything! ;D

Thanks for reading! Write on, and read more indie books!

Please check out my books on these great sites!

Witch In The Woods trilogy on Amazon

Witch In The Woods trilogy on B&N

Witch In The Woods on CreateSpace

Witch In The Woods on Smashwords

Don't forget to like my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter and Goodreads to stay updated!

My author page on Facebook

@ann_bunker on Twitter

Taylor Ann Bunker on GoodReads

Book Review!

Welcome back!

Today I have another book review for you all! This time, I am reviewing a Paranormal Romance.

I read this book back in November last year, so sorry for the late review! Yes, this is the second book in The Alis Mundi Series, called Angel Unchained by Jordana Barber. This isn't my type of book, but it's always good to try new things! Here's the summery:


After a failed attempt on her life, the Aliisian Demon-Djinn Princess, Azriella Caradine, finds herself torn between her duties as timekeeper, maintaining the balance, and the desires of her heart. With her Dragon Guardian husbands near abandonment, Azriella finds her safety in the hands of her dishonest first husband, and her ill (malnourished) Vampire fiance.


Before you gasp and wonder why Azriella has so many husbands, I want to make it clear that she is a Demon-Djinn Princess. Apparently, she can do whatever the hell she wants.

I found this book a little confusing when it comes to who is talking, but other than that, Jordana Barber has a way of painting her characters, making them colorful in the mind's eyes, and creating a intriguing plot.

For those who enjoy paranormal romances, alternate worlds, and sexy men at every turn, you may want to check out this series. Out of five stars, I give this book three.

Thanks for checking out this review! Keep on reading!

Interested in a fantastic Dark Fantasy read? My book are available on these great sites as an ebook, or as a beautiful paperback!

Witch In The Woods trilogy on Amazon

Witch In The Woods trilogy on B&N

Witch In The Woods on CreateSpace

Witch In The Woods on Smashwords

Don't forget to like my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter and Goodreads to stay updated!

My author page on Facebook

@ann_bunker on Twitter

My author profile in Goodreads

Why I Love Being Indie - Blog Hop

Hello readers!

I decided to join in on this Blog Hop created by Christina L. Rozelle about being indie. Being an indie author is not all fun and games; it's a lot of work. But as an indie author, you definitely have some perks!

This is the main reason I love being indie.
I have 100% control over my book.
Since no third party is involved with my book, I succeed or fail on my own. I can make my story how I want, and as long or short as I wish.

It is easy to be discouraged in this industry, and you have to work hard just to get a few sales every month. It may feel like the world is against you, but you're not going to be a best seller over night. And if you are, can you tell me your secret? Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that it's amazing to watch your work grow over time.

Being indie is publishing on a more personal level.
Getting to connect with other authors through #IndieBooksBeSeen is another wonderful part of being indie. Not only do I love it, but I feel that this is an important time to be indie.

Thanks for reading, and write on!

Please follow the link and check out Part one of Christina L. Rozelle's blog!

https://clrozelle.wordpress.com/2014/12/08/10-things-that-suck-and-rock-about-being-an-indie-author-part-1/

Check out my Witch In The Woods trilogy on these great sites!

Witch In The Woods trilogy on Amazon

Witch In The Woods trilogy on B&N

Witch In The Woods on CreateSpace

Witch In The Woods on Smashwords

Don't forget to like my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter and Goodreads to stay updated!

My author page on Facebook

@ann_bunker on Twitter

Taylor Ann Bunker on GoodReads

Black Friday & an Indie Giveaway!

Welcome back!

I'm writing a little blog post to ask you all to help me spread the word of fantastic news! This Friday and for the whole Black Friday weekend, my eBooks are going to be 99 cents apiece!

This is your chance to get the entire trilogy for a great deal!

Also, please check out the #IndieBooksBeSeen first Secret Santa's Indie Book Giveaway!

My first book, Witch In The Woods, is included in the giveaway, and you could win a copy of my, or any of these other author's great books!

You have to be 13 years of age or older to enter, and the drawing is on December 15! So get in on the action, and see if Santa will be gifting you with an indie surprise! Follow the link below to enter!

Secret Santa's Indie Book Giveaway!

Please help spread the word of this Giveaway, and of my Black Friday sale! Ebooks make great gifts, whether its a gift for a friend, or yourself! What could be better than a wonderful fantasy series for a present?

I am very excited about both of these things, and I want to thank you all right now for your help! Thanks for spreading the word!

Thanks for reading!

Check out my books on these great sites!

Witch In The Woods trilogy on Amazon

Witch In The Woods trilogy on B&N

Witch In The Woods on CreateSpace

Witch In The Woods on Smashwords

Don't forget to like my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter and Goodreads to stay updated!

My author page on Facebook

@ann_bunker on Twitter

Taylor Ann Bunker on GoodReads

How I Made A Book Trailer

Welcome back,

A while ago I made a book trailer for Witch In The Woods. It was actually fun and easy too! Did I mention I did it for free?

I decided I should make a trailer for my book after reading blogs by other indie authors. A few of which claimed that stupelix.com was the best place to go as a free option. After checking out the site, I found that they did have free options, however, for what I had planned, I would have had to pay to make my video.

Sure, I could spend the few bucks to achieve my vision... Or, I could check out what other sights had to offer.

Research pays off! I decided that YouTube was the best option. You can either make your video through their creator studio, which works wonderfully, but then you can only choose from the music which they provide, which wouldn't have been bad if I was making a video for a modern times novel.

Then I found a way that I could make my video and use the music my brother had mixed special for it, and download it to YouTube! All I had to do was make my video with Windows Movie Maker. The whole process was easy too!

Before you can just dive into making your book trailer, you first have to figure out what you want to tell your potential readers. You must give the main point to the book, what genre and age range is it intended for, and where they can purchase, if they so desire.

I began by making notes on what I wanted in the video.

Since this is a trailer, it is very important to keep your video short.

Viewers do not want to spend more that 2 minutes watching a book trailer. This is the video synopsis of your book, so don't tell the whole story. Your goal is to make your viewers want to know more.
I decided to put in bits of Victor's journal entries to add a sense of mystery.

When making your video, use pictures you own. Don't just download any picture off of Google. Those picture may be copyrighted, so you do not want to use them without permission. I recruited my mom and my sister to go around town with me, to take our own pictures. You can even buy pictures, online, or purchase public domain pictures if you can't take them yourself.

When you have your pictures, put them in the order you want them to appear in the video. Since you will have text with most of your pictures, make sure you give each picture enough view time. You want to make sure everyone has enough time to read it!

At the end of your trailer, as I mentioned earlier, tell viewers what genre and age group your book is intended for. Inform them where they can purchase it, and don't forget to give the title and your name! It is a good idea to add the cover of your book, so they know what to look for!

Here is my book trailer:

Thanks for reading, and as always, keep writing!

Interested in a fantastic Dark Fantasy read? My book are available on these great sites as an ebook, or as a beautiful paperback!

Witch In The Woods trilogy on Amazon

Witch In The Woods trilogy on B&N

Witch In The Woods on CreateSpace

Witch In The Woods on Smashwords

Don't forget to like my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter and Goodreads to stay updated!

My author page on Facebook

@ann_bunker on Twitter

My author profile in Goodreads