Friday, November 19, 2021

Interview with Christina Bauer, TOWERS AND TITHES

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?
My latest book is Towers and Tithes, it is a fairy tale romance inspired by combining Rapunzel and Jane Eyre. In terms of a series, it is the eighth book in Fairy Tales of the Magicorum.

 

Do you have a favorite character?
I’m in love with Dex, the “Mister Rochester without the Douchebaggery” hero of Towers and Tithes.

 

Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?
In Towers and Tithes, the character of the evil Prism Master started off as a side-guy and developed into my major antagonist. He’s the man who creates all the magic mirrors in the Faerie Realm. (Someone needs to do it, right?)

 

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?
I did that for years, Years, people! Nothing.

 

How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for your first novel?
I was never offered a contract by a traditional publishing house. More recently, I’ve been offered a contract by a serial publisher, but it wasn’t a fit.

 

What factors influenced your decision to go with a particular agent or publisher?
I turned down the serial publisher because I’ve decided to ‘go wide,’ which is to work with all the serial publishers (Radish, Kindle Vella) directly and keep the extra cash. It’s also extra hassle to go wide, but I’m already doing most of the work anyway for ebooks.

 

Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will self-publish? Are you doing both?
I currently publish seven ebooks and one audiobook/year. There’s a great Facebook group called 20 Books to 50K that has a step-by-step process for how indies can publish in volume and be successful.

 

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?
No other choice? In all seriousness, I feel beyond grateful that I live in an era where authors can run their own business, control their IP, and make a living.

 

If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?
I’m a vicious micromanager when it comes to covers.

 

What have you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?
Go wide, young writer! That means you work directly with retail outlets versus having a publisher do it for you. To see if it’s a fit for you, check out Facebook author groups like Wide for the Win.

 

My next book is Angelfire, the story of a part-angel king named Lincoln discovering he has a hidden brother! Hope to see you on that tour!

 

Towers And Tithes
Christina Bauer
(Fairy Tales of the Magicorum, #8)
Publication date: November 9th 2021
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

I’m a Tower Tithe with a Rapunzel problem. That’s not as weird as it sounds.

Ever wonder how Rapunzel survives without leaving her home? After all, someone must stock groceries, buy hair products and fix the plumbing. Witches don’t wield toilet brushes, so “Rapunzel care” becomes the job of Tower Tithes like me. Not that we choose this gig. We’re just unlucky elves who get magically chucked into servitude. Since our kind live for ages, being a Tower Tithe can drag on for thousands of years… and I’m eighteen. Yipes.

That said, it wouldn’t be too awful if I had a cool Rapunzel. No such luck.

I serve none other than Lady R, the social media sensation and sadist who lives in Manhattan’s famous Apex Towers. With the help of her manager—a witch named Jocasta—Lady R releases daily gossip videos while assigning me “torture chores.” Many tasks are designed to remind me how Lady R is the gorgeous variety of elf, while I’m beyond plain. I spend a lot of time scheming my escape.

My work pays off when an eccentric billionaire offers to magically set me free. The catch? I must move to Arizona and become his personal assistant. Needless to say, I rush for the door. Turns out, my new employer is none other than Lady R’s ex-boyfriend, Dex, a guy who was blinded in a strange accident and has since become a recluse.

In other words, I ran from my fairy tale life, but it found me again anyway.

At this point, I should head for the hills, yet I simply can’t leave Dex. For the first time, I truly feel comfortable around someone. In all honesty, it’s probably because I have self-esteem issues and Dex can’t see my bland face. Even so, it’s all good until Lady R discovers where I am. And that leads to my Rapunzel problem.

With Lady R back in the picture, can I still find my happily ever after? The truth will emerge soon enough.

Because my name is Grayson Eyre, and this is my story.

Ideal for readers who crave a mash-up between Rapunzel and Jane Eyre.

FAIRY TALES OF THE MAGICORUM
1. Wolves And Roses
2. Moonlight And Midtown
3. Slippers And Thieves
4. Shifters And Glyphs
5. Bandits And Ball Gowns
6. Fire And Cinder
7. Fairies And Frosting
8. Towers and Tithes

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play


Author Bio:

Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates

Blog / Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn


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